Modern system warm water floors are a very effective pipe-based design, the basic task of which is to provide high-quality heating of the surface of the floor covering, followed by the most uniform redistribution of warm air masses over the area of ​​the entire heated room.

Supporters of underfloor heating note that there are many advantages when using water heating of rooms, the main of which are:

• high degree of energy efficiency:
• stable indicators of reliability and safety of a correctly installed system;
• good potential for use as a main heating system;
• excellent compatibility with any variety of modern flooring materials, including ceramics, laminated and parquet boards, as well as all types of linoleum.

In addition, this category of underfloor heating is characterized by invisibility and the absence of harmful electromagnetic radiation, combined with a high level of comfort. To be fair, it should be noted that the installation of such floors is highly expensive and requires the involvement of specialists with certain qualifications not only to install the system, but also to carry out repair work.

System components

A properly designed “warm floor” water system under standard conditions is represented by a water type circuit equipped with a manifold and thermal junction, which includes a heat exchanger, hydraulic pump, expansion tank and safety group.

The coolants in such a system are hot water from the central heating system and water elements heating structure, and performs a regulatory function special heat exchanger. The hydraulic pump ensures the circulation of the coolant under the conditions of the installed water circuit, and the expansion tank helps compensate for the excess coolant, which can be caused by a high level of heating.

The operation of such a system would be unstable without the functioning of a special safety group, represented by a pressure gauge, an automatic air vent and a safety valve. A special group is mounted at the highest point and protects the closed type of system from the formation of airing processes or too high intra-system pressure.

Set of water heated floors for 15 m2

Name	Qty	Cost, rub.
MP Valtec pipe. 16(2,0)	100 m	3 580
Plasticizer. Silar (10l)	2x10 l	1 611
Damper tape. Energoflex Super 10/0.1-25	2x10 m	1 316
Thermal insulation. TP - 5/1.2-16	18 m2	2 648
Three-way mixing valve. MIX 03 ¾”	1	1 400
Circulation pump. UPC 25-40	1	2 715
Nipple adapter. VT 580 1”x3/4”	1	56,6
Nipple adapter. VT 580 1”x1/2”	1	56,6
Ball valve. VT 218 ½”	1	93,4
Straight connector with transition to internal thread. VTm 302 16x ½”	2	135,4
Ball valve. VT 219 ½”	1	93,4
Tee VT 130 ½”	1	63
Keg VT 652 ½”x60	1	63
H-B adapter	VT 581 ¾”x ½”	30,1
Total		13 861.5

Calculation and selection of materials

Each room requires separate calculations to determine the amount of consumables based on the length of the pipes, as well as the step during their installation. For this purpose, it is advisable to use special computer programs or use ready-made design documentation developed by specialists.

underfloor heating pipe

Independent power calculations are classified as complex, due to the need to take into account a lot of parameters and nuances. Even minor defects can cause insufficient or uneven circulation of water along the circuit, and in some cases, the formation of local areas of heat leakage is possible.

The calculations are based on the use of several parameters:

• room area;
• characteristics of the material used for the construction of walls and ceilings;
• presence and category of thermal insulation of the room;
• type of heat-insulating layer under the system itself;
• flooring materials;
• characteristics and parameters of pipes in the system;
• temperature indicators of water entering the system.

The most important step before purchasing the material is the competent choice of coolants, represented by pipes in such a system. The following types are popular:

• cross-linked type of polyethylene pipes. They are produced under high pressure and are characterized by a high level of strength. Optimally resistant to any type of mechanical damage, temperature changes and pressure instability;
• metal-plastic pipes. They perfectly combine the main positive qualities of steel and polymers. Not susceptible to rust and resistant to adverse external influences;
• copper pipes with plastic sheath. They are characterized by maximum durability, which is due to the use of high-strength metals in the production process.

Modern water heated floor systems can be implemented using several of the most common installation options:

• installation with a snake. An option for laying pipes along one of the walls with a rounding at the end point and a change in direction, as a result of which the entire area of ​​​​the room is covered. The main difficulty lies in the specific design of the turning zones;
• double snake installation. An option performed by analogy with the previous method, but during the installation process a pair of parallel pipes is used with a pitch of three centimeters;
• installation with a snail or spiral. An installation option that, when laid, results in a kind of spiral with an end point that closes the entire system;
• combined installation. The option involves the implementation of several installation methods in the area of ​​​​one room with the dominance of the most convenient and effective.

Basic rules for the distribution of pipes in a water heated floor system:

• installation of the system begins from the external, cold wall;
• a gradual reduction in heating of the floor surface is achieved by using pipe laying using the “snake” technology;
• uniform heating can be obtained by spiral laying in the direction from the periphery of the room to the central part, maintaining a double step from turn to turn, followed by laying in the opposite direction;
• the standard step cannot be less than ten and more than thirty centimeters, but the greater the heat loss, the smaller the step should be;
• special attention must be paid to the calculations of hydraulic resistance, the indicator of which increases in direct proportion to the length of the pipes and the number of turns;
• It is prohibited to join pipes with couplings if it is necessary to install them in a screed.

Collector selection and installation

The collector is selected in accordance with the number of circuits. He must have optimal quantity outputs and allow you to connect absolutely all executable circuits.

The simplest type of manifold has shut-off valves, but is deprived of the ability to configure the system, which allows it to be classified as a budget equipment option.

Heated floor collector, option No. 1

In mid-price segment manifolds, the installation of control valves is provided, allowing, if necessary, to adjust the water flow in any heating loop.

The most efficient are automated manifolds equipped with a servo drive for each valve and special pre-mixers. Such systems allow you to regulate the temperature of the supplied water and mix liquids of different temperatures.

collector group

Mandatory elements of high-quality manifolds are represented by an air vent valve and a drain type outlet. For installation, a collector box with a standard thickness of about twelve centimeters is used. Correct sizes correspond to the dimensions of the manifold group and the necessary additional elements, which can be pressure sensors, air ducts and drains.

A well-placed box has a number of characteristics:

• has free space underneath that is used for bending pipes;
• characterized by the same length of pipe from each room and the dimensions of the circuit.

It is possible to mount the box into a non-load-bearing wall. It should be taken into account that the collector box must be installed above the surface of the “warm floor” system. Assembly and filling of the box is standard and is carried out in accordance with the attached instructions.

Sequence and features of installation

The most popular and sought-after option for laying warm water floors is the use of which is carried out after careful preparation the surface to be constructed and markings for the location of the collector and pipes. All work is carried out in stages, observing the following sequence of main actions:

• laying thermal insulation based on foam plastic or expanded polystyrene;

  When performing installation work, areas of the room around external walls are formed by using a smaller step, which allows the heating to be stabilized.

  Laying a pipe system using the “snake” type involves taking the smallest step, and with spiral installation, the step can be from two to fifteen centimeters.

  To improve the quality of the concrete composition and facilitate pouring, it is advisable to add a standard amount of polypropylene fiber fiber to the working solution, which will increase the strength of the screed during the shrinkage process.

  You should not neglect the use of damper tape, which allows you to efficiently compensate for expansion concrete screed.

  Compliance with technology allows us to obtain a high-quality and durable underfloor heating system that will improve the microclimate of the room and create comfortable living conditions.

  Video - Warm water floors, installation diagram and installation. Video seminar

Having chosen the option of water heated floors, also called hydraulic, for heating, you will have to put a lot of effort into installing them. Of all the possible types of underfloor heating, water is the most difficult to install, however, the result is a durable one that allows you to achieve greater comfort and savings than a traditional radiator system. You can reduce the cost of installation somewhat if you install a water-heated floor yourself. To do this, it is necessary to purchase all the necessary elements and materials, as well as prepare the floor surface in all rooms involved in accordance with established requirements.

If you have not yet fully decided on the type of heated floor -.

Surface preparation. Features of insulation of the base under a warm floor

The old screed is completely dismantled down to the base. Unlike when installing a heated floor, you should already initial stage level the floor horizontally if there are differences of more than 10 mm.

Important: When using a water heated floor, the device of which has several circuits, the damper tape is also laid along the line between the circuits.

To prevent heat from escaping downwards, it is necessary to insulate the base of the floor. Depending on the location of the room and the type of floor, as well as the target orientation of the heating system, the appropriate insulation is selected:

• If the heated floor is an addition to the main heating system, then it is enough to use foamed polyethylene with a reflective foil coating as a substrate for the heated floor (penofol).
• For apartments with heated rooms on the floor below, it is enough to use sheets of expanded polystyrene or extruded polystyrene foam with a thickness of 20 to 50 mm or other durable insulation of suitable thickness.
• For first-floor apartments with an unheated basement or houses in which the floor is located on the ground, more serious insulation should be used in the form of expanded clay and expanded polystyrene sheets 50-100 mm thick.

Advice: You can use specialized insulation for heated floors. On the one hand, such materials are already equipped with special channels for laying pipes of underfloor heating systems.

A reinforcing mesh is laid on top of the insulation. It is necessary to secure the screed layer that will cover the entire underfloor heating system. Among other things, it is possible to subsequently attach the heated floor pipe to the mesh, instead of using special fastening strips and clips. In this case, ordinary plastic ties are used.

Diagram of the heated floor surface

Selection of materials and necessary devices

Before making a heated floor with your own hands, you should decide on the composition of the equipment and all elements of the system and calculate the materials.

The composition and design of a warm water floor includes the following elements:

1. Water heating boiler;
2. Pressure pump (may be included in the boiler);
3. Ball valves at the boiler inlet;
4. Distribution pipes;
5. A manifold with a system for setting and adjusting heated floors;
6. Pipes for laying on the floor surface;
7. Various fittings for laying the main route from the boiler and connecting underfloor heating pipes to the collector.

The pipe material for water heated floors can be either polypropylene or cross-linked polyethylene. It is better to choose polypropylene pipes with glass fiber reinforcement, since polypropylene itself has a significant linear expansion when heated. Polyethylene pipes are less susceptible to expansion. It was the latter who received greatest distribution during layout surface systems heating.

Pipes with a diameter of 16-20 mm are used. It is necessary that the pipe can withstand temperatures up to 95 degrees and a pressure of 10 Bar. It is not necessary to chase expensive options with oxygen protection and additional layers. Especially if the main goal is to reduce the overall costs of installing heated floors.

The collector is a pipe with a number of branches (splitter). It is necessary to connect several underfloor heating circuits to one main warm water supply line and return, cooled water intake. In this case, two splitters are used, which are installed in a special manifold cabinet. One is for distributing hot water, and the second is for collecting return, cooled water. It is within the manifold that all the necessary elements for setting up heated floors are located: valves, flow regulators, air vents and emergency drain systems.

Diagram example of connecting a water heated floor

Calculation and distribution of pipes

For each room, the calculation of the length of the pipe and the pitch of its installation must be made separately. Calculations of water heated floors can be performed using specialized programs or using the services of design organizations. It is very difficult to independently calculate the required power for each circuit; a lot of parameters and nuances are taken into account. If you make a mistake in the calculations, this can negate the entire operation of the system or lead to unpleasant consequences, including: insufficient water circulation, the appearance of a “thermal zebra” when warm and cold areas alternate across the floor, uneven heating of the floor and the formation of leakage points heat.

To carry out calculations, the following parameters are required:

1. Room dimensions;
2. Material of walls, ceilings and thermal insulation;
3. Type of thermal insulation for underfloor heating;
4. Type of flooring;
5. Diameter of pipes in the underfloor heating system and material;
6. Boiler power (water temperature).

Using these data, you can determine the required length of the pipe used for the room and the pitch of its installation to achieve the required heat transfer power.

When distributing pipes, you should choose the optimal laying route. It is important to consider that water gradually cools as it passes through the pipes. By the way, this is not a disadvantage, but rather a plus of water heated floors, because heat loss in the room does not occur evenly.

When distributing water heated floor pipes in each circuit, a number of rules should be followed:

• It is advisable to start laying pipes from the outer, colder walls of the room;

Important: If the pipe entry into the room is not from the outside wall, then the section of the pipe from the entry to the wall is insulated.

• To gradually reduce the heating of the floor from the outer wall to the inner one, the “snake” laying method is used;
• To uniformly heat the floor in rooms with all internal walls (in the bathroom, wardrobe, etc.), laying in a spiral is used from the edge of the room to the center. The pipe is brought in a spiral to the center with a double pitch between the turns, after which it turns around and unwinds in the opposite direction until it leaves the room and goes to the collector.

Most often, the pipe is laid in increments of 10 to 30 cm. In most cases, 30 cm is sufficient, and in places with increased heat loss it can be reduced to 15 cm.

In addition to the length and distribution shape of the pipes, their hydraulic resistance should be calculated. It increases with increasing length and every turn. In all circuits connected to the same collector, it is desirable to bring the resistance to the same value. To resolve such situations, it is necessary to divide large circuits with a pipe length of more than a hundred meters into several smaller ones.

For each circuit, a single piece of pipe of the required length is purchased. It is unacceptable to use joints and couplings on pipes that are laid in a screed. So the length calculation and order should be carried out after carefully carried out calculations with thinking through the entire laying route.

Important: The calculation is carried out for each room separately. It is also undesirable to use one circuit to heat several rooms.

To insulate a loggia, veranda, or attic, a separate circuit is laid, not combined with adjacent rooms. Otherwise, most of the heat will go to heating it, and the room will remain cold. Insulation under a heated floor is carried out in the same way as with a floor located on the ground. Otherwise, there are no differences in terms of installing heated floors on the loggia.

Video: theoretical seminar on the installation of heated floors

Collector selection and installation

typical manifold for underfloor heating

Having decided on the number of circuits, you can select the appropriate collector. It must have enough leads to connect all the circuits. In addition, the collector is responsible for regulating and adjusting water heated floors. In the very simple version the collector is equipped only shut-off valves, which significantly reduces the cost of the system, but practically makes it impossible to customize its operation.

Options that require the installation of control valves are slightly more expensive. With their help, you can adjust the water flow for each loop separately. Although the increase in cost will be noticeable, such a system will allow you to set up a warm floor for uniform heating of all rooms.

Mandatory elements for the manifold are an air vent valve and a drain outlet.

To fully automate a hydraulic heated floor, manifolds with servo drives on valves and special pre-mixers are used, which regulate the temperature of the supplied water, mixing it with the cooled return water. Such systems, at their cost, can make up a large part of the budget for the entire installation of heated floors. For private use there is no particular need for them, because it is easier to carefully configure a collector group of a simpler type once than to spend money on automatic system, which will operate in the same mode even under constant loads.

An example of connecting a heated floor collector

The underfloor heating manifold is installed in a special manifold box. The thickness of such a box is most often 12 cm. The dimensions are selected taking into account the dimensions of the manifold group with all the necessary additions in the form of pressure sensors, air vents and drains. Under the collector group there should be space to the floor necessary for bending the pipes supplied from all the contours of the heated floor.

The actual installation of a water heated floor begins with the placement of a manifold cabinet. The manifold cabinet should be placed so that the pipes from each room and circuit are approximately equal in length. In some situations, you can move the cabinet closer to the largest contours.

The easiest way to hide a cabinet is to mount it into the wall. The thickness of 12 cm is quite sufficient. The main thing to remember is that punching holes and recesses in load-bearing walls is strongly discouraged and even prohibited in most cases.

Important: The box should be installed above the level of heated floors, preventing pipes from diverting upward from it. Only in this case can the air exhaust system work adequately.

The manifold cabinet is assembled and filled according to a general standard in accordance with the instructions of the manifold used, so there are no problems with the installation of all elements and additional equipment will not arise.

Video: manifold assembly

Selecting a heating boiler

The choice of boiler is primarily determined by its power. It must cope with heating water at peak times of system load and have some power reserve. Roughly, this means that the boiler power should be equal to the total power of all heated floors plus a margin of 15-20%.

A pump is required to circulate water in the system. Modern boilers, both electric and gas, have a built-in pump. In most cases, it is enough to heat one- and two-story residential buildings. Only if the square footage of the heated room exceeds 120-150 m² may it be necessary to install additional auxiliary pumps. In this case, they are installed in remote collector cabinets.

Shut-off valves are installed directly at the boiler inlet and outlet. This will help turn off the boiler in case of repair or maintenance without having to drain all the water from the system.

Important: If there are several manifold cabinets, then a splitter is installed on the main route for supplying warm water, and after it - narrowing adapters. This is necessary for uniform distribution of water throughout the system.

general view of the entire system (connection of radiators can be excluded)

Installation of water heated floor pipes and pouring screed

Basically, heated floors are laid using special fastening profiles, which are secured to the floor with dowels and screws. They have sockets for securing pipes. With their help, it is much easier to maintain the pitch distance between the turns of the pipe.

Advice: To secure it, it is enough to use plastic ties that press the pipe to the reinforcing mesh. It is important not to tighten the pipe too tightly; it is better to keep the tie loop loose.

Pipes are most often supplied in the form of coils. Do not pull the pipe out of the coil, turn by turn. It is necessary to unwind it gradually as it is laid and secured to the floor. All bends are made carefully in compliance with the minimum possible radius limit. Most often, for polyethylene pipes this radius is equal to 5 diameters.

If you compress a polyethylene pipe too much, a whitish stripe may appear on the bend. This means that the material began to sharply stretch and a crease formed. Unfortunately, such defects cannot be installed in a heated floor system due to the increasing risk of a breakthrough in this place.

The ends of the pipes that are supplied to the collector are, if necessary, laid through the walls and enclosed in insulation made of foamed polyethylene. To connect the pipes to the manifold, either a Eurocone system or a compression fitting is used.

If this is your first time encountering polypropylene pipes -.

There are several schemes for laying underfloor heating pipes. You can choose the right one based on your needs. Along with other factors, it is worth paying attention to the arrangement of furniture and plans for rearranging it.

When the installation of underfloor heating is completed, a mandatory high-pressure system check is performed. To do this, water is poured into the pipes and a pressure of 5-6 bar is applied for 24 hours. If no leaks or significant expansions are noticed on the pipes, then you can begin pouring the concrete screed. Filling is carried out at connected operating pressure in the pipes. Only after 28 days can we consider that the screed is ready and begin further work on installing the floor covering.

Important nuances of forming a heated floor screed

There are some peculiarities in the formation of screeds over water-heated floors. This is due to the principle of heat distribution in its thickness and the floor covering used.

• If the heated floor is laid under the tiles, then you should make a screed about 3-5 cm thick, or distribute the pipes at intervals of 10-15 cm. Otherwise, the heat from the pipes will not properly warm the space between them, and this phenomenon will appear like a "thermal zebra". In this case, the alternation of warm and cold stripes will be quite clearly felt by the foot.
• Under laminate, linoleum, etc. It is advisable to form a thinner screed. For strength, in this case, another reinforcing mesh is used on top of the heated floor. This will reduce the heat path from the pipes to the flooring surface. Also, a layer of thermal insulation is not placed under the laminate, because it will only worsen the efficiency of the heated floor.

You can turn on the water heated floor heating at the first hint of the onset of autumn cold. The initial warm-up may take several days, after which the system will already maintain the required temperature. The greater inertia of water heated floors can also play a good role, even if for some reason the boiler is not able to heat the water for some time, the system will continue to transfer heat to the premises for a long time. In addition, you can keep the underfloor heating system at low power throughout the year, turning off most of the circuits and leaving only the part that heats the rooms where flooring made with ceramic tiles or self-leveling floors(hallway, bathroom, etc.), because even in hot weather such coatings feel cold.

Video: Installation of a water heated floor with your own hands

Nowadays, many residents of private houses install water heated floors for their main or additional heating. It has many advantages: it increases comfort, evenly warms the room, and does not require additional costs energy (since it operates from one boiler with radiators). The instructions in our article will allow you to install water heated floors even without experience. However, before doing this, it is worth studying all the nuances.

The warm water floor system is best combined with laying under and tiles.

• Firstly, both materials are strong and durable.
• Secondly, they do not highlight harmful substances when heated.
• And thirdly, heating perfectly complements the tiles (the material itself is cold), and you can even walk on it barefoot thanks to its high heat capacity.

Of course, heated floors can also be made under linoleum, PVC tiles and even carpet, if there is a special mark.

But, for example, there is no point in heating the carpet, and the surface temperature cannot be exceeded above 31°C, according to SNiP 41-01-2003. Otherwise, it will provoke the release of harmful substances.

Installation in an apartment

Probably, many residents have had the idea to independently connect water heated floors “for free” to a central heating or hot water system. And some even do this, but in most cases it is prohibited by local law.

For example, in Moscow there is government decree No. 73-PP dated February 8, 2005; Appendix No. 2 clearly states that re-equipment is prohibited social systems water supply for floor heating devices.

If you break the rules, at best, you can get a fine on your first visit to the plumbers. And at worst, there is a risk of leaving your neighbors without heating.

In some regions the ban does not apply, but connection requires an examination so as not to disrupt the operation of the system.

In general, from a technical point of view, such options are possible, but only when connecting a separate pumping mixing unit and maintaining the pressure in the system at the outlet.

Note! If in an apartment building there is jet pump(elevator), then metal-plastic and polypropylene pipes cannot be used.

Floor installation methods

There are several ways to create a warm water floor.

• The most popular and reliable of them is concrete screed. Unlike electric types, 16 mm pipes cannot be hidden in tile adhesive, and it will not work. Therefore, the screed is poured at least 3 cm above the pipes.
• The second method is to lay pipes in cut-out polystyrene foam grooves. The grooves are made by hand, pipes are laid inside, then the screed is poured.
• The next option is often used in houses with wooden floors, although it requires a lot of labor - laying it in wooden grooves. To do this, boards are placed on the floor, which create a gutter of the desired shape for installation.

Types of pipes used

Three types of pipes are suitable for a warm water floor.

• Pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX-EVOH-PEX) are inconvenient to work with because it is difficult to bend them the required form(when heated they straighten out). But they are not afraid of liquid freezing and are repairable.
• Metal-plastic pipes are the best option: low price, easy to install, and keep their shape stably.
• Copper pipes– expensive, when used in a screed they need to be closed protective layer to prevent alkaline exposure.

Calculation of a warm water floor

Before installation and purchasing materials, it is necessary to calculate the heated floor. To do this, draw a diagram with contours, which will later be useful when carrying out repair work in order to know the position of the pipes.

• If you are sure that furniture or plumbing will always be in a certain place, pipes are not laid in this place.
• The length of a circuit with a diameter of 16 mm should not exceed 100 m (the maximum for 20 mm will be 120 m), otherwise the pressure in the system will be poor. Thus, each circuit approximately occupies no more than 15 square meters. m.
• The difference between the lengths of several circuits should be small (less than 15 m), that is, they should all be of uniform length. Large rooms, accordingly, are divided into several circuits.
• The optimal pipe laying pitch is 15 cm when using good thermal insulation. If in winter there are often frosts below -20, then the step is reduced to 10 cm (only possible near external walls). And in the north you cannot do without additional radiators.
• With a laying step of 15 cm, the pipe consumption is approximately 6.7 m for each square of the room, when laid every 10 cm - 10 m.

The graph shows the dependence of the flux density on the average coolant temperature. The dotted lines indicate pipes with a diameter of 20 mm, and the solid lines indicate 16 mm.

The graph shows data that is valid only when using a 7 cm thick cement-sand screed covered with tiles. If the thickness of the screed is increased, for example, by 1 cm, then the heat flow density decreases by 5-8%.

• To find the flux density, the amount of heat loss in the room in Watts is divided by the area where the pipes are laid (the distances from the walls are subtracted).
• The average temperature is calculated as the average value at the entrance to the circuit and the return exit.

The optimal temperature at the inlet and outlet should not differ by more than 5-10 degrees. The maximum coolant temperature should not exceed 55°C.

Using the above diagram, you can only perform a rough calculation and make final adjustments using the mixing unit and thermostats. For accurate design, be sure to contact professional heating engineers.

Warm floor pie

The technology for laying a warm water floor consists of several layers, which are laid in a certain sequence. The total thickness of the cake is 8-14 cm, the load on the floors is up to 300 kg/sq. m.

If the basis is concrete slab:

• waterproofing;
• insulation;
• reinforcing mesh;
• water heated floor pipe;
• screed

For waterproofing, it is permissible to use ordinary polyethylene film or special materials. Damper tape is made from cut strips of thermal insulation 1-2 cm thick, or purchased ready-made option with self-adhesive backing.
The choice of insulation depends on several factors: region, base material. For example, for floors on the ground, extruded polystyrene foam with a thickness of at least 5 cm (optimally 10) is used, and if there is a warm base under the floor of the first floor, then thinner options from 3 cm can be used.

The main purpose of insulation is to direct the heat from the heating upward and prevent large heat losses.

If the base is ground floors:

• bulk soil 15 cm;
• crushed stone 10 cm;
• sand 5 cm;
• rough screed;
• waterproofing;
• damper tape around the perimeter;
• extruded polystyrene foam at least 5 cm;
• reinforced screed with coolants.

It is important to carefully compact the preparatory layers for the rough screed layer by layer. If the base is compacted tightly and extruded polystyrene foam is used, it will not be necessary to make a rough screed.

Installation of heated floors

Let's say a good foundation has already been prepared: a flat concrete slab or backfill layer without strong drops. Differences should not exceed 7 mm when checking with a two-meter rod. If there are uneven spots, they can be filled with sand.

Waterproofing

Some people put waterproofing under the bottom of the insulation, some, on the contrary, at the top, and some use both.
If extruded polystyrene foam is used, it practically does not need waterproofing, so its position is not so critical. But it will not allow cement laitance to penetrate between the seams of the insulation and go into the slab and will additionally hold back moisture from below.
If you attach it to the bottom of the insulation, then you can attach the pipes to the heated floor directly to the insulation. If the waterproofing is laid on top, then laying a mounting mesh will be required to secure the pipes.

We lay the waterproofing with an overlap of 20 cm on the walls and on each other. We glue the joints with tape to seal.

Damper tape

If you bought ready-made tape, simply glue it around the perimeter. It usually has a thickness of 5-8 mm and a height of 10-15 cm. The height should be above the pouring level, the excess is cut off with a knife. If the tape is made by yourself, then be sure to glue or screw it to the wall with self-tapping screws.

The linear expansion of concrete is 0.5 mm per meter when heated to 40°C.

Insulation

Sheet insulation for a warm water floor is laid with offset joints so that it is tightly connected.

Reinforcement

The first layer of reinforcing mesh is usually laid on the insulation and used as a base for attaching the contours and uniformly distributing heat over the surface. The meshes are tied together with wire. The pipes are attached to the mesh using nylon clamps.

The diameter of the mesh rods is 4-5 mm, and the cell size depends on the pipe laying pitch, for convenient fastening.

In addition, it is imperative to lay the reinforcement on top of the pipes, since even when using a mesh from below, it will have almost no effect if it lies at the very bottom. Or, during pouring, place the mesh on stands, creating a gap.

Pipe fixation methods

A water heated floor can be laid in several ways, we list them.

• Polyamide tension clamp. Used for quick fastening of pipes to the mounting grid. Consumption – approximately 2 pieces per 1 m.
• Steel fastening wire. Also used for mounting to a grid, the consumption is exactly the same.
• Stapler and clamps. Suitable for quickly fixing pipes to thermal insulation. The consumption of clamps is 2 pieces per 1 m.
• Fixing track. It is a U-shaped PVC strip that serves as a base for laying 16 or 20 mm pipes into it. Rigidly attached to the floor.
• Mats for warm water floors made of polystyrene. A pipe is laid in the middle of the grooves between the posts.
• Aluminum distribution plate. Used when installing on wooden floors, it reflects and evenly distributes heat over the surface.

Application of various types of pipe fasteners

Pipe laying

The pipes are laid with a distance of 15-20 cm from the walls. It is highly advisable to make each circuit from a single pipe without welding, and their length should not be more than 100 m. The pitch between the pipes near the walls is 10 cm, closer to the center - 15 cm.

The layout of a heated floor can be different, for example, a spiral or a snake. On external walls, they try to make the laying step more frequent or draw a contour from the feed next to cold walls. An example of a circuit for enhanced heating of external walls is shown in the photo; this option is best used in cold regions:



In other cases, the contours are usually laid in a spiral (snail), this is a universal option.

In places with a large accumulation of pipes, in order to avoid overheating of the surface, some of them are covered with a heat-insulating tube.

Metal-plastic 16 mm and 20 mm are easy to bend manually, without the use of special tools. In order to bend the pipes evenly with an angle of a small radius and at the same time prevent it from cracking, the corners are bent in several passes (hand interceptions).
At an angle of 90° you will need approximately 5-6 interceptions. This means, first, resting your thumbs, make a slight bend, then move your hands slightly towards the bend and repeat the actions.

It is unacceptable to have kinks on the pipes in places of sharp turns.

Polypropylene pipes are much more difficult to bend because they are springy. Therefore, to bend them, they are heated or made, but in the case of heated floors, they are simply attached to the mesh, making the bends less sharp.

Installation of a water heated floor begins by connecting the first end of the pipe to the distribution manifold, and after laying the room, immediately connect the return (second end).

Connecting circuits

In most cases, the circuits are connected through a distribution node. It has several functions: increasing the pressure in the system, adjusting the temperature, uniform supply to several circuits, and combining with radiators.

There are many connection schemes to the boiler, which we wrote about in the article about: with manual adjustment, with weather automatics and automatic adjustment using servos and sensors.

Eurocone fitting

The pipes are connected to the manifold using Eurocone clamp fittings.

Crimping

When you have completed the installation of all circuits, be sure to conduct pneumatic tests of the system for leaks. To do this, crimping is done using a compressor. A small household compressor with a pressure of more than 6 bar is suitable for testing. The pressure in the system is brought to 4 bar and left for the entire time until the system is started.

Since air molecules are much smaller than water molecules, even small depressurization can be detected. In addition, the water may freeze if you do not have time to turn on the heating, and nothing will happen to the air.

Heated floor screed

Filling the screed is done only after installation of all circuits and hydraulic tests. It is recommended to use concrete of at least M-300 (B-22.5) with crushed stone with a fraction of 5-20 mm. The minimum thickness of 3 cm above the pipe is done not only to obtain the required strength, but also to distribute heat evenly over the surface. Weight 1 sq. m of screed with a thickness of 5 cm is up to 125 kg.

If the screed thickness is more than 15 cm or under high loads, additional calculation of the thermal regime is required.

As the thickness of the screed increases, it takes more time to heat it up to a certain temperature after switching on, and the inertia of the system also increases. The lower the thermal conductivity of the screed, the higher the coolant temperature will need to be set.

Expansion joints

Examples of dividing a large room into zones

The absence or incorrect position of temperature gaps is the most common cause of screed failure.

Shrinkage seams are made in the following cases:

• the room has an area of ​​more than 30 sq. m.;
• the walls are more than 8 m long;
• the length and width of the room differ by more than 2 times;
• above expansion joints of structures;
• The room is too curved.

To do this, a damper tape is laid around the perimeter of the seams. At the seam site, the reinforcing mesh must be separated. The deformation gap should be 10 mm thick at the base. The upper part is treated with sealant. If the room has non-standard shape, it needs to be divided into more simple elements rectangular or square shape.




If pipes pass through expansion joints in the screed, in these places they are laid in a corrugated pipe, 30 cm of corrugation in each direction (according to SP 41-102-98 - 50 cm on each side). It is recommended not to separate one circuit with expansion joints; supply and return pipes should pass through it.

Correct passage of contours through technological seams

When laying tiles on expansion joints, the likelihood of them peeling off increases due to different extensions adjacent slabs. To avoid this, the first part is laid with tile adhesive, and the second part is attached with elastic sealant.

For additional separation, partial profile expansion joints can be used. They are made using a trowel, 1/3 of the thickness. After the concrete has hardened, they are also sealed with sealant. If pipes pass through them, they are also protected with corrugation.

Cracks in the screed

A fairly common occurrence is the appearance of cracks on the screed after drying. This may provoke whole line reasons:

• low density of insulation;
• poor compaction of the solution;
• absence of plasticizers;
• the thickness of the screed is too thick;
• absence of shrinkage seams;
• concrete drying too quickly;
• incorrect proportions of solution.

It's very easy to avoid them:

• insulation should be used with a density higher than 35-40 kg/m3;
• the screed solution must be plastic when laying and with the addition of fiber and plasticizer;
• in large rooms you need to make shrink seams (see below);
• You should also not let the concrete set quickly; to do this, cover it with plastic wrap the next day (for a week).

Screed mortar

For heated floors, it is necessary to use a plasticizer to increase the elasticity and strength of concrete. But you need to use special types of non-air-entraining plasticizers for heated floors.

Without experience, it will not be possible to make a cement-sand screed for a warm floor without crushed stone/gravel, and the correct branded DSP will cost more than factory-made concrete. Therefore, in order to avoid cracks due to a violation of the composition of the solution, concrete with crushed stone is poured.

Mortar M-300 from cement grade M-400, washed sand and crushed stone is made according to the following proportions.

• Mass composition C: P: Shch (kg) = 1: 1.9: 3.7.
• Volumetric composition per 10 liters of cement P: Ш (l) = 17:32.
• From 10 liters of cement you will get 41 liters of solution.
• The volumetric weight of such M300 concrete will be 2300-2500 kg/m3 (heavy concrete)

There is also another option using granite screenings instead of sand; the following elements were used for its preparation:

• 2 buckets of crushed stone with a fraction of 5-20 mm;
• water 7-8 liters;
• superplasticizer SP1 400 ml of solution (1.8 liters of powder is diluted in 5 liters of hot water);
• 1 bucket of cement;
• 3-4 buckets of granite screenings with a fraction of 0-5 mm;
• bucket volume – 12 liters.

High-quality concrete should not release water during installation (delaminate). If everything is done correctly and the air temperature is 20°C, it should begin to set after 4 hours, and after 12 hours it will not leave marks from heels.

3 days after pouring, the screed will gain half its strength, and will harden completely only after 28 days. It is not recommended to turn on the heating system before this point.

Installation on a wooden floor

Wood does not conduct heat as efficiently as concrete, but installation on it is also feasible. For this purpose, distribution plates made of aluminum are used. The pipes are laid in wooden grooves made by attaching pre-prepared boards.

For installation of linoleum, carpet and other materials that require a flat surface, a leveling layer of chipboard, plywood or gypsum fiber board is laid over the pipes. If parquet or laminate is used as the finishing coating, the design of the heated floor can be slightly simplified, without the use of a leveling layer.

When choosing plywood and chipboard, make sure that they have sanitary, hygienic and thermomechanical characteristics that allow them to be used together with heated floors.

Prices for water heated floors

The price of a water-heated floor is formed from several components:

• cost of materials (pipes, insulation, fasteners, etc.);
• cost of the pumping and mixing unit and manifold;
• work on leveling the base and pouring the top layer of screed;
• cost of installing heated floors.

On average, the price of a water heated floor when installed on a turnkey basis, along with all materials and work, will cost approximately 1,500-3,000 rubles per 1 sq. m. m.

Below is an approximate estimate for a house of 100 square meters. m., but prices for water heated floors greatly depend on the region, so it is best to enter your data there and make an independent calculation. This does not take into account the costs of installation and purchase of radiators, boiler, finishing coat and a screed.

Estimate for installation of a water heated floor system on the 1st floor.
№	Name of material	Unit change	Qty	Price	Sum
1	Extruded polystyrene foam 5 cm	m2	96	227	21792
2	Mounting grid 150*150*4	m2	106	30	3180
3	Polyethylene film 250 microns	m2	105	40	4200
4	Metal-plastic pipe 16 mm	m.p.	700	39	27300
5	Damping tape from the substrate	m2	30	50	1500
6	Valtec manifold 1″, 7 x 3/4″, “eurocone”	PC.	2	1600	3200
7	Fitting for connecting to the manifold (Euroconus) 16x2 mm	PC.	14	115	1610
8	Pumping and mixing unit	PC.	1	14500	14500
9	Dowels and screws	PC.	300	1,5	450
10	Mounting tape	m.p.	50	11	550
11	Other components for heated water floors	pos	1	0	0
	Total by materials				78282
	Name of works	Unit change	Qty	Price	Sum
1	Rough screed	m2	96	60	5760
2	Installation of damper tape	m.p.	160	60	9600
3	Laying waterproofing	m2	100	60	6000
4	Laying the mounting grid	m2	110	150	16500
5	Pipe installation	m2	96	300	28800
6	System pressure testing	m2	96	20	1920
	Total by work				68580
1	Total by materials				78282
2	Total by work				68580
3	Total				146862
	Overhead transportation costs			10%	14686
	In total, according to the estimate, installation of a water heated floor system is 1 floor.				161548

Installation of warm water floors is shown in the video:

Warm floors heated with water are quite an attractive solution. But if you want to install them yourself, without resorting to the help of professionals and without spending money on their services, you will have to thoroughly study the topic and learn all the intricacies. You should know both the principles of connection and the methodology for constructing the base. Laying will also have to be done using special technology.

Design

There are many types of heated water floors on the market. It is produced by dozens of leading manufacturers. But regardless of the specific make and model mandatory components it turns out:

• boiler that heats water;
• water pump;
• ball valves (they are placed at the inlet to the boiler);
• pipes;
• a collector device that allows you to configure and regulate floor heating at your discretion;
• fittings through which the main route is mounted, starting from the heater, and pipes are also connected to the collectors.

Each of these components has its own characteristics. Thus, the pipes must be made of polypropylene with a reinforcing fiberglass layer, otherwise there is a high risk of their excessive expansion when hot. Polyethylene has a lower level of thermal expansion. In this case, the optimal pipe diameter is from 1.6 to 2 cm. Find out when purchasing whether they can withstand a pressure of 10 bar when pumping water heated to 95 degrees.

The manifold through which water enters the pipeline is sometimes called a splitter. One of these devices sorts hot water along the heating circuits, and the other collects it after passing through the entire system. Both devices are installed inside the manifold cabinet. High-quality design of the collector group also includes:

• valves;
• air vents;
• devices that regulate water consumption;
• units for accelerated drainage of liquid in a critical situation.

A manifold with a shut-off valve is impractical, so it is better to choose options equipped with control systems that ensure a smooth change in the flow of coolant into one or another circuit.

The exact length and installation step when installing pipes is calculated individually for all premises (rooms). There are no uniform standards here. If you do not feel sufficiently prepared to perform independent calculations using specialized software, use the services of design organizations. Designers will need to know what the size of the room is, how powerful the boiler will be installed, what the walls in the house (apartment) are made of, what are the properties of the ceilings and partitions. The type of floor covering, the installation of the insulating layer and the diameter of the pipes must be taken into account.

The design must indicate not only the length of the pipe, but also the installation step and the rational installation path. Additionally they calculate heat losses, hydraulic resistance (it must be strictly the same in each circuit). It is undesirable to use large contours (100 m and longer).

It is better to divide each one into several smaller ones. All circuits are strictly one pipe, so joints and couplings when laying in a screed are prohibited. Verandas, attics and loggias are heated separately from the adjacent rooms.

Remember that pipes need to be laid starting from the outer walls, and a uniform reduction in heating is achieved through the “snake” pattern.

In rooms where there is only interior walls, the design of the heated floor should be spiral, directed from the boundaries of the room to its middle. In this case, a double pitch is maintained between any pair of turns.

Please note: you should select and buy a collector only after how the number of contours and their characteristic features will be calculated. The simplest solution, equipped with only shut-off valves, is relatively cheap, but the lack of flexible adjustment options will cause a lot of inconvenience. The other extreme to avoid is an expensive manifold equipped with servos and premixers.

Such equipment in a private house or apartment is completely unnecessary, with the exception of giant cottages. When deciding which boiler to install, focus primarily on its power, which, even when operating in peak design mode, should have a reserve of at least 15%.

To ensure mixing of hot and cold coolant, thermostatic mixers are used. They can be two-pass (pair structures are placed on the supply and return pipes) and three-pass (with the addition of an electric drive, mounted at the boiler outlet). Take care of the presence of a servo drive and thermostat: investments in these devices are justified by the fact that it will be more convenient to use the system. Servo drives are placed on water supply combs.

Mechanical thermostats are relatively simple and reliable to use, so they are easy to use even for people with little knowledge of technology. Electronic regulators it’s a little more complicated, and if you need to flexibly adjust the operating parameters of a heated floor, you will have to purchase a programmable device.

Having understood in general terms the device and configuration of floor heating equipment, let’s now see how it works. From the boiler (in rare cases from the heated towel rail) water enters the pipeline. Passing through the thermostatic valve, it transfers a certain portion of heat to it. When a certain temperature is reached, the valve starts the process of mixing water taken from the return pipeline. For this purpose, a two-way or three-way valve, installed before the circulation pump (inside a special jumper).

The mixed liquid, having passed through the circulation pump, touches the thermostat, which ultimately gives commands to open and close the coolant supply from the return circuit to the main circuit. Thanks to this scheme, the water temperature is maintained within a given range of values ​​and is instantly corrected if it deviates from it. Then the water passes into the distribution comb (but only in a large room, where there is a need to distribute the coolant through several circuits and then pump it in the opposite direction).

By installing heated floors in several rooms at once, install a temperature-regulating manifold. This is necessary not only because each requires its own degree of heating, but also because a completely identical circuit length cannot be maintained. The adjustment is especially useful if one of the rooms is internal and the other has external walls.

Thermostats can measure the heating of the air in the room or the temperature of the floor covering. Focus on what is important to you and do not confuse these two types.

Make sure there is a bypass in the heating system. It will allow you to keep the equipment in perfect order if the water supply to all circuits is suddenly stopped at the same time.

Advantages and disadvantages

Water heated floor economical. A low coolant temperature (not exceeding 50 degrees) will reduce the current consumption of an electric boiler by 20% (compared to heating with radiators). Uniform heating of the entire area of ​​the home with a physiologically comfortable temperature distribution (22 degrees on the floor itself, 18 degrees at face level) can also be considered a positive side. The hidden location of the heating system completely eliminates burns and mechanical injuries in direct contact with it and the coolant, which is especially important if there are children in the house.

A safe water floor is also serves for a long time. Proper installation and correct selection of components allows the system to be used for 30-40 years. Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages. For example, increased complexity of installation (if you do not understand the problem well or do not have the necessary experience, contact professionals, or choose the electrical option). If the installation is carried out incorrectly, this not only reduces the heating efficiency, but also increases the risk of leakage.

If, due to installation errors, natural wear and tear, or any other problem, water begins to leak, you will have to dismantle the floor, dismantle the heating structure, replace it completely or partially, and only then reconnect it. Finally, in private residential buildings It will not be possible to use water floors as the only heat sources.

Long-term (tens of hours) heating cannot be considered a disadvantage: especially since significant thermal inertia will allow the floor to stably heat the air even during short-term interruptions. Be prepared that installing a water floor (even with your own hands) will be significantly more expensive than installing its electric version. Some materials in terms of 1 sq. m can cost at least 1,500 rubles. When a crew is brought in, they will need to pay no less.

Good result is achieved provided that the floor is raised by at least 10 cm. Costs are also associated with the installation of control systems, manifold cabinets and air outlet valves.

Where is it used?

Such a heating system in an apartment room can only be used theoretically. The technical obstacles are very serious. The fact is that feeding the pipeline with ready-made hot water is extremely dangerous and is simply prohibited, and special heating of cold water is expensive and complicated. In addition, any effective systems are bulky and heavy, that is, they take up a considerable part of the height of the room, placing a significant load on the surface of the floor and ceilings.

In private wooden house The thermal loads on individual circuits, if they differ, are insignificant. Therefore, think carefully about whether it is worth installing expensive, complex systems automatic control in a small dwelling. A large cottage or house with unheated rooms is another matter.

It is quite possible to install a water floor in a frame house, but its installation has an important difference - due to the extremely lightweight foundation, you will have to abandon the use of heavy concrete screeds or cement-sand mixtures. It is more correct to use dry polystyrene installation. It was specially invented for frame dwellings. Please note that in order for the thermal effect to be maximum, you will have to think about good insulation external walls, which are usually made thin.

The water floor heating system also has its own specifics in the bathroom. If it is installed in an apartment, we recommend getting advice from a design organization, as well as creating and registering an official project and obtaining consent from neighbors. It is advisable to supply the circuit with coolant from a heated towel rail, and two-way valves at the inlet will prevent the water temperature lower and higher up the riser from decreasing. Regardless of whether you need to heat the bathroom in an apartment or in a private house, Pay maximum attention to waterproofing. It is worth investing in a special kind of film or euroroofing felt.

The base is poured using expanded clay or small crushed stone. To prevent the appearance of irregularities, beacons must be placed. Please note that you cannot walk on bathroom floors filled with screed for 5-6 days. In this case, you will have to regularly wet the surface, otherwise it may crack. Since you can make it yourself cement mixture(which will not be covered with an intricate pattern of cracks in the next few years) a rare builder will be able to It's better to buy the whole thing ready-made composition in the shop. And we’ll do experiments another time, when thinking through the design of a heated bathroom, for example.

Tools for work

During the installation of hydronic heated floors, you need to use 18 different tools. You will definitely need:

• electric drill;
• screwdriver;
• construction hairdryer

Hand tools you will need:

• scissors;
• regular saw;
• metal saw;
• working knife;
• hammer;
• bit;
• vice;
• pliers;
• file.

Work with coatings is carried out using a spatula and a paint brush. measure out required dimensions you need a tape measure and a meter ruler, but in addition to them you will also need a sanding mesh or sandpaper.

In addition to the tools, you will also need the following materials:

• for thermal insulation, foil mats made of expanded polystyrene or slabs of the same material processed by extrusion are most often used;
• the damper self-adhesive tape should have a thickness of 0.5 to 1 cm. The pipes are secured using brackets, mounting strips, rotary arches and some other parts.

Preparing the base

According to the technology, the previous screed must be completely removed so that the base floor is exposed. Immediately level the floor surface if the deviation from the horizontal exceeds 1 cm. If, after removing the old floor covering, cracks, chips and crevices remain, use a cement or gypsum leveling mixture. Next, after making sure that there is no dust, dirt or construction debris left on the surface, a layer of waterproofing is placed on top of it.

The perimeter of the base is occupied by a damper tape, which will help compensate for the thermal expansion of the main floor covering during heating. It is important to take into account that when there are several contours at once, the tape should also be placed in the spaces between contours close to each other.

To reduce unproductive heat loss, you will have to additionally insulate the ceiling. Only in rare cases is it initially ready in this sense. The choice of thermal insulation material is determined by the following considerations:

• if the heated floor serves only as an assistant to the main heating system, you can limit yourself to foamed polyethylene with a reflective layer of foil;
• when the apartment is located above heated parts of the building, it is required to use extruded polystyrene foam 2-5 cm thick, or no less durable substitutes;
• in apartments located above a cold basement, more serious protection is required - expanded clay is poured and expanded polystyrene is laid in a total layer of 5 cm or more.

Modern manufacturers offer special insulating materials for heated floors. One side of such insulation has channels for installing pipelines. Recommended to use mineral wool, polystyrene foam and special mats. To strengthen the screed layer, a reinforcing mesh structure is used, to which pipes can be attached. Their connection is ensured by plastic ties, so there is no need for fastening strips or special clips. When the base is ready, there is no point in waiting for anything else - it’s time to start installing the floor heating equipment itself.

Installation

Connection diagram

Installation of a water heated floor always begins with the installation of a manifold cabinet. They install it in such a way that the distance to the pipelines going to and from all rooms is approximately equal. You can hide an unsightly-looking cabinet by building it into the wall (load-bearing walls are not suitable for this). Please note that the box is located above the heated floor, otherwise the air outlet will be blocked.

In system modern style(with rare exceptions) circulation is provided by pumping equipment. The pump installed inside the boiler is enough to pump water over an area of ​​150 sq. m, even if the building is two-story. If the total area of ​​the building is larger, you will definitely need to install additional pumps with advanced functions.

To make it possible to service the heating system without draining the water, the boiler inlet and outlet are equipped with shut-off valves. Using them, you can disconnect the heater for repair and maintenance at any convenient time. If there are two or more manifold cabinets, the main supply route is equipped with a splitter, immediately behind which narrowing adapters are placed.

Connecting pipes to the manifold involves the use of compression fittings or Eurocone devices. If necessary, you can run such pipes through the walls and cover them on all sides with an insulating layer of foamed polyethylene. When all the parts are laid out and each block is connected to its proper place, The system must be tested. After supplying water to the pipes, keep them under a pressure of 5 or 6 bar for 24 hours (depending on the design operating value). If such a check does not lead to the appearance of visually noticeable expansions, you can safely proceed to pouring the concrete layer.

Filling the screed is allowed only when fluid is supplied at the planned pressure. Drying time until ready is at least 4 weeks (in ideal conditions). If tiles are laid on top, the screed should have a thickness of 30-50 mm, and the pipes should be distributed at a distance of 100-150 mm from each other. Failure to comply with these rules, even if the connection of all elements is correct, will lead to uneven heating different parts surfaces.

Under laminate or linoleum, the screed may be thinner. Then the reinforcing mesh helps compensate for the decrease in its strength. If a heated floor is placed under a laminate, there is no need to install thermal insulation, otherwise the energy efficiency of heating will be reduced.

Shrinkage joints must be installed in the screed if:

• the room area exceeds 30 sq m;
• there is at least one wall longer than 8 m;
• the length is less than 50 or more than 200% of the width of the room;
• the configuration is complex and bizarre.

To form screeds, it is allowed to use a cement-sand mixture based on Portland cement (minimum M-400, and even better, use M-500). When ready-mixed concrete is used, its grade should be M-350 and higher. In addition to laying the damper tape, the reinforcing mesh where the seam runs is separated. The thickness of each seam is 1 cm, and its upper part is treated with sealant. When passing pipes in these places they should only be placed in the outer corrugated pipe.

Water floors should be put into operation at the onset of the first cold weather. Please note that the thermal inertia of the floor covering is high, and only after a few days, when it is overcome, optimal conditions will be created.

A heated floor cannot be connected to the battery (as well as to the existing central heating and hot water supply system)! This will not only cause sanctions from regulatory government agencies, but will also lead to disruption of the normal operation of utility systems. Be sure to install an autonomous heating boiler, which will become the source of hot water in the system. In addition to manual adjustment, you can control the heated floor using a servo drive and sensor, or weather automation.

Since the system must have control and regulating components, it must be connected to electricity. Warm floors in different rooms can be controlled by one thermostat only if the thermal conductivity of the floor covering is completely identical. Such a scheme requires the same or slightly different lengths of the contours. Thermostats can be connected to electrical networks directly or through an RCD, which is much safer.

To lay power cables, either a groove in the wall or an additional protective corrugation is used.

It must be taken into account that at the time of the initial connection machines must be set to the “off” position. Look carefully which wire should be connected to which phase. An alternative installation scheme (without a concrete screed) will be discussed a little further. For now, let’s just say that its main options are placing pipes in polystyrene foam grooves or in wood grooves. The time has come to see how the water heated floor pipes will be laid.

Laying technology

Modern technology Installing heated floors involves laying pipes and holding them in place with special fastening profiles. The profiles themselves are attached to the base with dowels or screws. The advantage of this solution is that the profile is equipped with fasteners in production. You do not need to carefully measure the step from one turn to another and carefully calculate it. A simpler option is fastening with plastic ties, pressed against the reinforcing structure.

However, the simplicity of such a scheme requires eliminating unnecessary force when tightening. Make sure the loop is free. The pipe coil is carefully unwound, not immediately, but directly during the work process. The manufacturer's instructions always require that the bend be made carefully along the smallest possible radius. When using polyethylene structures, it is most often 5 pipe diameters. Do not pinch the product if a whitish streak appears on it., since this means the appearance of a crease, which will subsequently easily break through and lead to flooding.

Installation according to the “snail” or “spiral” scheme is recommended for large rooms, and makes heating more even. The classic “snake” works best in small rooms, and if you need to supply heat to the flooring in a medium-sized room, it is advisable to prefer a “double snake”, in which the hot and return pipes are directed in parallel.

Whatever methods are chosen, try to reduce the number of joints between pipes, as well as the number of their turns. Similar areas, despite all the perfection modern technology and careful execution by professionals, dramatically increase the risk of leakage. Ideally, connections should be made only at the inlet and outlet of the boiler.

For connecting pipes, in addition to the options listed above, there are also the following devices:

• polyamide attracting clamp (2 pcs per meter);
• steel wire (similar consumption);
• stapler and 2 clamps per meter;
• fixing tracks, or PVC-based strips;
• polystyrene mats;
• aluminum distribution plates.

The operating rules indicate that, regardless of the method of holding the pipes, their fixation is ensured by meshes with a square cell of 15x15 mm, the wire diameter is maximum 0.5 cm. By introducing modern automatic devices into the system, it is possible to make the control of the water flow through the pipes not only independent of human factor, but also remote.

The final choice of installation option must be made taking into account the private properties of the premises and the functionality of their individual parts. The “snake” system is designed to supply water initially to the cold area, and only then throughout the rest of the floor, for example.

When the screed under laminate or linoleum is made thinner than usual, an additional reinforcing mesh is placed directly below it above the contour of the heating pipes.

How to do it correctly without a concrete screed?

A long wait (about a month or even more if weather conditions are unfavorable) does not suit everyone. Instead of a concrete screed, you can use a floor covering. Once you have laid the pipes, you will need to form the underlay for the finished floor. If there is a laminate on top, use cardboard and polyethylene foam. Filling under the tiles is also not necessary. Under it, as well as under linoleum, a special structure is prepared based on cement-bonded particle boards.

A warm water floor is installed on a wooden covering using aluminum distribution plates. The boards are pre-prepared, in which the necessary grooves are formed. You can make the most even surface in the bathroom with your own hands if you lay chipboards, plywood or gypsum fiber sheets over the pipes. Always carefully check that these materials meet sanitary regulations.

You can connect a warm water floor without a screed by laying pipes both between the joists and on the surface of the subfloor. Modular variation ( wooden blocks with milled grooves) can be replaced by slats, in which the plywood sheet is covered with slats. The intervals between them serve for the installation of pipes. Laying between joists necessarily requires the use of waterproofing, insulation, reflective plates with holes for the passage of pipes, the pipes themselves, a sheet of plywood and a finishing coating.

Laying on the flooring also involves placing insulation in the gaps of the joists on top of the waterproofing, and plywood or rough boards. A nuance: grind the boards to create channels for laying pipes. The reflective layer is made of foil, attached to the boards using staples. The pipes in the channels are held in place by narrow metal plates placed on top, and the plates themselves are also attached to the boards.

Instead of boards, you can use polystyrene mats of standard dimensions 1x0.5 m, connected to each other with a “lock” format fastening.

Always (regardless of the method of laying the heated floor) maintain an interval of 0.1 m to the wall, as this will significantly reduce the effect of thermal expansion of the floor materials. A hydrophobic coating is placed over the decking or joists. Only after this comes the turn of forming the finished floor.

In addition to the two described options for forming a heated floor without a screed, it is allowed to use a foam or wood substrate, or chipboard. Light, relatively thin floors are more expensive and are not very durable, but they are recommended for use:

• if necessary, lay a new coating over the old one without dismantling;
• if the height of the home is limited;
• if installation speed is critical for you;
• if it is impossible to arrange the delivery of concrete properly;
• if the floor is wooden;

In addition to facilitating the design, a heated floor system without screed has another undeniable advantage - it is easier to repair. Even the best pipes, laid correctly and operated with care, can suddenly burst. If you still want to use a full-fledged screed, but do not wait 28 days for complete drying, you should use semi-dry mixtures. Special additives in them make it possible to reduce the required amount of water, but the cost of such building materials is higher than in a simpler version.

Please note that installation of heated floors without screed is permissible only if the differences in floor level are 0.2 cm for every 2 sq. m of surface. If it is less even, a contraction layer, even the thinnest one, still needs to be created.

Possible mistakes

Even experienced home craftsmen who take on installing heated floors for the first time can make serious mistakes. Often, dried concrete screed is covered with a network of cracks. The reasons for this defect are varied. You can avoid its occurrence if:

• take care of the optimal density of insulation;
• make high-quality shrink seams;
• do not exceed the recommended thickness of the screed;
• do not try to dry it too quickly, speed up the normal hardening process;
• thoroughly compact the solution and strictly observe the proportions when forming it;
• add plasticizers according to the recipe.

The minimum density of insulation is 35 kg per cubic meter. Covering it with a polyethylene film will help prevent concrete from drying out too quickly.

This will help eliminate installation errors by 95% (except those caused by inattention, haste and manufacturing defects). drawing up preliminary designs. Having thought through the implementation of the system, “seeing” it on a piece of paper, you can detect shortcomings in advance and avoid their manifestation. It is better to mark on the sketch areas for furniture placement and other places where for some reason the circuit with the coolant should not pass.

The entire area that must be warmed is divided into sections of 15 sq. m each. At any site, the installation step of the pipeline is 10 cm. A common mistake is that people do not think in time which wall is best to install the collector, or they bring it too close to some heating circuits, moving it away from others. Choose the right heat source that connects to the heated floor.

Comfortable life is ensured at a coolant temperature of 40 to 45 degrees, which allows you to warm the floor to 26-30 degrees. Such heating is provided by condensing boilers, while other heating devices are not capable of heating water to less than 60 degrees.

Never place a thermal insulation layer on top of a heated floor and do not use carpets in the room, because these solutions will only worsen the quality of heating. Remember that polystyrene thermal insulation is dense, and it is not able to correct the unevenness of the rough screed, so from the first steps you need to do everything as accurately as possible. As for the thickness of polystyrene, contrary to the recommendations of most manufacturers, it is not necessary to maintain 10 cm (as a rule, 8 cm is enough even on the first floors).

You should not just lay a reflective film on top of the thermal insulation layer (this is a mistake), but it should be laid out evenly and wrapped around the edges of the polystyrene. Himself bottom material should be pressed more tightly to the walls through the damper tape. Do not connect the parts with tape, as they are intended for completely different purposes. This may be harmful to your health.

It is better to coat the edges of the blocks with glue. Another mistake that is often encountered in the work of non-professionals and “shabashniks” is different distances of pipes from the walls. Real craftsmen make it at least 100 mm and uniform in all rooms.

If it is necessary not only to lay pipes, but also to organize the rotation of the pipeline, it is necessary to bend the metal-plastic structure manually (and not using springs and other auxiliary tools). Please note that the reinforcing mesh should not touch the surface of the pipes, as this is considered a gross mistake. The circuits undergoing thermal compression and expansion will constantly push the network, and it will soon become deformed and fail.

According to experts, in the coldest parts of the room it is necessary to tighten the pitch of the “snake” to 0.1 m. First of all, this is done when laying heated floors near the outer walls. Do not try to heat more than 40 square meters of floor with one circuit. It is also worth organizing separate circuits for neighboring rooms with different temperature conditions. Installing metal-plastic pipes under a screed is preferable to installing pipelines made of other materials. The temperature of the coolant should increase systematically to reach the level you require 70-72 hours after connection.

The best point to install the pump is return pipe, located immediately in front of the boiler. Most often, expansion tanks are installed in the highest section of the circuit, however, closed membrane systems can be made in any other way. If you are powering your gas boiler from the main pipeline rather than from cylinders, you should obtain permission from the local authorities. Only specially trained personnel working in licensed organizations should be involved in the work.

Loops made from a single pipe with a cross-section of 1.6, 1.7 or 2 cm have a minimal risk of leaks at the joints.

According to current standards, the average temperature of the floors of residential premises is 26 degrees, and in those places where people visit periodically and a special thermal regime is required, it is 31 degrees. The highest permissible difference in heating of individual parts of the floor and coverings in different rooms is 10 degrees.

In order for the thermal output to be optimal and not force the system to operate excessively, it is necessary to carefully level the floor.

Deviations from the plane of more than 5 mm are not allowed. Their presence leads to overfilling of the circuits with air and unstable, inefficient heating operation. The functions of vapor and waterproofing are often performed by polyethylene film, and its minimum thickness is 0.02 cm, otherwise it will not be possible to guarantee complete protection of the insulation from dampness.

The film should be laid with an overlap of up to 100 mm, and its boundaries are held in place by adhesive tape, which covers the intersections of the floor and walls. When all the lower layers have been laid and even the pipes themselves have been installed, they need to be crimped differently depending on the material. Thus, metal-plastic structures must be subjected to an internal pressure of 6 bar for 24 hours. Before this, the circuits are filled 100% with water, and air is completely released through the drain taps.

There is another option: pour in coolant, bring its temperature to 80 degrees, keep it there for 30 minutes, after which, maintaining the pressure test, lay a concrete screed.

If the pipeline is made of cross-linked polyethylene, reducing the pressure, you will need to add water, and then repeat the test after 30 minutes. Then they wait 90 minutes, restore the previous pressure and leave the heating circuits alone for 24 hours. At the end of this pause the pressure drop should be a maximum of 1.5 bar.

After installing and checking all pipeline parts and additional components, photograph their location and write a description with reference to landmarks. Subsequently, if you need to repair a heated floor, such information will greatly simplify and speed up the work.

When you need to heat a very small area (the area around a sofa, armchair, table and other furniture, for example), flexible rolls with built-in plastic tubes are preferable. The technology allows cutting off the required part of the roll, bending it at any angle - the main thing is that the channels for the passage of liquid remain intact.

Compliance with these points will allow you to achieve complete success in installing a heated floor and enjoy its stable operation for several decades.

To learn how to make a water heated floor with your own hands, see the following video.

A water heated floor is a heating system that uses hot water as a heat source for the room. The operating principle of such a heating system is quite simple: special flexible pipes, through which the hot coolant spreads.

The heat source for such a heating system is a central heating system or a gas boiler. You can install a water heated floor yourself, but before doing this you will need to correctly draw up a project and decide on the connection method.

The water heated floor system installed in the apartment consists of:

• Water heating boiler;
• Circulation pump;
• Ball valves installed at the inlet to the boiler;
• Pipes for routing and laying the heating main;
• Collector;
• Regulation and adjustment systems;
• Fittings connecting the manifold to the pipeline.

The boiler that needs to be connected to the water heating system itself can be:

• Electric;
• Gas;
• Solid fuel;
• Liquid fuel.

A circulation pump is included with most boiler models, but before installing it, you should make a calculation and find out whether its power is sufficient for a heated floor system. The calculation takes into account the power of the heating circuit (kW) and the temperature of the coolant.

The collector distributes hot water through the heating circuit - it is used to set up and regulate heated floors in the apartment. You can make and connect a collector using metal-plastic pipes with your own hands - this will save money on installing the system.

The cake of a water heated floor laid in a screed is divided into three layers - these are:

• Shielding substrate;
• Heating circuit;
• Finish floor covering.

A foil-coated film is used as a shielding substrate. The film protects the heating circuit from possible heat loss.

The cake of a water heated floor without screed consists of:

• Primary sex;
• Thermal insulation layer, best of all - a special polystyrene plate;
• Aluminum plates for laying pipes;
• Heating pipes;
• Substrates;
• Finish coating.

Comparing water and electric heated floors, it should be noted that:

• It is more difficult and expensive to design and install a water floor than an electric one, but its operation is much cheaper. Heating 10 sq. m., a water floor consumes only 1.5 kW of electricity per hour.
• The water heated floor system is characterized by the difficulty of adjusting the temperature in the apartment. Adjusting the heating of electric floors is quite simple.
• Starting floor heating with a water system takes much less time than with an electric one.
• If the room is large, you can make the water floor the main source of heating; if the room is small, it is recommended to use an electric heated floor.

Water heated floor project

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Optimal floor heating temperature.

Instructions for drawing up a project require the availability of initial data, which includes the level of heat loss of the entire building and each room separately. In addition, it is necessary to calculate in advance the temperature that should be in each room.

The technology is focused on average data, so a water floor on average generates energy of 100 W/m2, which is equal to the average heat loss of an “average building”. When drawing up a project, you need to take into account that the warm water floor in each room will cover various heat losses. So, for example, in the bedroom they are 50 W/m2, in the living room 100 W/m2, in the bathroom 75 W/m2.

Pipe laying diagram

Pipes for the heat transfer system are made of cross-linked polyethylene, polypropylene, copper, metal-plastic or of stainless steel. Advantage polypropylene pipes lies in their low cost. Metal-plastic products retain shape stability and do not deform. Copper pipes have a long service life and a high degree of thermal conductivity. Pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene are characterized by high thermal stability and strength.

Before you start laying a water floor heating system with your own hands, you need to select the pipeline pitch. Here the pitch is the distance between the laid pipes that heat the floor. The pitch of the pipes affects how evenly the temperature will be distributed over the floor surface.

The installation instructions allow you to use steps from 5 to 60 cm, but most often pipes are laid in steps of 15-30 cm. The choice of this parameter must be made depending on the type and characteristics of the room, as well as the indicators of its calculated thermal load. For example, it is recommended to install a pipe system with a laying pitch of 15 cm in bathrooms and all those rooms where uniform heat distribution over the floor surface is important at a heating load level of more than 85 W/m2. You can lay the pipes yourself using the following diagrams:

When implementing the “snail” installation scheme, the pipeline must be laid in a spiral, which unwinds from the center of the room towards the walls. “Snail” is the most popular and common method of laying pipes with your own hands. The design of such a circuit allows the supply and return to be located nearby, which helps to equalize the average temperature of the floor, in which cold zones will not arise.

This scheme allows heating to be carried out in the coldest areas located along the external walls. The reverse circuit instructions allow for installation closer to the center of the room. Snake installation can be done in rooms with a sloping floor - it is important to correctly lay the heating circuit in the highest part of the room. This will contribute independent exit air from the pipeline to the collector.

The layout of the pipes in a double snake allows you to smooth out uneven floor heating. To perform this installation, you need to make double loops of the supply and return circuits. The installation technology allows for the combination of “snail” and “snake” patterns - pipes are laid in a snake around the perimeter of the walls, and in the middle of the room they are laid in a spiral.

All presented methods directly depend on the characteristics of the room and the angle of the floor.

Advice! In the coldest zones, it is necessary to increase the density of the snake laying step to 10 cm, especially for areas near external walls.

Methods for connecting a heated floor system

To connect the water floor with your own hands, follow the connection chain “pipes-manifold-boiler”. The most common options are:

• Systems using a collector.
• Connection using three-way mixers;
• Connection using a circulation pump.

When connecting using a manifold, the system is mounted so that return and supply pipes are freely connected to the manifold cabinet. Next, tank collector outlets are connected to the pipes, providing supply and reverse stroke coolant. The design is equipped with shut-off valves with thermometers installed in them to monitor the temperature regime.

Fastening of pipes, valves and other elements is carried out using compressor fittings. In addition, fastening the collectors to the water floor circuit can be done using special connections - a brass nut, a clamping ring or a support bushing. At the last stage, the collector is connected to coolant pipes.

If you install and connect a system with a three-way mixer, then it should be installed at the outlet of the return circuit. You can install such a system yourself by connecting a three-way mixer directly to the boiler using pipes.

The collector must be supplemented with a splitter, on the upper side of which an air vent is installed. This element will ensure the removal of air bubbles from closed system. All chain components can be secured using fittings or clamping rings.

If the system is different weak pressure water, and a mixer is not needed, then you can install a circulation pump equipped with a thermostat. The pump can be connected to the central heating system, but this must be done after agreement with the permitting authorities of the housing office. It is advisable to install the pump on the return circuit of the system, since when installed on the supply circuit it will take in excess water, which can harm the central heating system.

How to install a warm water floor with screed

The warm water floor system is installed in the following order:

1. The base is being prepared - the main requirement for the subfloor is a flat surface and dryness.
2. A waterproofing layer is laid. Ordinary polyethylene film can be used as waterproofing. The film is spread over the entire surface and taped at the joints.
3. Damper tape is laid. This needs to be done around the entire perimeter of the room.
4. A thermal insulation layer is installed. Foamed polystyrene foam can be used, over which a foil-coated film is laid.
5. In accordance with the markings, pipes are laid.

After the hydraulic tests have been carried out, it’s time to concrete pouring. In order to make reinforcement, you should use a metal mesh with a wire cross-section of 5 mm, with a cell size of 10x10 or 15x15 cm. The finishing screed can be poured from mixtures for self-leveling floors, special building mixtures or a solution with the addition of a plasticizer. The thickness of the concrete layer should not be more than 30-35 mm.

Advice! For leveling uncured screed, an aluminum strip with a length of up to 2 m is best suited. The plank will help you quickly and efficiently perform the initial leveling.

After completing the work, you need to wait until the pouring has completely hardened, and then lay the decorative coating.

How to install without a screed

Warm water-type floors can be installed without the use of a concrete screed - under a polystyrene base or wooden flooring.

Laying under the polystyrene base is carried out in the following order:

1. In accordance with the preliminary markings, a polystyrene foam base is laid in the form of plates. They are fastened to each other using special snap locks.
2. Aluminum plates are placed in the grooves, on top of which pipes are laid, oriented to the layout plan of the heating circuit.
3. A waterproofing layer can be laid on top of the plates - a regular polyethylene film will do.
4. The finishing coating is laid on top of the plates.

When using wooden modules, the following steps are performed:

1. The modules are placed on the logs, while maintaining a step of 600 mm.
2. A waterproofing and insulating layer is laid between the joists.
3. The modules are connected to each other with special locks.
4. Metal plates are placed on top of the layer of prepared modules.
5. Pipes are laid on top of the metal plates according to the selected pattern.
6. If tiles or linoleum are to be laid under a warm wooden floor, you will need to prepare a flat surface - place plasterboard sheets or chipboards on top of the metal plates, secure them and seal all joints and cracks with putty.