Under the general name “electric heated floor”, devices that differ in structure and principle of operation are combined. In addition, each of them has its own installation method. And often the choice of “electric floor” is based not on a specific implementation (cable or film), but on the available capabilities: height low height the ceiling will not allow for a high screed, the need to install tiles will eliminate the use of thermal film, etc.

Today there are three ways to heat floors using electricity:

All of them differ not only in the method of execution, but also in the principles of heating. One technology uses the heat that a conductor generates when current passes through it. The resulting heat is then distributed according to the principle of convection. These methods of electric floor heating are sometimes called convection.

The second technology has appeared recently. These electric heaters use carbon fiber, which, when current passes through it, emits infrared waves. This radiation is perceived by the body much better than thermal radiation, since this radiation is inherent in our body. Therefore, being in a room heated by infrared rays is much more comfortable. There are two types of floor heaters that emit infrared waves: carbon films And .

Regardless of the type of heating element used and its design, the system of electric heated floors requires the presence of. Using these devices, the operating mode of the system is set and controlled. Also, these two devices reduce energy consumption, as they switch the floor heating on and off. The installation of the system usually begins with the placement of the thermostat and grooves for the wires from the sensor. And then you need to follow the manufacturers' instructions.

Thermostat for heated floors

In principle, any type of heated floor can be directly connected to the electrical network and it will work. But not for long. Until it overheats. And the temperature will not be the one you want, but the one to which it heats up. And the energy consumption will be maximum: the heating elements will be constantly under load. So you can’t do without a thermostat. They come in three types:

Types of heating cables for heated floors

Warm floor under laminate

The following types of electric heated floors are compatible with laminate:

• infrared film;
• heating cables;
• electric mats;
• rod mats.

Despite the fact that you can use any of the heating elements, film material is best suited - installation couldn’t be easier. When it comes to heating cables, give preference to self-regulating ones.

Carbon films - the best electric heated floor for laminate

Warm floor under linoleum and carpet

Results

There are many methods of electric floor heating and they all have their own nuances. You need to choose in each case individually. Take into account the height “taken” from the room, the complexity and duration of installation, compatibility with different types of coatings and prices.

"is quickly gaining popularity. It is much more pleasant to walk on a warm surface without the fear of catching a cold. You can make such a system with your own hands. Let's talk about this.

There are three types of underfloor heating. Each type of design has its own disadvantages and advantages. Let's try to figure out which ones exactly.

The electrically heated system includes a temperature controller and electrical cable. The difficulty lies in making the tie after laying the wires. The procedure itself is simple. Other disadvantages include a sufficient amount of energy consumed from the network and radiation that “comes” from the cable.

Electrically heated floor

You can save money by installing the “” system. The structure consists of large quantity plastic pipes, which contain water. The advantages include: no radiation, no electricity consumption, low cost. Installing the system yourself is more difficult than in the first case. What you should be wary of is that the pipes may burst and the neighbors below will be flooded.

Infrared floor

Installation of a water floor

After carrying out the calculations and preparing the tools, you can begin. Consider a concrete system.

Floor installation is divided into several stages:

1. Dividing the room into zones, approximately forty square meters;
2. Laying insulation on a rough surface;
3. Installation of pipe contours and laying of reinforcing mesh;
4. Pressure testing works;
5. Concrete screed;
6. Laying the final floor covering.

Breakdown into zones

The maximum area of ​​one plot is forty square meters. Aspect ratio – 1:2. This is necessary to avoid cracking of the screed.

Insulation coating

Thermal insulation material is laid on the cleaned and leveled surface. It is necessary to ensure that some of the heat does not escape from the room through cracks in the floor. Instead, it will rise towards the ceiling.

Laying thermal insulation for heated floors

The thickness of the thermal insulation layer should not be less than three centimeters, but the maximum thickness can reach up to fifteen. It all depends on the amount of heat lost and the design of the room.

The thickness of the thermal insulation layer should not be less than 3 cm.,
the maximum thickness can reach up to 15 cm.
It all depends on the amount of heat lost and the design of the room.

The damper tape is laid around the perimeter of the room. After this, a polyethylene film is laid on the layer of thermal insulation material.

To protect the pipe from damage, it can be inserted into corrugated pipe. They can be laid in a spiral, snake or other way.

Pressure testing works

Crimping is necessary to identify mechanical damage. Carried out under pressure.

Concreting

The penultimate stage is pouring the concrete screed. It is carried out only when the accuracy of the preliminary work has been checked and all deficiencies, if any, have been corrected. When concreting, the system must be under a pressure of 4 bar.

The thickness of the screed is up to 70 millimeters. Made from a mixture of sand and concrete or other components.

Laying the final coating

The last stage is laying the finished floor. This is done immediately after the screed has dried. For these purposes, you can use any material, taking into account taste preferences: parquet, and so on.

If you do not have experience in carrying out this type of work, you will have to call specialists. During installation, you can carefully observe the process in order to subsequently put the acquired knowledge into practice.

To ensure that the temperature in the room remains uniform in all areas, you can install heated floors. This method of maintaining heat compares favorably with the effect of radiator heating. Therefore, owners of houses and apartments are faced with the problem of choosing a safe heated floor.

Depending on the technologies used, the following are distinguished:

• water;
• electrical;
• infrared (film) heated floors.

1. Using water as a thermal fluid is the most economical solution. It is not difficult to install a water floor under the tiles with your own hands: to do this, pipes laid around the perimeter are connected to the hot water supply system. The option is in demand in suburban construction, and according to existing standards, implementation in conditions apartment building impossible.

2. A good alternative is an electric warm structure, in which heating occurs using a conductor - a cable. According to reviews, electric heated floors still allow you to save energy, for example, when they are systematically used in dachas. Modern automation makes the technology safe to use. To find out how electric heated floors are installed, just study the recommendations of their manufacturers.

3. Installation of film-type devices is easy and quick and does not require professional skills. For laying under tiles, it is convenient to use the material in thin mats.

Popular manufacturers

• A worthy example of infrared heated floors is the products of the Korean company CALEO, which are installed under almost any type of coating - parquet, laminate and others.
• The Russian company Teplolux produces IR heated film and matte-type floors and electrical cables with one or two cores.
• Warm systems from the French brand Nexans are used all over the world. The technology of coupling-free connection of the heating element with a copper conductor, developed on its basis, ensures reliability and durability.

Consumers can buy heating mats and floors, as well as heating cables, based on the information below:

Manufacturer	Model	Description	Approximate price, rubles
Teplolux	MH 1-155	Thin warm mat MH 1-155 belongs to a series of designs with a single-core MINI cable mounted on a carbon mesh. It has a power of 155 W and a heating area of ​​1 m2. MH 4.2-640 – 640 W, per 4.2 m2. Both models do not require a significant increase in thickness during installation.	3 500
	MN 4.2-640		6 000
CALEO	LINE 130-1	Heated film floors from the LINE series are ideal for dry installation without the use of tile adhesive. LINE 130-1 has a power of 130 W, suitable for an area of ​​1 m2. The power of the second LINE model – 130-4 – is four times higher; for space up to 4 m2.	1 500
	LINE 130-4		5 000
Nexans	TXLP/1R-17	Heating cables TXLP/1R-17 and TXLP/2R-17 (single and two-core) with a linear power of 17 W per meter are used in combination with a thermostat. Length varies from 17.6 to 194 m.	from 5,000 for 17.6 m
	TXLP/2R-17		from 5,500 for 17.6 m

Before installing heated floors in a wooden house, you need to decide on their type and installation technology. An important condition for its successful implementation is good insulation and alignment. Surface evenness will be ensured self-leveling coating. Floor installation diagram ceramic tiles for warm self-leveling floors involves eliminating voids between the floor and the tiles.

The price range for heated floors from the listed manufacturers varies widely. Thus, the cost of water and heated infrared floors directly depends on the size of the sections, and therefore the power and heating area.

• Film devices from the CALEO company of the GRID series with anti-spark technology: RUB 1,400 – 28,000.
• The price of the universal two-core Teplolux floor ranges from 2,500 to 20,000 rubles. Products approaching the most expensive category are cables with a length of 150 m and a power of 3 kW or more. Please note that the company guarantee for this type is 25 years.

Building your own home always involves solving a huge range of problems, and one of the most important is always ensuring a comfortable microclimate in all residential areas. In conditions typical for most of Russia harsh winters organizing an efficient heating system becomes the main task.

Most private homeowners prefer the usual water heating schemes, open or closed type, with the installation of radiators in the premises in the required calculated quantity. This scheme is time-tested and has long proven its effectiveness. However, it also has serious disadvantages - uneven heating of rooms and the creation of horizontal convection flows that are not always pleasant. It doesn’t matter, in a private house it is much easier to eliminate such disadvantages than in a city apartment - nothing prevents the owner from making water floor heating with his own hands.

If in a multi-storey building such a modernization of the heating system is not always possible for a number of administrative or purely technological reasons, then in the conditions of individual housing, when you have your own and there are no significant restrictions on the height of the premises, this seems to be a completely feasible task. Of course, it won’t be possible to call it completely simple - you’ll have to carry out a lot of calculations, purchase quality material and equipment, perform a significant amount of construction and installation work.

Basic design of a water floor heating system

At its core, a water-heated floor is a system of pipes located under the surface of the floor covering, through which coolant circulates from general outline heating.

Schematically, the general “pie” of water floor heating looks like this:

The usual structure of the heated floor “pie”

• The basis for installing a warm water floor is usually a leveling concrete screed (item 1). It may already have its own insulation (for example, expanded clay) or be without it.
• To prevent absolutely unnecessary consumption of thermal energy to warm up the base of the floor or interfloor covering, a layer of effective thermal insulation will be required (item 2). This level is not laid only if thermal insulation is provided by the design of the leveling screed itself.
• Another layer of thermal insulator - foil backing (item 3) will increase heating efficiency by reflecting the heat flow from the pipes, directing it to warm up upper layers floor. In some cases, when using special insulating mats for heated floors, they do without it.
• Heating of a heated floor array is necessarily accompanied by its rather significant temperature expansion. To prevent deformation around the perimeter of the premises, use a special damper tape (item 4), which will serve as a compensator.
• Main element T heated floor - a system of pipes through which the coolant circulates (item 5). In the process of laying out the pipes, they are attached to the thermal insulating substrate with special brackets (item 6) or are fixed by other methods, which will be discussed below.
• Most often, a concrete screed is poured over installed pipelines (item 7). It not only becomes a reliable base for laying finishing coating(pos. 8). The screed will act as a powerful heat accumulator and promote uniform heating of the entire floor surface, so there are certain requirements for its thickness.

Certain changes may be made to the presented diagram. For example, in some cases, when using special components, you can do without pouring the top screed by using the so-called modular design of a heated floor with profile thermo-reflective metal plates.

However, it is not enough to simply lay the pipes - it is necessary to ensure stable circulation of the coolant through them for uniform heat transfer. Therefore, the most important component of a heated floor is the manifold system, thanks to which the required liquid pressure is created and the required temperature is maintained. Usually, special manifold cabinets of one or another level of complexity and saturation with automation are installed for these purposes.

Now, after a brief acquaintance with the general structure of the underfloor heating system, it makes sense to consider all its elements in more detail.

What materials are required for a water heated floor?

Let's leave out the device of the lower leveling screed - this rather relates to general construction work. The main condition is that it ensures a flat and horizontal surface and has appropriate waterproofing. Concrete surface must not have significant defects (cracks, crevices, potholes, areas of instability, etc.)

In addition, we proceed from the assumption that the starting screed does not have significant insulation. Means, Firstly we have to deal with its thermal insulation. For these purposes, special mats for heated floors are usually used.

Thermal insulation mats for heated floors

Mats for heated floors can be made in several versions.

• In some cases, for example, when installing water heating on the second floor of a house, provided that the rooms on the first floor are heated and the general thermal insulation requirements of the building are met, rolled mats made of foamed polyethylene with a foil coating may be sufficient.

Their thickness is insignificant - about 3 - 5 mm, however, they can effectively insulate the ceiling and redirect the heat flow upward. They are laid end-to-end in strips, with the metallized surface facing up, with obligatory gluing along the seams, preferably with foil tape.

• More reliable in terms of protection against heat loss are slabs made of extruded polystyrene foam. This material has a high density (about 40 kg/m³) and can easily cope with the load placed on it - the weight of pipes with coolant, screed, finishing coating, pieces of furniture and dynamic influences during operation.

As a rule, such slabs have a system of tongue-and-groove locks, which greatly simplifies their installation. The thickness can be different, from 20 to 100 mm - it is always possible to choose the right one, depending on the degree of insulation of the floor base. Typically, for floors on the ground or above unheated basements (basement rooms), a material with a thickness of 50 to 100 mm is used. If there is a heated room below, you can limit yourself to a thickness of 30 mm.

• More convenient to use are ready-made mats made from the same extruded (EPS), designed specifically for heated floors. They can be made in the form of rolls like a “tractor caterpillar” or like an “accordion”.

Very often they are immediately coated with foil thermo-reflective layer. Another significant convenience is that many of these mats have marking lines - this will significantly simplify the process of laying out the water circuit.

• The most modern and convenient approach would be the use of profile mats, which are designed taking into account the need to fix the water circuit pipes. They are provided with relief protrusions ( so-called "bobs"), arranged in a specific order. The shape of these bosses can be different, but they are always located in such a way that pipes of the required diameter are securely fixed between them.

The most comfortable are profile mats with polymer coating

The material for the manufacture of such mats is the same EPS, but they usually have a protective polymer coating, which also becomes an additional waterproofing barrier. Such mats have a system of locks for mutual interfacing, which ensures the solidity of the laid layer. Another advantage is that when pouring the finishing screed on top of them, no additional reinforcement will be required - this role will be taken over by the relief of the surface of the mats.

Prices for different types of heating mats

Heating mat

Which pipes will be optimal for heated floors?

Choosing quality pipes is the key to effective and efficient safe work water floor heating systems. Taking into account that the contours in most cases are embedded in the screed and access to them makes it impossible to repair or replace the damaged area, the material must be fully suitable for this function and be of exceptionally high quality.

Pipes for underfloor heating circuits must meet a number of mandatory requirements:

• They must have a reliable margin of safety, both to baric internal load and to external applications of forces. The optimal choice is the choice of pipes designed for a pressure of at least 8 bar.
• The use of seam pipes is absolutely excluded. In addition, the contour closed by the screed must be uniform - there should be no welding or threaded connections(with rare exceptions, which will be mentioned below) - this is always a “weak spot” in which leaks or blockages cannot be ruled out over time.
• High anti-corrosion properties are a mandatory requirement. The material must be chemically inert. The weak point is the oxygen diffusion of the material, that is, the penetration of this gas through the walls of the pipe, which leads to the activation of oxidative processes. The best choice is pipes with a well-designed oxygen barrier.
• The inner surface of the pipes should be as smooth as possible so that excessive hydraulic resistance is not created and noise does not arise from the liquid flowing through the circuit.

Which of modern materials may be suitable for laying a heating circuit:

• First of all, it is immediately necessary to abandon conventional metal HCV pipes, even if they are made of stainless steel - the inadmissibility of joints has already been mentioned.
• Not suitable for heated floors and. This material, of course, is good and inexpensive, but does not have the required flexibility. It will not be possible to bend it in accordance with the intended installation pattern, which means you will have to resort to the use of additional elements. A these are welded joints, the inadmissibility of which has already been discussed. On the Internet you can find photographs of such circuits with assurances of their complete reliability, but there is no need to repeat such adventurism.

• Everyone is good for these purposes copper pipes– they are plastic, have excellent heat dissipation, and provide reliable roller or soldered joints. However, for all these advantages you will have to pay a very high price, so this type of material is still not widely used.

• Metal-plastic pipes seem to have been specially created for the floor heating system - they are flexible and hold the given bend shape well, have high heat transfer, and are easy to install. However, do not rush to immediately rush to the store to purchase them. The fact is that not every metal plastic is suitable for these purposes. That inexpensive option, which are very popular for creating external plumbing or heating networks, can play a cruel joke in the thickness of the floor. If you wish, you can find photographs with a torn pipe body - and this is a disaster for a circuit walled up in a screed. The main problem is that the market is oversaturated with inexpensive and far from high-quality goods. The aluminum layer in such pipes does not have reliable protection from oxygen exposure, over time it becomes brittle due to corrosion processes, and may not be able to cope with the pressure of the coolant.

RE-Ha pipe made of cross-linked polyethylene

• Good choices are modern pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene. Special chemical treatment of the polymer creates multiple additional intermolecular bonds, and the material acquires the highest resistance to baric loads without losing its elasticity.

The “PE-X” symbol indicates the “cross-linking” of polyethylene. In terms of quality best performance and “PE-Ha” material undergoing peroxide treatment – ​​the maximum percentage of “cross-linking” is achieved - up to 85%.

The material is very flexible, which makes it possible to lay it with a loop of only 150 mm in diameter. It is produced in large coils, and this allows you to create a solid contour of any required length.

The best option, combining the advantages of metal plastic and cross-linked polyethylene

• Maybe, the most optimal The choice for the heated floor contour would be pipes that combine the advantages of metal-plastic and cross-linked polyethylene. They have a multilayer structure - the inner and outer layers are made of PE-X, and between them, on on reliable adhesive base, there is a layer of aluminum welded using TIG technology (in a protective gas environment). Moreover, many manufacturers additionally equip their products with an intermediate oxygen barrier (EVON technology). This prevents corrosion of the aluminum layer.

Such combined pipes are usually marked PEX-Al-PEX. You can always purchase all the necessary components for connection to the heating system manifold.

• Another option for t rub is corrugated stainless steel. This is a relative novelty, but has already earned good reviews from masters involved in heated floors. Such pipes have excellent flexibility, high heat transfer, reliability, and protection from external influences due to the polymer film internal and external coating. Moreover, they are equipped with a system of fitting connections of such a degree of reliability that such joints can be removed into the thickness of the screed without fear of leakage. The only negative is the still extremely high price for such material.

Preliminary calculation and drawing up a floor laying plan

All practical steps for installing a heated floor must be preceded by the mandatory drawing up of a laying diagram and the necessary calculations.

• Before drawing up the diagram, the location of the manifold cabinet must be determined - this is the point where both ends of all circuits should be brought out. The location of this unit should ensure ease of maintenance, ease of supply of pipes from the boiler or existing heating system. Most likely, you will need a power connection point to operate the circulation pump. Typically, cabinets are placed so that they do not spoil the interior of the room - in a hidden place or by putting them into the wall. The height above the floor level is usually 200 ÷ 300 mm.
• For floor heating circuits, pipes with a diameter of 16 or 20 mm (in rare cases - 25 mm) are usually used. As a rule, 16 mm pipes are used when heated floors are planned as additional element home heating system, 20 mm - if such heating becomes the main source of heat in the room.
• As already noted, the contour must be solid, without joints, but its length has certain limitations. You should not make a circuit with a 16 mm pipe longer than 50 ÷ 70 m, and with a 20 mm pipe - the limit is 100 m. This is explained by the fact that the force of internal hydraulic resistance over a too long section may exceed the liquid pressure created by the pump, resulting in a “closed loop” effect through which coolant circulation will become impossible. If this length is not enough for the existing dimensions of the room, you will have to lay two or even more circuits connected to one collector.

There are two basic schemes for laying the contours of a heated floor - “snake” and “snail”.

Basic pipe layouts - “snail” and “snake”

From the point of view of ease of installation, “snake” is, of course, preferable. However, this scheme is characterized by pronounced uneven heating of the floor - with distance from the beginning of the supply, the temperature of the coolant decreases noticeably.

When laying “snake”, the feed and return pipe are located parallel to each other, and thereby the temperature difference in them is compensated. True, for this you will have to work a little more when preliminary drawing the diagram and directly when laying the pipes in order to avoid mistakes.

Based on these basic patterns, many other variations of the styling pattern have been developed.

• Next important point, on which the quantity depends necessary pipes– this is the step of their installation. Depending on the degree thermal insulation premises, medium winter temperatures in the region, the tasks facing the underfloor heating system (main or additional heating) this value can vary from 100 to 500 mm. It is difficult to independently determine this value taking into account all the criteria - the system of thermal engineering calculations is quite cumbersome. However, on the Internet you can find special ones that allow you to carry out such calculations with the required level of accuracy. It should be noted that placing pipes too often is an unnecessary waste of material and energy resources. And if the loops of the circuit are too far from each other, a “zebra effect” occurs - alternating cold and heated areas of the floor.

If necessary, a differentiated approach can be applied. In places where it is necessary to create zones of increased comfort or maximum heating (in the coldest areas), you can use a minimum laying step, but increase it in other areas of the room.

• When drawing up a diagram, you should provide for indentations from the walls (so as not to waste energy on heating these very heat-intensive structures). Typically, the pipe closest to the wall is located at a distance of 300 mm. You should not plan to place the circuit under permanently installed pieces of furniture.
• If you intend to lay several circuits connected to a single collector, then ideally they should be the same length - this will ensure uniform circulation through them. In any case, the excess length should not be more than 10-15 meters. However, sometimes this can be solved by installing special balancing fittings.
• You should immediately calculate to what height the floor level will rise, whether the doors will open normally, or whether certain adjustments will have to be made to their design. And the total rise in level can be quite significant:

— The thickness of the insulating layer used – mats and substrate – is taken into account. This can already give 30 ÷ 100 mm of height.

— Mandatory concrete screed on top of the pipes. In order for the underfloor heating system to be effective, it is recommended to provide a thickness of this layer from 30 mm (for 16 mm pipes) to 45 mm (for 20 mm). An important nuance is that we are talking about the height of the screed from the top edge of the pipes. Thus, taking into account their diameter, we obtain a screed with a thickness of approximately 50 and 70 mm, respectively.

- if you add the thickness of the selected finishing coating, you will get the total amount of rise in the level of the floor surface.

• When using several circuits in one room, it is advisable to provide a compensatory gap in the screed between them. A similar approach is also necessary if the total length of the room exceeds 6 meters - it will be necessary to divide it into two sections, separating them with a damping joint, which must be filled with an elastic sealing compound.

In these places, it will be necessary to install pipes in a sleeve, the length of which on each side must be at least 150 - 200 mm.

Typically, a polymer corrugated tube of the appropriate diameter is used for this. Similar sleeves (pedestals) must also be installed if it is necessary to pass a pipe through the walls of the room.

• It is necessary to immediately consider a system for fixing pipes to insulating mats. There are no problems with profile mats - everything is already provided there. On flat mats you can do this in several ways.

One way or another, the screed will require reinforcement. Therefore, you can first lay a reinforcing metal mesh, and tie the pipes to them with plastic flexible clamps.

Special fastening brackets with “harpoon” tips are sold, which are convenient for fastening pipes to the polystyrene foam insulating substrate.

Pipe fixed with a harpoon bracket

It is convenient to use special mounting rails, metal or plastic, on which grooves or clamps for pipes of clamp or petal type are located.

Based on the drawn up diagram, you can easily calculate the required amount of material - pipes, insulating mats, mounting rails, damper tape and other elements. The required margin for supplying circuits to the manifold cabinet and connecting them to it must be taken into account.

Video: typical mistakes when designing a heated water floor

What is a collector unit?

It would be a serious mistake to believe that it is enough to connect the laid heated floor circuits to the heating pipes or to the boiler, and the system will immediately work in optimal mode. Its correct functioning is possible only if the required pressure is created, the distribution of coolant flows is well-established and balanced, and the required temperature conditions are observed. These are the functions that the collector unit must perform. It includes many devices, instruments and devices.

• As a rule, it includes circulation pump. The pump that stands next to the heating boiler is unlikely to be able to cope with the task of providing the required pressure in all circuits - both in radiators and in heated floors. It is more expedient to provide a separate device that will be responsible for a certain area of ​​the house, connected to one collector.
• The temperature of the water in the radiators and in the heated floor circuits is completely different requirements. So, in convection devices the coolant can reach 70 - 80 degrees, but for floor heating this is unacceptable. It is considered normal to heat the floor surface to 27 - 29 ºС in residential premises, and a little higher - up to 35 ºС, in service, special or passage areas, where tiles are laid. Exceeding these indicators leads to a violation of the integrity of the screed due to its overheating, deformation and drying out of the decorative floor covering.

To maintain the required temperature level in the manifold cabinets, a regulation system is implemented using thermostats based on mechanical or electromechanical two-, three-, or even four-way valves. In these devices, the coolant from the half-summer pipe is mixed with the already cooled coolant from the return.

The control can be carried out manually or in automatic mode, when such a faucet is equipped with a servo drive connected to an electronic temperature sensor.

• The circuit pipes are connected to the combs of the supply and return manifolds. For the necessary balancing of pressure in circuits of different lengths, as well as for turning off any circuits if necessary, valves are provided.
• The operation of the heating system may be accompanied by the release of dissolved gases of their coolant. To avoid the occurrence of traffic jams, an automatic air vent valve.
• Instruments for visual monitoring of the operation of the system - a pressure gauge and a thermometer - will never be superfluous.
• It is possible to provide for the autonomy of the heated floor circuits from common system heating. This becomes possible when installing a heat exchanger.

In this case, the circuits have a limited volume of coolant that receives the required heating from the general system. Such a warm floor is easier to regulate, but, however, it will require the installation of an additional safety group - a pressure valve and a membrane tank.

Correctly assembling and adjusting the mixing-collector unit is a task of high complexity. However, there is a way out - you can purchase ready-made kits designed for a particular area of ​​the room, the number of connection circuits, with varying degrees of equipment with automatic or manual control and adjustment systems.

Video: operation of a heated floor mixing-collector unit

After the manifold cabinet has been selected, purchased and installed in the place specified in the diagram, you can proceed to the process of laying the pipes of the heated floor circuits.

Laying heated floor pipes

• Work always begins with a thorough cleaning of the room - there should be no debris or dust on the surface of the base concrete screed. If this has not been done before, priming is performed with a deep penetration compound - this will strengthen and remove dust from the surface, and give it additional waterproofing qualities.
• A damper tape with a thickness of at least 5 mm is glued to the walls around the perimeter of the room. If the length of the room is more than 10 mm, the thickness should be increased based on:

h= L× 0.55 (h is the thickness of the compensation gap, L is the length of the room).

The height of the tape should correspond to the total thickness of the future floor, taking into account the screed and finishing coating + 5 mm.

• The next step is styling. Thin roll material laid end-to-end with the joints sealed with tape. When using EPS mats, they are joined with interlocking parts. If necessary, you can fix them to the floor surface with polyurethane glue. Apply adhesive compositions based on organic solvents is not possible - they will cause chemical decomposition of polystyrene.

• The joints between the laid mats are taped with waterproof tape. This step is not necessary when using profile mats - the locking system ensures the reliability of their pairing.
• If the EPS does not have an external coating, a layer of thin foil backing is covered (metalized layer up), with the joints sealed with tape.
• If flat mats are used, and the pipes are attached to the fittings, a metal mesh with cells of about 100 × 100 mm is laid. If mounting strips or plastic retaining brackets are used, the reinforcing mesh can be installed later by placing it on pads (stands) so that it is approximately centered between the pipes and the surface of the screed.
• It is advisable to transfer the contour layout pattern to the laid out surface in accordance with the drawn up diagram and carefully check its correctness. A marking grid applied to some types of mats can be of great help here.
• One of the most difficult moments - correct styling pipe contours. It is better to do this kind of work together - one unwinds the coil, and the other immediately fixes the coil with staples, between the bosses of the profile mat or in the mounting rails. The manifold cabinet usually leaves a margin of about 500 mm at both ends of the pipe.

Rushing in this process is disastrous - an incorrectly laid circuit (for example, an error led to an unacceptable intersection of pipes) is very problematic to redo.

• After laying the circuits according to the diagram and carefully checking its correctness, you can connect the pipes to the collectors using standard fittings. When making such an insertion, it is necessary to ensure that unnecessary stress is not created in the pipes (they cannot be connected “pull-in”), and that they themselves do not protrude above the surface of the planned screed.

Checking the integrity of the contours and filling the screed

• After the pipe circuits are laid and connected to the manifold combs, it is necessary to ensure that all connections are tight. To do this, the system is filled with coolant, sequentially each circuit through the supply comb, achieving complete air release, for which the corresponding valve is opened.
• The next step is hydraulic testing, or as they are more often called,
• Before starting crimping, it is recommended to temporarily remove air vents and plug the holes. Otherwise, they may fail, since they are designed only for a certain operating pressure.

The crimping process for different types of pipes has its own nuances.

— If metal-plastic pipes were used in the circuits, then the pressure in the system should be set to 6 bar. A pressure gauge installed in the manifold cabinet will allow visual inspection. If after 24 hours no pressure drop is detected, the test is considered successful. If leaks are detected, the connections are tightened and the test is repeated.

— With cross-linked polyethylene pipes the process is somewhat more complicated. Initially, the pressure also rises to 6 bar. It inevitably begins to decrease due to the plasticity of the pipes, and after 30 minutes it should be raised again to the specified value. A similar cycle is carried out 3 more times. Then, after waiting another hour and a half, the pressure is again raised to 6 bar and the system is left for a day. A fall of no more than 1 is considered acceptable. 5 bar, but, of course, with a guaranteed absence of leaks.

• It is recommended to check the pipes and in extreme temperature conditions. To do this, they are filled with hot coolant (with a temperature of about 80 ºC) with the same test pressure. A similar measure allows us to identify unreliability of individual fitting connections that require additional tightening. In addition, such heating will relieve excess stress in the pipes.

Once this is completed and possible identified deficiencies have been eliminated, you can proceed to pouring the screed. There is no need to drain the water from their system - this will protect the pipes from deformation that can occur from the pressure of uncured concrete. After the screed has set, the load will be evenly distributed, which will no longer pose a danger to the integrity of the pipes.

• It is best to use special compounds adapted specifically for heated floors. They contain plasticizers that ensure uniform filling without the formation of air bubbles (this is especially important when filling “difficult” places - near pipes, bosses of profile mats or mounting strips. In addition, the mixture contains microfiber, which creates reliable internal micro-reinforcement of concrete, increasing its strength under temperature changes.
• The screed is carried out in the usual manner - with the installation of beacons and guides to ensure the horizontal and evenness of the resulting coating.
• The maturation of the screed usually takes from 3 to 4 weeks, depending on the solution used. It is unacceptable to speed up this process by heating the screed with heated floor contours.

Putting a heated floor into operation is carried out only after the screed is completely ready. To do this, the entire system is brought back to normal condition, all removed elements are installed, connections are checked, and accumulated air is released.

You cannot immediately turn on the heated floor at full power - you need to give both the pipes and the screed time to gradually adapt. First, you should set the heating temperature to no more than 20 ºС. Every day you can raise it by 5 degrees, bringing it to the calculated level.

If everything is functioning normally, you can proceed to laying the final floor covering.

Video: example of installing a heated water floor system

The truth of the favorite saying of Generalissimo Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky “keep your feet warm and your head cold” is confirmed not only by army practice and folk experience, but also by modern official medicine. Traditional radiator heating is not able to ensure proper heat distribution in the room: warm air rises up, but the floor remains cold.

Unlike batteries, floor heating systems allow you to achieve complete thermal comfort, improve the well-being of people indoors and reduce the risk of respiratory diseases. The heated air gradually rises upward in a continuous stream, cooling along the way. The temperature is equalized throughout the entire area, there are no drafts, uncomfortable cold or, conversely, stuffy overheated areas. Children and pets enjoy sitting on the warm floor, and they know exactly where it’s most pleasant to lie down.

Electric floor heating: pros and cons

Let's consider the properties of electric heated floors (ETF), including relative to other heating systems: radiator and water heated floors.

Pros:

Uniform and comfortable temperature distribution.

Moisture on the floor dries quickly, which is important in bathrooms, swimming pools, hallways, and winter gardens.

Placing a compact electrical cable in the floor does not require the same height of concrete screed as for a water heating pipe. The design is lighter, inertia is lower, heating occurs faster. The system responds to weather changes with less time delay.

More accurate and simple controls the temperature of each room or zone in comparison with the water floor. Electric heated floors, unlike water systems, do not require complex regulation and seasonal adjustments twice a year.

There is no danger of the coolant freezing. Unlike water, ETP can be used in country houses with periodic accommodation. Having installed automation and remote control, you don’t have to be afraid to cool the dacha by warming it up by a certain time. If in country house There is running water, partial heating so as not to defrost, in the absence of people you can only use a bathroom.

Warm electric floors are the most durable heating system, requiring virtually no maintenance during their entire service life, which is at least half a century.

When heating with electricity, combustion products are not released and oxygen is not consumed.

If a warm electric floor is used as the main source of heating, there is no need to allocate a separate room for the boiler room. Communications and control units take up very little space.

Electric floor heating can be installed without dismantling old screed and covering. Due to its minimal thickness, it is indispensable for the reconstruction of residential and public premises, where work needs to be carried out quickly, with minimal costs and rework.

Investments in the installation of electric heated floors, both in equipment and in installation, in several times lower than in water heating systems of similar power.

When connected correctly, the ETP is absolutely safe for humans and animals.

Even if the heating element is accidentally damaged, it is easy to find the exact location of the break and restore the circuit by dismantling a small section of the coating. If the water floor is damaged, the consequences will be much more serious.

Minuses:

Electricity cost includes the costs of its production and delivery to the place of consumption. The costs of the same amount of thermal energy obtained by direct combustion of fuel and produced by heating thermal elements with electricity will always be not in favor of electricity. It is cheaper to heat with wood and gas.

However, the amount of heating costs consists not only of heating costs, but also of maintenance costs. Modern hydronic heating systems also consume electricity, boilers require annual maintenance, and pumps and fans periodically need repair or replacement. There are no moving elements in an electric floor heating system, there are significantly fewer reasons for malfunctions, and they are easier and cheaper to fix.

Not everywhere it is possible to connect electric heating of the required power to the power grid. This is not a drawback of the heating system, but of domestic networks, which do not always meet modern requirements. Availability of working grounding Necessarily.

Discussions continue that supposedly electromagnetic radiation emanating from heating elements (cables or plates) can harm human health. Position of official medicine is as follows: the level of radiation generated by a heated floor does not exceed the values ​​typical for conventional electrical wiring and household appliances. Acceptable by safety standards, but still unwanted, electromagnetic background is recorded only within a few centimeters of the heating cable. But this statement is true only for inexpensive single-core cable without protective screen, laid with uniform spacing. It is enough to place it at different intervals, alternating a small step (up to 20 mm) with a large distance (from 40 mm), so that the amount of radiation is noticeably reduced. And modern two-core shielded cable systems are recognized as absolutely safe from this point of view.

Like water heating systems, electric heated floors contribute reduction of humidity air in the house. This is not always a good thing, and is often harmful in our climate, especially in winter, when the air humidity outside is minimal. A humidifier, regular watering of house plants, and an aquarium will help optimize humidity. You should not place heated floors of any type under keyboard musical instruments (pianos, grand pianos) and furniture made of solid wood, the legs of which are covered with a blind plinth.

Once again about the economy

Let's return to the question of the cost of heating costs. Despite the fact that it is more expensive to heat a house with electricity, EHP under certain conditions can compete with gas. But in order to talk about the economic justification for using warm floors As the main heating system, the building must be well insulated. In particular, detailed calculations and many years of practical research were carried out by Danish heating engineers and builders. As a result, they came to the conclusion that when effective insulation enclosing structures of the house and reducing heat loss through external walls and windows by 2.5 times compared to existing standards, electric floor heating is economically justified even in gasified villages.

If we are talking about areas where there is no gas pipeline, the difference will be much more significant. Today at Western Europe Quite a lot of energy-efficient residential and public buildings are being built (and their share is growing), in which the main heating system is warm electric floors. To achieve the required characteristics, the thickness of the insulation must be sufficiently large. Thus, in Finland, not the warmest country in the world, frame houses with a combined thickness of insulation are increasingly being built 30-40 cm and ETP. Construction is not cheap, but investments in the heating system are minimal.

To calculate accurately the cost of heating a room or house ETP in our conditions, again, you need to know the heat loss. But, if very roughly, then in the central regions of Russia in modern house with average insulation, heating a kitchen of 14 m2 with a heating area of ​​10 m2 and a system power of 1.5 kW per day will approximately be spent 10 kW/h. At a cost of 1 kW/h 2.5 rubles - 750 rubles per month. This is the consumption in the winter months; in the off-season it will, of course, be lower. But real costs will directly depend on the degree of insulation of the house.

As for the prices of equipment, it is determined by the type, brand, and area. The smaller it is, the more expensive the ETP is, because the price of the thermostat is the same for small and large room. The price range is quite wide: from 1500 to 5000 rubles per m2.

Power selection

Additional heating. As a rule, it is used in city apartments with a central heating system. To create additional comfort, especially in the off-season, in bathrooms, kitchens and loggias, it is enough to make a calculation based on the value in 110-140 W for every meter of heated area. It is irrational to combine electric and water heating systems in one building if there is an individual heat generator (boiler).

Basic heating. Let’s make a reservation that an adequate calculation can be made by a heating engineer who will fully take into account all the heat losses of the building and accurately determine the needs for thermal energy. For a house with enclosing structures, the heat transfer of which complies with current domestic standards, in the central regions of Russia you can focus on average figures of 1 50-180 W/m2. The better the house is insulated, the lower the calculated power consumption will be.

What does a floor heating system consist of?

The floor heating system consists of the heating elements themselves and control: a temperature sensor and an automatic regulator (thermostat), through which the connection to the electrical network is made.

Heating elements

Heating elements: cables, films and rods convert electrical energy into heat. The latter are rarely used and mainly in industrial buildings, and films for floating floors. Often a separate group is heating mats, which are a special case of using a cable that, for ease of use, is pre-fixed on a flexible reinforcing mesh. It is believed that to achieve comfortable temperature there is enough space in the room for the heated areas to occupy approximately 70% floor area.

In turn, heating cables are divided into resistive, zonal and self-regulating.

Resistive cable

The most common and inexpensive. It is characterized by high speed and constant thermal energy of heating. The heating core of the resistive cable is made of material (usually nichrome) with maximum electrical resistance, unlike conventional electrical wiring cables. By overcoming resistance, it stands out thermal energy. Protective screen Prevents radio interference and minimizes electromagnetic radiation. By the way, not all resistive cables are equipped with a screen; cheap ones do not have one.

Available for sale single and double core resistive cables. The conductor in the two-core is looped and the cable is connected to the thermostat only on one side. In a single-core one, you have to connect both ends, which complicates its installation, although it costs a little less.

Resistive cable can be used both indoors and outdoors, for heating porches and paths.

Zone cable

A special case of resistive, jumpers in the cable divide it into separate heating segments independent of each other. The cable can be cut to length. Zone cable is more expensive than usual and is more often used for heating pipelines.

Distinctive property self-regulating cable: the lower the temperature environment, the higher the degree of heating and vice versa. This is the only type of ETP heating element that can be used autonomously, without a thermostat. Due to this property, the cable is often used during anti-icing measures to warm up pipes, drains, and in places where it is difficult to correctly install a temperature sensor. The cable is two-core, the conductors have low resistance, heating is carried out in a polymer semiconductor matrix placed between them. Just like resistive, it can have a protective braided sheath.

safe from the point of view of overheating, it can be placed under furniture, laid under capricious coverings made of solid and laminated wood or based on wood fibers: parquet, laminate. The only negative is the high cost.

Heating mats

The heating mat is polymer mesh, on which the cable is glued like a snake, almost always a two-core resistive one. The mesh often has an adhesive coating that helps fix it to the base. The price is higher than a similar cable, installation is easier.

Heated floor regulator (thermostat)

Without a thermostat, only heating based on a self-regulating cable can work, and then with certain restrictions. Other systems need management. The heated floor controller includes a temperature sensor, which sends a signal to the thermostat, which supplies or turns off power to the heating element. The desired heating temperature can be set manually or programmed taking into account the day of the week and time of day.

Floor design

The coating of the cable ETP should be a material good heat transfer: ceramic or porcelain tiles, a natural stone. You can use linoleum, carpeting, laminate with the “snake” icon (designed for heated floors), but the heating efficiency will be reduced. If you want to install a warm floor under parquet that is suffering from drying out, you should pay attention to infrared film floors. Although, there are also options cable systems for “floating” coatings: laminate, parquet boards.

There are two main designs of floors with cable electric heating.

Option 1. To ensure that thermal energy does not go down into the ceiling or ground, under heating element must be effective insulation. If necessary, from below - concrete preparation and waterproofing. If a warm floor is the main heating system, the insulation layer should be large enough: for floors on the ground - at least 10 cm(the more the better), by overlap - 5 cm. Insulation must be used non-absorbent and quite rigid: foam glass, extruded polystyrene foam or high-density foam. A concrete (cement-sand) screed should be placed on top of the insulation. Heating cable monolith in the screed layer. It is not recommended to make a cement-sand screed thinner than 2 cm; thicker than 5 cm, too, it will take too long to heat up the floor.

Option 2. Used in cases where the ETP is additional heating and it is not possible to arrange a full-fledged screed with insulation. As a rule, these are city apartments, where the thickness of the floor cannot be increased, and often there is already a screed. In this case, use a type of insulation that will fit in height. In addition to extruded polystyrene foam, minimum thickness which can be 10 mm, there are also thinner ones: dense polyethylene foam, Teploizol panels, etc. Preference should be given foil insulation, or lay additional foil, with the mirror layer facing up. Insulation and foil are glued to the base.

Heating cable diameter 4-6 mm, this is enough to place it directly into the layer of tile adhesive during the flooring process.

If there is no headroom and significant reconstruction of the floor is not possible, the cable or mat can be laid directly By old tiles , veneer the top with new. The floor level will increase as a result by 2 cm.

Installation procedure

Before starting work, we recommend making a diagram for yourself of the placement of ETP elements: cable layout, location of the sensor and connecting couplings. It is very important to ensure that the cable is didn't bend over backwards, otherwise the integrity of the conductor may be compromised. The order of work is approximately as follows:

It is necessary to prepare for the installation of the thermostat and sensor: install it in the wall mounting box for the thermostat and make a groove (approximately 25x25 mm) from the box to the floor for laying the cable and sensor.

Prepare a section of the floor for installation, attach a special perforated mounting tape (sold separately) to it and secure the cable to it. The step must be calculated in advance by checking the diagram and taking into account the cable length.

If a mesh is used, roll it out over the base, cutting where necessary. The mesh is not attached; an adhesive composition is applied to it.

Next, install the floor sensor. It is brought from the thermostat into the floor between the turns of wire, having previously been placed in a corrugated tube-casing for electrical wiring. The end of the tube is flattened so that the solution or tile adhesive does not get there later. The protective tube is needed so that if the sensor breaks, it can be replaced.

Attention! The placement of the sensor in the tube cannot be neglected, as is our custom. Sensor failure is not such a rare malfunction. If you place the sensor without a shell directly in concrete, to replace it you will have to dismantle (hollow) a section of the floor. And if there is a tube, just pull out the old one and insert a new one, having first removed the regulator.

In accordance with the floor design, fill the cable cement-sand mortar or lay the tile on top, covering it with a layer of tile adhesive. If a mosaic is laid on the floor, the layer of adhesive for which should be minimal, you will have to make a preliminary thin-layer screed, also from tile adhesive. When it hardens, close immediately and before laying the mosaic. plastic film so that it gains strength and does not dry out.

Attention! When installing an ETP, you need to use only elastic tile adhesive, the packaging of which indicates that it is intended for heated floors.

We connect the cable through the thermostat to the power supply. A separate line should be drawn from the meter to the thermostat, calculating the cable cross-section according to the power of the ETP, through a residual current device (RCD) with a leakage current no higher 10 mA. At the same time, the apartment or house must have working grounding with a spreading resistance no higher than 4 Ohms. After maintaining the required period for the screed to gain strength, we test the system.

Attention! You can turn on the ETP no earlier than 30 days after making the screed or laying the tiles, when cement composition will gain the necessary strength.

• The heating cable should not be laid under equipment that must subsequently be attached to the floor: toilets, bidets, built-in furniture, etc.
• There is no need to place the ETP under kitchen or other furniture with a closed base. This does not apply to a self-regulating cable.
• If the warm floor is the main heating, it is recommended to make the cable pitch closer to the cold outer wall.