Regardless of the type of underfloor heating, although it is considered a high-quality substitute for central or autonomous water heating, it is expensive, of course, and “eats” enough electricity. It is for this reason that it does not make sense to install such an expensive device without a thermostat at all, or to take its cheapest analogue. How to install a temperature sensor for underfloor heating (water or electric)? More on that later.
Why is it better to use a thermostat?
Electric temperature sensor for underfloor heating has the following functions:
- If its base is considered to be a room heating control device, it regulates the device as it cools down. The main advantage of such a device is that it regulates andmaintains the optimum temperature in the home. When the temperature controller sensor monitors the level of heating of its components, the shutdown is performed according to the degree of their heating, and the inclusion is performed when they cool. It is worth saying that the stabilizer does not “monitor” the microclimate in the room. There are more expensive counterparts that track both the heating of the air and the floor.
- During the period of system shutdown, energy savings are provided, which significantly reduces the cost of its operation. If you decide which regulator to choose, then it is preferable not to be greedy and buy a device with a built-in timer. This will make it possible to determine the least allowed temperature if there are no household members or if they are sleeping, which will save even more money on heating.
- As a rule, a thermostat for underfloor heating with a temperature sensor monitors the degree of heating of the components of the heating element and will not allow them to burn out. This lengthens the life of the system and guarantees the safety of housing and people.
- There are specialized multi-zone thermostats that can control the functioning of a warm element in several rooms at the same time. Although such devices are more expensive, they are still cheaper than paying for a regulator for 2 zones or more separately.
How the device works
The principle of the temperature controller is quite simple, regardless of whether it controls the heating of the air or the levelfloor heating:
- The system consists of a meter (working part), which is inserted between the heating parts of the floor and a display where the desired parameters are marked.
- The basis of the working share of the device is a bimetallic plate, which reacts to changes in air or floor temperature and sends a signal to the display.
- After comparing the parameters of real heating and the installed stabilizer, it either turns off the warm floor if the initial ones are higher, or turns it on to the mains if they are lower.
Types of thermostats
At present, the selection of these devices is generally limited to some varieties, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- Mechanical devices are among the cheapest, however, their functions are "once or twice and counted." As a rule, they are configured only for heating air or underfloor heating components and function according to the on / off principle. This is not a very practical device, especially if it monitors only floor heating. In this case, it is required to change its characteristics each time by hand when the room becomes warm or cold, depending on the air temperature outside the window. The advantage of the device is low cost, ease of installation and management.
- The electric thermostat is set according to the time, and not only according to the degree of air or floor heating. He usually has a good display, which can be either push-button or touch, independing on cost. The presence of a timer makes it possible to fully automate the operation of the regulator by setting the necessary characteristics according to the time of day or a week ahead. Although the selection of an electric type thermostat will turn out to be more expensive than an automatic analogue, it will give more savings. This is due to the fact that it has day / night functions, when the temperature is set at night, lowered to an optimally comfortable level. The same is done in the daytime, when there are no residents in the house.
- Programmers are the most expensive temperature controllers, however, they have much more functions. They are suitable for those buyers who prefer not only convenience, but also independence, as they have a Wi-Fi setting that allows owners to monitor the operation of underfloor heating from a distance and change them if necessary.
- A separate category includes two or multi-zone devices that are configured to regulate floors in many rooms at once. Obtaining information about such devices is carried out through a special channel, which does not have a big impact on other digital or electrical appliances in the house.
Views
The operation of the thermostat depends on the type of sensor it is connected to. Before thinking about which regulator to choose for a warm floor among a large number of manufacturers and types of devices, you need to decide what its main role will be:
- Monitoring floor temperature.
- Indoor air heating control.
Which one to choose?
As a rule, the first type is chosen if the housing or living space has a main source of heating, and the only thing that is needed is a warm floor under your feet. This type of regulator contains a remote sensor, and their working part is inserted between the heating elements of the system.
The temperature controller is connected to the cable, which, in turn, to the terminals of the remote meter. When laying it in the floor between the turns of the heating components, it is recommended to place it in a pipe in order to protect it from external pressure or impact. The same is done if the warm floor is placed in the screed. Similar warnings also help if the floor sensor needs to be repaired or replaced.
If a regulator for a film floor is connected, then experts advise making a strobe in the rough floor in advance and putting the pipe with the controller into it.
The second type of meters is needed if the warm floor is the main heater of the building. Most devices have a built-in sensor, but a model with an external controller can also be supplied.
Installation
The thermostat is usually installed in the wall like an ordinary switch. For him, a place is chosen near the existing wiring, for example, near the outlet. First, a recess is made in the wall, the thermostat mounting box is installed there, the power supply cable and the temperature sensor are connected to it. The next step is to connect the thermostat. With“nests” are placed on the side of the thermostat. The wires of the network, the meter and the heating cable are brought here.
General installation diagram
It should be understood that the cables that are connected when installing the floor heating temperature sensor differ in color marking: white (dark, brown) cable - L phase; blue cable - N zero; yellow-green cable - earth. Connecting a warm floor to electricity is carried out in the following order:
- Network cables with a voltage of 220V are connected to “sockets” 1 and 2. The polarity is exactly followed: cable L is connected to pin 1, cable N is connected to pin 2.
- On pins 3 and 4, a heating wire for underfloor heating is purchased according to the principle: 3 pin - cable N, 4 pin - cable L.
- Temperature meter cable connects to "jacks" 5 and 6.
Two-core cable
This wire contains 2 current-carrying conductors under the protective sheath. This type of cable is more convenient than a single-core system, since it is connected to the thermostat from only one end. Let's analyze the standard connection scheme:
- There are 3 wires in one two-core cable: 2 of them are current-carrying, 1 is grounding.
- A brown cable (phase) is connected to the three-pin, blue (zero) to the four-pin, green (ground) to the five-pin.
- In the set to the thermostat, the diagram of which has just beenanalyzed, not included ground clamp.
- With the presence of a ground terminal, installation is greatly simplified.
- Green cables through the PE terminal are combined with the ground loop.
Single core cable
In such a cable there is only one current-carrying transmitter, as a rule, it is white. The second cable is green, it characterizes the grounding of the PE screen. The connection model is as follows:
White cables (two ends) are connected to the thermostat contacts three and four, a green ground cable is connected to the contact five.
