Each of us takes care of creating comfortable living conditions for our family, which is why many modern houses have underfloor heating. Thanks to this, our children can run barefoot in the evenly heated apartment during the cold winter, without any fear of catching a cold. Such systems were appreciated by owners of small-sized housing, because due to the lack of bulky radiators, precious square meters are freed. However, no one is safe from such a situation when it may be necessary to repair underfloor heating.
The device and the most common causes of breakdowns
Underfloor heating is considered one of the most convenient ways to heat a living space. It is an electrical system built into the floor structure. Under the screed or tile are wires that provide uniform heating. The electricity supplied to the heating element passes through the thermostat, which allows you to set the desired temperature and ensures that the system is turned on / off. In case of excessive heating, the heating element is automatically switched off. But like any other system, it can suddenly fail, and then it will be necessary to repair the warm floors. Before you begin troubleshooting, you need to identify the cause of the problem. The most common breakdowns include problems with the heating element, thermostat or temperature sensor.
What to do if there is no voltage at the input of the heating cable?
Before starting repair of underfloor heating, it is necessary to make sure that there is voltage at the input of the electrical system. If it is not, you should find out if the disconnecting machine has not worked. If the toggle switch is triggered, you just need to restart it, if this did not help, then you will have to look for and eliminate the cause of the problems on the supply line.
What to do in case of mechanical damage to the heating cable?
In most cases, such a breakdown occurs even during the installation of the system, and for some time it may go unnoticed. Sometimes the cause of damage is the inaccurate actions of the homeowners themselves, who started a major overhaul. If during the use of a saw or an electric drill, the integrity of the heating electric cable was accidentally violated, you will have to independently open the flooring area and look for the place of damage. Burned or torn cores must be carefully cleaned and connected using suitable diameter sleeves, which are subsequently crimped by press pliers. At the joints, a heat-shrink sleeve is attached, heated with a building hair dryer. In the process of cooling, it contracts, firmly sealing the joints. After this, the screed must be repaired.
What to do if the temperature sensor or temperature controller breaks down?
Noticing that after the warm floor has warmed up to the set mark, it still continues to heat up, you can be sure that the temperature sensor is out of order. In this case, the repair of the electric underfloor heating is reduced to replacing the faulty element. This is easy enough to do. To do this, remove the broken part from the corrugated tube, not forgetting to note the exact place in which it was located, and replace it with a new one. If the installation of old equipment was carried out with a violation of technology, without the use of corrugation, then in its place you can install an air temperature sensor, attached under the thermostat.
If the cause of the breakdown lies in the faulty thermostat, then repair of underfloor heating is reduced to its replacement.