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

The climate of our latitudes does not allow us to provide coziness and comfort in our home. cold period years without a heat source.

Unfortunately not always used heating system adequately 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.

Peculiarities

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 the heat radiated through the decorative floor covering 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 by 50%. It's all about the temperature of the circulating fluid, which, as a rule, does not exceed 50⁰С, and often 40⁰С is enough.

Why? Everything is 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 flooring remains pleasant and comfortable, without posing a risk of burns, and the air in the room warms up evenly over the entire area.

Unlike traditional heating radiators, the heated floor immediately provides air heating to comfortable temperatures below (22-24⁰С), while at head level the temperature is already somewhat lower (18-20⁰С), and there is no overheating zone under the ceiling, no empty heat sinks. This property is included in the advantages of a water heated floor, as it provides optimal "healthy" heating, contributing to comfort and health.

Pros and cons of underfloor heating

Like any type of heating, a water heated floor, of course, has its own advantages and disadvantages. 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:

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

Before designing and installing a water-heated floor, taking into account its low-temperature regime, care must be taken 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 achieve comfortable conditions and improve heating efficiency.

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

Installation labor intensity- for laying a water floor, you will have to start a major overhaul with leveling and careful preparation of the surface of the subfloor. The system consists of several layers various materials including waterproofing, cement-concrete screed and decorative flooring.
Significant initial costs for installing a water floor option- about 5 times higher than electric or traditional radiator. However, with active use, a water-heated floor demonstrates high efficiency and pays for itself.
The impossibility of laying a warm floor, for example, on stairs and in small corridors. Such areas require additional installation radiators.
The likelihood of leakage and the difficulty 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 high-rise buildings. Also, when connecting water floor heating circuits to the central heating system, there is a high risk of a pressure drop in the system throughout the house and a sharp decrease in heating efficiency.

Health impact

Is it enough to analyze the information on the request “water heated floor advantages and disadvantages” in order to make a final decision, especially if people with poor health live in the dwelling? On the one hand, if the difficulties do not frighten, but the virtues bribe, it is worth once again critically evaluating them.

The point is that she main feature and the advantage of this type of heating, namely, the constant elevated temperature of the floor, which allows you to “keep your feet warm” all the time, can also have a downside.

Namely, to have a negative impact on vascular system 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 periodic and short stay of people there, or to limit the time of walking on the floor or staying on it.

To the question of whether warm water floors are harmful to the general physical condition and well-being, also cannot be answered unambiguously. The air in the room is not too dry, there is no improper mixing of the layers, but the case with heated floors is difficult natural ventilation. In order to avoid stuffy 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, making a decision on installation requires a rigorous analysis of the pros and cons.

On the this moment installation of underfloor heating in the apartment has ceased to be a rarity and curiosity. Modern renovation considers underfloor heating as the main or additional source heating. But the choice of underfloor heating is so wide that the buyer is lost in variety. Which underfloor heating system 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 analogues. For example, the castles of the Chinese rulers were covered with floors with a double bottom. The lower level was a brazier heated by coals, due to which, top level always warm and comfortable. In ancient Rome, people created a whole floor heating system called the hypocaust. The peculiarity of the hypocaust system was in special cavities laid in the walls and floor of the house. In the basement of the room, a stove was stoked, hot air, going upstairs, passed through the system of cavities and warmed up the whole house. As the name implies, underfloor heating is a system for heating a room from below, directly from the floor surface. Depending on the coolant, there are several types of underfloor heating, but they are all similar in principle of operation. The underfloor heating device is a heating element placed on a heat-saving material, a layer 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 the underfloor heating system.

Uniform distribution of heat. Let's go back 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 cools down and goes down. A cold stream forms on the floor. The wall farthest from the radiator wall receives the least amount of heat. Underfloor heating warms the room from below and throughout the area.
Comfortable human health. Have you ever noticed that, being warmly dressed, but with cold feet, the whole body freezes? This is how the body works, when warming the legs, it is comfortable for the whole body.
Compatible with heating system. The ability to regulate the heating from the radiator and the floor, without overdrying the air.
Security. heating elements hidden in most technologies for laying a warm floor under a concrete screed, they are inaccessible to 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 the installation of underfloor heating.

There are drawbacks to underfloor heating, but there are few of them.

Difficulty of installation. It is possible to lay a warm floor only during repairs with a complete re-laying of the coating.
It cannot be the only source of heat in rooms with low wall resistance to cold. It is necessary to install heating radiators.
When installing a water heated floor, you will need space 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 floor heating system.

Varieties of warm floors

The main division into types of underfloor heating is made according to the type of coolant.

. The system is powered by electricity, and this is the plus and minus of the floors at the same time. Plus in 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 is the absence of even minimal doses of radiation.

In turn, it is customary to divide into 3 types of electric underfloor heating.

Film warm floor. Infrared floor heating heats the objects in the room, not the air. Installation under any covering, except a ceramic tile is allowed.
Cable warm floor. The heating cable is laid under a concrete screed. Versatile in application.
Thermomats. Thin cable underfloor heating on the grid. Thermomats are convenient for installation under ceramic tiles because 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 underfloor heating in an apartment or house.

The use of smooth and cool materials in flooring is aesthetically very attractive. However, in the cold season, walking on such a floor without slippers is impossible. To eliminate discomfort, at the same time 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, whether it be a bedroom, bathroom, living room or kitchen.

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

Benefits of underfloor heating with water coolant

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

A high level of efficiency of the heating system, which ensures uniform heating of the room, without incurring unproductive costs for heating the ceiling and walls.
The possibility of damage from hot surfaces of radiators is excluded;
Absence of dust and pollution which are inevitable at convective movement of air.
Protection from harmful organisms.
Possibility of designed adjustment provision temperature regime in a separate room.
Using a warm water floor device under different types coatings (laminate, parquet, tiles)
Due to the lack of radiators on the walls appeared interesting solutions in interior design.
Creating a comfortable environment not only in winter, but also in summer, cooling the room with cold water.
A guarantee of the health of the whole family, when you can walk barefoot even 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. The low temperature of the heat carrier, which does not exceed 50°C, and in some cases even 40°C is enough, reduces costs by an average of one third, compared with the use of a traditional heating system.

Disadvantages of floor heating with water coolant

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

Before laying pipelines, it is necessary to carry out careful preparation subfloor surfaces with leveling. High level of initial costs, which, compared with the installation of radiators or electric heating, about five times higher.

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

Another disadvantage of the water floor device is significant effect on the level of air humidity requiring the installation of a humidifier. Installation work it is recommended to carry out during the construction of the house or during overhaul. A water heated floor leads to a significant increase in the level of the floor, 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 heating piping system, it is necessary to determine what goal you are pursuing. In rooms with high level load is preferable to cover from parquet tiles. Practical coverage from a tile serves for a long time, but requires large initial costs when heated due to the low thermal conductivity of the tile.

Laminate and parquet do not have the high wear resistance characteristic of tiles. However, the simple installation process and excellent thermal conductivity speak in favor of choosing a wooden floor. Linoleum is also often used to cover 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 execution form, the technology for laying water lines may differ radically. The most important condition effective work underfloor heating systems is the correct installation, correct engineering work on power and heat loss. In addition, it is necessary to take into account local climatic conditions, features of housing, which may be in an apartment building or 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, wooden or polystyrene linings are used, with niches for pipes. Lightweight systems allow a fourfold reduction in thickness (from 80 to 20 mm.), Providing a quick adjustment of the room temperature. 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. Doesn't fit water structure if the floor is covered with a rug or carpet.

Modern technologies of systems of warm water floors completely exclude the possibility of damage to pipes, the occurrence of leaks and water hammer. Warm water floor offered famous brands, distinguishes quick installation, efficiency, applicability in different schemes heating, no matter how difficult they are. The manufacturer gives a guarantee for the floor 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 first 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 how it happens today: in countries where there are snowy and frosty winters, the heating of homes and work premises plays a very important role in terms of comfort and convenience.

Multi-storey buildings and buildings of the private sector, which were built during the Soviet Union, were equipped. Such a system was easy to install and repair, at any time the owners could increase the number of sections in the battery. The owners of private housing could regulate heat by changing the parameters in gas boiler. Residents of high-rise buildings depended on centralized heating, often freezing in the cold or opening windows on warmer days, suffocating in the apartments from the heat. Thermal comfort during construction was not in the foreground. Since winter in Russia is still a very cold season, modern methods buildings offer the installation of floors with a heating function. And it’s warmer in the house, and the children can safely play on the floor without fear of a cold, and it’s nice to walk along warm coating, like on a summer sand. A lot is written and said 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 water base, then these are pipes, if electric, then cable. Water heated to forty-five degrees makes regular movement in the pipe, the cable connected to the network performs the same heating function. electrical heat regulated by a thermostat, water - 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:

Save money on heating bills (up to 30 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. That is, without warm floors, the warmest place in the apartment is under the ceiling. FROM warm floors- The temperature is the same everywhere.
Installation does not require special equipment, faults are easily fixed.
At correct installation such a floor can serve up to fifty years.
The appearance of the warm floor does not differ from the usual one, it does not attract attention, like batteries.
rising from the floor warm air creates an obstacle to the formation of drafts.
Ideal conditions for children's games. You can play wherever you want without the risk of catching a cold.

Minuses:

Pleasure is expensive. The cost and installation, of course, will pay off someday, but the money is needed now.
It's not simple Maintenance, 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 bring all your efforts to nothing, there will be no benefit from the floor.
Almost always there are difficulties with the repair. 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 spare money for installation and invite real professionals for this, you will follow the rules of operation - there should be no problems.
All furniture should be raised off the floor to allow heat to circulate freely, unless it is made of natural materials, it is possible to extract from it small but constant concentrations harmful substances when heated.
Slow heating of the decking (three to five hours) may occur, 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.
With a long stay in a room with warm floor heating, exacerbations of diseases of the lower extremities are possible (for example, varicose veins - a vascular disease of the veins).
Installing water in city apartments has technical difficulties and requires special permits.

Advantages and disadvantages of infrared underfloor heating

Half a dozen years ago, film underfloor heating was unique phenomenon, nowadays infrared film floors are used, creating comfort zones in residential buildings, apartments and offices. Popularity and demand have created both competition and, consequently, advertising and product reviews, which can be true or fictitious.

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

On expensive films, the paste is applied in the form of a uniform layer. In order for the heat to heat the floor covering, and not the neighboring ceiling, it is necessary to use a heat-reflecting substrate. If the laying of materials can still be done by you yourself, then we advise you to invite a qualified electrician to connect to the network. Most markets now offer Korean-made heating films. This film is different good quality and moderate prices, which, unfortunately, depend on the value of the currency.

Selecting and installing infrared film

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

The film mesh, by the way, can be attached not only to the floor. It mounts 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 underfloor heating

Many sellers of cable floors transmit a horror story to buyers that the room is ionized by negative particles from film floors. Some radiation does come from the film itself, but the laminate, tile or linoleum covering it from above does not let it through further. You can even make a mobile system when the heating film with the substrate 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 will crack on tiles if you put it on the film floor. If the installation has been done correctly, the tile will hold exactly as it would on a conventional screed. When properly installed, a fiberglass reinforcing mesh is used, it is sure to be nailed to the floor underneath. 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!

Flat

Electric underfloor heating as the main type of heating is reasonable to use only in private homes. It is extremely illogical to use such a heating system in an apartment for several reasons:

You still have to pay for heating, because. risers will pass through your apartment.
overlap central system quite problematic, and expensive (dismantling of batteries, changing the pipe system, welding work etc.).

As you can see, in apartments, the ability to use electric underfloor heating as the main heating is not advisable due to several significant drawbacks. If you are not satisfied with city services, you can simply do it without turning off the central system. This solution to the problem is recommended if the housing and communal services are late to launch heating season and you just 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 this is prohibited by law. The reason is obvious - hot water will pass under your flooring, cool down and only after that it will flow further to the neighbors.

private home

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

The advantages in this case are:

Ease of installation. even a person without special skills can.
The heating cable, thermomat or film will not occupy the free space of the rooms, unlike radiators or convectors.
Good room heating. Heat will be radiated evenly over the entire area of a private house.
Long service life with proper installation and use.
No need to spend money to buy a boiler and other types of equipment.
The cost of creating electric floor heating (as the main one) is at least 2 times cheaper than water.

Of the minuses of underfloor heating as the main heating of a private house, we can distinguish:

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

As you can see, the possibility of using this 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 more modern version main heating in the cottage.