If you think the idea of getting underfloor heating fitted in a North London home is a novel idea, think again.
The first underfloor heating fitted in London dates back to the Romans, who used a system called a hypocaust, piping hot air from furnaces into a cavity below the floor. Archaeologists have found multiple examples in the capital and across England, with Billingsgate Bath House in the City of London being a case in point.
What is not recorded is exactly what time of year the work of installing the hypocausts was undertaken, but it is fair to say the residents of Roman London and other places in this island outpost of the empire will have been very glad to have them fully functioning by the time winter arrived.
If you want to get underfloor heating installed, the same will be true. Summer is the best time of year to get electrical and gas engineers doing big jobs, as they won’t be busy on emergency boiler repairs and similar tasks. Instead, you may find it much easier to find times when they are available.
Just as getting a boiler serviced or replaced in summer will ensure it is ready before you really need its hot water in winter, so it is with underfloor heating. That way, you can have everything done and dusted before you need it.
There is a common misconception that an underfloor heating system might waste energy in the summer by providing heating you don’t need under feet that aren’t cold. In reality, the system runs autonomously (no Roman blacksmiths required), so like a heating system controlled by a thermostat, it only gets going when the temperature drops.
Once you have the system in place, you will feel very glad you did it. What is more, anytime you hear the question “What did the Romans ever do for us?” you will definitely know the answer.
