BRITISH STANDARD

Floor heating
Systems and
components
Part 1. Definitions and symbols

The European Standard EN 1264-1 : 1997 has the status of a

British Standard

ICS 01.040.91; 91.140.10

NO COPYING WITHOUT BSI PERMISSION EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW

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BS EN
1264-1 : 1998

BS EN 1264-1 : 1998

National foreword
This British Standard is the English language version of EN 1264-1 : 1997.
The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee
RHE/6, Air or space coolers or coolers without combustion, which has the
responsibility to:
aid enquirers to understand the text;
present to the responsible European committee any enquiries on the
interpretation, or proposals for change, and keep the UK interests informed;
monitor related international and European developments and promulgate
them in the UK.
A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to
its secretary.
Cross-references
The British Standards which implement international or European publications
referred to in this document may be found in the BSI Standards Catalogue under the
section entitled `International Standards Correspondence Index', or by using the
`Find' facility of the BSI Standards Electronic Catalogue.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, the EN title page,
pages 2 to 8, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This British Standard, having
been prepared under the
direction of the Sector Board for
Engineering, was published under
the authority of the Standards
Board and comes into effect on
15 January 1998
BSI 1998

ISBN 0 580 28910 9

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. No.

Date

Text affected

EN 1264-1

EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPEENNE
EUROPAISCHE NORM

August 1997

ICS 01.075
Descriptors: Heating, hot water heating, heated floors, vocabulary, symbols

English version

Floor heating Systems and components

Part 1: Definitions and symbols

Chauffage par le sol Systemes et composants

Partie 1: Definitions et symboles

Fuboden-Heizung Systeme und

Komponenten Teil 1: Definitionen und Symbole

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 1997-07-11. CEN members are
bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the
conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard
without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards
may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German).
A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a
CEN member into its own language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the
same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and
United Kingdom.

CEN
European Committee for Standardization
Comite Europeen de Normalisation
Europaisches Komitee fur Normung
Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels
1997 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national
Members.
Ref. No. EN 1264-1 : 1997 E

Page 2
EN 1264-1 : 1997

Foreword
This European Standard has been prepared by
Technical Committee CEN/TC 130, Space heating
appliances without integral heat sources, of which the
Secretariat is held by UNI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a
national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by February 1998,
and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn
at the latest by February 1998.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations,
the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European
Standard: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1
Scope
2
Normative references
3
Definitions
3.1 floor heating installation
3.2 nominal heat loss of a floor heated
room (QN,f)
3.3 design thermal output (QH)
3.4 nominal indoor room temperature (ui)
3.5 heating floor area
3.6 furniture area
3.7 peripheral area
3.8 residence area
3.9 supplementary heating equipment
3.10 floor heating components
3.11 types of floor heating structures
3.12 thermal output
3.13 floor surface temperatures
3.14 temperatures of the heating medium
3.15 temperature drop (s)
3.16 design heating medium flow rate (mh)
3.17 characteristic curves
4
Symbols
Annex A (informative)
Bibliography

Page
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
5
5
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6
8

BSI 1998

Page 3
EN 1264-1 : 1997

Introduction
This European Standard for floor heating systems
consists of the following parts:
Part
Part
Part
Part

1:
2:
3:
4:

Definitions and symbols

Determination of the thermal output
Dimensioning
Installation

1 Scope
This European Standard is applicable to hot water
floor heating systems in residential, office and other
buildings, the use of which corresponds to or is similar
to that of residential buildings.
This European Standard is not applicable to floor
heating systems in wood flooring.
It also applies as appropriate to the use of other
heating media instead of water.
The important definitions and symbols for hot water
heating systems are specified in this standard.

2 Normative references
This European Standard incorporates by dated or
undated reference, provisions from other publications.
These normative references are cited at the
appropriate place in the text and the publications are
listed hereafter. For dated references, subsequent
amendments to or revisions of any of these
publications apply to this European Standard only
when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For
undated references, the latest edition of the publication
referred to applies.
EN 1264-3 : 1997

Floor heating Systems and

components Part 3:
Dimensioning

3 Definitions
For the purposes of this standard, the following
definitions apply.
3.1 floor heating installation
Installation consisting of floor heating, heating circuit
distributors and control equipment.
3.1.1 floor heating
Floor heating system where pipes carrying water with
or without additives as a heating medium are laid in
the floor.
3.1.2 heating circuit
Section of floor heating connected to a heating circuit
distributor which can be independently switched and
controlled.
3.1.3 heating circuit distributor
Common connection point for several heating circuits.
BSI 1998

3.2 nominal heat loss of a floor heated room

(QN,f)
The quantity of heat per time unit leaving the building
to the external environment under determined nominal
conditions and depending on the climatic data, on the
location of the building, use and thermal properties of
the building.
3.3 design thermal output (QH)
Thermal output resulting from the nominal heat loss of
a floor heated room QN,f.
3.4 nominal indoor room temperature (ui)
Resultant temperature defined as the average of the
dry air temperature and the mean radiant temperature
[1], [2].
NOTE. The resultant temperature is considered as the relevant for
thermal comfort assessment and heat loss calculations. This value
of internal temperature is used for the calculation method.

3.5 heating floor area

Area of the floor covered by the heating system
between the outer pipes respectively the outer edges of
the system with the addition of a strip whose width is
equal to half the pipe spacing but not exceeding 0,15 m.
3.6 furniture area
Area of the floor surface not covered by a heating
system, intended for permanent placement of
furnishings forming part of the building.
3.7 peripheral area
Floor surface which is heated to a higher temperature
and is generally an area of 1 m maximum in width
along exterior walls. It is not an occupied area.
3.8 occupied area
Area within the heated floor surface occupied for long
periods.
NOTE. It consists of the heated floor surface less the peripheral
area.

3.9 supplementary heating equipment

Additional heating facility (e.g. convectors, radiators)
with the additional heat output Qout; it may have its
own control equipment.
3.10 floor heating components
Components of floor heating are:
insulating layer (for thermal and footstep noise
insulation);
the protection layer (to protect the insulating
layer);
the heating pipes or plane sections;
the load and thermal distribution layer (screed);
floor covering;
other items such as conducting devices, peripheral
strips, attachment items, etc.
NOTE. The components may be different depending on the
system.

Page 4
EN 1264-1 : 1997

3.11 types of floor heating structures

3.12 thermal output

3.11.1 systems with pipes inside the screed type

A and C
Systems with heating pipes completely or partially
embedded in the screed (see figure 1).

3.12.1 heat flow density (q)

Heat flow divided by the surface.

3.11.2 systems with pipes below screed type B

Systems with heating pipes laid in the thermal
insulating layer below the screed (see figure 1).
3.11.3 systems with plane sections
(similar type B)
Systems with an inline and/or cross flow in the hollow
sections in the total area (see figure 1).

3.12.2 limit heat flow density (qG)

Heat flow density at which the maximum permissible
floor surface temperature is achieved.
3.12.3 nominal heat flow density (qN)
Limit heat flow density achieved without floor
covering.

Figure 1 : Types of floor heating structures

BSI 1998

Page 5
EN 1264-1 : 1997

3.12.4 design heat flow density (qdes)

Heat flow divided by the heating floor surface taking
account of the permissible floor surface temperature,
required to reach the design thermal output of a floor
heated room QH less the thermal output of the
supplementary heating equipment if applicable.
3.12.5 downward heat flow density (qu)
Heat flow which is passing through the construction,
to rooms beyond, the earth or outdoor air.
3.12.6 heat output of floor heating (QF)
Sum of the products of the heating floor surfaces of a
room with the associated design heat flow densities.
3.13 floor surface temperatures
3.13.1 maximum floor surface temperature
(u F,max)
Maximum temperature permissible for physiological
reasons, for calculation of the limit curves, which may
occur at a point on the floor in the residence or
peripheral area depending on the particular usage at a
temperature drop of heating medium s = 0.
3.13.2 average floor surface temperature (uF,m)
Average value of all surface temperatures in the
residence or peripheral area.
3.13.3 average differential surface temperature
Difference between the average heating floor surface
temperature uF,m and the nominal indoor room
temperature ui. It determines the heat flow density.
3.14 temperatures of the heating medium
3.14.1 heating medium differential temperature
(DuH)
Logarithmically-determined average difference between
the temperatures of the heating medium and the
nominal indoor room temperature.
3.14.2 nominal heating medium differential
air-water temperature (DuN)
Value at nominal heat flow density qN.
3.14.3 design heating medium differential
air-water temperature (DuH,des)
Value at the thermal resistance of the selected floor
covering at design heat flow density.
3.14.4 temperature of the heating medium (u m)
Average temperature between the supply and the
return temperature defined as um = ui + DuH.

BSI 1998

3.15 temperature drop (s)

Difference between the supply and return temperatures
of the heating medium in a heating circuit.
3.16 design heating medium flow rate (mH)
Mass flow rate in a heating circuit which is needed to
achieve the design heat flow density.
3.17 characteristic curves
3.17.1 basic characteristic curve
Curve reflecting the relationship, applicable to all hot
water floor heating systems independent of any special
system, between the heat flow density and the average
excess surface temperature.
3.17.2 field of characteristic curves
Curves denoting the system-specific relationship
between the heat flow density q and the required
heating medium excess temperature DuH for
conduction resistance of various floor coverings.
3.17.3 limit curves
Curves in the field of characteristic curves showing the
pattern of the limit heat flow density depending on the
heating medium excess temperature and the floor
covering.
3.17.4 limit heating medium excess temperature
(DuH,G)
Intersection of the system characteristic curve with the
limit curve denotes the limit heating medium excess
temperature.

Page 6
EN 1264-1 : 1997

4 Symbols
Table 1 gives the symbols used in all parts of this standard.
Table 1
Symbol

Unit

Quantity

a
AA
AF
AR
bu
B, BG, B0
D
da
di
dM
cW
KH
KWL
L
LR
m
mH
n, nG
q
qA
qdes
qG
qN
qR
qu
QF
QH
QN
QN,f
Qout
Ro
Ru
Rl,b
Rl,ins
sh

m2
m2
m2

W/(m2K)
m
m
m
m
kJ/(kgK)
W/(m2K)

m
m

kg/s

W/m2
W/m2
W/m2
W/m2
W/m2
W/m2
W/m2
W
W
W
W
W
m2K/W
m2K/W
m2K/W
m2K/W
m

sl

sins
sR
su

m
m
m

Parameter factors for calculation of characteristic curves

Surface of the occupied area
Surface of the heating floor area
Surface of the peripheral area
Calculation factor depending on the pipe spacing
Coefficients depending on the system
External diameter of the pipe, including sheathing where used
Pipe external diameter
Pipe internal diameter
External diameter of sheathing
Specific heat capacity of water
Equivalent heat transmission coefficient
Parameter for heat conducting devices
Width of heat conducting devices
Length of installed pipes
Exponents for determination of characteristic curves
Design heating medium flow rate
Exponents
Heat flow density at the floor surface
Heat flow density in the residence area
Design heat flow density
Limit heat flow density
Nominal heat flow density
Heat flow density in the peripheral area
Downward heat flow density
Heat output of floor heating
Design heat output
Nominal heat loss
Nominal heat loss of floor heated room
Heat output of supplementary heating equipment
Partial upwards heat transmission resistance of floor structure
Partial downwards heat transmission resistance of floor structure
Thermal resistance of floor covering
Thermal resistance of thermal insulation
In type B systems, thickness of thermal insulation from the lower edge of the
insulation to the upper edge of the pipes (see figure 3 of EN 1264-3 : 1997)
In type B systems, thickness of thermal insulation from the lower edge of the
insulation to the lower edge of the pipes (see figure 3 of EN 1264-3 : 1997)
Thickness of thermal insulation
Pipe wall thickness
Thickness of the layer above the pipe

BSI 1998

Page 7
EN 1264-1 : 1997

Table 1
Symbol

Unit

Quantity

sWL
S
T
a
uF,m
uF,max
ui
um
uR
uV
uu
DuH
DuH,des
DuH,G
DuN
DuV
DuV,des
l
s
f
c

m
m
m
W/(m2K)
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
K
K
K
K
K
K
W/(mK)
K

Thickness of heat conducting device

Thickness of the screed (excluding the pipes in type A systems)
Pipe spacing
Heat exchange coefficient
Average floor surface temperature
Maximum floor surface temperature
Nominal indoor room temperature
Temperature of the heating medium
Return temperature of heating medium
Supply temperature of heating medium
Temperature in a room under the floor heated room
Heating medium differential temperature
Design heating medium differential temperature
Limit of heating medium excess temperature
Nominal heating medium differential temperature
Heating medium excess supply temperature
Design heating medium excess supply temperature
Heat conductivity
Temperature drop uV uR
Conversion factor for temperatures
Content by volume of the attachement burrs in the screed

BSI 1998

Page 8
EN 1264-1 : 1997

Annex A (informative)
Bibliography
[1]
[2]

Schmidt, P: Untersuchung zum Einflu des Heizsystems und zum Auenflachenzuschlag bei der
Warmebedarfsrechnung; Fortschritt-Berichte der VDI-Zeitschriften, Reihe 6, Nr. 80 (1981).
Konzelmann, M.: Warmeabgabe von Fubodenheizungen.Entwicklung einer Prufmethode;
Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Reihe 19: Warmetechnik/Kaltetechnik, Nr. 23, VDI-Verlag Dusseldorf (1988).

BSI 1998

blank

BSI
389 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 4AL

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