Tips and advice on choosing

I think that readers FORUMHOUSE I agree with the argument that the house or apartment is much more pleasant to walk barefoot or in socks? But often, concrete or wooden base, with laid on him the floor covering, it is not a comfort. Walk on this floor is cold and unpleasant.

Hence, by itself suggests a solution - to make our warm floor, and ideally, to arrange everything so that the floor is not only He warmed his feet, but also became a full-fledged heating for creating a microclimate as close as possible to the entire room ideal.

But where to start and how to choose the right system to you?

Most developers have heard that there are two main types of underfloor heating:

• Water heated floor;
• Electrical floor heating.

The advantages of the water floor heating:

• Reduces the cost of heating the room;
• Uniform heating of the entire volume of the room;
• There are no harmful electromagnetic radiation.

Among the major shortcomings of the water floor heating, you can select the high initial costs of installation and materials.

Advantages of the electric floor heating:

• Electrical floor heating quickly reaches a predetermined temperature;
• Long service life;
• The possibility of laying over the old coating.

The main disadvantage of the electric floor heating - this increased power consumption.

So, based on the experience of participants FORUMHOUSE and comments spetsialistovmy tell you:

• The fact that you need to know to choose the right floor heating;
• About the design features of the system of water and electric underfloor heating;
• About the features of the installation of water and electrical systems underfloor heating.

warm floor system - what is it?

In our time is nothing new system of water or electric underfloor heating in a private home or apartment. With the help of modern technology, you can install underfloor heating system in two main ways:

1. Encased in floor electric heating cables;

2. Be integrated in the floor pipes that are connected to the heating system.

But which of the two systems, it is best suitable for your home?

Seek clarification from the head of the technical department of direction "Internal engineering systems" company REHAUSergey G. Bulkin.

–Floor heating systems are used both as primary and as an additional heating and have a number of advantages over traditional radiators. Among them is the increased thermal comfort, and economy. This primarily applies to water underfloor heating installed in the gas line connected to the country house. But to finally understand what to choose, you need to understand the operation of water and electric underfloor heating.

The operating principle of water underfloor heating

The warm water-based floor heating is a network of pipes, which circulates coolant - hot water.

It should be noted that this system is not suitable for multi-family residential buildings with existing stoyakovoy wiring, and its installation is prohibited by law, as it leads to unbalance in the heating system houses.

In the cottage same building or in apartment buildings, in which the system water underfloor heating designed for the building in general, warm water floor not only has no limitations during installation, but will be the best solution to ekonomicheskoytochki view.

Typically, system installation is carried out "wet" method: heating pipes laid on the reinforcement mesh or mats are fixed on special and then poured concrete screed. In cases where the building slab is not able to withstand the combined weight of the concrete and the floor covering, for example, in older homes, the restoration to be applied "dry" method of installation.

The principle of operation of the electric floor heating

Operation of the electric floor heating is based on the principle of converting electrical energy into thermal energy. The heat source in this system is a heating cable with a braided shield that minimizes the level of harmful electromagnetic radiation.

Robust cable insulation protects it from damage in zones of overheating and enables the use of the system even in rooms with high humidity, such as in the bathroom.

Unlike water underfloor heating, the heating cable is ideal for installation in apartments. The mats on which the cable is attached, have a small thickness and assembled into a layer of tile adhesive, whereby the electric system of a warm floor is practically no effect on the height of the room. However, the decision to call absolutely perfect difficult as operating costs in water underfloor heating is much lower.

Advantages of underfloor heating systems

Often, a homeowner or resident of the apartment buildings is facing a difficult choice - a warm floor it set to achieve the maximum level of comfort.

Sergey G. Bulkin:

– Both developments are able to create a comfortable temperature in the house, and use the most advantageous for the person heating scheme - 'feet warm, head out in the cold. " Residents of apartments in houses suschestvuyuschihpanelnyh preference should be given to the electric warm floor, and the owners of cottages can stay in the water system.

What is the main advantage of a warm floor in front of a conventional heating system?

Artem Podymov (The company's product manager "Engineering Ego"):

- Warm floor creates a perfect distribution of temperature with height. Zone comfortable temperature for a person with radiator heating is at a distance of the order of 140-150 cm above the floor. To a level of 50 cm above the floor temperature does not exceed 16-17 degrees, and the main warm air, as we know from school physics course, goes to the ceiling. Using floor heating causes the temperature distribution along the vertical in the most comfortable sequence.

Heated floor does not generate such powerful convective flows as radiators, heat is distributed uniformly, no dust in the air circulation.

When using the system of warm floors, also stored natural humidity. Since the system is underfloor heating, unlike conventional heating system almost does not burn oxygen in the air.

Features of operation of the water floor heating

Since water floor heating system is generally not applicable with the central heating system, it is recommended to install external sensors control temperature, as in the case if the system is set up automatically, it will optimally adjust the temperature in the house in the absence of it hosts.

Additionally, you can customize chronothermostats so that the room temperature is automatically reduced when in the absence of the owners, as well as increased when they return home. This setting allows you to save considerably on heating costs.

What else needs to know about the features of the customer installation of water warm floor?

Artem Podymov:

- The system must be built on a monobrand, as if the consumer will buy units or components on separate systems, they risk not receive 100% compatibility with the components installation. system installation work must be performed by a qualified installer, as an independent configuration and installation system can lead to breakage and failure of the pump-mixing unit as well as the leakage in the event of poor seal.

Also specialist must correctly calculate and adjust the heating medium parameters using flow meters and shut-off and regulating valves. If the settings were not configured correctly, then the operating system the user can face the fact that the floor or overheated, or vice versa does not provide the necessary heat and warms the room.

The recommended work heating medium is not more than 45 C, the maximum temperature of 50-55 C.

Features maboutWall Inserted Switchboard underfloor

Developers are well aware of the fact that the installation of any engineering system requires a professional approach. Is no exception and floor heating system.

Vitaly Luzhetsky (Forum name Vitaon).

- As mentioned above, in a private home is uniquely you should use water heated floor, as in terms of reliability and cost of heating it is more advantageous than an electric floor heating. Among the advantages of electric floor heating can be distinguished lower initial installation costs, as how under him do not need to do, you can put a thick screed on the floor, just below the heating cable tile. Among the disadvantages of high power consumption, which leads to high costs for electricity costs.

If we consider the electric floor heating as the heating apartments 100 m2 system, the required power would be 8.10 kW so the apartment, electric underfloor heating are often used for heating small areas such as bathrooms, balconies, kitchen.

For high-quality floor heating installation requires good insulation of the base floor. Most often used for this purpose polystyrene. On top of a heater placed heat reflective screen - this allows you to direct heat across the screed.

The next phase of work involves the installation of the heating elements warm the floor. Whether the heating cable or conduit supplying hot water for a warping one - surface stability. When laying the pipe system water floor heating should remember one of the main rules.

Vitaly Luzhetsky:

–The main type of stacking a snail, so warm up evenly. Laying snake used in small spaces and outside walls, where cold. Temperature control in the warm water produced floors mixing unit which mixes hot water from the boiler and have chilled water which flows back through pipes.

As a central control unit for the water floor heating distribution comb is used, with mounted thereon is applied and the temperature regulating valves. Electrical floor heating, regulated only by a thermostat measuring the temperature by a sensor imbedded in the floor, which deactivates the heating cable from the power supply when a predetermined threshold temperature.

It is also worth considering that the radiant floor heating to raise the average level of the floor by 5-7 cm, which leads to a corresponding decrease in the height of the ceiling.

Water floor heating as the heating system at home

I think that many of the users forumhouse.ru We heard that the water warm floor can be used as the main home heating system. Sounds great, but what are the conditions necessary for this?

Vitaly Luzhetsky:

- To use the water floor heating as heating the house, you must first calculate the heat loss of the house. Since different finishing floor covering has a different heat dissipation. For example: tiles 100 W / m2, a laminate 70 W / m2, linoleum carpeting and 40-60 W / m2 board 50-60 W / m2, the lower thermal conductivity material the lower its efficiency.

If heat loss from the house below the indicated quantities with different coatings, then, the floor may serve as the primary heating source. If the heat loss does not overlap with warm floors, you need to install additional heating.

Summarizing it can be said that the selection and correct installation of floor heating requires a thoughtful approach and expertise. Only then the system will be for many years to please you with its trouble-free operation!

Learn more about the electrical warm floors users FORUMHOUSE It is from this themes in our forum. Heated discussion of water underfloor heating is conducted here. Check out our videoYou get acquainted with the secrets of the water floor heating installation, and this THE VIDEO underfloor presented the latest innovations for 2014.

Discuss the article and read other materials devoted to country life you can on the websiteFORUMHOUSE.

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