Which Infrared Floor Heating To Choose: Tips And Tricks

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Operating principle and system efficiency
• Types of IR underfloor heating
• Carbon system
• Bimetallic infrared warm floor
• Advantages and disadvantages of the system
• Advantages of IR floors
• Cons of IR floors
• Choosing a film warm floor
• Laying under tiles
• Laying under linoleum
• Laminate
• Carpet
• Manufacturer's choice
• Conclusion

In the cold period, the main task of all owners of private houses, apartments and offices is to ensure indoor comfort through temperature control. And a warm floor helps a lot in this. And it is IR technology that is gaining popularity. Therefore, further we will consider all the advantages and disadvantages, and also decide which one is better to choose an infrared warm floor for your home.

Operating principle and system efficiency

Electricity is converted into heat, while the device is provided with thermostats, which make it possible to set the required floor heating temperature.

In total, the system generates thermal energy, which is released within the infrared range. At the same time, initially the temperature increases near nearby surfaces, and subsequently is transferred into the air. Thus, the system becomes quite profitable.

It should be noted that the efficiency of the system reaches its maximum level relative to other types, which is achieved due to the absence of absorption of IR rays by air.

Ultimately, purchasing an infrared warm floor, you get an additional heat source, which is not the main means of heating.

Among the existing types of heating, the warm film floor stands out with a constructive new solution, devoid of the disadvantages of water and electrical systems. It uses a surprisingly thin polymer film to keep the surface level.

Types of IR underfloor heating

The material itself is a special roll of heat-resistant film, into which the heating elements are sealed. But at the same time, different types of heating should be considered. In particular, the pivotal type is often found. It is also presented in the form of a roll, but its type is not film.

The system itself is presented in two forms, and is classified by the type of heating elements:

1. Bimetallic heating
2. Carbon system.

Each of them has its own characteristics, which should be considered separately. The only thing that unites these systems is their type - warm floor, which determines the same installation principle.

Carbon system

Consider the first type of carbon floor heating system. The system uses carbon fiber as a heating element. Its production is carried out using carbon paste and a number of additives.

This type also includes a graphite-coated warm floor, which can boast of higher strength and reliability, and in addition, a significantly longer service life.

Lavsan material is used as a film, which differs in:

1. Increased durability.
2. High level of dielectric properties.
3. Elasticity and durability.

Speaking of heating elements, they are sealed with two layers of film, while they are connected with copper conductors, which supply current. For the connection itself, a parallel circuit is performed, which allows, in the event of a breakdown of one element, not to affect the operation of others.

This type of floor is used not only for horizontal surfaces, but can be provided as a means of heating individual elements, such as windows, mirrors, walls.

Installation of the coating takes only a few hours, while a combination with any floor coverings is allowed. The only drawback of the system is its high cost. It is caused by additional graphite spraying, which significantly increases the price of the product.

Bimetallic infrared warm floor

In such a system, special heating elements are used, which are made by combining two metals - aluminum and copper.

The basis in this case is a polyurethane film. Additionally, the heating system is equipped with grounding, which somewhat complicates the installation, and requires the connection of RCBO or RCD.

The only drawback of the system is the use under the tiles, otherwise it is possible to note the perfect combination with any kind of materials.

Advantages and disadvantages of the system

Now it's time to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of using infrared floor heating. Note that it has much more pluses, and we will start with them.

Advantages of IR floors

1. Warm film floor has clear advantages, among them, the main place is taken by ease of installation. Thus, the installation of the system takes only a few hours, and there is no need to provide additional screed.
2. Also, one should not forget about waterproofing, especially if the installation is carried out under wooden floors, since the most complex technology is used.
3. The warm film floor is mounted without major repairs, without unnecessary troubles and approvals. Moreover, consumers can save quite a lot by covering only eighty percent of the entire surface area, but the quality of heating will not suffer.
4. At the same time, film systems are the most versatile and are compatible with various types of floor coverings - porcelain stoneware, linoleum, laminate, parquet. Thermal film has a maximum heating temperature of up to +45 C, for a voltage of 150 W, therefore its use does not lead to deformations of wood and laminate flooring. Calculate the power of a warm floor for a room with an online calculator, follow the link.
5. Warm film floors have excellent flexibility, the system can be installed even in rooms that have a non-standard layout or complex internal architecture - this is an important fact of the versatility of thermal film.
6. The design capabilities of the system help to heat both horizontal and vertical types of surfaces, including individual interior elements: mirrors, stairs, walls, ceiling, pet's place.
7. The film floor is resistant to various mechanical damage due to its properties - in case of failure of any section, it will need to be replaced, but the breakdown of the element will not stop the operation of the entire system.
8. The film is only 0.3 cm thick, which allows it to be used on any substrate, while avoiding the creation of a threshold.
9. It has a high level of reliability due to the presence of special units that prevent the possibility of electric shock.
10. The system itself is completely autonomous, since in most models there is a function of self-regulation of the heating level. This makes climate control as easy as possible.

11. Additionally, it can be noted that infrared radiation has a beneficial effect on humans.

    

Undoubtedly, it should be noted that a large number of systems with different power characteristics are presented on the market. And therefore, this kind of heating can be selected for any room and for any purpose. In addition, mobile models presented in the form of paintings or rugs deserve special attention.

Cons of IR floors

Now it's time to look at some of the system's flaws:

1. First of all, there are high requirements for the quality of the base, namely the creation of a perfectly flat surface, since any drop and unevenness can contribute to breakage.
2. When installing, it is imperative to follow all the rules and recommendations, any neglect can lead to tearing of the film, or its overrun.
3. Such floor heating can only be used in open areas of the room, since if furniture is placed over the system, then there is a high risk of overheating and failure.

The choice of power also becomes an important point, since the wrong selection leads to the constant operation of the system at maximum capacities, respectively, its rapid failure.

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Choosing a film warm floor

An important question, of course, becomes how to choose the right IR underfloor heating. And now it's time to consider all the nuances of this choice. And here you need to take into account a number of factors affecting the choice:

1. Thermal insulation type.
2. The material with which the heating will be combined (floor covering).

The selection of the type of warm floor and the choice of power will already depend on these factors.

First, let's pay attention to the choice of thermal insulation. Its goals are to minimize the level of heat loss as much as possible, as well as serve as a kind of screen for reflecting rays. Thus, it is necessary to select material that is able to cope with the tasks set.

And now, we will directly decide which infrared warm floor to choose, and for this we will consider tips and recommendations for selecting a system depending on the type of floor covering.

Laying under tiles

The first option is tiling. In this case, an infrared rod floor becomes the ideal choice. And the obligatory factor is the laying of the reflective foil screen over the screed. Such a step will help to significantly reduce heat loss and increase the efficiency of the system.

Laying under linoleum

If in the future linoleum will be laid on the floor, then the choice of the type of system and its capacity should be made as responsibly as possible.

First of all, the power of the device should be no more than 150 W. At higher power, exposure to heating can lead to negative consequences, namely:

1. Burnout of the coating.
2. Swelling of linoleum.
3. Allocation of harmful pores, namely gases - phenol.
4. Also, the floor can melt or break.

In this case, you should stop your choice on the film floor model. This type is distinguished by a number of advantages that allow you to quickly install it and not harm the coating.

As mentioned earlier, underfloor heating must not be installed under furniture.

Laminate

The next type is a laminated coating, which, moreover, is especially sensitive to temperature extremes.

That is why all heating systems must smoothly heat the surface, while completely eliminating sudden temperature jumps.

Here, the film version of the IR floor is also more suitable, which fully meets all the requirements of the material, in addition, it allows for instant installation of the coating. Note that during installation, it is necessary to additionally lay a protective sheet, which will protect the system from scratches and tears during the laying of the laminate.

Carpet

This type of coating should be taken as responsibly as possible, since its very use implies the creation of a warm floor covering. Therefore, the use of additional heating should be as reasonable as possible. Heating must be provided only a few degrees.

But, in turn, this combination has a number of advantages, including:

1. No deformation of the coating.
2. Ease of installation.

3. Minimizing floor burnout.

   

Manufacturer's choice

We have decided what type of heating to choose in certain situations, but now it is worth choosing an equipment manufacturer, which is no less important.

Now there are several dozen manufacturers of this type of heaters, and therefore, it is necessary to analyze the products as carefully as possible.

In addition, it is worth noting not only a lot of companies, but also producing countries, including the European states, China, Russia and many eastern countries. In the variety of names, you can simply get lost.

What is important here is what you want to get, if this is the minimum cost, then eastern manufacturers can easily help with this, but at the same time, the service life of such is not great.

If you are looking for the best value for money, then pay attention to domestic manufacturers. Well, if there is an opportunity to purchase the best, then pay attention to the manufacturer Monocrystal, which, according to an independent consumer rating, is the market leader in this area.

We also note the most optimal manufacturer, namely Caleo. This company presents the world with systems that are relatively inexpensive, and besides, they are quite high quality.

Conclusion

As you may have noticed, there are many nuances that play a decisive role in which infrared floor heating is better to choose. And all systems have their own advantages and disadvantages, but at the same time, the advantages significantly compensate for all the disadvantages. For a deeper understanding of the topic, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with a number of videos. We are also waiting for your questions in the comments.

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