The warm floor system is quite popular today. With the help of heating cable, thermo-mats, infrared film or pipes, heating of the floor covering can be done. In fact, it is not too difficult to install the heating elements themselves, but many inexperienced masters allow simple gaffes, because of which the entire system can fail after some time after installation. Below we will consider the main mistakes in the installation of a warm floor of a water and electric type.
- Material calculation is incorrect. When calculating the length of the heating cable or the size of the mats, you need to use the useful area of the room, and not the total. Under the useful area is meant that space, which will not be caused by furniture, equipment and other objects. If you mount heating elements under large-sized objects, in these places the system overheats will occur, because of what it will fail. To prevent this error, we recommend you familiarize yourself with the technology of calculating the warm floor.
- Do not cut the resistive cable into lengths that are suitable for length. If the conductor is larger than necessary, try to lay it a little closer to each other, without violating the manufacturer's requirements. We draw your attention to the fact that the self-regulating cable is deprived of such a shortcoming, so when you install it, this error is unlikely to be tolerated.
- Follow the step of laying, as well as indentations from walls and other objects. Remember that the conductor loops should not overlap, otherwise overheating may occur.
- Observe the minimum bending radius, which is indicated in the technical data. As a rule, it is from 5 to 10 cable diameters.
- Heating elements should only be laid on a clean surface. When installing, make sure that the warm floor does not fall into the construction debris, otherwise after pouring the screed under mechanical loads it will quickly fail. It is recommended that even all dust be removed before installation work.
- Elementary error, which also allows inexperienced professionals - ignoring the recommendations for the continuity of the system after installation. Be sure to measure the resistance of the system before you fill the screed or lay the parquet( on the infrared film), and check this value with the nominal value, which is indicated in the passport. Perhaps you made a mistake in the connection and the system no longer works. Then it will be much more difficult to repair the warm floor.
- It is possible to switch on the warm floor only after the screed hardens. If you decide to check whether the floor is heated, before the solution dries, it can damage the system. It is absolutely forbidden to switch on the cable in the bay.
- The temperature sensor must be laid in the corrugation so that it can be easily reached at any time( for repair or replacement).The end of the corrugation should be sealed to prevent the solution from reaching the sensor.
- The sensor itself should be positioned halfway between the two turns of the cable so that it shows the temperature as accurately as possible. Too far distance from the cable will provoke a constant system operation and vice versa. It is recommended to place the temperature sensor closer to the surface of the new floor covering.
- Each room should have its own floor heating circuit and its thermostat. A gross mistake is to save materials during installation and make a single system with one temperature controller.
- During installation work, do not step on the cable, especially in shoes with a solid sole. This can damage conductors and insulation. Try to avoid the turns of the heating element.
- Before filling the screed, take a picture of the arrangement of all the elements so that during the repair you can know where everything is.
- In no case need to promote the fastest freezing of the solution by turning on the system. Those who are advised to turn on the heat immediately after installation, sooner or later will face a situation where the system will quickly fail.
- Before starting work, be sure to read the instructions in which the manufacturer can recommend important points. Our main mistake - we first do, and then we read the instruction. So that's the other way around.
- Remember, the infrared warm floor needs to be laid under the parquet, laminate and linoleum, and the thermometers and the heating cable under the tile. If you spread the film floor in the bathroom and pour tile glue onto it, the system will not work. It seems to be obvious facts, but it happens and they manage to do it.
We also recommend viewing the video, which discusses in more detail some points:
Here we have provided 15 errors when installing a warm floor of water and electric type. Be sure to take them into account and share with your friends in social networks so that they do not have to reinstall the system, which due to improper installation will quickly fail!
It will be useful to know:
- How to repair the warm floor
- How to use the multimeter
- Cheap electric heating at home
