Underfloor heating pros and cons. Warm electric floors - pros and cons

Comfort in a living space is formed not only with the help of well-chosen furniture, but also by creating a comfortable temperature. It is unpleasant to be in an unheated room, in addition, it is fraught with colds.

Floor heating systems are used not only as an additional, but also the main source of heat - they evenly heat the area and do not take up space, unlike central heating radiators. But, a warm floor has pros and cons just like all technical devices.

Water heating in the floor: the pros and cons

The water circuit as heating has a lot of positive qualities:

• It does not require a constant supply of expensive electricity, because it can work from a gas boiler or a conventional wood-burning stove.
• Uniform heating creates optimal temperature conditions (+22° C at the foot level and +18° C in the upper part). In summer, the water in the pipes contributes to the cooling.
• Disguised heating elements reduce the possibility of injury or burns to children.
• With the help of a thermostat, it is possible to independently set the temperature for each room separately.
• Reduction of heat losses through building envelopes due to the absence of overheating zones.

The advantage of underfloor heating with a water circuit is also in cost savings. The owner pays only for installation, the system does not need further maintenance.

Despite the advantages, a warm water floor from a gas boiler in the house also has disadvantages:

• The complexity of installation and the impossibility of installation on the second floors of wooden houses. In urban apartments, work requires permission from the BTI.
• Potential for a pipeline leak. To fix the problem, you will have to completely dismantle the fill.
• The need to reinforce pipes or screeds.
• In rooms where year-round living is not planned, pipes can freeze in frosts.
• The acquisition of a bulky pump that makes the coolant circulate.

Among the disadvantages of underfloor heating with water as heating, the fact that they are forbidden to be installed from central heating batteries in apartment buildings is noted. In addition, it can act as the main source of heating only in well-insulated rooms with double-glazed windows without gaps and tight doors.

Warm electric floors pros and cons

Electric underfloor heating also has pros and cons. The advantages include:

Among the shortcomings should be noted:

• High electricity consumption. In old buildings, it can disable wiring;
• Not suitable for installation under parquet or solid wood - wood will dry out over time from temperature;
• Expensive consumables.

Recently, more and more often you can hear the phrase - "liquid" heating system. It is a two-centimeter pipe made of structured polyethylene with antifreeze inside. An electrical cable runs along the entire length of the pipe. The system is mounted under the screed. The X-L Pipe and UNIMAT AQUA models are popular.

This type of heating has absorbed all the positive characteristics of electric and water, however, the electric-water floor has the same disadvantages - the water comes from the block is hotter and therefore the floor warms up unevenly. In addition, this option is only suitable for small spaces.

There is an opinion that the disadvantages of a warm floor for people's health are electromagnetic radiation that provokes blood diseases. But these are all speculations, since the heating elements are reliably insulated with a finishing coating. The only danger to health can only be the unscrupulous installation of heating systems and ignoring technology. In this case, the air in the room is too dry, which leads to the formation of dust that is harmful to allergy sufferers and asthmatics.

Heating with warm floors has pluses and minuses in equal values, regardless of their type. Therefore, before installing them, you need to carefully study all the characteristics. The right decision would be to turn to professional craftsmen who, from the height of their experience, will select the appropriate option for a particular room, starting from its technical indicators, and will install it in a short time without losing the declared quality.

To choose the best solution and take into account all the nuances, it is better to contact our specialist for advice.

One of the types of heating systems, often used in dwellings, are underfloor heating powered by electricity. For example, cable systems with a high degree of reliability. Modern electric underfloor heating systems are designed for easy and fast installation.

• Principle and features of work
• Pros and cons of underfloor heating
• Types of electric underfloor heating
• Cable floor heating
• Infrared warm floor
  • Film floor heating
  • Rod warm floor
• How to choose a warm floor model?
  • Electric underfloor heating under tiles
  • Electric underfloor heating for laminate and parquet
  • Electric underfloor heating under carpet or linoleum

Principle and features of work

The electric warm floor is heated by electricity, i.e., first of all, the electric cable heats up, and it gives off heat to the floor surface.

A typical heating system kit includes:

• underfloor heating element (cable, mat, etc.);
• supply wires supplying voltage to the heating elements and connected to them by couplings;
• control device (sensor);
• control device (thermostat).

Also, during installation, additional materials may be required:

• thermal insulation;
• damper tape;
• reinforcing mounting mesh;
• adhesive tape and other consumables.

When using conventional electrical wires that are connected to sockets and lamps, calculate the cross section of the conductor and set the appropriate rating of the automatic shutdown devices. This is done so that the wires do not overheat during operation, because otherwise their insulation will dry out, crack and crumble, which will eventually cause a short circuit in the network.

Wires in underfloor heating elements work quite differently. In them, electricity should be converted into heat as efficiently as possible. Here the wires are special, they are not destroyed by heat and can work in this mode for many years. The best manufacturers of such systems guarantee 20 years of operation of their products.

Pros and cons of underfloor heating

When choosing a floor heating design, you need to compare the pros and cons of the available options.

Advantages of electric underfloor heating

• Allows you not to be afraid of water leaks.
• Works completely silently.
• It does not require space and remains invisible, because it does not need a boiler and pumps, like a water heated floor.
• Electric underfloor heating heats the surface evenly, which cannot be achieved with water systems.
• Easy temperature control with ergonomic remote control and thermostat.
• Long service life, which can reach 50 years.

But there are also disadvantages in electric heating systems:

• Very expensive operation does not allow heating large areas of premises; in this case, hydraulic heating systems are cheaper.
• The generation of electromagnetic radiation - however, it is very weak, and does not harm a person, but still it exists.
• A serious load on the electrical network, which not every household network can withstand.

Types of electric underfloor heating

Electric heating in such systems can be carried out by two types of heating elements:

• in the form of a cable;
• in the form of films with infrared radiation.

You can also classify them according to the design method:

• Heating cable (single-core or two-core). It may be self-adjusting.
• Warm floor "electric mats" - when the same cable is already attached to the mounting grid.
• Film underfloor heating - uses an infrared heating element.
• Rod underfloor heating - also uses the infrared heating principle.

There is no unequivocal answer to the question of which floors with electric heating are better to choose, since each system is not devoid of not only advantages, but also disadvantages.

Cable floor heating

The heating element here is a special cable, which converts the electricity passing through it into heat. Moreover, different cables can be found in cable heating elements: single-core, two-core or self-regulating:

• A single-core cable includes a single heating thread, its ends are brought together during installation and one of them is connected to the phase current-carrying wire, and the second to zero.
• There are two threads in a two-core cable, so its installation should not be reduced to a loopback, but uses a “dead-end” laying method.

• A type of two-core cable is a self-regulating cable, which is able to regulate the degree of heat generation in its different sections. It is often used to protect pipes from freezing and in snow melting systems.
• A heating mat is a single-core or two-core cable, which is fixed on a mounting grid with a certain pitch. Its advantage is that it can be embedded not only in a concrete screed, but also in a layer of tile adhesive in the bathroom, if such a topcoat is used there. Thanks to this, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the floor in the bath and speed up the installation process.

Electric floor heating systems based on cable heating elements are good because it is convenient to make any configuration of the heating zone from them (heating mats, alas, cannot boast of this).

Any cable structures quickly enough (in 10-15 minutes) heat up and are able to continuously give off heat for 4-6 hours.

It is best to mount cable systems under any stone coating (porcelain stoneware, ceramic tiles, etc.).

Infrared warm floor

This system is divided into film and rod underfloor heating.

Film floor heating

It is made from a multilayer polymer film, the thickness of which ranges from fractions of a millimeter to several millimeters. At the edges of the sheets there are thin copper electrodes, to which thin graphite strips located between the polymer layers, which are heating elements, are connected.

Benefits of underfloor heating film:

• The film for underfloor heating with infrared radiation is universal - it goes well with different floor coverings: laminate, parquet, tiles, etc.
• Such a floor can be arranged with your own hands, if you have minimal skills.
• Relative efficiency - per unit area, it spends no more than 30-70 W of electricity.

But film floors, especially those made of too thin a film, are quite easy to damage, however, they will work after that, except for the place of damage.

Repairing such a floor with the dismantling of the floor covering, replacing the damaged area and re-installing it will be very expensive. Therefore, the installation of such floors must be treated very scrupulously and carefully.

Rod warm floor

It also uses an infrared heating system, but here the heater is flexible rods made from a composite material containing carbon and silver.

The advantage of this heating system is the possibility of its use on any flat surface, even on the ceiling.

Other benefits:

• Even if several rods get damaged, the system will continue to work.
• Installation of rod systems is so simple that any man who knows how to hold tools in his hands can handle it.
• It can be placed under any floor coverings, including in a bathtub under a layer of tile adhesive or under a thin layer of screed.

Video about the types of electric underfloor heating:

How to choose a warm floor model?

When deciding how to choose one or another model of a warm floor, you should be guided by the following criteria:

• whether the underfloor heating will serve as the main source of heat in the house or only an additional one;
• what kind of flooring is planned to be used in the room;
• what is the total height of the room and the condition of its ceilings.

Different floor coverings require the installation of different heating elements. Not all systems are suitable for carpet or tiles, and others cannot be laid under parquet or laminate, so you need to choose which electric underfloor heating is best for a particular finish.

Electric underfloor heating under tiles

Under porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles, you can put:

• self-regulating and resistive cables;
• rod systems;
• cable mats.

If you really need to combine them, then you need to put a reinforcing mesh on the heating film, and only then fill everything with tile adhesive. But at the same time, a significant part of the thermal radiation gets stuck in these layers. Therefore, this option will be inefficient, in addition, rod mats and infrared films are the most expensive materials used in electric underfloor heating. It is worth using a cheaper and more effective solution.

Electric underfloor heating for laminate and parquet

Laminate and parquet can be heated by the following systems:

• heating cable;
• infrared film;
• rod mats;
• cable mats.

Although you can use any design, but still the film turns out to be the most convenient, since its installation will be the easiest. If you take heating cables, then you should prefer self-regulating.

Electric underfloor heating under carpet or linoleum

Under the linoleum, you can also place any heating electrical elements.

Therefore, if the elements mentioned above are used, they must be supplemented with a correctly installed high-quality temperature sensor.

It is much better to combine self-regulating wires and rod mats with linoleum, since they do not overheat.

Pretty good showed itself in combination with these coatings film heating. Although the film is afraid of overheating (blocking), its melting point is very high, which gives an additional margin of safety if the temperature sensor of the system fails.

Are you considering electric floor heating as a heating system for your home? Which of its types would you lay down, and why? Tell us about your plans or experience in the comments - they will be of interest to other builders!

It cannot be said that the idea of ​​​​developing a heating system without batteries belongs to modern man, but its effective implementation is still his merit. There are many advantages of a water heated floor, but in each individual case, the effectiveness of the technical solution used largely depends on a whole range of factors, including the correct execution of calculations, installation, and the use of the optimal set of materials and components.

Most of the disadvantages of a water-heated floor, which are noted by experienced users of such systems, are largely formed from the mistakes made initially, which led to a decrease in the efficiency of using the system. But in order to talk in detail about the pros and cons of warm water floors, available designs, design solutions, it is worth understanding how they work.

Structurally, all types of water heated floors used today are a system of pipelines laid inside floor building structures. Through them, under the action of a pump, a coolant is pumped, the temperature of which is up to 40 ˚С. As a result, there is a constant heating of the concrete screed, which in turn gives off its heat to the floor covering and air.

Among the features of the water floor, it is worth noting that in this case both a centralized water supply system and an individual heating source can be used as an energy source. As a result, a peculiar modification of the heating device is formed in the room, which radiates heat and heats the room with the help of air convection.

The characteristics of a water-heated floor and its design make it possible to use not only water, but also non-freezing liquid as a heat carrier. The second option is optimal for use, for example, in summer cottages, where in winter the house may not be heated for a long time. In addition, it is important to take into account when designing and implementing such systems that all types of underfloor heating can be used both as the main and additional source of heating in combination with radiators.

The device of the heating system using underfloor heating technology is never (even in its simplest design) limited to a working pipeline. In this case, each of the components of the “pie” used is important from the supporting base to the finish coat.

The technology of laying water lines may differ radically depending on its design. Both a concrete screed and dry structures can serve as the basis (prefabricated screeds, frame structures are used with high efficiency). But it is worth noting that the second option is practically not used in practice, as it differs in the complexity of its device with lower performance characteristics of a water-heated floor.

The optimal thickness of the screed is determined based on the balance of the strength of the resulting structure and the heating rate of the plate. In this case, the recommended thickness is 5 cm. If there is a possibility of subsidence, a metal reinforcing mesh is used, but with the laying of hard insulation, this need is no longer necessary.

What determines the effectiveness of the use of different types of warm water floors

In order to fully appreciate all the advantages and disadvantages of a warm water floor, it is necessary to take into account the influence of parameters on which the efficiency of using such a system as a whole depends. This is the only way to give an objective assessment of such a method of heating a room.

In this regard, correct installation, correct execution of engineering calculations for heat and power losses is the most important condition for the successful implementation of the heating system. But when determining power, an individual approach is no less important. When designing a warm water floor, the advantages of its design can be completely leveled if you do not take into account such factors as local climatic conditions, type of building (it can be both an apartment building and a private house with relatively cold and quickly cooling walls).

As for the correct installation, if there is a desire to really appreciate all the advantages of a water-heated floor, you should not take it on in the absence of sufficient experience and knowledge in this area. It is not only about making a smooth screed, laying pipes without leaks, and then laying the finish coat. It is extremely important to correctly choose the thermal insulation, the number of circuits, the pitch, the parameters of the screed.

In addition, by inexperience, one of the most important disadvantages of water heated floors can be assessed: the ability to spoil massive furniture with constant heating. Although in fact the issue can be resolved quite simply: it is enough to lay the pipelines so that they do not pass in the areas where large furniture is located. As a result, the temperature of the floor will not be high enough to have a noticeable effect on the furniture installed in the house. In addition, this approach will allow to form an additional plus of a water-heated floor - the ability to save money.

Advantages and disadvantages of a water heated floor

Benefits of a warm water floor

Disadvantages of a water heated floor

• There is no possibility of effective use of technology in rooms where a large area is occupied by stairs. You will need to use a warm floor in combination with radiators.
• There is a widespread misconception that the advantage of a water heated floor is that it slightly reduces the level of humidity in the room. In fact, such a system dries the air much more than a traditional radiator, so buying a humidifier will become a necessity.
• It is not allowed to install a water system in apartment buildings due to a significant increase in hydraulic resistance.
• Installation is quite complicated, it can only be done during a major overhaul in the room.
• When choosing between water or infrared underfloor heating, it is important to consider that using the first option always leads to a significant increase in the level of the floor. For the device of infrared systems, a film polyester cloth, 100 microns thick, is used.
• There is a possibility of leakage, which will require a fairly complex repair.

Which heating is better: warm water floor or batteries

In most cases, the choice of heating system is between a water-heated floor or radiators. In order to decide, it is enough to compare both options according to several key features that will allow you to evaluate all the possibilities, pluses and minuses of technologies.

Economy

This is one of the most important issues, which in the future will determine the amount of annual / monthly heating costs. If we compare both options for the distribution of hot air flows in the room, it turns out that the greatest heat of the battery remains next to it. Heating from a warm floor occurs throughout the entire area of ​​​​the room.

Batteries are always installed under a window to avoid intense condensation. But the same solution causes intense heat loss in the same zone. In addition, with insufficient wall insulation due to the high temperature difference, the situation is aggravated.

Also, the efficiency of using a warm floor is increased due to the fact that during its operation the concrete slab is heated, which becomes a powerful source of heat, and the radiator is able to act only on the nearby air. As a result, savings when using a warm floor averages up to 30%.

What is cheaper water floor heating or radiators

In this case, much depends on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe premises and the installed equipment. But due to the large amount of work on the installation of concrete screeds, hidden laying of pipelines, the need to attract specialized specialists to perform such tasks, the cost of equipment and its installation when using a radiator system will be lower.

inertia

The rate of heating the room when the heating is turned on is an important issue, which largely determines the degree of comfort in using the system. In this case, it will not be easy to decide that it is better to have a warm water floor or radiators. The peculiarity of the first option is that, for objective reasons, it will take more time for the concrete slab to heat up than for a radiator that acts on the air. But at the same time, cooling with the heating turned off using a warm floor will be much slower. In this regard, the decision on whether it is a plus or a minus of water-heated floors can only be taken by the user himself.

maintainability

The main problem in this case is the issue of the availability of installed equipment and pipelines. For water heated floors, this is a minus, but at the same time, subject to well-chosen equipment, correct design and installation of the system, the service life of hidden heating without the need for repair will be equal to the operating time of the pipes. That is, on average, about 50 years, it will not be necessary to open the screed. Radiator-based equipment is always open to access, but at the same time, it needs repairs much more often.

There are a lot of arguments in favor of each of the options, but at the same time, the best solution in most cases is to use a combined system using both technologies. At the same time, all the pros and cons of warm water floors and radiators will be taken into account and used so that in the end the project only benefits from their joint use.

Underfloor heating is a heating system that uses hot water as a heat source. The principle of operation of this system is extremely simple: a flexible pipe is mounted on the floor, through which hot water flows. The liquid is heated by a central heating system or an autonomous boiler. The most popular is the scheme for connecting the system to a gas boiler, since in this case the heating will not be associated with seasonal shutdowns.

Advantages of a water heated floor

If indicators of warm water floors calculated correctly, the system will please with its efficiency and durability. The main advantages of water heating include the following parameters:

The relative cheapness of installation, which is very important, given the high cost of the equipment itself. Many consumers opt for this option precisely because of the simplicity and affordability of installation;

The water system, unlike other types of underfloor heating, can be used in combination with almost any floor covering. Carpet, ceramic tiles, laminate and even linoleum - this is not a complete list of possible options;

Possibility of connecting the system to an autonomous heat source or centralized heating;

Maximum heat retention, for example, in a room with normal dimensions, the savings are about 30%, and in a dwelling with a ceiling height of more than 3 meters - about 50%;

The possibility of completely abandoning traditional heating systems, which allows you to significantly expand the useful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room;

With autonomous operation, heating will not depend on interruptions in the power supply network.

There are a lot of advantages for water heated floors, but there are no ideal systems, so even this option has its negative sides.

Disadvantages of a water heated floor

The disadvantages of using a water heated floor system include the following points:

1. Installation of this type of heating is possible only in private houses, since most apartments do not have the necessary conditions for its installation.

2. When choosing a stand-alone operation, heating can only be partially regulated, if the system is connected to a centralized system, then regulation is not possible at all.

3. In case of late detection of defects in the pipeline system, there is a high risk of flooding.

Of course, we have not considered all the advantages and disadvantages of water heated floors, but the main pros and cons are reflected. In general, this system, although it requires compliance with certain conditions, is one of the simplest and most effective in the category of underfloor heating.

By nature, people are thermophilic, so each owner tries to warm his home as much as possible.. Someone uses a heater, someone insulates the facade, and someone arranges a warm floor. If all these methods of accumulating heat indoors are used together, then you definitely won’t have to worry about the fact that it will be cold in the house in winter. The harm from an electric heater is obvious - it dries out the air in the room, but is a warm floor harmful to health? This should be sorted out.

Benefits of underfloor heating

Before you begin to understand why a warm floor is so dangerous for a person, one cannot fail to mention its merits. Among them:

• environmental friendliness. This type of heating proved to be an order of magnitude better than an electric heater. The carrier temperature is at such a level that the operation of the system does not affect the environment in any way;
• economy. This is perhaps the most economical heating system today;
• rapid heating of the room. The convector will first heat up and then dry the air in the room, while the warm floor from the first minutes will begin to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room;
• heating elements are hidden from view. This allows you to implement any design idea, because you do not need to install any bulky boilers and pipes;
• durability and structural strength. When using high-quality materials and observing the installation technology, the need for preventive maintenance will not arise for many years;
• versatility. Such a heating system can be used both in residential and office premises..

Reading the above information, it is easy to understand why the warm floor is in such demand among the consumer. And yet, what is its negative impact on human health?

Fiction or real harm

The harm and benefits of underfloor heating - this is what you should understand before installing it in your home. Which accusations against this heating system are fiction, and which ones are really true?

The following negative characteristics are attributed to this heating system:

1. Emission of toxic substances when heated flooring. This assumption can be immediately refuted. Even if you lay linoleum or PVC tiles on the floor, no toxic substances will be released into the air. To harm a person from fumes from the surface of low-quality materials, you need to decently heat the floor. Does anyone walk around their home like hot coals? The temperature of the coolant is 45C, and the floor is usually heated to 28C, which is quite safe.
2. Harmfulness of electromagnetic radiation. Warm floors are made not only from pipes that cut into the heating system. The design of this heating system can be of several more types: heating mats, infrared thermal film, electrical cables. All of these options involve connecting to the mains, and like any household appliances that run on electricity, such warm floors emit electromagnetic waves. However, no matter what cable is used for the floor construction, single-core or twin-core, the radiation intensity will be negligible. Nevertheless, doctors do not recommend increasing the level of electromagnetic radiation in your home. Many consumers think about the dangers of infrared underfloor heating. In fact, this radiation is safe for humans.
3. Furniture can not be placed on a warm floor. But this is just the opposite. If you do not provide for the installation of heating elements in areas with furniture, then what to do when you want to update the room and make a rearrangement? It turns out that sofas and cabinets will move to the heated areas of the room, and you will have to walk on the cold floor. This is not rational. If you look at this issue from the point of view that the temperature of the coating can affect the durability of furniture, then you definitely should not be afraid of this. After all, the floor is not hot, and under the influence of 28C nothing will happen to the furniture.
4. Walking on a warm floor is harmful. Why should this fear be true, if on the hottest days of summer everyone is happy to walk barefoot on hot sand? Yes, and children love to take off their shoes and run barefoot on warm ground, because adults themselves say that this is useful.
5. Underfloor heating dries out the air in the room. Of course, if you place the heating elements too close to each other, then the room will be too hot, and this threatens that the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose will dry out. There is nothing left but to ensure the humidification of the room by regularly using a humidifier. But, if the floor design is thought out correctly, then this will not reduce the level of humidity in the apartment.
6. Because of the warm floor, the room is very dusty. The idea of ​​this heating system is not to dilute cold air with warm air, but to radiate heat, i.e. it does not lift air masses from the floor covering. If a person is allergic to house dust, then there is nothing left but to clean more often, and it doesn’t matter if the house has a warm floor. Breathing dust is harmful, however, the wind raises whole clouds of dust on the street and few people think about its harm.

The above accusations against underfloor heating are mostly untrue. Of course, some of these problems come up, but they are always the result of improperly laid heating elements.

What is the negative impact of underfloor heating on human health

Now we should talk about more significant problems that may arise during the operation of a warm floor:

1. Uncomfortable temperature conditions for sleep. There really is such a problem, since at the height at which the sleeping place is located, the air temperature reaches 23C. It is too hot and not everyone can sleep peacefully under such conditions. Somnologists say that the most comfortable temperature for sleeping is 18-20C, so heating at night will have to be turned off, and this is not economically viable. However, there is a way out: you need to install a thermostat and connect it to the heating system. With it, you can easily adjust the temperature and set the most comfortable sleep mode.. In addition, in the bedrooms it is better to have heating elements with a large step.
2. Warm floors are harmful to the health of people with vascular diseases. This is true, because it is harmful for a person who suffers from varicose veins or swelling of the lower extremities to keep their feet warm. In this case, again, you will need a thermostat that will allow you to choose the most appropriate mode.
3. Most of all, housewives suffer from such a heating system. This opinion came because women, standing at a hot stove on a warm surface, risk earning a gynecological disease and varicose veins. To avoid such an outcome, it is recommended to cover the floor with a parquet board, and not with artificial material, and, if possible, install an adjustable system.

What you should pay attention to when installing a warm floor:

• compliance with the technological process when installing a heating system;
• arrangement of heating elements with a large step in the bedrooms;
• provide the ability to set different temperature conditions;
• choose a high-quality natural coating, for example, a special parquet board that will not dry out and will be safe for health.

There is no need to talk about some incredible harm of a warm floor for human health. This is a modern heating system that allows you to heat the room well and at the same time save money.