Underfloor Heating on Ring with 32 amp breaker

[merelyuseful]

We had our kitchen done a few years ago with underfloor heating. When the kitchen was done, a new CU was fitted and everything’s been OK so I didn’t really check anything. The breakers weren’t labelled which ----ed me off at the time so I labelled them all but forgot to check which circuit the floor was on. I just took a look and the floor is on the kitchen ring on a 32 amp breaker. We do most of our heavy load stuff in the kitchen and regularly run a 3000 watt kettle and 2500 watt iron at the same time. That’s 23 amps give or take. The floor is about 25m^2 so that makes 1,600 watts at 65w/m giving another 7 amps or so.

Is this pushing it a bit? I’m wondering if I should get someone in to move the floor to its own circuit. The floor controller in on the same wall as the CU so I’m thinking it wouldn’t be too big a job.

 

[buzzlightyear]

It would be wise to put your under floor heating on it own circuit if you had room in you cu, if you had a fault then it would take out you final ring.

 

[snowhead]

A kettle is on for a few minutes at a time.
An iron is constantly cutting in and out.
The underfloor will be constantly cutting in and out.
The chances of them all being on together for any length of time is very low.

You would be very lucky to catch the ring taking 23 amps or more, for more than a few minutes at a time.

As Buzz has said, if it's reasonably simple to put the floor heating on it's own circuit then it would be better for the risk of a fault reason more than any other.

 

[merelyuseful]

Thanks both for your replies. I was thinking absolutely worst case scenario about the current which now I agree is unlikely in practice. Good point about a fault knocking out the ring though.

 

[DefyG]

65w/m2 is extremely low for UFH! I'm guessing it is not primary heating which usually starts around
150w/m2
But if it has been ok and you can put it on its own circuit for peace of mind then great