Underfloor heating is the heating system whose benefits have made it so popular with homeowners. Sometimes there are problems associated with weak heating. In this case, it is not necessary to dismantle the entire structure, since only one of its elements can fail, the replacement of which will eliminate the trouble. In the article, we will analyze the situation, why the warm floor stopped heating and what is the cause of a possible malfunction.
The principle of operation of the heating system
To quickly detect the cause of a breakdown of a warm floor, you need to understand its structural design. The heating system provides uniform heating of the floor covering. Heat is distributed around the perimeter of the room. The following types of underfloor heating are popular today:
- Electric floor heating (cable, rod and film).
- Water.
The principle of operation of the first system is as follows: an electric cable is laid in the cement screed or under the finish layer, which, due to therm althe action of the current heats the floor. To change the temperature regime, there is a special device - a thermostat. The system will automatically shut down in case of overheating.
Water heated floor, the coolant of which is metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes with a diameter of 8 to 32 mm, is mounted in a cement-sand screed.
Both heating systems can be repaired by yourself. The main requirement for repair work is to know the exact reason why the warm floor does not heat.
Electrical system breakdown: possible malfunctions
Among the reasons for the termination of the functioning of the structure, the following should be noted:
- No voltage. This problem is usually in the circuit breaker, the indicators of which do not always correctly display the system indicators. To fix the problem, you need to pull the regulator out of the socket and use a multimeter to measure its voltage.
- If the power is in order, it is necessary to check the regulator, sensor and circuits for operability. To test the latter, it is necessary to measure their resistance. The received data must match the values in the passport. If this condition is not met, you need to look for a short circuit or breaks.
- If the circuits work properly, but the electric floor heating does not heat, the cause must be sought in the sensor, which is a resistor. In this case, a multimeter will help, with which you should check the resistance of the specified element of the system. If the sensor is faulty, itneed to be replaced with a new one.
- When none of the options considered is the cause of the breakdown, the regulator must be checked.
Sometimes there is another trouble: the warm floor does not heat well. The reason for this may be such malfunctions:
- The flooring warms up slowly (for example, with a screed that is more than 30 mm thick).
- Sensor installed too close to heating cable.
- Low mains voltage.
No power
Heating elements are connected to the thermostat, so icons should be displayed on this device, thanks to which you can find out the set system parameters. If the indicator does not work, then you need to look for a breakdown with a multimeter, with which you can determine the voltage. If it is found, check whether it reaches the heating cable or film. In addition, weak heating is possible when the wires are poorly connected to the terminals.
If, after a successful check of the voltage at the input, the warm floor does not heat, the cause of the breakdown must be sought in the area where the system is connected to the regulator. In addition, the performance of the thermostat can be checked in a simple way: connect the system directly to the mains. If with this method of connection the warm floor will work at full capacity, then it is necessary to replace the mentioned element.
Cable breakage
During installation work, you need to carefullyhandle the heating element, as it can be accidentally damaged. If you ignore this requirement, over time it will burn out. In addition, there are unpleasant situations during the installation of flooring using a drill, when one inaccurate action can be enough to damage the cable.
To find the location of an open circuit, you must use a special detector to search for wiring (for example, the E-121 signaling device) or a thermal imager. Using these devices, you can determine the area where the cable is damaged. Then dismantling work should begin: remove the floor covering and remove the screed (if it was made). If ceramic tiles are used as facing material, they must be removed over the gap using a hammer.
If the warm floor does not heat, the cause of this trouble may be the loss of contact in the coupling. This happens in the case of a steep bending radius of the heating cable. As a result of high mechanical tension, it spontaneously pulls out of the joint. To eliminate this problem, it is necessary to warm up the coupling (for example, with a building hair dryer), and then release the problem area with a clerical knife and make a new twist by crimping with a copper sleeve. In addition, it is better to wrap the wire with heat shrink tubing or electrical tape.
Faulty thermal sensor
When the underfloor heating works properly, the system heats up to the required temperature and switches off automatically. It is the temperature sensor that is responsible for the implementationdescribed function. If it malfunctions, the floor will slowly heat up and lowering the temperature to the desired value becomes unacceptable. Therefore, it is better to replace the damaged element with a new one.
During the installation of a warm floor, the sensor must be laid through a corrugated pipe. If this condition is met, then in the future it will not be necessary to dismantle the coating and screed, since it will only be necessary to pull out the system element and install a new one instead. In addition, you can put a thermostat with a timer.
Incorrect installation
If, after checking the elements of the system, it was not possible to find out the reason why the electric floor heating does not heat, it means that mistakes were made during its installation. These shortcomings include the following points:
- Errors in calculating the power of the heating system.
- Poor-quality thermal insulation of the room.
- Incorrect installation of heating elements.
- Failure to observe the optimal cable spacing.
- Thick layer of tie.
- The temperature sensor is installed close to the floor covering.
- Heater cable located under furniture or fixtures.
- During the pouring of the screed, materials with low thermal conductivity were used: gypsum beacons, construction debris (for example, fragments of aerated concrete), etc.
You can repair a warm floor by dismantling and updating, taking into account all technological norms and rules. In addition, at the planning stage, it is recommended to make a layout of elementssystem as it may be useful for future repairs.
Water heated floor does not heat at all: main reasons
The system can last at least 50 years, but for this you need to install high-quality pipes and other structural parts: pump, bypass, manifold, balancing valve and thermostat. If a warm water floor does not heat, the following factors may be the causes of this problem:
- The circulation pump stopped functioning. During operation, this device vibrates slightly and makes a small noise. If not, you need to change the pump.
- Ball valves closed.
- Air has entered the system. In this case, you will have to call specialists, since it is difficult to solve the problem on your own.
- The pipeline was damaged during installation operations.
Water underfloor heating does not heat well: reasons
When looking for a solution to a problem, consider the following points:
- Pipe partially blocked with air.
- The boiler power is too low, so you need to reduce the temperature in other rooms to heat a certain room. In addition, you need to make preventive repairs and check the elements of the system.
- Heated floor may be weakly warm if there is furniture or a carpet on it.
- In the course of work, the thermal insulation layer was laid incorrectly.
- The floor surface heats up unevenly.
Repair of damaged pipeline: step by step instructions
A sharp drop in pressure is the reason whywhich breaks and leaks the system. As a result, water can destroy the concrete screed and seep down. To identify the place where the pipeline burst, it is necessary to inspect the floor for wet spots.
Before starting repair work, it is necessary to drain the water from the system circuit and buy a press coupling. If the warm floor does not heat up due to the fact that the pipeline is damaged in the system, you need to follow these steps to restore it:
- Dismantle the floor covering. If the trouble occurred in the bathroom, you must first clean the grout from the seams, and then carefully remove the tiles.
- Remove the screed with a puncher or regular hammer.
- When the deformed area is found, the damaged area must be cut with a hacksaw.
- Clean the pipe from dirt with sandpaper.
- Align the resulting holes with a reamer (finishing cutting tool).
- Put the press sleeve on both pipe fragments and clamp it with tongs.
Before pouring the cement-sand mortar, you need to make a control check of the repaired area. In addition, it is recommended to wrap the sleeve with a piece of polyethylene foam to protect it from the negative effects of an acidic environment.
Heat unevenness
If the underfloor heating is weak, the reason may be the uneven distribution of water in the pipes. This is due to the fact that in longer circuits, the coolant will cool faster even atthe same flow rate. To solve this problem, you need to try to adjust the water supply on the collector, as well as adjust the level of the electric drives.
To see if the steps you have taken have helped, you should wait a few hours. The time it takes for the system to fully heat up depends on many factors: heater power, type of flooring, heating medium flow rate and screed thickness.
Final part
If the warm floor does not heat, the reasons may be different. We examined the malfunctions that occur most often. You can fix the heating system yourself. The main thing is to carefully read the described repair methods. If the cause cannot be found, you should contact the specialists, as they have the necessary skills and tools to solve the discussed problems.
