Scheme of a water heated floor
Due to the fact that the popularity of a water-heated floor is growing every day, there are more and more people who want to do it themselves. This process is not that complicated. It is important to carry out the calculation correctly, which takes into account the power of the system, the amount of materials needed and the piping layout. Today there are two main options - to make a manual calculation using a conventional electronic calculator, or to calculate a water-heated floor with an online calculator.
As for the second option, today in the arsenal of designers there are a large number of different programs with which you can quickly and very accurately calculate the "warm floor" heating system online. The basis of such programs is the so-called method of coefficients. What is its essence?
The program is based on a ready-made calculation of a basic warm floor with certain characteristics. Various corrections have been made there, that is, the same coefficients. For example, the pitch of the pipe, its diameter, the material from which it is made, the thickness of the screed, the thickness and material of the floor finish. That is, by entering these coefficients into the calculator program, it is possible to determine the characteristics of the calculated underfloor heating with maximum accuracy.
There are many such programs on the Internet. If we compare them with each other, then the deviations will be within 10-15%. The inaccuracy depends on which amendments have been set as priority. Of course, the accuracy of the calculation must be high, and you should be careful with warm floors. Although 10% is not such a big deviation.
What do you need to pay attention to?
It is not so important what you use - an online calculator or a manual one. It is important to choose the right heating components and correctly install them. And in this regard, the manual method is more accurate.
Where does the calculation start? With the selection of pipes. We will not get involved with metal, since this is the last century. Although steel pipes have the best heat dissipation, their installation is difficult, the price is high, and the service life is quite short. It would be nice to use copper pipes, but this is the most expensive option, not available to many consumers.
For polypropylene, space is needed for bending, which the design of the warm floor itself does not allow. Cross-linked polyethylene does not hold its shape well, and even more so under the influence of hot water. The best option is metal. Such pipes have excellent characteristics, among which strength and resistance to expansion under high temperatures should be especially noted. Plus, this is the cheapest option of all described.
So, in order to accurately calculate the pipes of a water-heated floor, it is necessary to decide on the laying scheme. For this, we recommend drawing a diagram on paper, since it will be easier to navigate the room. Be sure to mark the places where heavy furniture will be placed - it is impossible to lay a pipeline under it. But on the free area and it will be necessary to place the selected scheme.
This simple drawing will help:
- First, accurately calculate the required number of pipes.
- Secondly, to facilitate the installation process.
Please note that the distance between the turns and the diameter of the pipes will depend on the power of the heating system. This can be calculated using an online calculator. And after that, the number of pipes, or rather, their length, is determined. But keep in mind that such an indicator as real heat loss is one of the most important when deciding on the issue of calculating power. Therefore, before carrying out the calculation, it is necessary to make the thermal insulation of the floor using modern heaters. By the way, on the market today you can buy high quality thermal insulation material at a low price.
Basic calculation rules
Calculation of heating power
Many make a mistake, not taking into account the features of the warm floor. Here are some of them:
- A pipe with a length of no more than 120 m should be spent on one circuit.
- If underfloor heating is installed in more than one room, then the average length of the circuit in each room should be approximately the same. For example, the option when in the living room - 120 m, in the bedroom - 100 m, and in the kitchen - 50 m, is fundamentally wrong. The deviation of the lengths from each other should not exceed 15 m. If you use a system with different lengths, the efficiency of the circuits will be low.
- The distance between the branches is selected in accordance with the temperature regime of the heating system. Most often this will depend on the region where the house is built. The average indicator, which is taken as a basis, is 15 cm. In the northern regions it can be 10 cm, and in the southern regions - 25–30 cm. In the north, a warm floor is not used as the main source of heat. This requires a combined approach.
And the last thing about the calculation of the pipe used. Such an indicator as location and density per 1 m2 is one of the most important. It is believed that there should be 5 m of pipeline per 1 sq.m. Experts assure that this is the best styling option. The question of the distance between the contours has already been considered above. It is this that will become the basis for calculating the number of necessary elements. This refers not only to the pipe, but also to the mount.
And one more thing that is necessary when drawing up the calculation is the distance from the walls to the contour of the warm floor. The average value is 20 cm plus or minus 5 cm.
Cost calculation
Popular water heated floors
The cost of a warm floor depends on the cost of its elements, plus additional materials - thermal insulation, waterproofing, screed. If you carry out the installation with your own hands, then the cost of paying for the labor of the craftsmen disappear by itself.
The number of main elements of the system, pipes, depends on the frequency of laying the circuit. Recall:
- 120 m per circuit, while the density will be 5 m per 1 m 2. This ratio is used if a pipe with an internal diameter of 20 mm is used.
- 65 m per circuit at a density of 10 m per 1 m 2. Pipe diameter - 16 mm.
If a double laying scheme is used, which is considered optimal today, the number of pipes is doubled. A dual system is two pipes laid side by side - supply and return.
Conclusion on the topic
So, in order to accurately calculate a water-heated floor, you need to know how many pipes are needed for its construction. It is this indicator that will form the basis for calculating the power of the system, its cost, efficiency and other functionalities.
