Basic types of electric underfloor heating

Existing versions of the

system Heating cable

Heating using a heating cable in the underfloor heating system appeared earlier than all others. Despite this, this method has been popular so far, successfully competing with more modern heating elements.

The principle of operation is that a special conductor is laid on the prepared surface, which converts electric energy into thermal energy. For the functioning of such a system, it is necessary to pour a concrete screed over the cable, a thickness of 2 to 5 cm. When the solution cools, you can proceed to finishing works. It is recommended to lay ceramic tiles on top of the heating cable. How to install a warm floor under the tile, read the relevant article. With regard to parquet, laminate and linoleum, their use is limited and discussed on the package individually.

The advantage of heating the cable is as follows:

• low cost;
• keeps the heat even after shutdown, which to some extent saves electricity.

At the same time, the disadvantages of this type of electric underfloor heating are:

• reduced electrical safety;
• complexity of system repair( it will be necessary to break the concrete screed);
• the difficulty in correctly calculating the length of the conductor;The
• overheats and breaks down if it does not fit tightly to the screed, and also if furniture is placed above the place where the conductor is laid.

Most often this kind is used for heating installation in a bathroom and a bath.

Thermometers

A more advanced kind of electric underfloor heating - special heating mats. Products exist in two varieties: convection and infrared.

Convection mats are an improved cable model, which in this case is fixed on a mesh base. The material is sold in finished rolls, the width of which can vary. As in the case of a cable, a concrete screed or tile glue is poured over the mat with a thickness of up to 2 cm( note that the thickness in this case is less).As a finishing material, it is also recommended to give preference to ceramic tiles.

As far as infrared mats are concerned, they have proved to be a suitable kind of warm floor for heating a wooden surface. In this case, special heating rods are used, connected in parallel to the power wires. Ideal when combined with flooring such as parquet and laminate.

Thermometer Advantages of two alternative types of electric underfloor heating:

• less labor-intensive laying;
• more simple calculation of the required area of ​​the material;
• reasonable price;
• the thickness of the screed should be less.

The main drawbacks are:

• the difficulty of repairing the damaged area in the screed;
• fire hazard( actually, as well as the usual route of electrical wiring, located in the wall).

Film coating

The advanced heating material is a special film, less than a millimeter thick. Laying the film warm floor is necessarily carried out "on dry", that is, without the use of concrete screeds. That is why the option with ceramic tiles from the top disappears. Most often, a parquet board or a laminate is applied over the film.

Advantage of such coverage:

• spends less electricity;
• does not require special styling skills;
• preparatory work is minimized - just align the surface;
• is suitable for heating a wooden floor.

Among the shortcomings are:

• increased material cost;
• film is afraid of water, which requires the creation of high-quality waterproofing;
• fire hazard is higher than in other types of warm floor( which is due to the lack of fire-resistant concrete screed);
• is damaged if there are significant mechanical stresses( if a heavy cabinet or sofa presses from above);
• cools instantly when turned off.

Which species should I prefer?

As you have already understood, depending on whether the tile is a floor covering or a parquet, a suitable type of electric underfloor heating is selected.

For a wooden covering( in a bedroom, living room or hall), it is best to use an economical infrared film. To make a warm floor in the bathroom or in the kitchen, you need to give preference to the thermo-mat. Use the heating cable is not recommended, tk.it is more difficult to lay it and it will take more time to solidify the 5-centimeter screed. In addition, these 5 cm will adversely affect the height of the ceiling, making it lower.

That's all I wanted to tell you about the main types of electric underfloor heating. We hope that now you know which option is better to choose for your own conditions of use! We also recommend viewing a video review that clearly shows what types of floor heating systems are available:

varieties Useful for reading:

• How to choose the electric warm
• The economical house heating system
• How to make lighting in an apartment