Underfloor heating is one of the most efficient ways to heat the air in your home. If constant heat comes from the floor, the room warms up evenly and there are no cold spots left in it.
Heated floors warm the air well and increase the degree of comfort. However, the question often arises: which warm floor is better - or, and what to choose for your home.
In the climatic conditions of our country, especially in the north, heated floors still cannot fully take on the function of heating. However, their use makes living in the house more convenient.
If underfloor heating is used as the only heating option, then water (hydraulic) systems are more often used.
Underfloor heating can be installed under all floors or in separate rooms of the apartment:
- in the nursery;
- in the hall;
For separate placement of areas of underfloor heating, an electrical system is better suited.
Types of warm floors
Underfloor heating systems differ in the way heat is delivered below the surface. For this, electric or are used.
Electric underfloor heating
Electric warm floors are further divided into 2 varieties: film and cable. The advantages of using this technology are ease of maintenance and the possibility of individual control of the heating temperature.
The pluses include the following factors:
- do not dry the air in the room;
- do not burn oxygen;
- prevent the formation of mold and fungi;
- create a good microclimate (warmth at the feet and fresh air at the head);
- maintain a given temperature regime;
- suitable for different designs, as they do not take up space in the interior space of the premises;
- safe to use;
- reliable, comfortable and durable.
For these reasons, all types of underfloor heating are popular with consumers. The disadvantages include the difficulty of troubleshooting problems that have arisen.
The device of different systems
The coolant in water heated floors is water. It circulates through pipes laid inside. It is supplied from the central water supply or from a specially arranged riser.
The functionality of the water floor is improved when used, which provides the necessary pressure to circulate water through the pipes. Reducing the pressure degrades the efficiency of the system. When the pump is not in use, the pipes are laid at a slope to allow natural circulation of water under the influence of gravitational forces. The hydraulic system can be used as an air conditioner in summer. To do this, it is enough to pour cold water into the pipes and turn on its pumping.
In electric cable systems, floor heating takes place with the help of flexible electric cables located inside. They convert to heat, warming the materials around them. Heat is transferred to the floor surface. In this case, there is a slight electromagnetic radiation.
It operates on several other principles. With the help of electricity, infrared energy is generated in it. It differs in that it is able to warm not only objects and materials in contact with the surface of the film. At the same time, walls, furniture, curtains are heated, which gives more heat.
The role of the emitter in the film system is played by strips of carbon paste applied parallel to each other or in the form of curved lines. In more expensive models, the paste is applied continuously.
A film heater can work like. Small models are attached to the underside of the carpet when it gets cold, and then removed.
Installation location
Water heated floors are not allowed to be installed in apartment buildings. The reason for the ban is a high probability of damage to pipes due to high pressure and low quality of the water used. For the same reason, they cannot be built on loggias and balconies. The use of water heated floors in multi-apartment buildings worsens the quality of heating for apartments that are not equipped with this system. The water cools more than under normal operating conditions, and the temperature in the heating pipes of other consumers drops. It is advisable to install in the interior of private houses.
Electric floors have no restrictions on the place of installation. However, they are limited in area. If you combine several systems into one, then the heating costs will be quite large. The cost of electricity is constantly rising. This must be taken into account when choosing heating systems that use electricity.
Features of installing different systems
Installation of a water heated floor is more complex and laborious than an electric one. It requires major construction work. Installation can be done in finished housing, but the best option is when building a house. The underfloor heating system is laid down in the project documentation documents.
The installation procedure is as follows:
- the base of the floor is insulated;
- access to central water supply is provided;
- in the absence of a central water supply, an autonomous water circulation system is installed (it includes a heating boiler, a water pump, a manifold cabinet with supply and return pipes, various couplings and connections);
- thermostats are installed;
- a system of water pipes is laid;
- the system is fastened with a cement screed (3-5 cm layer). The screed must dry. This takes about a month. After that, you can make a top coat and start operating the system;
- it should be borne in mind that before starting work on the installation of a water floor, you should get rid of the previous floor covering and screed, if any.
After completion of all work, the floor will be raised to a height of about 10 cm. The entire system is quite heavy, therefore, in some cases, coordination and obtaining special permits is required.
The work of installing an electric floor requires much less effort.
The procedure is as follows:
- level the floor surface;
- lay waterproofing;
- lay the heating cable, heating mats or infrared film;
- install thermostats (they are included in the kit);
- arrange the top surface of the floor.
Screed and installation of additional devices for electric mats and film underfloor heating are not needed. Installation can be done independently, without the help of specialists.
Before laying the electric floor heating, decide in advance on the placement of furniture and large household appliances. Bulky objects above the heating cables lead to excessive overheating of the system. Heat loss in the room is uneven: near the walls and in the area of windows, they are greater. Due to the design and location of the electric heating elements, "cold bridges" are formed, where heat enters in very small quantities.
Types of top coat
After installing a warm floor, you should correctly determine the type of surface coating. In modern housing, the following coatings are commonly used:
- parquet;
- carpet;
- laminate;
- linoleum;
- ceramic or tile;
- Self-leveling floors.
The most suitable of them are tiles and self-leveling floors. They have good thermal conductivity and do not deform when heated. But under them it is better to use water floors or electrical systems with a flexible cable. A screed device or a laying of an insulating solution is absolutely necessary.
The remaining coatings must be selected depending on the type of underfloor heating used. Parquet over electric floors quickly dries out, its appearance deteriorates. Drying of parquet also occurs with water floors, but more slowly. Linoleum for both types is better to buy not insulated to ensure good heat transfer. To this end, the carpet should be chosen with a short pile. Under the laminate and linoleum, it is best to lay a film electric floor. The insulating layer will be polyethylene foam, which is laid under the top surface.
Economy of different systems
It is impossible to say unequivocally which floor, electric or water, will cost less. On the one hand, the installation of water pipes, water supply systems and inlet valves is more expensive than laying electrical cables, mats and films. This work is also more time-consuming and requires the work of specialists.
Installing electric floors is easy to handle on your own. But the very process of operating water heated floors is much cheaper than the constant use of electricity for floor heating. In addition, residents are not limited in the arrangement of furniture and do not have to worry when choosing the top flooring.
When thinking about which warm floor to choose, you need to take into account the area of \u200b\u200bthe heated surface. In small rooms and premises, installing a water floor is impractical. Great labor intensity and costs are justified only if they are installed over large areas. To heat the floor of small rooms, it is better to use electric underfloor heating.
The amount of heat transfer of different underfloor heating systems
It is impossible to unequivocally state that any of the warm floors is warmer and which is better. If installation and installation are done according to all the rules, warm floors of any type are able to give the maximum heat for which they are designed. It should be borne in mind that electric floors heat the surface more evenly and constantly.
In water floors, the liquid inside the pipes is constantly moving, in some places it is hot, in others it cools faster or slower. Therefore, in hydraulic systems, the surface heats up unevenly and gradually. With certain pipe configurations, the most uniform heat distribution can be achieved. But the physical properties of water should be taken into account when installing a water heated floor.
A new offer has appeared on the market - electric-water heated floors. They combine the positive qualities of the two considered floor heating technologies and are devoid of their shortcomings. Principle of operation: in sealed plastic pipes there is an electric cable that heats up a special liquid. It differs from water in its properties, boils faster and heats the floors better.
Which of the proposed systems do you prefer? What are the best underfloor heating? Which one is warmer, which one is more profitable? These questions are of interest to every person before installing a new heating system in the house. In each individual case, the answer will be different: it all depends on the conditions of the premises, on the costs planned for installation and subsequent maintenance.
