Description of the complete installation of an infrared warm floor with your own hands. Infrared floor heating installation device: laying the substrate, film system and price analysis for work

The tile is one of the best options flooring in the bathroom, bathroom or kitchen. It does not deteriorate from exposure to moisture and is very durable. However, when walking on it, it can be unpleasant for the feet to feel cold, because this material cools down quite quickly and does not hold heat. That is why infrared underfloor heating under the tiles is a great option to make both the bathroom and the kitchen as comfortable as possible.

On the construction market there are several options for organizing a warm floor in rooms - these are systems of water and electric types, moreover, the latter are of two types - cable and film. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, which can significantly affect the final choice of the home owner. And all the nuances should be taken into account even at the stage of designing the design and renovation of the premises.

Water floors are a system of pipes through which flows hot water supplied from the system district heating or from autonomous boilers. Such floors are usually equipped with a screed, but there are options that can be equipped without pouring cement mixtures.

On a note! Due to the need to fill the screed, the ceiling height in the room is reduced by at least 7-10 cm. Also, water floors can not always be equipped in apartments located in houses of the old fund, due to the inability to connect to the central heating system (the load on it will be too great ).

An electric cable floor is a system created from a heating cable laid on draft base and also filled with screed. Sometimes the cable can be laid without pouring cement mixture. Such a floor works, as you might guess, from the mains.

- it is too electrical systems, only the base is heated by infrared radiation. The system consists of thin film mats laid on the floor and generating heat. Typically, such floors are laid on top of a flooded screed. One of the main advantages of using IR floors is the absence of a significant increase in the level of the floor due to the absence of the need to pour the screed.

Is it possible to lay the film floor under the tiles?

It is easy to answer this question, but before that it is important to analyze the operating conditions of the floor, see recommendations for laying the system. The instructions for heating sheets indicate that they can be laid under laminate, and under wood, including tile. Thus, the installation of this system under the tile can be done safely.

On a note! Infrared floor systems can be mounted even outdoors under porcelain stoneware slabs, since such heating is not afraid of water exposure. Thus, there will never be ice-covered paths near the house.

In general, IR floors are usually laid under laminate, carpet, etc. using the so-called “dry installation” technology. But, nevertheless, they are also laid under the tiles, but already using tile adhesive, and sometimes screeds or mixtures for self-leveling floors. However, in the last two cases, it is important to remember some features of the work.

In general, a cable floor can be used under the tile - it is likely to last longer than a film one, and is a type of floor heating specially designed for this type of work. At least for a "wet" installation, it is ideal. However, if you install infrared floors correctly and in compliance with all safety requirements (grounding, work in a dry room, etc.), there should be no problems with them.

The principle of operation of film coatings

IR floors are a rather thin film, between the layers of which there are strips created from graphite (carbon fiber). It is these black stripes that are the very heating elements, due to which the system begins to generate heat. There are also film floors completely covered with carbon. The film is laid out on the prepared floor base, connected by wires to the power supply network and starts to heat up. All surfaces around the film are heated by infrared radiation.

Infrared film - photo

The floor heats up very quickly due to the operation of the film, and thanks to the “smart” thermostat, it turns off after heating. Thus, the IR floor only works for about 20 minutes per hour. If necessary, the system restarts and heats the base.

The infrared floor has the highest coefficient efficiency compared to other types of floor heating systems. It heats up quite quickly, while consuming a very small amount of electricity. Thus, it is very economical.

The film is great for laying in any type of room, be it a bedroom, a nursery, a hall or a bathroom with a kitchen. At the same time, the sheets are laid in accordance with the arrangement of furniture in the room - where large objects (sofa, cabinets, etc.) will stand, the film does not fit. The easiest way is to mount it only where the feet are in contact with the floor - for example, at the exit from the bathroom.

Attention! There are two types of IR floors - bimetallic and carbon. The first one is absolutely impossible to lay under the tile.

It is interesting that, unlike other heating systems, the infrared floor heats the objects surrounding it, and not the air. Due to this, such a system has a positive effect on the formation of the microclimate in the room, it does not dry the air, but, on the contrary, enriches it with negatively charged ions.

Characteristics of infrared heaters

IR floors are easy to regulate in temperature - for example, by setting the thermostat to 21 degrees, you can achieve the maximum comfortable temperature gender. Although in general it is possible to heat the system up to 50 degrees, it is not necessary. Since there are quite a lot of manufacturers of IR systems on the market now, you can easily find equipment at a suitable price. Installation can be done independently and quite quickly, and this will also have a positive effect on the wallet of the owner of the equipped premises. And in some cases, infrared floors can even replace centralized system heating.

Advantages of infrared floor

IR floor has a considerable number of advantages.

1. The IR system does an excellent job of heating the surrounding interior items. The wavelength is 5-20 microns, which allows it to pass through the tile.
2. Regulate the temperature at installed system IR floors are quite simple, allowing you to create optimal microclimate in any room.
3. Such floors are economical, they spend little electricity.
4. Human health will not suffer from significant electromagnetic radiation, as when laying a cable floor.
5. Infrared floors can become a kind of air ionizer.

IR heated floor under the tile - which one is better

Disadvantages of infrared systems when laying them under a tile

But IR floors also have their downsides. This is especially true of the option in which the system is laid under the tiles.

Infrared warm floor under the tile: laying features

Installation of IR floors under tiles is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. But there are a few nuances that are important to take into account. First you need to worry about the materials and tools that you may need to work. This can be a heat-reflecting substrate, the IR film itself in required quantity, tape for insulating wires, tiles and glue for it, adhesive tape, corrugated tube, drywall, contact clamps, polyethylene, wires for connecting, scissors, etc.

Infrared floor - installation

For laying both tiles and infrared heating systems, you need a flat base. Therefore, it must be cleaned of debris and inspected for damage, protrusions. There should not be any relief on it - all cracks are sealed, and it is recommended that the bulges be sanded off.

Also, the preliminary work on the installation of the IR floor system includes the creation of a scheme for laying the IR film and placing various elements type of thermostat. In this case, the location of large-sized furniture and the places where the film will not be mounted should be taken into account. It is important to remember that all wires coming from the heating system to the thermostat must be laid in a corrugation and a groove drilled in the wall. However, it is not always necessary to ditch the walls. Sometimes the wires are laid in a plastic narrow channel, which is attached to the wall surface.

Attention! It is important to handle the IR heating film carefully, as it is quite easy to damage it. And cut it only along clearly marked cut lines. Cutting the film in another place, it can be rendered unusable.

All installation work should be produced at an air temperature above 0 degrees, as well as at a humidity of not more than 60%. It is also important to ensure that the entire system is grounded. Special attention is given to the insulation of contacts, as well as to possible places of damage to the film.

Table. Types of IR film mounting.

Installation of infrared underfloor heating under the tile

Let's consider how the installation process of the LamaHeat infrared floor by the wet method takes place. This is a special type of IR floor that looks like a fine mesh and is great for wet method styling.

Step 1. The surface of the subfloor is thoroughly cleaned of debris. Then a lavsan heat-reflecting substrate is laid on it. Its individual strips are interconnected with adhesive tape.

Step 3 This canvas is connected to the mains using special terminals and wires. Terminals with wires inserted into them are clamped with pliers.

Step 4 The wire connection points are insulated with pieces of bitumen insulation on both sides.

Step 5 With the help of a clerical knife, recesses are cut out on the surface of the thermal insulation for laying wires in them.

Step 6 The ends of the IR web where no wires are connected must be insulated.

Step 7 A layer of self-leveling floors is poured over the IR grid. The layer is carefully leveled and dried.

Step 8 The tile is being laid on a layer of self-leveling floor. The tile is attached to the surface with tile adhesive applied with a notched trowel.

Video - Installation of IR film under the tile

Video - Installation of the classic type of IR film under the tile

You can lay the infrared floor under the tiles, but it is important to carry out all work carefully and carefully, be sure to follow all the rules of work. Otherwise, warm floors of this type simply will not please the owner of the apartment with their work - they will quickly fail. In general, such a system is quite reliable and has an excellent quality of work.

Infrared warm film floor was invented at the end of the 20th century, and appeared in Russia at the beginning of this one. In the article, we will try to understand the structure of the film floor, as well as to understand how the do-it-yourself installation procedure takes place.

Warm film floor

floor structure

The structure of the film floor is very simple. So imagine a long roll of film of a certain width. For example, 1 meter. And across this film, i.e. across the width, heating warm carbon strips are laid out. Their main purpose is to be a resistance connected to warm floor voltage of 220 volts.

Basically, one roll of film has a length of 7 to 13 running meters. This length depends on one single factor: the thickness of the copper strips that run along the film. It is along these strips that the current runs, and the maximum amount of current that is passed through the film depends on their structure (the more, the better).

The big disadvantage of infrared film underfloor heating is that the developers of this design have to combine copper strips with carbon strips. Some carry current and do not heat up, while others are resistance and heat comes from them. Usually they are connected with a silver substrate, which gives the least amount of resistance.

But this is in the case of using current-carrying paste, with silver - and these are cheap warm film floors. If you purchase a high-quality infrared floor, then you can be sure that there will be no short circuits and delaminations due to temperature differences. Such films also contain an “anti-spark” grid in their structure.

During installation, the task is facilitated by the presence of special cuts every 25 centimeters, allowing you to cut the film in this place without worrying that it can be damaged. These places have no important elements. All current-carrying and heating strips are located between two layers of film, different thickness. Thus, the total film thickness usually does not exceed 400 microns (or 0.4 mm).

Please note that such a film floor requires careful and careful operation, from transportation to installation and further use. You should not use screed installation, because, as experience shows, the film fails over the years. Remember that the slightest crack or scratch is a threat to your safety!

Useful characteristics of the infrared floor

• since the heat transmitted by the floor goes through the spectrum of infrared waves, the amount of heat transferred through the upper surface of the floor directly depends on the wavelength; so, the film floor has a wavelength in the range of 5-20 micrometers, which allows you to transfer over 90% of the heat through the tile or screed;
• the infrared floor helps to increase negative ions in the room, which are also called “air vitamins” in another way, since they help a person to better absorb oxygen during breathing;
• gives freshness and purity;
• there is practically no e / m radiation, such floors are absolutely harmless to humans;
• despite more low temperature than with the standard apartment heating rooms (about 5 degrees Celsius), the owner of the house and his guests will feel no less comfortable and cozy;
• infrared radiation heats objects in the room, which transfer their heat further - to the person.

Underfloor heating installation - General instructions

Preparatory stage

At the first stage, you need to free the room from unnecessary interior items - furniture, household appliances, carpets, etc. Next, you need to dismantle the floor, get rid of floor covering- be it linoleum, tile or. After that, we carefully inspect our warm film floor and check it for defects such as depressions, cracks, sharp bulges and bumps. All this can cause the destruction of the surface of the film coating! And that's a security risk. Level the floor. In all sorts of recesses, you can place a substrate that reflects heat, the very one that you are going to use as a "litter" for an infrared film floor.

Selecting the location of the temperature sensor

The next step is to find a place to install the temperature sensor. Think it's that simple?

First, understand that the sensor must be installed on the substrate, between it and the film floor. If you install the sensor under the substrate, then it will come into contact with the cold floor. The temperature from the film floor goes up, so the sensor will track incorrect readings.

Secondly, take into account the fact that the sensor has an approximate thickness of about 5-7 mm, and its wire is hard and rigid, which avoids its deformation. If you have achieved perfect flat surface floor, then pick up a chisel (for example) or a chipper and forward make a hole for the sensor and the wire coming from it. In order to avoid unpleasant surprises, make a hole immediately slightly larger than the sensor itself, approximately 3-5 mm in different directions from it.

Selecting the location of the temperature controller

The next step is to find a place where we will attach our thermostat, which allows us to see all the information on the display about the readings of the film floor, set certain heating conditions, etc. The difficulty lies in the fact that usually the thermostat comes with a wire no more than 3 meters. So, if you install a warm film floor approximately in the center of the room, then you will have to solder others to these wires in order to stretch them from the temperature sensor to the thermostat. The thermostat itself is best hung on the wall at the level of your height, and so that you don’t have to bend over to the outlet and set the temperature, run a cable from any outlet in the wall to a height opposite your eyes.

Thermoregulators come in different designs: some require a niche in the wall (you will need to manually make a recess for the mounting box), others are mounted directly on the wall, others require the installation of an adapter box on the wall, to which the thermostat will be attached in the future.

Installing a heat reflective underlay

To install the substrate, you will need the substrate itself, as well as double-sided tape plus lavsan with a metal coating or ordinary stationery (in the absence of lavsan).

Important! It is required to choose such an area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe substrate, which will be at least slightly larger than the film floor itself. The amount of heat loss depends on this: the greater the difference in area between the substrate and the film, the less loss you will achieve. At the same time, you yourself decide whether to put a warm film floor on the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room or in separate areas.

When you decide on the place of laying the film, cut out the necessary pieces, then proceed to laying it on the surface of the substrate. Copper strips that carry current must be directed downwards. After that, use lavsan or stationery tape to secure the film to the substrate. At the same time, glue the adhesive tape along the edge of the film strips in length, stopping from the end about 20 cm. The fact is that you still have to connect the film floor and you need access under the film. You still have time to glue it tightly.

To connect the film, special clips called "crabs" are used. So, one half of the “crab” is inserted between two films, the other part is located on the copper strips from below. Then they are clamped together under spring pressure.

In order to simplify yourself the task of connecting, which plays a very important role(after all, with poor contact, the “crab” metal can oxidize and very soon the warm infrared film floor will fail), do this: spread the two layers of the film with a knife, insert a match there, and only then place a part of the “crab” to avoid any kind of breaks from the teeth on the "crab". "Crab" must be motionless! Check it out by pulling it to the sides.

Wiring connection

When connecting a strip of film, one must take into account the fact that each of them must be supplied with a voltage of 220 volts. That is, they must be connected in parallel, and not in series, because then each strip will lower the voltage due to the resistance due to the carbon tapes.

Use wire with several cores, not rigid, while choosing the cross-sectional area depending on maximum load. So, 1 square meter of underfloor heating consumes about 220 watts of power. Count how many you have square meters and multiply this figure by 220. Get total power. Basically 1.5 square millimeters should be enough for you.

Non-traditional heating systems in recent times very widely used in modern construction. They can significantly reduce energy consumption, which significantly affects the savings. family budget. Such innovative solutions include film infrared space heating. We will tell you how to do the installation correctly.

Warm infrared is a polyethylene heat-resistant film in which strips of carbon paste are packed. In turn, the paste is connected by copper bars, which are also soldered into the film.

Assembled, the whole structure is called IR thermal film. If a current of a certain strength and frequency is applied through the tires, then the carbon elements begin to emit infrared radiation with a wavelength of 5 to 20 microns.

It does not cause the surrounding air to heat up and dry out as traditional radiators and space heaters do. Infrared rays heat surrounding objects - flooring, walls, ceilings, furniture.

It is important to know! Not to be confused with electromagnetic radiation, which has a harmful effect on the human body, animals and plants.

Such a heating system has practically no side effects and environmentally friendly. Scientists different countries world proved the beneficial effect of infrared rays on living organisms and humans in general.

Infrared warm floor specifications has these:

• power consumption 1 sq.m. -45-67 W/m.h;
• thermal film width -50 cm;
• the maximum allowable length of the thermal film strip is 8 meters
• melting temperature of the thermal film - 130 degrees C;
• power supply -220V / 50 Hz;
• the share of infrared rays in the radiation spectrum - 95%;
• IR heating wavelength - 5-20 microns.

The energy consumption of an infrared warm floor directly depends on its area and mode of operation. On the modern market many manufacturers present their options for warm film floors. All of them have approximately the same characteristics. So which infrared warm floor is better for you to decide.

The thickness of the thermal film is 0.4 mm, which allows it to be installed under any floor covering – ceramic tile, laminate, parquet board, linoleum and carpet. In addition, such a film can be installed on walls and ceilings. In this case, heating will occur throughout the volume of the room.

Of course, the installation of infrared one or another coating has its own characteristics. For example, for laying a film floor under carpet or linoleum, plywood should be laid on heating strips.

In order for a warm infrared floor to be laid under a laminate, it is enough to lay waterproofing film. Under the tile is laid directly on cement-sand screed and topped with a layer of tile adhesive and tiles.

How to lay the film floor under the laminate yourself

First of all, you need to learn two main rules:

1. To infrared film for a warm floor it does not overheat, it must be placed in an area that will not be occupied by furniture, TV and other large household items
2. For effective heating of the room, the film floor must cover the area of ​​at least 70%

Armed with this knowledge, it is necessary to draw a plan for the placement of heating elements. On paper, it is necessary to reflect the location of the furniture and the heating film.

It is important to know! Laying the laminate is done on a pre-leveled surface.

The concrete screed should not have a drop exceeding 1 mm per 2 m running. In order for the heat from the thermal film not to go through the floor slabs to the neighbors, a thermal insulating substrate is laid on the floor. This is a foamed polypropylene with a thickness of 3-4 mm and having a foil coating on one side.

Strips of thermal insulation are laid butt-to-joint and fastened together with thermal insulation tape. The strips are carefully cut around the perimeter of the room. Thermal film strips are measured, cut and laid on the floor in accordance with the plan.

You can cut the heating film only in the places indicated on it. They are highlighted with a dotted line and a scissors symbol.

If you cut the film diagonally, it will be damaged. The cut points are located approximately every 18 cm. The heating film should not come closer to the wall than 10 cm.

The strips of the heating film are laid on the substrate one next to the other with a gap of at least 5 mm, but not more than 1 cm. It is impossible to bend the heating element at an angle of 90 degrees or more, as it will fail.

Places of thermal film cuts, where conductive busbars are cut, must be insulated with strips of bituminous insulation, which is supplied with the floor heating kit. To mount the contact, insert it exactly in the middle of the end of the conductor rail and press firmly with pliers.

Conductive wires are stripped by 5-10 mm sharp knife and clamp them with pliers in the contact terminal. After that, the entire contact is isolated with a piece of bituminous insulation.

The connection of an infrared warm floor (heating strips) is carried out in parallel with copper stranded wires with a cross section of at least 1.5 mm2. In order for the automation of the underfloor heating thermostat to work correctly, it is necessary to install the temperature sensor.

To do this, at a distance of 20-25 cm from the wall on which the thermostat will be installed, a strobe 1-2 cm deep is made with a perforator. A temperature sensor is placed in it under the heating film.

Note! The sensor must be laid on a heat-insulating substrate. Otherwise, it will not show the true temperature of the floor.

After that, the thermostat is installed and connected. When it is fully mounted and connected, the performance of the warm film IR floor is checked. All thermofilms should heat up when turned on. Only after checking the performance can you start laying the laminate on heating elements. Video on the installation of infrared floor heating can be viewed in this article.

If the base is still dusty, it must be washed, dried and then primed in 2 layers with acrylic primer.

Quite stringent requirements are imposed on the horizontalness of the surface: the deviation can be no more than 3 mm for every 2 square meters. m. Check the levelness with a level, and if it is unsatisfactory, you will have to align concrete base with help .

Thermal and waterproofing of the floor

To protect the underfloor heating system from possible moisture penetration, it is laid on the ceiling. It can be a special film or polyethylene high density not less than 50 - 200 microns thick.

Then thermal insulation is laid, which is a metallized film based on polyethylene or lavsan. The film is laid with the metal side up and secured with mounting tape. It is important to heat-insulating material was not an electrical conductor.

Heating film installation

1. The film is cut into strips according to the markings and mounted with the copper side down with the contacts to the wall on which the thermostat will be located. Contact clamps are mounted along the edges of the copper strip and contact wires are connected.

Laying mats requires the following conditions:

• mats cannot be laid overlapping each other;
• they are oriented along the length of the room - this allows you to reduce the length;
• after installation, sections of the film that do not have a graphite coating are cut off, and if this is not possible, then they are sealed with electrical tape.
• all places where the film is cut and where the wires are connected to the clamps must be insulated.
• temperatures are connected from the bottom side of the film floor and it is also isolated.
• after laying the floor and connecting all the wires and contacts, install a thermostat and connect the floor to the mains.
• the thermostat is activated and then the heating of all parts of the film is checked.
• if the test was successful, then all the places where the wires are attached are checked again and grounded with foil tape.
• then the floor is protected from the finishing floor covering. To do this, you can use foamed polyethylene. It is rolled out over the entire surface of the floor, and plywood is mounted on top.

Heating foil connection

The installation location of the thermostat is chosen very carefully: it must be located next to the wiring. It should be borne in mind that one device serves about 15 square meters. m floor.
The thermostat can be installed in two ways: external and internal. In the first case plastic case the device is installed directly on the surface, and in the second, the device is mounted in a pre-prepared recess in the wall.

The fixed wires are crimped with pliers and placed in parallel heating mat. Then, copper clips are placed on the cores of the film, the structure is tightly fastened and insulated using silicone sealant.

Safety during work

There are strict restrictions that you need to know when laying a film floor:

• Infrared film floor is not used in rooms where it is constantly high.
• Installation must be carried out at a temperature not lower than 0 degrees.
• Infrared mats must not be bent at an angle of 90 degrees.
• It is forbidden to fix the film to a solid base with self-tapping screws, screws and nails.
• Do not make any cuts or holes in the film.
• Installation of a film without grounding is strictly not allowed.
• It is undesirable that one section of the film be more than 15 m in length.
• Installation of an infrared floor near heating devices is prohibited.

Installation of an infrared rod floor

The main element of the infrared rod floor is a carbon rod, which is responsible for heating:

• the rods are connected in parallel in a mesh mat with a width of 0.7 to 1.5 m;
• usually the mat has a length of no more than 25 m, but the parallel connection of the rods allows you to lay the floor of any length;
• small rods and the strength of carbon allows you to lay the mat either in thin screed floor, or in tile adhesive;
• the core floor temperature is controlled by automatic system management.

The advantages of this floor are:

• high profitability;
• reliability - parallel connection of elements is a guarantee that the failure of individual rods will not lead to a breakdown of the entire floor system.

Substrate preparation for laying carbon mats

Substrate preparation for laying the core floor is identical to film floors.

The difference is that after laying the foil heat insulator, several holes are made in it so that the screed or glue laid on it has better adhesion to the base.

Directly on the thermal insulation, markings are made for laying heating mats.

The gap between adjacent mats must be at least 100 mm.

Before starting work, the mats are unpacked and checked for their performance.

• Temperature sensors are attached to the wall surface at a height of no more than 10 cm.
• We lay out the mats and mark the required length of their sections.
• We mark the places of incisions in the mat color coding and cut the mat along the connecting wires.
• We connect the prepared sections with each other by means of the wire included in the floor kit. elements can be either in series or in parallel. Carbon rods must not cross each other.

Particular attention should be paid to the reliability of the insulation at the junction of the wires. If the test reveals heating at the joints or sparking, it is necessary to remove the insulation, strip the wires and insulate again.

• The next step is the device cement screed over a warm floor - its thickness should be at least 50 - 70 mm. The solution dries within 28 days. All this time, the warm floor is not connected to the network.
• In the case of a tiled floor, a 15-20 mm thick tile adhesive is applied over the rods. Tiles are laid on the glue and a day later the seams are rubbed with a special solution. Heating can be turned on only after the glue has completely dried.

The rod floor has self-regulation. Carbon rods have the ability to recognize the temperature of the floor at different areas and regulate it: in warmer places, the intensity of heating decreases, and in colder places it increases. Therefore, the floor does not overheat under massive furniture in the same way as film. Rod floors are more efficient in plan and have a longer warranty period than film floors.

When it has already been decided to heat the house using a panel system, the choice of fixtures and installation of a warm infrared floor (with your own hands or with an appeal to specialists) follows. Of course, everyone wants to save money, so they do not turn to the relevant organizations.

This type of underfloor heating refers to electric heaters. The heating of the room is carried out due to the film, which is the main source of heat. Carbon paste is heated copper conductors that are on the sides. Silver plating maintains the integrity of the structure and protects against fire. All this you need to know about the device before you take on the installation of an infrared heater with your own hands.

Important! Before buying film heating and installation, it is necessary to calculate the heat balance (heat loss and gain) of the premises

Before installing the film, you need to determine the area where the installation will be carried out. In other words, this is a free place where oversized household items, light interior components, can be located. Under heavy furniture and appliances, the floor will not be able to give the right heat. In addition, it may cause a fire.

The capacity of 1 m2 of film will depend on the usable area. So, for 20 m2 or less, it is advisable to install powerful heating. You can always find useful information on the forums, read reviews from other users, or consult a heating specialist.

Important! The design must be selected in such a way that overheating does not occur.

It can also be adjusted using a thermostat. This will allow you to adjust the system to the required power at different outdoor temperatures. Accordingly, certain savings are achieved.

Do-it-yourself installation of infrared floors (video below) includes the process of connecting mats with wires. It is best to buy a multi-core copper cable. The choice is due to the fact that the heating channels to which the wire will be connected are made of the same material.

It is worth choosing cables with a cross section of 1.5-2.5 mm.

How to connect an infrared warm floor with your own hands

Connection is carried out in several stages:

The connection of the thermostat is carried out according to a similar principle of operation with other electric heaters. So, on the one hand, 2 cables of the thermostat are connected to two contacts. On the opposite side, wires from the film are connected. The central contacts lead to the mains supply. The temperature sensor device has 2 ground wires that must be connected with a terminal.

Important! Earth cables must not be plugged into contact!

Main advantage of this type panel heating in that the connection does not require wet screed. Therefore, any top coat. The exception is parquet and glued parquet board. So, you can take the floor with you if you have the opportunity and desire to move.

Decoration takes place only after a test run of the system and successful installation. Most often, do-it-yourself infrared warm floor is installed under the laminate. The high popularity of this solution is due to the fact that the coating is easy to install and just as easy to remove.

Installation under a tile is carried out in bathrooms, bathrooms, kitchens. Ceramics has a high heat transfer, which has a positive effect on the coefficient of performance (COP) of the device.

How to make an infrared heater from improvised means

As a rule, those who see themselves as a developer do not seek to complicate the manufacturing process. And buying factory-made elements to create a heater is not advisable from the point of view of economy. Therefore, the following requirements are placed on the device:

• ease of installation;
• high heat transfer;
• economical consumption of electrical energy;
• ease of use;
• compactness.

Security deserves special attention. By creating similar design from improvised means, this aspect should be considered more than carefully. This is quite justified, because the device emits thermal energy. Too much or improper operation may cause a fire. To avoid unpleasant situations, the recommendations given in building codes and rules (SNiP).

Craft infrared heater can be on the principle of thermal film. For production process will need:

1. Sheets of paper plastic. It is necessary to select materials of the same size or cut them from one larger sheet. You will need a pair of units of paper plastic.
2. graphite powder. The substance can be purchased whether, for greater savings, grind the existing graphite brushes from the trolleybus.
3. Epoxy adhesive.
4. Wire with plug.

So how to make an infrared heater yourself? To do this, just follow the following instructions:

1. It is necessary to mix the glue with graphite powder. The resulting substance will have adhesive characteristics, high resistance (will serve as a conductor).

Important! The amount of graphite in the mixture affects maximum temperature manufactured device.

2. Applying the mixture to the plastic. It is recommended to do this with zigzag strokes. It is best to work on the rough side of the material for more grip.
3. Joining plastic sheets.
4. Structural framing wooden box. The frame will increase the strength of the product.
5. Attaching copper terminals. They need to be brought in from different directions. An alternative would be to connect a thermostat. The product will simplify the adjustment of the heating mode.
6. Drying. This is one of milestones. Even a small accumulation of liquid will disable the resulting structure after the first connection to the electrical network.
7. Testing. You need to measure the resistance. This will determine the safety of the product.
8. Installation of the finish coat.

This is just one of options how to make an infrared floor with your own hands. You can use other instructions, but you should always remember that homemade system heating is an unsafe design! Therefore, care must be taken additional measures safety when using it and consult a specialist before using it.