The use of infrared emitters for residential heating is a fairly new type of heating. It has a number of advantages over traditional methods. Such systems are economical and easy to install and operate. Repair and installation of a warm film floor does not require special knowledge and can be used for quite a long time.
Now, due to the constant increase in prices, as well as a limited limit on electrical media, an economical type of heating is becoming more and more popular. Not only residents of private houses and high-rise buildings, but also heads of organizations and large enterprises where there are large rooms with high ceilings, for example, garages, production workshops, gyms, etc., began to think about their heat costs. Therefore, infrared film underfloor heating, the price of which is very affordable for most consumers, is becoming more and more popular and in demand.
Views
Now the market offers only two varieties of such a heating system: carbon and bimetallic. The first is a resistive element. It includes two working layers. They consist of Mylar film with thermal elements connected in series and parallel.
Bimetallic is made up of a thin polyurethane film, and inside it is a patented element consisting of two layers: the first is a copper alloy with special additives, and the second is aluminum and also with an impurity.
Description and operation principle
Lay a film underfloor heating under laminate, tile, parquet, linoleum and other types of floor coverings. As heating, such a system uses infrared radiation having a wavelength of 5 to 20 microns. Its source is carbon paste, sealed in a polyethylene film. The 220V voltage is passed through the copper bars, where the contacts have a small layer of silver to prevent burning, while the thickness of the radiating element is 0.4mm.
The underfloor heating film is connected to the mains through a special thermostat that allows you to control its operation and select the desired temperature.
The principle of operation of such a system differs from the types of heating already familiar to us. It lies in the fact that when heating the premises, the infrared floor heats the surrounding objects, and not the air.
Dignity
First of all, it should be said about the most important features that a film underfloor heating under a laminate has. The first of them is the absence of the need to produce a preliminary cementcoupler, and the second - increased efficiency in terms of energy consumption.
The main advantages of film floors:
● the possibility of laying even in rooms with high humidity;
● absolute safety, which guarantees the complete absence of the risk of a short circuit, and then a fire;
● high performance - 97%, which is by far the best than other types of modern heating systems;
● ease of installation, allowing you to lay the material yourself without the help of professionals;
● excellent compatibility with almost any type of flooring;
● the ability to install the system not only on the floor, but also on walls, ceilings and other surfaces, including carpets, paintings, mirrors, etc.;
● no electromagnetic radiation;
● good resistance to various mechanical damage; even if the film breaks, it will not be necessary to completely change the entire system - for this it will be enough to replace or repair only the damaged section;
● simple and easy to dismantle when moving to another place of residence;
● absolute noiselessness;
● such a warm floor is made from environmentally friendly materials.
Recommendations for use
Electric film warm floors have practically no significant drawbacks. But in order for them to serve for a long time and please with their warmth, it is necessaryfollow some very important recommendations given by the experts themselves:
● Do not put too heavy furniture on the floor;
● it should be as open as possible, otherwise it will start to overheat, which will damage not only the coating, but also the furniture in the room;
● do not cover the place where the floor and air temperature sensor is installed, otherwise it will not work correctly.
Required Materials
It must be said that it is quite easy to mount a film underfloor heating with your own hands. But it is worth remembering that the reliability and long-term operation of the entire heating system will depend on how well it was installed.
Laying film underfloor heating does not require a lot of tools. Pliers, scissors, a breadboard knife and a screwdriver with an indicator will be enough.
In addition, you will have to purchase some additional materials, such as:
● polyethylene film required for installation under parquet or laminate flooring;
● hardboard or similar base;
● heat reflective film;
● double-sided or single-sided tape, depending on the installation conditions.
Preparation for installation
When laying a heat-reflecting layer, professionals strongly do not recommend using materials that include aluminum foil for this.
It is good to mount a warm floor either on propylene or on lavsanmetallized base. Soft heat-reflecting materials, such as infraflex, isolon PPE-3003, penofol and others with a thickness of up to 5 mm, are perfect for this.
First you need to prepare all the materials you need for this:
● thermostat with a sensor that detects and sets the floor temperature;
● thermal film of desired length;
● wiring kit;
● insulation and terminals.
When laying Caleo film, it is recommended to use stranded copper wire with a cross section of 2 square meters. mm at a current of 16-22 A.
Immediately before installation, you need to outline a place to place the thermostat, it is good to clean the space where the warm floor will be from debris with a vacuum cleaner or a broom.
Installation area
First of all, determine the area of the base on which the installation of a warm film floor will be carried out. The most economical option for laying strips is their location along the wall along the length of the room. This placement will help reduce the number of not only connection points, but also wires. At the same time, one should take into account the fact that some professionals advise the Caleo warm film floor to be laid only in those places where no furniture is provided at all. Also, in no case should household appliances be placed on it.
Calculations
Before installation, you need to calculate the power that the warm floor will consume. Caleo film has a maximum power consumption of 0.22 kW per 1 sq. m,and the thermostat UTH-200 - 4 kW.
In addition, it is imperative to check the highest current in the network flowing through the circuit breaker. It is also necessary to calculate the energy consumption of the room where the infrared heating system will be installed.
Expert Warning: The consumption of each piece of thermal film should not exceed 10 A.
Installation
The film is laid on a heat-reflecting material. But before that, it must be cut into strips of the length you need. I must say that in the Caleo floor set, the film is supplied in a roll. Special cut lines are applied to it every 17.4 cm. The length of one strip should be less than the parameters of the room, since a gap of about 10 cm must be left on each side of the wall.
Lay the film on top of the heat-reflecting substrate in rows so that it covers the entire surface allotted for heating. And so that it does not move around, it is attached to the material placed under it with adhesive tape.
Installation of the thermostat and its connection
This is best done next to existing electrical wiring. But this option is only suitable if it was not planned to lay a separate one specifically in order to connect an infrared film underfloor heating. The thermostat can be installed either permanently or connected to a conventional outlet using an electrical plug. The optimal location for its placement is considered to be a distance of 20cm from the level of the floor itself.
The thermostat is needed to set the desired temperature level, program the frequency of heating, as well as automate the time to turn on and off the underfloor heating system.
First, a well-insulated temperature sensor is connected to the underside of the heating film somewhere in the middle of the second section. It consists of a small thermometer with a polymer head soldered to a wire.
Next, holes are cut out for the wiring with the sensor. In the event that the wire needs to be bent, a smooth turn is made in the film so that the cable does not break during operation.
When the whole process of installing the sensor and connecting the wires is completed, proceed to the installation of the regulator itself. Experts advise to place the main parts of the wiring under the plinth.
To connect a film underfloor heating under a laminate, use the same principle of connecting a thermostat as for other types of electric heating. Namely: on one side, the wires from the film are attached, on the opposite side, two contacts connected to the sensor, and the power supply wiring is inserted into the two elements located in the center. The system ground is connected to the terminal, not to the contact.
Testing
Before the film underfloor heating under the laminate is put into operation, it is necessary to check its operation. This must be done before you start laying the final decorative floor covering on it. The quality of thermal film is determined by the absence of sparks and overheating of some of its individual sections.
If no defects are found, then before laying the laminate on top of the warm floor, its surface is covered with a thick plastic film no less than 80 microns. It will protect against accidental ingress of liquid on the heating system. It is overlapped along the strips of infrared film.
Cost
I must say that recently the demand for underfloor heating film, the price of which can vary significantly depending on the manufacturer, has increased significantly. Every year new offers from various manufacturers appear on the market. And among such a variety, it is quite difficult for the consumer to make his choice in favor of one of them.
Let's start with the Caleo brand, which has been on the Russian market for the longest time. It offers a fairly wide range of its products, namely infrared film underfloor heating, the price of which is designed for buyers with different incomes. Caleo is not only the simplest and cost-effective, but also innovative and self-regulating heating systems: from the second generation to the fifth exclusive. In addition, for ease of installation, the film is produced in different widths.
The cost of the kit, which includes thermal film, contact clamps, wiring, bituminous insulation and installation instructions, can vary significantly, depending on the width, power density and length of the film. So, the price of 1 running meter of Caleo underfloor heating50 cm wide is from 1085 to 2320 rubles.
The American company Calorique, whose specialists were the first to develop this technology, has the highest production culture. It makes a film with reliable electromagnetic shielding. The company has a rather complicated control system, which completely excludes the appearance of any defective products on sale. Therefore, when purchasing such a film underfloor heating, the price of which varies from 800 to 2030 rubles per 1 linear meter, you can be sure of its safety and durability. It comes with screen, grounding and waterproofing.
The principle of operation of the infrared heating system is almost the same for all manufacturers, so there is no need to describe each company that produces such products. It is enough to know that the main criteria by which such heating should be chosen are quality and price. Therefore, before deciding to buy an infrared floor heating, you should find out the prices for it at all points of sale, since the cost of the same product in different stores can vary significantly.
