What is the best thermostat to use for underfloor heating?

When it comes to the best thermostat to use for underfloor heating, there are so many to choose from and it really boils down to what type suits your lifestyle more than others. From a manual thermostat where you simply turn a dial to adjust the temperature to changing the temperature using your voice with a smart thermostat. There’s a wide range of options from a lot of brands to choose from.

So, to answer the question; ‘what is the best thermostat to use for underfloor heating?’ we’ll walk you through everything you need to know before deciding what is best for you.

Quite simply, there is no right or wrong answer, just some key points you need to be aware of.

Not all thermostats work with underfloor heating

When trawling through the internet you’ll probably find mixed opinion on what type of thermostats work with underfloor heating systems. Some thermostats are simply for a traditional central heating system, some can do both (with help of clever wiring from an electrician) and others only control underfloor heating.

A very common question we get asked is ‘Can Nest or Hive thermostats control electric underfloor heating?’.

The short answer is no. But here’s why.

Thermostats like saswell are designed to switch low electrical current systems of up to 3A. Electric underfloor heating systems are high current systems and can be up to 16A and therefore you will need additional wiring and relays to use a thermostat such as saswell. However, the saswell Thermostat has no problem in controlling wet underfloor heating systems.

There is also another key reason. With an electric underfloor heating system, the recommended maximum temperature to run it is 270C. This is particularly important for wood or carpeted floors because any higher could result in damage to the floor finish. Typically Nest and Hive thermostats measure temperature of the air and not the temperature of the floor so you are unable to effectively set a safe temperature for the floor (i.e. 270C) and therefore incur a greater risk of unwanted damage which will cost you both time and money to fix.