What pipes for floor heating is better and easier to use

Piped floor heating circulating hot water, thereby heating room

What pipe used in warm floors

Making a decision to begin work, we go to the store to buy ingredients. The main component of such structures are tubes. We offer them a few options:

• Metal and plastic.
• Copper.
• Polyethylene.
• Polypropylene.

If we do not understand what the difference between them, then it will be difficult to choose. Navigate as just the price is not quite right. Therefore it is necessary to know all the main characteristics of each type and decide, which pipes for floor heating is better for us in the current situation.

For the arrangement of floor heating using plastic, metal, copper or polypropylene pipes

Pipes made of metal

Metal-plastic - a modern composite laminate. Outside and inside polyethylene different thickness aluminum seal connects them. These pipes have an optimum heat transfer per 1 m2, which gives a good performance during heating finish flooring. Metal promotes very rapid heating and good heat capacity, and also provides the necessary strength of the article. Design features of the pipe caused the following necessary properties for it:

• Very long service life. Manufacturers assure us that plastic pipes will last for 50 years or more.
• Such pipes are very convenient in stacking. Their ability to bend, allows you to make any contour on the floor: spiral, snake or other forms.
• Corrosion resistance provides resistance to salts and chemically active impurities.
• Absolutely smooth surface inside the tube ensures stable system pressure.
• Good durability not allowing the tube to distort upon heating even up to 95 degrees, and also to keep the pressure at 10 bar.

Accession composition pipe to a corner fitting via

Useful advice!When installing floors water heating system of metal pipes, without need walling connecting fittings in mortar. Mount them better along the walls to cover their plinths.

Copper pipes for floor heating

Copper is a fairly expensive non-ferrous metal that affects the price of the pipes from it. But in spite of this copper tube with a floor heating device is used frequently, because it is difficult to argue that this metal has better properties than polymeric materials. It surpasses many important factors:

• For material strength and reliability during use.
• According to the level of thermal conductivity and heating rate.
• For flexibility, since the copper pipe is very easy to twist into any desired shape and cut.

Copper tube - the most expensive option of all types of pipes for floor heating

Furthermore, such pipes can move even freezing, not to mention the high temperature. A significant drawback is the cost of these pipes, as pay accounts and fittings that make too copper, because there should be no contact of different metals. In addition, self-mount floor heating of these copper pipes are unlikely to succeed, due to the fact that pipe connections used brazing, which implies the ability to be controlled with a special tool and its Availability.

Bend pipe made of copper by using a special tool - bending tool

Useful advice!Choosing copper pipes for floor heating is better, no matter what they were not expensive, hire a professional for installation. This will provide a high-quality folding and get rid of unnecessary problems.

The advantages of polyethylene pipes

Many experts say that PEX pipes for floor heating better than others. Indeed, the material of the unique properties of polymers:

• Its thermal stability is very high. The pipe can withstand temperatures up to 120 degrees, which is a record of all types of plastic pipes.
• The material has the ability to recover its geometrical parameters during cooling. Multiple cycles of raising and lowering the temperature of it does not apply, as opposed to other materials.

The structure of the polyethylene pipe

Due to the fact that the polyethylene molecule, by the standards of the microcosm, is enormous and still on top connected to each other, pipes made of this material is very elastic, which allows them to flex, environmentally friendly, and do not corrode durable. These properties allow undoubtedly take XLPE pipes for floor heating.

Not devoid of polyethylene pipes and cons. Suffice it to note that the polyethylene is capable of gradually oxygen transmissibility. This leads to an oxidizing environment in the reaction tube. Fortunately, with this we learned to fight by sputtering onto the pipe a special composition.

The most common arrangement for the floor heating pipe is XLPE

Useful advice!During floor installation with water heating, Polyethylene pipes need to attach special brackets or rails laid in particular with grooves. This is done due to the fact that polyethylene badly holds its shape.

Typically, use 16 mm XLPE pipes for floor heating. They provide optimal heat dissipation, with a small thickness of the screed. In addition, they are easier to put a snake on the floor base.

Installation of floor heating using a polyethylene tube

Disadvantages polypropylene tubes with floor-heating device

Use of polypropylene pipes for the installation of preheating the floor do not advisable, since such pipes very bad bend. Play installation process of polypropylene pipes with his own hands, videokotorogo you can see, spiral with a pitch of less than 13 cm is simply impossible, which causes problems with the heated floor in certain conditions. Lay them on a given circuit is very difficult. They are not designed for high temperatures over 80 degrees.

The structure of the polypropylene tube

If you are staying on to make floor heating pipes of these stubborn, you should know that they represent a polypropylene pipes with different diameters, which have a layer of reinforcement aluminum foil. It provides a reduction in material expansion under heating. Polypropylene is strong and reliable enough. Moreover, pipes made of it cheaper other. When installing underfloor heating, it is necessary to maintain the room temperature above 15 degrees. Only then it will be possible to carry out installation of polypropylene pipes with his own hands. Video of this process always focuses on this fact.

Different diameters of tubing and polypropylene fittings connecting thereto

In order to start the construction of the floor heated, it is important to get a welding machine for welding polypropylene. Learn how to use it is not complicated. On this account, you can find a variety of instructions and manuals. Since this type of pipe is very bad bend, the folding can only be made in a spiral. For installation is better to take 16 mm pipe. They possess the optimum combination of thickness and flexibility.

Compound polypropylene tubes and brazing

In addition to the welding machine, be sure to also require special connecting fittings and valves for the installation of polypropylene pipes with his own hands. Video soldering of all components of the pipeline is easy to find online. Laying on top of a spiral made of waterproofing using special hardware or rails with the slots. After the whole structure is soldered, it is started from a water heating system. If it works and there is no leakage, it is possible to fill the screed.

Stacking pipes of polypropylene for arranging floor heating

What pipes for floor heating is better

Having considered all options, the conclusion which pipes for floor heating is better to do anyway difficult. It is clear that the worst for this role is suitable polypropylene. Excellent quality in copper and plastic pipes, mediocre in reinforced plastic. If you make a choice between copper and polyethylene, there is a fundamental is how much money to repair lies in your budget for this type of expenditure. After all, copper is much more expensive than polyethylene, although for floor heating purposes, the latter in their characteristics are not much inferior to her. That's why polyethylene pipes today's most popular, and are doing a lot of different designs.

What pipes for floor heating is better (video)