Electric underfloor heating systems consist of mats placed underneath your floor that have a network of electrical wires running through them. When an electrical current flows through the wires, they create heat. Since this type of heating system doesn't have any moving parts, it's very reliable. However, a fault in the electrical wiring underneath your floor can cause the wires to only heat up partially or not heat up at all.

If you have an electric floor heating system that isn't generating as much heat as it used to, you'll need to call a heating repair service to have it fixed. To learn how they'll do it, read on.

Finding the Location of the Fault

The most important part of finding out what's wrong with your electric underfloor heating system is determining the exact location of the electrical fault. The wires in your underfloor heating system can break, causing them to stop carrying current throughout the entire system. If the wire makes contact with the subfloor next to it, that current will be grounded. A break in the wires can also cause exposed wires to get too close to one another, causing a short that will also prevent current from flowing normally through your underfloor heating.

All of these problems can be easily found using infrared imaging. A contractor will use an infrared camera to look at your underfloor heating system while it's running. The wires that heat up will be displayed in red or orange, and the ones that don't will be displayed in blue or purple. If there's a section of the wiring where it switches from hot to cold, then that's the location of a break in the wiring. This means that the current is going to the ground instead of continuing through the wiring like it's supposed to. If there's a location that's much hotter than the rest of your underfloor heating, it means there's a short in that location due to the electrical arc generated by the shorting wires.

Splicing the Damaged Area

Once the faulty wire has been found, your heating repair contractor will use a chisel to very carefully chip through your floor to expose it. Using an infrared camera to find the exact location of the wire will limit unnecessary damage to your floor, making it easier and less expensive to repair afterward.

After exposing the faulty wire, the heating repair service will cut it away and splice it with a new one. Afterward, it will be wrapped with a sleeve that serves as a replacement for the insulation that the manufacturer initially included with the wire. Once the faulty wire has been spliced and re-insulated, the electrical current will flow normally throughout your underfloor heating system again.

If you're having trouble with your electric underfloor heating system, call a heating repair service in your area. Fixing a faulty wire doesn't need to involve tearing apart your whole floor. A professional will isolate the damaged wire using a thermal camera, allowing it to be spliced with a minimum of damage. Once it's fixed, your floor will be warm and comfortable again.