150W-m2 AmberMat Underfloor Heating Mat Instruction Manual
- June 12, 2024
- Amber
Table of Contents
Underfloor Heating Mat AmberMat
Installation Manual
150W-m2 AmberMat Underfloor Heating Mat
Thank you for investing in our Amber underfloor heating system In this
instruction manual you will find important information regarding the
installation of your underfloor heating system.
Please follow the step by step instructions, ensuring complete care is taken.
Check with the floor manufacturer if you have any doubt about the suitability
of laying our heating mat/s under your floor covering.
All our underfloor heating mats come with a 12 year warranty.
Please register your product within 30 days from completion of installation,
using our warranty registration form, which can be found at
www.amberufh.co.uk
This warranty is only valid if installed by an IET 17th Edition qualified
electrician/ electrical contractor. The installation must conform to Part P of
the Building Regulations 2005.
For full terms and conditions relating to our warranty please visit our
website www.amberufh.co.uk
Please note: The warranty does not extend to costs of relaying, replacing or
repairing any floor covering or floor. The warranty is not valid if faults are
caused by damage, incorrect installation or mis-use.
DO’s and DONT’s
DO’s
DO read through the instructions carefully before beginning work
DO ensure your floor base has no sharp debris or objects such as nail heads
protruding before beginning your installation.
DO cover both heating cable and connection joint under the flooring.
DO check the AmberMat will fit into the free floor area of the room, prior to
unpacking.
DO test the cable before installing, and then before and after covering
AmberMat.
DO ensure the AmberMat is encapsulated in flexible tile adhesive / flexible
levelling compound, prior to your floor finish being laid.
DO be careful not to damage the cable at any stage during the installation.
DO check the heat loss if this is to be the sole heat source.
DO ensure the system is controlled by a thermostat with a floor sensor.
DO consider additionally insulating your sub-floor before installing the
underfloor heating system.
DO ensure the system is protected by a suitable dedicated RCD (30mA).
DONT’s
DON’T install the mat across two or more rooms.
DON’T place the cable under any fixed furniture such as kitchen units, baths
or showers.
DON’T touch or cross the heating cables
DON’T cut the yellow Heating Cable.
DON’T lay the system so that any cables are closer than 3cm to each other.
DON’T install the floor temperature sensor cable close to other heat sources
such as hot water pipes.
DON’T turn on the Heating Cable while it is rolled up.
DON’T install the system if the ambient temperature is below 5°C as the cables
can become less flexible.
DON’T bend the joint between the Heating Cable and the black cold tail.
Floor Finishes & Coverings
The underfloor heating system is compatible with the following most common
floor finishes, such as: Tile / Stone
Fully encapsulate the AmberMat within either a flexible smoothing compound or
flexible tile adhesive, prior to the tile / floor finish being laid. Amber
recommends the use of a plastic trowel when laying tile adhesive, to protect
the underfloor heating cable from accidental damage. Carpet
Fully encapsulate the AmberMat within a flexible smoothing compound, to
provide minimum of 5mm coverage above the top of the heating element, prior to
the carpet floor finish being laid.
Avoid rubber or foam backed carpets. Please check with the carpet manufacturer
to ensure the carpet is suitable for underfloor heating.
Timber
Fully encapsulate the AmberMat within either 6-7mm bed of flexible smoothing
compound layer, prior to the timber floor finish Fully encapsulate the
AmberMat within either 6-7mm bed of flexible being laid. When installing
natural wood floors it is recommended that soft wood floors should not exceed
20mm in thickness, hard wood floors should not exceed 30mm in
thickness
Vinyl
Fully encapsulate the AmberMat within a 10mm bed of flexible smoothing
compound, to provide minimum of 5mm coverage above the top of the heating
element, prior to the vinyl floor finish being laid.
*Floor coverings should not exceed 0.15 m²K/W
Please note that thermally resistive items should not be left or installed
onto underfloor heating in a way where heat can become trapped. This trapped
heat could cause failure if left without due care or attention. Possible
examples of thermal restrictive items could be heavy rugs, bean bags or a
mattress laid in direct contact with the floor. Some items of furniture that
do not allow air flow could also cause concern. If you are unsure please
contact Amber.
Installing the AmberMat
Step-by-Step Guide
Let’s get started
A. Plan: Use your plan to calculate the heated area, working out how to lay
the mat evenly across the floor whilst avoiding all floor obstructions and
close floor fitting objects (pipes, baths, cupboards). Detail on your plan the
location of the cold tail (where the mat starts), floor sensor and connection
box. It is acceptable to lay the AmberMat under suspended cupboards, wash
basins and wall mounted toilet pans.
B. Once the floor is prepared: Mark the positions of the floor fitting
objects that will be installed once the floor is finished, so these can be
avoided when laying the mat. Testing your AmberMat
At each stage of the installation it is recommended that you test your
AmberMat for the following:
CONTINUITY – This checks that the heating cable (blue and black wires)
are intact and have the correct resistance.
Checked with a multimeter, the resistance reading should match the rating on
the cold tail label with a tolerance of -5 to +10%. Ensure your multimeter is
capable of reading values between 28-800 ohms.
INSULATION – This checks that the earth screen around the heating cable
has not been damaged and shorted to the heating cables. The test can be made
with a multimeter and can be done by testing both the path between the blue
cable and the earth screen, and also the black cable and the earth screen –
both should read infinity. Preparation
The subfloor must be prepared as normally required for tiling, ensure the
installation surface is even, stable, dry, clean and free of sharp objects.
When installing onto existing floorboards, it will be necessary to brace the
floor with WBP plywood of standard recommended thickness or tile backer
boards.
Each mat is supplied with a piece of flexible tubing (only one tube is
required for each thermostat), this is to house the floor sensor, so that in
the unlikely event that the sensor fails, it can be easily removed and
replaced without lifting the floor. The sensor should be laid between two
cable loops 15-20cm into the floor, avoiding any heat sources.
In some situations a small channel may have to be made in the floor to
accommodate the tubing. If so, cut a channel from the thermostat position
approximately 2030cm across the floor.
Fitting the mat
Remove the plastic outer and place the cold tail of the mat at the connection
point. The AmberMat has a selfadhesive backing, lay this towards the floor and
roll the mat out, referring to your layout plan. Upon reaching the end of the
run, simply cut the grey mesh (NOT THE YELLOW CABLE) and turn the mat,
positioning the next piece beside the first.
When cutting and turning the mat ensure there is a minimum 50mm gap between
the cable loops. To avoid risk of damage at a later stage do not lay the mat
where objects will be put onto or fixed to the floor.
After fitting, measure the resistance value of the mat again. Use the same
procedure as in step 2 – then make a note of the values on the commissioning
certificate.
Note: If required, the cable can be removed from the mesh and loops formed
manually, but ensure the cables are spaced at 75mm (the same distance as those
on the mat). Fitting/Final Measurement
The mat can now be covered in one of two methods:
Concrete and Wooden Floors Using Flexible Tile Adhesives: Working with a
width of AmberMat at a time, apply flexible tile adhesive through the mat with
a rubber back trowel or similar so that the heating cable is covered, making
sure there are no air pockets. Another layer of adhesive can then be applied
carefully using a suitable notched trowel to comb the adhesive before applying
the tiles.
Concrete and Wooden Floors Using Self-Levelling Compounds: An alternative
method is to cover the AmberMat with a suitable self levelling/latex type
compound. This product will find its own level giving you a level surface to
then apply a layer of flexible tile adhesive using a suitable notched trowel
to comb the adhesive before applying the tiles.
Please note: Other floor finishes can be applied, please see page 5 for
more details.
After covering the mat, measure the resistance value of the mat again. Use the
same procedure as in in step 2 – then make a note of the values on the
commissioning certificate.
For professional guidance refer to your adhesive manufacturers
recommendations. Finishing
After the work has been completed the floor must dry completely before the
floor heating and thermostat are connected.
This process usually takes 8-10 days, but you should refer to the adhesive and
floor finish manufacturers guidelines.
To connect the thermostat, please refer to the installation guidelines
supplied with the thermostat.
Resistance Values
AmberMat 100W/m2
Product Code| Mat Area (m2)| Output Wattage| Resistance
(ohms)
---|---|---|---
A100010| 1.0| 100| 529
A100015| 1.5| 150| 353
A100020| 2.0| 200| 265
A100025| 2.5| 250| 212
A100030| 3| 300| 176
A100035| 3.5| 350| 151
A100040| 4.0| 400| 132
A100050| 5.0| 500| 106
A100060| 6.0| 600| 88.2
A100070| 7.0| 700| 75.6
A100080| 8.0| 800| 66.1
A100090| 9.0| 900| 58.8
A100100| 10.0| 1000| 52.9
A100120| 12.0| 1200| 44.1
AmberMat 150W/m2
A150005| 0.5| 75| 705
A150010| 1.0| 150| 353
A150015| 1.5| 225| 235
A150020| 2.0| 300| 176
A150025| 2.5| 375| 141
A150030| 3.0| 450| 118
A150035| 3.5| 525| 101
A150040| 4.0| 600| 88.2
A150050| 5.0| 750| 70.5
A150060| 6.0| 900| 58.8
A150070| 7.0| 1025| 50.4
A150080| 8.0| 1200| 44.1
A150090| 9.0| 1350| 39.2
A150100| 10.0| 1500| 35.3
A150120| 12.0| 1800| 29.4
Floor Plan
Please sketch your floor plan of the room and show the following:
- Layout of the mats/cables, indicating your heated area
- Placement of junction boxes.
- Placement of the floor sensor and thermostat.
Floor Constructions
AmberMat onto Concrete Floors
- Floor Finish
- Levelling Compound / Adhesive
- Underfloor Heating Mat
- Tilebacker Board (recommended)
- Concrete Subfloor
AmberMat onto Timber Floor
- Floor Finish
- Levelling Compound / Adhesive
- Underfloor Heating Mat
- Tilebacker Board (recommended)
- Timber Subfloor
For optimum performance, Amber always recommends the use of suitable insulation, helping to increase the performance of the heating system.
Need Technical Help?
Call us on 0800 056 0494
Unit 4
Brickfields Business Park
Woolpit, Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk IP30 9QS
Phone: 0800 056 0494
Fax: 0800 652 4165
For Technical
Support:technical@amberufh.co.uk
Website:www.amberufh.co.uk