How to make a water heated floor. Do-it-yourself water-heated floor: main stages, useful tips

All about developing a water heated floor with your own hands.

In this section I will tell you how to make a heated floor with your own hands. Let's consider the installation of heated floors. Taking into account my many years of practice, I will tell you how to save on materials and how to correctly make a heated floor design. You do not have to buy expensive equipment in the form of mini circuits for mixing units. Knowing the schemes and devices for the operation of a heated floor, you will be able to design any scheme on the fly and solve the problem of a heated floor.

This article is a complete tutorial on designing underfloor heating. Knowing the physics of phenomena, you will understand the principle of arranging heated floors. This information will help you avoid costly problems with your underfloor heating installation.

And it's free!!! This article was developed by a specialist with many years of work experience and experience in installing heated floors.

Also, this article will serve as a permanent reference for those who are involved in and.

This article will provide illustrative examples and connecting nodes for underfloor heating. We also solve typical problems.

I’ll tell you in simple, understandable language for dummies how to install a heated floor!

In this section you will learn:

In this section I will explain all the nuances that occur in the practice of an ordinary installer.

So that you don't get tired ahead of time! We will go from simple to complex. In this article we will look more at practical experience. Let's look at the dependence graph. Let's do a little math. And whoever wants to count very accurately, you can visit and get acquainted with my personally developed section Hydraulics and heating engineers. This section contains more physics and mathematics. In general, if you want to consider all the physics of water supply and heating processes, then you cannot do without Hydraulics and Heat Engineering.

As for the temperature of the heated floor slab itself, it should not exceed 30 degrees. In general, this is enough. If the mixing unit has a thermostatic valve with a thermal head, then the required temperature setting is adjusted by turning the thermal head. Usually up to 60 degrees. Keep in mind that the temperature of the water in a heated field may differ by 10 - 20 degrees from the actual temperature of the heated floor slab.

The simplest thing in this task is the method of laying the pipe on the surface of the future heated floor.

But even here, novice installers manage to do things wrong!

And so, as for laying heated floors, I recommend the snail method, this snail method is the most economical in terms of hydraulic losses. Since with this method, the liquid in the pipe flows with fewer turns, which increases the good flow of liquid in the pipes. Also, the floor heats evenly over the entire area.

For example:

To correctly draw and mark a room, it is necessary that the number of longitudinal stripes be even. That is, 8,10,12,14,16 and so on.

For example, there are 16 longitudinal and 18 transverse stripes (Transverse stripes do not affect the position of the threads.).

This floor surface is not rectangular and has a chamfer. In such cases, we mark lines parallel to the chamfer with the same pitch as the cell.

And this is what happened:

If the length of the pipes exceeds the permissible value, then it is necessary to lay two circuits on the same surface. For example:

If there is an obstacle, you should get around this method:

It is important to make the lengths of the contours the same if possible.

There is also practical advice: near external walls, make the laying step smaller by 1.5 times, if the total laying step is not equal to 10mm. Since the floor near the outer walls consumes heat faster.

What about the volume of the area?

From my own experience I will say that the area can be 6x6 meters. Or maybe 10x5 meters. In many places and in reference books they write that the area of ​​a warm water floor should not exceed 40m2.

But I will say this! If the length of the floor exceeds 10 meters, then the floor should be divided into parts. Since the heated floor begins to lengthen as the temperature rises.

A damper tape is laid where the floors separate. It is better that the entire circuit is within part of the heated floor. That is, so that the contour itself does not intersect the damper tape.

If you have a large area and need to divide it, then you should make sure that each part has a separate circuit. The outline is a single branch laid down. That is, it is actually one pipe through which one flow runs. That is, the damper tape must separate the flows. There should not be many pipes passing through the damper tape. Where there is a damper tape, there is a constant change in the distance between the heated floors. And being there can harm them.

Where the pipes enter the heated stove itself, it is necessary to lay it in some kind of insulation. This can be a heat-insulating energy flex, or a corrugated pipe. So that in this place there is a smoothing of the movement of the plate from.

Underfloor heating?

Now I’ll tell you the difference between an ideal heated floor and a so-so one:

So-so option:

The base of the floor is not level and has an error of up to 5 cm. That is, somewhere it’s normal, but somewhere it’s 5 cm lower, or even 10 cm. The insulation has a thickness of 2 to 5 mm. The thickness of the concrete screed is from 5 to 15 cm.

The option is so-so related to the low-quality work of the heated floor. Many people did this before. Let's say the floor does not heat evenly and poorly. The heat goes into the stove, especially through the thin insulation. Such insulation is allowed in apartments, and even then such insulation does not have an economical effect on the floor. The heat goes into the lower load-bearing floor!

Ideal heated floor!

The base of the floor is flat and has an error of up to 3 cm. Insulation from 25 mm, this is usually polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene (with a density of at least 35 kg/m 3 for strength). The thickness of the concrete screed is from 5 to 10 cm. It is necessary to lay a metal mesh in the screed to strengthen the floor. Metal mesh can also have a smoothing effect on heat transfer across the floor. A metal mesh needs to be laid under the pipe; for reinforcement, you can add a mesh on top of the pipe. A damper tape must be laid along the edges of the floor to compensate for the expansion of the floor.

What about the pipe for underfloor heating?

The pipe can be mainly made of metal-plastic or. There is a big question: which is better, metal-plastic or cross-linked polyethylene. Many sellers and craftsmen claim that it is better to lay a special pipe for heated floors from.

From my own experience, I can say that the difference is very small and the efficiency is almost the same. So this is a highly exaggerated myth about cross-linked polyethylene, and it’s also expensive. I can only say that the higher the internal one for a heated floor, the better. Since heating is better and flow resistance is lower. What improves the efficiency of a heated floor. As for heat transfer, there is no doubt that it is higher! But is it worth the candle? No! Firstly, the difference is very small, and secondly, the laws from the calculations of heating engineering completely allow for heat transfer. This means that the rate of heat transfer is quite sufficient to heat a concrete floor. Since the concrete floor itself does not transfer heat as quickly as we would like. If a concrete floor transferred heat instantly, then the effect would be significant.

You can also use copper pipe and a stainless corrugated steel pipe. But these pipes are very expensive and their installation is very labor-intensive. So these pipes are definitely out of the question!

The installation of heated floors has the following sequence:

Explanation for each element of the heated floor cake:

1. The polystyrene foam board serves to prevent it from falling into the concrete slab or into the lower room. The polystyrene foam board must have parameters of at least 35 kg/m 3 to prevent destruction when loaded from above. Typically, for the first floor, which has an unheated lower room (basement, etc.), a polystyrene foam board with a thickness of at least 100 mm is installed. For subsequent floors 50mm. Sometimes laying up to 50mm thick is allowed. For acceptable floor heating, the thickness of the polystyrene foam board should not be less than 30mm. The polystyrene foam board lies on a flat floor surface without gaps; if there are unevenness in the floor, then such differences are covered with screenings and leveled over the entire floor, and then the polystyrene foam plate is placed on the screenings.

2. The second layer on the polystyrene foam board is either foil penofol or plastic film. Since foil penofol is foamed polyethylene covered with foil, it has, like polyethylene film, a waterproofing effect. This effect prevents vapor permeability between the concrete floor and the polystyrene foam board. If moisture does not pass from one environment to another, then the climate improves thermal insulation properties. This waterproofing effect reduces heat loss to the bottom, thereby saving thermal energy. And the foil layer additionally increases the insulation in terms of vapor permeability, as it is known that various metals have great resistance to the permeability of various substances. Also, the important effect of foil is its ability to reflect heat rays, which also adds a downward reduction effect. Also, polyethylene film and foil reduce the penetration of harmful substances from the polystyrene foam board, since it is known that polystyrene foam is a harmful substance. Whatever you say, you will have to breathe polystyrene foam fumes in small quantities. Another nuance will be that the exposed foil in foam foil when poured into a concrete screed can quickly be destroyed by the chemical reactions of the solution. Roughly speaking, the solution eats the foil if it is very thin. Find out from sellers about foiled foam foam, special for heated floors using the wet method (that is, concrete heated floors). Foil penofol for heated floors can be protected from corrosion of the foil or it can be sufficient with a thick layer of foil.

3. A steel mesh with a certain pitch serves to strengthen the base of the concrete screed of the heated floor. The mesh located in the lower layer, when the concrete screed is deformed, goes into tension, and thereby increases the strength of the concrete screed against fracture. In addition, the mesh makes it possible to attach a pipe to it. Attached to the grid through plastic clamps, which are sold in electrical stores. The mesh itself is attached with dowels and nails of a certain length through the polystyrene foam board to the floor slab. The mesh is connected to the dowel-nails through a metal mounting tape.

4. The damper tape serves to prevent destruction of the concrete screed from thermal expansion the concrete screed itself.

Filled with high-quality concrete screed (Cement + screenings. Do not place large stones.). To prevent the screed from cracking, you need to water it morning and evening for the first week. cold water or better yet, buy a “plasticizer” special for this purpose, which is diluted with the concrete mortar and prevents cracking. At worst, consult with specialists on how to make a smooth screed so that it does not crack. Special additives or additives are sold. The thickness of the screed is no more than 5-7cm. the distance from the pipe is 1-3 cm, provided that there are still ceramic tiles on top. If there are no tiles, then leave 3-4cm from the pipe. When the concrete screed dries, do not run hot water through the pipes. It’s better to just leave it under pressure of 1.5-4 atmospheres. What they write needs to be kept up to 6 atmospheres and so on is also an overblown myth. Everything works and does not deteriorate. And you leave the pressure in order to detect defects and detect leaks during pipe damage. And that's it...

Don't worry about the screed! Any screed will do. And don’t listen to all sorts of companies that promote their technologies. Supposedly their floor transfers heat and so on well. This is again an overblown myth. The difference is again very small. Because of some small percentages, such PR is inflated “Mama, don’t worry!”... The main thing is that the smaller the thickness of the concrete floor screed, the better the heat is transferred. Since concrete itself plays a small role in thermal insulation. That is, it resists heat transfer. Do not lay parquet on a heated floor. Parquet is also a kind of heat insulator, but it is stronger than concrete and ceramic tiles. Definitely lay ceramic tiles on a warm floor. It is allowed to lay parquet only in warm regions. Here, with 30 degree frosts, this is not possible. Of course, you can put parquet or wood. But you lose a lot of heat coming from the floor. Therefore, you should add heating power to other heating devices (radiators).

How long should the pipeline be in the heated floor circuit?

It all depends on the specific case. Below I will show you a table showing the resistance to water movement in pipes. And you must understand what length to choose!

For 16 metal-plastic pipes up to 80 meters.

The unit diagram for a heated floor can have several options. Let's consider the simplest visual option, where there are no special problems.

Heated floor connection diagram.

To understand this, let's look at a visual diagram.

Arrows indicate water flows. The floor is a contour of warm floors.

Which scheme do you think is more productive? Consistent of course! In a sequential circuit, the entire pump flow goes to the underfloor heating circuit. And in parallel circuit, the pump flow rate is divided with the inflow flow rate of the inlet circulation. Therefore, if you want to squeeze the maximum efficiency out of the pump for underfloor heating circuits, then you definitely need a sequential mixing unit system. And this is not discussed.

Also, with a sequential circuit, it is possible to install many more circuits in one mixing unit. Since the cost of flooring can be much higher. While on the parallel type, the pump flow is shared with another circulation ring.

So that you understand which circuits belong to sequential and parallel types, let's look at the circuits.

Parallel circuits of mixing units:

Sequential schemes of mixing units:

Serial system the better that the entire pump flow goes into the heated floor circuits. This stream is not divided. This makes it possible to create a large number of circuits in one mixing unit.

Do you want to know how to make a heated floor without a mixing unit?

Don't forget! The diagram does not indicate automatic air vents. I hope it won't be difficult to figure out where to put them. Place it at a high point on the supply and return manifold. Keep in mind and think that the pump rotor does not spin in the air.

We have not considered the option when there is one circuit for a heated floor. In principle, this is quite possible for one circuit. Only the diameter of the pipes can be reduced, and the power and flow rate of the pump can be reduced by three times. More details below.

You can find out which schemes to apply to three-way valves.

Which pump should I use for a warm water floor?

Standard circulation pumps are sold on the market for a flow rate of 2.5 m 3 /hour, which is about 40 liters/minute and a pressure of up to 6 meters. The higher it is, the faster the flow rate in the heated floor circuit will be. For heated floors, there is a usual standard pump with parameters (2.5 m 3 / h with a pressure of 6 m).

If the pump indicates that its flow rate is 40 liters per minute, then in reality this does not mean that it will pump like that. It all depends on the throughput of the system itself or the underfloor heating unit. Let’s say if you have many long circuits, then they provide sufficient resistance to movement, as a result of which the pump flow rate decreases.

Approximate schedule of all pumps:

And now the real graph of such a pump (2.5 m 3 / h with a head of 6 m):

Schedule 1.

Now remember, the better the transmittance, the less pressure appears on the contours. The more branches (circuits) in one mixing unit, the higher the flow rate and, of course, the lower the pressure on all circuits. So you need to not go too far! If a pressure of 3 meters is required for good pumping of the circuit, then it is necessary to maintain the flow rate according to the schedule and not increase the number of circuits.

How to find out the entire flow rate in the mixing unit for a parallel circuit?

2. Calculate how many losses all branches (circuits) will produce. But in fact, the number of losses can tell us constant flow incoming heat into the mixing unit. It is usually equal to about 40-100% of all circuit flows. That is, if the entire amount of circuit flow is 15 liters/minute, then the incoming heat flow is approximately 6-15 liters/minute. This depends on the temperature difference between the incoming temperature and the temperature set by the thermal head. Also affect the consumption and heat loss of the floor itself. That is, if the temperature from the boiler is 60 degrees, and the mixing unit is set to 40 degrees, then the flow rate will be approximately 40%. And if the temperature from the boiler is 75 degrees, and the mixing unit is set to 40 degrees, then the flow rate will be approximately 25%. You also need to take into account the bypass; if there is one, then there is also a constant flow through it. Add about 6 liters/minute to the bypass. If they are long, then they are correspondingly larger, and accordingly the thermal head begins to transmit more heat, which means that the pump flow rate increases and, accordingly, the pressure drops.

And if it’s really hard to understand, then consider it this way:

2. Multiply all flow rates of the branches by 2. That is, if the flow rate of all circuits is 15, then the total flow rate of the pump itself should be 30 liters/minute.

How to find out the entire flow rate in the mixing unit for a sequential circuit?

Check the resulting flow rate with the graph and find the pressure loss indicated by the graph. There is a flow scale on the horizontal coordinate, from the desired scale you go up, rest on the line and then move horizontally to the left and get a pressure scale. The schedule for other pumps is original. You can simply manually draw the scale of your pump and draw an arc in it as shown in graph 1. Since all pumps operate according to a standard curve. And depending on the pressure, you can select the required pipeline length from Table 1.

Consider one more feature!! This is that if a pump with a pressure of 6 meters, in fact, as usual, produces less pressure, for example 5 meters. If the flow rate is 40 liters/minute, then it can produce 30 liters/minute. This happens due to various factors: Loss of mains voltage. Local resistance of the tee nodes themselves. Some narrowings in the pipes, turns, etc. And as a result, you need to consider the pump service life to be approximately 15% lower. Only then will you do the right thing.

Here is a graph of practical experience for a pump with parameters (2.5 m 3 / h with a head of 6 m):

Schedule 2.

How to find out what length of pipe is needed for a heated floor.

To calculate this, you need to know the water flow in the pipe for a given pipeline length for a certain floor area. Also, per 10m2 there should be a flow rate of at least 2 liters/minute. Depends on heat loss. Below are the details.

Using Table 1, find the pressure loss. And so that the pressure at the entrance to the circuit is not lower down the pipe at a certain fluid flow rate.

And the pressure in one mixing unit is the same for all circuits. The pump creates one pressure for all circuits. We calculate the pressure according to graph 2.

Don't get confused! This comprehensive solution. Read below about the installation step and then it should be clear about the length of the pipeline. The main thing is not to make the pipe too long.

To put it simply, for every 10 meters 16 pipes you need to pump at least 0.4 liters/minute. That is, for 50 meters of pipe you need 2 liters/minute. And at 80 meters 3.2 liters/minute.

The complete solution is:

Table 1

Keep in mind that if you install it on an already clogged heating system, then perhaps with this mixing unit you will take away some flow from the boiler, which may affect the flow in other heating branches. This problem is solved by adding, with additional pumps.

As for the losses on pipe bends, they are very small; for example, to obtain a resistance of 1 meter at a speed of 0.44 meters/second, 200 turns (90 degrees) are required. As a rule, there can be a maximum of 40 of them on one circuit.

It is very important to know that if you use antifreeze liquid in the heating system, then the antifreeze liquid differs in viscosity from water by 30% to 50%. This means that water will flow through the pipes even slower. And the calculations need to be done differently. It is necessary to add a reserve of pump power by approximately 20% or shorten the pipes by 20%. Also keep in mind that the heat capacity of the antifreeze liquid is again about 20% less. This means this liquid will transfer less heat.

How many underfloor heating circuits can be assembled in one mixing unit?

Based on golden experience:

From experience, I can say a pump with a flow rate of up to 40 liters/minute and a head of 6 meters for a parallel system, up to 8 circuits with a length not exceeding 65 meters for 16 pipes is enough.

For serial system, up to 12 circuits of a long pipe not exceeding 65 meters are sufficient for 16.

If you decide to make pipes 80 meters long, then you should make 5 circuits for a parallel system, 8 circuits for a series system, for one such pump.

Just don’t try to make the circuit 100 meters long with 16 pipes, it’s not very economical! Tested from my own personal experience!

An algorithm for solving this problem for a parallel system.

Let's say you have 6 heated floor circuits. You have also decided on the length and it is about 80 meters. You have also decided on the flow rate and it is 3 liters/minute for each branch.

Now we count:

Let's look table 1.

combimix

Download CombiMix 1.0 program

Video tutorial on calculating a mixing unit

If something is unclear, write in the comments, since I am both the administrator and moderator of this site, and I am also the author of this article. I receive notifications about added comments, and I read them.

Like

Do you want to make your home cozy, modern and warm? Pay attention to the warm water floor. In this article we will describe in detail all its advantages and disadvantages, tell you how to select pipes and lay them, and describe the layout of the collector and control system.

Advantages and disadvantages of water heated floors. Preparing the base. Installation nuances. Selection of pipes, methods of laying them, frequency of turns and fixation options. Screed and ripening time.

Design and principle of operation

A water heated floor is a room heating system in which the coolant circulates along a circuit located under the floor covering. Please note that the pipes are not always screeded. There are “decking systems” in which the contour is not poured with concrete.

Upon closer examination, the water heated floor cake consists of the following elements:

1. Prepared base;
2. Screed (5 cm);
3. Thermal insulator (5 cm);
4. Pipes (2 cm);
5. Screed (4 cm);
6. Floor covering (2 cm).

Depending on the pipes used, there may be several layers of waterproofing. The base is a subfloor in the basement or on the first floor of a private house. The first layer of screed is required precisely in the absence of a flat surface.

Thermal insulator 5 cm thick – standard solution. But if possible, it is better to increase the thickness to 10 cm. This increases the efficiency of the entire system by 10-15%. Especially if the water-heated floor is installed on the first floor. The best material for this layer is extruded polystyrene foam.

Pipes in the vast majority of water heated floors are used with a diameter of 16 mm.

The second layer of screed covers the entire system and serves as a giant heat accumulator.

The thickness of the water heated floor cake varies from 18 to 23 cm. And the mass of 1 m 2 of this system reaches a quarter of a ton! Such harsh conditions significantly limit the spread of water-heated floors.

The circuit is connected to the pump and boiler through an adjustment and control system.

Where can I use it?

Due to the sufficient thickness and mass of the entire system, its use is limited to private housing construction. It is extremely irrational to install water-heated floors in apartments.

The main reason is difficulties with connecting the power. You can connect to the central heating system only after permission from the regulatory authorities. And it is almost impossible to get it. Even if it exists, the main leitmotif – autonomy – will disappear. We know of options for installing electric and even gas boilers in an apartment, but these are isolated cases that only confirm the rule: water heated floors are used only in private homes.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of water heated floors are fully revealed only when using cheap energy sources, such as gas, coal, firewood. Heating the coolant with an electric boiler is approximately 7 times more expensive than using gas equipment.

The gigantic heat capacity of the water heated floor system is another plus. A room containing ≈ 100 kg/m2 of heated concrete cannot cool quickly (only top layer screeds).

But there are also disadvantages. First of all, this is monstrous inertia. It takes time and energy to warm up such a layer of screed.

Inertia leads to the fact that temperature control of a water heated floor is very conditional. Control equipment takes temperature readings from the coolant, floor surface and air (in some thermostats). But the changes made through the thermostat appear very slowly.

Installation of water heated floor

The task is quite difficult, but doable. You just need to level the base first. This is a very important requirement, given that leveling will still be required and it is more effective to do this with the first layer of screed. Why?

For example, the height difference in a room is 3 cm. If you immediately lay the pipe and only then level it with a screed, it will turn out that in one corner the height of the cement mixture will be minimal - 4 cm, and in the other 7. This means that during the operation of heated floors, with They will heat 4 cm of concrete on one side and 7 cm of concrete on the other. Such an uneven load has a very detrimental effect on the entire system as a whole and leads to rapid deterioration of the floor covering.

Therefore, the first and important step is to level the floors to the horizon level. To prepare concrete floors you will need:

• Beacon profile;
• Laser level;
• Construction square;
• 5-10 kg of gypsum;
• Primer;
• Mobile concrete mixer;
• Cement;
• Polypropylene fiber.

Work progress:

The floors are swept and primed. While the soil dries, beacons are set up. To do this, install in the middle of the room laser level in such a way that the projection of the horizontal beam is at a height of 15-20 cm from the floor. Then, using a square, measure the height from the floor to the beam in different corners of the room and, based on the results, determine the highest point. In this place, the height of the screed will be the minimum allowable - 4 cm. In other places - according to need.

To install beacons, gypsum is diluted to a thick sour cream state. Then small piles are made from the resulting mass along one wall, in increments of 60-80 cm, and a beacon profile is laid on them. By placing a square on it, level it with the horizon, placing it at the desired height. There should be 50 cm from the wall to the first beacon. Between adjacent beacons the distance varies depending on the length of the rule (guide by 1-1.3 m). Please note that the plaster sets quickly, the work is carried out “without a smoke break”.

After about 30-40 m, you can pour the screed. Cement is diluted with ASG in a ratio of 1:5. Polypropylene fiber is added at the rate of 80 g. per 100 liters of mixture. Fiber is an element of dispersed reinforcement, qualitatively increasing the strength of the coating. In addition, after hardening, the new surface will be perfectly smooth.

Pour the resulting mixture so that each subsequent portion overlaps the previous one by 10-15 cm. The screed is leveled according to the rule, with orientation along the beacons.

After filling the entire surface, time is required for technical maturation cement-sand screed. Calculation is approximately the next 1 cm of thickness – 1 week.

Laying the heat insulator

Extruded polystyrene foam and cross-linked polyethylene foam, only these two materials can be used for thermal insulation in a water heated floor system.

Before laying the heat insulation sheets, a damper tape 10-12 mm thick is glued around the perimeter of the room. It serves not only to compensate for the thermal expansion of the screed, but also to prevent heat from escaping into the walls. In height, it should protrude beyond the boundaries of the top layer of the screed.

The heat insulation sheets are laid out staggered and always on top of the waterproofing layer. For waterproofing, it is best to use polyethylene film with a thickness of 0.2 mm.

If you decide to make the thermal insulation thickness 10 cm, then it will be better if you lay two layers of slabs 5 cm thick. Be sure to space between the layers.

There is an option to use special slabs designed for organizing water-heated floors as a heat insulator. Their difference is in the bosses on one of the surfaces. A pipe is laid between these bosses. But their cost is unreasonably high. In addition, not all pipes will be supported in such slabs. For example, polypropylene and polyethylene pipes too elastic, they will require additional fixation.

The pipes are not attached to the heat insulator. The fastener must pass through the foam layer and be fixed in the screed. This is a very labor-intensive process considering the amount of work involved.

Mounting tapes are a more acceptable solution, but it is very difficult to lay a pipe on them in a spiral (snail).

The best option would be to fix the pipes on the mesh. In this case, the mesh will serve specifically for fastening pipes, and not for reinforcing the screed.

There are special meshes made of biaxially oriented polypropylene, or you can use a simple masonry mesh.

Selection of pipes and their installation

The following types of pipes are suitable for water heated floors:

• Copper;
• Polypropylene;
• Polyethylene PERT and PEX;
• Metal-plastic;
• Corrugated stainless steel.

They have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Characteristic Material	Radius	Heat transfer	Elasticity	Electrical conductivity	Service life*	Price for 1 m.**	Comments
Polypropylene	Ø 8	Low	High	No	20 years	22 RUR	They bend only with heat. Frost-resistant.
Polyethylene PERT/PEX	Ø 5	Low	High	No	20/25 years	36/55 RUR	Can't withstand overheating.
Metal-plastic	Ø 8	Below average	No	No	25 years old	60 RUR	Bending only with special equipment. Not frost-resistant.
Copper	Ø3	High	No	Yes, requires grounding	50 years	240 RUR	Good electrical conductivity may cause corrosion. Grounding required.
Corrugated stainless steel	Ø 2.5-3	High	No	Yes, requires grounding	30 years old	92 RUR

Note:

* pipe characteristics are considered when operating in water-heated floors.

** Prices are taken from Yandex.market.

The choice is very difficult if you try to save on yourself. Of course, you don’t have to consider copper ones - they’re very expensive. But corrugated stainless steel, at a higher price, has exceptionally good heat transfer. The difference in temperature in the return and supply is the largest. This means that they give off heat better than their competitors. Given the small bending radius, ease of operation and high performance characteristics, this is the most worthy choice.

Pipe laying is possible in a spiral and snake. Each option has pros and cons:

• Snake - simple installation, almost always a “zebra effect” is observed.
• Snail – uniform heating, material consumption increases by 20%, installation is more labor-intensive and painstaking.

But these methods can be combined within one circuit. For example, along the walls “facing” the street, the pipe is laid in a snake pattern, and in the rest of the area in a snail pattern. You can also change the frequency of turns.

There are generally accepted standards that professionals are guided by:

• Step – 20 cm;
• The length of the pipe in one circuit is no more than 120 m;
• If there are several contours, then their length should be the same.

It is better not to install pipes under stationary and large-sized interior items. For example, under a gas stove.

IMPORTANT: be sure to draw the installation diagram to scale.

Laying begins from the collector. Unwinding the coil, fix the pipe according to the diagram. It is convenient to use plastic clamps for fastening.

Corrugated stainless steel is produced in coils of 50 m. To connect it, proprietary couplings are used.

The last element laid between the turns of pipes is a temperature sensor. It is pushed into a corrugated pipe, the end of which is capped and tied to a mesh. The distance from the wall is at least 0.5 m. Don't forget: 1 circuit - 1 temperature sensor. The other end of the corrugated pipe is led out to the wall and then along the shortest path is brought to the thermostat.

Control system and circuit testing

The control system for water heated floors includes:

1. Pump;
2. Boiler;
3. Collector;
4. Thermostat.

Arrangement of all elements in compliance technical parameters, a very complex thermal engineering problem. A lot of parameters are taken into account, starting from the number of fittings and the length of pipes, and ending with the thickness of the walls and the region of the country. In general terms, you can focus on the following data:

1. The pump can only be used as a circulation pump. The “wet” type of pump is more reliable than the “Dry” type and less demanding to maintain.

To calculate performance, use the following formula:

P = 0.172 x W.

Where W is power heating system.

For example, with a system power of 20 kW, the pump capacity should be 20 x 0.172 = 3.44 m 3 /h. Round the result up.

The pressure is calculated using a more complex technique. After all, the pipes are located horizontally, and the pump characteristics show vertical pressure. Use the following formula: H = (L * K) + Z/10. Where L is the total length of the circuits, K is the pressure loss coefficient due to friction (indicated in the pipe passport, converted to MPa), Z is the pressure reduction coefficient in additional elements

Z 1 – 1.7 thermostat valve;

Z 2 – 1.2 mixer;

Z 3 – 1.3 valves and fittings.

Using an example, it looks like this, let’s say there are 3 circuits, 120 m each. In total there are 18 fittings, 3 thermostat valves, 1 mixer. Pipe – corrugated stainless steel ø16 mm, loss coefficient 0.025 MPa.

H = (120*3*0.025) + ((1.7 * 3) + (1.3 * 1) + (1.2 * 18))/10 = 9 + (5.1 + 1.3 + 21 .6)/10 = 11.8 m. The result is rounded up - the pump head is 12 m.

1. The boiler power is calculated using the formula W = S * 0.1. Where S is the area of ​​the house. There are also a lot of correction factors, depending on the thickness and material of the walls of the house, the climate of the region, the number of floors, and the presence of adjacent rooms.

Please note that the outlet water temperature should be more than 30 - 35˚C. To withstand this temperature, a mixer is installed in front of the collector. In it, water is mixed to the desired temperature before entering the circuit.

1. The collector regulates the water supply in each circuit. Without it, the water will follow the path of least resistance to flow, that is, along the shortest circuit. The adjustment is carried out by servo drives, according to data from the thermostat.
2. Thermostats monitor the temperature in controlled rooms by taking readings from temperature sensors.

Before crimping the circuit, it is washed and only then connected to the manifold. Water is supplied at normal pressure, but the temperature is increased by 4˚C per hour, up to 50˚C. In this mode, the system should function for 60-72 hours. IMPORTANT: constant monitoring is required during crimping!

At home, without use special equipment, it is impossible to pressurize with high pressure.

If the inspection does not reveal any installation flaws, then you can proceed to further operations.

Screed

IMPORTANT: the top layer of screed is poured only when the contour is filled. But before this, the metal pipes are grounded and covered with thick plastic film. This is an important condition to prevent corrosion due to electrochemical interactions of materials.

The issue of reinforcement can be solved in two ways. The first is to place a masonry mesh on top of the pipe. But with this option, cracks may appear due to shrinkage.

Another method is dispersed fiber reinforcement. When pouring water-heated floors, steel fiber is best suited. Added in an amount of 1 kg/m 3 of solution, it will be evenly distributed throughout the entire volume and will qualitatively increase the strength of hardened concrete. Polypropylene fiber is much less suitable for the top layer of screed, because the strength characteristics of steel and polypropylene do not even compete with each other.

Install the beacons and mix the solution according to the above recipe. The thickness of the screed must be at least 4 cm above the surface of the pipe. Considering that the pipe ø is 16 mm, the total thickness will reach 6 cm. The maturation time of such a layer of cement screed is 1.5 months. IMPORTANT: It is unacceptable to speed up the process including floor heating! This is a complex chemical reaction of the formation of “cement stone”, which occurs in the presence of water. And heating will cause it to evaporate.

You can speed up the maturation of the screed by including special additives in the recipe. Some of them cause complete hydration of cement within 7 days. And besides this, they significantly reduce shrinkage.

You can determine the readiness of the screed by placing a roll on the surface toilet paper, and cover it with a saucepan. If the ripening process is over, then in the morning the paper will be dry.

First start

A very important stage in the operation of a water heated floor. To prevent the screed from cracking due to uneven heating and the pipes from being damaged, switching on is carried out according to the following scheme:

1 day – temperature 20˚C.

Day 2 – increase the temperature by 3˚C.

3 and the next day, raise the temperature by 4 ˚C until the operating mode is reached.

Only after this can you proceed to the installation of the floor covering.

Publication date: Edited 21 Sep 2015 Rating:

• Comparison of electric and water underfloor heating systems
• Installation of a water floor
• Heated floor calculations
• Components of the structure
• How to make a heated floor
• Preparatory stage
• Insulation of floors and pipes
• Snake, spiral or snail
• Collector block and its arrangement
• Warm floor and methods of its installation
• Concrete floor
• Subfloor
• Finish floor

It is no longer possible to surprise anyone with warm floors. New homes or those that have just undergone major renovations most often have a water heating system hidden under the floor covering. Here the temperature of the energy carrier does not exceed 60 0. Despite the laboriousness of the process and the high cost of all components, it is not so difficult to make a water heated floor with your own hands. How to carry out installation, choose components and why it is better to make such heating is in this article.

Comparison of electric and water underfloor heating systems

Heating, the temperature of which is low (electric or water floors), subject to installation technology, can serve faithfully for decades. Electrical system can be installed in 1-2 days (“pie” is easier to make here), which cannot be said about the water one.

The advantage of installing electric floors is that they can be used in any house, private or multi-storey. Moreover, they can be laid even on old coating.

But the installation of water floors is a big “pie”, a clear diagram, painstaking installation and a high screed. It takes more than a month to assemble the structure. But the result of using the heating system should eliminate all the disadvantages associated with the labor-intensive and expensive installation process. This means that using water floors is more profitable. So, the table shows comparative characteristics water and electric floor.

At the same time, heating large areas with warm water floors is more than justified. The required temperature in the circuits takes a long time to “accumulate”, but the “pie”, the installation of which was carried out flawlessly, can operate at a lower heating mode than at the beginning.

Return to contents

Installation of a water floor

Having decided to make a warm “pie”, you need to decide on some aspects. For example, in the house there will be

1. radiator heating with underfloor heating or only low temperature;
2. low-temperature circuit, for which a separate mode is selected. It is necessary to take into account that one circuit is heating an area of ​​no more than 20 m2;
3. a boiler that can supply heat to circuits, batteries, and will also provide the house with hot water.

How to make a water heated floor with your own hands relatively quickly? Installation must begin with the acquisition of all necessary structural elements.

Return to contents

Heated floor calculations

All calculations should begin with clarification of the characteristics of the object. You need to decide whether the “pie” of a heated floor is main heating or only heating. The layout may miss a place where there will be furniture that no one plans to move for decades.

So, for the calculations you will need the following knowledge:

• the length of one circuit must be within 100 meters;

Attention! If the length of the pipes exceeds 100 meters, there are more turns in the circuit, which means that the hydraulic resistance increases, the water circulates less well in the system and, as a result, the temperature in the circuit is uneven.

• when the circuits are the only source of heating, the step between the turns should not exceed 20 centimeters. If the water floor is additional method heating is enough for the step to be within 30 centimeters;
• When laying the contour, you need to retreat at least 10 centimeters from the walls.

Let's assume that on the ground floor of a private house in moderate climatic zone 5 rooms and 1 corridor (its length is 10 meters) and there is also a boiler room. It would be logical to install a separate circuit in each room. Then, through the corridor to the boiler room, you need to carry out pipes to connect to the collector. Thus, there is no need to lay pipes separately in the corridors, but the distance from the room to the collector must be added to the length of each circuit.

In our house the heating is only low temperature (20 cm increments). This means that the length of the pipes can be calculated using the following formula:

– this is the square footage of the room, ours is 15 meters;

– distance between turns (0.2 meters);

– standard coefficient, it is needed to take into account pipe bends.

Meter of pipe.

This is the farthest room, which means that the water will travel a little over 15 meters from the collector to it. Thus, the length of the primary circuit, taking into account the distance to the boiler room, is 98 meters.

So you need to calculate each circuit. And in the end, have an idea of ​​how many meters of pipes in our private house are needed for a warm water floor.

By correctly calculating the number of meters, pipes can be purchased in bulk

Return to contents

Components of the structure

To create a system you will need not only a pipe, but also

1. boiler. It is best to purchase one that can work even in summer for hot water supply without heating the house. The power of the device primarily depends on the square footage of the house.
2. mixing unit. It consists of several elements. These include a manifold (it should have as many leads as there are underfloor heating circuits), valves, and air vents. As well as fittings and a circular pump.

The collector is installed on the wall above the floor next to the boiler, the temperature is set for each circuit separately. All this can be installed first, and then directly proceed with the installation of the heated floor.

Return to contents

How to make a heated floor

The installation of a heated floor in a private house must follow the order of laying each layer. Right assembled structure will ensure normal operation of the entire system, which means there will be a comfortable temperature in a private house. The overall installation of a water heated floor takes at least a month (this is the amount of time allotted for drying the screed in winter; in summer the time is reduced to 2-3 weeks).

Return to contents

Preparatory stage

In a private house, you need to prepare the base so that all layers of the pie can be laid. The smoother it is, the better. It is necessary to cover up the cracks and, if necessary, fill the base with screed. Further installation of the floor requires the presence of a waterproofing layer. It is laid end-to-end, gluing the joints with construction tape. You need to use damper tape to make an allowance for the walls.

As concrete expands, the tape narrows, clearly defining its boundaries, thereby improving the quality of pouring

Return to contents

Insulation of floors and pipes

Let's start putting the “pie” together. Next up is laying the insulation. There should be no gaps between the sheets. The joints must be glued.

It is much easier to work with insulation that has special grooves for pipes.

But you need to put a foil backing on top of regular insulation. Considering that the temperature at the outlet of the system should not exceed 60 0, the use of such a substrate will help to use thermal energy as efficiently as possible and direct it exclusively for heating the room.

It is easier to lay pipes on insulation when the “pie” receives a reinforced layer. This can be a grid or a special track. The main thing is that pipes can be easily attached to it.

For large rooms, it is better to choose a wide mesh that almost does not have to be cut. Using a mesh will simplify the installation of water pipes for heated floors

Return to contents

Snake, spiral or snail

With a step of 20 centimeters per 1 m 2 there are at least 5 linear meters of pipe. This installation stage is quite complicated. Pipe laying takes place different methods, for example, like this:

• snake This method involves the direct location of the supply branch from the collector to the end of the room with further laying of the pipe in the form of a snake;
• snail or spiral. Laying begins from the center of the room. Here the pipe is folded in half and double turns are made around the center.

When laying pipes, the following requirement must be met: return and supply must be connected to the collector. The circuits are powered and filled with concrete after the final assembly of the entire system.

One of modern elements The heating system of a country house is a water-heated floor, the installation of which, with the advent of new materials, is not particularly difficult. Although it will not be superfluous to collect information about this issue in order to avoid some mistakes and misunderstandings during the work. It is not recommended to install water heated floors in apartment buildings, since their connection to the centralized heating network requires obtaining permits. In addition, during the seasonal shutdown period, which lasts four months a year, the floor covering will remain cold. Although installing a small power electric boiler can save the situation. However, it is worth listening to the opinion of experts who recommend using other heated floor systems in apartments in multi-storey buildings. It should be noted that in new buildings, heated water floor systems may be included in the design.

Advantages and disadvantages of this heating system

Any person strives to reduce the cost of maintaining their home. By installing a heated water floor with his own hands, the home owner is able to save not only on installation, but also on the subsequent operation of this system. The benefits also include:

• uniform heating of the floor over the entire area of ​​the room;
• the absence of visible heating devices and their connections, which improves the attractiveness of the interior;
• heating large areas of the house at low cost;
• one-time financial investments, spent during installation, will provide savings on electricity bills in the future.

The disadvantages of a warm water floor system include:

• presence of structural difficulties during installation;
• mandatory use of a water pump;
• difficulty in controlling floor temperature;
• decrease in pressure in the riser;
• loss of temperature in the heating network of the next apartments;
• the presence, albeit small, of the possibility of a leak, as well as the difficulty of finding it.

It is important to note that the likelihood of leakage is high if you use metal pipes, which can leak due to corrosion. Pipes made of polybutylene, metal-plastic, cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) are not subject to corrosion processes. Their service life reaches fifty years.

Very often, for the installation of this system, a special ribbed substrate is used, which already has grooves for laying pipes

Types of water heated floor systems

There are two of them:

1. Concrete technology implies the location of the heating elements of the system under monolithic screed. This approach is associated with a large amount of “wet” work that requires time and labor. The final floor covering is laid only after the concrete screed has completely dried. The time depends on its thickness, with the maximum drying period being 28 days. This is exactly how much concrete needs to gain grade strength. Despite the difficulties, this method is popular.
2. Laying technology, which is made from ready-made materials, therefore speeding up the installation process due to the absence of dirty work with concrete mortar and loss of time waiting for it to dry completely. However, you have to spend more money on purchasing materials laid in several layers. Depending on their choice, this technology is divided into three subtypes: polystyrene system; ; slatted type of wooden system.

Preparatory stage of work

When choosing any installation system, it is necessary to calculate the system for a specific room as accurately as possible. At the same time, the optimal power indicator is determined taking into account the type and area of ​​the room, the planned temperature, possible heat loss and the type of finishing floor covering.

It is necessary to choose a warm water floor system of higher power if:

• the premises are located on the first or last floor;
• large volume of glazing ( winter garden, bay window, balcony);
• the enclosing structures are not thermally insulated enough (thin walls, balcony, etc.);
• Thick marble or granite slabs, as well as materials with high heat capacity parameters, are chosen as flooring.

At the preparatory stage, the base is prepared, freeing it from the old floor covering. The surface must be leveled; it is allowed to exceed the surface level of the base base over the entire area of ​​the room by no more than 5 mm. In case of deviation from this indicator, the surface is leveled with an additional screed. Ignoring this requirement may cause further “airing” of the laid pipes .

Method #1 - concrete laying system

When choosing this technology, the installation of a heated floor is carried out in several stages:

1. A layer of thermal insulation is laid on the cleaned base floor, which prevents heat from escaping in the opposite direction from the desired direction. When choosing thermal insulation coating pay attention to the thickness of the material, which should not be less than 30 millimeters. The density of the material used for thermal insulation is also important, being at least 35 kg/m³. Most often, penoplex or polystyrene is chosen for this purpose. Manufacturers suggest using ready-made mats with special fasteners. They make installation easier, but they also take a toll on your wallet, as their cost is high. The thickness of the thermal insulation layer must be increased along with the increase in thermal load.

2. Next, a damper tape is attached to the wall along the perimeter of the room, which is capable of compensating for the thermal expansion of the screed made of concrete. A thick polyethylene film is laid on top of the thermal insulation layer.

3. Then the reinforcing mesh is laid, to which the pipe is attached with plastic clamps. By using corrugated pipe expansion joints protect. Some craftsmen also lay reinforcing mesh on top of the laid pipes to give greater strength to the structure.

Method #2 - polystyrene laying system

One of the main advantages of this technology is the absence of the need for a concrete screed. This greatly facilitates both the design of the heated floor and the work on its installation. It is possible to maintain the height of the room to the maximum due to the smaller thickness of this heated floor system, consisting of polystyrene boards, which in this technology act as a heat-insulating material. That's why this technology used in cases where there is a load limit on the floors, as well as with low ceilings.

Special aluminum plates are built into polystyrene plates, over which heat is evenly distributed. The pipe is securely fastened in aluminum plates with special grooves (recesses)

A gypsum-fiber sheet (GVL) is placed in one layer on top of this entire structure if parquet is to be laid. In the case of laminate and ceramic tiles, as well as with other types of flooring, experts recommend laying two layers of gypsum fiber board.

Work progress:

• Prepare the base floor by clearing it of debris and dirt. Use a level to check the evenness of the surface.
• Then lay the polystyrene slabs on the leveled floor base in strict accordance with the drawings.
• Next, install aluminum plates and pipes, focusing on the design requirements. Aluminum plates should cover about 80% of the floor area of ​​the room. Fulfilling this requirement will ensure heating of the floor over the entire surface.
• Next, lay down gypsum fiber sheets.
• Install the finishing coating.

The polystyrene system for installing a warm water floor can be installed on any base (concrete or wood). For wooden houses, which do not have concrete floors, there are other ways to install heated floors. To the owner wooden house You can use a rack-and-pinion system or a modular-type system.

Method #3 - modular type of wooden system

Carrying out the following operations:

1. Lay thermal insulation.
2. The next layer is made from ready-made modules representing particle boards(chipboard), in which grooves for aluminum plates and channels for pipes are pre-cut in accordance with the drawings.
3. Next, the installation of aluminum plates, as well as pipe loops, is carried out by snapping them into the channels intended for this.
4. The flooring is carried out with gypsum fiber sheets and finishing coating.

Method #4 - slatted type of wooden system

The rack system is most often used when installing a warm water floor on the second floor wooden structure, because this technology uses more thin layer thermal insulation.

1. Thermal insulation material is laid between the floor beams, called joists, using mineral wool or polystyrene.
2. When laying boards, the thickness of which should not be less than 28 mm, leave grooves about 20 mm wide.
3. Next, aluminum plates are inserted into the remaining grooves, and pipes are inserted into them.
4. Then all that remains is to install rough coating from gypsum fiber board and floor finishing.

Rules for installing a collector group

In all of the above methods of installing a warm water floor, it is necessary to install it, which is purchased in finished form in the construction market. After the manifold cabinet has been successfully installed, the supply and return pipes are inserted into it. The first comes from the boiler and, accordingly, is filled with hot water. The second pipe, designed to perform the exact opposite function, is responsible for collecting water that has passed through the heating system and has already transferred part of the thermal energy to the coating. The cooled water is sent back to the boiler for subsequent heating. The process begins again in a circle. Water circulation is ensured by a pump built into the system.

To install the collector box, try to choose a place on the wall located as close to the center of the room as possible. The installation of this cabinet is most often carried out in close proximity to the floor

In this case, shut-off valves are installed on each pipe (both supply and return), which allow you to disconnect the system from the general heating network for repairs or in order to save money. Plastic pipe and metal shut-off valve connect using compression fitting. Next, a manifold is connected to the valve, installing an air vent on one side and a drain valve on the other. You can simply install a plug, but this is less functional. After assembling the manifold cabinet, perform all other work described above in each system.

A few words in conclusion

Of course, within the framework of one article it is difficult to reveal all the nuances of installing a warm water floor. However, you probably got some idea of ​​how to make a water heated floor with your own hands. At the same time, one of the readers understood the complexity of the process and decided not to go into details, but to hire professionals. Another category of skilled people did not see any special problems and decided to definitely carry out self-installation warm water floor in your home or bathhouse.

In any case, the comfort that this technology provides is difficult to describe in words. This is a lifestyle in which everything is thought out to the smallest detail. Today, any of you can begin to take advantage of the endless possibilities of modern technologies, which have revolutionized the idea of ​​constructing new structures and repairing previously constructed facilities, when such possibilities were not even suspected.

Perhaps, having installed warm water floors in your home, you will want to engage in these services as part of your own business. This is very profitable business, since this market is located in constant growth and consumer demand has not yet peaked. However, an increasing number of Russians want to live according to new standards of comfort, which include underfloor heating systems.

Warm floors heated with water are quite an attractive solution. But if you want to install them yourself, without resorting to the help of professionals and without spending money on their services, you will have to thoroughly study the topic and learn all the intricacies. You should know both the principles of connection and the methodology for constructing the base. Laying will also have to be done using special technology.

Design

There are many types of heated water floors on the market. It is produced by dozens of leading manufacturers. But regardless of the specific make and model mandatory components it turns out:

• boiler that heats water;
• water pump;
• ball valves (they are placed at the inlet to the boiler);
• pipes;
• a collector device that allows you to configure and regulate floor heating at your discretion;
• fittings through which the main route is mounted, starting from the heater, and pipes are also connected to the collectors.

Each of these constituent elements has its own characteristic features. Thus, the pipes must be made of polypropylene with a reinforcing fiberglass layer, otherwise there is a high risk of their excessive expansion when hot. Polyethylene has a lower level of thermal expansion. In this case, the optimal pipe diameter is from 1.6 to 2 cm. Find out when purchasing whether they can withstand a pressure of 10 bar when pumping water heated to 95 degrees.

The manifold through which water enters the pipeline is sometimes called a splitter. One of these devices sorts hot water along the heating circuits, and the other collects it after passing through the entire system. Both devices are installed inside the manifold cabinet. High-quality design of the collector group also includes:

• valves;
• air vents;
• devices that regulate water consumption;
• units for accelerated drainage of liquid in a critical situation.

A manifold with a shut-off valve is impractical, so it is better to choose options equipped with control systems that ensure a smooth change in the flow of coolant into one or another circuit.

The exact length and installation step when installing pipes is calculated individually for all premises (rooms). There are no uniform standards here. If you do not feel sufficiently prepared for independent calculations using specialized software, use the services of design organizations. Designers will need to know what the size of the room is, how powerful the boiler will be installed, what the walls in the house (apartment) are made of, what are the properties of the ceilings and partitions. The type of floor covering, the installation of the insulating layer and the diameter of the pipes must be taken into account.

The design must indicate not only the length of the pipe, but also the installation step and the rational installation path. Additionally they calculate heat losses, hydraulic resistance (it must be strictly the same in each circuit). It is undesirable to use large contours (100 m and longer).

It is better to divide each one into several smaller ones. All circuits are strictly one pipe, so joints and couplings when laying in a screed are prohibited. Verandas, attics and loggias are heated separately from the adjacent rooms.

Remember that pipes must be laid starting from the outer walls, and uniform heating reduction is achieved through the “snake” pattern.

In rooms where there is only interior walls, the design of the heated floor should be spiral, directed from the boundaries of the room to its middle. In this case, a double pitch is maintained between any pair of turns.

Please note: you should select and purchase a collector only after how the number of contours and their characteristic features will be calculated. The simplest solution, equipped with only one shut-off valves, is relatively cheap, but the lack of flexible adjustment capabilities will cause a lot of inconvenience. The other extreme to avoid is an expensive manifold equipped with servos and premixers.

Such equipment in a private house or apartment is completely unnecessary, with the exception of giant cottages. When deciding which boiler to install, focus, first of all, on its power, which, even when operating in peak design mode, should have a reserve of at least 15%.

To ensure mixing of hot and cold coolant, thermostatic mixers are used. They can be two-pass (pair structures are installed on the supply and return pipes) and three-pass (with the addition of an electric drive, mounted at the boiler outlet). Take care of the presence of a servo drive and thermostat: investments in these devices are justified by the fact that it will be more convenient to use the system. Servo drives are placed on water supply combs.

Mechanical thermostats They are designed relatively simply and are reliable in use, so they are easy to use even for people with little knowledge of technology. Electronic regulators are a little more complicated, and if you need to flexibly adjust the operating parameters of a heated floor, you will have to purchase a programmable device.

Having understood in general terms the device and configuration of floor heating equipment, let’s now see how it works. From the boiler (in rare cases from the heated towel rail) water enters the pipeline. Passing through the thermostatic valve, it transfers a certain portion of heat to it. When a certain temperature is reached, the valve starts the process of mixing water taken from the return pipeline. For this purpose, a two-way or three-way valve installed before the circulation pump (inside a special jumper) opens.

The mixed liquid, having passed through the circulation pump, touches the thermostat, which ultimately gives commands to open and close the coolant supply from the return circuit to the main circuit. Thanks to this scheme, the water temperature is maintained within a given range of values ​​and is instantly corrected if it deviates from it. Then the water passes into the distribution comb (but only in a large room, where there is a need to distribute the coolant through several circuits and then pump it in the opposite direction).

By installing heated floors in several rooms at once, install a temperature-regulating manifold. This is necessary not only because each requires its own degree of heating, but also because a completely identical circuit length cannot be maintained. The adjustment is especially useful if one of the rooms is internal and the other has external walls.

Thermostats can measure the heating of the air in the room or the temperature of the floor covering. Focus on what is important to you and do not confuse these two types.

Make sure there is a bypass in the heating system. It will allow you to keep the equipment in perfect order if the water supply to all circuits is suddenly stopped at the same time.

Pros and cons

Water heated floor economical. A low coolant temperature (not exceeding 50 degrees) will reduce the current consumption of an electric boiler by 20% (compared to heating with radiators). Uniform heating of the entire area of ​​the home with a physiologically comfortable temperature distribution (22 degrees on the floor itself, 18 degrees at face level) can also be considered a positive side. The hidden location of the heating system completely eliminates burns and mechanical injuries in direct contact with it and the coolant, which is especially important if there are children in the house.

A safe water floor is also serves for a long time. Proper installation and correct selection of components allows the system to be used for 30-40 years. Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages. For example, increased complexity of installation (if you do not understand the problem well or do not have the necessary experience, contact professionals, or choose the electrical option). If the installation is carried out incorrectly, this not only reduces the heating efficiency, but also increases the risk of leakage.

If, due to installation errors, natural wear and tear, or any other problem, water begins to leak, you will have to dismantle the floor, dismantle the heating structure, replace it completely or partially, and only then reconnect it. Finally, in private residential buildings It will not be possible to use water floors as the only heat sources.

Long-term (tens of hours) heating cannot be considered a disadvantage: especially since significant thermal inertia will allow the floor to stably heat the air even during short-term interruptions. Be prepared that laying a water floor (even with your own hands) will be significantly more expensive than installing it electric version. Some materials in terms of 1 sq. m can cost at least 1,500 rubles. When a crew is brought in, they will need to pay no less.

Good result is achieved provided that the floor is raised by at least 10 cm. Costs are also associated with the installation of control systems, manifold cabinets and air outlet valves.

Where is it used?

Such a heating system in an apartment room can only be used theoretically. The technical obstacles are very serious. The fact is that feeding the pipeline with ready-made hot water is extremely dangerous and is simply prohibited, and special heating cold water expensive and difficult. In addition, any effective systems are bulky and heavy, that is, they take up a considerable part of the height of the room, affecting significant load on the surface of the floor and ceilings.

In a private wooden house, the thermal loads on individual circuits, if they differ, are insignificant. Therefore, think carefully about whether it is worth installing expensive, complex automatic control systems in a small home. A large cottage or house with unheated rooms is another matter.

Place a water floor in frame house it is quite possible, but its installation has an important difference - due to the extremely lightweight foundation, you will have to abandon the use of heavy concrete screeds or cement-sand mixtures. It is more correct to use dry polystyrene installation. It was specially invented for frame dwellings. Please note that in order for the thermal effect to be maximum, you will have to think about good insulation external walls, which are usually made thin.

The water floor heating system also has its own specifics in the bathroom. If it is installed in an apartment, we recommend getting advice from a design organization, as well as creating and registering an official project and obtaining consent from neighbors. It is advisable to supply the circuit with coolant from a heated towel rail, and two-way valves at the inlet will prevent the water temperature lower and higher up the riser from decreasing. Regardless of whether you need to heat the bathroom in an apartment or in a private house, Pay maximum attention to waterproofing. It is worth investing in a special kind of film or euroroofing felt.

The base is poured using expanded clay or small crushed stone. To prevent the appearance of irregularities, beacons must be placed. Please note that you cannot walk on bathroom floors filled with screed for 5-6 days. In this case, you will have to regularly wet the surface, otherwise it may crack. Since you can make it yourself cement mixture(which will not be covered with an intricate pattern of cracks in the next few years) a rare builder will be able to It is better to purchase a completely ready-made composition in the store. And we’ll do experiments another time, when thinking through the design of a heated bathroom, for example.

Tools for work

When installing water heated floors, you need to use 18 different instruments. You will definitely need:

• electric drill;
• screwdriver;
• construction hairdryer

Hand tools you will need:

• scissors;
• regular saw;
• metal saw;
• working knife;
• hammer;
• bit;
• vice;
• pliers;
• file.

Work with coatings is carried out using a spatula and paint brush. You need to measure the required dimensions with a tape measure and a meter ruler, but in addition to them you will also need a sanding mesh or sandpaper.

In addition to the tools, you will also need the following materials:

• For thermal insulation, foil mats made of expanded polystyrene or slabs of the same material processed by extrusion are most often used;
• the damper self-adhesive tape should have a thickness of 0.5 to 1 cm. The pipes are secured using brackets, mounting strips, rotary arches and some other parts.

Preparing the base

According to the technology, the old screed must be completely removed so that the base floor is exposed. Immediately level the floor surface if the deviation from the horizontal exceeds 1 cm. If, after removing the old floor covering, cracks, chips and crevices remain, use a cement or gypsum leveling mixture. Next, after making sure that there is no dust, dirt or construction debris left on the surface, a layer of waterproofing is placed on top of it.

The perimeter of the base is occupied by a damper tape, which will help compensate for the thermal expansion of the main floor covering during heating. It is important to take into account that when there are several contours at once, the tape should also be placed in the spaces between contours close to each other.

To reduce unproductive heat loss, you will have to additionally insulate the ceiling. Only in rare cases is it initially ready in this sense. The choice of thermal insulation material is determined by the following considerations:

• if the heated floor serves only as an assistant to the main heating system, you can limit yourself to foamed polyethylene with a reflective layer of foil;
• when the apartment is located above heated parts of the building, it is required to use extruded polystyrene foam 2-5 cm thick, or no less durable substitutes;
• in apartments located above a cold basement, more serious protection is required - expanded clay is poured and expanded polystyrene is laid in a total layer of 5 cm or more.

Modern manufacturers offer special insulating materials for heated floors. One side of such insulation has channels for installing pipelines. It is recommended to use mineral wool, polystyrene foam and special mats. To strengthen the screed layer, a reinforcing mesh structure is used, to which pipes can be attached. Their connection is ensured by plastic ties, so there is no need for fastening strips or special clips. When the base is ready, there is no point in waiting for anything else - it’s time to start installing the floor heating equipment itself.

Installation

Connection diagram

Installation of a water heated floor always begins with the installation of a manifold cabinet. They install it in such a way that the distance to the pipelines going to and from all rooms is approximately equal. You can hide an unsightly-looking cabinet by building it into the wall (load-bearing walls are not suitable for this). Please note that the box is located above the heated floor, otherwise the air outlet will be blocked.

In a modern system (with rare exceptions), circulation is ensured pumping equipment. The pump installed inside the boiler is enough to pump water over an area of ​​150 sq. m, even if the building is two-story. If the total area of ​​the building is larger, you will definitely need to install additional pumps with advanced functions.

To make it possible to service the heating system without draining the water, the boiler inlet and outlet are equipped with shut-off valves. Using them, you can disconnect the heater for repair and maintenance at any convenient time. If there are two or more manifold cabinets, the main supply route is equipped with a splitter, immediately behind which narrowing adapters are installed.

Connecting pipes to the manifold involves the use of compression fittings or Eurocone devices. If necessary, you can run such pipes through the walls and cover them on all sides with an insulating layer of foamed polyethylene. When all the parts are laid out and each block is connected to its proper place, The system must be tested. After supplying water to the pipes, keep them under a pressure of 5 or 6 bar for 24 hours (depending on the design operating value). If such a check does not lead to the appearance of visually noticeable expansions, you can safely proceed to pouring the concrete layer.

Filling the screed is allowed only when fluid is supplied at the planned pressure. Drying time until ready is at least 4 weeks (in ideal conditions). If tiles are laid on top, the screed should have a thickness of 30-50 mm, and the pipes should be distributed at a distance of 100-150 mm from each other. Failure to comply with these rules, even if the connection of all elements is correct, will lead to uneven heating different parts surfaces.

Under laminate or linoleum, the screed may be thinner. Then the reinforcing mesh helps compensate for the decrease in its strength. If a heated floor is placed under a laminate, there is no need to install thermal insulation, otherwise the energy efficiency of heating will be reduced.

Shrinkage joints must be installed in the screed if:

• the room area exceeds 30 sq m;
• there is at least one wall longer than 8 m;
• the length is less than 50 or more than 200% of the width of the room;
• the configuration is complex and bizarre.

To form screeds, it is allowed to use a cement-sand mixture based on Portland cement (minimum M-400, and even better, use M-500). When it comes into play ready-mixed concrete, its brand should be M-350 and higher. In addition to laying the damper tape, the reinforcing mesh where the seam runs is separated. The thickness of each seam is 1 cm, and its upper part is treated with sealant. When passing pipes in these places they should only be placed in the outer corrugated pipe.

Water floors should be put into operation when the first cold weather sets in. Please note that the thermal inertia of the floor covering is high, and only after a few days, when it is overcome, optimal conditions will be created.

A heated floor cannot be connected to the battery (as well as to the existing central heating and hot water supply system)! This will not only cause sanctions from regulatory government agencies, but will also lead to disruption of the normal operation of utility systems. Be sure to install an autonomous heating boiler, which will become the source of hot water in the system. In addition to manual adjustment, you can control the heated floor using a servo drive and sensor, or weather automation.

Since the system must have control and regulating components, it must be connected to electricity. Warm floors in different rooms can be controlled by one thermostat only if the thermal conductivity of the floor covering is completely identical. Such a scheme requires the same or slightly different lengths of the contours. Thermostats can be connected to electrical networks directly or through an RCD, which is much safer.

For laying power cables Either a groove is used in the wall, or an additional protective corrugation is applied.

It must be taken into account that at the time of the initial connection machines must be set to the “off” position. Look carefully which wire should be connected to which phase. An alternative installation scheme (without a concrete screed) will be discussed a little further. For now, let’s just say that its main options are placing pipes in polystyrene foam grooves or in wood grooves. The time has come to see how the water heated floor pipes will be laid.

Laying technology

Modern technology for installing heated floors involves laying pipes and holding them in place with special fastening profiles. The profiles themselves are attached to the base with dowels or screws. The advantage of this solution is that the profile is equipped with fasteners in production. You do not need to carefully measure the step from one turn to another and carefully calculate it. A simpler option is fastening with plastic ties, pressed against the reinforcing structure.

However, the simplicity of such a scheme requires eliminating unnecessary force when tightening. Make sure the loop is free. The pipe coil is carefully unwound, not immediately, but directly during the work process. The manufacturer's instructions always require that the bend be made carefully along the smallest possible radius. When using polyethylene structures, it is most often 5 pipe diameters. Do not pinch the product if a whitish streak appears on it., since this means the appearance of a crease, which will subsequently easily break through and lead to flooding.

Installation according to the “snail” or “spiral” scheme is recommended for large rooms, and makes heating more even. The classic “snake” works best in small rooms, and if you need to supply heat to the flooring in a medium-sized room, it is advisable to prefer a “double snake”, in which the hot and return pipes are directed in parallel.

Whatever methods are chosen, try to reduce the number of joints between pipes, as well as the number of their turns. Such areas, despite all the perfection of modern technology and careful execution by professionals, dramatically increase the threat of leakage. Ideally, connections should be made only at the inlet and outlet of the boiler.

For connecting pipes, in addition to the options listed above, there are also the following devices:

• polyamide attracting clamp (2 pcs per meter);
• steel wire (similar consumption);
• stapler and 2 clamps per meter;
• fixing tracks, or PVC-based strips;
• polystyrene mats;
• aluminum distribution plates.

The operating rules indicate that, regardless of the method of holding the pipes, their fixation is ensured by meshes with a square cell of 15x15 mm, the wire diameter is maximum 0.5 cm. By introducing modern automatic devices into the system, it is possible to make the control of the water flow through the pipes not only independent of human factor, but also remote.

The final choice of installation option must be made taking into account the private properties of the premises and the functionality of their individual parts. The “snake” system is designed to supply water initially to the cold area, and only then throughout the rest of the floor, for example.

When the screed under laminate or linoleum is made thinner than usual, an additional reinforcing mesh is placed directly below it above the contour of the heating pipes.

How to do it correctly without a concrete screed?

A long wait (about a month or even more if weather conditions are unfavorable) does not suit everyone. Instead of a concrete screed, you can use a floor covering. Once you have laid the pipes, you will need to form the underlay for the finished floor. If there is a laminate on top, use cardboard and polyethylene foam. Filling under the tile is also not necessary. Under it, as well as under linoleum, a special structure is prepared based on cement-bonded particle boards.

A warm water floor is installed on a wooden covering using aluminum distribution plates. The boards are pre-prepared, in which the necessary grooves are formed. You can make the most even surface in the bathroom with your own hands if you lay chipboards, plywood or gypsum fiber sheets over the pipes. Always carefully check that these materials meet sanitary regulations.

You can connect a warm water floor without a screed by laying pipes both between the joists and on the surface of the subfloor. The modular variation (wooden blocks with milled grooves) can be replaced by the slatted one, in which the plywood sheet is covered with slats. The intervals between them serve for the installation of pipes. Laying between joists necessarily requires the use of waterproofing, insulation, reflective plates with holes for the passage of pipes, the pipes themselves, a sheet of plywood and a finishing coating.

Laying on the flooring also involves placing insulation in the gaps of the joists on top of the waterproofing, and plywood or rough boards are placed above. A nuance: grind the boards to create channels for laying pipes. The reflective layer is made of foil, attached to the boards using staples. The pipes in the channels are held in place by narrow metal plates placed on top, and the plates themselves are also attached to the boards.

Instead of boards, you can use polystyrene mats of standard dimensions 1x0.5 m, connected to each other with a “lock” format fastening.

Always (regardless of the method of laying the heated floor) maintain an interval of 0.1 m to the wall, as this will significantly reduce the effect of thermal expansion of the floor materials. A hydrophobic coating is placed over the decking or joists. Only after this comes the turn of forming the finished floor.

In addition to the two described options for forming a heated floor without a screed, it is allowed to use a foam or wood substrate, or chipboard. Light, relatively thin floors are more expensive and are not very durable, but they are recommended for use:

• if necessary, lay a new coating over the old one without dismantling;
• if the height of the home is limited;
• if installation speed is critical for you;
• if it is impossible to arrange the delivery of concrete properly;
• if the floor is wooden;

In addition to facilitating the design, a heated floor system without screed has another undeniable advantage - it is easier to repair. Even the best pipes, installed correctly and operated with care, can suddenly burst. If you still want to use a full-fledged screed, but do not wait 28 days for complete drying, you should use semi-dry mixtures. Special additives in them make it possible to reduce the required amount of water, but the cost of such building materials is higher than in a simpler version.

Please note that installation of heated floors without screed is permissible only if the differences in floor level are 0.2 cm for every 2 sq. m of surface. If it is less even, a contraction layer, even the thinnest one, still needs to be created.

Possible errors

Even experienced home craftsmen who take on the installation of heated floors for the first time can make serious mistakes. Often dried out concrete screed covered with a network of cracks. The reasons for this defect are varied. You can avoid its occurrence if:

• take care of the optimal density of insulation;
• make high-quality shrink seams;
• do not exceed the recommended thickness of the screed;
• do not try to dry it too quickly, speed up the normal hardening process;
• thoroughly compact the solution and strictly observe the proportions when forming it;
• add plasticizers according to the recipe.

The minimum density of insulation is 35 kg per cubic meter. Covering it with a polyethylene film will help prevent concrete from drying out too quickly.

This will help eliminate installation errors by 95% (except those caused by inattention, haste and manufacturing defects). drawing up preliminary designs. Having thought through the implementation of the system, “seeing” it on a piece of paper, you can detect shortcomings in advance and avoid their manifestation. It is better to mark on the sketch areas for furniture placement and other places where for some reason the circuit with the coolant should not pass.

The entire area that must be warmed is divided into sections of 15 sq. m each. At any site, the installation step of the pipeline is 10 cm. A common mistake is that people do not think in time which wall is best to install the collector, or they bring it too close to some heating circuits, moving it away from others. Choose the right heat source that connects to the heated floor.

Comfortable life is ensured at a coolant temperature of 40 to 45 degrees, which allows you to warm the floor to 26-30 degrees. This heating is provided condensing boilers, while others heating devices are not able to heat water to less than 60 degrees.

Never place a thermal insulation layer on top of a heated floor and do not use carpets in the room, because these solutions will only worsen the quality of heating. Remember that polystyrene thermal insulation is dense, and it is not able to correct the unevenness of the rough screed, so from the first steps you need to do everything as accurately as possible. As for the thickness of polystyrene, contrary to the recommendations of most manufacturers, it is not necessary to maintain 10 cm (as a rule, 8 cm is enough even on the first floors).

You should not just lay a reflective film on top of the thermal insulation layer (this is a mistake), but it should be laid out evenly and wrapped around the edges of the polystyrene. The lower material itself should be pressed more tightly against the walls through the damper tape. Do not connect the parts with tape, as they are intended for completely different purposes. This may be harmful to your health.

It is better to coat the edges of the blocks with glue. Another mistake that is often encountered in the work of non-professionals and “shabashniks” is different distances of pipes from the walls. Real craftsmen make it at least 100 mm and uniform in all rooms.

If it is necessary not only to lay pipes, but also to organize the rotation of the pipeline, it is necessary to bend the metal-plastic structure manually (and not using springs and other auxiliary tools). Please note that the reinforcing mesh should not touch the surface of the pipes, as this is considered a gross mistake. The circuits undergoing thermal compression and expansion will constantly push the network, and it will soon become deformed and fail.

According to experts, in the coldest parts of the room it is necessary to tighten the pitch of the “snake” to 0.1 m. First of all, this is done when laying heated floors near the outer walls. Do not try to heat more than 40 square meters of floor with one circuit. It is also worth organizing separate circuits for adjacent rooms with different temperature conditions. Installing metal-plastic pipes under a screed is preferable to installing pipelines made of other materials. The temperature of the coolant should increase systematically to reach the level you require 70-72 hours after connection.

The best point for installing the pump is the return pipe located immediately in front of the boiler. Most often, expansion tanks are installed in the highest section of the circuit, however, closed membrane systems can be made in any other way. If you are powering your gas boiler from the main pipeline rather than from cylinders, you should obtain permission from the local authorities. Only specially trained personnel working in licensed organizations should be involved in the work.

Loops made from a single pipe with a cross-section of 1.6, 1.7 or 2 cm have a minimal risk of leaks at the joints.

According to current standards, the average temperature of the floors of residential premises is 26 degrees, and in those places where people visit periodically and a special thermal regime is required, it is 31 degrees. The highest permissible difference in heating of individual parts of the floor and coverings in different rooms is 10 degrees.

In order for the thermal output to be optimal and not force the system to operate excessively, it is necessary to carefully level the floor.

Deviations from the plane of more than 5 mm are not allowed. Their presence leads to overfilling of the circuits with air and unstable, inefficient heating operation. The functions of vapor and waterproofing are often performed by polyethylene film, and its minimum thickness is 0.02 cm, otherwise it will not be possible to guarantee full protection of the insulation from dampness.

The film should be laid with an overlap of up to 100 mm, and its boundaries are held in place by adhesive tape, which covers the intersections of the floor and walls. When all the lower layers have been laid and even the pipes themselves have been installed, they need to be crimped differently depending on the material. Thus, metal-plastic structures must be subjected to an internal pressure of 6 bar for 24 hours. Before this, the circuits are filled 100% with water, and air is completely released through the drain taps.

There is another option: pour in coolant, bring its temperature to 80 degrees, keep it there for 30 minutes, after which, maintaining the pressure test, lay a concrete screed.

If the pipeline is made of cross-linked polyethylene, reducing the pressure, you will need to add water, and then repeat the test after 30 minutes. Then they wait 90 minutes, restore the previous pressure and leave heating circuits at rest for 24 hours. At the end of this pause the pressure drop should be a maximum of 1.5 bar.

After installing and checking all pipeline parts and additional components, photograph their location and write a description with reference to landmarks. Subsequently, if you need to repair a heated floor, such information will greatly simplify and speed up the work.

When you need to heat a very small area (the area around a sofa, armchair, table and other furniture, for example), flexible rolls with built-in plastic tubes are preferable. The technology allows cutting off the required part of the roll, bending it at any angle - the main thing is that the channels for the passage of liquid remain intact.

Compliance with these points will allow you to achieve complete success in installing a heated floor and enjoy its stable operation for several decades.

To learn how to make a water heated floor with your own hands, see the following video.