Background Underfloor Heating Working Party

Our RCC representative, Fiona Lean, gives an update on the underfloor heating discussion in response to a question from the floor at the non-AGM last Wednesday:

Reply to Q at 2014 AGM re Background Underfloor Heating Working Party

...

An RCC Background Underfloor Heating (BUH) Working Party is in existence to review the contract with EDF Energy and to try and make sure that whoever supplies us with electricity in the future, lets us have it at an advantageous rate.

As part of their study, the BUH Working Party looked at the current underfloor heating system to determine its fitness for purpose and concluded:

A detailed investigation into the reliability and cost effectiveness of the current system has concluded that the system is in a good state of repair, that there is no justifiable reason to replace it. The failure rate is low, and is not increasing. Where failures do occur, they are easily and inexpensively repaired. (Even a failed floor pad, which happens rarely, can be revived in most cases with a small in-situ spot repair, unless the occupier has installed hard flooring, as that makes repairs very difficult.*

*From the RCC Minutes Monday 25 Nov 2013, Item 2, Bottom of Page 58

The question from the floor on Wednesday was about a flat that doesn't appear to be warm enough and the suggestion that there is something wrong with the actual system, i.e. a failure has occurred and could it be rectified.  And was there anyone who could put the matter right.

Regarding maintenance/repairs/general problems that crop up relating to the underfloor heating system, Eddie Stephens has said that engineers/maintenance personnel were being trained to deal with these. Until recently the BEO could rely on one particular individual (Mr Pitt??) who knew the system thoroughly, but as he is becoming less available, the BEO is training others to replace him.

So with a bit of luck there are now people who can sort out this type of problem,  the occupant has to ask the BEO to get them to come along. It could mean taking up his carpets!!!

Another suggestion is: as the BUH Working Party is monitoring individual flats until the end of the heating season in May, to see if the heating energy is consumed to its maximum efficiency, maybe a monitoring device could be installed in this particular flat. Tim Macer (chair of the RCC) manages information on this.

I think this covers it.

Fiona