Water heated floors are popular due to their low cost at the time of operation. This is especially important for large areas. The installation process itself is expensive. It is important to observe some technical features. Including a pump for underfloor heating should be provided. What types of them exist, as well as connection features, we will consider in more detail.
Device design
Any floor heating pump is sold with the following set of parts:
- Case. Material metal of special durability. On the body there are branch pipes for the inlet and outlet of the coolant.
- Rotor or motor. It is fixed to the body. Carries out the intake and ejection of fluid under pressure.
- Impeller. Sets the direction of movement of the coolant in the system.
- Air vent or nut. Used to vent air pockets.
The design that the floor heating pump has is not particularly complicated. dependingthe principle of operation may differ slightly from the type.
Types of equipment by rotor arrangement
There are two options for such a device. Consider each type separately:
- Equipment with a dry rotor. The motor and rotor do not come into contact with water, they are in a separate chamber. Maintenance of such an engine will be required periodically. The impeller is connected to the rotor through rubber gaskets or cuffs. The power of the equipment allows you to serve large areas with good pressure. The result is high efficiency up to 80%, indifferent to water quality. The disadvantage is increased power consumption, noise during operation, wear of seals. Three types of structures are available: block, vertical, horizontal (cantilever).
- Device with a wet rotor. In such equipment, the impeller and rotor are in a working environment, which is both a cooling medium and a lubricant. A pump for a warm floor of such a plan operates silently, does not require maintenance, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the coolant, low price, low energy consumption. But there are also disadvantages: it will be necessary to monitor the quality of the coolant (it is sensitive to hard water), low efficiency from 30 to 50%. Therefore, it is used to service areas of no more than 400 square meters. m.
As you can see, the application depends on the selected implement.
Classification by number of speeds
There are two types of aggregate:
- Single speed. A simple type of equipment, works in the same mode with a certain typetemperature.
- Adjustable. Can be two speed or more. Performance adjustment allows you to work in different modes and in a wider range of temperatures, which allows you to significantly save on energy costs.
This is another feature that influences device selection.
collector devices
These systems can be separated into a separate category. What is a manifold with a pump for? Underfloor heating can be installed in one room or several. When connected in series, there will be a significant temperature difference at the time of operation. This is based on the laws of physics. The coolant, when moving through the pipes, will give up temperature and cool down. To minimize such losses and achieve a similar microclimate in all rooms, a pump with a collector is provided. It enables parallel connection of several circuits.
Marking
When choosing a circulation pump for underfloor heating, you should pay attention to the characteristics displayed on its body. In the "Type" line, you can see both letters and numbers:
- UPS - determines the control or number of speeds (UP - single speed, UPS - three speed, UPE - electronic control).
- The first digit indicates the diameter of the inlet/outlet pipes in mm.
- The second number indicates the height of the coolant rise. It can be 40, 60, 80, i.e., 4, 6, 8 m or 0.4; 0.6; 0.8 atmospheres.
- A - the presence of an air vent orbody material. A - there is an air outlet, B - the body is made of bronze, N - the body material is stainless steel.
- The third digit indicates the installation length.
In addition, data on power consumption and others are entered into the marking. It all depends on the manufacturer. To select equipment, the main line is "Type" with symbols.
Use advantage
You can install a warm floor without a pump. But in this case, it should be understood that the return on such a device will be much lower. This is especially noticeable in large areas. The natural circulation of the coolant through the system does not allow for a uniform distribution of the temperature regime. And the longer the pipeline is, the lower the temperature will reach remote areas.
To increase it in a remote room when connected in series, you will have to increase the power of the entire heating system. And this will create an uncomfortable climate in nearby rooms and significantly increase energy costs. The circulation pump for underfloor heating solves this problem to a large extent.
Equipment selection basics
To correctly select the right device, one rule must be observed - the technical characteristics of the system must match the technical properties of the pump. That is, the following factors influence the choice:
- Performance. Denoted in cubic meters / hour. This indicator gives an understanding of how much coolant is pumped per hourwork. For normal operation, the entire volume must be pumped three times during this period of time. To perform a qualitative calculation, it will be necessary to take into account a number of factors: the length and complexity of the highway; the material from which the pipeline is made; pipe diameter; fluid volume in the system.
- Pressure. For small circuits, this value is not as important as for long pipelines with a significant number of bends. Having decided on the performance of the device, it is necessary to clarify the working pressure - whether it will meet the terms of reference.
- Energy consumption. It is better to choose a model with a shutdown and power adjustment module. This will significantly reduce the cost of this article during operation.
- Additional features. It is important to pay attention to the operational features of the device. This will help you avoid unnecessary repair costs in the future.
As a result, you can make high-quality and inexpensive heating "warm floor" in operation.
The pump can significantly increase the efficiency of such a device. But for this it is important to calculate and choose the right equipment. It is better to trust professionals. Or use the online calculator.
Pump group
Heat floor unit is completed:
- Pump. Responsible for the circulation of fluid through the system.
- Stop valves. When the set temperature is reached, the coolant supply to the system is blocked.
- Bypass valve. Designedto equalize pressure between supply and return.
- Thermostatic and check valves. Provide support for the constancy of the temperature regime of the system.
- Collector. May or may not be present depending on the connection scheme (parallel or series).
If you properly connect a water floor with a heat pump, you can get a separate high-quality source of heating.
Mounting Features
The pump for a warm water floor can be connected in two ways:
For the supply of coolant. This option has a big drawback, especially characteristic of floor boilers. At the top of the heating system, air can accumulate, which will be sucked out by the pump. As a result, a vacuum appears and the boiler can boil in this part. This is the biggest disadvantage of such a connection. Some pros offer this method of connection, but recommend periodically releasing the airlock
On the return line. In such connection schemes, the coolant will be at a lower temperature. This will contribute to a longer pump life. And when water is pushed into the boiler by a pump, an air lock will not form
There are a number of other important points to be observed:
- The pump shaft must be installed horizontally. If mounted in a different position, the performance loss will be about 30%.
- It is better to install the pump on the bypass line of the system. This will help with minimallosses to solve the problem with heating if the pump breaks down or the power supply fails.
- At the time of the first start-up, air pockets cannot be avoided when filling the system with liquid. You shouldn't be afraid. The plug must be released through the valve or air outlet.
When connecting, there will be no particular difficulties, the main thing is to correctly assemble a set of pumping equipment.
Faults and repairs
In the heating system, especially in areas with hard water, s alts accumulate, which can settle on the pump parts. The rotor may be stuck. And if, after a summer vacation, the pump stops working, then you should carefully disassemble the device and push the impeller with a screwdriver. I succumbed and scrolled several times - you can install the system back. This breakdown is typical for systems with a wet rotor. This should be done especially carefully with pumps that have ceramic bearings. The material is fragile, and in the event of a breakdown, you will have to look for a suitable spare part, carry out a major overhaul.
The pump for the "warm floor with a dry rotor" system must undergo maintenance, lubrication of parts, replacement of gaskets. The service life of such devices with proper care is long.
Fault Prevention
The best repair is to prevent breakage. To do this, you need to perform a series of actions:
- Before starting the system, flush it. This will reduce the amount of debris and scale that can settle on the pump parts.
- Fill the line with softenedwater. Or during installation, provide water softeners or filters in the heating circuit.
- Do not drain water from the system during the summer period.
- During the non-working season, run the pump 3-4 times for a while.
All these measures will greatly reduce the risk of pump failure.
Connecting the pump to the warm floor can be done by hand.
The difficulty is the competent calculation and selection of equipment. It is better to provide a parallel connection scheme with a collector device. This will allow all rooms to be heated most evenly. Installation should be carried out according to the instructions. The quality of the underfloor heating depends on this stage. Another important point is the prevention of malfunctions and proper operation. If we take into account all these nuances, then the quality of additional heating will provide the most comfortable microclimate in housing with minimal energy consumption costs.
So, we found out what a floor circulation pump is.
