Fire test on the insulation inside the ePan Slim heating panel

Testing the part you are suspicious of, on its own

Extruded polystyrene has a poor reputation where fire is concerned, and that reputation is not groundless for entry level products. It is precisely for that reason that we present the panel's insulating core on its own, out of its assembly, rather than leaving it protected by the rest.

What the quality of the foam changes

Extruded foams are not all alike. Density, cell fineness and treatment through the mass produce considerable differences in behaviour. The one we use was chosen on that criterion before it was chosen on cost.

Why the core insulates rather than merely stiffens

This layer is not there only to carry the heating film. It stops the heat produced from escaping into the plenum and the original ceiling, where it would be lost. Without it, part of the electricity consumed would be warming the roof structure. The same reasoning is what calls for an air gap above: the panel has to emit downwards, not upwards.

The test on the complete panel is presented on the page devoted to the ePan Slim panel, and the heated stretch ceiling system on the heated radiant stretch ceiling page.

A choice of material that pays for itself elsewhere

An extruded foam of decent density costs more to buy than an entry level expanded foam. It pays that back on three counts: it does not compress under fixings, it does not crumble when cut, and it keeps its thickness and therefore its performance. On a ceiling that will stay closed for several decades, those three points are worth the difference.