Under-pitch heating · UK and Europe
Under-pitch heating plant rooms for football, rugby and stadiums
Packaged boiler and heat pump plant rooms for undersoil heating, built offsite and delivered ready to connect for clubs, stadiums, training grounds and grounds managers, nationwide across the UK and Europe-wide.
How it works
The plant room is the heart of the system
Undersoil heating keeps the rootzone above freezing so fixtures go ahead and the surface stays playable. A heat source warms a water and glycol mix, pumps circulate it through pipework below the turf, and soil and air sensors tell the controls when to run and how hard.
The pipe network is laid by the pitch contractor. Whether the system performs on a January night depends on the plant room: enough output, standby when a boiler or pump is out, controls that bring the pitch up to temperature ahead of a fixture, and a gas or electrical supply that can carry the load.
We specify, design, install and commission that plant. The enclosure and plant are fabricated offsite in UK workshops, then delivered, connected to the pitch mains, gas tested and commissioned.
Who it is for
Pitches, grounds and stadiums we build for
Football clubs
Stadium pitches and first-team training pitches, on natural, hybrid or artificial surfaces.
Rugby clubs
Match and training pitches where winter fixtures cannot be lost to frost.
Stadiums and venue operators
Multi-use stadiums where the pitch has to be ready around events and broadcast schedules.
Training grounds
Multi-pitch sites served from a single energy centre, with zones heated as needed.
Local authorities and education
Community stadiums, school and university pitches, and public sports facilities.
Pitch contractors
A plant room partner for sports-turf contractors delivering new pitch construction.
Scope
What we deliver
- New plant rooms for new pitch construction, sized to the pitch area and heating strategy agreed with the pitch designer.
- Boiler house replacement on existing systems, built offsite and connected during the close season.
- Heat pump and hybrid plant where the site wants to reduce gas use, with boilers retained for peak and standby.
- Controls upgrades: soil and air temperature sensors, forecast-led pre-heating, remote monitoring and BMS connection.
- Glycol circuit management: pressurisation, expansion, filtration and concentration checks.
- Gas installation: supply, pipework and safety shut-off, tested and purged by a Gas Safe registered business (621146).
- Delivery and lifting planned around stands, access roads and the pitch surface itself.
- Servicing before and through the winter, with records for the ground operator.
Design points
What we resolve before fabrication
Output and warm-up
Heat demand for the pitch area and the time needed to bring the rootzone up to temperature before a fixture.
Resilience
Boiler cascade or multiple heat pumps with standby pumps, so one failure does not lose the pitch.
Fuel and power
Gas supply pressure and meter capacity, or electrical capacity for heat pumps.
Hydraulics
Separation between the plant and pitch circuits, pump duties, balancing and connection to the pitch mains.
Controls
Sensor positions, set points agreed with the grounds team, zoning, alarms and remote access.
Siting and access
Plant room position close to the pitch mains, crane access, noise and flue routes near stands and neighbours.
Project
Aston Villa FC: under-pitch heating plant room
A large commercial external plant room built in the workshop for Aston Villa Football Club's under-pitch heating. Combicert Ltd carried out the specification, drawings and installation: a cascade of commercial boilers, pump sets, low-loss header and flanged flow and return pipework, fitted in a steel frame and clad before delivery.
The unit was delivered by HIAB crane, connected, gas tested and commissioned.
FAQ
Under-pitch heating questions
What does under-pitch heating plant consist of?
A heat source (commercial boiler cascade, heat pumps or a hybrid of both), primary and secondary pumps with standby, a low-loss header or plate heat exchanger, pressurisation and expansion for the glycol circuit, filtration, gas pipework and safety controls, and a control panel that reads soil and air sensors. In a packaged plant room all of this is built and tested in one enclosure before delivery.
Do you install the pipework under the pitch?
The pipe network in the rootzone is normally installed by a specialist sports-turf contractor as part of the pitch construction. We provide the plant room that heats and circulates the system, and work with the pitch contractor and grounds team on the flow and return connection, pressures, flushing and glycol fill.
Can you replace the boilers on an existing undersoil heating system?
Yes. Ageing boiler houses can be replaced by a packaged plant room built offsite and connected to the existing pitch mains during the close season or a planned shutdown, so the pitch is not left without heat in winter.
Can under-pitch heating run on heat pumps?
Heat pumps can serve as the primary heat source or run alongside boilers in a hybrid arrangement, with boilers covering peak demand and standby. Suitability depends on the flow temperatures the pitch system needs, the electrical supply and the space for heat pumps. We assess this at design stage.
Which fuels do you work with?
Natural gas and LPG for boiler plant, electric heat pumps, and hybrids. Combicert Ltd is Gas Safe registered (621146) for the gas installation, testing and commissioning.
Do you cover stadiums outside the UK?
We deliver nationwide across the UK, and packaged plant rooms can be built for clubs and stadiums across Europe. Transport, local standards and commissioning arrangements are agreed for each project.
Do you service under-pitch heating plant?
Yes. Planned servicing before the winter, gas safety checks, combustion checks, pump and controls checks, and glycol concentration testing, with records for the club or ground operator.
Enquire
- Telephone07393 220694
- Emailenquiries@prefabplant.systems
Under-pitch heating enquiry
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