Choosing the best underfloor heating in Nelson starts with deciding whether warm water will circulate through a concrete slab or run off a boiler or heat pump feeding the whole house. The installers below design, fit and service hydronic underfloor heating in Nelson homes, from the heat loss calculation at plan stage through to commissioning the thermostat, with radiators, hot water and gasfitting often handled by the same team. Chapmanz and Warmth Nelson are among them.
1Chapmanz Central Heating & Plumbing
Chapmanz is a family run central heating and plumbing business working out of Atawhai in Nelson, installing hydronic central heating in the Top of the South since 2005. Water based underfloor heating is one of its main lines, designed around a Vaillant gas boiler or an air to water heat pump and sized from a heat loss calculation before anything is quoted. The team works with homeowners, architects, builders and developers on heritage retrofits as well as architectural new builds.
Services
- Water based underfloor heating design and installation
- Air to water heat pump central heating
- Radiator central heating systems
- Vaillant ecoTEC gas boiler installation
- Boiler servicing, heating system cleaning and power flushes
Highlights
- Central heating specialists in the Top of the South since 2005
- Registered Master Plumber, with work covered by the Master Plumbers Guarantee
- Member of the New Zealand Institute of Central Heating
- Full heat loss calculation carried out before a system is designed
- Underfloor circuits that can double as cooling when paired with an air to water heat pump
Location & Contact
Name: Chapmanz Central Heating & Plumbing
Address: 41 Tui Glen Road, Atawhai, Nelson
Phone: 021 027 56053
Website: chapmanz.co.nz
2Warmth Nelson
Warmth Nelson designs and installs hydronic underfloor heating and hot water systems across the Nelson Tasman region, using a heat pump to warm water that then circulates through pipes cast into the concrete floor. It is run by Nick Marer, who has been building homes and commercial property in Nelson and the Top of the South since 1992 and is the approved Warmth NZ installer for the region. Enquiries are handled around the project itself, with site address, floor area and the architect or designer taken at the consultation stage, so it suits people at the planning end of a new build.
Services
- Hydronic underfloor heating design for new builds
- In slab pipework installation
- Heat pump water heating for underfloor circuits
- Heat pump systems for domestic hot water
Highlights
- Certified hydronic underfloor heating installer with the New Zealand Institute of Central Heating
- Approved installer of Warmth NZ systems for the Nelson Tasman region
- Run by a builder working across Nelson and the Top of the South since 1992
- Whole house set and forget control from one central thermostat
Location & Contact
Name: Warmth Nelson
Address: Nelson
Phone: 027 927 6844
Website: warmthnelson.co.nz
3Tim Miller Plumbing
Tim Miller Plumbing works from Bolt Road in Tahunanui and has been trading in Nelson since Tim Miller started as a sole trader in 1986, becoming a limited company in 1996. Hydronic underfloor heating sits alongside radiator systems, heat pumps, solar and fires in its heating work, and there is a Fire and Water showroom on Salisbury Road in Richmond where the options can be seen in person. General manager Jamie Marwick learned hydronic heating as a heating engineer in the United Kingdom, installing and commissioning radiator and underfloor systems, before returning to the team in 2016.
Services
- Hydronic underfloor heating systems
- Geothermal underfloor heating
- Air to water heat pumps
- Gas and diesel radiator systems
- Solar heating
Highlights
- Founded in 1986 and a limited liability company since 1996
- Certified installers and members of the Home Heating Association
- Fire and Water showroom at 11 Salisbury Road, Richmond
- Preferred installers of Water Ware Heating Systems, Kekelit and Central Heating NZ systems
- Emergency after hours service available
Location & Contact
Name: Tim Miller Plumbing
Address: 55 Bolt Road, Tahunanui, Nelson 7011
Phone: (03) 547 4532
Website: timmillerplumbing.co.nz
4Southern Peaks Gas, Plumbing & Heating
Southern Peaks is a Nelson South plumbing, gasfitting and heating business run by Gary Newell and Gareth Trotter, each with around two decades in the trade across the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Its central heating work starts with matching a heat source to the house, taking age, insulation levels and orientation to the sun into account, then running that heat to underfloor circuits, radiators and hot water. Underfloor heating is part of that wider central heating service rather than a standalone offering, so it suits a homeowner weighing up how the whole house will be heated.
Services
- Central heating design and installation
- R290 air to water heat pumps
- Diesel, gas and biomass boiler installation
- Radiator selection and installation for retrofits and new builds
- Hot water system upgrades integrated with the heating system
Highlights
- Certified plumbers and gas fitters with about twenty years of experience each
- Free, no obligation quotation service
- Heating designs worked out from the age, insulation and sun orientation of each house
- Hot water demand able to be built into the new heating system
Location & Contact
Name: Southern Peaks Gas, Plumbing & Heating
Address: 87 Vanguard Street, Nelson 7010
Phone: (03) 547 4884
Website: speaksplumbing.co.nz
5Nelson Plumbing
Nelson Plumbing has operated from Beatty Street in Tahunanui since 2001, covering plumbing, gasfitting, backflow prevention and heating for domestic and commercial customers. Underfloor heating is listed within its heating work alongside hot water boilers, radiators and towel rails, and the same team installs, services and maintains those systems and stocks parts on site. That makes it a practical call for an owner whose existing system needs servicing or repair, as well as for someone fitting one for the first time.
Services
- Underfloor heating installation
- Hot water boiler and radiator installation
- Heating system servicing and maintenance
- Diesel, gas and oil burner heating
- Heated towel rail installation
Highlights
- Operating in Nelson since 2001, with more than 59 years of combined experience
- 24 hour service available to existing customers
- Accredited IQP plumber for backflow prevention testing
- Heating parts held in stock, including oil burner nozzles, filters and spark rods
- Air filters made to order on site
Location & Contact
Name: Nelson Plumbing
Address: 88 Beatty Street, Tahunanui, Nelson 7011
Phone: 03 547 6350
Website: nelsonplumbing.co.nz
Underfloor Heating in Nelson at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Chapmanz Central Heating & Plumbing | Central heating specialists in the Top of the South since 2005 |
| Warmth Nelson | Certified hydronic underfloor heating installer with the New Zealand... |
| Tim Miller Plumbing | Founded in 1986 and a limited liability company since 1996 |
| Southern Peaks Gas, Plumbing & Heating | Certified plumbers and gas fitters with about twenty years of experie... |
| Nelson Plumbing | Operating in Nelson since 2001, with more than 59 years of combined e... |
How to Choose the Right Underfloor Heating in Nelson
- Ask whether the quote is built on a heat loss calculation for your actual house, rather than a rule of thumb per square metre.
- Match the system to the stage you are at: pipework in a concrete slab needs to go in before the pour, while an overlay or an electric mat suits a floor that is already down.
- Check the heat source as carefully as the floor, because the boiler or air to water heat pump decides the running cost.
- Confirm the plumber or gasfitter is certifying and registered, and ask who carries out the annual service once the system is commissioned.
- Find out whether hot water and radiators can run off the same system, which is usually cheaper than fitting them separately later.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nelson Underfloor Heating
What types of underfloor heating are installed in Nelson homes?
The common option is hydronic, or water based, heating: warm water circulates through pipes laid in or under the floor, heated by a gas or diesel boiler, a biomass boiler or an air to water heat pump. Electric cable or mat systems are the other option, usually used in a single bathroom rather than a whole house. Nelson installers work mostly in hydronic systems, often running radiators and hot water off the same heat source.
Can underfloor heating be retrofitted into an existing house?
Yes, though the method changes. In a new build the pipework goes into the concrete slab before it is poured, which is the simplest and cheapest path. In an existing home the usual approaches are an overlay system that sits on top of the existing floor, spreader plates between timber joists, or an electric mat under new tiles in a bathroom. An installer will want to look at the floor construction and the insulation underneath it before recommending one.
How do I check that an installer is registered?
Hydronic underfloor heating is plumbing and gasfitting work, so the person doing it should hold a current practising licence. You can look up a plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer on the public register kept by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. Some Nelson firms are also registered Master Plumbers or members of the New Zealand Institute of Central Heating, which are voluntary memberships on top of the licence.
What does underfloor heating cost to run?
Running cost depends far more on the heat source and the insulation than on the floor itself. A system operates at a lower water temperature than radiators, which is what lets an air to water heat pump run it efficiently, and most systems are set once on a central thermostat and left alone rather than switched on and off. Local firms rarely publish fixed prices, so expect a site visit and a written quote based on your floor area and heat loss.
Which parts of Nelson and Tasman do these installers cover?
Between them the businesses on this page are based in Atawhai, Tahunanui and Nelson South, and their stated service areas reach Stoke, Richmond, Tasman, Motueka and in some cases Blenheim and Marlborough. If you are searching for underfloor heating Nelson wide, the practical question is not distance but whether the firm covers your stage of the job, since a new build in Richmond and a bathroom retrofit in the city need different answers.
Does the floor need insulation underneath it?
It does. Without insulation below the pipes a good share of the heat goes into the ground instead of the room, which is why installers lay insulation boards or specify slab edge insulation as part of the design. Minimum insulation levels for floors are set in clause H1 of the New Zealand Building Code, published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and a heating designer will work to those figures.
How long does an installation take?
An electric mat in one bathroom is usually a short job once the floor is ready for tiling. A hydronic system is tied to the build programme instead: the pipework is laid and pressure tested before the slab is poured, and the manifold, heat source and controls are connected and commissioned later in the build. For a retrofit, the timing depends on how much floor has to come up.
Can underfloor heating be the only heat source in a house?
In a well insulated home it often is, because the warmth is even across the whole floor rather than concentrated in one room. In an older or poorly insulated house, installers commonly combine a heated slab in the living areas with radiators or a towel rail elsewhere, all running off the same boiler or heat pump. A heat loss calculation is what settles the question, and it is normally done before a system is specified.
How We Chose the Best Underfloor Heating in Nelson
Every business in this guide was found by searching for underfloor heating in Nelson, then checked against what the business publishes itself: its own website, or where it has none, its official social or booking page. Names, addresses and phone numbers come from those pages rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what the business says about itself. We also check that each one is still trading and is actually based in or genuinely serving Nelson, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business we can’t confirm from its own pages is not listed.