There are many varieties of heating systems. They are distinguished by efficiency and energy consumption. Today it is very important to choose a system that will heat the house quickly and at minimal cost. This type of heating is a warm floor. On sale are several varieties of such systems. Which underfloor heating to choose for heating your home will be discussed in detail below.
System features
Heating a house with underfloor heating is the right decision. This type of system compares favorably with conventional convectors, UFOs, electric panels, etc. Heating elements are located at the base of the floor. They evenly warm the surface of the coating. Heat rises and concentrates mainly near the floor. The ceiling air is colder. This allows the rational use of energy.
For comparison, the convector heats the air mainly in the upper part of the room. Near the floor the temperature will be less. Therefore, it will take more resources to warm up the entire room to the very bottom. Indeed, in this part of the room are people. Near the ceiling the temperature will be high, but the homeowners will not feel it.
The use of underfloor heating saves money on utility bills. This explains the growing popularity of this type of heating. Its advantages also include high comfort. In a room with a warm floor, I don’t feel like slipping shoes. On the contrary, there will be a desire to remove them and pass on a warm surface. It resembles summer and warm sand on the beach.
Also in the room you do not need to choose a place for installing marker batteries. This allows you to create a stylish, unusual interior. You can make panoramic windows, etc. There are several types of underfloor heating. They are distinguished by installation technology, the principle of operation, cost and performance. Which warm floor to choose depends on a number of factors.
Varieties
On sale are various options for systems. There is a warm floor electric and water. In the first case, wires or film are located under the floor surface. They heat up due to electricity. Water floor heating is a system of special pipes. They pass in the screed layer. Energy is delivered through these pipes - water or a special composition like antifreeze.
Each of the presented types of warm floors has its own advantages and disadvantages. Underfloor heating can not be mounted in an ordinary apartment of a multi-storey building. This will require redevelopment. At the same time, the floor level will rise by at least 15 cm. This is unacceptable luxury in standard apartments. But for a private house, a water floor will be quite acceptable. You will need to choose the right boiler. It can run on solid fuel, gas, or electricity. This allows the owners to choose the optimal type of energy with which they can heat the house.
There are no special kits for mounting a water floor on sale. All system components are purchased separately. It is necessary to purchase a boiler corresponding to the required power (in accordance with the area of the house). Special pipes are also purchased. The heating control system for each circuit is a comb. It will supply the heated coolant to the system.
Heated floor electric is much easier to install. It is sold in special kits. By purchasing such a product, the owners will be able to independently mount this system. Moreover, almost all manufacturers retain the right to receive warranty service even with self-assembly. You will need to strictly follow the rules of the manufacturer's instructions.
Electrical systems
The heating system of the electric type may be different. The installation features depend on this. On sale are cable, film and floor mats. These are effective systems that allow you to create a cozy microclimate in the room.
One of the most inexpensive is a heating cable. It must fit into a screed with a thickness of 3 cm. The cross section of such a wire is about 6-7 mm. The cable can be two-core or single-core. The first option is preferable. In this case, there are wires for connection on one side of the heating system, and a plug on the other. This simplifies installation. In a single-core wire, wires for connection come out on both sides of the heating system. The cost of a single-core wire will be 20-25% lower than that of twin-core varieties. However, it is much more often they acquire a two-wire wire.
Another interesting system are floor mats. They are mounted without screed. Tiles are laid on top of the mats. The height of the floor will rise by a maximum of 1.5 cm. This is one of the best options for urban paintings. In your own home, this option also has a place to be. The heating wire has a thickness of 3-4 mm. It is fixed on a PVC grid with a certain step. This greatly simplifies the installation procedure.
Another system that has already been appreciated by customers is a film underfloor heating. It has a thickness of less than 1 mm. Between two sheets of film is a paste that conducts current. It heats up by emitting infrared rays. This type of floor is mounted under a laminate or parquet board. Do not place the solution on the film.
Manufacturers
Buyers have to make a choice of a manufacturer of underfloor heating among a wide variety of brands. Electrical systems are produced by both foreign and domestic companies. The cost of a warm floor depends on its type and the manufacturer who produces it.
Among foreign companies that are in demand in our country, Davi (Denmark), Nexans (Norway), Ensto (Finland) stand out. The products of these brands are of high quality. Each company applies a specific cable manufacturing technology. In addition, each of these manufacturers produces heating cable and mats.
The Finnish company Ensto also produces a thin heating wire (as on mats) without mesh. The cost of such systems will be an order of magnitude lower than that of mats. It is also worth considering that the price of heating systems depends on their length and power. On average, a cable for mounting in a screed of foreign manufacture can be purchased at a price of 1,500 rubles / m².
It is worth considering that the longer the system the buyer acquires, the less is its square meter. So, for example, the average price of the bay, which is enough to cover 4 m² of floor surface, is (foreign production) about 7 thousand rubles. At the same time, you can purchase a system of 1 m² at a price of 4 thousand rubles.
When considering a review of underfloor heating, special attention should be paid to domestic manufacturers.
Russian warm floor
Considering the types and characteristics of underfloor heating, it is worth paying special attention to Russian-made products. The leader in this industry is Teplolux. It produces various types of electric heating systems, which it supplies not only to the Russian market, but also to neighboring countries.
Experts say that the quality of the warm floor of the Teplolux brand is not inferior to foreign counterparts. Moreover, the cost of production will be an order of magnitude lower. The company produces a single and two-wire cable for screeding. Its price is about 800-1000 rubles / m². At the same time, new, modern equipment is used. The quality of each bay is tested, verified during production.
The company also produces mats. Their cost will be higher than that of the cable, by 25-30%. However, mats of foreign manufacture will cost 2 times more. Teplolux also produces a thin wire without a mesh. Its cost will be about 1000-1200 rubles / m².
The company is engaged in the production of film and underfloor heating. The price of such products is about 800 rubles / m². The company "Teplolux" also supplies thermostats, related products. Customer reviews who purchased this product are always positive. With proper installation, such systems can operate over 50 years.
Payment
Each company gives its wire a certain power. This indicator is indicated on the packaging of the cable, mat or film. To purchase a sufficient amount of heating wire, you should consider existing building requirements and perform the calculation of the warm floor.
If the apartment or house has a ceiling height of not more than 2.7 m, you can focus on the standard recommendations of the manufacturers. So, for heating rooms with large window openings, you need to purchase a system with a capacity of 180 W / m². If the windows are ordinary and the heat loss in the room is minimal, you can give preference to a system of 150 W / m².
Also on sale are low-power systems of 120 W / m². They cannot be used as primary heating. They are laid to create a warm zone on the floor in the presence of a different type of heating. For example, it can be the space in front of the sofa (where people constantly step on their feet) or the area under the dining table, etc.
Experts say that calculating a warm floor is an important procedure. To do this, it is advisable to call an expert company home. He will measure heat loss, evaluate all the nuances of the room and will be able to choose the best option for the system. On average, to create autonomous heating using an electric heating system, it will need to cover at least 70% of the room. It should be borne in mind that this type of materials is not laid under furniture.
Installation of a heating cable
There is a certain method of how to lay a warm floor. First you need to develop a plan of the room and indicate on it the location of the furniture and the heating element. This is a mandatory requirement of manufacturers. If the furniture has high legs, under it a warm floor can be mounted. Under continuous cabinets, chiffoners, you can not install such a system. Otherwise, here it will overheat and fail.
To mount the heating cable, you need to prepare the base. It is cleaned of all unnecessary materials. A layer of insulation is laid down (polystyrene foam at least 3 cm thick). It needs to be waterproofed. Next, a reinforcing mesh with 10 × 10 mm cells is mounted. A special tape is laid on it for fixing the wire.
The cable is laid out by a snake. The step between the turns should be done 10-12 cm. After this, a strob is made in the wall to conduct the sensor from the thermostat to the floor. This appliance will control the heating temperature. A corrugated pipe is placed in the gate. It should pass in the center of one of the turns of wire. A sensor from the thermostat is put into the corrugated pipe. The design of the warm floor does not involve adjusting the level of heating. This function is performed by the temperature controller.
Wires from the floor are called with a multimeter. If the resistance readings match the value specified by the manufacturer, they are connected to the thermostat.
After that, the system is poured with a screed with a thickness of 3 cm. It includes sand, cement, as well as a plasticizer. The last of these components is needed so that air pockets do not form in the thickness of the solution. They can interrupt the operation of the wire. When the screed dries (3-4 weeks), mount the finish. The floor can be operated no earlier than in a month.
Mounting the heating mat
The technology of installing a warm floor under a tile without a screed is much simpler. In this case, you need to level and clean the floor. If the room is not located on the ground floor, you can do without the use of insulation. Otherwise, it is easier to mount the cable into the cable tie.
The mat roll is 50 cm wide - this is standard. They also draw a floor plan. According to the created project, they begin to spread the mat. First they roll it to the desired length. Then the net is cut with scissors. Wire cut is strictly prohibited. The mat is rotated and a second strip is laid next to the first. You can also create, if necessary, a figure in the form of the letter "G" from the heating system.
A temperature regulator is also mounted, to which the system is connected. Tiles are laid on top of the mat as usual. The thickness of the tile adhesive is 5-7 mm. You can operate such a system a week after installation. It heats up faster than the cable in the cable tie. However, the mat cools faster.
Thin wire mounting
Considering how to lay a warm floor, you need to study another version of the systems. This is a thin wire. It is no different from a heating element on a mat. However, the kit is not assembled on a grid. It will need to be laid out manually. This option is optimal for small rooms or rooms with an original configuration. The cable is mounted as a mat, but the installation step is chosen 7-10 cm between turns.
Infrared floor
When deciding which floor to choose, you need to mention an option like infrared film. It is mounted without mortar under a laminate or parquet. First, the substrate is laid on which the film is laid out. The places of its connection with the wires are heated in an insulating material. Next, a floor covering is laid on top. This type of floor is assembled in literally an hour. However, in terms of energy-saving indicators, it lags behind cable varieties.
Having considered the recommendations of experts, what kind of warm floor to choose, everyone will be able to choose the best option.