How To Integrate Underfloor Heating With Your Smart Home System

There’s nothing better than walking into an oasis of warmth after a long day during the winter months. And when you have underfloor heating, this is something that’s completely possible. However, you want to ensure it’s all warmed up and ready for you instead of getting home and waiting for it to heat up. 

By integrating your underfloor heating with a smart home system, you can ensure it’s always warm when you need it to be. But how do you connect these two to ensure they run seamlessly? Below is everything you need to know about underfloor heating, smart home systems, and how to integrate them effectively. 

What is underfloor heating?

Underfloor heating is one of the most energy-efficient and effective methods of warming up your home or commercial building in today’s age. Unlike traditional radiators, they warm up the entire area of a room, ensuring complete comfort throughout. They work by generating the heat from below the floor’s surface upward, also helping you save space in your room simultaneously.

There are two types of underfloor heating systems: water and electric. Water systems are best for an entire property and use a series of pipes with warm water flowing through them. Electric systems are better equipped for singular rooms and use cables or heating mats to generate the heat. 

Smart Home Systems Overview

A smart home system is a network of interconnected devices that work together remotely to automate various functions within the home. There are various components that makeup one of these systems, which includes the central control units, such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, smart thermostats which control the heating and cooling in a property, and the thing that connects it all together, such as WiFi. 

Benefits of smart home systems

There are many benefits you can experience once introducing a smart home system to your property:

• Remote control – You can use your smartphone or tablet to monitor any of the devices in your system wherever you are. 
• Automation and scheduling – You can program each device to work at a specific time, such as turning on your underfloor heating just before you get home from work. 
• Energy management and savings – These systems will monitor energy consumption and find the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. 

Choosing the right smart thermostat

Before you integrate your underfloor heating system with your smart home system, you need to have the right thermostat. The most important thing to look for is that you have one that is compatible with your underfloor heating. When having your system installed by a professional, you can talk to them about which ones are the best, or you can try and find one yourself. Some of the best brands in the business include Nest, Ecobee, and Honeywell.

When looking for a smart thermostat yourself, you also want to consider a few key features that can help make using it ten times better. These include things such as:

• Multi-zone control – If you’re planning on having underfloor heating in multiple rooms of your property, then you want a thermostat that will let you control different areas independently. 
• Energy usage reports – To save the most on your energy, go for a smart thermostat that can provide you with energy usage reports. These will provide you with insights that can help you save energy and reduce monthly costs. 
• Integration with other smart devices – If you want to integrate your underfloor heating with the rest of your smart home system, you need a thermostat that will be compatible with the other smart devices on your property, such as lights and locks. 

Installation process

Once you’ve found the best smart thermostat to go with your underfloor heating system, it’s time to install it. While it is best to use a trained professional to help you out, if you have the expertise yourself, you can follow these steps:

1. Grab the tools and materials you need, including screwdrivers, wire strippers, pliers, a voltage tester, drill and bits, your new thermostat, mounting hardware, electrical tape, wire connectors, and your smartphone or tablet. 
2. Locate the power source of your underfloor heating system and turn it off before installation to ensure your safety during the process. Use the voltage tester to ensure there isn’t any excess electricity going through the wiring. 
3. Install the backplate or mounting bracket to your wall and ensure it is securely attached and levelled. 
4. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to wire the smart thermostat to your underfloor heating system. 
5. Once you are sure that you have correctly wired the thermostat and it is mounted right onto the wall, you can restore the power to your underfloor heating system.
6. Turn on the smart thermostat and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set it up and connect it to your smartphone or tablet app. Connect it to your WiFi network at the same time. 
7. Once installation and connections are complete, test the thermostat and its features to ensure it works well with the underfloor heating system. 

Integrating with your smart home system

Once your smart thermostat is installed and up and running, the last thing you need to do is connect it to the rest of your smart home system. You can do this in three easy steps:

1. You probably already did this during setup and configuration, but you’ll need to add the thermostat to your smart home network. This can be via your WiFi connection or any other central hub you use to control all the devices. 
2. To ensure maximum efficiency of your underfloor heating system, use the thermostat to set schedules for each zone. You can also customise the temperature settings so you’re getting the most comfort every day.
3. Link the smart thermostat to the other devices in your home. This can be anything from the lights in each room to the locks on your doors. If you have a system such as Alexa or Google Assistant, set up voice control on your thermostat as well. 

Conclusion

Underfloor heating can bring a lot to a home, especially when it has been installed by a trained professional. It can also provide a lot more comfort when integrated with a smart thermostat and the other smart devices on your property. Ensure you follow these instructions carefully for seamless integration, and you’ll be living well all year long.