Disadvantages of heated floors. Water heated floor: pros and cons. Advantages of water-heated floors

Modern trends in interior fashion inspire property owners to use flooring materials smooth and cold coatings - laminate, tile, travertine or parquet. Despite the aesthetic appearance and high wear resistance, these materials do not perform their best in the cold season the best side– they are cool to the touch, so walking on such a floor without slippers is uncomfortable.

To solve this problem, experts in the field of heating engineering recommend paying attention to water heated floors, which will appeal to consumers who crave comfort and warmth.

Water heated floor is effective method heating of a residential home, commercial building or office, in which heat production is concentrated in the lower part of the room. The main advantage of this technology is its versatility. The design of a warm water floor can be used in any room - bathroom, living room, bedroom or kitchen.

Among other advantages of the technology, the following factors are worth mentioning:

The main disadvantages of this type of home heating are related to the labor intensity of the work and the high cost of consumables necessary to implement the heating scheme. Despite the fact that the technology has some disadvantages, in general it justifies itself and is optimal choice for homeowners who want to get reliable source comfortable heat, the operation of which is not associated with high monthly costs.

How does this technology work?

To assess the feasibility of installing a structure, it is not enough to simply study the pros and cons of a water heated floor, since a complete analysis requires in-depth knowledge affecting the operating principle of the technology. through the use of the network special pipes small cross-section, which are built into the floor and then filled with concrete or dry screed.

The basic circuit diagram involves the use of the following elements:

In the process of heating the coolant using a boiler, solar collector or electric heater the floors are heated and help create comfortable temperature conditions in the room. Compared with conventional systems heating systems that involve the use of radiators, fireplaces or convectors, heated floor technology is the most justified - it concentrates heat below, warms the feet, and makes the climate in the house comfortable and healthy.

An important point is that direct supply of coolant is only possible from, which heats the water to an acceptable 40-45 degrees. When using boilers of another type, the owner will need to equip a mixing unit involved in lowering the temperature of the coolant.

Behind last decades technologies for creating heated water floor systems have stepped far forward and today owners who connect a heated water floor are fully insured against problems such as leaks, water hammer, pipe damage from corrosion, etc. However, in order for the heated floor to meet all expectations, its installation must be carried out by responsible specialists in accordance with the recommendations of the heating scheme developed by heating engineers.

Is the high cost of water heated floors justified?

Hydronic underfloor heating systems cost much more than traditional types heating. average price per m2 of water heated flooring is about $30, taking into account the work and the purchase of components, so the cost of a project for a house with an area of one hundred square meters can be quite high. At the same time, low operating costs in the long term justify the investment of property owners.

The average temperature of a water heated floor is 40-45 degrees. Therefore, during operation, such a system requires much less energy resources than a traditional radiator circuit. In addition, you need to know that the average cost of 1 m2 of water heated floor is calculated taking into account the purchase of all necessary components of the system, including:

The larger the area of the house, the lower the cost per square meter of heated floor, since the cost of the most expensive element of the system - the boiler - is evenly distributed over each square meter of area.

Review of popular manufacturers

Final cost 1 square meter Warm water floors also depend on the choice of components produced by different brands. At the moment, on the domestic market you can purchase a Rehau warm water floor, produced in Germany. German brand guarantees high product quality and excellent consumer characteristics of the system. The affordable price of a Rehau water-heated floor allows you to save money already at the first stage of a home heating project.

Among other advantages that a Rehau warm water floor has, it is worth highlighting the following qualities:

Manufacturers from other countries also operate on the market, these are:

The choice of manufacturers is quite large and the consumer may not be limited to foreign brands, because in addition to those listed, their products are more expensive affordable prices They are sold on the market by companies from the Russian Federation and neighboring countries.

How does electric-water heated floor work?

An electric water heated floor, which is a combined heating system, can be installed in the house. This system uses special antifreeze as a coolant, and the design itself consists of pipes with a small internal cross-section (about 24 mm), inside of which a cable is placed. Liquid electric floors are different simple installation and low installation costs.

The most popular products on the market are products from the XL Pipe brand. Positive reviews of the XL Pipe electric water heated floor are confirmation High Quality and product reliability.

Among the tangible advantages of products from this brand are the following characteristics:

high maintainability;
overheat protection;
absence of electromagnetic radiation;
possibility of laying pipes according to any pattern;
simplified floor screed.

What coating is compatible with underfloor heating?

In addition to answering the question: how much does a warm water floor cost, owners are faced with other dilemmas. Most often they touch on the topic of design compatibility with various types floor coverings. Based on the operating principle of heated floors, it can be assumed that the most effective solution there will be a choice of flooring with maximum heat capacity.

The first type of coating is protected from deformation and has sufficient heat transfer, so it is often used in rooms with high level loads.

The tiled covering for a warm water floor will be durable and practical.

Laminate and parquet, although they do not have the same wear resistance as tiles, however, have a number of other positive qualities- it has good heat conductivity and a simple installation process. Thus, water heated flooring under a wooden floor can also be implemented in the house. Linoleum can also be used in different rooms, it is worth remembering that the maximum thickness of a warm water floor should not exceed ten centimeters.

The owner can consider each of the options and determine which coating is best for a warm water floor after assessing the layout of the house and the resources available.

Installation of a warm water floor

The main aspect proper functioning The heating system requires proper installation. You can do it yourself or use the services of companies that offer turnkey installation at an affordable cost. It is worth understanding that professional installation water heated floor - the price for the work of which is about 30% of the cost of consumables, is more preferable self-installation systems.

The rather high cost of a warm water floor per 1 m2 should not confuse property owners who are thinking about implementing an energy-efficient and reliable heating circuit. The fact is that the substantial initial investments required to purchase components and pay installers are justified over time reliable operation systems and low costs associated with the operation of heated floors.

Not each of us is able to really imagine what the system is. The name alone gives only an initial, superficial idea of how space heating is carried out in this case. For those who have already experienced the effect of heating residential premises using heated floors, they can safely talk about the advantages that such a scheme provides in comparison with other types of heating. Water heated floors are one of the types and heating options that are used in everyday life today. We'll talk about the electric analogue another time.

Now we will take a closer look at what a warm water floor is and what benefits the use of this heating option gives to the inhabitants of the home. What are the advantages of this option, are there any disadvantages of a warm water floor.

Warm water floor - the main differences from other types of heating

The “warm floor” heating systems that exist today are divided into two subtypes: electric and water. According to the method of application, such systems can act as the main source of space heating or be auxiliary heating equipment. Electric heating elements are often used for local heating of technological rooms, balconies, loggias, bathrooms and toilets. On the contrary, a water heating circuit can be installed throughout the entire apartment or used in one of the rooms, for example, in a children's room.

This heating option is usually chosen in corner rooms, where there is a high probability of cold zones appearing. Thanks to its operating principle, this heating option can provide the most comfortable temperature regime. Despite the fact that, in comparison with other heating methods, water heated floors have their pros and cons, in the general context this type of heating deserves more attention. In any case, there are always aspects and situations in everyday life that allow one to evaluate the advantages of the system, or, conversely, that indicate the technical imperfection of the chosen option.

For reference: a floor equipped with a water circuit allows the use of a wide variety of floor coverings, unlike electric mats.

For example: in order to maintain normal circulation in a home heating system using heated floor technology, you will need to install not only a pipeline, but also install additional equipment. Circulation pump, manifold - mixer, whole set three way valves(according to the number of water circuits), all of these are mandatory attributes and accessories in this case, regardless of the heated area. Availability special devices will avoid a drop in coolant pressure in the central heating circuit and prevent interruptions in circulation hot water household use.

It should also be remembered that such a system is prohibited for installation in an apartment building, which was originally designed for district heating. For private sector residents and owners country houses On the contrary, this option is preferable to traditional heating options.

You need to know that in order to implement this type of heating in your house or apartment, it will require considerable costs associated with a large amount of work and consumables. The drawings and diagrams show the temperature conditions inside the room, achieved as a result of using a thermal curtain and when operating the heated floor covering of the system.

It is clearly visible on what principle the internal space is heated. In the case of a water floor, the heat source is located in the lower part of the room. Thereby thermal energy spreads evenly over the entire floor area, transmitting to air masses circulating inside the living space required heat. When using radiator heating, during which internal air exchange occurs due to convection, the floor is the coldest place in the living room.

Insufficient heating, especially in corner rooms and with a large glazed surface, is compensated by installing additional heating devices. A water floor is fully capable of solving this problem, uniformly heating the entire internal volume of the room. It is also important aesthetic side question. The absence of heating radiators has a positive effect on the quality of the interior of residential premises. A warm floor distributes heat evenly throughout the entire space, thereby heating all objects in the room.

For reference: the most acceptable indoor temperature for comfortable living is + 18 0 C. By heating the coolant in the water heating circuit to a temperature of +35-45 0 C, the optimal heating temperature of the floor covering is 25 0 C. Accordingly, the lowest floor layer of air heats up more, while the upper layers have a comfortable temperature.

Warm floor design. Scope of application

The main advantage that you should pay attention to when studying a heated floor heating system is cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. Interior large areas, especially in private houses, designed for autonomous heating, can be successfully heated in this way. Even the installation and arrangement of heated floors in all residential premises of a large multi-room residential building will be a completely profitable enterprise. For that category of citizens who have water gas heating or expect to use solid fuel units, a water floor is practically perfect option solving the issue of organizing heating.

Comparison of this heating scheme with electric floors inappropriate in this case. The latter option, even taking into account the comparative ease of installation and ease of operation, is clearly inferior to a water floor in terms of economic indicators. The electric floor can be installed in selected places, where there is a need to heat small areas.

Before summing up the advantages and disadvantages of a water heated floor, let’s try to understand its design and technological features.

The basic principle of operation in this case is as follows:

heat source - coolant liquid, boiler water, which can flow into a pipeline laid in the floor;
heated water can come either from the riser of the central heating supply line or from an autonomous heating device.

Thanks to design features and new technologies, today there are several ways to equip heated floors. As an ideal floor covering, it is best to use ceramic, concrete or combined materials (tiles, decorative rock, concrete screed). The advantages and disadvantages in this situation are subjective. Ceramic tile or concrete screed have high thermal conductivity, and accordingly, when heated by the heated coolant, they transfer heat better into the room. Conversely, laminate, parquet, and linoleum are convenient and comfortable floor coverings that play the role of additional insulation, reducing the intensity of heat transfer in internal spaces.

The efficiency of a warm water floor directly depends on the quality of the layer cake, i.e. from the composition. The substrate usually includes:

Waterproofing;
Metal mounting mesh;
Thermal insulation;
Damper tape;
Dry or wet screed.

On a note: As a rule, the traditional thickness of a layer cake varies in the range of 50-150 mm. The final parameters of the cake are determined depending on the diameter of the pipes for the water circuit, the thickness of the floors, the quality of the floor covering and the power of the underfloor heating system.

The main operating tool in this case is a pipeline made of metal-plastic pipes. Pipes connected into separate fragments or sections (circuits) are laid on a cushion, after which they are connected to collectors through which coolant is supplied to the heating circuit and returned.

The design of the heating system also contains the operating principle. The distance between the screed and the floor covering is where the warm water circuit is laid, through which the entire surface of the floor is heated to the required temperature. Due to insignificant heating (the optimal heating temperature of the coolant is 35-45 0 C), the “warm floor” heating system is low-temperature.

Obvious advantages of heated floors

If you do not take into account installation difficulties, heated floors are rightfully considered one of the most effective systems heating The low-temperature operating mode of heated floors can provide real and significant savings in heating costs. On average, 20-40% compared to the radiator heating option. The absence of overheating of the air mass indoors ensures good saturation of the internal space with positive ions.

To others obvious advantages The following qualities can be safely attributed:

high environmental safety of the system, full compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards for heating residential premises;
the main part of thermal energy is transferred as a result of thermal radiation, which has a positive effect on the human body;
real heat savings in residential buildings with high ceilings(up to 50% for ceiling heights of more than 3 meters);
the absence of open wiring and radiators greatly simplifies interior decoration residential premises;
real subsequent savings in heating costs compared to electric heating(on average 5-7 times);
Unlike electric heated floors, a water floor does not produce a powerful electromagnetic field that negatively affects the well-being of the inhabitants of the home.

Obvious disadvantages of this heating system

The main drawback that can overshadow you if you decide to install heated floors in your home is rather the presence of administrative prohibitions on the use similar system heating. You can get around the bans if you focus on small area heating and you have the first floor. Otherwise, the situation is fraught with further administrative fines and restoration of dismantled equipment.

The second argument that can be attributed to the disadvantages of this heating system is the lengthy and painstaking installation of the equipment. The disadvantage of a water floor during installation is the involuntary weighting design features building. Due to the layer cake used for the substrate, the weight of the ceiling can increase by 10-15%, which is extremely dangerous for residential multi-storey buildings old building.

Following installation and installation technology, homeowners will have to face quite large financial costs. Unlike electric floors, water heated floors are labor-intensive in the process of maintenance and repair. In terms of safety, a water floor is inferior to other home heating options.

Conclusion

There are many advantages to this heating system, but there are also some disadvantages when it comes to warm floors. However, the situation looks like this. In any case, if you decide to install warm water floors in your house or apartment, the advantages that you will receive in the future will clearly outweigh the disadvantages. High efficiency, efficiency and practicality are the main advantages of this heating system.

If we have not made heating systems with water heated floors before, then it will not be right to immediately take on the practical implementation of our desires. You need to first pay attention to some theory. Well, at least learn about the pros and cons of heated floors. Perhaps the disadvantages will be such that you won’t want to have such a heating system in your home at all.

What are the advantages of water heated floors compared to radiators?

Disadvantages of water heated floors

Heat loss rooms where heated floors are installed must be less than 100 W/m2.
Conclusion: with higher heat losses, you will have to either insulate the house or install combined heating (water heated floor plus radiators).
It is not always possible to install a water heated floor in apartment buildings, Where single pipe systems heating. Well, or at least you need to know how to make such a connection correctly and without any conflicts with neighbors or utility workers (this is described in detail in the article about installing a water-heated floor in an apartment).
Large thickness of concrete screed over a warm floor. If such heating is on the second floor or higher, then the floor level will rise by ~10 cm. On the first floor or on the ground floor, the total is more - by 14-20 cm. In other words, planning in old apartment(house) heating with water heated floors, get ready for other global work related to the reinstallation of doors. And further: concrete screed a warm floor will increase the load on floors and other structures... are you sure they will withstand it? What is your confidence based on? Think about it.
Installation of a water heated floor and materials for it are more expensive than for radiator heating. True, these expenses are then paid off by saving energy resources, as I wrote about above.

There are several more disadvantages of heated floors that must be taken into account. I will list them.

Any heated floor (not necessarily water) is not best system heating for rooms in which people are constantly present. Surprised? I'll explain why. Alas, almost everything in the world has a downside.

So, contrary to the same well-known saying (or proverb? - I can’t remember what the difference is), your feet do not always need to be kept warm. I mean, not all the time! Blood rushes to heated areas of the body, this is well known to everyone. And the legs, being warm all the time, do not rest, the veins do not rest... The result is a disease of the veins due to their constant expansion.

Conclusion: you need to stay in a room with a heated floor for a limited time. That is, do such heating in the hallway, bathroom, in any passage corridor, in the bathhouse, in the dressing room... where you are rarely or for a short time.

I mentioned the lack of mixing of air layers in the advantages of a warm floor. But this is also a minus, because it is impossible to provide normal natural ventilation. But with radiators natural ventilation possible.
Conclusion: when designing heated floors, design and forced ventilation with all its “charms” (connection to the power grid, noise, additional expenses... this is for you in continuation of the theme of efficiency), otherwise the air in such a room will be stale.
Not every material can be used to cover a heated floor. Therefore, you need to know the following.
It is necessary to distinguish between two concepts that are similar in sound, but different in meaning: “comfortable floor” and “warm floor”. What is the difference?

What is the difference?

The comfortable floor has a temperature of 20…22 degrees and is only suitable for off-season use. But in real winter cold it will not cope with heating. And then you will need additional heating (radiator, air, or something else). Wood is quite suitable for covering a comfortable floor.

But in warm floor The coolant heats up to 55 degrees. And you can’t cover such a floor with wood! Tree from high temperature will crack. But if you don’t heat it, then, again, such a heating system won’t cope in cold weather.

And although there is a separate section about coverings for heated floors, I will say a few words here. As coverings for heated floors, you should take only natural materials: carpet from natural material, ceramic tiles, linoleum - also from something natural, and not from PVC, parquet and parquet board and so on.). Non-natural materials contain different harmful substances, which will evaporate when heated... however, they evaporate even without heating. Do you need it?

Well, I believe that now, knowing all the pros and cons of water heated floors, you will be able to make an informed choice, and not “because that’s it.” Next we will consider the question energy saving when heating with water heated floors.

heating with water heated floor

The electric floor heating system has both positive and negative reviews. In order for you to decide whether to use this option for your home or apartment, we will now provide the main pros and cons of electric heated floors.

Main advantages

Among the main advantages of electric heated floors are:

Possibility of use not only at home, but also in offices;
can be used with any floor covering: tiles, laminate, linoleum, etc.;
all elements of the system are hidden from view, thereby not spoiling the interior of the room;
using the included thermostat, you can adjust the temperature down to 0.1 o C, and you can also set a specific time for turning on/off the heater;
can be used as main and auxiliary heating;
(and even more so parquet) can be done by a person without the slightest experience, and besides, there should be no special tool at hand;
long service life if the system is handled correctly;
the surface is heated evenly over the entire area;
It will take a little time to determine the cause of the breakdown;
not required for system operation optional equipment(for example, for water heating you need either gas);
the temperature of the heating element is not too high, which is good when taking into account the safety of use.

As you can see, the advantages of electric heated floors are significant, which makes this option quite competitive compared to other heating options.

We would like to immediately provide a video on the topic:

Video review of the advantages and disadvantages of electric heated floors

Existing disadvantages

As always, something must be sacrificed when choosing one system or another. As for the disadvantages of electric heated floors, the main ones are:

high cost of operation (if you use a heating cable for central heating large area, the required heater power can reach up to 15-20 kW, which will significantly increase the monthly electricity consumption);
any type of electric heater has an increased risk of electric shock and electric heated floors are no exception, so this point must be taken into account, especially in wet rooms;
to improve electrical safety, it is necessary to spend additional money on purchasing and, as well as creating a reliable one;
the heating cable, which is the main executive element of heating, creates an electromagnetic field that negatively affects the human body;
flooring, in particular wooden ones, suffer when heated: they dry out and become deformed;
when laying heaters (especially cables), the ceiling height can be reduced to 10 cm;
If heating will be used as the main one and the house will have a large area, then quite powerful electrical wiring will be required for the system to operate.

It is clear that the shortcomings of the system are quite significant. But still we pay attention to the fact that when, as well as installation work According to the instructions, most of the listed shortcomings are immediately cut off. This is what makes the floor heating system popular and in demand.

Comparison with alternative

So that you are finally convinced of the correctness of your decision, now we will talk a little about why an electric heated floor is better than a water one.

So, we have highlighted the main points of comparison:

It is more reasonable to use a water heated floor on large areas, especially if heating will be carried out due to gas boiler. In small rooms, it is more logical to give preference to an option that operates from the mains, because... in this case, installation and operating costs will be low.
Heating hot water has a longer service life (as manufacturers say, the mark can reach up to 50 years).
Water will not harm human health, which cannot be said about current.
Installation of cables (or thermomats) is much simpler than water pipes.
Adjusting an electric heater is much faster and more accurate than a water heater.

So we have provided the pros and cons of electric heated floors. To summarize, it can be noted that both versions of the system have their own advantages and disadvantages, which in any case force you to sacrifice something. We recommend giving preference to electric heating, because... it is more modern, efficient and multifunctional!

Video review of the advantages and disadvantages of electric heated floors

Advantages of film coating

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The comfort of a home depends not only on the interior, but also on the temperature. It is not comfortable to be in a cold room, and it also risks catching colds. Also in winter you may encounter the problem of cold floors - if it can be solved in the rooms by placing a carpet on the surface, then floor surface It's not very pleasant to walk in the bathroom and kitchen. A heated floor system will also come in handy in a children's room. It would seem that there could be nothing better than such a heating system. But it is worth considering that heated floors have pros and cons. You can see what it looks like in the photo.

Advantages of heated floors

Heated floor has the following advantages:

comfortable floor surface temperature;
uniform heating of the room;
increase in air temperature in the room.

It must be said right away that a heated floor system cannot replace conventional heating. Traditional radiators provide the main heating of the air in the room. Warm floors can only be used as additional heating of the room. These are the disadvantages of a warm water floor. It is usually used to warm up the floor - nevertheless, walking on a warm surface is much more comfortable than walking on a cold one. But at the same time, thanks to this system, the room will be heated better, since another heating source is added to the traditional radiators. On top of that, the heat will be distributed evenly, as the room will heat up over the entire area.

Features of underfloor heating systems

Optimal temperature floor surface - 25-28 degrees. When installing the system, it is worth considering that the highest temperature will be observed at the very beginning of the water heated floor - as it moves through the pipes, it will drop. This problem does not arise with electric floors.

But electric heated floors also have pros and cons. First of all, furniture and some floor coverings can interfere with heating. It is also not recommended to install electric heated floors under coverings that are susceptible to fire, such as parquet. In principle, wood will withstand heating up to 30 degrees, but if there is no main heating, and the room temperature sensor needs to reach 20 degrees, it is possible that this material will catch fire. Read also: “How to make a heated floor in the kitchen - installing an electric or water heating floor.”

As for whether heated floors are harmful, their surface temperature will be higher than the air. But this cannot contribute to the occurrence of a cold - on the contrary, you are more likely to get sick when moving on a cold surface. By installing a heated floor system in the bathroom, kitchen, or children's room, you don't have to worry about illnesses - as you know, colds often occur when the feet are hypothermic (read: " ").

Heated floors have disadvantages, including, for example, the inability to fully control the temperature. This mainly applies to water systems. The heating level of electric floors can be adjusted, if, of course, you purchase good sensor, qualitatively measuring temperature. Experts advise installing programmable electronic devices - with their help you can set the desired level of air or floor surface temperature, and when this indicator is reached, the system will automatically turn off. Read also: "".

Pros and cons of heated floors, detailed in the video:

Heated floor installation

A heating element laid on thermal insulation material when, a screed is poured on top and the floor covering is laid. As for whether heated floors are harmful, this statement is absolutely false.

Specific heat release is the main parameter of a heated floor system. It ranges from 15-25 W/m. To lay the floor, you need to choose an insulating material that can withstand temperatures above 100 degrees. Otherwise, problems may arise during system operation. Read also: "".

As for the fact that heated floors are harmful to health, this is absolutely false - heating the floor surface can only affect health in a positive way. But for such a system to last for a long time, it must be installed correctly.