The presence of a cold floor in the house leads to a certain discomfort, especially in the winter season, since even the boiler, turned on at full power, is not able to warm the surface to the optimum level. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the traditional heating system is able to heat only the air mass, and not a dense and massive floor.
What to do?
One way to solve the problem described above is to connect a warm floor to the heating system.
The implementation of such actions leads to the following positive points:
- High economic efficiency.
- Safety.
- Almost imperceptible noise level.
- Unobtrusive.
A person who has a warm water floor in the house can set the required temperature at any time. In addition, this design is able to evenly heat any room.
Only accurate calculations and measurements can determine the correct connection of a warm floor to the heating system, which, in turn, will significantly reduce utility bills.
Advantages of water floor heating
Almost every person believes that underfloor heating has only advantages. Firstly, heat comes from the bottom up, therefore, everything will warm up correctly - the legs and head will be comfortable at the same time. The same point is the main difference between underfloor heating and radiator heating, in the case of the latter, warm air rises to the ceiling, and then the cooled air is lowered to the feet, which is not only less comfortable, but also uneconomical.
This same heat dissipation feature allows underfloor heating to improve indoor air quality. The work is based on thermal radiation, not convection, therefore, the circulation of harmful bacteria, pollen and dust is significantly reduced, which positively affects the level of air quality. People suffering from allergies or bronchial asthma simply need this kind of heating.
Another indisputable advantage of a water heated floor is that by the time the installation and finishing work is completed, it will not be visible.
You can completely remove the radiators and arrange the furniture according to your own wishes, without fear that the room will not warm up completely.
Installation of water floor heating in the houseallows you to provide a different level of temperature in the premises, depending on individual needs. All you need is to purchase and connect a programmable thermostat.
Another definite plus of a water heated floor is energy efficiency. The reason for this is extremely simple - the coolant in the radiator system is usually warmed up to 80-90 degrees, when 35-50 degrees are needed for optimal heating through a warm floor. Thanks to the large footprint, the lower temperature allows you to warm up the room in the same way as a red-hot battery, but using much less energy, which leads to a reduction in costs.
Not to be ignored is the extremely simple maintenance. Installation and proper commissioning guarantee the smooth operation of a water heated floor without human intervention.
Optimal wiring diagram
To ensure excellent performance, the owner must have a diagram for connecting the underfloor heating to the heating system, drawn up by a competent engineer. In this case, the needs of the owner and the features of the house should be taken into account. For example, the design of a water floor is influenced by: the area and shape of the heated room, its layout and allocated areas, furniture and household appliances, as well as the number of external walls in the room, which are the main source of cold.
The most common connection of a warm floor to a heating system is a spiral pipe laying. True, if you plan to heat a large room, then you can use such a laying method as a loop orsnake.
No matter what scheme you choose, a water heated floor cannot be made without: a comb for heating, a collector, a circulation pump, pipes, ball valves, fittings, a heating distributor and other equipment.
Single-pipe heating system
Connecting a warm floor to a single-pipe heating system ("Leningradka") requires the presence of: a heat exchanger (floor boiler), return and supply pipes equipped with shutoff valves, an expansion tank located in front of the boiler, a circulation pump and a safety unit.
In this case, the supply pipeline is located immediately after the circulation pump, and the return pipeline is in front. To regulate the temperature in the room, shut-off valves installed on the tie-ins are used. It can be either a valve or a ball valve.
The heat exchanger at the outlet has a temperature of 80 degrees, and by the time it enters the return pipe, it drops to 50 degrees. This is the optimum temperature for underfloor heating. With the help of shut-off valves mounted in the supply and return pipes, it is possible to completely turn off the system without stopping the operation of the radiators. In addition, a bypass can be installed on the return, which will allow temperature control.
Technological features
Connecting a warm floor to the heating system requires significant modernization, as there is a change in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the heating circuit.
The preparatory stage involves the following issues:
- How to connect the manifold module to existing pipes?
- How to reduce the temperature of the water that circulates in the heating system to the optimum value (about 55 degrees)?
- How to achieve optimal pressure (8-9 atm.)?
You also need to calculate the parameters of the installed system, the power of the heating elements and the optimal value of the main pipe.
Suitable heating systems
If the house already has a coolant, then the methods of connecting the underfloor heating to the heating system will depend on its type.
If we are talking about a one-pipe system, then an additional radiator will be required.
Two-pipe already assumes the presence of pipes with hot liquid and pipes necessary for the return water to the coolant for the next heating.
The correct determination of the order of connection of the water pipe and the collector results in the easiest and most reliable way to connect a warm floor.
Important! It is undesirable to use the gravitational principle of fluid advancement, as it leads to the fact that water cannot cope with the hydraulic resistance formed due to different diameters, as a result of which the operation of the system can be completely blocked.
About the elements of the underfloor heating connection scheme
Connecting a warm floor to an existing heating system requires the following standard elements:
- Pipes (preferablypolymer).
- Heat floor displacement unit (its main task is to maintain the optimum water temperature - about 50 degrees).
- Collectors that distribute liquid along the contours.
- Thermostats - devices that allow you to control the system.
Mixing unit
A mixing unit for connecting a warm floor is necessary to solve the following problem: the coolant leaving the boiler has a temperature of about 90 degrees, and a warm floor requires no more than 55 degrees. It can be connected to both new and existing structures.
The main function is to reduce the temperature of the coolant by mixing water from the return into the supply pipe.
The principle of operation and installation procedure of the mixing unit
The mixing unit includes a pump and a three-way valve. In stores, a kit may also be presented, including a manifold and an expansion tank.
Installation of the mixing unit involves choosing one of the following methods:
- Mount to manifold, no matter which side.
- The location of the mixing unit in the boiler room, and the collector somewhere else, for example, in the living room.
The second method allows you to get rid of the sound of a running pump.
Types of thermostats
Installing a floor heating thermostat makes it possible to use any heating device,without fear that it may overheat or fail. That is why this unit can be found not only in this system, but also in an iron or kettle.
If we are talking about an electric heat field, then the thermostat will allow not only to set the optimal temperature, but also significantly save electrical energy.
The heat transfer fluid assumes a slightly different temperature control procedure - a three-way valve or a circulation pump.
Some important nuances
Despite the fact that the water-heated floor does not have obvious disadvantages, there are still some important nuances that cannot be ignored:
- First of all, you need to make sure that the arrangement of the concrete screed will not cause difficulties. Alternatively, you can pay attention to aluminum panels, however, their cost is much higher, and compared to the concrete floor, they lose heat faster.
- The area of the room in which the equipment of a warm water floor is planned should be at least 20-25 m22. If you need to insulate a bathroom or a bathroom, then it is better to stay on an electric warm field.
- You need to determine the flooring in advance. Tile is considered the ideal option, since porcelain stoneware has the highest thermal conductivity.
- The main characteristic feature of a warm water floor under a concrete screed is slow heating. It is recommended to use this type of heating in order tomaintain the temperature, but do not turn it on and off constantly. So, for example, if you need to warm up a room that has been empty for a long time, then you need to turn on the warm floor in advance, since it will take a certain time to warm up.
In general, a water heated floor is the best option for heating a country house or cottage, among the undeniable advantages of which are: easy installation, long service life and low energy consumption.
