Warm water floors - a convenient and inexpensive way to heat a house or apartment. In this case, the most reliable and economical warm water floors connected to a heating system or a separate heating circuit with power from the boiler. The cost of doing such a floor is fully justified, because during the operation they pay off very quickly. At the same time, a significant part of the cost is the cost of pipes for the heating circuit.
Choosing pipes for underfloor heating
Which pipes are better for underfloor heating? This depends on several factors: from the method of laying, the length of the contour, the way the screed is made and the finish coat. There are several types of pipes used:
- Copper;
- Metal-plastic;
- Pipes of cross-linked polyethylene.
All of them have their own characteristics, which must be taken into account when choosing.
Copper pipes
They are distinguished by high quality, excellent heat dissipation, strength and durability, but at the same time the maximum possible price and some complexity in installation: pipe bending must be done by template, and for joints use welding. In addition, if the heating of the heating floor is connected to a heating system with aluminum or steel radiators, a galvanic couple may occur, leading to electrochemical corrosion of the radiators.
Copper pipes for the warm floor
Copper pipes for the warm floor are usually used wherever the fastest possible heating of the room is required with minimal heat losses. This is relevant for houses in which, because of the impossibility of installing a gas boiler, the heat carrier is obtained in a more expensive way: by means of a diesel or electric boiler. The cost of copper pipes is 5-7 times higher than for metal-plastic or polyethylene. At the same time, the coolant temperature for copper pipes can be maintained at 5-10 degrees less, which ultimately leads to their payback within two to three years.
For a warm floor, use copper pipes with a diameter of 20 mm, trying to make the minimum number of joints. Due to high heat dissipation, the temperature in the initial part of the circuit can be much higher than at the end, because of which the floor heats up unevenly in different zones. Therefore, it is preferable to lay the copper pipes with a "snail" or "double snake", so that both the forward and reverse parts of the contour pass alongside.
Pipe laying on the floor by snake and snail method
Metal-plastic pipes
Metal-plastic pipes consist of heat-resistant plastic reinforced with a continuous or mesh metal layer. Their internal surface is smooth, it does not form deposits, which allows to maintain a constant working gap during the whole service life. For a warm floor it is necessary to choose the pipes, which are intended for the hot coolant.
Structure of a plastic pipe
Metal-plastic pipes for a warm floor are the simplest option for self-assembly. The connection of the heating circuit to the direct and return collector is made by means of compression fittings without the use of a special tool, besides, the pipes retain their shape during bending and can be stacked by one person. In this case, the metal-plastic pipes have two significant drawbacks:
- fittings during operation require periodic tightening, so it is necessary to ensure unimpeded access to them;
- when doing the screed you need to follow, so as not to crumple the pipes and not narrow their lumen.
The heat transfer at the metal-plastic pipes is somewhat lower than that of the modest ones, however this is compensated by their low cost and convenience of installation. It is most convenient to mount metal-plastic pipes for special heat-insulating mats with lugs - they are simply laid in the spaces between the bosses, creating the necessary contour, and the concrete screed is poured over the top. With this way of laying the probability of their damage is minimal.
Pipe laying on special heat-insulating mats
When choosing a manufacturer of metal-plastic pipes, it is better to give preference to proven firms, and to choose pipes with an oxygen-permeable layer - this will extend the life of the steel elements of the heating circuit. The diameter of the pipes for the heating circuit is 20 mm.
Polyethylene pipes
One of the most popular types of performance of a warm floor involves the use of pipes made of embroidered polyethylene. These pipes are the cheapest, easy to assemble, resilient and not afraid of crushing when carrying out the screed. The heat transfer in polyethylene is lower than that of copper or metal-plastic pipes, while the single-layer structure has high reliability. Also it is necessary to stop on them the choice in case of use as coolant antifreeze - polyethylene possesses very high stability to aggressive liquids. Another advantage of polyethylene pipes is the minimum radius of bending, which allows to execute a contour of any shape without forming sections with the stress of the material.
Set of polyethylene pipes
Scheme for laying pipes for flooring
When choosing a manufacturer of copper, metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes, you should pay attention to the declared specifications and warranty period - for all types of pipes it must be at least 10 years. The service life in the absence of sudden temperature changes and water hammers, as a rule, is at least 25 years, which will create comfort in your home for many years.
