How to choose an electric warm floor

Systems " warm floor", intended for basic or auxiliary heating of living quarters in apartments or private houses, ceased to be some kind of "curiosity".They fully proved their worth, firmly occupied certain position among heating equipment, find all more supporters.

How to choose the electric warm floor

There are two main categories of " warm floors".The first of them, water ones, represent a contour of pipes placed in the thickness of the floor, along which the coolant circulates from the heating system. Such a scheme is quite effective, but it is rather complicated in execution, it requires large-scale works, very precise debugging, purchase of expensive equipment, and in some cases of coordinated procedures with management companies. Therefore, many owners of housing prefer electric heating of floors. There is also a lot of hassle in its installation, but volumes of works and initial costs of - are not comparable with the water. However, it should be remembered that the electrical

heating of the can be carried out in different ways. Therefore, if there is a desire to install a house of this type of heating, you first need to figure out how to choose the electric warm floor with knowledge.

Depending on the type of heating element, it is possible to subdivide the electric " warm floors" into two types - resistive and infrared. There is also a more objective division, already in terms of the design features of the systems - this will be discussed below.

And first you need to understand what is good about such " warm floors", and what power will be needed for electric heating of premises in this way.

Advantages of the electrical systems of warm floors

• 1 Contents of the article
  • 1 Advantages of the electrical systems of "warm floors"
  • 2 What heating power will be needed
  • 3 Basic principles of laying electric "warm floors"
  • 4 Electric "warm floors" of the resistive principle of action
    • 4.1 Cables forunderfloor heating systems
      • 4.1.1 Calculators for calculating the length of the heating cable and laying steps
    • 4.2 Heating resistive mats
  • 5 "Warm floors" inf.
    • 5.1 Film infrared heaters
    • 5.2 Video: one of the types of film "warm floor"
    • 5.3 Rod infrared heaters
    • 5.4 Video: how to install the core "warm floor"
  • 6 What else is purchased for the "warm floor" system
    • 6.1 Video: what is the electrical "warm floor" for which the

is intended? Firstly, , why exactly does floor heating create the most comfortable conditions for living in an apartment?

The whole point is that it is with this energy transfer that the is the most optimal heat distribution in the volume of the room. For example, let's compare how this process takes place in a room with the usual radiators, and with a heated floor surface:

Heat distribution with convection heating and with a "warm floor"

First, let's take a look at the left side of the picture. The room temperature distribution is extremely uneven, with and height, and relative to the installed heating batteries. Directly at the radiators - peak temperatures reaching values ​​of 60 degrees and higher, that is, even representing the certain danger in the probability of a burn. Further, the air temperature drops behind the account of the convection flow, but in the ceiling area there is always increased, about 25 - 30 degrees, whereas at floor level these values ​​are minimal - 18 and even less degrees. If we add to these very unpleasant horizontal air currents, which are akin to drafts, then it becomes clear that such a scheme of heat distribution is very far from optimal.

Another thing is when the floor surface is heated( in the picture on the right).The transfer of heat energy passes below, and then heated air rises upwards vertically, gradually cooling down as the height increases. So way, the floor surface temperature of the order of 25 - 27 degrees, and at the level of the head of a standing person - about 18. This is the microclimate considered the most comfortable for people - how not to recall the old wisdom of "keep your feet warm and your head incold weather ".Horizontal convection flows or not in general , or they are kept to a minimum and do not cause any inconvenience.

Moreover, using warm floors, can be configured to provide zoned heating, accenting it on of certain sites, in so-called zones of increased comfort, for example, in traditional recreation areas or children's games. Conversely, in some areas where heating is not so important, you can make it much less intensive when installing the system, creating a "vacuum" when laying the heating elements. Thus, the system is highly flexible.

So, with the main advantage of warm floors there is clarity. Now it is more detailed why many people choose electric systems.

• The electrical circuits of the of warm floors - are versatile, while the installation of a water floor heating in a multi-storey building can be simply forbidden.
• No conciliation of procedures, drawing up separate projects, the availability of equipment to interface with existing communications - is not required. The calculation of is made only on the really consumed electricity, in the usual manner.
• The water floor is always a massive concrete screed, which increases the load on the ceilings, and significantly reduces the height of the ceilings in the room. With electric heating systems, the screed will be thinner, and for some varieties of " warm floors" the screed is not needed at all.
• Installation of the electric " warm floor" is much easier, it takes much less time.
• Electrical floor heating with proper installation and debugging of the in - is much safer than water. The probability of an accident with a water break and flooding the of the lower neighbors is not in principle.

When water heating the floor, alas, no one is immune from these "tragic" incidents

• Electric warm floor is easily amenable to the most accurate, up to one degree, adjustments. It can be enabled in the smart house system, can be programmed with for the most economical power usage with considering preferential night or Sunday tariffs, with minimal power consumption during the daily absence of hosts with outputfor the optimal heating mode by the time of their arrival and .
• Electric "warm floors" are criticized for inefficiency in terms of energy consumption and the high cost of paying utility bills. One can argue with this - if the system is designed, installed and adjusted correctly, it is operated "wisely", and in the apartment the owners paid the serious attention to thermal insulation problems, then the payments for consumed energy for the most optimal microclimate at home will always bewithin a reasonable.

What kind of heating power is needed

Whatever type of electrical floor surface heating is selected, a required calculation of the of the system being created is performed before the acquisition of a set of necessary elements and consumables. algorithms for calculating for specific models may differ slightly, but still the common parameter for all is the minimum heating power required.

This indicator depends on the of a number of criteria:

• This is influenced by the climatic characteristics of a particular region, that is, the average values ​​of winter negative temperatures.
• The orientation of the building and the specific room to the sides of the world is important, as well as the "rose of the winds" that has developed in the area.
• Construction of the structure itself - material, applied for the erection of walls, their thickness, degree of thermal insulation , roofing material, floors and .
• Completeness and quality of the carried out by insulation work, including on the walls, the basement of the building, the floors. It is taken into account what windows and doors are installed and how much their thermal insulation qualities are.
• An important criterion is the specific purpose of the room in which the installation of a floor heating system is planned.
• Finally, the final temperature that the home owners want to see is also taken into account, setting the "warm floor" as an additional or basic type of heating.

The calculation system is quite complex and cumbersome, and this, as a rule, is the lot of heat engineering specialists. However, specialists are quite expensive is not cheap , and therefore you can try to calculate the parameters of " warm floor" and yourself, using special programs that are available on the Internet.

You can try to find specialized software

for calculating them. They usually have a fairly intuitive interface, and it will only be left upon request to enter a series of data on their home parameters so that the program will produce calculations for .

Well, for those who do not like to load their heads with detailed calculations , you can bring averaged values ​​that will be relevant for the middle zone of Russia, provided that in the house or apartment quality insulating work is carried out, double glazing is installed.(By the way, in case of non-compliance with these requirements, there is nothing to think about installing an electrical warm floor, as money will be guaranteed to fly literally - to the wind).

The next important point is the need for a thermal insulation layer under the heating elements of the "warm floor".There is an opinion that such a measure is mandatory only for the sexes on the first floors of buildings, under which the has no heated premises. To some extent, this may seem fair, but if you look more closely, the need for such thermal insulation becomes obvious.

Diagram of heat leakage through the interstorey overlap

The diagram shows two rooms: under No. 1 - the one in which the electrical floor heating system is installed, and under No. 2 - what is located on the floor below. Between them is necessarily a powerful overlapping number 3.

Electric heating system( №4) transfers thermal energy not only upwards, to the floor covering( No. 5) but also downwards. If we imagine that the thermo-insulating layer( # 6) is not laid, then a huge amount of electricity will be t wasted, on the gravel of concrete overlap. The heat capacity of the in this massive structure is enormous, and plus it relies on the capital walls, which also "pull" the grater onto itself. In this case, even less important is the fact that which temperature in the lower room, as the temperature of the overlap itself will be less in any case, and the amount of thermal losses ( shown with red arrows) will be very significant.

The task of the thermal insulation layer( No. 6) is not so much to protect the floor from the floor surface, how much to reduce absolutely unnecessary heat loss on the heating the concrete massif down. The thickness may be different - here it depends and from the type of electric heating, and from degree insulation of premises. For example, for some types of " warm floors" a thick enough layer of expanded polystyrene is required, and for others - a polyethylene foam substrate with a mandatory reflective foil layer is sufficient.

Below in the diagram the dependence of the amount of heat loss on the thickness of the insulating layer is presented. The ordinate in percent indicates losses from the total thermal power generated by the heating systems. Abscissa is the thickness of the insulation layer( in millimeters) based on ordinary expanded polystyrene.

Diagram of the dependence of the value of heat loss on the thickness of the thermal insulation layer

The calculations of have been carried out for premises with high-quality thermal insulation of walls, windows, doors, ceiling. But even in this case, the lack of thermal insulation on the floor leads the to a loss of almost a third of the total heat energy! But even a small layer of insulation immediately reduces unnecessary expense.

An interesting feature - increasing the thickness of the thermal insulation layer allows to reduce heat loss almost threefold. But completely eliminate this negative effect kt vs the same does not work. And now the value of the thickness of expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam in 35 - 40 mm becomes, in fact, optimal - further its buildup, in principle, not gives a visible result( the losses stabilize at level 8 - 9 % ).And this means that a thicker layer of the will cause the to only become less justified in reducing the height of the room.

Basic principles of laying of electrical " warm floors "

When planning the electrical system " warm floor" and drawing up preliminary diagrams and drawings its installation must take into account several important rules: In particular, the heating elements are never " to solid . "

• They should not be placed under stationary pieces of furniture. The heating of the floor surface necessarily involves a constant heat exchange with the air in the room. If this effect is not present, then the overheating of the cable part is inevitable, with the likely output of its out of order. In addition, the excessive heating of the in the is redenal and for the furniture - wooden or composite parts will crack and crack. And from the economic point of view - why waste energy on heating of floor areas, which in no way take part in the general heat exchange?

Approximate scheme for laying the electrical "warm floor"

• Indentations from walls or stationary elements of furniture should be planned at about 50 mm. In places where heating pipes( risers) pass or other heating devices are installed, this interval should be increased to a minimum of 100 mm.
• It is usually considered that heating on the principle of " warm floor" will be effective if the coverage of heating circuits is at least 70% of the total area of ​​the room.
• It is advisable to transfer all preliminary calculations of and "estimations" to a graphic scheme, first in rough draft and then in the final version - this will help to make sure that the calculates the required number of equipment and will become the guiding document for installation works. It is most convenient to perform -like drawing on millimeter paper, with the necessary observance of scale.
• It is necessary to immediately determine the optimal location for the location of the control unit( thermostat) and the temperature sensor. Typically, the unit itself is placed at a height of about 500 mm from the floor in a place where it will be easily accessible for visual inspection and manual control, and where it will be most convenient to conduct both the power wiring and the contacts of the heating elements themselves.
• When planning the placement of the cable part " warm floor" on the surface, the is always taken into account that under no circumstances can the heating wires intersect.
• The remaining stacking parameters will already be specific to the various electrical heating circuits.

Now that the theory is basically over, let's move on to practical issues - choosing a specific type of electrical " warm floor".

Electrical "warm floors" of the resistive principle of the action

Resistive principle of action means heating of metal wires when electric current flows through them for account of matched resistance of metal conductors. Technologically, this principle is implemented in the form of heating cables or special mats.

Cables for " warm floor "

The cables are also available in a fairly wide variety. They can be divided into resistive single-core , two-wire and semiconductor with the effect of self-regulating heating.

• Single-core cables are the simplest in the device and the most inexpensive at their cost. On a large , the account is an ordinary long "spiral in isolation", similar to that used in many heating or household appliances.

Single-core heating cable structure diagram

The single core acts as and as conductor, and heating element.

Copper braid is only a screen, connected to the ground conductor, in order to minimize possible electromagnetic emissions from the cable.

On both sides to this cable through the connecting couplings are connected mounting wires( their is still called "cold ends"). The is obviously the main disadvantage of such a cable - both ends of it must converge at one point in order to be connected to the terminals of the control unit - the thermostat.

As a rule, such cables are sold in stores with strictly sets of a certain length and, accordingly, heating power. These parameters must be specified in the product passport.

• Two-wire cable in terms of planning and laying system " warm floor" - much more convenient.

There are two conductors in one cable. One of them can be used for heating, and the second - only for closing the circuit. There are models in which both wires perform both functions equally.

And this is how the

two-wire heating cable is arranged. The cable is always terminated by an end clutch, in which a contact connection of both conductors is arranged."Cold end" from two-wire cable one - this makes it much easier to compose the layout of " warm floor", as there is more freedom in placing the turns - there is no need to pull the second end to the thermostat. For example - compare the two options shown in the figure:

In laying, of course, a two-wire

cable is easier. With an absolutely equal heating area, the laying scheme of a two-wire cable( on the right) is much simpler. In the diagram, the figures show:

1 - heating cable;

2 - "cold ends";

3 - Couplings:

4 - Thermal sensor cable;

5 - temperature sensor;

6 - the final coupling.

In both cases, the use of heating cable, as a rule, provides for its pouring with a concrete screed thickness from 30 to 50 mm - it, in addition to the function of leveling the floor surface, will play the role of a powerful heat accumulator. The general scheme will look something like this:

Heating cables are almost always filled with a screed

1 - ceiling slab;

2 - waterproofing layer;

3 - layer of thermal insulator. About the materials and the necessary thickness, details were told above.

4 - Leveling screed over thermal insulator , thickness up to 30 mm. In some cases, for example, when using extruded polystyrene plates with increased density, the is also dispensed with without the .

6 - heating cable, fixed on the mounting tape( 5).

7 - finishing screed, thickness from 30 to 50 mm, which will become the basis for decorative floor finishes( 8) and very capacious heat accumulator.

Sometimes it is possible to meet recommendations on the possible laying of cable warm floor and without screed - under the laid wooden floor. However, this is rather an exception to the rules. In addition, the efficiency of such heating is still significantly lower than with the use of screed.

As an exception, the cable can be used in a wooden floor, but the heating efficiency drops sharply

1 - thermal insulation( expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foam or mineral wool).

2 - dense aluminum foil, playing the role of a heat reflector.

3 - metal mesh, to which the heating cable loops are tied( 4).

5 - temperature sensor, placed in corrugated tube and connected to to the thermoregulation unit( 8 )

6 - slots in the lag for the pass cable

7 - finishing flooring( usually a wooden frame).

• Now we have to figure out how much heating cable is needed for the room, and with what steps it should be laid on the floor.

The initial data for the calculation of the are the area of ​​the room on which the calculation will be performed( total , minus the sections where the cable is prohibited) and the required heating power per square meter space( indicated in the table, is given by above).

The first step of the determines the required cable length:

L = S × P s / P k

- S - the area at which the cable is to be laid. Its is easy to compute on a drawn graphical scheme.

- P s - Specific power of electrical heating per unit area( m²) required for efficient room heating( see table).

- P k - The specific power of a particular heating cable model - it must be specified in its technical documentation.

It is now easy to determine which inter-turn distance is to be observed when laying the cable:

H = S × 100 / L

- H is the interval between adjacent conductors( distance between turns) in centimeters.

- S - area, the same value as in the first formula.

- L - the previously defined the length of the heating cable.

Calculators for calculating the length of the heating cable and the laying step

The above formulas are entered in the calculator offered to the reader. Enter the values, and immediately get the required length of the heating cable:

The calculated value will serve as a guide for the selection of the warm floor kit with the cable whose length is closest to the value obtained. Now it is easy to find the laying step:

After the parameters are fully calculated, you can transfer the laying pattern to the scaled drawing - this significantly will facilitate the afterwards the installation process "warm floor ".

• Another one type of heating cable for the system " warm floor" two-wire self-regulating with a semiconductor matrix.

It is not used so often, either because of its high cost, or because of not too common information about it .And yet - this cable is very convenient and economical in operation.

Structure of the semiconductor heating cable

Both conductors perform only a conductive role, and heating is performed behind the semiconductor matrix, located along the entire length of the cable. The special of its composition causes heating at any point of the cable. And , the intensity of heating changes under the influence of temperature.

In colder areas( A ), the number of conductive particles( white dots) is maximized, and the is heated most intensely. As the heating proceeds, the conductivity of the matrix decreases sharply( area in ), and when the optimum temperature is reached, ( With ) almost completely stops. Thus, the cable itself, without outside interference, equalizes the temperature throughout the entire area of ​​the room.- it remains only to set its maximum value on the thermostat.

By the way, such a cable is not particularly terrible and the overlapping of heated surfaces with any heavy objects of furniture - after heating the conductivity of the matrix in such a section will simply decrease to absolutely safe values.

Self-regulating cables are not yet widely used, but, of course, they still have ahead of

. In other respects, the calculation process and the installation of such a cable differs little from its resistive "brethren".

Convenience of heating cables - the complete versatility of the floor - created by him can be covered with any, without exception, finish coat.

Heating resistive mats

To "make life easier" for floor heating installers, special mats have been invented that greatly simplify both the calculation processes and the laying procedure.

Very easy to use heating mats with a mesh base

Speaking more correctly, this is the same heating two-wire resistive cable, but only already figured with the defined by the on a fiberglass mesh base. Often such a grid has and self-adhesive properties, which makes laying even easier.

The width of such mats is usually about half a meter, and the length can reach 20 - 24 meters, that is, one set can cover the area to 12 m².

It is clear that to calculate the step of laying the cable here is useless. In addition, such mats have the manufacturer's power indicators, given already to the desired value - to unit area. Thus, most similar products are produced with specific power from 100 to 150 W / m².Very rare, but still there are models that provide heating up to 200 W / m².

If the " has a hand, then stacking such mats should not be particularly difficult. The grid can be freely cut, without touching, naturally of the cable itself. And with the undercut basis, do not form t ore to change the direction of laying or even to impart a complex, curvilinear form to the mat on the floor.

Different methods of laying net mats

As a result, it is possible to effectively cover any area with heating elements - from regular rectangles to narrow passages, for example, in the bathroom.

They can lay a room of any complexity

Typically, these mats are used when creating an additional heating system, to improve comfort. They are not too powerful, but they do not require a thick screed - a thin enough leveling layer. And if " warm floor" is mounted under a ceramic tile covering, then the process is still easier for the - tile laying can be done directly on the mats, only a little, up to 7-8 mm, by increasing the thickness of the applied tile adhesive.

Special advantage - directly on them you can lay ceramic tiles

Similar mats, of course, at a cost - higher than heating cables, but this is fully compensated for by the simplicity and speed of their installation.

" Warm floors" of the infrared principle of the

action. In such systems, the principle of transfer of thermal energy is completely different. Passing through special elements, the electric current causes, with relatively little heating, the rigid directional infrared radiation, the invisible to the eye of the , but well transmitting energy over considerable distances( direct analogy with sunlight, only of the , of course, on an incomparably smaller scale).

Infrared radiation with a wavelength of 4 to 20 nanometers spreads rectilinearly, causing heating of the surfaces in their path. This spread of heat is the most comfortable for a person.

Infra-red floor heating systems can be two types - film heaters or rod mats.

Infra-red film heaters

Between two dense polyester films two parallel copper conductive busbars are structurally placed, and between them - radiating at the passage of electricity thermal energy black stripes from a special carbon paste.

Roll of infrared heater

The total thickness of this film assembly is very small - usually no more than 0.4 mm. Nevertheless, , it becomes a very effective space heater.

With , the calculates such an " warm floor" from from that the distance from walls or stationary pieces of furniture must be at least 200 mm. Further, after drawing up an exemplary scheme, it is necessary to calculate the percentage of the area on which the heater sheets will be placed, to the total area of ​​the room. This is necessary in order to determine the required thickness of the coating.

So, if this ratio is 60% or less, then film elements with a specific power of about 220 W / m² are required. If the coverage area exceeds 60%, then, accordingly, the power of the heating element also decreases. The power stages with which film -like emitters are produced-from 130 to 230 W / m², with a step through the 20W , that is, there is the possibility of selecting the of the most optimal heating level.

When calculating and laying out the laying plan, it is necessary to take into account the form of the film heaters. They can be as wide as 500, 800 or 1000 mm, and the length in a roll can reach 50 meters. However, there are limit values ​​for the length of the strips to exceed which is not recommended because of the possible degradation of the thermal characteristics. Limit values ​​are listed in the table:

Usually, every 250 mm has a line that can be cut film - this will not affect its performance in the proper installation of the system. To cut its in other places is strictly prohibited.

Film warm floors are usually applied only "dry" method, without the use of screed. Basically they serve for additional heating of parquet, laminated or linoleum floors.

With film heating technology, the screed is not needed at all

It is possible to use them for other purposes, for example for ceramic tiles, , in principle, it is possible, but the technology becomes very complicated, using special methods and materials for waterproofing and tiling,and therefore it is easier and much cheaper to lay the usual heating cable or mat in such a case.

Video: one of the film " warm "

rod infrared heaters The newly developed rod heating infrared mats immediately won the popularity of the . They are two parallel conductors in the reliable polymer insulation, between which the emitter-rods are placed.

One of the most innovative solutions is the rod infrared mats

. The rods are quite flexible and durable, they are a complex structure made of carbon, silver and graphite. When applying voltage, each such rod becomes a source of infrared radiation in the wave range from 8 to 14 nanometers.

The standard width of these mats is 830 mm, the radiating rods are located at intervals of 90 or 100 mm. The length of the mat can be up to 20 m .

When laying, one conductor can be cut centrally between the

rods. When laying such heaters on the floor of the , it is allowed to conduct the of the conductor cut centered between the rods, followed by the closure of the circuit using additional mounting wires. An example of such a connection is shown in the figure below.

Approximate circuit for electrical switching of

core mats. Typically, such heating infrared mats, depending on the frequency of the rods, have two options for specific power - 130 or 160 W / m²( the figure can be represented as power per linear meter - then it will be 116 or138 W / m).the minimum permissible length of the mat when it is mounted on the floor is 500 mm.

An important feature and great convenience in using such mats is their ability to self-regulation. When the selected heating level is reached, the semiconductor rods "lock" and stop radiating thermal energy. And this means that even the moved furniture or the re-built refrigerator will not bring such harm to the system of the warm floor, and the electricity will not be wasted at the same time.

Such heating systems are also quite versatile - they can be used with almost any type of flooring. Usually such mats are enclosed in a thin screed 30 mm thick - without this condition, the self-regulation of the rods will not occur.

Video: how to install the rod " warm floor "

What else purchase for the system " warm floor "

When choosing a system of electric floor heating, you must immediately select the elements of control and control - the temperature sensor and the temperature controller.

Required elements for "underfloor heating" - temperature sensor with cable and thermostat with control mechanisms

Very often the thermal sensor, together with a standard cable, is included in the kit, for example, with the acquiring a cable system or mesh mats. However, , not excluded option, when this device will have to buy separately. In this case, you should pay attention to the sufficiency of the length of its cable - its should suffice from the place of installation of the thermostat to the selected site of the sensor installation. To increase length - it is not recommended, to cut off surpluses - it is quite admissible.

But with a thermoregulator of attention you need more. This device can be quite simple, with electromechanical temperature control. However, more sophisticated control devices with electronic control circuit and display panel, which remove the value of the temperature and at the floor level, and in the room itself. It is clear that here the possibilities for fine-tuning and programming modes are much wider. True, the cost of such devices will also be higher.

Modern thermostats have many functions and have the ability to program and remotely control different communication channels

It is important to pay attention to the permissible current consumption by a similar thermostat. So, if the system " warm floor" totals consumes less than 2.3 kW, then the device calculated for 10 amp will suffice. If the heating system consumes more, then the thermostat needs a more powerful one - the 16 amp .

By the way, practically all manufacturers of " warm floors" always recommend certain types of thermostats to their products. The most reasonable action will be to listen to such advice.

Finally, an electrical safety system should be provided. Speech comes about a separate padded power line 220 For for warm floor - for these purposes, you can not use conventional sockets! This line should be equipped with wires of at least 1.5 mm²( with a power of up to 2.3 kW) or even 2.5 mm², if the system is more powerful. In the switchboard, an appropriate automatic machine must be installed. And in order to completely eliminate the possibility of electric shock, it is recommended to install a residual current device( RCD) on the floor heating system.

And at the end of the article - a detailed video about features of existing electrical systems floor heating:

Video : what is the electrical "warm floor" for which the is designed