Underfloor heating, water wiring diagrams in a private house. How to make a water heat-insulated floor

Underfloor heating in the home is becoming more and more popular, not only because it is fashionable. Firstly, it is very convenient, secondly, with a competent construction of the system, it is economical and, thirdly, incredibly comfortable. As soon as you find yourself in a room with a warm floor, you start thinking about how you can do something like this in your home. The owners of private houses are lucky: you can install any floor heating system. You just need to choose which one.

Heating a private house with warm floors

Underfloor heating can be the main heating system, or it can serve to increase the comfort of life. The roles are different. How to decide? It all depends on what climate zone your house is located in and how well it is insulated.

Heating a house with underfloor heating is possible only if, subject to the recommendations for the floor temperature (the surface should have a temperature of no higher than 30 ° C), its thermal power will be sufficient to replenish the heat loss of your house.

Determine heat loss

How to find out the heat loss? In general, you need to order a heat engineering calculation in a specialized organization. This is a rather dreary and rather complicated calculation, which takes into account:

wall material and thickness,
materials and thickness of the foundation, roof,
type and thickness of insulation of each structural element of the house,
the area of windows and doors, the degree of their insulation,
floor material and thickness,
climatic factors;
still a lot of things.

All this data, by the way, will be required from you in the design organization along with the plan of the house, so you can prepare in advance.

It is long and difficult to calculate all this on your own: heat engineering calculation is one of the most difficult in the industry. But still, you can try to estimate the heat loss yourself, albeit with a large error. There are two methods: by area and by volume. If you apply the correction factors correctly, you can achieve more or less truthful results. But the volume calculation method seems to be more correct. It is described in the article:

Try this method to roughly estimate the heat loss of individual rooms and the house as a whole.

We count the heat coming from the floor

Determining the required amount of heat is not all. Now you need to find out how much of this heat warm floors can give you. It has been established by practice that on average 60-80 W / m 2 can be “removed” from one meter of the floor. Do not be alarmed by this is not enough. After all it comes about the entire heated floor area. In terms of the number of "squares" of the room, this is already decent.

But make no mistake! This is the area to be heated, not the total area. The fact is that there is no point in heating the floor, say, under a large cabinet that you are not going to move, there is no point in heating the refrigerator or washing machine, heating the floors under the cupboards in the kitchen, etc. Besides the fact that it is irrational, some heaters are afraid of the so-called "locking" - this is when they put some things on them. This threatens them with overheating, which can cause cables or infrared film to burn out.

Areas in which either the pipe with the heat carrier will be expanded and will be the heated area. To calculate it from the total area of the room, subtract the area of objects under which it makes no sense to heat the floor, and you get the desired figure.

Now you can count how much heat a warm floor can give you in each room. To do this, multiply the found heated area by 60 W / m2 or 80 W / m2. Which one exactly? If a tile is supposed to be indoors, you can count 80 W / m 2, for all other coatings, the figure is usually 60 W / m 2.

Can a warm floor be used as the main heating of the house?

To find out whether it is possible to make heating of a private house only with warm floors, compare the results obtained with the calculated heat loss. If a warm floor can give no less heat than the room loses, it can be the main heating system.

If there is not enough heat from the floor, a combined system is made. More often radiators are combined with warm floors. But you can also use convectors or infrared emitters, or you can make not only the floor warm, but also the walls or ceiling. You will not drive water floors there (although, if you set a goal, then you can do this), but electric floors are easy. You can combine underfloor heating with another new heating - skirting. In general, there are a lot of options, especially for a private house.

When planning combined system some rooms can only be heated with warm floors. Those where heat removal from underfloor heating is sufficient to compensate for losses. Usually in these rooms there are tiles, not very many items, or pieces of furniture are small in size (corridor, hallway, kitchen, bathroom, etc.). In others, you can put underfloor heating together with radiators.

How realistic is heating a private house with warm floors? Quite real and doable. Provided that your house is well insulated and located not in the north, but at least in the middle lane.

What kind of warm floors to make in the house

But you can heat the floor in the house using different systems... Which is better? It is difficult to say, but more often they are installed in houses. Maybe because it is closer to the radiator system we are used to, or maybe they don’t want to pay big electricity bills.

Water heated floors: types of installation, pros and cons

The most economical to use are water-heated floors. But the system is complex and expensive to install. But you will pay less monthly for heating. And even less than when using radiators. By about 20%.

What do you need for a water floor in a house? Lots of equipment:

Heating cables were the earliest of all, then they began to make mats from them. This method is still popular in Europe (in northern countries with a similar climate, too). So the technology can be trusted. If we talk about the price, then among the electric floor heaters, cables are the cheapest. Are slightly more expensive cable mats, but they are easier to lay.

V last years gaining popularity. And all because they emit heat in the infrared range. It should be said that they are installed quickly and simply, by the "dry" method without screed. Well suited for installation under laminate or wood floors, as they heat the floor evenly. On the market, striped films for underfloor heating are more common, but there are also continuous spray films. Here they are better for a floorboard or parquet, as they heat more evenly, which is important for wood.

One of the types of electric underfloor heating - infrared carbon film

Film floors with tiles are not very good: ordinary carbon films in the screed are destroyed, and their smooth surface with tile adhesive poorly communicates. Therefore, they are installed in a dry screed under the gypsum fiber board or chipboard, and tiles are already laid on them. But there is special films with through perforation, which were developed specifically for the tile. So if you want, you can put them down.

Infrared films do well on ceilings or walls. This is for the case when the heat transfer from the floor is not enough for heating. You can heat up a part of the wall (necessarily internal, not external) and turn on this heating as needed.

Liquid electric floors

This is a market novelty:. This is a symbiosis of a water floor that is heated by electricity. There are two systems so far, and both have different device... In one, a polyethylene pipe is filled with antifreeze, a seven-core heating cable is inserted inside, the pipe is sealed hermetically, fits into the floor screed, and the ends electrical cable wind up on junction box which is already connected to the thermostat. It turns out that in fact it is water heating, but the heating agent is heated electrically by the cable. An interesting solution.

Underfloor heating XL Pipe (X-L Pipe) from the Korean campaign Daewoo Enertec - electric water heating

The second type of liquid electric floors is a capillary system. Here the principle is slightly different. Thin tubes also fit into the screed. They are connected to the control unit. It heats the coolant, builds up pressure and controls the temperature. This method is an excellent method for heating one room: you do not need to fence a complex system, and there is no electricity in the floor.

Outcomes

With so many options, it's easy to get lost. Therefore, we will summarize. The cheapest during operation are water floors. They can be installed not only in the screed, but also using floor systems - without mortar. The lack of water floors is significant costs at the installation stage.

Electric underfloor heating is more often used for floor heating only in some rooms: they "draw" a lot of energy, and you have to pay for it. But at the stage of installation they require less investment.

For a private house, underfloor heating perfect solution... It will create a wonderful indoor climate in the harshest winters. With its correct organization, the warm floor can be used as the main source of heat. To achieve this, you should know how to make a warm floor in a private house. In this article, you will learn about the possibilities of implementing underfloor heating in your home with your own hands.

Before equipping underfloor heating it is important to do everything necessary calculations... For example, you should determine how much heat loss your home has. How to do it? When calculating heat losses, it is necessary to take into account the following parameters:

Wall thickness and material.
The thickness and what the foundation and the roof are made of.
The thickness and type of insulation used in the construction of the house.
The total area of doors and windows, as well as the level of their insulation.
Overlap thickness and material.
Features of the climate of your area and so on.

If you decide to create a warm floor project in a specialized design organization, then you should prepare all this and other data in advance. However, you can make such calculations yourself, but the error will be greater. For example, there are two methods:

By volume.
By area.

The best option for carrying out calculations is considered - by the volume of the room.

When calculating a warm floor for a private house, it is important to determine the amount of heat energy received from it. As practice shows, warm floors give out 60-80 W / m 2. In fact, this is a rather big indicator, as it might seem at first glance. If you multiply it by room area, then the result will be a high rate of thermal energy.

It is important not to be mistaken here. We will be discussing the heated area, not the total. For example, it makes no sense to heat the floor under a cupboard or other bulky items. Therefore, the calculation is done selectively.

The heated area is the area where the pipe and the heating circuit are laid. To determine this area, subtract the area of all objects installed on the floor. Only after that you can proceed to accurate calculations of the warm floor. To do this, multiply the resulting area by 60 or 80 W / m 2. If as flooring If ceramic tiles are used, then multiply by 80, and for other coatings by 60.

Underfloor heating as the main heating - is it possible?

Before starting the installation of a cable underfloor heating, be sure to make a project. This will allow you to make an accurate calculation of the required material, as well as determine the areas that will not be heated. Also indicate in the project the location of the temperature sensor and the place of connection to electrical network... You will need this project when renovation work so save it.

To determine the exact distance between heating cables, you can use the following formula: L1 = P × 100 / L2

L1 is the required distance in cm.

· P is the total free area in m 2.

· L - cable length in m.
To prevent heat loss, it is recommended to mount the heating cable on a heat-reflecting material. Also make sure that the connection points power cable and the heating did not bend. As for the location of the temperature sensor, it should be at a distance of 50-100 cm from the wall.

The first step is to install the thermal insulation and reflective film, and then proceed with the installation of the cable. Thanks to special mount, the cable is fixed every 30 mm. The line should not intersect with each other. There must be at least 400 mm to the borders of furniture and other stationary items.

At a height of 1.2 m from the floor, install a thermostat that will control the temperature level in the room.

When the cable is fully assembled, it remains to fill it with a tie. When making a cement-sand mortar, do not add large fractions of pebbles to the composition. The underfloor heating screed must be at least 50 mm. When pouring the screed, make sure that there is no air left inside, otherwise this may lead to failure of the heating circuit. Do not turn on the heating cable while the screed is drying. It should dry as naturally as possible. This may take about one month.

There is also a technology for laying heating mats. Their installation is much faster, since the cable is already fixed on a special mounting grid with the required pitch. The principle of their installation is practically no different from the technology described above. The only thing that is needed is to measure the operating resistance. It must correspond to the specified indicators in the instructions for the product.

With regard to efficiency, the water underfloor heating is unmatched in terms of efficiency. However, it is much more difficult to install, plus the cost of such a floor is very high. However, compared to a radiator system, you will pay 20% less energy usage. So, to create water heating you need:

Boiler.

Pipes.

Heat carrier.

Circulation pump.

Mixing unit.

Collector.

This is with regard to the equipment. In addition, you will need to purchase thermal insulation, fill the screed and lay the flooring. Therefore, as a result, you will have decent expenses.

In most cases, the water pipes are laid in the floor screed. A plasticizer is added to the solution, which increases specifications finished screed, and also accelerates the drying process. In such a system, the heating "pie" is an excellent accumulator of thermal energy. It can maintain the required room temperature for a long time. Even after turning off the heating, the room will be warm for some period.

If your private house is built of wood, then the screed will not work here. It will have a strong effect on the overlap. For this reason, the practice of using a flooring system, which is made of wood or polystyrene. It is lightweight and very easy to install.

If you have chosen a water heat-insulated floor, then remember that it can be laid in the floor during the construction of a building.

So, which one is the best to use heating for a private house? If you are on a tight budget, you can install electric heating, but it will be very expensive to maintain. On the other hand, water heating requires large financial investments at the stage of its installation. However, during its operation, it is quite economical. There are many working schemes that can be used when arranging floor heating. Leave your comments if you have already implemented underfloor heating in your home.

Video

In the provided video material, it is described in more detail about the creation of a warm floor in a private house:

Use underfloor heating to create more comfortable conditions have become back in the days Ancient Greece... V modern world with the development of technology, everything is much easier. The warm adjusted floor in the apartment can be used in all climatic conditions. Depending on the drop in temperature outside the window, this is a complete or additional heating system.

The cheapest and most cost-effective is a water-heated floor in the house. The heating medium is water heated by a boiler, and when living in an apartment - central heating.

Do-it-yourself warm water floor has good and bad sides. Before you make a warm floor in a private house, you need to consider all of them.

What are the advantages of water heating:

Such a system provides a comfortable thermal environment. Heat rises from the bottom up. This heats up the entire room. This is especially true in private houses with high ceilings.
When the feet are warm, the drop in ambient temperature is imperceptible to people in the room.
Since the underfloor heating is a low-temperature heater, it does not dry the air.
In the role of a heater, water is used with a temperature much lower than that of radiators. The use of such a system for heating in a private house is well combined with condensing boilers or heat pumps.
It is possible to disconnect part of the circuits from the system.
The heated concrete retains the temperature for a long time and a stable thermal regime is maintained in the room. This works well when using solid fuel boilers.
The entire installation of a water-heated floor is hidden in the floor and does not disturb the overall picture of the room.

However, there are a number of disadvantages that you should pay attention to when arranging underfloor heating in a private house:

Required quality performance all stages of installation before pouring underfloor heating. Correcting errors or malfunctions at the end of the work is materially expensive and sometimes impossible.
A warm water floor in an apartment can only be made with the permission of the relevant governing bodies.
Slow and insignificant adjustment of the warm water floor. Using a heating boiler, you can adjust the warm floor to a small range; in an apartment with central heating, it cannot be regulated at all.
Not all coatings are compatible with warm floors. It is not recommended to install bulky furniture or carpets on them.
The thickness of the warm floor is about 10 cm. This must be taken into account when designing the room as a whole.
Warming floor slabs increases the load on the beams.
Installation of circulation pumps and thermostats is required.
The construction of such floors is quite expensive.

Weighing all the pros and cons, one cannot say that making warm floors is to increase comfort for a small surcharge. Although many craftsmen can make a water-heated floor in the house with their own hands. Performing a series important rules, you can achieve positive results.

Installation process

The entire installation of a water underfloor heating in a private house consists of several basic processes. Doing each right, craftsmen are rewarded with warm water floors in a private house, which will work reliably for up to 50 years.

All work consists of:

design;
insulation;
pipe laying;
screeds of finished floors.

Each part has its own pitfalls. You need to get to know them better.

Project creation

When installing a water-heated floor with your own hands, you should correctly calculate the power of the boiler. If there is a lack of power, the water will not warm up enough, which will affect the quality of heating. Power is usually taken more by 15-20% of the total power consumption.

Each water pipe is carried out with a solid pipe. To calculate the length, you must first draw up a drawing of all the contours on paper. Their layout and the place of collector attachment are indicated.

The diameter of the pipe and the spacing of the installation of a water-heated floor depends on the surrounding conditions and is calculated during the design. It makes sense to order a project from specialized organizations. With incorrect calculations, warm water floors in a private house will not work well.

Thermal insulation of water heating

To warm the house, and not the ground or ceilings in the neighboring apartment, they use various insulation for a warm floor that is laid on a prepared flat base. Height differences cannot be higher than 5 mm. The system will heat up incorrectly and not for long.

A hydro-barrier is necessarily located between the base and the insulation. It protects the floor from moisture penetration from the ground. Overlap from plastic film... If the pieces are spread, then they overlap, and all the seams are glued with tape.

Insulation for a water-heated floor comes from various materials... Application must be justified by location, ambient temperature and type of substrate.

The most popular are the following heaters:

Expanded polystyrene. It is used when insulating the first floors on the ground or in a cold basement. This underfloor heating insulation has a high density. Available in various thicknesses. The more insulation is needed, the thicker the boards are used.

In the absence of slabs of the required thickness, you can lay the thinner ones in two rows, gluing them together.

Mineral wool. It is used to create hot water heating in wooden houses. It retains heat very well and fills the entire space. The disadvantage is hygroscopicity, it is necessary to reliably protect it from moisture.

Profile thermal insulation is the most modern insulation for a warm water floor. It is laminated and has grooves or bosses to assist with subsequent pipe-laying. The only drawback of the heat insulator is its price.

Thermal insulation for a water-heated floor is produced in the form of slabs. Their installation usually does not take much effort or time. All seams or joints must be glued with foil tape to avoid moisture ingress and reduce heat loss.

Along the perimeter of the walls, the entire cake of the warm floor is separated by a damper tape. It is laid along all walls, the remains are cut off after the screed is completed. The tape serves as a compensator for temperature stresses.

A waterproofing layer is placed on top of the insulation to protect it from moisture or an aggressive environment (concrete, cement). It is also recommended to cover the insulation with a foil layer for better reflection and distribution of heat. In practice, this only works for wooden inlaid floors. When pouring concrete, this is just a waste of money. When using profile plates, all these steps are omitted.

Pipe laying

For the installation of water heating, copper, metal-plastic and polypropylene pipes with a diameter of 15-20 mm. The diameter of the pipe depends on the size of the room and the weather in the area.

Pipes with a diameter of more than 20 mm are not used. To adjust the required water pressure in them, very powerful boilers and pumps. This is impractical from the point of view of energy consumption.

For installation, two schemes for laying water heating pipes are used:

Snake diagram. This is when the pipe is laid out in a uniform snake over the entire surface of the room. With this layout, at first it turns out hot water, then it gradually cools down, and the cooled one returns to the return. Recommended for use in sanitary facilities (bath, toilet), corridors and small rooms where the length of the circuit is small.
Snail diagram. For large rooms it is recommended to lay the pipes in a spiral, starting from the middle. It turns out an alternation of pipes of different temperatures. The heat is distributed evenly. The most hot pipe position along outer wall to compensate for the outside cold.

Each circuit is laid with a single piece of pipe. All bends are made smooth. The distance between the underfloor heating pipes is 7-20 cm. The distance from the wall is 5-7 cm.

For better insulation water underfloor heating in a private house between the wall pipeline and the next turn, the pipe laying step should be 5-7 cm, then how to adjust the layout of the water underfloor heating pipes is calculated in the prepared plan.

Pipes are fastened using special guides. They also use a reinforced mesh. It is placed above the insulation, and pipes are already attached to it using wire or plastic clamps.

When fastening for rotation, at least 3 brackets are used

When heated and filled with water, the pipe expands slightly. When attaching them, you must take this into account, leaving a small gap.

When using profile plates, the pipes are simply laid in the grooves or between the lugs. The length of the pipe is not recommended to exceed more than 100 m. 60-80 m is considered optimal. If the room is large, you need to lay many heating circuits.

Collector

One of the main elements is the collector. It connects the pipe circuit to the heating. All circuits must have the same resistance. The collector consists of two branch pipes to which the heating circuits are connected, connected to the return and supply of the boiler.

The temperature of the water-heated floor is within 35 ° C. To adjust and smoothly change the temperature, a mixer and a thermostat are connected to the manifold.

The collector must be installed above the heating level to allow air to escape from the system through a special air outlet valve. It makes sense to equip it with two shut-off valves for the possibility of repairing or replacing parts without draining the water.

The pipes are connected to the manifold by pressure testing. Before pouring a warm water floor, check the tightness. The system is filled with water or air at 1.5 working pressure and left for two days.

The pressure can be slightly reduced by slightly stretching the pipes.

Screed performance

After checking the tightness, they begin to fill in the warm floor.

Screed for underfloor heating can be of different types:

Concreting (wet method)

When performing, use a solution of concrete or cement with the addition of granite screening.

Sand as part of a concrete screed over a water-heated floor is not used due to its low thermal conductivity.

To increase the service life, the underfloor heating is reinforced. For this, metal or plastic is suitable. reinforced mesh... There are many step by step instructions how to fill in the warm floor correctly. A plasticizer and a polypropylene sheet are added to the screed. This significantly increases the service life.

When a screed is made under a warm water floor, the pipes are under pressure.

The thickness of the screed for a water-heated floor depends on the subsequent coating and varies between 3 cm and 7 cm. If several contours were performed, then the water floor heating around each part is filled separately. Expansion joints made of damper tape are placed between them. The poured underfloor heating screed dries within a month. For even drying and high-quality setting, it must sometimes be watered with water.

Polystyrene system

With this installation system, a water-heated floor is obtained without a screed. It is used to create heating in wooden modular houses and for insulation of interfloor floors.

The pipeline is mounted on polystyrene or wooden slabs with grooves without concrete screed.

When wood is used, insulation is more often used under a water heat-insulated floor in the form mineral wool laid between the lags.

Having put the pipe in the groove, it is closed from above with aluminum plates, which are attached to the plates with special locks. When collecting a warm floor under a tile, you need to add a pie chipboard, moisture resistant plywood or HDLP. When using a laminate, it is placed on an aluminum profile.

Concreting of a screed for underfloor heating is more often used. The poured solution keeps heat better; with this installation, warm floors in the house will last more than 50 years. When, due to circumstances, this is impossible, then a dry screed is used, although the heat transfer will be worse.

For covering warm floors, stone or ceramic tiles are best suited. It warms up easily and keeps warm well. They also use laminate or linoleum for the floor. Such floor material must necessarily have a mark about the possibility of their use with warm floors.

With some effort and some investment, you can insulate your home for a long time. There are many sources of information on how to properly make a warm floor. Optimistic attitude and skill are important. Underfloor heating will bring comfort to many generations of household members living in the house.

The project for the installation of underfloor heating provides for the installation of a heating system with your own hands. The following types of warm floors are installed independently: infrared, electric, water and film. The cheapest and most practical are water types of underfloor heating. They consume the least resources, however, you will have to tinker with the installation.

Design features and organizational issues

A water heat-insulated floor is a system made of polypropylene, plastic, copper or metal-plastic pipes... The heat carrier is a liquid that moves along the contour of the pipeline. The temperature of the liquid, and, therefore, of the house, is controlled by a thermostat - a heat-sensitive sensor, which is installed at a distance of 80-120 cm above the floor. Note, the thermostat can be located in any of the heated rooms or outside.

Second hallmark water heating is its economy. However, this system has and reverse side – complex scheme installation: under the water heated floor, you need to properly prepare the screed, purchase a heat insulator, connect the pipes to the boiler and organize the safety of your home. In addition, the water floor requires do-it-yourself connection of the control valves and the distribution manifold cabinet. The cabinet contains supply and return pipelines connected to the manifold.

Installation methods

How to make a warm floor in a private house? There are two installation methods - the floor method and the concrete surface mounting. The first installation method is used exclusively for such types of flooring: laminate, linoleum and carpet. In the second way, a water floor is installed for such materials that are placed on a concrete screed.

Installation of underfloor heating in a private house

Installing a warm water floor on a concrete screed is the most popular way to install high-tech heating. This installation scheme has become very popular due to the high performance of the water floor and the economy.

Step-by-step instruction:

When laying the floor with your own hands, we recommend that you adhere to the above sequence. We proceed to the most difficult stage - drawing up a pipe layout and installing them. There are several known methods of laying a plumbing: single and double snake and spiral. The snake scheme is advised to be used for square or rectangular rooms, and the second option is for rooms with irregular geometry.

Heating elements of heating are attached to the reinforcement mesh on clamps with a step of 0.5 meters. In places potentially high pressure and the stress of the pipeline is strengthened corrugated pipes... The length of pipes when laying the outer walls should not exceed 85–95 meters, otherwise the heating system will lose too much heat as a result of the pressure drop at the end of the circuit. On average, 1 m2 accounts for 5 running meters pipes, provided that a step of 200 mm is observed.

Do-it-yourself installation of a water-heated floor

Pressure testing is the final stage at which the pipeline is checked for integrity. Recommended pressure during pressure testing is 0.3–0.4 MPa. Concrete screed it is better to fill after checking the pipeline. The layer thickness should not exceed 45–75 mm. Experts advise using sand concrete M300, or a special material for underfloor heating.

The floor covering is laid only after the screed has completely hardened. Subject to temperature regime and regular ventilation of the room, the screed dries for about 20 days. You can lay ceramic tiles, linoleum, laminate or carpet on a warm floor, built with your own hands.

Installation of a polystyrene heating system

Together with polystyrene plates all for sale necessary materials for installation. The assembly scheme is quite simple: the polystyrene plate has special plates with grooves in which pipes for a water floor are easily snapped in. Once snapped into place, the floor can be covered with any coating that does not require a special base, such as a concrete screed.

If you cannot imagine an interior without ceramic tiles or linoleum, then we recommend that you install a layer of gypsum fiber board (gypsum fiber sheet 10-15 mm thick) above the polystyrene plates. Gypsum fiber is very strong and light material, therefore, you can safely lay tiles on it with your own hands, without fear of damaging the heating system.

The modular scheme implies the use of ready-made chipboards with special channels for the pipeline. Heating pipes are installed in grooves. Then put thermal insulation layer... The entire structure is covered from above with GVL plates. Suitable type flooring - for example, linoleum;

The rack and pinion installation system is no different from the above. The only thing that this scheme is based on slats, and not plates with clamps. After installation, the pipeline is covered with GVL plates.

Video: Warm floor on a wooden base

One of the options for heating a private house is to arrange underfloor heating. The key advantage of such a heating system is the heating of living quarters from the lowest level, as a result of which the most comfortable microclimate is created in the house. The construction of a warm floor cannot be called complicated, but its installation has certain nuances that you need to know about. This article will answer the question of how to make a warm floor in a private house with your own hands.

Advantages and disadvantages

Warm floors are quite popular today and are used by many owners of private houses. Heat transfer in these systems is carried out by pipes located under the floor covering, through which a heated coolant circulates, or by means of electric heating elements.

As a result, the floor heats up and becomes warm to the touch, which in itself significantly increases the level of comfort in the house.

Among positive qualities underfloor heating, the following stand out most clearly:

High level of comfort... The floor heated to a certain temperature allows you to walk on it barefoot, without fear of any discomfort.
Profitability... Saving in the use of underfloor heating is achieved due to the efficient distribution of energy - it moves from the bottom up and heats only that volume of the room in which heat is needed, i.e. there are no unnecessary expenses.
Possibility of setting the temperature regime... It is highly recommended to equip the warm floor with an electronic control unit, which will allow the system to monitor the current temperature in the room and keep it within the user-specified limits.
Ease of installation... Arrangement of warm floors is a fairly simple task, especially when it comes to electrical variety systems. It is more difficult to lay a water circuit, but even if you wish, you can easily install it yourself.

There are also disadvantages:

High cost... A lot of materials will be required to install a warm floor, and you will have to fork out for some tools. There is only one way to reduce the cost level - to do all the work on the heating arrangement yourself.
Reducing the volume of the room... The thickness of the warm floor can vary from 7 to 12 cm - and it is to this height that the entire floor rises. If the ceilings are high, then there will be no special problems because of this (unless the thresholds have to be redone).
Demanding flooring... It is possible to cover a warm floor only with coverings that transmit heat well. It is best to purchase specialized materials designed to be used in combination with warm floors. An inappropriate coating will prevent the system from operating efficiently, and in the case of electric heaters, there is also the possibility of their failure as a result of overheating.

The advantages of underfloor heating are significant, and the disadvantages are not critical, therefore such heating systems can be used for heating, both as the main one and as a additional source heat.

Substrate preparation for all types and variants of underfloor heating

One of essential elements is the basis for underfloor heating in a private house, which must be prepared even before the heating system itself is equipped. A number of requirements are imposed on the base - it must be strong enough, even and not transmitting heat. Every requirement is important, but special attention it is thermal insulation that requires - without it, the generated heat will simply go under the floor. Various insulation is used for pipes, which must be selected for specific conditions.

The technology for preparing a base with expanded clay insulation includes the following stages:

Dismantling... The first step is to remove the old coating, under which there may be concrete, soil or wooden supports. All dirt and unnecessary elements must be removed.
Markup... With help building level along the entire perimeter of the walls, it is necessary to mark a line along which the base will be aligned. In the case of expanded clay, you need to leave more free space so that the thickness of the thermal insulation layer is sufficient to effectively retain heat.
Bedding... The base is covered with a layer of sand, the thickness of which should be about 10 cm. Sand pillow after backfilling, it must be compacted.
Waterproofing... The compacted sand layer is laid waterproofing material(polyethylene is the cheapest, but a waterproofing membrane is a more reliable option).
Placement of beacons... Now you need to install the supports along which the beacon profiles will be located. Beacons need to be aligned very accurately.
Installation of thermal insulation... All free space between the beacons is covered with expanded clay. For greater reliability and efficiency, it is worth mixing expanded clay with liquid cement mortar.
Filling the screed... Actually, after laying the heat-insulating layer, you can start pouring the screed, which should reach the previously measured level. The screed is leveled along the profiles.
Alignment... When the screed grasps a little, the beacons need to be removed and the holes obtained should be repaired. The seams are rubbed, after which the floor must be left until the solution has completely solidified.

In addition to expanded clay, a number of other materials can be used as thermal insulation:

Polystyrene plates, which are usually reinforced with a reinforcing mesh to increase strength and are attached to the base with anchors;
Roll foil materials, excellent for use in combination with electric heating elements;
Polymer mats designed specifically for laying a water-heated floor, for which there are special protrusions in the material, between which pipes are laid.

DIY water floor heating device

Exists different variants underfloor heating in a private house, but the most popular type are aquatic. Structurally, such heating is a system of pipelines laid under the floor covering, through which a hot coolant passes. The pipes are connected either to an existing heating system, or directly to a heat source.

Water heat-insulated floor includes the following elements:

Pipes... For arranging a warm floor, metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes are most often used. Both materials have good thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion.
Collector... This element is necessary to form a proper wiring - each heating circuit must have separate leads. In inexpensive manifolds, there are only shut-off ball valves, while good devices are supplied with a valve allowing to regulate the temperature in each individual circuit.
Circulation pump... The pump ensures normal circulation of the coolant in warm floors... If the heating equipment has a built-in circulation pump, there is no need for a separate device.
Damper tape... Such a tape is laid around the entire perimeter of the room and allows you to compensate for the expansion of the screed when heated. Standard damper tapes are made from expanded polymers.
Fasteners... If laying is carried out on mats, then they will perform the function of fasteners for pipes. In all other cases, you will need special brackets equipped with locks and anchoring.

Laying pipes in a private house

In order for the underfloor heating to work efficiently and be sufficiently reliable, the pipes must be laid at a certain distance from each other. Typically, the step value varies from 15 to 35 cm and is determined depending on the required heat transfer - for more efficient heating, the step must be reduced. It is not worth saving on pipes - too large a step will lead to uneven heating of the floor sections, which will lead to a noticeable decrease in comfort.

Total pipe length for one room is calculated using the following formula:

D = S / M * k, where
D - total length pipes,
S is the area of the room,
M - laying step,
k - safety factor, varies from 1.1 to 1.4.

Usually for 1 sq.m. the area of the room requires about 1.5-3.5 m of pipes.

An important point is the layout of the pipeline, which can be performed according to one of the following schemes:

"Snake"... Good option for small spaces... Since the area is small, the temperature in the pipes practically does not decrease throughout the entire circuit.
"Snail" and "double snake"... These layouts are suitable for medium-sized rooms. Due to the close arrangement of the supply and return circuits, the floor will warm up evenly.
Multiple circuit diagram... For a complete and efficient heating it is most advisable to equip large rooms with several separate circuits, which will provide good heat transfer and will be sufficiently reliable.

Installation of water underfloor heating

A water heat-insulated floor in a private house is laid according to the following technology:

Collector installation... The collector is installed in a collector cabinet or a niche in the wall intended for it, after which it is connected to the heating equipment.
Installing a damper tape... The tape is laid around the entire perimeter of the building or around the area where the heating circuit will be located. The presence of the tape not only compensates for thermal expansion, but also reduces heat loss.
Reinforcement... Lay on the thermal insulation layer reinforcing mesh, which is fixed with anchors and connected to each other with ordinary wire.
Installation of pipes... The pipes of the water circuit are unwound, and care must be taken that they do not twist along their axis. The pipeline is laid in accordance with the chosen scheme and fixed with brackets or clamps.
Manifold connection... All circuits are connected to the corresponding terminals, after which the system can be filled with coolant. The water circuit must be left in working order for two days to check for leaks.
Filling the screed... On top of the system filled with water, an ordinary cement strainer, which must be left until completely solidified (this usually takes about a month). When the solution is completely dry, it will be possible to start heating in operating mode. Premature start-up of the system is likely to damage the concrete layer.

The device and types of electric underfloor heating

If it is necessary to install a warm floor in separate room, then the electric heating system... Most often, electric underfloor heating is used as an auxiliary or local heating. Such a system must be connected to a thermostat, which turns the system on and off as needed.

There are the following types of electric underfloor heating:

Film... The most popular type of heaters, the main advantage of which is their small thickness. Structurally, film heaters are carbon fiber plates, fastened to each other by conductive tracks and insulated with a polymer material.
Cable... This type of heater is based on a cable with a high resistance, due to which, when current passes, the product generates thermal energy... The pitch of cable heaters can be varied, thereby affecting the intensity of heating the room.
Rod... The main structural element are carbon rods connected by wires to form a one-piece structure. The most powerful and reliable, but very expensive type of electric heaters. See also: "How to make an electric floor heating with your own hands - types of floor heating, installation rules."

Installation of film underfloor heating

Film underfloor heating is the most common system, which is largely due to the simplicity of its installation.

An electric underfloor heating in a private house is equipped from scratch using the following technology:

Laying reflective material... It is highly recommended to install heat-reflecting foil material under the film warm floor, which will prevent the passage of heat into the underfloor space.
Cut film... It is advisable to cut the film as little as possible in order to reduce the number of wires used. Cutting of the film can only be carried out along the cut lines drawn on it - this allows you to avoid damage to the internal elements of the material.
Laying the film... Prepared heating elements laid out on the base and aligned. You can fasten the strips of film with tape, but it is better not to fasten the edges to make it easier to connect them to the network.
Connecting stripes... In the areas where the conductive track is located, you need to open the film and attach a clip to it.
Isolation of contacts... Each contact and the area where the strips have been cut must be carefully insulated. A good option insulation is butyl plates, usually included with the rest of the underfloor heating. Contacts are simply crimped with such plates.
Connecting the thermostat... The film leads must be connected to the thermostat, guided by the instructions on its case or in the instructions. It is imperative to turn on the system and make sure that all lanes are working.
Installation of flooring... If the heating elements are functioning normally, then you can safely cover them with the selected floor covering.

Conclusion

It is very easy to equip a warm floor - all types of warm floors in a private house are assembled without any problems with their own hands. Complete system will provide full heating of the room and the proper degree of comfort.