Do-it-yourself warm water floor on concrete. Warm water floor in a private house - the principle of operation

The issue of organizing heating is the most important for everyone building their home. Of course, if you exclude the inhabitants of the tropics, where the problem is diametrically opposite. It is estimated that a water floor can save up to 20% on heating costs. But only if you do it right!

Where to start the process of installing a warm floor?

Of course, with calculations! And very detailed - the wrong choice of laying pitch or pipe diameter will lead to forever cold rooms or streaks of heat on the floor. And given that the system is literally "embedded", the cost of rework will exceed the installation of a new warm floor.

How to calculate the warm floor correctly?

It is rather difficult to do it manually, so it is better to use one of the special programs, for example Valtec. It is a multifunctional program for calculating heating, water supply and hydraulics.

• accurate data on premises - floor and wall area, size of door and window openings;
• wall, floor and even ceiling materials;
• arrangement of furniture that will not move - sliding wardrobes, kitchen sets, shower cabins, etc .;
• desired indoor temperature;
• the presence and thickness of the carpet.

The advantage of using the programs is the simplicity of calculations. By simply entering the necessary information into the appropriate cells, you can get the calculation at the output:

• heat loss in each room;
• heat load - heat inflow, which will give a warm floor in each room;
• hydraulic resistance of the entire system in a private house;
• the amount of all materials required for underfloor heating.

What you need to know to organize a warm floor?

Before you start buying materials, you need to take into account all the nuances. First, it is the diameter of the pipes. Don't take too big, 16mm is enough. A pipe of this diameter allows you to make a step of at least 10 cm without a crease on the bend when laying with a snake. But the maximum pipe length cannot exceed 90 m.

Secondly, this is the step of laying pipes - ideally, it should be within 10-20 cm, and must be a multiple of 5. Near the outer walls and windows, the step is smaller, and near the inner ones - more.

Under heavy furniture that is close to the floor and installed against interior walls, you can start to lay the hinges at a distance of 1 m from the walls. Also, do not lay pipes under floor-standing toilet- drilling holes for fasteners can damage the floor system.

Thirdly, it is the length of the pipes. It must be the same for all circuits connected to the same collector. Of course, in practice, this is unrealistic to achieve, so the difference must be reduced to a maximum of 10 m. So, in large rooms you will have to lay two contours, in small rooms - reduce the laying step. At the same time, it is not recommended to connect more than 9 circuits 90 m long to one collector - it is better to split them into two devices.

Pipes cannot go up from it, so another collector will have to be installed on the second floor. If the collector is on the outer wall, the outgoing pipes must be insulated.

Laying underfloor heating in a concrete screed

1. The collector cabinet and the collector itself are mounted, to which the pipes will be connected. If necessary, holes are drilled for the output of pipes.
2. A damper tape is glued to the walls along the entire perimeter, as well as between the contours, if they are within the same room. It compensates for thermal expansion of the floor and serves as insulation for the cold wall. The width should be 15 cm or more - depending on the thickness of the “pie” of the warm floor.



3. Insulation is laid on the concrete base. For the first or basement floor without a heated basement, it should be from 5 cm thick, on other floors - from 3 cm. It is necessary to insulate the concrete slab of the second floor in order to reduce the heat consumption for heating this very slab. All the same, warm air rises up and the ceiling will not heat the lower rooms.



4. Waterproofing is laid on the insulation and reinforcing mesh is laid.
5. Now you can start laying pipes - from the outer wall to the inner one, if the "snake" method is chosen, or from the walls to the center, if the pipes are laid "by the snail".
6. The coils can be fixed either with special fasteners or with an ordinary plastic construction tie to the reinforcement. In the latter case, it must not be tightened tight!



7. After connecting all the circuits, a test run of the heating system is done - it must work at maximum pressure and operating temperature for 24 hours.
8. If there are no leaks or other malfunctions, the screed is poured. Under the tile, it can be made thicker - up to 5 cm, and under the laminate, which does not accumulate and conduct heat well, you should not make it more than 2 cm.In this case, the screed is reinforced with a second layer of mesh laid on top of the pipes.



9. It is important not to forget to water the concrete every day, because it gains hardness when it comes into contact with water. The flooring is laid after 28 days, after the screed has completely hardened.

If the house is wooden or frame, and the load-bearing floors are not designed for the weight of the concrete screed, you can arrange a warm floor heating. Its advantage is the absence of a "wet" process, so immediately after installing the system, you can enjoy the warmth in the house.

Another undoubted advantage of this solution is the small thickness of the cake and the possibility of laying it on an old wooden floor. How to easily do this is clearly shown in the video:

Among the existing heating options country house the simplest and most economical is the construction of a system for heating air masses inside the room from below, or a warm floor. The market offers many alternatives, forcing the owners to look for answers to the questions: which system to prefer, how best to make a warm floor in a private house, and whether it is possible to carry out the installation yourself.

For country cottages with an autonomous boiler room, it will be cheaper and more convenient to use a water heating system for air masses from the bottom of the room. The locality of the network will make it possible to regulate both the temperature and pressure of the coolant in the pipes, and its speed, quality, and costs. And this will affect the service life of the entire system, its efficiency and the ability to create optimal comfortable conditions in the premises. It is possible to organize an auxiliary heating system when connected to a centralized network. But how effective such a water floor will be in a private house is difficult to judge, since the inclusion of an auxiliary system:

For these reasons, electric or infrared underfloor heating in a private house connected to centralized heating or an apartment would be more appropriate. With autonomy heating system it is wiser and more practical to choose water heating floors. Let's figure out in detail how the system works and how it works. And also we will find out the question of how to make a warm floor in a private house without the involvement of specialists.

The principle of operation of a warm floor in the house

The auxiliary system for heating air masses from the bottom of the room consists of:

The photo shows a diagram of a water-heated floor in a private house, taking into account the radiator system. The latter will be needed in severe frosts, since the temperature of the floor surface should not exceed:

• 27-330С in a bathroom or a bathroom;
• 21-270С in the kitchen;
• 24-290С in the bedroom, living room and others living rooms Oh;
• 300C in hallways, corridors, lobbies, etc.

At such a temperature of air masses on the floor surface and an ambient temperature outside the window below -100C, it is impossible to create comfortable living conditions in the interior of the cottage. Temperature calculations were carried out taking into account the effect of underfloor heating on human health with a long stay in the room and high temperatures for performance characteristics floor coverings.

The above diagram shows how to make a water-heated floor with your own hands in a private house, but its principle of operation is not told. It is extremely simple. The water is heated by the boiler to 75-900C and is supplied to the mixing unit with the help of a pump. Here there is a decrease in the degree of the coolant from the "return". The mixing process is carried out by a three-way valve. The coolant cooled to 45-550C is pumped to the distribution unit, which is assembled from the collectors to which the underfloor heating circuits are connected - pipes. The feeding type of equipment sends the hot substance into the loop of the system. Having given up its heat, the coolant returns to the collector of the reverse type, then to the boiler.

The question of how to make a warm floor from heating in a private house of a given temperature in each room remained unclear. This requires a servo. It is mounted in the socket of the reverse type collector. The device will provide automatic regulation of the degrees of substance in the system by closing and opening (the processes are determined by the thermostat) passages to the circuits. The equipment is also designed to reduce the load on the system. The servo drive works smoothly and silently, therefore water hammer is completely excluded. Here it is worth considering one nuance. If you are interested in how to make a warm floor from heating in a private house with two circuits, then 2 servos will have to be included in the circuit. The device is installed for each hinge separately.

Installation of water-heated floors in a private house on a concrete screed

The organization of the water system involves laying pipes for supplying the coolant directly to the concrete screed. You can use sandy cement mortar, but with the scheme of the underfloor heating system in a private house, which is given above, it is much worse compatible. The structure device will be as follows (as it is installed):

• Concrete screed or floor slab;
• Waterproofing material. If the water floor in the house spreads over the ceiling, then the insulating layer may not be laid, because there is no proximity to groundwater;
• Heat insulating material. It is recommended to use expanded polystyrene, but you can also lay styrofoam. But it must be borne in mind that the foam will be subjected to a load of at least 20-23 kg / m2. This means that its density should be more than 20 kg / m3. In order to avoid deformations, it is better to buy a slab with a density of at least 35 kg / m3 and even more.

An important point in clarifying the question of how to make warm floors in a private house is the correct choice of materials for the floor cake. It is made taking into account the loads and operating standards. Therefore, if a more practical polystyrene foam is chosen as thermal insulation, its thickness should be over 20 mm. It is better to choose a slab with a thickness of 115 mm, otherwise you will have to solve the problem of how to make the warm floor in the house more efficient. The thicker the insulating material, the less heat leakage will occur. The density of the slab is 32-45 kg / m3 and more;

• Waterproofing. An excellent option for a warm floor in a private house will be polyethylene, which is rolled over the surface in two layers. Material thickness - 110-155 microns;
• Reinforcing mesh with a rod diameter of 4 mm. Its fastening is carried out to a concrete screed or floor, and not to insulating materials. Otherwise, the immobility of the system cannot be guaranteed;
• Pipes. Understanding how to make a warm floor in a private, take an interest in the concepts - materials for the production of pipes, the diameter of the pipes and the length of the circuit. The optimal product is considered to be a pipe with a diameter of 16 mm (when servicing an area of ​​more than 50 m2). With such a product, the length of the contour must be made within 70-90 m.If the room is larger, 2 or more contours are laid or pipes of a larger diameter are bought. For the parameter 17 mm, the length of the contour is 90-105 m, for the parameter 20 mm - 120 mm.

The well-known technology of laying a warm water floor in a private house also involves calculating the step of installing pipes. It can vary from 10 to 30 cm. In the coldest zones it is recommended to make it no more than 100-150 mm, in the central zones - 200-300 mm. The smaller the step, the warmer it is in the zone. But when organizing a heating system in a private house in the floor, it is worth remembering that pipes, for example, made of metal-plastic, will be extremely difficult to bend without kinks and bends. Therefore, the styling scheme, the number of contours and the step should be carefully thought out;

• Concrete screed. After fixing the pipes for the coolant with plastic clamps to the reinforcing mesh (use from 2 to 4 clamps on running meter) the base is poured with concrete. The layer thickness must be at least 50 mm (calculated from the upper surface of the pipe) when using pipes with a diameter of 16 mm. A thickness of 10 cm is allowed.If you are looking for an answer to the question of how to make water heating the floor in a private house with your own hands according to a scheme using pipes of a larger diameter, which means that keep in mind that the screed layer should be larger. But then the level of the floor will rise;
• Substrate. When arranging warm water floors in a private house, it is better to use thick cardboard, cork, polyethylene foam. They are environmentally friendly and do not emit odors, toxins when exposed to high temperatures;
• Finishing floor covering. Correctly mounted water heat-insulated floor in the house goes well with ceramic tiles, laminate, parquet, linoleum.

This should be the device of a warm floor in a private house and apartment - the installation technology and materials do not change. Minimum height floor cake will be 140-150 mm, but maybe more. If raising the floor level to this height seems impractical, it is wiser to install other types of warm floors in a private house - cable, infrared film, thermomats.

How to make warm floors from water heating in a private house correctly?

To organized system during operation did not become a disappointment and a waste of money, the following points must be taken into account at the design stage:

Below are the wiring diagrams laying a warm water floor in a private house on the ground floor. Please note that in colder areas, the step is smaller.

How to fill a screed underfloor heating in a private house: proportions and materials

If water-heated floors in a private house are laid on the concrete floor with their own hands, then, most likely, the screed solution will be prepared on its own. You will need one weight part of M 300 or 400 grade cement, plasticizers, additives and fine-grained crushed stone with sand, or better screening. The main components are taken in proportions of 1: 6 - one part of cement and 6 parts of screening. When using crushed stone and sand, the proportion will be 1: 4: 3.5 - one part of cement to 4 parts of crushed stone and 3.5 parts of sand.

If, figuring out the question of how to make a warm floor from heating in a private house with your own hands, you do not want to waste time mixing the solution, you can use ready-made dry mixes. They are bred according to the instructions on the packaging, which makes it easier and faster to work. There is no need to add plasticizers and additives to ready-made mixtures.

The correct choice of a solution for a screed when considering how to make a warm floor from heating in a private house yourself is extremely important. For example, cement-sand screed will have less strength and lower heat transfer than concrete screed... Therefore, experts recommend using concrete, which, moreover, is also less susceptible to cracking during cooling and subsequent heating.

Now we will master the principle of how to properly fill in a warm floor in a private house after installing the pipeline:

When pouring the solution, the screed must be carefully tamped. You can use special Building tools, but you can also use a regular rake, a mop with a rag. This procedure is necessary in order to expel air pockets, the presence of which makes the water heating of the floor in a private house less efficient.

Do-it-yourself water-heating floor in a private house: step-by-step instructions and technology

Having studied the device of a water-heated floor in a private house, we carry out direct installation with our own hands. He should follow a simple technique:

• Preparation of the base. If the walls and ceiling have not yet been plastered, it is better to carry out this procedure before installing a warm water floor in a private house with your own hands, otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of construction debris on the surface. This is extra work.
• Laying waterproofing.
• Installation of a damper tape around the perimeter of the room.
• Filling the rough screed. If you are installing a warm water floor in a private house with your own hands, then you should take into account that the following stages of work can be carried out after the layer of the rough screed gets stronger. Do not lay the floor cake on the material with a moisture content of more than 80%. Otherwise, excess moisture will lead to cracking of the floor screed.
• Installation of thermal insulation. When installing a warm floor in a private house with your own hands, do not forget to tape the insulating material with tape in order to avoid movements and layers. The joints in the bottom row should be overlapped with solid areas of the sheets in the second row.
• Layout of plastic wrap. The material must cover the entire surface area of ​​+50 mm at each wall. This surplus, if you want to make a warm floor from heating with your own hands in the house, reliable and durable, tamp it carefully (you cannot damage the damper tape) with a spatula between the cake and the wall. If the film is laid in pieces, they are overlapped and glued with tape.
• Reinforcement device. When figuring out the process of how to make floors under a warm floor in a house, you need to remember one rule - there should be no progress. The mesh cells must correspond to the pipe spacing. This will make them easier to fix.
• Layout of pipes and their fixation. The operation is carried out strictly according to the selected installation scheme for a warm floor for a private house with accurate fastening and bending of pipes.
• Installing the collector.
• Connecting pipes and system to the boiler.

After a self-made warm water floor is connected to heating in a private house, and the concrete layer is completely dry, you can warm up the surface. Installation with a concrete base is time consuming and painstaking. It should be started in the summer so that all layers of the floor cake dry well. Otherwise, the base will crack, which will damage the system. If there is no time to wait, it is better to mount a warm floor from heating in a private house on wooden or polymer mats. The styling procedure will take no more than 3-4 days. If the given step by step production Do-it-yourself floor heating in a private house, left questions, which means that the procedure for installing and designing the system is better left to professionals. Call us for a consultation!

A warm floor for a private house, unlike a radiator system, is more economical and practical. Underfloor heating creates excellent air convection in the home. There are many subtleties that should be considered when making underfloor heating in a private house. It is not easy to lay pipes in concrete or electric mats. It is important to make correct calculations here, especially if you plan to use them as the main source of heat. This article will discuss issues related to how to make a warm floor in a private house.

Underfloor heating in a private house - is it needed?

Underfloor heating is expensive, but well worth it. How is the value formed? Many factors affect pricing. For example, what layer of thermal insulation needs to be laid, what will be the thickness of the heating cake, how the floor will be adjusted and much more. Is it worth spending time, money and effort on creating such a complex heating system? As practice shows, underfloor heating in a private house is a reliable design that works properly and provides a stable temperature.

Note! In order to save money, some decide to make a mixed heating system. In this case, the main source of heat will be the radiator system, and the warm floor as additional element... For example, warm floors are used to equip rooms where ceramic tile or porcelain stoneware.

Underfloor heating in a private house has a number of positive sides that must not be overlooked. If you still doubt the correctness of your decision, then the following factors will dispel all doubts:

• An even distribution of thermal energy creates an increased thermal comfort. So, the floors are pleasant to the touch, thanks to which you will never get cold on your feet.
• Significant reduction in energy consumption for home heating.
• Due to the low temperature of the coolant, the maximum efficiency of the heat pump and the condensing boiler is ensured.
• Does not spoil appearance premises, since the underfloor heating system is hidden from view.
• There are no temperature fluctuations in the room.
• Due to the large thermal inertia, there are no sudden temperature fluctuations in the room.

For the sake of objectivity, some disadvantages of arranging a warm floor should be highlighted:

• If you carry out the wrong installation, then in the event of a malfunction, it will take a lot of effort and money to eliminate them.
• Not every finishing material can be combined with warm floors. If the heated floors are cluttered with furniture, the heat output will decrease.
• It is important to equip the system with a circulation pump and a thermostat. Allowing the system to overheat can lead to bad consequences.
• If a concrete warm floor is equipped, then there is an additional load on the floor of the house.
• Unlike a radiator system, a warm floor has a high cost.

Considering all this, we have to admit that with all the disadvantages, warm floors in a private house are a great idea. Now we will consider some of the nuances that should be considered when organizing floor heating.

Calculation of heat transfer and heat loss

The values ​​of heat output and heat loss will make it possible to understand whether underfloor heating can be used as the main heating in a private house. So, if you determine that there are large heat losses in the house, then the warm floor cannot be the main one, but only additional heating.

For example, let's take a house with an area of ​​100 m 2, in which the heat loss will be 75 W / m 2. In this case, the area of ​​the heated floor is 70%, that is, 70 m 2. The average floor heating output is 90 W / m2. Multiplying two indicators of 90 W / m 2 by 70 m 2, we get an indicator for the heat transfer of a floor with a capacity of 6300 W. To determine heat loss, the entire floor area, in our case 100 m 2, is multiplied by 75 W / m 2. As a result, we get 7,500 watts. With this calculation, it is clear that the heat loss is greater than the heat transfer from the floor. Therefore, warm floors cannot be basic in any way. With this example, you can easily define the task for the underfloor heating to be created.

Permissible power of underfloor heating

If there is a lot of heat loss in your house, then the heating power of 80 W / m 2 may not be enough, especially if the house big windows... But problems can arise even in a small room, for example, in a bathroom or toilet. So, having installed a shower cubicle, a toilet, washing machine and other items, the heated area is significantly reduced. As a result, the power of 80 W / m 2 will clearly not be enough. This also applies to bedrooms. A large area of ​​the floor will be covered by wardrobes, bedding and the like. The efficiency of underfloor heating is automatically reduced.

Note! If the warm floor will give out a power of 800 W per 10 m 2, then it is worth considering that the same power can be produced by radiators 50 × 50 × 15. This is due to the fact that the coolant for the radiator has a temperature of up to 80 ° C.

Considering these factors, we come to the conclusion that it is necessary to accurately calculate the power of the heating circuits to create warm floors as the main heating. And in some cases, you will need to install additional heating radiators or a heated towel rail (for the bathroom).

A private house can be equipped with warm floors of two types:

1. Water.
2. Electric.

As for country houses, electric heating is used extremely rarely. There are good reasons for this, for example, the high consumption of electricity. For the most part, warm electric floors are installed in apartments as an additional source of heat. In this case, they have much more advantages, since their installation does not take much time and effort, and high power is not required to heat the apartment.

It is much more difficult to install water floors, but for a private house they are more effective. In this case, the house should be insulated, the screed should be poured and the collector should be connected. The water heating system is designed for continuous use. At correct installation, as well as subsequent maintenance, it can last up to 30 years. Among other things, water heating has a low level of inertia. If the floor warms up enough, it will retain heat well. As a consequence, constant replenishment with hot coolant is not needed.

Note! It is recommended to install a warm water floor on an area of ​​no more than 15 m 2. In this case, it is necessary to make a project on which the arrangement of furniture and other items will be indicated.

At correct organization warm water floor, you can completely abandon the radiators, which often interfere with the implementation of design ideas. For example, you can install the so-called "French windows" (from floor to ceiling). Plus, you can save on space heating. If you are not currently using one of the rooms, then one circuit can be turned off on the collector. Accordingly, this will be reflected in the total flow rates of the heating medium.

As for the installation of underfloor heating in a private house, there are three methods of laying them:

1. On a wooden floor.
2. On a concrete screed.
3. On the ground.

In most cases, the technology of laying on a concrete screed is used. The wooden, obsolete, floor is torn off and the screed is poured. In this case, a rough screed is poured. The contours of the pipes are laid on top, and then the finishing screed is poured and the floor covering is laid.

Note! Laying heating pipes in a screed will require more power of the heating system, because you will have to warm up the heating "pie" and plus the floor covering well. These nuances are taken into account when creating a heating project.

There is another widespread technology for the manufacture of underfloor heating - on the ground. To implement it, you need to remove the top layer of soil. Further, a pillow is made of sand, 10 cm thick and crushed stone up to 10 cm of fine fraction. It is also necessary to install a waterproofing layer. For this, roofing material or a special membrane is used. On top of this, a rough screed is poured, a heater with a heat-reflecting surface and pipes are placed.

Note! If there are pipes at the base of your house, then the installation of a warm water floor is greatly simplified. You will need to level the floor surface, level cracks and make heating circuits.

All the work can be done by hand. To do this, you should carefully study the provided instructions:

• As mentioned above, roofing material can be used for the waterproofing layer. Roll roofing material or other insulating materials over the surface of the base. It is important to glue each joint well. Therefore, the sheets of roofing material are laid with an overlap of 10 cm.Gluing can be carried out using special adhesive tape, resin, high temperature etc.
• To prevent the cold from entering the room from below, the next layer is made - thermal insulation. High density foam can be used for this purpose. As a result, the heat from the pipes will not go down, and the cold from the ground will not rise up. In most cases, a 5 cm layer of thermal insulation is sufficient.
• At the next stage, a vapor barrier is made. This is important because, otherwise, condensation will appear on top of the insulation. For the manufacture of vapor barrier, a durable polyethylene film... The flooring, like the roofing material, is overlapped by 10 cm, after which the film is glued with tape.

Note! Several factors affect the thermal insulation layer, for example, the coefficient of thermal insulation, the capacity of the heating system, the location of the house, etc.

When all these preparatory work is completed, it's time to start making a rough screed. To do this, lay reinforcement mesh... Usually a mesh with cells of 150 × 150 mm is used. It is necessary to put a reflective film under the mesh, which will direct the flow of thermal energy upward. The contours of the heating pipes can be laid out on the mesh. It should be noted that when arranging a water heated floor in a private house, it is important to allocate a place for installing a collector. Through it, the temperature level in the room will be controlled.

If necessary, you can create 2, 3 or even 5 heating circuits. In the collector, each circuit can be signed, for the convenience of managing underfloor heating. The pipes are fastened directly to the metal mesh using special clamps. In conclusion, the finishing screed is poured. It is necessary to add a plasticizer to it, which will prevent the screed from cracking when it is heated. Also, along the entire perimeter of the room, a damper tape is laid against the wall, which will serve to compensate for thermal expansion.

Note! It is possible to fill the screed only when the system is filled with water. The water must remain in the pipes until the screed is completely dry. It is impossible to turn on the heating during this process.

At the end, all you have to do is lay the finishing floor covering, for example, tiles, parquet board, laminate and the like.

Nuances that cannot be forgotten

When arranging a warm water floor in a private house, it is important to pay special attention to the little things. Failure to follow simple rules can nullify all your efforts. Below are the tips and tricks, the observance of which will help to do all the work as efficiently as possible:

• Using a damper tape mandatory requirement... Due to this, the heating cake will be able to expand when the temperature changes. This expansion will fully compensate for the damper tape, which is glued to the wall over the entire floor area.
• An important condition is the arrangement of a comb or collector. It is unacceptable to save on this device. This is the place to control your warm floors. A pipeline with a hot coolant from the boiler is supplied to it. Also, the coolant is distributed from it along the heating circuits. A precise balance is achieved thanks to the mixing unit temperature regime... As a result, the created system works with high efficiency.
• The thickness of the finishing screed on top of the pipes should not exceed 6 cm. In order for the mortar to be elastic, a plasticizer is added to it, which will increase the resistance to temperature extremes.
• To prevent the screed from drying out, a plastic wrap can be placed on top as it dries. If this is not possible, moisten the screed regularly.

So, we have considered with you one of the possible technologies for arranging a warm floor. For example, if you want to save a wooden floor, then heating pipes can also be laid on top of it. There is a technology for this, which is not used so often. We hope that the provided article will help you do all the work with your own hands so that in cold period the room was at a comfortable temperature. In addition to this, we offer you a video on this topic, as well as diagrams from which you can learn about other aspects of designing underfloor heating in a private house. If you have personal experience in the manufacture of such a system, then be sure to write reviews at the end of the article.

Video

From the provided video material, you can learn more about the intricacies of creating a warm floor in a private house:

Schemes

Below is a number of schemes from which you can learn some of the subtleties of making a warm water floor in a private house:

Warm floors are considered in our understanding more modern system heating than radiator heating. However, this is far from the case - they appeared much earlier. Stubborn historical facts show that underfloor heating was successfully used in the days of Ancient Rome, on the territory of Korea, and in Russia too. True, only stove heating was used then, since the system for transporting hydrocarbons through pipes did not yet exist. V modern world The most economically successful countries widely use underfloor heating, and this is done not only for reasons of obvious comfort, but also taking into account the fact that such heating saves energy resources, the demand for which is growing every year.

This type of heating is not a cheap pleasure. Components and labor are very expensive. That is why any zealous owner may have the idea of ​​making a water-heated floor with his own hands. Why not? Moreover, the experience of both successful and unsuccessful implementations has already been accumulated enough to give specific recommendations. The purpose of our article is to give specific advice to those owners who are going to make a warm water floor, but at the same time so that they save their money and, in the end, get what they wanted - comfortable and economical heating.

Why exactly a water heat-insulated floor?

Of course, they are easier to implement, they are easier to manage, but the cost of energy resources makes its own adjustments - in operation this type of heating is much more expensive than a water-heated floor. It will take only 4-5 years and a warm water floor will pay off with interest, but only on the condition that it is done correctly and correctly. This is what the authors of the article want to tell our readers about. Sweeping aside colorful catalogs with expensive equipment, but based only on the experience of people who were able to implement a warm water floor in their home.

Most heating systems currently use natural gas as a heat source - and this is completely logical, since this type of fuel is cheaper than others. And this trend will continue for at least several more decades. Therefore, it is best to implement warm floors with water, the coolant in which is heated by combustion energy natural gas... But for this, a number of conditions must be met.

Water underfloor heating device

Warm water floor is a complex multicomponent system, each part of which performs its own function. Consider its structure in the following figure.

Typical construction of the "pie" of a warm water floor

This type of underfloor heating is called "wet" because it uses "wet" construction processes, namely the pouring of a cement-sand screed. There are also so-called dry warm floors, but they are mainly made. Within the framework of this article, we will consider precisely "wet" warm water floors, since they are much better, although their installation is more complicated.

The warm water floor is mounted on a stable and solid base, which can be concrete slab or soil. A vapor barrier made of polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 0.1 mm is laid on the base. The next layer of the "pie" is insulation, as it is best to use extruded, which has a very low coefficient of thermal conductivity, high mechanical strength and reasonable cost. A cement-sand screed is equipped on top of the insulation, to which a plasticizer must be added - for the mobility of the mixture, ease of installation and reduction of the water-cement ratio. It is advisable to reinforce the tie with a metal wire mesh with a cell pitch of 50 * 50 mm or 100 * 100 mm. In the same place, inside the screed, there are underfloor heating pipes with a coolant circulating in them. It is recommended to make the height of the screed above the pipes at least 3 cm, however, practice suggests that 5 cm is better, so the strength will be higher and the distribution of heat over the floor will be more even.

At the point where the walls adjoin the screed, as well as at the boundaries of the warm water heating circuits, a damper tape is laid, which compensates for the thermal expansion of the screed when it is heated. The final floor covering must be designed specifically for working with warm floors. The best way out- it is ceramic or porcelain stoneware, but some other types of coating - laminate, carpet, or can also be used with warm floors, but there must be a special sign in their marking.

Such coatings, however, require strict adherence to the thermal regime of the floor, which is achieved by the use of automation - special mixing units.

Requirements for rooms where heating with warm water floors will be implemented

The smartest move in construction is when the underfloor heating pipeline is laid even at the stage of erecting floors. This is very successfully used in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and yes, and in other economically successful countries where energy resources are very expensive and therefore they use floor heating, which is 30-40% more economical than radiator heating. It is quite possible already in a finished room, but it must meet certain requirements. Let's list them.

The most correct underfloor heating pipeline is the one that was laid even at the stage of building a house.

• Given the significant thickness of the warm water floor - from 8 to 20 cm, the height of the ceilings in the room should allow the installation of such a heating system. It is also necessary to take into account the value doorways, which must be at least 210 cm in height.
• The subfloor must be strong enough to withstand a heavy cement-sand screed.
• The base for the warm floor must be clean and level. Irregularities should not exceed 5 mm, since the differences greatly affect the flow of the coolant in the pipes, they can lead to airing of the circuits and an increase in hydraulic resistance.
• In the room where a warm water floor is planned, all plastering work, windows are inserted.
• Heat loss in rooms should not exceed 100 W / m 2. If they are larger, then you should think about insulation, and not heat the environment.

How to choose a good floor heating pipe

About pipes of a warm water floor is written in sufficient detail in our portal. Obviously, for a warm floor, it is better to choose pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene - PEX or PERT. Among PEX pipes, preference should be given to PE-Xa pipes, since they have a maximum cross-linking density of about 85% and therefore have the best "memory effect", that is, after stretching, pipes always tend to return to their original position. This allows the use of slip ring axial fittings, which can be embedded in building structures without fear. In addition, when the pipe is bent, you can restore its shape by heating the problem area with a construction hairdryer.

PERT pipes do not have a memory effect, therefore only push-in fittings are used with them, which must not be bricked up. But if all the contours of the underfloor heating are made with solid pipe sections, then all connections will be only on the collector and it is quite possible to use PERT pipes.

In addition, manufacturers produce composite pipes, when aluminum foil is placed between two layers of cross-linked polyethylene, which is a reliable oxygen barrier. But the heterogeneity of the material, the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of aluminum and polyethylene can provoke pipe delamination. Therefore, it is better to choose PE-Xa or PERT pipes with a polyvinylethylene (EVOH) barrier, which significantly reduces the diffusion of oxygen into the coolant through the pipe wall. This barrier can be located in the outer layer of the pipe, or inside, surrounded by layers of PE-Xa or PERT. Of course, the best pipe is the one with the EVOH layer inside.

There are three main pipe sizes for underfloor heating circuits: 16 * 2 mm, 17 * 2 mm and 20 * 2 mm. Most often they use 16 * 2 and 20 * 2 mm. How to choose the right pipe.

• First, the brand is important in this matter and should be paid attention to. The most famous manufacturers: Rehau, Tece, KAN, Uponor, Valtec.
• Secondly, the marking of pipes can "tell" a lot, it should be carefully studied and you should not hesitate to ask the sales consultant more questions.
• Thirdly, the qualification of a sales assistant is very helpful when choosing a pipe. Do not forget to demand certificates of conformity, inquire about the availability and price of fittings, mixing units, manifolds and other equipment. It is necessary to find out in which bays the pipe is sold, by how many meters, in order to take this into account in the future calculations.
• Finally, if a PE-Xa pipe is selected, a small test can be performed. To do this, a small section of the pipe must be broken, and then this place must be heated with a construction hairdryer. High-quality PE-Xa and PE-Xb pipes should also return to their original shape. If this does not happen, then whatever is written in the marking is simply not a PEX pipe.

Underfloor heating design principles

One of the most important stages in the arrangement of warm water floors is their competent calculation. Of course, it is best to entrust this to specialists, but the already gained experience suggests that this can be done on your own. There are tons of free programs and online calculators on the Internet. Most of the well-known manufacturers provide their software for free.

water heated floor

First you need to decide what temperature the warm floor should have.

• In residential areas where people spend most of their time standing, the floor temperature should be between 21 and 27 ° C. This temperature is most comfortable for the feet.
• For work areas - offices, as well as living rooms, the temperature should be maintained around 29 ° C.
• In hallways, lobbies and corridors, the optimum temperature is 30 ° C.
• For bathrooms and swimming pools, the floor temperature should be higher - about 31-33 ° C.

Heating with warm water floors is low-temperature, therefore, the heat carrier must be supplied at lower temperatures than radiators. If water can be supplied to the radiators at a temperature of 80-90 ° C, then the warm floor is not more than 60 ° C. In heat engineering there is such an important concept as temperature drop in the heating circuit ... This is nothing more than the difference in temperature between the supply pipe and the return pipe. In systems of warm water floors, the optimal modes are 55/45 ° C, 50/40 ° C, 45/35 ° C and 40/30 ° C.

A very important indicator is (loops) warm water floor. Ideally, they should all be of the same length, then there will be no problem with balancing, but in practice this is unlikely to be achieved, therefore it is accepted:

• For a pipe with a diameter of 16 mm, the maximum length is 70-90 m.
• For a pipe with a diameter of 17 mm - 90-100 m.
• For a pipe with a diameter of 20 mm - 120 m.

Moreover, it is advisable to focus not on the upper border, but on the lower one. Better to split the room into large quantity loops than trying to achieve circulation with a more powerful pump. Naturally, all loops must be made with pipes of the same diameter.

The step of the layout (laying) of the underfloor heating pipe - another most important indicator, which is made from 100 mm to 600 mm, depending on the heat load on the warm floor, the purpose of the room, the length of the circuit and other indicators. It is almost impossible to make a step of less than 100 mm with PEX pipes; it is very likely that the pipe will simply break. If the underfloor heating will be equipped only for comfort or additional heating, then a minimum step of 150 mm can be made. So which layout step should you use?

• In rooms with external walls, underfloor heating do the so-called edge zones where the pipes are laid with a step of 100-150 mm. Moreover, the number of rows of pipes in these zones should be 5-6.
• In the centers of the premises, as well as in those where there are no external walls, the laying step is made 200-300 mm.
• Bathrooms, baths, paths near the pools are laid with a pipe with a step of 150 mm over the entire area.

Ways of laying the contours of the warm floor

The contours of a water-heated floor can be laid in different ways. And each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider them.

• Laying a pipe underfloor heating "snake" it is easier to install, but its significant drawback is that there will be a noticeable temperature difference on the floor at the beginning of the circuit and at the end - up to 5-10 ° C. The coolant, passing from the supply collector to the reverse in the underfloor heating structure, cools down. Therefore, such a temperature gradient arises, which is well felt by the feet. This method of laying is justified to be used in boundary zones, where the floor temperature must decrease from the outer wall to the center of the room.

• Laying a pipe underfloor heating "snail" is more difficult to implement, but with this method, the temperature of the entire floor will be approximately equal, since the supply and return flow pass inside each other, and the difference is leveled by a massive floor screed when the design requirements of the laying step are fulfilled. In 90% of cases, this method is used.

• Combined methods of laying pipes for underfloor heating are also used very often. For example, the edge zones are laid with a snake, and the main area with a snail. This can help to correctly divide the room into contours, distribute the pipe coil with a minimum of residues and provide the desired mode.

Each of the methods can be applied variable laying step , when in the edge zones it is 100-150 mm, and in the room itself 200-300 mm. Then it is possible in one room to meet the requirements for more intensive heating of the edge zones, without using other methods of laying. Experienced installers often do just that.

Layout of the heating circuit "snail" with a constant step (left) and with variable nudge (right)

To calculate the contours, it is best to use special and very easy-to-learn software. For example, renowned manufacturer Valtec, which distributes its program free of charge. There are also simpler programs for calculating the layout of the contours, which calculate the length of the loops, which is very convenient. For example, the program "Snail", which is also distributed free of charge. For those who are not very computer friendly, you can calculate the contours yourself, using graph paper, on which to draw a floor plan on a scale and already on this sheet with a pencil "expand" the contours and calculate their length.

When dividing the premises into the contours of a water heated floor, the following requirements should be met:

• The contours should not go from room to room - all rooms must be regulated separately. An exception may be bathrooms, if they are located nearby. For example, the bathroom is next to the toilet.
• One heating circuit must not heat a room with an area of ​​more than 40 m2. If necessary, the room is divided into several circuits. The maximum length of either side of the circuit should not exceed 8 meters.
• A special damper tape should be laid along the perimeter of the room, between the rooms, as well as between individual circuits, which, after pouring the screed, will compensate for its thermal expansion.

The choice of the type of insulation for the warm floor and its thickness

Insulation for a warm water floor is required, because no one would like to spend their money on heating the earth, atmosphere or unnecessary building structures, but the floor is exactly the one that should take the lion's share of the heat from the heating circuit. For this, insulation is used. What types of them should be used? Among all their variety, the authors of the article recommend that you should pay attention to only two of them.

• Extruded polystyrene foam (EPS). This material has low thermal conductivity and high mechanical strength. EPPS is not afraid of moisture, it practically does not absorb it. Its price is quite affordable. This insulation is produced in the form of plates of standard sizes 500 * 1000 mm or 600 * 1250 mm and a thickness of 20, 30, 50. 80 or 100 mm. There are special grooves on the side surfaces for good joining of the plates.

• Profile heat-insulating high-density polystyrene foam. On their surface there are special round or rectangular bosses, between which it is very convenient to lay the pipe without additional fixation. The pipe fixing pitch is usually 50 mm. It is very convenient for installation, but at a price they are much higher than EPS boards, especially from famous brands. They are produced with a thickness of 1 to 3 cm and dimensions of 500 * 1000 mm or 60 * 1200 mm - it depends on the manufacturer.

EPS boards can have an additional foil layer with additional markings. The marking of the plates is, of course, useful, but the presence of foil only increases the cost of the insulation, and there will be no sense from it for two reasons.

• The reflectivity declared by manufacturers will not work in an opaque environment such as a screed.
• Cement slurry is a strong alkaline medium that will perfectly "eat" an insignificant (several tens of microns) layer of aluminum even before it solidifies. We must realize that foil plates are a marketing ploy and nothing more.

The authors of the article recommend using EPS boards for insulation. The savings compared to profile mats will be obvious. The difference in cost is enough for fasteners, and there is still a lot of money left. Let's remember folk wisdom that the money saved is akin to the money earned.

What is the thickness of the insulation in the construction of the warm water floor cake? There are special and complex calculations, but you can do without them. If you learn a few simple rules.

• If underfloor heating will be done on the ground, then the thickness of the insulation should be at least 100 mm. It is best to make two layers of 50 mm each and lay them in mutually perpendicular directions.
• If underfloor heating is planned in rooms above ground floor, then the thickness of the insulation is at least 50 mm.
• If underfloor heating is planned above rooms heated from below, then the thickness of the insulation is at least 30 mm.

Additionally, it is necessary to provide for the fastening of the EPSP plates to the base material, since when the screed is poured, they will tend to float. Disc dowels are ideal for this. They need to fasten all the plates at the joints and in the center.

For attaching the pipe to the EPS, special harpoon brackets are used, which securely fix the pipe. They are fastened at intervals of 30-50 cm, and in places where the PEX pipe turns, the step should be 10 cm. It is usually calculated that 500 pieces of harpoon brackets are required for a coil of 200 meters of pipe. When purchasing them, you do not need to chase the brand, as it will cost several times more. There are very high quality and inexpensive staples from Russian manufacturers.

The choice of a collector-mixing unit for a warm floor

Water floor collector - essential element, which receives the coolant from the main, distributes it along the circuits, regulates the flow rate and temperature, balances the loops of the circuits, and helps to remove air. Not a single warm water floor can do without it.

It is better to entrust the choice of a collector, or more correctly, a collector-mixing unit, to specialists who will select the necessary components. In principle, you can assemble it yourself, but this is a topic for a separate article. Let's just list what elements should be included in order not to make a mistake in the choice.

• Firstly, these are the collectors themselves, which can be equipped with various fittings. They should be equipped with adjusting (balancing) valves with or without flow meters, which are located on the supply manifold, and the return can have thermostatic valves or simply shut-off valves.

• Secondly, any manifold to remove air from the system must be equipped with an automatic air vent.
• Thirdly, both the supply and return collectors must have drain valves for draining the coolant from the collector and removing air when filling the system.
• Fourthly, to connect the pipe to the manifold, fittings should be used, which are selected individually in each specific case.

• Fifth, special brackets are used to attach the collectors and ensure the required center distance.

• Sixth, if the boiler room is not equipped with a separate riser for underfloor heating, then the mixing unit, including a pump, thermostatic valve, bypass, should be responsible for the preparation of the heat carrier. The design of this node has many implementations, so this issue will be discussed in a separate article.

• And finally, the entire manifold-mixing unit must be located in a manifold cabinet, which is installed either in a niche or openly.

The collector-mixing unit is located in such a place that all the lengths of the lines from it to the loops of the heated floor are approximately equal and the main pipes are in close proximity. The collector cabinet is often hidden in a niche, then it can be placed not only in cabins and boiler rooms, but in dressing rooms, corridors and even living rooms.

Video: What calculations are needed before installing a warm floor

DIY installation of a water-heated floor

After calculations and purchase of all necessary components you can gradually bring to life a warm water floor. First, it is necessary to outline the places where the collector cabinets will be placed, hollow out, if necessary, niches, and also make passages through building structures. All slotting and drilling work must be completed before the next step.

Insulation installation

Before this stage, it is necessary to prepare the premises for this - to take out all unnecessary, remove all construction waste, sweep and vacuum the floors. The room must be absolutely clean. When installing the plates, it is necessary to wear flat-soled shoes, as the heels can damage the surface. We list the sequence of actions when installing insulation.

• First of all, the level of the clean floor is beaten off on the walls with the help of a laser or water. All unevenness of the base is measured using a long rule and level.
• If the irregularities exceed 10 mm, then they can be completely leveled with sprinkled clean and dry sand, which should subsequently be leveled.

• If the underfloor heating is done on the ground or above the basement, then a waterproofing film is spread with an overlap of adjacent strips of at least 10 cm and with an approach to the wall. The joints are glued with tape. A polyethylene film of 150-200 microns is quite suitable as waterproofing.
• Starting from the far corner of the room, the process of laying the EPSP boards begins. They are laid close to the walls with the marked surface up.
• EPSP plates should be tightly joined together using grooves that are on their side surfaces. When laying each slab, it must fit snugly to the base and be in a horizontal plane, which is checked by the building level. If necessary, sand is poured under the slab.

• If along the way of laying there are obstacles in the form of protrusions, columns and other elements, then after preliminary marking, the slab is cut with a construction knife along a metal ruler. In this case, the EPS must be placed on some kind of unsteady base so that the knife does not become dull, for example, a piece of plywood or OSB.
• When laying the next row, it should be borne in mind that the joints of the slabs should not coincide, but go apart, like brickwork... If at least 1/3 of its length remains with the last EPPS plate in the row, then the next row should be laid with it.
• If you plan to lay the second layer of EPSP, then it should be carried out in a mutually perpendicular direction with the first layer.
• After installing the thermal insulation, using a perforator with a long drill and a hammer, fix the disc dowels at each joint - at each joint and in the center of each EPSP board. The joints between the EPSPs are sealed with construction tape.

• If cavities or cracks remain after the installation of the insulation, then they can be clogged with EPPS scraps and blown out with polyurethane foam, but this can be done later, after the pipes have been installed.

After that, we can say that the installation of the insulation has been completed. Although EPS boards are dense enough to withstand the weight of an adult, you still need to take precautions when moving around them. It is best to use wide boards or pieces of plywood or OSB.

Installation of a pipe for a warm water floor

The most important and difficult moment has come - the installation of floor heating pipes. At this stage, you need to be especially careful and accurate, and here you cannot do without an assistant. It is also desirable to have special device for unwinding the pipe, since it is strictly forbidden to remove the pipe from the coil with rings, since then there will be very strong stresses in it, which will complicate or make installation impossible. The main rule is that the bay must be twisted, and not removed from the stationary bay. In principle, this can be done manually, but with a device it is much easier.

If there are markings on the upper side of the EPSP plates, then this is just great, then the pipe laying will be greatly simplified. And if not, then you should not "be led" on the purchase of foil thin insulation made of polyethylene foam with applied markings. There will be no sense from him. You can apply the markup yourself. To do this, markers are made on the upper side of the slabs at the distance of the required contour step, and then the lines are beaten off with a paint thread - this is how you can a short time make markup. After that, you can draw the traces of the contours of the warm floor.

screed for underfloor heating

In the designated place, a manifold cabinet is attached and a manifold is mounted in it, while without a pump-mixing group, it will be needed later. At the entrance to the collector, at the exit from it, as well as at the entrance to, each pipe must be protected by a special corrugation. However, corrugation from renowned manufacturers costs mind-boggling money, so it is quite acceptable to replace it with thermal insulation of the appropriate diameter. Also, pipes must be protected during transitions from room to room and from circuit to circuit.

Installation of underfloor heating pipes should be started from the areas farthest from the collectors, and all transit pipes should be covered with foam polyethylene insulation, which will ensure maximum energy conservation to the point of destination, and will not "lose" heat along the way. Further, the pipe "emerges" from the EPSP plates, already "bare" bypasses its entire heating circuit and "dives" back and already in the thermal insulation it follows to the collector. The transit pipes themselves are placed inside the EPSP plates; for this, the passage routes are pre-cut in them with a knife.

If the insulation consists of two layers of EPSP boards, then first the first layer is laid, then all communications are laid, including the transit pipes of the underfloor heating, and then the second layer is adjusted and cut in place.

In addition, in the area where the warm floor is located, pipes can go to radiators, as well as hot and cold water supply lines. If there are several pipes, then they can be fixed in the bundle either with disc dowels, or with a perforated metal strip and dowels. In any case, they should not protrude beyond the upper surface of the EPSP boards, so that the underfloor heating contour can be easily laid on top. All cavities are blown out with polyurethane foam, which, after hardening, is cut flush from the surface of the insulation plates.

A damper tape is glued to the walls along the perimeter of the room, where there will be warm floors, which is designed to compensate for the thermal expansion of the screed. The tape is available with or without an adhesive layer. When purchasing it, you do not need to chase the brand and overpay several times more. Nowadays, a damping tape of Russian production, worthy in every sense, is being produced. If there is no tape at all, then - this is also not a problem - it can be replaced by 1 or 2 cm thick foam, glued to the wall with liquid nails or polyurethane foam.

The damper tape should also be installed between rooms and different circuits. For this, a special tape with a T-shaped profile is produced. And in this case, it can be replaced by thin foam, glued together with polyurethane foam or glue.

Installation of pipes is done as follows:

• 10-15 m of pipe is unwound from the coil, thermal insulation and the corresponding fitting for connection to the collector are put on at its end.
• The pipe is connected to the supply of the corresponding collector outlet.
• The pipe is laid along the previously marked routes and fastened with harpoon brackets on straight sections after 30-40 cm, and at turns after 10-15 cm. The pipe should be bent carefully, without kinks.

• When laying, you do not need to try to fix the pipe immediately, but you should first expand it approximately along the routes by 5-10 m, and only then fasten it with brackets. The pipe should lie on the insulation without tension, there should be no effort that tries to pull the staples out of the EPS.
• If the bracket for some reason flew out of its place, then it is mounted in another, at a distance of at least 5 cm.
• After bypassing the entire underfloor heating circuit, the return pipe returns to its supply and follows next to it to the collector. If necessary, thermal insulation is put on it.
• Upon arrival to the collector, the pipe is connected to it with the appropriate fitting.

• Near the corresponding loop of the warm floor on the wall, as well as on paper, the length of the contour must be recorded. These data are required for further balancing.

All contours are laid in the same way. At first it will be difficult, but then, after one laid "snail" everything will be clear and the work will go without problems. When moving along the already laid contours, it is necessary to underlay boards, plywood or OSB under the legs or knees.

It is not recommended to walk in pipes in shoes. It is better to organize such "paths"

Video: Laying underfloor heating pipes

Installation of reinforcing mesh

Disputes about the appropriateness of the reinforcing mesh are ongoing. Someone says that she is needed, others say the opposite. There are many examples of successful implementation of a warm floor without a reinforcing mesh and, at the same time, there are examples of unsuccessful implementation of a warm floor with reinforcement. The authors of the article argue that reinforcement will never be superfluous, but only correctly performed.

The Internet is replete with examples when a metal mesh is laid and fixed on the insulation, and only then a heated floor pipe is attached to it with the help of plastic ties. It seems to be convenient, but this is not reinforcement, but simply placing an absolutely useless mesh under the screed, on which money was spent. Reinforcement is when the mesh is inside the screed, not under it. That is why the authors recommend placing the mesh on top of the pipe.

To reinforce the screed, a metal mesh made of wire with a diameter of 3 mm with a cell size of 100 * 100 mm is suitable - this is quite enough. It is not recommended to use reinforcement meshes due to the fact that the reinforcement has a corrugated surface and during installation can damage the smooth surface of the pipe. And it is not worth spending extra money on the excessive strength of the screed, because it is assumed that the warm floor is already mounted on a sufficiently solid foundation. The mesh is laid with an overlap on one cell and is tied either with a knitting wire or with plastic clamps. The sharp protruding ends must be bitten off so that they do not damage the pipe. Additionally, the mesh is attached to the pipe in several places with plastic clamps.

Instead of a metal mesh, a plastic mesh may well be used, which will perfectly reinforce the screed and save it from cracking. It is more convenient to lay the plastic mesh as it comes in rolls. Application plastic mesh practically eliminates pipe damage, and its cost is significantly lower.

After laying the mesh, the question of protecting the pipes again arises, because, moving in shoes on a metal mesh, you can easily damage both it and the pipe.Therefore, it is again recommended to move only on boards, plywood or OSB. But there is still a very competent solution that will avoid damage to the pipes when pouring the screed.

A cement mortar is prepared - the same as when laying the screed (1 part of M400 cement and 3 parts of sand) and during the laying process, "blobs" are made from the solution, which protrude slightly beyond the surface of the mesh - 2 cm is enough. These "blobs" are made with such a frequency (30-50 cm), which will allow in the future to put boards or plywood on them and move safely. Another plus of this approach is the fixation of the mesh, because when walking on it, it tends to bend, and this can damage the welded seams.

The mortar “blobs” will fix the mesh and help you move safely

Filling the contours. Hydraulic tests

This operation should definitely be carried out even before the screed is poured, since in case of a hidden malfunction, it is easier to fix it immediately than after the floors are poured. To do this, a hose is connected to the drain pipe on the collector and is discharged into the sewer, since a lot of water will be spilled through the heating circuits. It is best if the hose is transparent - so it will be easy to track the release of air bubbles.

To the input of the supply manifold, which must be equipped with a shut-off ball valve, is connected tap water through a hose or pipe. If the quality of the tap water is poor, then it is worth filling the system through a mechanical filter. A pressure pump is connected to any other outlet connected to the underfloor heating circuits. This can be a free outlet of the supply manifold, the outlet of the return from the manifold and other places - it all depends on the specific implementation of the manifold assembly. In the end, a tee can be screwed into the ball shut-off valve of the supply manifold and through it both filling the system and pressure testing can be done. After testing, the tee can be removed and the manifold can be connected to the flow line.

The system is filled in as follows:

• On the collector, all the contours of the underfloor heating overlap, except for one. Automatic air vents must be open.
• Water is supplied and its purity and air outlet are controlled through the drain hose. On the inner surface of pipes during production, technological grease and shavings may remain, which must be washed off with running water.
• After all the air has left, and the water flows absolutely clean, the drain valve is closed, and then the already washed and filled circuit is closed.
• All these operations are performed with all contours.
• After flushing, venting and filling all circuits, the water supply valve is closed.

If leaks are found at the filling stage, they are eliminated immediately after the pressure is released. As a result, you should get a system of warm water floors filled with a clean coolant and de-aerated.

To test the system, you will need a special tool - a pressure test pump, which you can rent or invite experienced master having such a device. Let's describe the sequence of actions for crimping.

• All underfloor heating circuits connected to the collector are fully opened.
• The pressure test pump is filled with pure water, the pump supply valve opens.
• The pump builds up pressure in the system twice as much as the operating pressure - 6 atmospheres, it is controlled by the pump pressure gauge and on the manifold (if there is a pressure gauge on it).
• After raising the pressure, a visual inspection of all pipes and connections is carried out, which, in principle, should only be on the manifold. The pressure is also controlled by the manometer.
• After 30 minutes, the pressure is again raised to 6 bar and all pipes and connections are inspected again. Then, after 30 minutes, these steps are repeated. If leaks are found, they are immediately repaired after the pressure is released.
• If no leaks are detected, then the pressure is again raised to 6 bar and the system is left for a day.
• If after a day the pressure in the system has dropped by no more than 1.5 bar and no leaks are detected, then the underfloor heating system can be considered correctly assembled and sealed.

When the pressure in the system rises, the pipe, according to all the laws of physics, will try to straighten, therefore, it is possible to "shoot" some brackets in those places where they were "greedy" with them. Therefore, the "blobs" from the solution will greatly help keep the pipe in place. Later, when the screed is poured, the pipe will be securely fixed, but during pressure testing, a poorly secured pipe can present unpleasant surprises.

Video: Filling the system with coolant

Video: Pressing the underfloor heating system

Installation of beacons

The underfloor heating screed must be poured through pipes under operating pressure. Considering that most closed systems heating, the operating pressure should be in the range of 1-3 bar, you can take the average value and leave the pressure in the circuits at 2 bar.

It is best to use guiding plasterboard profiles PN 28 * 27 / UD 28 * 27 as beacons. They have sufficient rigidity and a smooth top surface, which is very useful when leveling the screed.

Lighthouses should be installed at the level of the finished floor minus the thickness of the finishing flooring. To fix them, very often they simply use mortar pillows, on which a guide profile is laid, and then it is sunk in level. But this approach has the disadvantage that if the lighthouse falls below the required level, you have to get it out, put in a fresh solution and set it up again.

It is best if the beacons from the guide profile will have a rigid support under them, and concrete dowels and a screw of the appropriate length can serve as it. It is preferable to use special screws for concrete - pins, which do not require the installation of a dowel, which means that the drilling diameter will be smaller. If you need to drill a hole with a diameter of 10-12 mm for the dowel, then 6 mm is enough for the dowel. The upper surface of the screw head should be at the level of the surface of the future screed.

Concrete screws - pins

Lighthouses should be located no more than 30 cm from the walls. There should be no beacons between long distance, since the solution tends to settle and a pit may form on the already finished screed. Optimally - 1.5 m, then use to level the screed building rule 2 m.When installing beacons, do the following:

• Two lines are drawn from the walls to the left and right of the entrance, at a distance of 30 cm - this will be the position of the extreme beacons.
• The distance between these two lines is divided into equal parts so that it does not exceed 150 cm. It is desirable that one of the strips falls directly at the entrance to the room. If necessary, the strip at the entrance can be smaller.
• Lines of the position of future beacons are drawn on the floor. Marks of the location of the dowels are made on them with a step of 40-50 cm.
• Holes are drilled to the specified depth with a perforator with a drill corresponding to the dowel.

It is best to use a laser level to set the heads of the pins in one plane. If it is not in the arsenal of a home craftsman, then it does not matter, now this very useful tool can be rented, especially since it will only be needed for one day.

Laser level - irreplaceable assistant when marking and installing beacons

The position of the lighthouses is marked on the wall. To do this, the thickness of the finishing floor covering is subtracted from the level of the clean floor previously drawn on the wall. The laser level is set at this mark, and then, by screwing or unscrewing the pins, their caps are set at the same level. If you use the usual building level for this operation, then it will take much longer, and the error will be higher.

Further, guide profiles are laid on the heads of the dowels, the correct installation is checked by the building level. To fix the lighthouses in their places, use a cement mortar of the same recipe as for the floor screed (1 part cement + 3 parts sand).

The lighthouses are removed from the heads of the pins, and then slides are made from the prepared solution slightly higher than the height of the screed. It is enough to do them after 1 meter, since the lighthouse will already be securely fixed on the caps of the dowels. Further, the profile is laid and pressed into the solution, and its excess from above is immediately removed with a spatula. At the end, the level checks the correctness of the installation of all beacons.

At the same time, you can check the correct installation of all damper tapes separating the rooms and circuits and, if necessary, reinforce their position with mortar.

water heated floor

Video: Installing beacons for underfloor heating screed

Pouring underfloor heating screed

Increased requirements are imposed on the screed of a warm water floor, because in addition to the mechanical loads it carries, it also experiences thermal deformations. And usually cement-sand mortar it will not work here, the concrete mixture must be modified with a plasticizer and fiber.

The plasticizer is designed to reduce the water-cement ratio, increase the mobility of the mixture and increase its strength during drying. Mobility when laying underfloor heating screed is extremely important, since the mortar should "grip" the pipes tightly and easily release air bubbles outside. Without the use of a plasticizer, the only way to increase the fluidity of the mixture is to add water to it. But then only part of the water will react with the cement, and the rest will evaporate for a long time, which will increase the setting and hardening time and reduce the strength of the screed. The water-cement ratio should be exactly that which will allow the screed to grab. Typically, 1 kg of cement requires 0.45-0.55 kg of water.

The plasticizer is available in liquid and dry form. It should be applied exactly as the manufacturer recommends, and nothing else. Any "substitutes" in the form of liquid soap, washing powder, PVA glue are unacceptable.

The fiber is intended for dispersed reinforcement concrete mix, which makes it possible to significantly reduce or practically eliminate the formation of cracks, increase strength and abrasion resistance, and increase bending and compressive strength. This is achieved by the fact that the microfibers of the fiber are distributed and hold the screed throughout the entire volume of the concrete mixture.

Fiber can be metal, polypropylene and basalt. For underfloor heating, it is recommended to use polypropylene or basalt fiber. Add it according to the manufacturer's recommendations, but it is recommended to use at least 500 grams of polypropylene fiber per 1 m 3 ready-made solution... To obtain a mixture with the best properties, add 800 or more grams per 1 m 3.

On sale you can find ready-made mixtures for pouring underfloor heating screed from well-known and not so famous manufacturers. The composition of these mixtures already includes a plasticizer, and fiber, and other components. With the undoubted convenience of their use and high quality, the cost of the finished screed will be significantly higher than the solution prepared independently.

Before pouring the screed, it is necessary to remove all unnecessary objects from the floor, if necessary, vacuum the surfaces. It is also necessary to prepare all the tools and utensils for mixing and transporting the solution. All work on pouring the underfloor heating screed in the room should be done at one time, so it is advisable to have two assistants: one prepares the solution, the second carries it, and the main contractor lays and levels the screed. All windows in the room must be closed, the screed must be limited from exposure to drafts and direct sunlight.

Self-preparation of mortar for underfloor heating screed should be carried out only in a mechanized way - the quality of the mortar must be high. A concrete mixer or a construction mixer can be used as auxiliary mechanisms. No drill or hammer attachments will work here, no matter what various "truthful" sources say.

The basis of the solution is made up of Portland cement grade of at least M400, which must be dry and with a storage time of no more than 6 months after the date of issue. The sand should also be dry, washed and sieved. River sand will not fit - it has too correct shape... For a screed, the ratio of cement to sand should be 1: 3 by weight, but in practice, few people weigh sand and cement, and a universal measurement method is taken - a bucket. Considering that the density of construction sand is in the range of 1.3-1.8 t / m 3, and cement during transportation is 1.5-1.6 t / m 3, then you can not be afraid to measure cement and sand with buckets, since the quality the mixture will be perfectly acceptable.

The water in the composition of the solution should be about a third of the mass of cement, that is, for 1 bag of 50 kg of cement, approximately 15 liters of water are needed. However, the use of a plasticizer reduces the water-cement ratio, therefore, when preparing a solution with water, you need to be very careful - it is better to underfill a little and then add than pour.

The technology for preparing a solution with a mixer and a concrete mixer is slightly different. With a mixer, it is necessary to stir dry cement, sand and fluffed polypropylene or basalt fiber at low speeds and then gradually add water with a plasticizer dissolved in it. In gravity-type concrete mixers, of which the absolute majority, it is difficult to stir dry cement and sand (dry cement sticks to wet blades and a drum), therefore, part of the water with a plasticizer is first poured into it, and then cement is gradually added first, then sand, then another portion of cement and the remaining water. The fiber is added gradually. One part with water, the other with sand. At the same time, the fiber should not be thrown into the drum of the concrete mixer in a lump, but must be divided into portions and fluffed before laying.

The time for preparing the solution in a concrete mixer is usually 3-4 minutes, and with a mixer a little more - 5-7 minutes. The readiness of the solution is determined by its uniform color and consistency. If you take a lump of solution in your hands and squeeze, then water should not be released from it, but at the same time the solution should be plastic. If you place the solution in a slide on the floor, then it should not spread much, but only settle slightly under its own weight. If cuts are made in it with a spatula, they should not blur, but should keep their shape.

Laying the screed begins from the far corners of the room and is carried out in strips along the beacons. Only after the completion of one strip, the next one is laid and leveled, the process should end at the entrance to the room. In the process of leveling, it is not necessary to immediately try to perfectly level the surface of the screed along the beacons. The main thing is that there are no failures in the screed, and small influxes and traces of the rule are easily corrected later.

After 1-2 days (it all depends on external conditions), when it is already possible to walk on the screed, it is necessary to clean its surface. First, it is trimmed with a construction knife and the damper tape protruding from the screed is removed, and then the building rule is taken and the sharp end is pressed against the plane of the beacons. In the direction away from you, with short but energetic movements, a sweep is made until the beacons are completely exposed. Then the resulting debris is removed, the screed is moistened from a spray bottle and covered with plastic wrap.

The next day, the beacons are carefully removed, you can also unscrew the pins, and the resulting grooves are rubbed with a solution or tile glue. The screed is re-moistened and covered, it is recommended to do this daily for the first 10 days after pouring.

Balancing the contours of the warm floor. Commissioning

After the screed has fully matured, and this is at least 28 days, you can start balancing the contours of the warm floor. And in this process, flow meters on the manifold will be very helpful. That is why it is necessary to purchase a manifold with balancing valves and flow meters.

The fact is that underfloor heating loops have different lengths, respectively, they have different hydraulic resistance. Obviously, the "lion's share" of the coolant will always follow the path of least resistance - that is, along the shortest circuit, while others will get much less. At the same time, in the longest circuit, the circulation will be so sluggish that there can be no question of any heat removal. In a well-designed project of underfloor heating, the flow rate in each circuit and the position of the control valves are always indicated, but if the underfloor heating is done on its own, then a simplified but valid technique will do.

• If the pump-mixing unit has not yet been connected, then it is being installed. The underfloor heating collector is connected to the supply and return lines.
• All the contours of the underfloor heating are fully opened, and ball valves for supply and return open at the inlet manifolds. The valves of the automatic air vents must be open.
• The circulating one turns on. The maximum temperature is set on the head of the mixing unit, but the boiler does not turn on yet, the coolant must circulate at room temperature.
• The pressure in the entire heating system is brought up to operating pressure (1-3 bar).
• All contours of the warm floor are closed, except for the longest one. The position of the flow meter on this circuit is noted and recorded.
• The second longest contour is fully opened. If the flow rate in it is greater, then the balancing valve is twisted until the flow rate is equal to the longest one.

• Further, all circuits are sequentially opened in decreasing order of their length, the flow is regulated by balancing valves.
• As a result, the flow rate in all circuits should be the same. If this is not the case, then you can correct the adjustment on the contours without touching the longest loop.

All of the above operations were performed correctly and the flow meters show that there is circulation in the circuits, then you can start testing a warm floor with a heated coolant. It is necessary to start with low temperatures - from 25 ° С, and then every day gradually increase the temperature by 5 ° С, until the coolant is supplied to the circuits with its operating temperature. What is the sequence of actions at this stage.

• The thermostatic valve of the mixing unit is set to 25 ° C, turns on circulation pump at the first speed and in this mode, the system is allowed to work for a day. At the same time, the circulation through the flow meters is monitored and adjusted.
• After a day, the temperature rises to 30 ° C, and again the underfloor heating system is left for a day. The flow rate and temperature of the supply and return are monitored.
• The next day, the temperature rises by another 5 ° C, up to 35 ° C. This is already much closer to the operating mode of the warm floor, so it is already worth adjusting the temperature difference between the supply and return collectors. If it is in the range of 5-10 ° C, then this is normal, and if it is more, then the speed of the circulation pump should be increased by one stage.
• The maximum temperature to which you can raise the temperature in the underfloor heating supply collector is 50 ° C, but it is better not to do this, but check it in operating modes - 45 ° C or 40 ° C. Similarly, the temperature difference between the supply and return is checked. The pump must run at the lowest possible speed so that the temperature difference is up to 10 ° C.

The correctness of the underfloor heating adjustment cannot be assessed immediately, since such a heating system is very inertial. It takes several hours to feel the change in temperature. Therefore, everyone who has made a warm floor on their own should arm themselves with patience and gradually bring the system to such a mode that would provide the desired floor temperature, taking into account the coating. To do this, you will need to “play around” with the settings of the balancing valves, thermal heads (if the collector is equipped with them) and the speed of the circulation pump. The main thing is that the self-made water floor heating system works.

Find out how, having studied the instructions with the photo, in a special article on our portal.

Conclusion

Stubborn statistics show that the system of warm water floors, in addition to the obvious comfort, also provides significant energy savings. The same statistics indicate that the number of successful independent implementations of such heating is growing every year. All technologies have already been worked out, the market is flooded with any components, for every taste, color and wallet. The necessary information is always in open sources, you can always ask the experts for advice. The team of authors hope that this article has dispelled the initial fear and made it clear to the readers that it is quite possible to make a water-heated floor with your own hands.

Video: How to calculate and make a water-heated floor with your own hands

In contrast to an electric floor heating on a liquid heat carrier, it requires more complex calculations for integration into the heating system. The service life and efficiency of the system directly depend on the correct choice of materials, fittings, installation and heating operation scheme.

Selection of pipes for floor heating

In contrast to popular belief, the choice of pipes for installing a heat exchanger in the floor is not so wide. There are two options in total: XLPE and copper. The most obvious advantages of special materials are durability, deformation resistance, low coefficient of linear expansion. But the main advantage is the oxygen barrier, which ultimately prevents the formation of sediment on the inner surface of the pipes.

The meaning of the use of copper in the high thermal conductivity of the tubes and corrosion resistance. An obvious disadvantage is the complexity of installation and a high risk of failure in the presence of solid particles (sand) in the coolant. Despite the fact that soldering requires only an inexpensive gas lamp and flux, bending the coil correctly - difficult task... This is despite the fact that there can be several tens of turns of the copper tube, and one mistake, resulting in a break, leads to the rejection of the entire segment or the need for additional soldering.

Polymer (polyethylene) tubes have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion, in addition, they lose strength properties when heated above operating temperatures, however, in underfloor heating in principle, the coolant does not heat up above 40 ° C. Ease of installation is an obvious plus. Easy to bend and fit in a spiral or coil. The pipe is delivered in coils of 200 m each, allowing you to install underfloor heating without a single joint in the entire volume of the future screed. Most of the branded polyethylene pipes involve the use of special tools for crimping and welding.

Ensuring circulation

Hot water heating systems with underfloor heating do not work according to the gravitational principle and always remain volatile. Because of this, overheating occurs: failures in the circulation and recirculation system can supply even 70-80 ° C, so the funds from saving on the use of polymer pipes should be at least partially spent on improving automation and auxiliary mechanisms.

The flow rate of the coolant in the tubes is strictly regulated by the manufacturer; assigning this task to the general circulation of the system means increasing the risk of malfunctions. A forced circulation device must be installed in front of the collector unit, then each of the circuits is adjusted to adjust the required flow rate. This defines maximum length loops of each circuit and the temperature difference at its beginning and end.

For pumping water in the system, circulation pumps are used, designed for radiator heating systems. The diameter of the nozzles is determined by the required throughput of the pipe with which the pump is connected to the manifold. The lift height (or injection pressure) is determined by the total hydrodynamic resistance of pipes declared by their manufacturer for different loop configurations and bending radii. Each connection requires an increase in the lift height. Speed ​​control for underfloor heating pumps is not required, however, with accelerated circulation, more intensive pumping of the system is possible to quickly enter the mode.

Manifold assembly

When using more than one branch for floor heating, the presence of a manifold unit (comb) is strictly required. Self-soldering of the collector, even for two loops, will not give the desired result, balance the lines in the absence of uniform distribution and valve regulators is almost impossible.

The collector is selected both by the number of branches and by the total bandwidth... Essentially, it is a multi-channel flow regulator. Of the body materials, stainless steel and high-quality brass are the most preferred. For underfloor heating, two types of collectors can be used. If the difference in the length of the circuits is less than 20-30 meters, ordinary brass valves with ball valves are suitable. With a larger spread of hydrodynamic resistances, a specialized collector with flow regulators at each branch is needed.

Please note that it is not necessary to buy a double (supply + return) collector. You can install a high-quality mixer with flow meters on the supply line, and a cheaper one with valve (not ball) valves on the return line. Separately, it is worth paying attention to what type of pipes the manifold unit is designed for. Most cheap products involve the connection of MP pipes, which are poorly suited for underfloor heating and therefore are used less and less. For polyethylene circuits, it is better to spend money on reliable and proven REHAU collectors, for systems on copper pipes - Valtec and APE. Accession copper tubes it is recommended to the manifold through a flare and / or threaded fitting; direct brazing is not recommended due to the low maintainability of such connections.

Temperature preparation unit

The manifold itself is not the entire collector. When assembled, the mixing unit is completed with special fittings, which ensure the adjustment of the water temperature before entering the system. Both hot and cold water can be mixed, which fundamentally determines the specifics of the operation of the two types of mixing.

A simple scheme for switching on a warm floor. 1 - three-way valve; 2 - circulation pump; 3 - ball valve with a thermometer; 4 - distribution manifold with flow meters; 5 - return manifold with control valves; 6 - underfloor heating contour. The temperature control in the circuit is carried out manually and is highly dependent on the temperature of the heating medium at the inlet.

The first type uses a closed circulation cycle, mixing hot water with a three-way valve as needed. The disadvantage of the system is that in the event of malfunctions in the automation or the use of solid fuel boilers, a large amount of hot water negatively affecting polymers, as well as the flooring and the microclimate in the room. Therefore, hot water pumping is practiced mainly in systems with copper pipes.

Ready-made mixing unit for underfloor heating. Temperature control and the degree of mixing of the coolant are carried out fully automatically

For polyethylene circuits, more expensive collectors are preferable, mixing cold water from the return to reduce the incoming temperature. The complexity of such mixing units is due to the presence of an additional recirculation pump. The regulation can be done either by an adjustable two-way valve or by an electronic thermostat that controls the speed of the pump motor. The latter is an example of the struggle for accuracy and reduction of system inertia, by the way, very successful. However, such systems are volatile.

Whether to take the collector assembly is a controversial issue. Of course, the availability of a guarantee is an obvious plus, but it is not always possible to find a model with the necessary strapping and the number of taps, in such cases you will have to assemble the device yourself.

Insulation and storage layer

The cake of a water-heated floor is as follows: foam insulation, heating pipes and a heat-accumulating screed in the order from bottom to top. The thickness and materials used for the base layers must be selected in accordance with the operating parameters of the system.

Insulation is selected taking into account the planned heating temperature, or more precisely, the temperature difference between the warm and the subfloor. They mainly use EPS or PPU plates with butting edges. This material is practically incompressible under distributed load, while the resistance to heat transfer is one of the highest. The approximate thickness of the polymer insulation is 35 mm for a temperature difference of 30 ºС and then 3 mm for every 5 ºС.

Methods for installing a warm floor in a private house. Three options for fastening and distributing pipes are proposed: A - Use of special mounting mats for underfloor heating. B - Installation on a reinforcing mesh with a step of 10 cm using plastic ties. C - Laying pipes in prepared gutters in insulation using reflective screens. Underfloor heating construction: 1 - concrete base of the subfloor; 2 - insulation; 3 - damper tape; 4 - concrete screed; 5 - floor covering; 6 - reinforcing mesh.

In addition to protecting the pipes from damage, the screed regulates the inertia of the heating system and smoothes the temperature difference between the floor areas directly above the pipes and between them. If the boiler operates in a cyclic mode, the heated concrete will give off heat, even if there is no hot water supply temporarily. In case of accidental overheating, the heat-absorbing screed will provide temperature removal, eliminating damage to the pipes. The average screed thickness is 1 / 10-1 / 15 of the distance between adjacent tubes. By increasing the thickness, you can get rid of the thermal zebra effect with sparse piping. Naturally, the consumption of materials, as well as the inertia and the time of the system reaching the mode will increase in this case.

When installing underfloor heating on the ground, it is necessary to pour 15-20 cm of an incompressible layer of ASG. Crushed stone can be replaced with expanded clay for additional thermal insulation. For insulated frame floors The underfloor heating can be laid directly on top of the waterproofing material, which covers the subfloor in order to avoid the release of cement laitance from the screed. In the best case, a thermal cut-off layer made of polyurethane foam or EPSP of 20-25 mm is arranged under the tubes. Even such a thin layer is sufficient to eliminate the cold bridges represented by the floor supporting structure, as well as to distribute the load from the screed.

Installation nuances

Installation of a water-heated floor should take place according to a previously thought-out scheme. The collector requires a place equipped for installation, it can be either a boiler room or a compartment hidden in the wall. The rationale for installing intermediate manifolds depends on whether savings are achieved compared to laying pipes from a central distribution unit, and also whether such an increase in the length of the largest loop is acceptable. It is recommended to supply pipes to heating zones in rooms that do not require targeted floor heating: storerooms, corridors and others like them.

Fasten the underfloor heating pipes only to a special installation system. Perforated tape or mesh provides precise adjustment of the installation step, reliable fixation during the mixture solidification and the gaps necessary for the temperature solution.

The fixing of the installation system to the floor is carried out through the insulation without significant pressure. You need to fix it in the holes formed after bending the petals to crimp the tubes. Thus, the attachment points are located most close to the heating elements, which excludes their floating, displacement or lifting of the entire system when pouring concrete.