Electric underfloor heating turns a cold tiled bathroom or kitchen floor into one you'll happily walk on barefoot in July. The heating element is buried under tiles for decades, so the electrical side has to be planned and tested properly before anything is covered.
Call 0421 772 661 while the renovation is still being planned. We'll look at the circuit, the switchboard and the thermostat position, then quote in writing.
Most residential electric floor heating uses a thin heating mat or loose cable laid on the prepared floor and then covered by tile adhesive or a thin screed. A thermostat on the wall controls it, reading the temperature from a floor sensor that sits between the heating runs. Depending on the product and how your renovation is organised, the mat may be laid by the supplier's installer, the tiler or the electrician. The supply circuit, thermostat and final connection are licensed electrical work.
Our part covers the circuit from the switchboard, safety switch protection, the thermostat and sensor, and testing. Larger areas or several rooms of heating can add up to a meaningful load, so the circuit is sized to the system's total rating and we check that the switchboard and main supply can carry it alongside everything else in the house.
A heating cable damaged by a trowel, a dropped tile or a sharp edge on the floor can be impossible to repair once tiles are down. That's why the element is checked out of the box, again once it's laid and fixed, and again after tiling, by measuring its resistance and insulation. We record the readings and give you a copy, so you have them alongside the product's own paperwork.
The floor sensor is the other common failure point. It goes in a conduit where possible so a faulty sensor can be replaced later without lifting tiles.
Readings taken on the new mat or cable to confirm it arrived undamaged and matches its label.
Checked again once it's fixed to the floor and before adhesive or screed goes on, catching any damage from installation.
Final readings, then the thermostat is connected and the system is commissioned.
The most common install, often alongside a heated towel rail, with both controls planned together.
Under tiles or stone in open-plan spaces, usually split into zones with separate thermostats.
New rear extensions on concrete where a cold floor is the main complaint.
Swapping a failed or outdated controller, including smart thermostats compatible with the existing system.
The electrical cost depends on the size of the heated area (and therefore the circuit needed), the distance from the switchboard, whether the board has room and safety switch protection available, the thermostat chosen, and how many zones there are. A bathroom on a short run from the switchboard is very different from a large open-plan area at the far end of a long house.
The heating product itself, floor preparation, insulation boards and tiling are separate costs. For the wider picture, our guide to renovation electrical cost explains the factors that add up across a project.
Many Inner West bathrooms sit on suspended timber floors over a subfloor, while rear additions are often on a slab. Either can take electric heating, but floor build-up and insulation make a big difference to how quickly it warms and how much it costs to run. Talk to the product supplier about the right floor preparation for your house.
In older homes the switchboard may be the limiting factor. A board with ceramic fuses or no free space is usually upgraded first; see our switchboard upgrades page. After commissioning, every circuit is tested to AS/NZS 3000 and we lodge a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work.
Only if the floor is being re-tiled, because the heating sits under the tiles. It's best planned as part of a renovation.
It depends on the size of the system. Small bathroom mats may share a suitably protected circuit; larger areas usually need a dedicated one. We size it to the system's rating.
It varies with the product and the renovation. Some suppliers or tilers lay it; we can too. Either way, we test it before, during and after tiling and make the connection.
On a wall outside the wet zones, often near the door or the light switch, with the floor sensor wired back to it.
We check the thermostat, sensor and supply first, since those are easier to fix than the buried element. The test readings we record at install help with diagnosis.
NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 332956C · Fully insured · Since 2016 · Based in Hurlstone Park
Excellent electrician Blue Link Electrical was honest, knowledgeable, and took the time to answer my questions The work was completed quickly without rushing and everything works perfectly Will be using them
Very professional and reliable service. Blue Link Electrical were punctual, friendly, and knew exactly what they were doing. The job was completed to a high standard and the place was left clean. Highly recommend to anyone needing electrical work.
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