Is an underfloor heating harmful to health?

Underfloor heating is especially popular in new buildings. Underfloor heating also has many advantages in heating renovations. But does underfloor heating have an adverse effect on venous disorders?

The advantages are obvious: An underfloor heating system is invisibly installed, with no radiators in the room. It operates silently and without drafts, so it can run at night. As a surface heating system, it warms the room using radiant heat, which we find very pleasant. An underfloor heating system distributes the heat over the entire floor and radiates it into the room.

Concerns with an Underfloor Heating

But with all the advantages that underfloor heating has, the question keeps arising: Is underfloor heating harmful to health and does it have a negative effect on venous disorders? First of all, it should be said that varicose veins are primarily caused by weak connective tissue and prolonged sitting. Of course, heat is not beneficial for venous complaints, as it causes the vessels to dilate. Underfloor heating of earlier generations was operated with excessively high surface temperatures. This is due to the fact that buildings were poorly insulated at the time and the expertise in surface heating has grown enormously to this day. Underfloor heating was back then operated at temperatures well over 30 °C, which may have had a negative impact on venous diseases.

The Underfloor Heating of today

Today, the surface temperatures of a well-adjusted underfloor heating system are significantly lower: 22 ° to 29 °C. From a medical perspective, this is harmless. On the contrary, consistently warm floors encourage walking barefoot – and this is healthy and good for the veins. Surface temperatures of 25 to 27 °C and higher are also found in regions near the equator, where people walk barefoot and vein problems are not an issue. Walking barefoot activates the so-called foot sole pump. The rolling of the balls of the feet ensures better circulation and supports the return of blood to the heart. More about underfloor heating