How to organize heating? This question is asked by everyone who builds or overhauls a house or apartment. Today, new technologies are being used to organize heating of residential premises. Which one should you choose so that your heating is cheap, efficient, easy to manage, and aesthetically pleasing?
A popular, modern solution is heated floors, which allows, with less energy consumption, to create a comfortable temperature regime in rooms and individual living areas, where the requirements for air temperature differ significantly from other rooms, for example, in the bathroom, hallway.
Electric underfloor heating has advantages and disadvantages compared to water. Below we will look at different electric heated floors, how to choose an option for tiles or laminate, features of their installation and operation.
What types of systems are there?
The most popular types of electric heated floors are:
- electrical cable;
- electric mats;
- rod infrared;
- infrared film.
Before choosing the option that suits your requirements, you should get to know each in more detail and study their characteristics.
Electric cable
The cable floor is a heating cable of 2 types:
- single-core (cheapest),
- two-wire
To install the system, be sure to make a new screed from a special solution into which the cable is laid, maintaining the correct distance between the rows. When laying, it is important to monitor the distance between the cables in order to avoid cold zones during its operation.
A two-core cable creates a smaller electromagnetic field during operation, it is easier to install, but it is more expensive than a single-core cable.
Advantages of the solution:
- simple,
- the cheapest.
Electrical mats
This option is represented by a durable mesh on which the heating cable is fixed at the correct distance. The cable can be, as in the previous case, single-core or two-core. The mats represent almost ready-made system, equipped with:
- sensors,
- thermostat,
- control panel.
Laying warm mats and starting the system is much easier and faster than using a classic cable. There are many options for warm mats equipped with additional materials, facilitating their installation, improving energy efficiency, for example, a ready-made layer of thermal insulation.
Rod infrared floor
This modern solution consists of carbon rods that emit infrared radiation when an electric current passes. The rods are fixed to the mesh.
System advantages:
- much more environmentally friendly than simple cable, as it does not emit electromagnetic radiation;
- more economical;
- In areas where furniture is installed, the rods can reduce infrared radiation, helping to prevent the floor from overheating.
The system has a significant drawback - users note the low reliability of the rods; quite often they fail.
Infrared film electric floor
This modern, popular solution features a thin film capable of emitting infrared radiation.
Advantages:
- like infrared rods, the film does not emit harmful electromagnetic radiation;
- the film can be laid directly under the floor covering, without a screed, avoiding raising the floor level;
- the film can be laid under laminate, even under linoleum; in the latter case, it is covered with fiberboard.
The only drawback of the system is the limited durability of the control devices (about 7 years), however, to replace them you do not need to open the screed, as in the systems described above.
Which option should I choose?
Each option has advantages and disadvantages. What is better: film or cable, cable or rod? There is no single answer, it all depends on the conditions and budget. If your budget allows, it is advisable to opt for a modern infrared film field. IR film flooring allows you to save on screed; it is not needed. The film can be laid directly under the laminate. The limited durability of monitoring devices is a small minus, since replacing them is not difficult and relatively inexpensive. Absence electromagnetic radiation make the system environmentally friendly.
System power
An important equipment parameter is the power of the heating system. Before installation, it is important to select the correct power for:
- character, type of premises;
- electrical requirements.
Selection of power for different types of premises
Standards for optimal air temperature for different types of premises vary:
- for the living room – 20 °C;
- for the bathroom – 25 °C;
- for the corridor – 16 °C.
Standards determine the advisability of choosing different heating power. When calculating, the heat losses of each room should be taken into account. In general, the power range of the system is 50-160 W/m².
In rooms with higher temperatures, it is important to increase the power of the heating system. For example:
- in bathrooms where heated floors operate for a short time, but high temperatures are required for comfort, it is advisable to provide a heating power of 160 W/m²;
- for other types of premises, a power of 90 W/m² is sufficient.
The exception to this rule is situations of increasing power demand due to poor thermal insulation.
Electrical requirements
What are the requirements for the electrical network in order to effectively and safely use a warm electric floor?
The electricity consumption of the electric floor system per area is 50-160 W per 1 m². It is necessary to provide additional power used by the heating elements. In order for operation to be safe, additional installation of electrical wiring and devices that provide additional load should be trusted by a qualified electrician, the network must be in good working order and checked. This required condition obtaining a manufacturer's warranty for almost any system. The electric heating system must be protected by a residual current circuit breaker.
Installation of heated floors in previously constructed buildings
Can electric underfloor heating be the only heating system in a building? Of course, yes, but it is necessary to carefully analyze the features and feasibility of such a choice. Each building should be considered individually; the choice of system should be preceded by:
- heat balance calculation;
- estimating the cost of using the system;
- assessment of power conditions.
Using electric underfloor heating as the only heat source will be problematic in areas where there are frequent power outages. Electric heating is particularly advantageous in new home construction where modern insulating materials are used.
On the market you can find many solutions for installing electric heated floors in built premises. Such a system can be installed during floor reconstruction. It should be remembered that underfloor heating will increase the demand for electricity. Before deciding to install, you should check:
- is it possible to increase the power supply in the house;
- whether the existing electrical equipment can withstand the additional load (especially in older buildings).
Advantages compared to water heating
Electric heating starts heating immediately after switching on. How does electric floor heating work? Less inertia of the electrical system consists in the immediate release of full thermal power to the heating element, immediately after turning on the power. In the case of a water system, the water must travel from the heating point (boiler, heat pump) to the heating point (pipe system in the room), so the heat in the floor is felt only after some time.
The electric heating element is placed directly under the tile, in the adhesive layer. Thanks to this, the plates warm up faster, since there is no need to warm up the concrete base layer of the floor. In water heating systems, the tubes first heat the concrete, then the tiles are heated. Another factor that reduces the inertia of electric heating is the high efficiency of the heating elements, since the cables can generate power up to 160 W per 1 m², which is much more than that of a water heated floor system.
System management
Electric floor heating is performed separately in each room. The level of air heating in the rooms is monitored by temperature regulators, one for each room or each heating zone.
The thermostat controls maintaining the set temperature with the ability to adjust:
- degree of air heating;
- the period of time when a specific room should be heated.
Each system is independent, so it can be controlled individually. If necessary, you can organize the management of all heating points centrally.
Depending on the selected type of control, you can control the temperature in two ways:
- locally, in each room using a programmable thermostat;
- centrally using a central controller, the system remote control can be wired or wireless.
Connecting thermostats to a network and programming them centrally for each room is a very convenient feature that makes everyday life easier, eliminating the need for the user to manually adjust each heating element. This control method allows you to more accurately control heating costs.
Until recently, central control of independent controllers required additional cabling, which entailed additional costs. Today, thanks to centralized management systems in wireless networks, central management has become much easier.
What is better to use: floor or air temperature sensors?
The functionality of the electric underfloor heating system depends on the type of sensors. The type of sensors used is determined depending on the role that the electric floor will play in heating the home:
- if this is the main heating system, the air temperature must be controlled for proper thermal comfort;
- if heated floors are used as additional equipment to heat individual rooms or living areas, sensors are installed that measure the floor temperature.
Air temperature is measured and controlled using thermostats. In some cases, you can also use regulators that measure air and floor temperatures - this option also serves to protect the system from possible overheating, especially in rooms where the air temperature sometimes drops sharply, for example, in hallways.
Installation of electric heated floor - video
Selecting the screed type
What type of screed and what thickness should be used? Heating cables can be immersed in a layer:
- glue directly under the tiles,
- concrete.
There are no mandatory requirements for the type or depth of cable installation. It is preferable to use concrete screeds designed for underfloor heating. The recommended screed thickness varies:
- for a direct heating system it is 3-5 cm,
- for accumulating - 7-10 cm.
Is it true that when installing heated floors, wider joints should be made when laying tiles? For floors equipped with heating, only elastic grout is selected, intended for electric heating. The width of the joints depends on the size of the tiles used.
Electricity consumption
Electricity is an expensive source of heat. When considering the cost of operating an electric heating system, you should consider more than just the cost of electricity. Important arguments:
- almost zero cost of system maintenance;
- long service life of heating elements (50 years);
- universal availability of electricity;
- safety;
- low inertia;
- An electric floor can heat a home relatively inexpensively at night, when electricity is cheaper (using a night tariff), accumulating heat in the floor, and releasing it during the day.
Optimizing the cost of electric underfloor heating, as well as other systems, lies in the economical use of heating, thanks to the use of modern programmable thermostats. Electricity bills can be reduced by programming heating times throughout the day. For example, due to:
- night heating;
- turning off the heating during ventilation;
- reducing heating intensity when no one is home.
If heating cables are used only to achieve the effect of a warm floor, for example in a bathroom, the system can only be started for a few hours - in the morning and evening, when we use the bathroom.
One of the types of heating systems often used in homes is heated floors powered by electricity. For example, highly reliable cable systems. Modern electrical underfloor heating systems are designed to be easy and quick to install.
- Principle and features of work
- Pros and cons of warm electric floors
- Types of electric heated floors
- Cable heated floor
- Infrared heated floor
- Film heated floor
- Rod heated floor
- How to choose a heated floor model?
- Electric heated floor under tiles
- Electric underfloor heating for laminate and parquet
- Electric heated floor under carpet or linoleum
Principle and features of work
An electric heated floor is heated by electricity, i.e., first of all, the electric cable heats up, and it gives off heat to the floor surface.
A typical heating system kit includes:
- underfloor heating element (cable, mat, etc.);
- power wires that supply voltage to the heating elements and are connected to them by couplings;
- monitoring device (sensor);
- control device (thermostat).
Additional materials may also be required during installation:
- thermal insulation;
- damper tape;
- reinforcement mounting mesh;
- tape and other consumables.
When operating conventional electrical wires that are connected to sockets and lamps, the cross-section of the conductor is calculated and the appropriate rating of automatic shutdown devices is set. This is done to ensure that the wires do not overheat during operation, because otherwise their insulation will dry out, crack and crumble, which will ultimately inevitably cause a short circuit in the network.
The wires in the heating elements of underfloor heating work completely differently. In them, electricity must be converted into heat as efficiently as possible. Here the wires are special, they are not destroyed by heat and can work in this mode for many years. The best manufacturers of such systems guarantee 20 years of operation of their products.
Pros and cons of warm electric floors
When choosing a heated floor design, you need to compare the pros and cons of the available options.
Advantages of electric heated floors
- Allows you not to be afraid of water leaks.
- It works completely silently.
- It does not require space and remains invisible because it does not require a boiler and pumps, like a water-heated floor.
- An electric heated floor heats the surface evenly, which cannot be achieved with water systems.
- Easy temperature control using an ergonomic remote control and thermostat.
- Long service life, which can reach 50 years.
But there are also disadvantages to electric heating systems:
- Very expensive operation does not allow heating large areas of premises; in this case, hydraulic heating systems are cheaper.
- The generation of electromagnetic radiation is true, it is very weak and does not harm a person, but it still exists.
- A serious load on the electrical network, which not every household network can withstand.
Types of electric heated floors
Electric heating in such systems can be carried out by two types of heating elements:
- in the form of a cable;
- in the form of films with infrared radiation.
They can also be classified according to their design method:
- Heating cable (single or double core). It can be self-regulating.
- Warm floor “electric mats” - when the same cable is already attached to the mounting grid.
- Film heated floor - uses an infrared heating element.
- Rod heated floors also use the infrared heating principle.
There is no clear answer to the question of which floors with electric heating are best to choose, since each system is not without its advantages, but also disadvantages.
Cable heated floor
The heating element here is a special cable that converts the electricity passing through it into heat. Moreover, in cable heating elements there can be different cables: single-core, double-core or self-regulating:
- A single-core cable includes a single heating filament, its ends are brought together during installation and one of them is connected to the phase current-carrying wire, and the second to the neutral wire.
- A two-core cable contains two threads, so its installation should not be reduced to a loop, but use a “dead-end” installation method.
- A type of two-core cable is a self-regulating cable, which is able to regulate the degree of heat generation in its different sections. It is often used to protect pipes from freezing and in snow melting systems.
- A heating mat is a single-core or two-core cable that is fixed to a mounting grid with a certain pitch. Its advantage is that it can be embedded not only in a concrete screed, but also in a layer of tile adhesive in the bathroom, if this is the finishing coating used there. Thanks to this, you can reduce the thickness of the floor in the bathhouse and speed up the installation process.
Electric floor heating systems based on cable heating elements are good because they can conveniently create any configuration of the heating zone (heating mats, alas, cannot boast of this).
Any cable structures heat up quickly (in 10-15 minutes) and are capable of continuously releasing heat for 4-6 hours.
It is best to install cable systems under any stone covering (porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles, etc.).
Infrared heated floor
This system is divided into film and rod heated floors.
Film heated floor
It is made from a multilayer polymer film, the thickness of which ranges from fractions of a millimeter to several millimeters. At the edges of the canvases there are thin copper electrodes, to which thin graphite strips located between the polymer layers are connected, which are heating elements.
Advantages of film heated floors:
- The film for heated floors with infrared radiation is universal - it goes well with different floor coverings: laminate, parquet, tiles, etc.
- You can create such a floor with your own hands if you have minimal skills.
- Relative efficiency - per unit area it spends no more than 30-70 W of electricity.
But film floors, especially those made of too thin film, are quite easy to damage, however, they will continue to work even after that, except at the point of damage.
Repairing such a floor, including dismantling the floor covering, replacing the damaged area and reinstalling it, will be very expensive. Therefore, the installation of such floors must be treated very scrupulously and carefully.
Rod heated floor
It also uses an infrared heating system, but here the heater is flexible rods made of a composite material containing carbon and silver.
The advantage of this heating system is the ability to use it on any flat surface, even on the ceiling.
Other benefits:
- Even if several rods are damaged, the system will continue to work.
- The installation of rod systems is so simple that any man who knows how to hold tools in his hands can handle it.
- It can be placed under any floor covering, including in a bathtub under a layer of tile adhesive or under a thin layer of screed.
Video about the types of electric heated floors:
How to choose a heated floor model?
When deciding how to choose a particular heated floor model, you should be guided by the following criteria:
- will the warm floor serve as the main source of heat in the house or only as an additional one;
- what kind of flooring is planned to be used indoors;
- what is the total height of the room and the condition of its ceilings.
Different floor coverings require the installation of different heating elements. Not all systems are suitable for carpet or tile, and others cannot be placed under parquet or laminate, so you need to choose which electric heated floor is best for a specific finish.
Electric heated floor under tiles
Under porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles you can put:
- self-regulating and resistive cables;
- rod systems;
- cable mats.
If you really need to combine them, then you need to put a reinforcing mesh on the heating film, and only then fill everything with tile adhesive. But at the same time, a significant part of the thermal radiation gets stuck in these layers. Therefore, this option will be ineffective; moreover, rod mats and infrared films are the most expensive materials used in electric heated floors. It is worth using a cheaper and more effective solution.
Electric underfloor heating for laminate and parquet
Laminate and parquet can be heated with the following systems:
- heating cable;
- infrared film;
- rod mats;
- cable mats.
Although you can use any design, the film one still turns out to be the most convenient, since its installation will be the easiest. If you take heating cables, you should prefer self-regulating ones.
Electric heated floor under carpet or linoleum
You can also place any heating electrical elements under the linoleum.
Therefore, if the elements mentioned above are used, they must be supplemented with a properly installed high-quality temperature sensor.
It is much better to combine self-regulating wires and rod mats with linoleum, since they do not overheat.
Film heating performed quite well in combination with these coatings. Although the film is afraid of overheating (blocking), its melting point is very high, which provides an additional margin of safety if the system’s temperature sensor fails.
Are you considering electric underfloor heating as a heating system for your home? Which type would you install and why? Tell us about your plans or experience in the comments - they will be of interest to other builders!
Electric heated floors are popular due to their ease of installation and durability. It also does not require any additional communications other than electricity, so it is successfully used in private construction. Making an electric heated floor is not difficult; its installation does not require special knowledge and takes little time. Let's look at the main steps and important nuances that you need to know when installing a heated floor.
Electric heated floors are successfully used in absolutely any type of premises. These can be apartment or private houses, garages, bathhouses or loggias. It is only important to correctly select the power of the system and ensure sufficient thermal insulation. This method can be used as the only source of heating the room. But energy costs can add up significantly.
Types of electric heated floors (ETF)
All options for organizing such systems are divided into three groups.
- ETP based on heating wire. The entire system consists of a thermostat, a temperature sensor and a long double-insulated wire that produces heating. This is the cheapest, but also the most labor-intensive option. The wire must be laid out on the base floor and secured in a special mounting tape. It is important to maintain the same distance between the turns of the wire and to avoid kinks and overlaps of the wire.
- ETP based on heating mats. This option is more convenient to install, since the wire is factory laid in special reinforcing mats and rigidly fixed to them. You don't need to worry about laying out the wire, just lay out the mats of the required power on the base and connect them. This saves significant time and reduces the risk of error.
- ETP based on infrared film. This option is fundamentally different from the previous two. Heating occurs due to infrared healing of the carbon material deposited on the film base. This option does not necessarily require the use of a cement screed; the finishing coating can be laid directly on top of the film. However, this is the least reliable and uneconomical option for ETP.
Comparative characteristics of cable and film heated floors
| Signs | Film heating | Cable heating |
|---|---|---|
| Utility room | No need | No need |
| Floor thickness with screed | 5-10 mm | 50-100 mm |
| Installation time | 1 day | 1 day |
| Ready for use | Straightaway | 28 days |
| Installation options | Floor, ceiling, walls, any surfaces | Floor. Installation on other surfaces is possible, but difficult |
| Reliability | If even a significant part of the system is damaged, undamaged segments continue to operate | If the cable is damaged in any way, it completely fails. |
| Repair costs | Minimum | Highs, 100% |
| Service | Not required | Not required |
| Freezing in winter | Absent | Absent |
| Health effects | Positive healing | Neutral subject to high-quality two-core cable |
| Heat distribution and impact on coatings | Uniform heating | Uneven temperature distribution, there are zones of increased temperature |
| Zoning | Possibility of organizing separate spot zones | |
| Expenses | Relatively low initially. Energy saving | Relatively low initial, operational - according to the meter |
Operating principle of ETP
In the case of heating wire and mats, the conductor is heated under the influence of the electric current flowing in it. The wire heats the screed, which in turn heats the finish coating. Heating occurs by convection.
In the case of using infrared film, heating occurs by thermal radiation of the carbon layer, which occurs under the influence of electric current. This radiation heats the finish coating and objects located close enough to the floor. They heat the air in the room by convection.
Temperature regulation is carried out using a temperature sensor and a thermostat through which the heated floor is connected.
How to choose the required power of a heated floor
Before calculating the power, you need to know whether the room will be heated only with the help of an EHP or whether it will complement the main heating system, creating additional comfort. Each ETP manufacturer indicates in the technical data sheet of its product what power must be selected in each case.
For most rooms, a value of 120-140 W/m2 is selected as a comfortable ETP based on a heating wire or heating mat. If the ETP is made on the basis of infrared film, then the comfortable value is 150 W/m2.
If the room will be heated only by ETP, then the value 160-180 W/m2 is selected for the heating wire or mat, and for infrared film the power should be 220 W/m2.
If you use a heating mat or infrared film, then the power per square meter is known in advance and you just need to choose suitable option. If a heating cable is used, the power will depend on the distance between its turns. You need to know in advance the area and shape of the heating surface, after which you will determine the required distance using the tables in the technical data sheet or instructions. Usually it is 10-30 cm depending on the power of the cable.
It is important to take into account the maximum possible load on the building's electrical network, and also to use switching equipment designed for the appropriate load current.
What consequences can result from errors during the installation of ETP?
A common mistake is laying ETP under massive furniture and household appliances. Insufficient cooling of the floor surface can cause the wire to overheat and fail.
Never turn on heating wires or mats until the screed is completely dry. Even short-term activation can damage the heater. Checking the integrity of the laid cable and correct connection is only possible by measuring the resistance. This does not apply to infrared film flooring; it can and should be connected to the network for testing.
Do not bend the wire, do not step on it, and avoid pulling on the wire. All this can lead to damage to the conductor or insulation and breakdown of the entire system. Also avoid damaging the heating film if you are installing an infrared ETP.
Do not forget to monitor the insulation resistance at all stages of work, especially before pouring the screed. The value should not differ from that declared by the manufacturer by more than 10%. If you see a large discrepancy in the values, stop work and locate the area of damaged insulation. If this rule is neglected, then after the screed has dried, a very unpleasant surprise may await you in the form of a non-working ETP.
Do not pour the temperature sensor directly into the screed. Place it in the corrugation, which will be filled with screed. Sensors often fail and if you pour it into the screed, replacing it will require considerable effort.
When installing an infrared ETP, do not forget to insulate the current-carrying parts at the places where the film is cut. Otherwise, the protective equipment will constantly detect the leakage current and turn off the power to your ETP.
Advantages and disadvantages of ETP
The advantages of ETP are:
- ease of installation of the structure. This is especially true for heating mats and infrared film. They simply need to be laid out on the base and connected according to the instructions; this does not require any special knowledge;
- high reliability and durability. Provided the insulation is intact, the heating wire or mats embedded in the screed have an almost unlimited service life;
- high autonomy. ETP does not require connecting the house to the water supply and even works from an electric generator. This allows it to be used in village houses and cottages.
The disadvantages of this heating method include:
- relatively high cost of heating a room. EHP consumes quite a lot of power, especially if it is the only heating method;
- Due to the relatively low temperature of the floor surface, the air in the room warms up rather slowly. This is relevant if the EHP is the only source of heat and does not operate constantly. For example, in country house in winter;
- because the heating elements It is prohibited to place it under massive furniture; after completion of work, global rearrangement of furniture will be impossible.
Step-by-step instructions for installing ETP
Preparing the base
ETP flooring must be laid on a clean, dry base. It is necessary to cut a groove in the wall for the temperature regulator and wires. Carefully sweep away any accumulated debris.
After this, you need to put a layer of thermal insulation on the base, for example, penofol or expanded polystyrene. If there is a heated room on the floor below, then it will be enough to lay a layer of penofol 5 mm thick. If there is an unheated room or ground under the heated floor, then it is necessary to use polystyrene foam with a thickness of 20 mm to 50 mm, depending on the severity of winters in your area. Thermal insulation is fixed using any adhesive material.
Laying heating elements
Before installation, mark the floor. It is important to highlight those areas that should not warm up. It is important to remember that a distance of 0.5 m must be maintained from walls and large furniture, and a distance of at least 0.3 m from heating appliances, stoves and fireplaces.
If you are installing a heated floor based on a heating wire, then first you need to install the mounting tape. It will fix the turns of the wire and prevent them from moving. Lay the tape over the thermal insulation and secure with dowels.
Attaching the mounting tape
Carefully unwind the heating wire and lay it on top of the thermal insulation and mounting tape, strictly observing the parallelism of the turns and the spaces between them. Secure each turn using fixing tendrils on the mounting tape. The turns of the wire should not overlap under any circumstances. After installation, measure the insulation resistance; it should not differ from the standard by more than 10%.
If you are using infrared film, carefully unwind it along the base, then connect the sheets of film together in parallel. Route the wires to the location where the thermostat is installed.
Installing a Temperature Sensor
If you are installing an ETP based on a heating wire or mat, then the temperature sensor should be located in a corrugated tube. Make a small depression in the thermal insulation layer and place a tube with a diameter of 20 mm in it. Plug one end of the tube tightly with insulation, and bring the other end above the floor level in the same place where the wires will come out.
Place the temperature sensor at the end of the tube and make sure it can be easily pulled back out. This is important for the possibility of replacing the sensor after the floor has been screeded.
If you are using an infrared ETP, you can check it by turning it on, the floor should be warm to the touch.
Filling a heated floor with screed
If you use an infrared ETP, then filling is not required, you can immediately begin installing the finishing coating.
If you use a heating wire or mat, then filling the screed is strictly necessary. It is necessary to fill the cement to a thickness of 30-50 mm. After the screed has hardened, you can begin installing the finishing coating, for example, tiles, laminate or linoleum. The first switching on of the heated floor can be carried out only after the screed has completely dried. Most manufacturers set a complete drying time of 28 days. This ensures that there are no voids around the wire, which will eventually cause the wire to burn out.
Video - Installation of heating mats
Video - Warm floor under tiles
Video - Installation of Electrolux heated floor, cable
Video - Installation of film heated floors
It would seem that there could be any doubts on the issue - whether warm floors are a blessing or a burden. The answer will be unequivocal - of course, it’s good. Without disputing this statement, it is worth thinking a little about not only the benefits of such heating, but also about the associated hassle, expense and problem of choice.
The last task is far from simple, and when deciding what kind of heated floor you need, how to choose the most suitable one from the available proposals, and what needs to be done for this, you need to be prepared to consider various ways to implement it.
Types of heated floors
Due to the fact that the use of heated floors with water heating in an apartment is not permitted, the use and installation of heated floors - how to choose and what to prefer - is best studied using the example of using electric floor heating.
What can an electrically heated floor look like?
Today, two independent options for creating electric floor heating are used:
- Heating cable;
- Heating mat.
In order to correctly decide which heated floor to choose, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of each of them.
In the first of the indicated options, heating is carried out through the use of a special heating cable. In a conventional cable, the main task is to pass current without loss and heating of the cable itself. In a heating cable, on the contrary, the task is to release heat during the flow of current, and it is normalized per unit length of the cable, thanks to which the amount of heat received can be calculated. A special feature of using such a cable is its location in the volume of a special screed installed on top of the existing floor, as a result of which the floor level will rise by at least three centimeters.
In the event that it is impossible to lay out the screed, there is no other way to get a warm floor than to choose a heating mat.
The so-called mat is a thin special heating cable attached to a fiberglass mesh.
To use it, you do not need to make a special screed; it fits perfectly under the floor covering, which can be tiles, porcelain stoneware, etc., in an adhesive layer. To install it, just roll out the mesh and connect it to the outlet.
Advantages and disadvantages of the considered systems
Each of the heating systems presented has certain advantages and disadvantages. Having determined that you need a heated electric floor, you need to decide how to choose the best way to create such a floor. As already noted, placing a heating cable requires the creation of a special screed, which quite significantly limits the use of such heating. However, the advantage of this method will be, other things being equal, less power consumed for heating compared to a heating mat.
For reference, here are some power consumption data. In a dry room, heating with a cable requires a power of one hundred to one hundred twenty watts per square meter, for a mat, one hundred sixty to one hundred eighty watts per square meter is required. The given figures allow us to draw some conclusions about which electric heated floor to choose. Moreover, the noted difference in power consumption will be even greater if heating is used in a damp room (bath, kitchen) or even more so on a loggia.
In addition to the above, there is another positive effect from the additional screed. It acts as a kind of heat accumulator. When heated, the screed distributes heat over the entire surface of the floor. The consequence of this will be a long cooling of the floor and less operating time of the heating system, which will lead to a decrease in energy consumption.
When performing an additional screed, a layer of thermal insulation is laid between it and the floor. This prevents heat from escaping through the floor to neighbors, which increases the efficiency of the heating system. Such a reduction in heat loss should serve as an additional argument in understanding which choice of electric heated floor will be the best.
The advantage of a heated floor system using heating mats is its simple installation and the absence of additional screed.
This allows you to use similar heating in any apartment without carrying out additional work related to redoing the floors. What will be decisive for you, which heated floor is better to choose, will be determined by your capabilities and specific circumstances (readiness to carry out repairs, use additional electricity, etc.).
About the underfloor heating system in general
When considering the problem of how to choose a warm floor for specific conditions and a specific apartment, it is necessary to take into account a number of factors. These include:
- will the system act as the main one for heating the room or will it be used only for heating in addition to the central heating system;
- features of the premises (living room, bathroom, kitchen, etc.);
- what control (thermostat) and possible operating modes of the entire system will be in demand;
- what additional thermal insulation can be used without remodeling the room (thresholds, doors);
- provision of electricity in the required volume.
Taking into account these factors, as well as several additional ones, such as the location of the room on the lower or upper floors of the building, the thickness of the floor tiles, will determine the required power for heating. A special methodology set out in SNiPs helps to take all these factors into account and carry out calculations.
When installing and calculating a heated floor, it is necessary to take into account that only the area free from furniture and equipment is used for heating, and also that the heating elements are located at some distance from the wall.
There is no heating in areas where furniture and equipment are located (stove, bath, furniture, refrigerator, etc.).
To ensure comfortable conditions, the area occupied by the heating system must be at least seventy percent of the total area of the room. This ratio of the total and heated area will make your choice of heated floors justified, regardless of the heating system used.
Heated floor control
Using underfloor heating as heating means that it needs to be controlled. For this purpose, there are special control devices - thermostats, which allow you to regulate the temperature in the room.
For such monitoring, special sensors are used. There is a wide variety of thermostats with different capabilities and functions, but mainly two systems are used:
- with sensors that monitor the temperature on the floor;
- with sensors that monitor the air temperature in the room.
Thermostats automatically turn the heating on and off.
If we take into account that the floor temperature is usually five degrees higher than the air temperature, then setting the floor temperature at twenty-five degrees, we get twenty degrees of heat in the room. When monitoring air temperature with sensors, the floor temperature should also be set higher than for air.
There are other algorithms for maintaining the desired heating mode, which allow additional savings in energy consumption. Such a system allows you to provide truly comfortable conditions in the room and automatically maintain them when the environment changes.
The information presented is not comprehensive, although it gives a general idea of the design and operation of heated floors. If someone needs to provide comfortable conditions in a room, then recommend a heated floor as one of the solutions to the problem. Details and specific implementation of the project will need to be discussed with specialists.