Calculator for calculating the number of pipes for underfloor heating

The calculator is based on a formula that is based on the total area of ​​the room. That is, to perform calculation operations, it is enough to know only the length and width of the room, as well as the distance through which the heating elements will be mounted.

This calculator can be used both for calculating the length of a pipe for a warm water floor, and for electric cable heating systems.

Important - the online program does not take into account the amount of pipe that will be required to connect to the collector node. The calculations are valid only for the laying scheme called “snake”.

What types of pipes to use

Metal-plastic has an ideal ratio of price to quality

The device of a warm water floor can be made using pipes of various types. The choice of the appropriate type depends on qualities such as thermal conductivity, flexibility and durability.

In general, it is customary to use pipes from the following materials:

• Metal-plastic - a polyethylene pipe reinforced with an aluminum layer. The aluminum layer provides rigidity, strength and increases heat transfer qualities. Metal-plastic bends quite easily to form the necessary angles and bends.
• Polypropylene - strong, rigid and reliable pipes. In addition to underfloor heating, they are used for the construction of sewers. Manufactured from static copolymer with PP-R marking.
• Cross-linked polyethylene - pipes made of polyethylene cross-linked at the molecular level. The result is a one-piece pipe with a three-dimensional mesh structure. They have high strength and resistance to chemical solvents. It is easy to bend, maintain working temperature up to 95 °C.
• Copper is expensive and technologically difficult to install. They have the highest thermal conductivity, but are subject to corrosion processes. If the connection is bad, they leak very quickly.

If you do not go into a detailed comparison of all the pros and cons, then the most optimal type of pipes are metal-plastic products. They are distinguished by relatively low cost, ease of installation and high reliability.

Pipe laying scheme

The three most popular heating elements laying schemes

As mentioned above, the calculation of the number of underfloor heating pipes using a calculator is valid only for laying “snake” and “reverse snake”. In addition to this scheme, there are at least two others.

“Snake” is the simplest scheme that is well suited for small rectangular rooms. It is most often used when installing a water floor, which will act as additional space heating.

The main disadvantage of such a scheme is the uneven heating. That is, the highest heating temperature will be in places where the bends coming from the collector are located. As it is removed, the coolant cools down, which is expressed in the loss of its temperature.

“Snail” or laying in a spiral is devoid of these disadvantages, since in this case warm and cold bends are combined. Thus, uniform heating of the floor is achieved over its entire area.

“Reverse snake” partly has a similar principle. The outer sleeve is pipes from the collector, and the inner one is pipes with a cooling coolant. A visual representation of each of the schemes can be seen in the photo above.

What affects the laying step

The distance between the pipes affects the power and uniformity of heating the floor space

The laying step directly affects the degree of heat transfer from the circuit. The smaller the pitch, the more pipe will fit per unit area. Reducing and increasing the step allows you to choose the most optimal power of the warm floor for specific conditions.

The standard laying gradation is an increase in the pitch by 5 cm. The minimum distance between the bends is 10 cm, which is sufficient for heating systems acting as central and only heating.

A step of 20 or more centimeters is used only when creating underfloor heating for temporary and additional heating. The use of an uneven arrangement of the sleeve is allowed.

For example, this is often used in corner rooms, when it is required to lay a hose from the collector along cold walls. Further, as you move away from the corner mates, the step increases. As a result, it turns out that the highest heating temperature will be at the cold wall.

The pipe length calculator already includes a step size from 10 to 40 cm. If necessary, you can select the “Custom value” value and enter your data. All entered data are measured in meters. Use a dot to separate.