How To Install Cable Floor Heating

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

• Operating principle
• Types of warm floors
• Installation methods
• Necessary for work
• Component distribution
• Foundation preparation
• Assembly process
• Device cost

Underfloor heating means heating the subfloor in the room. These systems are gaining popularity among consumers. Most often used in suburban construction. But it is difficult to independently choose a specific design option for a warm floor so that the quality matches the price. After that, it remains only to lay the warm electric floor according to the requirements and sequence of work.

Operating principle

Radiator heating is based on the convention that heated air rises from the base of the floor to the ceiling.

In this case, hot air currents are most concentrated near the ceiling. But with a warm floor everything turns out a little differently. It is the floor that is warm, and the ceiling contains lower temperatures. Comfort here is increased due to warming up of the whole human body from the feet. Due to the larger area of the location of all components of the warm floor, the heat transfer also increases, which distinguishes them from heating radiators.

Among the main positive qualities are:

1. Saving the coolant due to the ability to control and regulate the temperature level.
2. There is no need to constantly look at the radiators under the windows, as well as spoil the interior in the room.

Some may say that all these components of the warm floor are harmful to human health. But here it is necessary to understand correctly. The magnetic field of an electric floor heating is no more than 2-3 μT. These indicators are even lower than the permissible norm for the human body. The same applies to infrared radiation, which is comparable to the radiation of the human body itself. On the contrary, even infrared radiation allows the human body to warm up faster and increase blood circulation. Therefore, an electric floor heating does not carry any harm.

Radiator heating conventions generate a lot of dust. There will be no such problems with a warm floor, since its amount is noticeably reduced. In addition, thermostats allow you to set the most optimal temperature level in the room, depending on the needs.

Types of warm floors

Depending on what kind of heating element is used in the underfloor heating system, the latter will have a certain classification. There are three main types of systems selected:

1. Cable. At the heart is a heating cable (single-core, two-core), which transfers heat to the base of the floor. Subsequently, after laying, it is covered with a concrete screed of a certain thickness. Usually it is at least 30 mm.

   

Their cost is somewhat lower than that of heating mats, which can be attributed to a positive quality. The step of laying the cable on the floor can be chosen independently, depending on what temperature needs to be transferred to the base, and what area to cover. But it is worth noting that the process of installing a warm floor takes longer, which requires a screed device. Due to the filling layer, the base heating occurs for a somewhat long time, which requires waiting.

When using a thin heating cable, a layer of tile adhesive can be applied over it to provide the desired flooring option. Instead of glue, a conventional cement screed can be arranged. The installation of an electric underfloor heating is carried out regardless of what kind of room is equipped and what shape it has. Heating cables are also economical.

Infrared. Suitable for "dry" installation of underfloor heating

It is called a film version of an electric floor heating. The heating element is a heat-resistant film with such qualities as flexibility and thinness. Inside the film, there are strips containing carbon paste. All elements are interconnected by copper buses, which serve to supply voltage to the system. There is no need to install any concrete screed here, but you can immediately produce flooring, such as laminate.

Heating mats. They are used directly underneath flooring decking

The mats are also presented in the form of a cable, which are placed in a nylon mesh having a width of 50 cm.

They are suitable for those rooms where it is not possible to make a concrete screed of the required thickness. The heating cable in the mats has an insignificant thickness of about 3 mm, which is fixed to the glass mesh. The standard pitch of the underfloor heating cable is 50-70 mm, which is connected to the thermostat at the ends. Most often mats are installed with manually adjustable thermostats. You can also use programming devices where a specific program for heating the air in the room is set (by day, week, etc.).

Installation methods

Installing an electrical floor heating system has its own options. Besides the fact that the cables are placed in a layer of concrete screed, so they can be laid directly on it under the ceramic tiles. There is also a variant of film floors, which are laid under any type of floor covering.

In a bathroom or kitchen, it is best to place underfloor heating systems in a screed.

Only cable heated floors are suitable here. But we must not forget that it is necessary to arrange a layer of hydro and thermal insulation under the system. The height of the screed layer will depend on the specific conditions and requirements.

You can do without a screed and a layer of insulation if there is a heated room on the floor below. It will be sufficient to cover the heating elements with tile adhesive, which is able to protect them from external influences. Subsequently, ceramic tiles are laid, which creates an additional protective barrier for the underfloor heating system. But in any case, you should carefully read the instructions for the product that you are purchasing. It usually prescribes such a possibility of installing an electric heated floor.

Capital work remains on the sidelines when using a film (infrared) warm floor. There is no need to dismantle the old screed or carry out other dirty work. It will be enough to lay a layer of insulation (expanded polyethylene) on top of the screed that is in the room. Next, the heating elements are laid, on top of which is the selected flooring option.

Infrared underfloor heating cannot be installed under a tile or in a screed.

Necessary for work

To install an electric underfloor heating, you will have to buy and prepare the following components:

• Thermal sensor.

  

• Copper cable required for grounding.
• Connection wires.
• RCD protection system.
• Mountings.
• Regulator.
• The system itself of the selected option of underfloor heating, which includes a heating cable with or without a reinforced mesh.

In this case, it is very important to know the required amount of heating cable, and also to distribute it evenly over the entire surface of the room.

Component distribution

First you need to create a kind of plan on a piece of paper. In the future, the finished version is transferred to a real room. It is worth remembering that the heating cable should not be placed under massive pieces of furniture. In the presence of heating pipes, as well as other heat sources, a kind of buffer zone is created, where there are no elements of a warm floor.

If these rules are neglected, then over time the heating elements will overheat and fail. In addition, the furniture itself, household appliances, which will be located on top of an electric heated floor, will suffer.

As a result of the calculations and distribution of the heating elements of the base of the floor, you will get an irregular figure that will outline unnecessary areas. During the operation of the underfloor heating system, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the rearrangement of furniture inside the same room can negatively affect the performance of the heating system. This is referred to as negative manifestations.

A different contour is created for each individual room. They will have their own temperature controllers, as well as a different power supply. If a concrete screed is poured over the underfloor heating system, then a damper tape must be laid between the rooms.

After a well thought out layout on paper, the markings are transferred to the floor. A convenient place is selected for mounting the floor heating controller on the wall. Initially, a hole is made in the wall for a mounting box, from which a strobe is made to the floor.

To calculate the warm floor, there are special tables from manufacturers. It is from here that the optimal laying step is taken, and the total length of the cable used is calculated. Film floors are calculated much easier and faster. Only a certain number of heating elements are purchased so that they can cover the required area in the room.

The cable must be calculated not only for the base of the floor, but also include the distance from the floor to the controller and other possible components of the underfloor heating. But it is worth remembering that in this case it is strictly forbidden to connect the underfloor heating system directly to the outlet.

Foundation preparation

To prepare the surface, attention is initially paid to the condition of the old concrete screed. If there is such a need, then it is simply dismantled. After that, the entire surface must be cleaned of debris and dirt.

The next step is to lay the waterproofing layer. It should protrude onto the walls by about 10 cm. It is imperative that a damper tape is attached to the perimeter of the walls in the room to compensate for the expansion of the floor when heated during operation. In the future, all excess material is easily cut off.

The base of the floor must be insulated so that heat does not escape to the lower floors. Insulation is selected depending on certain points:

1. Foamed polyethylene foam (penofol) is suitable if the warm floor acts as an additional source of heat in the room.
2. If there is a floor with an unheated base (veranda, loggia), a more serious layer of insulation is acquired, reaching up to 100 mm. It can be mineral wool or expanded polystyrene.
3. Almost any insulation with a thickness of 20 to 50 mm is suitable for rooms with a heated lower floor. It can be extruded polystyrene foam or polystyrene.

In addition, you will need to make a device for a layer of reinforcement on top of the resulting "cake". But you can do without a metal mesh, since the layer of the future screed is insignificant. Instead, you can add a plasticizer and microfiber to the solution.

Assembly process

Before laying the underfloor heating cable, its resistance should be checked, which is additionally checked with the passport data.

There may be deviations that should not exceed 10%. Fastening to the base is carried out directly to the reinforcing mesh using special ties or using special fastening tapes.

When installing an electric underfloor heating in a bathroom or other rooms with high humidity, it is necessary to create a grounding of the reinforcing mesh, and also bring it to the regulator. Tinned copper wire is most often used in this quality. Therefore, even in a bathhouse, you can arrange a warm floor according to all the rules, not forgetting about the RCD module along with grounding.

As for the infrared underfloor heating, it is laid on top of a layer of insulation. Fastening in this case is carried out with special tape.

There may be cases where the electrical wire is located at the junction of two floor slabs.

In this case, this segment should be placed in a corrugated pipe, the length of which will be from 10 to 15 cm. Such actions will reduce the likelihood of cable breakage during thermal expansion of the plate itself.

The connection of such areas as the heating cable and the power cable should be located at least 10-15 cm from the groove. The connecting clips must subsequently be buried in the concrete screed. After placing all the components of the electric underfloor heating on the base, you should additionally check the resistance of the wire.

When the test is successful, the floor heating system is completely de-energized, the regulator is removed. You can start forming the underfloor heating screed according to all the rules and requirements. The system operation check is repeated after the filling is completely dry. If the result is positive, the selected flooring option is installed. If there is no need to create a screed (film floor), the floor covering is installed immediately.

Device cost

The price of a warm floor will depend on certain properties and characteristics, which include:

1. The difficulty of laying the flooring, as well as the flooring itself.

2. The scope of work for the installation of the system.

   

   When performed by specialists, the cost will be about a third of all costs for the purchase of the necessary equipment.

3. The cost of all components of the warm floor included. Everything will depend on the area of the room where work is carried out to insulate the base of the floor.
4. The need to level the base.

All this suggests that it is best to install an electric floor heating on your own. In this case, the total cost will be reduced by about 1/3. In addition, the whole process does not take much time, but requires adherence to technology and sequence of actions. Every nuance must be observed to achieve maximum results.

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