Which floor heating to choose: the pros and cons of infrared, cable and water systems. Heating a private house with underfloor heating: pros and cons Water floors pros and cons

The climate of our latitudes does not allow us to provide coziness and comfort in the dwelling in the cold season without a source of heat.

Unfortunately, the heating system, which is not always used, sufficiently heats the room over the entire area.

Because of this, with the onset of cold weather, discomfort begins due to the cold penetrating into the house.

One of the promising options for heating systems in houses and apartments is a water-heated floor.

Features:

Water underfloor heating systems are a fairly new solution in the field of built-in heating systems. The peculiarity lies in the fact that the heat carrier in this case is heated water circulating through the pipes laid in the floor, which gives off heat emitted through the decorative flooring into the room.

At the same time, the efficiency of a water-heated floor is high, this type of heating seems to be extremely economical, allowing you to reduce the cost of heating a home to a comfortable temperature by 20-30, or even 50%. It's all about the temperature of the circulating liquid, which, as a rule, does not exceed 50⁰C, and often 40⁰C is enough.

Why? It's simple. The floor in the room in the case of a warm floor is a continuous convective surface that radiates heat. At the same time, the floor covering remains pleasant and comfortable, without presenting the danger of getting burned, and the air in the room heats up evenly over the entire area.

Unlike traditional heating radiators, the heated floor immediately warms up the air to comfortable temperatures below (22-24 ° C), while at the head level the temperature is already somewhat lower (18-20 ° C), and an overheating zone does not form under the ceiling, no empty heat loss. This property is one of the advantages of a water-heated floor, as it provides an optimal "healthy" heating, contributing to comfort and health.

Pros and cons of water floor heating

Like any type of heating, a water-heated floor has its own advantages and disadvantages, of course. And this must be taken into account when deciding on the installation of just this type of heating system.

The undoubted advantages of water-heated floors include the following:

Profitability - in comparison with radiator heating from 20-30% to 60%. When heated to low (30-50⁰С) water temperatures with the help of gas in autonomous systems, especially with large heated areas, the water floor wins even over the electric one in terms of operating costs (up to 5-7 times more economical).
Security, because pipes with a coolant, firstly, have a low temperature, and secondly, they are completely hidden. This eliminates the risk of injury and burns.
Comfort, provided by the uniform heating of the air and pleasant tactile sensations when walking on the floor with bare feet.
Aesthetics, because the built-in system solves the problem of hiding or disguising unaesthetic radiators, opens up wide horizons for the implementation of design ideas for redevelopment and interior arrangement.
Smoothness and softness of heating, safety for capricious floor coverings due to gradual heating and low temperatures, no heat shock (in the case of installing a thermostat and the ability to control the temperature of the coolant).
No generation of harmful electromagnetic field and air supersaturation with positive ions.
Water heated floor does not dry indoor air.

Before designing and installing a water-heated floor, taking into account its low-temperature regime, it is necessary to ensure that the heat loss in the room does not exceed 100 W / m2. To do this, you may have to insulate the walls or provide additional radiators. This will allow you to achieve comfortable conditions and increase heating efficiency.

Listing the advantages of a water-heated floor, it is worth analyzing its disadvantages:

Labor intensity of installation - to lay the water floor, you will have to undertake a major overhaul with leveling and careful preparation of the sub floor surface. The system consists of several layers of different materials, including waterproofing, cement-concrete screed and decorative flooring.
Significant initial cost of installing a water-based floor option - about 5 times higher than electric or traditional radiator. However, with active operation, a water-heated floor demonstrates high efficiency and pays for itself.
The impossibility of laying underfloor heating, for example, on stairs and in small corridors. In such areas, additional installation of radiators is required.
The likelihood of a leak and the complexity of its elimination - to search for damage and repair the pipeline, it will be necessary to completely dismantle the floor covering and remove the screed.

Due to the risk of leakage and, accordingly, flooding of neighbors from below, water-heated floors are not recommended for installation in multi-storey buildings. Also, when connecting water floor heating circuits to a central heating system, there is a high risk of a drop in pressure in the system throughout the house and a sharp decrease in heating efficiency.

Impact on health

Is it enough to analyze the information on the query "water heated floor advantages and disadvantages" to make a final decision, especially if people with poor health live in the house? On the one hand, if the difficulties do not frighten, but the merits are captivating, it is worthwhile to critically evaluate them again.

The fact is that the very main feature and advantage of this type of heating, namely, the constant elevated floor temperature, which allows you to "keep your feet warm" all the time, may have a downside.

Namely, to have a negative effect on the vascular system of the legs, because the blood constantly rushes to the "warm" legs, giving a constant load on the veins and expanding them.

Therefore, it is recommended to install a water or electric floor in rooms with occasional and short stay of people there, or to limit the time of walking on the floor or staying on it.

The question of whether warm water floors are harmful to the general physical condition and well-being, also cannot be answered unequivocally. The air in the room is not dry, there is no incorrect mixing of layers, but in the case of heated floors, natural ventilation is difficult. In order to avoid stuffiness in the air, it is necessary to ventilate the room more often and take care of forced ventilation.

Conclusion

Underfloor heating is an effective alternative to radiator heating and a good option for ground floors, private houses. However, deciding on the installation requires a thorough analysis of the pros and cons.

At the moment, installing underfloor heating in an apartment has ceased to be a rarity and a wonder. Modern renovation considers underfloor heating as the main or additional source of heating. But the choice of warm floors is so wide that the buyer is lost in the variety. What system of underfloor heating to choose, how they differ, we will consider in this article.

Underfloor heating device

The underfloor heating system has been known since ancient times. Of course, the device of those years is much more primitive than modern counterparts. For example, the castles of the Chinese rulers were covered with double bottom floors. The lower level was a charcoal brazier, so the upper level was always warm and comfortable. In ancient Rome, people created a whole floor heating system called hypocaust. The peculiarity of the hypocaust system was in special cavities laid in the walls and floor of the house. A stove was heated in the basement of the room, hot air, rising upward, passed through the system of cavities and warmed up the whole house. As the name implies, underfloor heating is a heating system from below, directly from the floor surface. Depending on the coolant, several types of warm floors are distinguished, but they are all similar in principle of operation. Underfloor heating is a heating element laid on a heat-saving material, a layer of concrete screed (some types of heaters do not need screed), and the final floor covering.

Pros and cons of underfloor heating

The presence of a warm floor in the house is already a plus in itself. But let's take a closer look at the advantages of a floor heating system.

Even distribution of heat. Let's turn to the laws of physics. Warm air is lighter than cold air, so the radiator heating system warms up the middle layers of the room and the ceiling with high quality. The air, cooling down, goes down. A cold stream forms on the floor. A wall away from a wall with a radiator receives a minimum of heat. Warm floors warm the room from below and throughout the area.
Comfortable human well-being. Have you ever noticed that, being dressed warmly, but with cold feet, the whole body freezes? This is how the body works, when the legs are warmed up, the whole body is comfortable.
Heating system compatibility. The ability to regulate heating from the radiator and the floor without overdrying the air.
Security. Heating elements are hidden in most technologies for laying a warm floor under a concrete screed, they are inaccessible for burns and are fireproof.
Suitable for families with children. The presence of children who spend most of their time on the floor is a direct indication for installing warm floors.

Warm floors have drawbacks, but they are few.

Complexity of installation. It is possible to lay underfloor heating only during repairs with a complete re-coating.
It cannot be the only source of heat in rooms with low resistance to cold walls. Installation of heating radiators is required.
When installing a water underfloor heating, space will be required for pumping and filtering equipment. It is possible to reduce the pressure in the pipes with water if many apartments in the house connect a water-based floor heating system.

Varieties of warm floors

The main division into types of warm floors is made according to the type of heat carrier.

... The system is powered by electricity, and this is the plus and minus of floors at the same time. Plus in the autonomy of heating from housing and communal services. Minus the cost of electricity, bills for such a heating element will increase several times.
... This type of system is less expensive to maintain, but installation will take more time and money. Another plus of water floor heating in the absence of even minimal radiation doses.

In turn, it is customary to divide into 3 types of electric heated floors.

Film warm floor. Infrared underfloor heating heats objects in the room, not the air. Installation under any coating is allowed, except for ceramic tiles.
Cable underfloor heating. The heating cable is laid under the concrete screed. Versatile in application.
Thermomats. Thin cable heat-insulated floor on a grid. Thermomats are convenient for installation under ceramic tiles, since the coverage is uniform and not wide.

In the following articles, I will talk in more detail about each of the types to help you decide on the choice of warm floors for an apartment or house.

The use of smooth and cold materials in flooring is very aesthetically pleasing. However, in the cold season, walking on such a floor is impossible without slippers. To eliminate discomfort, while solving the problem of heating the room, a water-heated floor will help. The versatility of the design allows it to be used in any single room, be it a bedroom, bathroom, living room or kitchen.

Technologically, such a heating system is a piping system laid inside the floor building structures through which a water coolant passes. In this case, an existing centralized heat carrier system or an individual heating source can be used for floor heating.

Advantages of underfloor heating with water heat carrier

The use of a water heating system through the floor is based on the conversion principle. In this regard, its main advantages include:

A high level of efficiency of the heating system, which ensures uniform heating of the room, without producing unproductive costs for heating the ceiling and walls.
The possibility of damage from hot surfaces of radiators is excluded;
Lack of dust and pollution, which are inevitable with convective air movement.
Protection against harmful organisms.
Possibility of designed provision of temperature control in a separate room.
The use of a warm water floor device for different types of coatings (laminate, parquet, tile)
Due to the absence of radiators on the walls, interesting solutions appeared in the interior design.
Creating a comfortable environment not only in winter but also in summer by cooling the room with cold water.
A guarantee of health for the whole family, when you can walk barefoot in winter, and the air is clean and healthy.

The undoubted advantage of a warm water floor is its long service life. In this case, the service life depends only on the quality of the pipes used in this system. A low coolant temperature, which does not exceed 50 ° C, and in some cases 40 ° C is sufficient, provides a cost reduction by an average of a third, compared to using a traditional heating system.

Disadvantages of floor heating with water heat carrier

If we talk about the shortcomings of such a heating system, then first of all, it is installation difficulties... The system itself consists of several layers, including waterproofing, cement-concrete screed, decorative material flooring.

Before laying pipelines, a thorough preparation of the sub-floor surface with leveling is required. High upfront costs, which are about five times higher than installing radiators or electric heating.

It is impossible to effectively use the technology of floor heating with a water heat carrier in a room where there are many stairs, since it cannot be used on the landing. In an apartment building, it is prohibited to install a water heating system for floors on high floors due to the fact that the hydraulic resistance increases significantly.

Another disadvantage of the water floor device is significant influence on the level of air humidityrequiring the installation of a humidifier. It is recommended to carry out installation work during the construction of a house or during a major overhaul. A water-heated floor leads to a significant increase in the floor level, which must also be taken into account with such a heating system.

Features of the choice of flooring and installation

When choosing the type of flooring, under which they are going to arrange a piping system for heating, it is necessary to determine what purpose you are pursuing. In rooms with a high level of stress, it is preferable to cover from parquet ceramic tiles... A practical tile covering lasts a long time, but requires high initial costs when heated due to the low thermal conductivity of the tile.

Laminate and parquet do not have the high wear resistance typical of tiles. However, the simple installation process and excellent thermal conductivity speaks in favor of choosing a wooden floor. Linoleum is also often used for covering in different rooms, but it should be taken into account that the thickness of the warm floor is not more than 10 cm.

Depending on the choice of the form of execution, the technology of laying the water lines can be radically different. The most important condition for the effective operation of the underfloor heating system is correct installation, correct engineering work in terms of power and heat loss. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the local climatic conditions, the peculiarities of housing, which can be in an apartment building or a private house with cold walls.

Previously, the main procedure for installing a warm floor was laying a pipe system with concrete screed... Such installation requires a long time, since until complete drying has passed (28 days), the system cannot be used. Currently, instead of a screed, wood or polystyrene linings are used, with a device for pipe niches. Lightweight systems allow the thickness to be reduced by four times (from 80 to 20 mm.), Allowing for quick room temperature control. In addition, they are ideal in conditions where, due to the large weight of the concrete screed, it is impossible to make a standard warm floor. The water structure is not suitable if the floor is covered with a rug or carpet.

Modern technologies of warm water floor systems completely exclude the possibility of damage to pipes, the occurrence of leaks and water hammer. The warm water floor, offered by well-known brands, is distinguished by quick installation, efficiency, and the possibility of using it in different heating schemes, no matter how complex they are. The manufacturer gives a guarantee for the underfloor heating collector.

A worthy alternative to radiator heating, a water-heated floor is not a bad option for owners of private households and those living on the ground floors of high-rise buildings.

Even in ancient times, a person, creating a living place for himself, tried to protect it as much as possible from enemies, predators and weather conditions, and make it cozy and comfortable. This is the case today: in countries with snowy and frosty winters, heating of dwellings and work premises plays a very important role in terms of convenience and comfort.

Multi-storey buildings and buildings of the private sector, erected during the Soviet Union, were equipped. Such a system was simple to install and repair, at any time the owners could increase the number of sections in the battery. The owners of private homes could regulate the heat by changing the parameters in the gas boiler. Residents of high-rise buildings depended on centralized heating, often froze in cold weather or opened windows on warmer days, suffocating in apartments from the heat. Thermal comfort during construction was not in the foreground. Since winter in Russia is still a very cold season, modern construction methods suggest installing floors with a heating function. It’s warmer in the house, and children can safely play on the floor without fear of a cold, and it’s pleasant to walk on the warm floor, like on summer sand. They write and talk a lot about warm floors. This is a whole system that allows you to heat a home, in which heat is evenly distributed throughout the room. The heat carrier is located in the floor... If it is water based, then it is pipes, if it is electrical, then it is a cable. The water heated to forty-five degrees makes a regular movement in the pipe, the cable connected to the network performs the same heating function. Electric heat is regulated by a thermostat, water heat - using sensors on the boiler.

If you have not settled on any option yet, let's look at the positive and negative aspects of such coverage together.

Pros:

Funds are saved on heating costs (up to thirty percent). The warmer the room, the less heat is spent on heating it. If the feet are warm, we perceive even a low temperature as comfortable. Heat, according to the laws of physics, rises up. That is, without heated floors, the warmest place in an apartment is under the ceiling. With warm floors, the temperature is even everywhere.
The installation does not require special equipment, the faults are easily eliminated.
With proper installation, such a floor can last up to fifty years.
The appearance of a warm floor does not differ from the usual one, does not attract attention, like batteries.
Warm air rising from the floor creates an obstacle to the formation of drafts.
Ideal conditions for children to play. You can play wherever you want without the risk of catching a cold.

Minuses:

The pleasure is expensive. The cost and installation, of course, will pay off someday, but money is needed now.
This is not a simple routine repair, you will have to raise the floors a few centimeters, this is not always realistic. Now, if your construction has just begun, this is your option!
You will have to think about floor coverings, because, for example, laying a warm dense carpet on such a floor will reduce all your efforts to waste, there will be no benefit from the floor.
There are almost always difficulties with repairs. The floor heating system in the rooms is common, sometimes it is difficult to determine the place where the breakdown occurred. But if you do not regret the money for the installation and invite real professionals for this, you will follow the operating rules - there should be no problems.
All furniture should be raised above the floor for free circulation of heat, if it is not made of natural materials, there is a possibility of release of small but constant concentrations of harmful substances from it when heated.
Slow heating of the flooring may occur (from three to five hours), first the concrete in which it is embedded will be heated, and then the coating and air. But when the system is off, cooling is just as slow.
Long-term stay in a room with warm floor heating may exacerbate diseases of the lower extremities (for example, varicose veins - a vascular disease of the veins).
Installation of water pipes in city apartments has technical difficulties and requires special permits.

Advantages and negative qualities of infrared warm floors

Half a decade ago, film warm floors were a unique phenomenon, nowadays infrared film floors are used to create comfortable zones in residential buildings, apartments and offices. Popularity and demand have created both competition and, consequently, advertisements and product reviews, which can be true and fictional.

In the system of electric infrared film floor heating, the main thing is the presence of a thin heating carbon film, which, when connected, begins to emit infrared rays and anions. The radiation emanates from a carbon paste applied in parallel, straight or curved stripes.

On expensive films, the paste is applied in a uniform layer. In order for the heat to heat the flooring rather than the neighboring ceiling, a heat-reflecting underlay must be used. If the laying of materials can still be done by yourself, then we recommend that you invite a qualified electrician to connect to the network. Most markets now offer Korean-made heating films. Such films are of good quality and reasonable prices, which, unfortunately, depend on the value of the currency.

Selection and installation of infrared film

The market can offer products made in Ukraine, Czech Republic, USA, China and, of course, Russia. Increased competition expands the choice, but at the same time, the company, presenting the quality of its goods, often speaks unpleasantly about the products of competitors. Film infrared floors are the floors of the future. Hydrocarbon fiber is much more thermally conductive than many of its counterparts used in heating systems. The most popular installation method is under laminate flooring. This material heats up literally in a matter of minutes, and can be quickly dismantled if necessary. But, covered with a laminate, the film floor still cannot be the main heating system in the room, since the rapidly heating material cools down just as quickly if the system is turned off.

The film mesh, by the way, can be attached not only to the floor. It fits perfectly on walls, ceilings, curved surfaces. What users do not come up with: they heat containers with honey, heat various equipment, the bottom in a home pond, build greenhouses and much more.

Myths about infrared warm floors

Many sellers of cable floors convey a horror story to buyers that the room is ionized by negative particles from the film floors. Some radiation does indeed emanate from the film itself, but the laminate, tile or linoleum covering it from above does not let it pass further. You can even make a mobile system when a heating film with a backing is laid under the carpet, and the removal of the wires and the thermostat to a safe corner allows you to use it in the cold season, removing it for the summer.

Many consumers ask if the seams on the tile will crack if they are laid on the film floor. If the installation was done correctly, the tiles will hold exactly as they would when placed on a regular screed. With proper installation, a fiberglass reinforcing mesh is used, it must be nailed to the floor under it. from the tile is attached with special glue, the layer of which is at least one and a half centimeters.

Today we would like to touch upon one of the most controversial issues in the field of space heating - is it possible to use underfloor heating as the main heating of a private house or apartment? Below we will consider the pros and cons of such an idea, which, in fact, will allow you to answer this question!

Apartment

It is reasonable to use electric underfloor heating as the main type of heating only in private houses. In an apartment, it is extremely illogical to use such a heating system for several reasons:

You will still have to pay for heating. the risers will run through your apartment.
Shutting down the central system is quite problematic and expensive (dismantling batteries, changing the piping system, welding, etc.).

As you can see, in apartments the ability to use an electric underfloor heating as the main heating is not advisable due to several significant disadvantages. If you are not satisfied with the city services, you can simply do it without turning off the central system. Such a solution to the problem is recommended if the housing and utilities sector starts the heating season late and you only need to get out of the situation for a while.

By the way, the water floor heating system also cannot be used in apartment buildings, because it is prohibited by law. The reason is obvious - hot water will pass under your floor covering, cool down and only then will it flow on to your neighbors.

Private home

As for the use of electric underfloor heating as the main heating of the house, you can already think about whether to do it or not. The only thing that can stop you is the monthly costs of paying the electricity bill. If you make an economical system, install electricity and turn on the heating wisely, while this option would be quite reasonable for the main type of heating.

The advantages in this case are as follows:

Ease of installation. even a person without special skills can.
A heating cable, thermomat or foil will not occupy the free space of rooms, unlike radiators or convectors.
Good heating of rooms. Heat will be radiated evenly over the entire area of \u200b\u200ba private house.
Long service life with correct installation and use.
You don't need to spend money to buy a boiler or other equipment.
The cost of creating electric floor heating (as the main one) is at least 2 times cheaper than water heating.

The disadvantages of a warm floor as the main heating of a private house are:

There should be no problems with power supply on the site, otherwise in winter there is every chance of freezing if the light is turned off for a long time.
The cost of a kilowatt of electricity is not acceptable in all regions. The first step is to take into account the costs so that later you do not face material problems. We have provided a detailed calculation of costs in the article -.
The heating cable or infrared foil must not be laid under the places where household appliances and furniture are installed. If a warm floor is used as the main heating, so-called cold bridges can form in unheated places. As a result, as the reviews on thematic forums show, there may be significant heat loss and the formation of dampness on the walls.

As you can see, the possibility of using such a heating option as the main one has its advantages and disadvantages. To begin with, in relation to your conditions, weigh the pros and cons, and then draw a conclusion. We also recommend watching the video below, which provides a more modern version of the main heating in the cottage.