Water underfloor heating. Heating with underfloor heating: pros and cons

If we have not done heating systems with a water underfloor heating before, then it will not be right to take on the practical implementation of our desires right away. You must first pay attention to some theory. Well, at least learn about the pros and cons of warm floors. Perhaps the disadvantages will be such that you don't want to have such a heating system in your house at all.

What are the advantages of water heated floors in comparison with radiators?

Cons of water floor heating

1. Heat losses of the room where the underfloor heating is installed must be less than 100 W / m2.

   Conclusion: with higher heat losses, you will have to either insulate the house, or install combined heating (water floor heating plus radiators).

2. It is not always possible to install a water-heated floor in apartment buildings, where one-pipe heating systems. Well, or at least you need to know how to make such a connection correctly and without any conflicts either with neighbors or with utilities (this is described in detail in the article about installing a water heated floor in an apartment).
3. Large thickness of the concrete screed over the underfloor heating. If such heating is on the second floor or higher, then the floor level will rise by ~ 10 cm.On the first floor or on the basement, the total is more - by 14-20 cm.In other words, if you are planning heating with a water-heated floor in an old apartment (house), get ready to other global work related to the reinstallation of doors. And one more thing: the concrete screed of the warm floor will increase the load on the floors and other structures ... are you sure they will withstand? What is your confidence based on? Think about it.
4. Installation of a water underfloor heating and materials for it are more expensive than for radiator heating. True, these expenses then pay off by saving energy resources, which I wrote about above.

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

1. Any floor heating (not necessarily water) is not the best heating system for rooms in which people are constantly. Are you surprised? Let me explain why. Alas, almost everything in the world has a downside.

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

Conclusion: you need to be in a room with a warm floor limited time... That is, do such heating in the hallway, bathroom, in any walk-through corridor, in the bathhouse, in the dressing room ... where you rarely or for a short time.

2. I mentioned the lack of mixing of air layers in the pluses of the warm floor. But this is also a minus, since normal natural ventilation cannot be done. But with radiators, natural ventilation is possible.

   Conclusion: when designing warm floors, design also forced ventilation with all its "charms" (connection to the power grid, noise, additional expenses ... this is for you in continuation of the theme of economy), otherwise the air in such a room will be stale.

3. Not all materials can be used to cover a warm floor. Therefore, you need to know the following.

   It is necessary to distinguish between two concepts that are similar in sound, but different in meaning: "comfortable floor" and "warm floor". What is the difference?

   What is the difference?

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

   But in warm floor the coolant is heated to 55 degrees. And you can't cover such a floor with wood! Tree from high temperature cracked. But if you do not heat, then, again, such a heating system will not cope in cold weather.

   And although there is a hotel section about coatings for underfloor heating, I will say a few words here. Only natural materials should be taken as coatings for a warm floor: carpet from natural material, ceramic tile, linoleum - also made of something natural, not PVC, parquet and parquet board, etc.). Non-natural materials contain various harmful substances, which will evaporate when heated ... however, they evaporate without heating. Do you need it?

Well, I suppose, now, knowing all the pros and cons of a water heated floor, you will be able to make a conscious choice, and not "because everything." Next, consider the question energy saving when heating with underfloor heating.

underfloor heating

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Sooner or later, the homeowner will face the question of the use of modern heating systems. This is due to both the constant increase in utility rates and their practicality.

Moreover, it is not only economical in a financial sense, but also creates a comfortable living environment. Underfloor heating is possible using water and electrical systems.

A thinner screed is suitable for electric floors.

What type of underfloor heating to choose is up to the homeowner. However, in order to decide in favor of a particular floor heating system: water or electric, all the positive and negative aspects of each of them should be clarified:

Specialists who install systems in country houses recommend using a water system for underfloor heating. In this case, heating can be done using natural gas, electric energy, as well as boilers operating on wood and solid fuel.

Heating systems can be combined depending on the structural features of the building. In some rooms apply water heating, and in small, for example, kitchens, bathrooms and toilets, use an electric floor heating system.

Floor arrangement with water heating on a concrete base

Hot water heating will require a permit if you live in apartment building, and serious calculations

To use this type of heating at home, it is better to turn to specialists who will initially develop a thorough project in compliance with all the norms provided for by SNiP.

Design is necessary in order to calculate the number of necessary components, take into account the geometric parameters of each room in a residential building, calculate the optimal temperature regime and the costs of each type of energy carrier for heating the premises from 20 to 24 degrees.

It is advisable to lay the water circuit on a leveled base

Underfloor heating as the main heating is easiest to install on a concrete floor base. To do this, a foam insulation with a thickness of at least 30 mm is laid on a pre-leveled surface.

A film or multi-foil layer is laid on top of it, on which it is laid out reinforcement mesh for fixing the heating element tubes.

As an obligatory element along the walls along the perimeter of the room, a damper tape is laid. Its width will have to completely cover the thickness of the flooring with the installed heating system.

Laying the contour with a snake is the simplest

After the heating pipes are laid out with a snake or snail, they are led out to the manifold cabinet. Laying with a snake is easy to perform, but at the exit the coolant will cool down significantly.

Laying the pipe with a snail complicates the work, but this method of heating distributes the coolant throughout the pipe with the same temperature, therefore, in most cases, developers use this method of laying pipes to heat houses with a warm floor.

The table shows some data for a water floor device:

Individual specialists practice the application combined system laying pipes on the base of the floor. After fixing the tubes, they are filled with a special solution and hidden with a topcoat.

Floor arrangement with water heating on a wooden base

Lay chipboard with grooves under the pipeline on the sub-floor

It is most difficult to perform hot water heating in wooden housesas well as buildings with wooden floors. This is due to the fact that the pipeline through which the coolant will circulate should not be located on cement screed... It is laid on top of the sub-floor, which is made of boards or sheets of particle board or cement-bonded board.

The sub-floor is covered with special modules made of wood-based panels, in which special grooves are cut for laying pipes.

However, this is an expensive pleasure, and craftsmen suggested using slats that are stuffed onto the subfloor, forming the necessary channels for placing the pipeline.

For the manufacture of slats, both a board and wood boards are used. The width of the guide rails corresponds to the distance between the heating pipes. Detailed instructions for arranging a water floor on a wooden floor, see this video:

After attaching the pipes to rough floor the entire structure that makes up the warm floor, like the main heating, is covered with a topcoat made of a planed floorboard or laminate of maximum thickness.

Floor arrangement with electric heating

The film floor is the most convenient for installation

Market building materials offers owners underfloor heating without a radiator by installing various systems for arranging electric underfloor heating. They are installed only on a concrete floor base.

1. Cable. In the form of a heating element, a cable is used that converts electrical energy into heat. The cable is also laid in the form of a snake or snail. At the same time, the cable is not laid in the places where furniture and plumbing fixtures are installed. A screed is poured over the cable.
2. Cable on the base. It is a mesh mats with an expanded heating element, the cross-section of which is 2.8 mm. For its installation, it is enough to simply lay out the mats on the rough base of the floor and fix them. This heating element is also hidden under the screed.
3. The film infrared heater is dry-installed and can be fixed to the sub-floor at no extra cost. Flooring or laminate can be laid on top of the foil heater immediately. For more information on which type of heater is better, see this video:

To choose the most optimal type of electric heating of a residential building or apartment, you should consider specifications heating systems and the living space itself.

One of the disadvantages of classic heating is the appearance of the radiators. They will not always look harmonious in the room, and take up useful space. Therefore, in some cases, they prefer to install other heating devices. It is possible to make rational and practical floor heating in an apartment and a house using certain schemes, pipes and convectors.

Advantages and disadvantages of underfloor heating

This water floor heating in an apartment differs from the standard one in the design and installation methods of radiators. Their heating surface is located below the level of the finished floor. For convection of air flows, the upper plane of the heat supply device has a grate.

All hot water lines are also hidden under the floor. In fact, the user only sees the upper grille. Air is heated through it. There are also differences in design.

The floor heating convector has an oblong shape. The pipes, through which the coolant flows, are connected to the casing by means of heat exchange plates. Most often they are made from copper.

DIY flooring should have the following advantages:

• Minimal space required... Unlike batteries, the entire volume of the room remains free;
• Creation of a thermal air curtain. To reduce heat losses, water heating of the floor in the house is arranged near window structures and external walls. Radiators heat the air at the lowest temperatures;
• Good appearance... In fact, water floor heating in a private house will look harmonious in any interior.

The disadvantages include uneven heat distribution. Such systems are not recommended for large rooms. In order to achieve the optimal effect, a floor heating radiator must have a fan to increase air convection. This affects the overall background noise. Thermoregulators and programmers must be installed to automatically control the operation of the system.

Analyzing reviews of floor sinking, one can conclude that it is a source of dust concentration. Therefore, for this type of heat supply, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning more often.

Types of floor convectors

At the first design stage, you should choose the right heating radiator built into the floor. They differ not only in standard power characteristics, but also in design. The material of manufacture is also important.

First, the required power is calculated. Heat losses in a house or apartment are taken as a basis. Then the optimal model of the floor heating convector is selected.

It must have the required performance characteristics - withstand the rated pressure and temperature of hot water.

For installation, you will need to do preparatory work with a rough coating. Efficient heating in the floor with your own hands is done only after warming the rough surface.

The choice of wiring diagram largely depends on the design of floor radiators. They are of the following types:

• Floore. Are located directly on the surface. The advantage is the simple connection of the water-heated floor to the heating system. Pipes can be placed on top of a wall. Disadvantage - unsatisfactory appearance;
• Embedded... They are mounted directly into the floor on the sub-surface. Only the grid remains in the visible area. The installation of heating in the floor is complicated, since this leads not only to a decrease in the height in the room, but also to the obligatory adaptation of the materials used to high temperatures.

Floor heating schemes in an apartment with wall models are not considered. They are no different from standard ones and have the same properties.

A fan can be included to increase the degree of convection. This will improve the even heat distribution throughout the room. However, the cost of such models differs upwards.

Currently, there are a number of manufacturers whose products are suitable for do-it-yourself water floor heating. First of all, it is worth highlighting the convectors of the German company Kampmann. Depending on the required parameters, the models of heating convectors built into the floor can have two or three pipes. In the latter case, the rated power of the device is increased.

Models of heating radiators built into the floor from the Polish company Verano, Czech Minib and German Kermi have no less good performance properties. To organize budget heating in the floor with your own hands, you can consider the products of the Ukrainian company Teplobrend and Carrera.

An additional function of water floor heating in a private house can be cooling in the summer. This requires a connection to the chiller system.

Floor heating circuits

By choosing optimal model a heating radiator built into the floor, you can start drawing up a diagram of its installation. At this stage, it is important to consider its operational and technical features.

Heating schemes for laying heating in the floor are practically no different from the standard ones. The difference lies in the choice of installation method for pipes and radiators. They must be hidden under the floor. Therefore, it is necessary to select in advance the material for the floor - insulation, substrate and decorative surface.

When choosing a scheme, the following factors are taken into account:

• Heat supply convectors heightthat will be built into the floor;
• Pipe material... Polymeric materials cannot be installed in a concrete screed. Their thermal expansion can tell on the integrity of the line. For installation, special sleeves are required;
• Revision hatches... After connecting the water underfloor heating to the heating system, free access is provided to the joints of the pipelines. This is necessary for carrying out repair and maintenance work;
• Installation of air valves, Mayevsky valves and thermostats... The most difficult thing is to provide access to these heating elements. The scheme of water heating of floors in a private house should take this factor into account.

Most often, the choice stops at a closed two-pipe heat supply. It will provide a normal temperature distribution and is the most optimal in terms of labor intensity of installation and selection of accessories.

To connect the copper pipes of heating radiators built into the floor with polymer pipes, special adapters will be needed. Contact of copper with other metals can lead to oxidation of the joint.

Installation of floor heating convectors

Correct installation of duct convectors is preceded by preparatory work with the floor. It is necessary to make a niche where heating devices will be installed. This is best done during the repair phase.

The dimensions of the niche should be 5-10 cm larger than the dimensions of the heating device. This is necessary for the normal connection of the heat supply radiator after its installation in the floor. Additionally, a layer of thermal insulation is mounted. To protect the decorative surface, it is recommended to form a niche by pouring concrete.

At this stage, pipes should be installed in order to further connect to the radiator. They are installed in the floor, taking into account possible thermal expansion. For long sections of the line, it is necessary to install compensation heat loops.

Further stages of installation are as follows.

1. Installation of heat-reflecting material. This will help improve convection and reduce heat loss.
2. Installation of the heating convector pallet in the floor. If there is none, the substrate is made of heat-resistant material. The radiator must not hang.
3. Connection of branch pipes to the heating system. It is important to select the right adapter couplings to ensure a reliable and durable connection.
4. Installation of a decorative grille.

After the final installation of the heating on the floor, a test run of the system is done. It must first be crimped. Increase the temperature of the coolant gradually. The same goes for pressure. At this stage, do-it-yourself control of the absence of leaks in the water heating of the floor, set the operating modes of the thermostats.

One of the common mistakes in installing convectors without a pallet is filling the niche with construction foam. Its pressure can lead to deformation of the structure.

Features of the operation of underfloor heating

Before each heating season, it is necessary to check the integrity of the system components. Almost all reviews of floor heating indicate a large amount of dust and dirt in the niches. They should be removed periodically.

During operation, the parameters of the thermostat may change. Since it will be hidden behind a decorative grille, it is necessary to check its condition. Otherwise, the likelihood of incorrect system operation will increase. In addition, the integrity of the connection of the water underfloor heating to the heating system is monitored. In such schemes, it is difficult to control the appearance of leaks.

In models with a fan, the power line is laid in advance. To improve comfort, it is recommended to make a remote switch. Clogging of the fan rotor is also common. It must be cleaned before each heating season.

The video material shows an example of installing a duct convector in an apartment:

The floor today begins to be widely used for heating residential and industrial premises, administrative buildings... These systems are also used for heating open areas for various purposes (airports, parking lots, sidewalks and others). The main advantage of this type of heating is the uniformity of heating. This ensures indoor comfort and prevents ice formation in outdoor areas.

Device

At the heart of this warm floor are heating pipes through which the coolant circulates ( warm water). They fit under the floor surface. The coolant temperature ranges from 30 to 50 C.

In addition to the pipeline, the underfloor heating system includes manifolds and risers, to which heater tubes are connected, shut-off and regulating equipment and an automatic control cabinet, which automatically maintains the set temperature parameters.

Water underfloor heating includes thermostatic temperature controllers, which make it possible to set various operating modes:

• comfortable mode (turns on when there are people in the house);
• mode of low positive temperature (with long-term absence of people in the room).

The device for switching modes of water heating is very compact; in a private house it can be installed in any convenient place. For example, make a switch on the wall below a standard light switch.

Pipes

Modern underfloor heating is installed using polymer pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene, polypropylene or polybutene with protective layerpreventing the penetration of oxygen into the coolant.

Polymer pipes are not subject to corrosion, are highly durable, flexible and ductile, and are highly resistant to thermal aging. They do not develop cracks, deposits that cause a narrowing of the inner diameter. Their installation and installation can be done by yourself, using the recommendations of the manufacturers.

The pipes are connected using factory accessories (couplings).

If installed correctly, this method provides an exceptional tightness of the connection. This makes it possible to place the heater in a monolithic screed. The use of polymer pipes simplifies the design and installation of the system, allows you to provide a warm floor in the house exclusively with your own hands. In addition, virtually no waste is left.

Coupling.

Installation

A water heat-insulated floor is mounted in the following order:

Installation in concrete screed

It is more convenient to lay pipes using special panels with clamps. These panels are often used when a water-heated floor is installed on floor slabs. Panels with latches have grooves that ensure their reliable connection to each other. There are ties between the panel holders for maximum girth of the pipes to be laid.

When installing a warm floor in a room with low ceilings, for example, in a private house, you can use special mini-blocks. The system can also be laid on a metal mesh. It will be correct to lay the mesh over the protective film, and collect the pipes on it. The use of special panels and grids allows you to assemble the floor system yourself.

After laying and connecting the pipelines, the system is checked for leaks, after which it is filled with cement mortar. It is possible to connect the coolant supply to the pipes only after the screed has completely solidified.

Installation without concrete screed

If the use of a concrete screed is not possible for any reason, water floor heating is installed directly under the load-bearing surface. In this case, the pipes are fastened using special aluminum plates. This is the so-called "dry" way to make floor heating. This view installation can also be done by hand.

Before starting work on the installation of a warm floor without a screed, you must:

• complete all plastering work in the room to exclude damage or contamination of the pipeline;
• to lay the steam and waterproofing of the floor and walls.

Benefits of underfloor heating

The main advantage is that underfloor heating can be used as the main heating in the room. With its help, an even distribution of heat occurs, a comfortable air temperature is created.

Almost any covering (tiles, parquet, carpet, laminate and others) can be laid on top of the hardened screed with the pipeline system.

Installation of a water underfloor heating system will cost a little more than an electric heating device. However, the investment quickly pays off, because the operating costs of hot water heating are much lower.

According to technical standards, the installation of a water underfloor heating in multi-storey residential buildings from central heating is prohibited, but it is widely used in private construction.

Before the start of the autumn-winter season, you should think about the fact that coziness and comfort in a house is impossible without a heat source. Unfortunately, the heating system, which is not always used, sufficiently heats the room over the entire area, and with the onset of cold weather, discomfort begins due to the cold entering the house. Modern built-in heating systems are replacing traditional heaters and fan heaters.

The principle of operation of the water floor heating system

Water heat-insulated floor is new independent space heating system, modern alternative to common radiator and convector types of heating. A water underfloor heating device is a network of built-in pipelines filled with hot water between concrete or wooden base and flooring.

The water floor consists of polymer pipes, through which warm liquid circulates, supplied from a central heating system or a gas boiler. From the heated floor surface, the air heats up and rushes upward, providing an even distribution of heat over the entire area. At the same time, the lower air layer near the floor warms up more than the upper one near the ceiling, creating ideal conditions for a comfortable living for a person.

Note that you can only equip a water-heated floor in private homes. For city apartments, this type of heat supply is prohibited due to the possible consequences of damage to pipes.

Advantages and disadvantages of a water heated floor

The water underfloor heating system has a number of indisputable advantages in comparison with radiator and convector heating systems:

• Profitability... Reduction of energy consumption by 20-30% in residential buildings due to the low temperature of the coolant (30-50 ° C). When installing a water floor in rooms with a large area and high ceilings, heating savings reach 60% due to air heating only 2-2.5 m from the floor level.
• Comfort... Uniform heating of the room from the floor over the entire area allows you to create optimal temperature conditions for human health (+ 22 ° C at the level of the legs and + 18 ° C at the level of the head). By warm floor it is pleasant to walk barefoot, it is convenient to play with children.
• Safety... Heating elements hidden from access make the space safe even for small children, eliminating the risk of injury or burns from contact with heat carriers.
• Interior aesthetics... The absence of visible parts of heating systems and appliances facilitates the implementation of projects for redevelopment and room design. There is no interference in the form of radiators, which, in the event of a discrepancy between the appearance and the interior concept, must be hidden behind decorative panels or even change to new ones.

Along with the advantages, a water-heated floor has its own characteristic disadvantages:

Installed in compliance with all technological requirements and safety standards, the warm water floor serves as an optimal additional source of heat in the room.

Installation of a water heated floor

Before proceeding with the installation of a warm water floor system, you must carefully prepare the surface. Should remove trashand align the base, there should be no significant differences in the height of the horizontal plane (no more than 5 mm).

There are 3 options for installing a water floor:

Concrete system

The most common installation option, in which the base and distribution layer is used cement-sand screed ... On the pre-aligned concrete surface a layer of waterproofing coating is laid, on which a layer of thermal insulation is laid on top. Then the heating pipes are laid and fastened. For large rooms, when laying pipes, a reinforcing mesh is additionally used. If the area is small, it will be enough to fix the pipes on top of the thermal insulation with special plastic brackets, fastening strips or dowel hooks.

Next, the supporting layer is poured, which is sand-cement mixture augmented plasticizer... The final stage is styling flooring over heating system... Ceramic tiles are ideal as the top layer of a warm floor, decorative rock, laminated parquet.

Polystyrene system

Easier in terms of installation design is based on the use of special heat-insulating polystyrene plates. The form of pressing the plate in the form of convex circles of small diameter, designed for convenient and quick laying of pipes. The slabs have locks at the edges for secure adhesion to each other and allow you to create a monolithic insulation board over the entire floor surface.

Laying heating pipes on a base made of polystyrene plates does not require application fasteners... Installation is carried out by pressing and fixing the pipe section in the grooves between the plate bulges. The next layer is the metal heat distribution plates. Then the final flooring is mounted

Wood system

AT wood system the supporting layer for pipes is edged board, wood board, plywood, MDF, etc. Wooden boards are dissolved on narrow strips 130-180mm and at intervals under the pipes are laid on the base (wooden floor or logs). On top of the screws are attached special thermal distribution plates with omega-shaped grooves for heating pipes. The grooves of the metal plates are lowered into the recesses between the wood boards. The heating pipe is fixed in the omega-shaped grooves without the use of fasteners.

After laying the pipes, the entire surface is covered with plastic wrap. Then fix it with self-tapping screws gVL sheets, serving as a thermal distribution layer and the basis for finishing the floor.

For distribution of the coolant along the heating circuits, it is designed distribution manifold.The supply and return pipes are connected to the collector cabinet. A distribution manifold is installed to the supply pipe with hot water, and the collector for the cooled coolant is connected to the return pipe.

Features of the operation of a water heated floor

Connect a water-heated floor as soon as the first cold days begin. Warming up the room may take quite a lot of time. After all, first the floor is completely warmed up, then the walls, and only after that the air heats up and a constant temperature is established.

If the surface of a warm water floor is covered with laminate or wood, it is recommended to increase the temperature of the circulating fluid gradually... This approach will extend the life of the coating.

Heating the room with a warm water floor, if necessary, you can all year round... In the summer, it is worthwhile to separately connect the heating branches under ceramic tileswhich is cold even in the heat.

Underfloor heating, thanks to the large heat dissipation surface, ensures a healthy upward and even distribution of heat in the room. The main advantage of a water-heated floor is safety and durability.

The modern approach to heating contributes to the creation of an atmosphere of comfort and coziness in the house.