The whole topic of creating a warm floor in the house is quite voluminous and interesting. In this regard, we decided to continue it and consider the device of a warm water floor and how its layers are laid, i.e. "pie".
Creating a warm floor in the house is a good substitute for centralized heating. By and large, it is the most optimal heating option. This is because the principle of operation is based on compliance with the rules for heating premises, which contributes to the preservation of human health - the heated air rises from the floor to the ceiling. In general, there are several heating and heating schemes, but most of them are not optimal, since only some part of the room, most often the upper one, is heated.
In rooms where people live, heat must come from the floors. You will probably agree that warm air does not need to heat the ceiling. In this regard, the use of a warm floor provides a decrease in the required power for heating, i.e. it reduces overall heating costs. In general, according to the device, the warm floor can be divided into electric (infrared is now widespread, which we have already considered) and water. However, the principle of operation is the same - the elements that are in the floor are heated.
Electric floor heating acts on the principle of heating special electrical elements (cables), which, when heated, transfer their heat to the floor surface.
Water heated floors have a different scheme - pipes are laid in the floor through which the coolant flows (usually water, but various mixtures can be used). It is the heating of the pipes that heats the surface. We draw your attention to the fact that in apartment buildings it is forbidden to connect the underfloor heating circuit to the central heating. But even if you decide to make a separate circuit, it is advisable to take permission for this from the relevant authorities.
Because of the above features, we can say that it is most advisable to carry out this system in an apartment as the main heating option. Otherwise, laying underfloor heating and receipts for centralized heating will lead to significant expenses. But this is the case with general heating. If you have individual heating in your apartment, then the situation becomes a little easier. In this case, just like in a private house, water heating gender is fairly economically justified. In such housing, the water heating circuit will be carried out in any case, so it will not be a big problem to tie a floor heating system to it.
How is a warm water floor arranged?
The installation of the system can be done in two ways - on our own and with the assistance of specialists. In the first option, you will be able to save your money, but you will have to delve into all the subtleties of the work and device of the system in order to avoid serious mistakes. In the second option, it will be easier - specialists will independently carry out all the work, and you do not need to study all the work. This has its own plus, but it will all cost some money. Here you need to understand what is more interesting to you - saving money or saving your time and effort.
In general, we can say that laying a warm floor is not an overly difficult task, everyone can figure it out with its device. It is quite possible to handle the work with your own hands. The main thing in this matter is adherence to work technology and compliance with the rules.
First, it is worth understanding the floor heating scheme. It must be mounted on a concrete base with a reinforced screed device. In general, the construction of a warm floor can be divided into the following components:
1. Rough base;
2. Hydro and thermal insulation;
3. The contour of the warm floor;
4. Reinforced screed;
5. Finishing flooring.
When arranging a “pie” of a warm floor, first you need to create a working project, which should reflect the following information: load, location of collectors and control devices and directly heating circuits. In addition, it is necessary to determine the type of pipes used and their diameters, the length of the circuits and the methods of their installation. Creating a project is necessary in any scenario, regardless of whether you will do the work on your own or entrust it to professionals. In fact, it is a system passport and must be stored. In principle, you can easily order a project from specialists, and do all the operations yourself.
Work sequence
In apartment buildings or in private houses with several floors, floor slabs are the basis. One-story houses - floor on the ground. When arranging the base on the ground concrete works must be performed in the following order:
- Sand layer;
- Fine crushed stone;
- Waterproofing;
- Reinforced screed.
After the rough base has been completed, you can start preparing the necessary materials:
- Waterproofing;
- Plastic or metal-plastic heat pipes;
- Damper tape;
- Fasteners for pipes;
- Reinforcement mesh.
Work should begin with waterproofing the base. For this purpose, you can use any suitable material, but most often a plastic film with a thickness of at least 100 microns is used. It must be spread over the entire surface of the base with an overlap, while the joints must be glued with tape. The next step will be laying at the bottom of the walls. It must be mandatory, because it will subsequently compensate for the thermal expansion of the screed. It is fastened using available means or, if available, using a self-adhesive base.
Laying a heat-insulating layer and reinforcing mesh
The next step in order will be the installation of thermal insulation. Now, most often, expanded polystyrene plates (EPP - extruded polystyrene foam) are used as this layer. The choice of the required thickness must be determined in the developed project. Expanded polystyrene must be laid over the entire area, combining them with joints. Upon completion of the installation, they must be secured with self-tapping screws. A reinforcing mesh should be laid on top of the slabs. It is on it that the contour of the water heated floor and the subsequent screed will be located. The mesh can be used in this size:
- Bars with a diameter of 5 mm;
- The grid spacing is 100 or 150 mm.
Laying heating circuits
For the device of the heating circuits, pipes made of heat-resistant plastic are used. They should be looped in a single contour. Moreover, if possible, he should not have joints. If it turns out that you have to connect the pipes in the middle, then you need to use couplings, which are clamped with a crimping press, because they provide the most reliable connection. Couplings that are assembled by means of threads or in other ways may subsequently leak.... But back to the contours. Their number and length must be specified in the project. They must all begin and end at the collector connection points. The distribution manifold can be wall-mounted or hidden in a special box. Again, everything is defined in the project.
Further, the laid pipes must be fixed. The safest way is to fix it with plastic or metal clamps. To fix the pipes, they are fixed to reinforcement mesh... The distance between the attachment points is 35 cm.
To protect pipes from abrasion at the point of exit from the floor (on the rise to the collector), protective corners are applied to them.
Surplus pipes are cut with special scissors for metal-plastic pipes. Cutting must be done at a 90 ° angle. This must be carefully observed to avoid a loose connection in the fitting, which connects the pipe to the manifold. Here you need to take into account that the diameters of the docking points must match each other.
The next step is to fill the system with water and check for leaks -. Well, then the process of setting up the operation of the distribution manifold is already taking place.
Concrete screed device
For the installation of warm water floors with concrete, special mixtures are used. But along with this, the preparation of a conventional cement-sand mortar will not disrupt the work technology and can also be successfully used.
Please note that the thickness of the screed for underfloor heating should not be less than 5-6 cm, because otherwise, the floor heating process will be uneven. The most optimal screed thickness is considered to be 7-8 centimeters.
When arranging a screed for underfloor heating, it is necessary to take into account that the fact of adding various plasticizers or fiberglass to the solution does not cancel the laying of the reinforcing mesh and does not allow it to be performed with a thickness of less than 5 cm. To evenly distribute the load over the surface, the mesh must be laid.
Finishing floor
You can start laying the finishing flooring after the surface has solidified and the system has been checked for leaks. The topic of selection and installation deserves a separate discussion, but we can say that it is necessary to take into account the possibility of using it together with a water-heated floor. This is because the warmth of the room will depend on the degree of thermal conductivity of the selected material.
And in the video below, we suggest you study the mistakes that can be made when installing a warm floor.
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In your home, you may need a water floor heating device on the ground. Subject to the observance of existing SNiP, you can independently perform the work, starting from the filling and ending clean screed, with subsequent finishing with flooring.
Is it possible to make a water floor on the ground
A pie of a water-heated floor on the ground can be performed provided that the method of installing the heating system using a concrete screed is used. Laying allows you to simultaneously achieve several goals: to make a subfloor and prepare a base for a topcoat.The construction of a water-heated floor on the ground provides for the work that is usually used to prepare a concrete slab in industrial and residential buildings. The result of the work largely depends on the achievement of several tasks:
- Providing reliable thermal insulation that prevents the floor from freezing.
- Protection of the premises from dampness.
- Prevention of board cracking after several years of operation.
What "pie" should be under the warm floor
The layout of the flooring on the ground is somewhat different from the usual pie used to install the heating system on an already finished base. The following stages of work are carried out:To make a water floor on the ground with your own hands, it will take time from 20 days to 1.5 months. You can speed up the installation process by ordering ready-made cement mixes.
The main mistakes when installing a water floor on the ground
When working on fill soil, it is easy to make mistakes that lead to the destruction of the slab in the future. It is required to strictly observe the step-by-step production of a water floor heating cake, starting from the ground.It would be optimal to carry out a preliminary heat engineering calculation, which allows you to accurately determine the thickness of the backfill, thermal insulation and the power of the heating system.
Common mistakes during installation are:
- Violations of the technology for installing a warm water floor on the ground. The absence of expansion gaps in the slab, poorly performed work on tamping the powder, improperly installed waterproofing, subsequently cause freezing of the screed, the accumulation of condensate and dampness in the room.
- Be sure to sprinkle sand in front of the crushed stone on the soil base. In this case, you can use any kind of raw material, but river sand of a coarse fraction will be optimal. The minimum soil density after compaction depends on the weather and atmospheric conditions of the area and is calculated according to special tables.
Calculation of the power and temperature of a warm water floor
For those who want to make their home cozy and warm, today there are many different proposals. One of them - arrangement of warm floor... Indeed, without heat in a dwelling, it becomes unsuitable for a long stay of a person there. Unless you are very tempered. And even then one can hardly talk about comfort. will help you to feel always invigorated, as the energy will not be directed to warming the legs, as it usually happens.
Usually carried out using the latest developments and advances in technology. It is thanks to this that warm floors become more and more comfortable and attract new fans of their work. Such equipment can be used not only at home, but also in offices and even in basements. Do you want to equip a system of warm floors in a house in Moscow or the Moscow region? Call, order a call from a Savard specialist!
Arrangement of warm water floors in the cottage
We can trace the positive dynamics in the resettlement of our fellow citizens outside the metropolitan areas, which, although they offer many opportunities, are still a test for human survival. However, suburban conditions are often very different from what we are used to. Therefore, it is the step that brings the residents of suburban households closer to civilized conditions.
If you were building yourself a house outside the city in order to live there only from time to time, but then decided to move for the winter, then arrangement of warm water floors is an excellent solution to the heating problem. This approach is very reasonable. Our experts will advise you, and why in your case it is more profitable to use this particular option.
Underfloor heating has a lot of advantages and pleasant sides. They can be used in any kind of room, even in the bathroom and toilet. They are safe. They can be used in rooms where the flooring is linoleum, parquet, ceramic tiles, as well as all other materials. It is important to choose and equip the floor heating system that is optimal for your room.
Equip a warm floor in a country house
Of course, it is not at all necessary only to equip a warm floor and stop there. You can equip the building with other heating communications, and use the warm floor as additional heating. By the way, the power also affects the connectivity of this device. The floor function also affects the power of the cable itself.
Let's take a house outside the city limits for comparison. If the warm floor is the only and main source of heat, it will need from 150 to 180 watts of power. At the same time, a warm floor will only require 110 to 120 watts of power if it is an additional heating system.
If we are talking about an apartment, then usually the batteries here do not perform well with their functions. After all, light warm air rises. The floor remains cold, provoking a feeling of coldness in the room.
And there is no need to talk about good health. therefore arrangement of warm floors is an excellent option for eliminating all of the listed inconveniences in the apartment.
How much does it cost to equip a warm floor
The qualified one is not cheap, but everything pays off quickly enough. To calculate an accurate estimate for the installation of a warm floor, you must first inspect the object and perform all the necessary calculations. After that you can say exactly how much it will cost to equip a warm floor in an apartment, house or office. If you need high quality, we are at your service.
You can order from us:
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Our experienced craftsmen will tell you which warm floor is more relevant for your home. And they will also advise on how to arrange it better. The optimal solution will be combined heating: that is, heating with radiators, etc. Then you will not be afraid of any frosts. And you will not worry that your child crawls on the cool floor for a long time. After all, now the floor will always be warm!
Arrangement of a water heated floor in the Moscow region
We perform on a turnkey basis quickly, efficiently and at a reasonable price. We always use only reliable materials from trusted suppliers. We carry out in good faith according to the optimal scheme. This guarantees an efficient and long service life. heating system.
Unlike radiator heating, floor heating appeared relatively recently. These systems are designed to heat the floor surface, using it as a heat emitter and heat accumulator. With underfloor heating, heat is most optimally distributed throughout the room; thermal energy savings can reach 30%. The absence of traditional radiators makes it possible to effectively use the living space.
Installation of water heated floors
The source of energy in water underfloor heating systems is a heated coolant, which, passing through pipes laid in the floor, heats the room. Most often, warm water floors are used in country houses. In apartments with centralized heating, the installation of such systems is strictly prohibited due to a sharp increase hydraulic resistance... Connection to hot water pipes is also not allowed, since water, having passed through the underfloor heating system, returns to the hot water riser already cooled.
For city apartments, it is acceptable to use electric underfloor heating, and in houses it is more advisable to use water floors. With the help of water floors, it is quite difficult to obtain a specific power of over 100 W * m2, therefore, such heating should be used only in well-insulated buildings. The most famous manufacturers of components for water floors do not make preliminary waterproofing work a prerequisite.
There are two types of water floor systems - concrete and decking. In the first case, the floor is laid using a concrete screed. Laying systems involve the installation of underfloor heating without laying a screed. In this case, the finishing flooring is laid through a polystyrene gasket on aluminum plates. When installing a wooden flooring system, pipes are laid directly on the subfloor or logs.
Any water underfloor heating system consists of thermal insulation materials, metal-polymer or polymer pipes, a pump for water circulation, collectors with fittings and fasteners. As an auxiliary heating system, water floors in a small area can be arranged independently, without going into serious calculations. If the heating system is used as the main source of heat, then the laws of hydraulics and building heat loss must be taken into account. Such a system can be designed by specialists who use special programs for calculations.
DIY concrete water floor installation technology
Concrete water floor systems are by far the most common. The pipes of the circuits are covered with a concrete screed, so additional heat separators are no longer required. Installation technology is divided into the following stages:
- Division of premises into plots with an area of \u200b\u200bno more than 40 square meters;
- Covered with a rough surface with insulating materials;
- Installation of reinforcement mesh and laying of pipe contours;
- Heating system pressure testing;
- Concrete screed device;
- Finishing flooring.
At the first stage, depending on the geometry and area of \u200b\u200bthe room, it is divided into sections. The maximum area of \u200b\u200beach plot should not exceed 40 square meters, the aspect ratio should be at least 1: 2. This marking is necessary in order to compensate for the expansion of the concrete screed due to temperature changes and to avoid cracking. In rooms that have a L and a U-shape, the marking is made into equal sections, regardless of their area.
Heat-insulating materials are laid on the pre-cleaned base of the floor. This is done in order to avoid heat loss, which will only go to heated rooms. A variety of materials permitted for these purposes in construction can be used as thermal insulation. The most commonly used are polystyrene and penotex. Depending on the thermal regime of the room, the layer of heat-insulating materials should have a thickness of about 30-150 mm and a density of at least 35 kg / m3. A damper tape is laid between the sectors of the water floor and around the perimeter of the room in order to compensate thermal expansion concrete screed. A layer of polyethylene is laid on top of the thermal insulation.
Next, the reinforcement mesh is laid and the pipe contour is installed. Reinforcing mesh is usually laid with a mesh size of 150 * 150, the bar section is 4-5 mm. In some cases, double reinforcement is carried out when the second layer of reinforcing mesh is laid on top of the mounted pipes. Then, depending on the project, pipes are laid with a pitch of 70-300 mm according to the chosen scheme for laying pipe contours. The pipes are attached to the reinforcement mesh with plastic clamps. Some manufacturing companies offer special wire for fastening pipes to fittings, which is twisted using appropriate tools.
The pipes should not be fixed too rigidly to the fittings, as they can expand under the influence of temperature differences. Too tight fastening can lead to deformations and damage to the concrete screed. To protect against damage in places of expansion joints, corrugated elements are put on the pipes.
There are several ways to lay the pipe contour - a double snake and a snake, a spiral with an offset center, and others. When installing pipes along external walls, reduce the step in order to avoid temperature drops. The feeding part of the circuit is allowed along the wall, since there is higher heat loss. Approximate consumption of pipes at a step of 200m per 1 sq. metrically mounted surface is about 5 running meters... When installing, it should be remembered that it is unacceptable to lay whips with a length of more than 100 m, since high heat losses will occur at the end of the circuit.
One end of the pipe is fixed to the supply manifold, then the pipe is attached along the contour according to a previously thought out scheme. The length of one loop should be approximately 50-60 meters. The number of collector outlets is equal to the number of circuits in the room. At the end of the pipe installation, their remaining ends are connected to the return manifold.
After finishing installation works the heating system is pressurized under operating pressure. This operation is necessary to identify possible mechanical damage. After pressing, the concrete screed is poured. Before filling, the heating system must be under a working pressure of 3-4 bar for 24 hours. During screed filling, the system must also be under pressure. The thickness of the concrete screed is 50-70 mm, with the use of M-300 sand-concrete or special mixtures for underfloor heating. Choice of modern building mixtures is huge, but Teplolux-Glims is the most popular. It should be borne in mind that the screed raises the floor level by an average of 5-7 cm. There are also special plasticizers for adding to the screed. These formulations reduce the surface tension of the water used to prepare the cement slurry. The bulk density of the coating increases, which leads to an increase in thermal conductivity and the compressive strength of the coating.
Minimum screed thickness
Plasticizers are added at the rate of 10% of the mass of pure cement in the composition of the solution. Based on thermal calculations, the thickness of the screed above the pipe should be at least 50 mm at a floor temperature of 30 ° C and a coolant of 50 ° C. The use of plasticizers makes it possible to reduce the screed layer above the pipes to 3 cm. In this case, however, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the coolant in order to avoid overheating of the floor. At the same time, an increase in the coefficient of thermal conductivity of the screed reduces the likelihood of the appearance of a "thermal zebra".
After the final drying of the concrete screed, the floor surface is finished with ceramic tiles, linoleum or laminate. The heating system is turned on only after the solution has completely solidified. Cement-based mixes dry in about 28 days. Outdoor use ceramic tiles most expedient, since it has excellent thermal conductivity.
The coefficient of resistance to heat transfer of finished floor coverings should not be higher than 0.16 K / W per m2. It is for this reason that the currently fashionable cork coating is unacceptable when installing water heated floors. Also not all types of carpet and linoleum are suitable. Materials that can be used for the installation of water floors must be specially marked.
To adjust the temperature of the coolant in a circuit consisting of several loops, various shut-off and thermostatic equipment is produced. As a rule, the heating medium, heated to a certain temperature, is supplied to the collector using thermostatic mixing valves. Such equipment is produced by many well-known manufacturers, such as DANFOSS, HERZ, TA-HYDRONICS and OVENTROP. Such fittings are mounted in front of the manifold on the supply line. Some modern models of this equipment can regulate not only the temperature in the circuit, but also the room temperature.
Hot water heating technology is used, as a rule, in systems with forced circulation coolant. To obtain the required temperature, it is necessary to organize a mixing unit, which operates with a pump. With the help of the mixing unit, the temperature of the coolant supplied to the system is reduced. This happens by mixing water supplied from the boiler and having a temperature of 90C with cooled water returned from the pipes. Installation of such systems based on heating with gravitational natural circulation is quite problematic. In addition, the area of \u200b\u200bthe heated room with such a system will be quite small.
Polystyrene water floor system
This underfloor heating system is lightweight. This method is used when the floor loads are limited or when the room height is insufficient.
The structure consists of polystyrene plates with dimensions of 30 * 300 * 1000mm. The plates have grooves into which special aluminum plates are inserted. The pipes for the underfloor heating circuit are attached directly to the aluminum plates. After all the necessary tests have been carried out, the finishing coating is laid without the use of concrete screed. Its role is played by a special moisture-absorbing layer. On the floors, which will be covered with ceramic tiles or linoleum, sheets of GVLV are pre-laid at least 10 mm thick.
Training video
Wood water floor system
Such systems are rack and pinion and modular. As a rule, both systems are most often used when installing underfloor heating in panel board modular houses. When installing warm water floors, in this case, the contours are laid on the rough floor or wooden logs.
With the modular method of laying, ready-made chipboard plates are used, in which channels are prepared for installing pipes and plates of warm floors. Chipboard plates with a thickness of 22 mm are used, the main purpose of which is to create hard surfaces and fix aluminum plates. The thermal insulation layer in such a structure must be provided in the floor. Strips 130, 180 and 270 mm wide are laid at intervals of 20 mm.
The modular aluminum plates are equipped with special pipe snap profiles. By using a profile, heat transfer between pipes and plates occurs most efficiently. The dimensions of the aluminum plates are 300, 200 and 150mm. On top of the structure, another layer of GVLV boards is laid, but if a covering in the form of a parquet board or laminate is provided, then gypsum fiber boards can not be laid.
With the rack-and-pinion method of installing water heated floors, strips made of chipboard or boards with a thickness of at least 27 mm are used. The strips are laid with a step of 150-300 mm, the distance between the boards is 20 mm. Mount the rack water heating system directly on the logs, the distance between which should not exceed 600mm. If the finishing coating is made of ceramic tiles, then there should be no more than 300mm between the logs.
Plates of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene are placed between the logs as insulating material. When installing a rack structure of water floors, the thermal insulation layer is much thinner than with a modular structure, therefore, such structures are advisable to use for floor slabs wooden buildings... With this method, the installation of water-heated floors uses aluminum plates with a pitch of 300, 200 and 150 mm. It is recommended to adhere to a minimum step of 150mm near window openings and along external walls.
Major manufacturers of components for water floors
Almost all well-known pipe manufacturers (UNIVERSA, PURMO, WIRSBO, OVENTROP, AQUATHERM) offer a full range of auxiliary and component materials for the installation of a "warm" water floor. These include polymer and metal-polymer pipes, heat-insulating materials with pre-applied markings, welted expansion tapes, special elements for expansion joints, various fasteners. The accessories also include manifolds with fittings, which are designed to connect the underfloor heating circuit to the heating system. Such devices are produced taking into account the possible connection of up to 12 loops in the heating system. The cost of a collector for 2 loops ranges from 80 to 140 €, a twelve-loop construction costs about 450 €.
Collectors are placed in an open version, built-in or surface-mounted collector cabinets. Many manufacturers offer complete pumping systems with mixing units. To date, polymer pipes are mainly used for the installation of water heated floors. Their inner layer is not subject to abrasion and corrosion. The diameter of the flow area of \u200b\u200bpipes remains constant throughout the entire service life, since the materials from which the pipes are made do not contribute to the accumulation of deposits.
Lifetime modern pipes is at least 50 years old. One of the most important advantages of polymer pipes is their complete impermeability to oxygen. This prevents premature corrosion of the boiler and the entire heating system. A great convenience is that manufacturers produce pipes in large coils. Depending on the diameter, the length of the pipe can reach from 50 to 499m. This makes it possible to lay pipes with a single thread over large areas. The absence of intermediate connections excludes possible leaks in heating systems.
A circulation pump is also required for the heating system to function. This equipment is installed both in boiler rooms and collector units. Complete with thermostatic fittings that regulate the temperature, the pump forms a mixing unit. Many manufacturers manufacture ready-made mixing assemblies in the factory to facilitate installation. The circulation pump is controlled by a conventional or electronic thermostat. Electronic models have the ability to select different space heating programs. The cost of such nodes ranges from 750 to 1700 €.
Manufacturers such as DE DIETRICH, ACV, CTC, WOLF, VAILLANT, VIESSMANN, BUDERUS and many others produce control panels for heating boilers. This equipment makes it possible to comprehensively monitor the entire system, including several circuits. Recently, mixing taps have been supplied complete with water floor control panels. Three- or four-way designs with servo drives are replacing traditional thermostatic valves. Commands to the servos come from the control panel, after which the corresponding cranes are set in motion. The flow temperature is monitored using temperature sensors. The price of a servo drive is about 200 €, and a three-way valve with a diameter of 32 mm is 90 €.
Complete mixing and pumping groups are manufactured by MEIBES. The set includes a three-way mixing valve with a servo drive, a circulation pump and shut-off valves and temperature sensors. The temperature of the heating medium is usually set by the boiler in the circuits automatically, it depends on the air temperature in the room. Meteorological control panels are produced by manufacturers such as VIESSMANN, WOLF and BUDERUS.
Local regulation of the loop temperature is carried out using a thermostat installed on the distribution manifold. Thermostats, both traditional and electronic, are installed on the return manifold comb. When installing conventional thermostats, the required mode is set manually. Electronic models regulate the temperature in automatic mode, and the coolant supplied to the loops must be heated no higher than 55C.
When choosing a heating system, the relatively high price of a warm water floor can be a repulsive factor. Average price of one square meter the heated area is about 1,500 rubles, while the cost of electric underfloor heating starts at 600 rubles / sq.m. However, the water floor is powered by a boiler, so it does not use the expensive electricity today. Installation of a water-heated floor in a house of 70 sq.m. pays off already in 5 years, and taking into account the rising tariffs for electricity, possibly even earlier. In some cases, savings on thermal insulation materialswhen the base is a good heat insulator. Standalone device underfloor heating can reduce the cost of a heating system by up to 30%.
In most living quarters, we are used to seeing sometimes rather bulky batteries under the windows, and pipes on the walls. This does not add attractiveness to the interior of the rooms. Heating the floors relieves the dwelling from not very aesthetic wall “decorations”.
The installed warm water floor will maintain a comfortable temperature at any time of the year. In this article we will try to tell you how a water heated floor works.
It is legal to install water underfloor heating in apartment building will not work
At the beginning of our story, we will warn the reader about the limitations in installing water floor heating. Those wishing to install water floors in an apartment building will be disappointed.
By-laws of the Housing Code prohibit equipping additional heating systems in houses with central heating. Exceptions may be structures in which water-heated floors were provided for by the project.
Many sources of information give advice on how to independently install a water heating floor. We would like to warn you that it is categorically impossible for incompetent persons to undertake such work. Installation of the heating system should only be carried out by professionals.
Since the operation of such floors is associated with the circulation of hot water in the ceilings of buildings, it is advisable to arrange floor heating only on 1 floors of structures. This reduces the risk of significant losses in the event of damage to the underfloor heating pipelines.
Water floor heating is a rather complex engineering and technological device. Any unprofessional participation in the installation of floor heating can lead to rather sad consequences.
Floor heating temperature
A set of equipment for a warm water floor necessarily includes thermoregulation devices. The recommended indoor temperature, which must be maintained by a warm water floor, is presented in the table:
Equipment for underfloor heating
The main heat carrier of water floor heating is hot water. The water heated by the gas boiler is pumped into a network of pipelines hidden in the concrete base of the floor. As a result, the entire floor is warmed up together with the floor covering. This creates a comfortable indoor temperature.
Manifold distribution center Consider what you need for a warm floor:
- gas boiler;
- pump;
- collector distribution center;
- pipeline;
- thermostat;
- related accessories.
Gas boiler
Boilers are either floor standing or wall mounted Gas boilers represent modern equipmentdesigned for plumbing and underfloor heating systems. When choosing a boiler model, they pay attention to its power, the possibility of water supply to several circuits. Boilers can be single-circuit and double-circuit.
The double-circuit device supplies water heat carrier to the floor heating system and at the same time provides hot water supply to the home.
The boiler can be floor standing or wall mounted. Ventilation is natural and forced.
Along with gas appliances, there are various designs that run on solid and liquid fuels. Such boilers are installed in places where there is no central gas supply.
In any case, when choosing a gas model of the boiler, you must obtain permission for its installation from the local branch of the gas service.
Pump
The forced delivery of water to the internal water supply system of the home is provided by a pump.
As soon as the required water pressure drops, the automated control switches on the pump.
External water sources
To prevent the water from freezing in winter, insulate the well The pump is installed between the boiler and the water source (well, natural reservoir, tank). The water in the tank in the yard can freeze in winter, so you need to think about how to protect the tank from frost.
It is necessary to make the tank insulated or place it in some kind of utility room. You can fill the container from an imported fresh water tank.
Water coming from natural sources has various impurities, both organic and inorganic. A coarse filter is installed on the external water intake. Immediately before the water enters the pump, a fine filter is installed. 
Filters are manufactured in the form of easily replaceable cartridges.
A wide selection of these devices can always be found in the trade network.
With a central water supply, a pump is not needed.
Water enters the system under the pressure of the central water conduit.
Manifold distribution center
The manifold unit distributes hot water flows throughout the underfloor heating system in different rooms with different temperatures. Only a qualified technician should install the manifold manifold.
Thermostat
There may be several of them. Each of them regulates the temperature of the water in its own circuit. Thermostats are an integral part of a manifold distribution center.
Pipeline
The main structure for a water-heated floor is a pipeline. Pipes for the heating system are used mainly from 3 types of materials:
- metal-plastic;
- polypropylene;
- copper pipeline.
XLPE
Cross-linked polyethylene pipe device Cross-linked polyethylene is a cross-linked polymer of ethylene. As a result of a complex chemical process, a high-strength material is obtained that can withstand heating water to the boiling point.
Sewn polyethylene pipe has a standard outer diameter of 16 mm. Connect the ends of the pipes with fittings. On one end of the hoses, a sleeve with an external thread is put on. The end of the pipe is expanded inside the sleeve with special pliers, this creates a tight fastening of one part of the fitting.
A sleeve with an internal thread is put on the other end. By screwing both parts of the fitting, a strong sealed connection of the ends of the polyethylene pipes is obtained.
There are fittings without threads. The prepared ends of the hoses are fastened by pressing one sleeve into another. The material underlying the fittings is usually steel, some non-ferrous metals and polyethylene.
The pipe can withstand a 90 degree bend. If the water freezes, the hose retains its integrity. A professional set of tools for crimping and crimping pipes is very expensive, so for one-time work it is advisable to rent a tool.
At the same time, it should be noted that XLPE pipes are one of the most expensive, but as practice shows, they are the most reliable.
Metal-plastic
Metal passes between polymer layers Reinforced plastic pipes combine the qualities of cross-linked polyethylene with metal fittings. The inner and outer surface of the hose is made of polyethylene. An aluminum mesh with adhesive interlayers lies between the polymer layers.
The outer layer is robust and resistant to aggressive chemical environments. The inner surface of the pipe is made of so-called food grade plastic. Smooth plastic prevents the formation of rust and scale on its surface. The aluminum reinforcing layer gives the hose extra strength and significantly increases its service life.
At the same time, the metal-plastic pipe has flexibility, which is necessary for a complex configuration of laying a warm floor.
The metal-plastic pipe goes on sale in multi-meter coils.
Use fittings designed for metal-plastic pipes.
The installation of hose connections is carried out using the same technology as the installation of fittings for XLPE pipes.
Polypropylene
Such pipes can be used for up to 50 years. Polypropylene pipes are made from ecological materials with a guaranteed service life of up to 50 years. Thanks to their smooth inner surface, the pipes provide an unobstructed circulation of hot water.
Polypropylene pipes, with their positive qualities, have another advantage - their low cost.
When installing a warm floor polypropylene pipes connect in two ways. The first method is traditional, based on the installation of fittings. The second method consists in welding the pipes with a special soldering iron.
The ends of the polypropylene hose are inserted from both sides into the holes of the soldering iron. Having reached the required heating, the molten ends of the pipes are compressed with the same soldering iron. A set of soldering equipment is supplied with nozzles of various diameters. In our case, nozzles with a diameter of 16 mm are used.
The pipe welding process itself is not complicated; almost everyone can master it. You need to know that the material itself is quite tough. Polypropylene can only be bent by heating.
Polypropylene welded joints have shown their high reliability compared to fitting fasteners.
Copper piping has the longest life Like any non-ferrous metal, copper is very expensive, so pipes made of of this material have a price much higher than the cost of the above pipelines.
Warm floors made from copper pipes have an unlimited service life. Fittings are made of copper. Due to the plasticity of the metal, pipe joints are highly reliable. Copper pipes bend easily, taking the desired shape for laying the warm floor.
By their properties, metals are materials with high thermal conductivity. A copper tube subfloor heats the floor with minimal heat loss.
Preparation of the base for laying and pouring underfloor heating
The base is cleaned, cracks and chips are closed. After that, you can install waterproofing and insulation Before proceeding with the installation of heating pipes, you need to put in order the condition of the subfloor:
Heating pipe laying forms
There are several forms of pipe laying. Let's dwell on the two most popular methods for the location of heating pipes:
