Warm floor perfect solution to improve your home. The floor temperature directly depends on the length of the heated floor pipes hidden in the screed. The pipe in the floor is laid in loops. In fact, the total length of the pipe is determined by the number of loops and their length. It is clear that the longer the pipe in the same volume, the warmer the floor. In this article we will talk about restrictions on the length of one heated floor circuit.
Approximate design characteristics for pipes with a diameter of 16 and 20 mm are: 80-100 and 100-120 meters, respectively. These data are provided as approximate estimates. Let's take a closer look at the process of installing and pouring heated floors.
Consequences of exceeding the length
Let's figure out what consequences an increase in the length of the heated floor pipe can lead to. One of the reasons is an increase in hydraulic resistance, which will create additional load on the hydraulic pump, as a result of which it may fail or simply may not cope with the task assigned to it. The resistance calculation consists of many parameters. Conditions, installation parameters. The material of the pipes used. Here are the three main ones: loop length, number of bends and thermal load on it.
It is worth noting that the thermal load increases with increasing loop. The flow speed and hydraulic resistance also increase. There are restrictions on flow speed. It should not exceed 0.5 m/s. If we exceed this value, various noise effects may occur in the pipeline system. The main parameter for which this calculation is made also increases. Hydraulic resistance of our system. There are restrictions on it too. They amount to 30-40 kP per loop.
The next reason is that as the length of the heated floor pipe increases, the pressure on the walls of the pipe increases, causing this section to lengthen when heated. The pipe located in the screed has nowhere to go. And it will begin to narrow at its weakest point. The narrowing can cause blockage of the flow in the coolant. For pipes made from different material, different expansion coefficient. For example, at polymer pipes the expansion coefficient is very high. All these parameters must be taken into account when installing a heated floor.
Therefore, it is necessary to fill the heated floor screed with pressed pipes. Pressure better with air with a pressure of approximately 4 bar. This way, when you fill the system with water and start heating it, the pipe in the screed will have room to expand.
Optimal pipe length
Taking into account all the above reasons, taking into account corrections for the linear expansion of the pipe material, we will take as a basis the maximum length of underfloor heating pipes per circuit:
The table shows optimal sizes heated floor lengths that are suitable for all modes thermal expansion pipes in various modes operation.
Note: B residential buildings 16 mm pipe is enough. A larger diameter should not be used. This will lead to unnecessary expenses for energy resources
1. What temperature should the coolant be in a heated floor and how can you control its temperature?
The temperature should not be higher than 55 o C, and in some cases not higher than 45 o C.
To be even more precise: the temperature must be in accordance with the temperature calculated in the project, which takes into account the need for heat in a particular room and the material from which the floor covering is made.
You can control the temperature using a thermometer like this, or better yet two.
One thermometer shows the temperature of the heating medium in the underfloor heating supply (mixed water temperature), and the other shows the return temperature.
If the difference between the readings of two thermometers is 5 - 10 o C, then your underfloor heating system is working correctly.
2. What should be the temperature on the surface of the heated floor?
The surface temperature of a working heated floor should not exceed the following values:
29 o C - in premises where people are present for a long time;
35 o C - in border zones;
33 o C - in bathrooms, bathrooms.
3. What forms of pipe laying are used for heated floors?
For laying underfloor heating pipes use different shapes: snake, corner snake, snail, double snake (meander).
 |
 |
 |
 |
Also, when laying one contour, you can combine these shapes.
For example, the edge zone can be positioned like a snake, and then the main part can be passed through like a snail.
4. What is the best installation for underfloor heating?
For large rooms square, rectangular or round shape without a geometric exclusive, it is better to use a snail.
For small rooms, rooms with complex shapes or long rooms, use a snake.
5. What should be the installation step?
The laying step must be designed in accordance with the calculations.
For edge zones, a step of 10 cm is used. For other zones with a difference of 5 cm - 15 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm. But not more than 30 cm.
This limitation is due to the sensitivity of the human foot.
With a larger pipe pitch, the foot begins to feel the difference in temperature of the floor areas.
To do this, you can use a very simple formula: L=S/N*1.1, Where
S is the area of the room or circuit for which the pipe length is calculated (m2);
N - laying step;
1.1 - 10% pipe reserve for turns.
To the result obtained, do not forget to add the length of the pipe from the collector to the heated floor, including supply and return.
For example, consider a problem in which you need to calculate the length of a pipe for a room in which the floor occupies usable area 12 m2. The distance from the collector to the heated floor is 7 m. The pipe laying step is 15 cm (do not forget to convert to m).
Solution: 12 / 0.15 * 1.1 + (7 * 2) = 102 m.
7. What is maximum length one circuit?
Everything depends on the hydraulic resistance or pressure loss in a particular circuit, which, in turn, directly depends on both the diameter of the pipes used and the volume of coolant that is supplied through the cross-section of these pipes per unit time.
In the case of heated floors, (if you do not take into account the above factors) you can get the effect of a so-called locked loop. A situation in which no matter how powerful the pressure pump you install, circulation through this loop will be impossible.
In practice, it has been found that pressure losses equal to 20 kPa or 0.2 bar lead to exactly this effect.
In order not to go into calculations, we will give some recommendations that we use in practice.
For a metal-plastic pipe with a diameter of 16 mm, we make a contour of no more than 100 m. Usually we stick to 80 m.
The same applies to polyethylene pipes. For 18 cross-linked polyethylene pipes, the maximum circuit length is 120 m. In practice, we stick to 80 - 100 m. For 20 metal-plastic pipes, the maximum circuit length is 120 - 125 m.
8. Can underfloor heating contours be of different lengths?
The ideal situation is when all the loops are the same length. There is no need to balance or adjust anything.
In practice, this can be achieved, but most often it is not advisable.
For example, there is a group of rooms at a facility where you need to install heated floors. Among them there is also a bathroom, the usable area of the heated floor is 4 m2. Accordingly, the length of the pipeline of this circuit, together with the length of the pipes to the collector, is only 40 m.
Do all rooms really need to be adjusted to this length, dividing the usable area of the remaining rooms into 4 m2?
Of course not. This is not advisable. And then what is the balancing valve for, which is precisely designed to help equalize the pressure loss along the circuits?
Again, you can use calculations through which you can see to what maximum limit the spread of pipe lengths of individual circuits can be allowed at a specific facility with a given equipment.
But again, without plunging you into complex, boring calculations, let’s say that at our facilities we allow a variation in the lengths of the pipes of individual circuits of 30 - 40%. Also, if necessary, you can “play” with pipe diameters, laying spacing and “cut” the areas of large rooms not into small or large ones, but into medium-sized pieces.
9. How many circuits can be connected to one mixing unit with one pump?
This question, in its physical meaning, is similar to the question: “How much cargo can you carry by car?”
What else would you want to know if someone asked you this question?
Absolutely correct. You would ask: "What car are we talking about?"
Therefore, in the question: “How many loops can be connected to a heated floor collector?”, you need to take into account the diameter of the collector and how much coolant the mixing unit can pass through per unit of time (usually m 3 / hour). Or, what is also equivalent, what thermal load can the mixing unit you choose carry?
How to find out? Very simple.
For clarity, let's show it with an example.
Let's assume that you took Valtec's Combimix as a mixing unit. What thermal load is it designed for? We take his passport. See the clipping from the passport.
|
|
What do we see?
Its maximum coefficient bandwidth is 2.38 m 3 /hour. If we put Grundfos pump UPS 25 60, then at third speed at given coefficient this node is capable of “dragging” a load of 17,000 W or 17 kW.
What does this mean in practice? 17 kW is how many circuits?
Let's imagine that we have a house in which there are some (unknown) rooms with 12 m2 of usable heated floor area in each room. Our pipes are laid in increments of 20 cm, which leads to the length of each circuit, taking into account the length of the pipes from the heated floor to the collector, 86 m. In accordance with the design calculations, we also found that the heat removal from each m 2 of this heated floor gives 80 W , which leads us accordingly to the thermal load of each circuit
12 * 80 = 960 W.
How many rooms or similar circuits can our mixing unit provide with heat?
17000 / 960 = 17.7 similar circuits or rooms.
But this is the maximum!
In practice, in most cases there is no need to calculate maximum performance. So let's stop at number 15.
The Valtec company itself has a manifold for this unit with a maximum number of outputs - 12.
10. Is it necessary to make several underfloor heating circuits in large rooms?
In large rooms, the heated floor structure must be divided into smaller areas and several contours made.
This need arises for at least two reasons:
limiting the length of the circuit pipe is necessary to avoid getting a “locked loop” effect, in which there will be no coolant circulation through it;
correct operation of the cement pouring slab itself, the area of which should not exceed 30 m2. WITHthe ratio of the lengths of its sides should be 1/2 and the length of one of the edges should not exceed 8 m.
11. How do I know how many underfloor heating circuits my home will need?
In order to understand how many underfloor heating loops will be needed and, based on this, select a suitable collector with the same number of outputs, you need to start from the area of the premises in which this system is planned.
After this, you calculate the usable area of the heated floor. How to do this is described in question 12" How to calculate the usable area of a heated floor?".
Then, use the following method: starting from the step of the heated floor, divide the usable area of the heated floor in each room into the following dimensions:
- step 15 cm - no more than 12 m 2;
- step 20 cm - no more than 16 m2;
- step 25 cm - no more than 20 m 2;
- step 30 cm - no more than 24 m 2.
If the floor area in the room is less than the specified dimensions, then there is no need to split it.
We recommend reducing these values by 2 m2 if the length of the pipe connection from the heated floor to the collector exceeds 15 m.
When dividing the usable floor area in the rooms, also try to ensure that the length of the pipes in these circuits is either the same, or the difference between the individual circuits does not exceed 30 - 40%.How to find out the length of the pipes in each circuit, read question 6 " How to calculate the length of a pipe?".
Step back 30 cm from each wall of the room. Shade the resulting space. Mark on the plan the areas where the furniture will permanently stand: a refrigerator, a wall of furniture, a sofa, a large closet, etc. Shade these areas as well. The unshaded part of the floor plan will be the useful area of the heated floor that you are looking for.
For clarity, let's calculate the usable area of the dining room, where there will be a warm floor. The total area of the dining room is 20 m2, the length of the walls is 4 m and 5 m, respectively. In the kitchen there will be kitchen set, refrigerator and sofa, which we will mark on the plan. Let's not forget to step back 30 cm from the walls. Let's shade the occupied areas. See picture.
Now let’s calculate the usable area of the heated floor.
13. What is the total thickness of the heated floor cake?
It all depends on the thickness of the insulation, since the other values are known.
With the next insulation thickness you will get the following values (thickness finishing coating not taken into account):
- 3 cm - 9.5 cm;
- 8 cm - 14.5 cm;
- 9 cm - 15.5 cm.
14. What do you use to calculate a water heated floor system?
To calculate both radiator heating systems and underfloor heating systems, we use the company's Audytor CO program.
Below we post a screenshot of the module of this program for preliminary calculation heated floor and a screenshot of the module for calculating the layers of a heated floor pie.
 |
 |
By carefully examining these screenshots, you can understand how serious the correct calculation of a heated floor is.
You can also see the work of the program itself, which makes it possible to carry out visual control over such important parameters as pipe length, pressure loss, temperature on the floor surface, heat that goes down uselessly, useful heat flow, etc.
15. How to determine the dimensions of the manifold cabinet in order to place all the necessary components in it?
Determining the dimensions of the manifold cabinet is not difficult. We again suggest using Valtec products and their ready-made recommendations presented in the table, provided that you are using ready-made units for heated floors produced by this manufacturer.
Linear dimensions of the manifold cabinet
(ШРН - external; ШРВ - internal)
| Model | Length, mm | Depth, mm | Height, mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| ШРВ1 | 670 | 125 | 494 |
| ШРВ2 | 670 | 125 | 594 |
| ШРВ3 | 670 | 125 | 744 |
| ШРВ4 | 670 | 125 | 894 |
| ШРВ5 | 670 | 125 | 1044 |
| ШРВ6 | 670 | 125 | 1150 |
| ShRV7 | 670 | 125 | 1344 |
| ShRN1 | 651 | 120 | 453 |
| ShRN2 | 651 | 120 | 553 |
| ShRN3 | 651 | 120 | 703 |
| ShRN4 | 651 | 120 | 853 |
| ShRN5 | 651 | 120 | 1003 |
| ShRN7 | 658 | 121 | 1309 |
Selecting a manifold cabinet
Collector groups 1 |
Cabinet model |
Cabinet model ShRN/ShRV + Dualmix+ ball valve |
Cabinet model ShRN/ShRV + crane |
| Collector 1*3out | ShRN3/ShRV3 | ShRN4/ShRV4 | ShRN1/ShRV1 |
| Collector 1*4out | ShRN3/ShRV3 | ShRN4/ShRV4 | ShRN2/ShRV2 |
| Collector 1*5out | ShRN4/ShRV3 | ShRN5/ShRV4 | ShRN2/ShRV2 |
| Collector 1*6out | ShRN4/ShRV4 | ShRN5/ShRV5 | ShRN3/ShRV3 |
| Collector 1*7out | ShRN4/ShRV4 | ShRN5/ShRV5 | ShRN3/ShRV3 |
| Collector 1*8out | ShRN5/ShRV4 | ShRN6/ShRV5 | ShRN3/ShRV3 |
| Collector 1*9out | ShRN5/ShRV5 | ShRN6/ShRV6 | ShRN4/ShRV4 |
| Collector 1*10out | ShRN5/ShRV5 | ShRN6/ShRV6 | ShRN4/ShRV4 |
| Collector 1*11out | ShRN6/ShRV5 | ShRN7/ShRV6 | ShRN4/ShRV4 |
| Collector 1*12out | ShRN6/ShRV6 | ShRN7/ShRV7 | ShRN5/ShRV5 |
16. At what height should the manifold cabinet be installed?
There are no specific rules on this matter, but there are recommendations.
On the one hand, it is clear that when installing a manifold cabinet, you need to take into account the height of the future screed and finishing, so that you don’t get a situation where it will be impossible to even open the cabinet door.
On the other hand, it is necessary to take into account ease of maintenance and the need for possible replacement of individual elements of the system with the possibility of pipeline disconnection.
The shorter the pipe section, the greater its rigidity and vice versa.
Taking this factor into account, it is possible to raise the manifold cabinet by 20 - 25 cm from the level of the finished floor.
However, we must not forget about a very important design element. If raising the cabinet causes an unacceptable disruption to the design and it is impossible to solve this problem in any other way, lower the cabinet to floor level, but in such a way that it can open.
In order to avoid unnecessary costs and technological errors, which can lead to partial or complete rework of the system with your own hands, the calculation of the water heated floor is made in advance, before installation begins. The following input data is required:
- Materials from which housing is built;
- Availability of other heating sources;
- Room area;
- Availability of external insulation and quality of glazing;
- Regional location of the house.
You also need to determine what maximum air temperature in the room is required for the comfort of the residents. On average, it is recommended to design the water floor contour based on 30-33 °C. However, such high performance may not be necessary during operation; a person feels most comfortable at temperatures up to 25 degrees.
In the case where additional heat sources are used in the house (air conditioning, central or heating system etc.), the calculation of heated floors can be based on average maximum values of 25-28 °C.
Advice! It is strongly recommended not to connect warm water floors with your own hands directly through central system heating. It is advisable to use a heat exchanger. The ideal option is completely autonomous heating and connecting underfloor heating through a manifold to the boiler.
System efficiency directly depends on the material of the pipes through which the coolant will move. There are 3 varieties used:
- Copper;
- Polyethylene or cross-linked polypropylene;
- Metal-plastic.
U copper pipes maximum heat transfer, but quite high cost. Polyethylene and polypropylene pipes have low thermal conductivity, but are relatively cheap. The best option in terms of price and quality – metal-plastic pipes. They have low heat transfer consumption and a reasonable price.
Experienced specialists primarily take into account the following parameters:
- Determining the desired t value in the room.
- Correctly calculate heat loss at home. To do this, you can use calculator programs or invite a specialist, but it is also possible to make an approximate calculation of heat loss yourself. A simple way to calculate a warm water floor and heat loss in a room is the average value of heat loss in a room - 100 W per 1 sq. meter, taking into account a ceiling height of no more than 3 meters and the absence of adjacent unheated premises. For corner rooms and those that have two or more windows - heat loss is calculated based on a value of 150 W per 1 sq. meter.
- Calculation of how much heat loss the circuit will have for each m2 of area heated by the water system.
- Determination of heat consumption per m2 based on decorative material coatings (for example, ceramics have higher heat transfer than laminate).
- Calculation of surface temperature taking into account heat loss, heat transfer, and desired temperature.
On average, the required power for every 10 m2 of laying area should be about 1.5 kW. In this case, you need to take into account point 4 in the above list. If the house is well insulated, the windows are made of quality profile, then 20% of the power can be allocated to heat transfer.
Accordingly, with a room area of 20 m2, the calculation will take place according to the following formula: Q = q*x*S.
3kW*1.2=3.6kW, where
Q – required heating power,
q = 1.5 kW = 0.15 kW - this is a constant for every 10 m2,
x = 1.2 is the average heat loss coefficient,
S – area of the room.
Before you begin installing the system yourself, it is recommended to draw up a plan diagram, accurately indicate the distance between the walls and the presence of other heat sources in the house. This will allow you to calculate the power of the water floor as accurately as possible. If the area of the room does not allow the use of one circuit, then it is correct to plan the system taking into account the installation of the collector. In addition, you will need to install the cabinet for the device yourself and determine its location, distance to the walls, etc.
How many meters is the optimal contour length?
H2_2There is often information that the maximum length of one circuit is 120 m. This is not entirely true, since the parameter directly depends on the diameter of the pipe:
- 16 mm – max L 90 meter.
- 17 mm – max L 100 meter.
- 20 mm – max L 120 meter.
Accordingly, the larger the diameter of the pipeline, the lower the hydraulic resistance and pressure. This means the contour is longer. However experienced craftsmen It is recommended not to “chase” the maximum length and choose pipes D 16 mm.
You also need to take into account that thick pipes D 20 mm are problematic to bend, so the laying loops will be larger than the recommended parameter. And this means a low level of system efficiency, because the distance between the turns will be large; in any case, you will have to make a square outline of the snail.
If one circuit is not enough to heat a large room, then it is better to install a double-circuit floor with your own hands. In this case, it is strongly recommended to make the contours the same length so that the heating of the surface area is uniform. But if the difference in size cannot be avoided, an error of 10 meters is allowed. The distance between the contours is equal to the recommended step.
Hydraulic pitch between turns
The uniformity of surface heating depends on the pitch of the coil. Typically, two types of pipe laying are used: snake or snail.
It is preferable to make a snake in rooms with minimal heat loss and a small area. For example, in a bathroom or hallway (since they are located inside a private house or apartment without contact with the outside environment). The optimal loop pitch for a snake is 15-20 cm. With this type of installation, the pressure loss is approximately 2500 Pa.
Snail loops are used in spacious rooms. This method saves the length of the circuit and makes it possible to evenly heat the room, both in the middle and closer to the outer walls. The loop pitch is recommended within 15-30 cm. Experts say that the ideal step distance is 15 cm. Pressure loss in the cochlea is 1600 Pa. Accordingly, this do-it-yourself installation option is more profitable in terms of the efficiency of the system’s power (you can cover a smaller usable area). Conclusion: the cochlea is more efficient, there is less pressure drop in it, and, accordingly, higher efficiency.
The general rule for both schemes is that closer to the walls the step should be reduced to 10 cm. Accordingly, from the middle of the room the loops of the circuit are gradually compacted. Minimum distance styling up outer wall 10-15 cm.
Another important point- pipes cannot be laid on top of the seams concrete slabs. It is necessary to draw up the diagram in such a way that the same location of the loop is maintained between the joints of the slab on both sides. For installation with your own hands, you can first draw a diagram on a rough screed with chalk.
How many degrees are allowed when temperature changes
System design, in addition to heat and pressure losses, involves temperature changes. The maximum difference is 10 degrees. But it is recommended to focus on 5 °C for uniform operation of the system. If the specified comfortable floor surface temperature is 30 °C, then the direct pipeline should supply about 35 °C.
Pressure and temperature, as well as their losses, are checked during crimping (checking the system before the final filling of the finishing screed). If the design is done correctly, then the specified parameters will be accurate with an error of no more than 3-5%. The higher the t difference, the higher the floor power consumption.
Laying heating pipes under the floor covering is considered one of best options heating a house or apartment. They consume fewer resources to maintain the specified temperature in the room, exceeding standard wall radiators in terms of reliability, they evenly distribute heat in the room, rather than creating separate “cold” and “hot” zones.
The length of the water heated floor contour is the most important parameter that must be determined before starting installation work. The future power of the system, the heating level, and the choice of components and structural units depend on it.
Laying options
Builders use four common pipe laying patterns, each of which is better suited for use in different room shapes. The maximum length of the heated floor contour largely depends on their “pattern”. This:
- "Snake". Sequential laying, where the hot and cold lines follow each other. Suitable for elongated rooms divided into zones of different temperatures.
- "Double Snake" Used in rectangular rooms, but without zoning. Provides uniform heating of the area.
- "Corner Snake". Serial system for a room with equal length walls and a low heating zone.
- "Snail". Double laying system, suitable for close to square shaped rooms without cold spots.
The chosen installation option affects the maximum length of the water floor, because the number of pipe loops and the bending radius change, which also “eats” a certain percentage of the material.
Length calculation
The maximum length of the underfloor heating pipe for each circuit is calculated separately. To get the required value you will need the following formula:
Sh*(D/Shu)+Shu*2*(D/3)+K*2
The values are indicated in meters and mean the following:
- W is the width of the room.
- D is the length of the room.
- Shu - “laying step” (distance between loops).
- K is the distance from the collector to the connection point with the circuits.
The length of the heated floor contour obtained as a result of calculations is additionally increased by 5%, which includes a small margin for leveling out errors, changing the bending radius of the pipe and connecting to fittings. 
As an example of calculating the maximum length of a pipe for a heated floor for 1 circuit, let’s take a room of 18 m2 with sides of 6 and 3 m. The distance to the collector is 4 m, and the laying step is 20 cm, we get the following:
3*(6/0,2)+0,2*2*(6/3)+4*2=98,8
5% is added to the result, which is 4.94 m and the recommended length of the water heated floor circuit increases to 103.74 m, which is rounded up to 104 m.
Dependence on pipe diameter
The second most important characteristic is the diameter of the pipe used. It directly affects the maximum length, the number of circuits in the room and the power of the pump, which is responsible for circulating the coolant.
In apartments and houses with medium-sized rooms, pipes of 16, 18 or 20 mm are used. The first value is optimal for residential premises; it is balanced in terms of costs and performance. The maximum length of a water heated floor circuit with 16 pipes is 90-100 m, depending on the choice of pipe material. It is not recommended to exceed this figure, because the so-called “locked loop” effect may occur when, regardless of the power of the pump, the movement of the coolant in the communication stops due to high fluid resistance.
To choose optimal solution and take into account all the nuances, it is better to contact our specialist for advice. 
Number of circuits and power
The installation of the heating system must comply with the following recommendations:
- One loop for a small room or part of a large one; stretching the loop over several rooms is irrational.
- One pump per collector, even if the declared power is enough to provide two “combs”.
- With a maximum length of underfloor heating pipe of 16 mm per 100 m, the collector is installed on no more than 9 loops.
If the maximum length of the heated floor loop 16 pipes exceeds the recommended value, then the room is divided into separate circuits, which are connected into one heating network by a manifold. To ensure uniform distribution of coolant throughout the system, experts advise not to exceed the difference between individual loops of 15 m, otherwise the smaller circuit will heat up much more than the larger one.
But what to do if the length of the heated floor contour of a 16 mm pipe differs by a value that exceeds 15 m? Balancing fittings will help, changing the amount of coolant circulating through each loop. With its help, the difference in lengths can be almost two times. 
Room temperature
Also, the length of the heated floor contours for pipe 16 affects the heating level. To maintain a comfortable indoor environment, a certain temperature is needed. To do this, the water pumped through the system is heated to 55-60 °C. Exceeding this indicator may have a detrimental effect on the integrity of the material. engineering communications. Depending on the purpose of the room, on average we get:
- 27-29 °C for living rooms;
- 34-35 °C in corridors, hallways and walk-through areas;
- 32-33 °C in rooms with high humidity.
In accordance with the maximum length of the underfloor heating circuit of 16 mm in 90-100 m, the difference at the “input” and “output” of the mixing boiler should not exceed 5 °C, a different value indicates heat loss on the heating main.
By warm floor It’s pleasant to walk, there is no discomfort from the cold underfoot and stuffiness in the upper part of the room. A well-equipped system allows you to evenly heat all areas of the rooms, creating comfort and saving money on heating. Installing a heated floor is relatively simple, but the efficiency of the heating circuit depends entirely on the correctness of the calculations when preparing the project.
In order for the warm floor to create the desired climate and not become a cause of inconvenience or utility accidents, the room in which this will be installed heating circuit, must meet the following requirements:
- the height of the ceilings from the subfloor should be such that reducing it by 20 cm does not cause discomfort;
- the doorway must have a height of at least 2.1 m;
- the subfloor must be strong enough to withstand the cement screed that will cover the thermal circuit;
- if the subfloor is laid on the ground or there is an unheated room under the insulated room, it is necessary to lay an additional layer of insulation with a shielding coating;
- the surface on which it is planned to install the thermal circuit and all components of the heated floor “pie” must be smooth and clean.
If the above requirements are met, the “warm floor” system will be installed without problems. However, its effectiveness depends not only on the size of the room, but also on its other features, which the following recommendations will help you take into account:
- Walls are the main source of heat loss, so before calculation and installation heating system it is necessary to at least approximately calculate the amount of heat spent on heating the street. If the resulting figure is above 100 W per square meter, it is advisable to insulate the walls so as not to overpay for heating;
- The thermal circuit should not fall under the installation sites of massive furniture and heavy stationary equipment. Constant high pressure on the floor will damage the pipes or cables of the heating system and cause it to fail.
- For uniform heating of the room, it is necessary that such unheated zones occupy no more than 30% of the floor area. Therefore, before making calculations, make a drawing of the room to scale, and mark on this drawing the places that should be left unheated. Then the total working area is calculated - it should be 70% or more of the total.
- It is necessary to calculate the optimal shape, length and pitch of the thermal circuit and its power, and also make a drawing indicating the connection points to the heating system and the direction of coolant flow.
Methods for installing a "warm floor" system
For the proper functioning of this heating system, a clear sequence of layers of the so-called “pie” of the heated floor is important.
The thermal circuit is laid on a previously heat- and waterproofed surface, and poured or backfilled on top cement screed, on top of which the finishing flooring. The above layers - the pie shell - are required in both cases. They protect the system from external influences and increase its efficiency.
