How to choose an electric underfloor heating: types, features, quality

Electric underfloor heating systems have fully proved their worth, have firmly taken a certain position among heating equipment and are finding more and more supporters. But their effective work is possible only if the selection of the model is carried out correctly. Therefore, before buying, you should study the characteristics and features of various modifications, compare their parameters with the upcoming operating conditions.

Types of electric underfloor heating: main characteristics

The classification of electric floor heating systems is based on the type of heating element.

Cable

According to the principle of operation, this type of floor is similar to a water-heated floor. The heating cable performs the main function of surface heating. Electricity flows through it, like a coolant in the pipes of a water floor. There are 2 types of cable:

shielded

for residential premises, bathrooms, balconies and loggias

unshielded

it is intended for installation in non-residential premises in order to prevent freezing of pipes and other purposes.

According to the number of conductive cores, cable floors are divided into the following types:

single core

The maximum power of such a system is 20 watts. They are available in different lengths and power density. They are used for both primary and secondary heating. A feature of the use of the cable is that it is laid in a special screed, performed on top of the existing floor. In this case, the floors rise by 3 cm. During installation, both ends converge at one point and are connected to the network. This is the difficulty of laying the cable.

two-wire

Unlike a single-core cable, this cable consists of two conductive cores connected to each other at one end. Its advantage is that there is no need to pull the other end of the wire to the connection point. Installation of the system is greatly simplified. A two-core cable wire, along with the insulation of each core, has the insulation of the entire cable and a reinforcing braid.

self-adjusting

The role of lived in this type is performed by a semiconductor. It regulates the heat supply, changes the resistance and the heating level itself, depending on the temperature of the home. This cable saves energy, but it is short-lived. An important advantage of this type is the independence of its operation from the correct installation. Even if the turns are located very close to each other, it does not burn out.

Heating cables are able to work without problems for 30-40 years or more. All connections are closed with special couplings, so breaks are practically excluded. The maximum power of such floors is up to 110 W per 1 sq. / m - this is enough to heat any residential premises.

A feature of the cable floor is the obligatory presence of a concrete screed with a thickness of at least 30-50 mm for its laying.With this, electric cable underfloor heating even more resembles water.

The cable is laid with a snake. In places where you need to increase power, the step is reduced, and in areas where you need to reduce it, the step is increased. If necessary, you can adjust the length of the cable to your liking. Thermal insulation is necessarily laid under the heating cable itself so that the heat is not wasted in vain and is directed towards the floor covering.

Advantages of cable electric floors:

• the possibility of using in premises of any purpose;
• no overheating of the cable;
• cheap materials.

Among the advantages of the cable floor is the ultimate reliability of the system. Its main drawback is the need to fill in the screed, at least the minimum thickness).

Heating mats

Heating mats

This type of heating systems is one of the types of cable floor. It differs from it in that the cable is initially laid with a certain step on the base mesh. Heating mats can be laid directly on the subfloor and then fixed on top of the finish coat. This saves time and consumables.

Manufacturers have also developed mats with an ultra-thin cable built into them for dry installation. Their height is slightly larger than the standard thickness for these products and is about 8 mm.

Heating mats can work up to 30 years or more without creating problems in operation. They are easy to install and require no maintenance. For ease of installation, they are supplied in rolls of various lengths and widths. Thanks to this, you can always choose the most suitable rolls for laying in certain rooms.

With all the pluses, heating mats have a tangible minus - insufficient power. As a result, they are recommended to be used as auxiliary heating sources. If full space heating is required, it is better to use single or double-core wires.

Infrared

Modern infrared floor heating systems have proven themselves well in heating houses, apartments, and industrial premises. This type of heating elements can be mounted not only on the floor, but also on the walls, and even on the ceiling. The principle of operation of the infrared floor is to heat nearby surfaces, which include the human body. In a room with this type of heating, the air can be cool, and the person is already very warm. An important advantage is that in case of mechanical damage, the film floor does not stop carrying out its heating function, only the area of ​​damage fails.

There are 2 types of infrared floor:

Film

IR film for electric underfloor heating is not a very wide canvas, along the edges of which electrical conductors are visible. Between the conductors are narrow dark strips of carbon, which are the source of infrared radiation. All this is connected to a 220 V power source. An interesting feature of the film is that it can be cut, but only along certain lines (the step is indicated in the technical data sheet).

Rod

Produced in the form of wired carbon rods filled with polyethylene terephthalates. The rod IR floor is not afraid of the furniture and large objects installed on it, and even if one of the rods is damaged, it will continue heating the room.

The main advantage of infrared underfloor heating is high heat transfer, the disadvantage is that if there is a screed, heating will be very slow.

Mobile warm floor

Mobile warm floor

These are portable heating mats, consisting of an electric heating element, a heat-conducting outer layer, a power supply unit and a thermostat. Outwardly, it looks like a carpet that can be spread on the floor.

A mobile warm floor is used as an additional source of space heating when the main system is not working efficiently or has not yet been launched. It is appropriate on unheated loggias or in utility rooms. Families with children will appreciate this type of warm floor. Heating elements can be laid directly on the floor or under the carpet and not be afraid for the health of the baby crawling on the floor.

Mobile warm floors have many variations. Their dimensions range from 1.8-2.8 m in length and 0.6-2 m in width, so it is easy to choose a product of the desired dimensions. The weight can be 0.3-2 kg, so moving the mat from one room to another will not be difficult. Power ranges from 250 to 560 watts. It does not make sense to take a device that is too “strong”, because this is an additional source of heating.

Having decided to buy a mobile underfloor heating, please note that furniture cannot be placed on it. The electrical cables under its weight will overheat greatly and not only the heating mat itself will suffer, but also the flooring and nearby furniture.

It should be borne in mind that the warm floor should only be laid on a flat, solid surface. Sagging leads to local overheating, and bending can damage electrical cables. The temperature sensor must always be visible.If you close it with a carpet, the device will malfunction, displaying inaccurate information on the screen.

During operation, the mobile warm floor heats up to no more than +30 - +55 degrees, which means that the likelihood of burns during short-term direct contact is excluded

Features of choosing different types of underfloor heating

For each type of underfloor heating, there are a number of specific selection criteria. They must be taken into account in order to achieve maximum efficiency of the heating system.

cable floor

Cutting the cable is not recommended.

With cable systems, the length of the wire must first be taken into account. If the film elements can be shortened, then the cable is not recommended to be cut. It must be taken strictly according to the size placed. Shortening will lead to the fact that it will work in emergency mode, and this will inevitably lead to a decrease in service life. When choosing cables, pay attention to the following parameters:

Heating mats

Heating mats must have a screen

When choosing them, you need to consider:

• web width - it is 500–1000 mm and is selected depending on the size and configuration of the area on which it is necessary to expand the heating element;
• mat thickness - depends on the diameter of the cable and the material for the substrate, can reach 50 mm;
• power - on average, this parameter varies between 100-200 W / m².

Heating mats must have a screen. It is grounded and equalizes electrical potentials.If there is no screen, when installing a warm floor, you will have to install a metal mesh, since this requirement is contained in the PUE rules.

IR film selection

It is important to pay attention to power

The first criterion that is taken into account when buying a film floor is power. For comfortable conditions in the room, it is necessary to determine the required degree of heating and the quadrature of underfloor heating. Rated power can vary between 100-250 W/m². A more accurate indicator depends on the scope of the heating system:

• living rooms and kitchens in private houses and on the first floors - from 140 to 160 W / m²;
• toilets, bathrooms, other rooms with high humidity - from 150 to 180 W / m²;
• kitchen and living rooms in apartments above the ground floor - from 120 to 150 W / m²;
• loggias, balconies, glazed verandas and terraces - from 180 to 250 W/m².

Also, when choosing an IR film, you need to consider additional parameters:

1. Roll width. It varies between 500–1000 mm and is selected according to the area of ​​a particular room.
2. Film thickness. It is not recommended to buy IR sheets thinner than 3 mm.
3. The condition of the carbon strips - it is necessary to bring the film to the light and make sure that the heating elements do not shine through. Too thin a layer of graphite is a bad sign and a path to fragility.
4. The color of the intermediate strips between the heating blocks. It can be cloudy or transparent, it is better to give preference to films with cloudy gaps, as they will last longer.
5. A method of connecting graphite strips with a conductive mesh. In most cases, silver is used for this purpose, which is added to graphite paste. When using this technology, there is a risk of rapid delamination of the tire.

For the basic modification of striped film sheets, the width cannot be changed, since in this case the circuit will be broken and the elements that emit infrared waves will be damaged. They can only be cut along special cut lines.

Choice by type of flooring

The choice also affects the type of flooring.

First you need to decide whether the screed will be poured or not. If it is not provided, you should look at electric mats or IR film. Almost any floor coverings are laid on the film.

If the house has a tiled floor, you should give preference to heating mats. They are very thin and efficient, their power is up to 150-160 W per 1 sq. m. Mats can be laid under any floor coverings. For example, if porcelain stoneware is chosen as a coating, it is enough to spread mats and start laying tilesusing normal solution. In the case of laminate, engineering board and parquet board, it is necessary to make a thin screed with a thickness of 20-30 mm.

For subfloors made of wood, an electrical cable is recommended for use. It fits into the slots in the wooden logs, and thermal insulation is laid under it.

Nothing prevents us from using IR film. It can be laid on the floor and even behind the ceiling, which will increase the heating efficiency.

If planned laying laminate, you need to pay attention to the class of the material. Under a laminate below class 32, it is not recommended to lay a warm floor. If the class is higher, you can choose one of 3 options:

• cable underfloor heating of sufficient power in the screed;
• heating mats in the self-leveling floor;
• film underfloor heating directly under the laminate.

If the room has different floor coverings

What to choose with mixed flooring?

In modern and even classic interiors, you can find different types of flooring within the same room. Most often they combine tiles or porcelain tiles with laminate (when combining a living room with a kitchen). When installing underfloor heating in such rooms, you need to keep in mind that laminate and tiles have different thermal conductivity. Ideally, an independent heating system should be installed under each coating. The common heating element will fail faster when working in such conditions.

The following comparison table will help you navigate the choice:

When choosing underfloor heating for a home, heating systems are often combined with each other. For example, cables are used for bathrooms, toilets and hallways, and IR films are used for living rooms, bedrooms and children's rooms. On the balconies or loggias, you can use both heating systems, here the final choice depends on the type of flooring.

We take into account the stages of repair

The sooner you decide, the more options you have.

When choosing a warm floor, the degree of surface preparation for laying is important. There may be two:

In the first case, any kind will do. The cable floor and heating mats are mounted directly into the screed.The cable is poured with concrete for 3–5 cm. Mats and an infrared rod floor are laid in a self-leveling self-leveling floor to a depth of 0.5–1.5 cm. It is most convenient to lay an infrared film or rod floor or heating mats on an already poured screed. In this case, the choice depends solely on the finish coating.

We evaluate the quality of the goods

Choose only quality options

When buying a set of underfloor heating of any kind, do not forget about the main criteria - the appearance of the goods and related documentation. Conscientious manufacturers give guarantees for equipment and attach instructions for installation and operation. If there are no such documents in the kit, it is better to refuse to purchase such a system, despite the reasonable price. There is a high probability of acquiring a fake that does not meet safety requirements and technical specifications.

Do not hesitate to check that the equipment specified by the manufacturer corresponds to what the seller offers.

It should be noted that during a detailed examination there are no visible damages - scratches on the film or broken rods, damaged wire insulation and other shortcomings.

You should immediately select the kits of additional materials for mounting the system specified in the manufacturer's instructions. Often you can find recommendations to use branded thermal insulation, protective film and more. If there are any, they should not be neglected. As a rule, components from one manufacturer are ideal and then the underfloor heating system will serve the owner for the maximum possible time.

Questions