Warm floors, although not a complete alternative traditional types heating, but are increasingly being used as mandatory additional, for example, in bathrooms, in the kitchen or in the nursery. As a rule, even redecorating these rooms also includes the installation of a film underfloor heating, which does not require complex preparatory work- sufficiently even and in good condition subfloor or screed.
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Why are more and more often choosing a film option for underfloor heating
The fact that underfloor heating is an efficient and very comfortable type of heating became clear as soon as it began to conquer the market, but its wide distribution was hampered by two factors:
- the first one is pretty high price financial investments at the installation stage and not always obvious and quick economic benefits;
- the second is related to the complexity of installation, namely the need for a new screed, which almost always means full-scale repair work - therefore, underfloor heating was mainly installed in new country houses or in apartments in new buildings, that is, where in any case it was necessary to make a screed.
A number of advantages of film floors
One of the important advantageous difference between film floors and traditional electric or water floors is that they can be mounted directly under the finish flooring, and there are no special restrictions on the type of material. It is allowed to lay a film underfloor heating under laminate, ceramic tiles, linoleum, and even - the choice of flooring is very wide and is limited only by the preferences of the owner or the need to match a certain interior style.
Principle of operation
The film warm floor also has a second name - infrared, determined by the principle of its operation, which gives high efficiency, more than 90%. The principle of operation of film underfloor heating is based on the use of carbon fiber, which serves as a heating element, and its operation is activated by an electric current that is converted into infrared radiation.
This type of floor can significantly reduce energy consumption, as some specifications carbon, in particular, the high thermal conductivity of the material, contribute to this.
Do-it-yourself installation of a film underfloor heating video:
Drawing up a scheme for connecting a warm floor
If the installation of such a variant of the warm floor is done correctly, then it is absolutely safe, in addition, it is not afraid of small mechanical damage - this will not lead to its complete repair, but it is enough to change, repair or turn off a specific section. As for other underfloor heating, installation of this type should be carried out only in the furniture-free part of the room, so it is necessary to develop a floor connection diagram with the exact application of all its elements to it, and especially the temperature sensor, which, to ensure correct operation, must be located under maximum open floor area.
trailer stacking
Features of installation of film underfloor heating
Foundation preparation
A film floor requires an even base (height differences should not exceed 3 mm per 1 m²), which must be cleaned of any construction debris and dust, for this you can use a household vacuum cleaner. As a rule, this type of underfloor heating can be laid on existing foundation, but if the surface has minor defects, they should be leveled with a thin screed.
Note!
In the event that the floor is completely in critical condition, a new draft base will be required.
Heat and waterproofing measures
After the surface of the base is ready, the heat-insulating layer is mounted. It is recommended to use foil types of insulation, which will ensure not only the safety of heat, but also direct it into the room. You can use penofol, penoppropylene or polystyrene foam. In cases where a film warm floor is laid under the tile, as thermal insulation material technical cork or mineral wool can be used.
If a warm floor is installed in a bathroom, in a kitchen or in a closed loggia, it is imperative that a layer must be laid before thermal insulation. waterproofing material, in other rooms it is not prohibited, but there is no special need for it. In the bathroom, instead of two layers: hydro- and thermal insulation, only a layer of waterproofing is allowed, but on condition that this is not the first floor, but the room located on the floor below is heated. In addition to horizontal insulation, in some cases it may be necessary to perform vertical insulation, for example, the wall of the room faces the leeward or north side.
Preparation of heating elements for installation
First, according to a pre-drawn scheme, segments of the film are prepared, but always taking into account the fact that the laying will be carried out in such a way that they do not overlap and do not touch. The manufacturer indicates the places where the film should be cut, but if necessary, it can be cut in any other place, but only strictly between the heating strips. After that, you should insulate the ends of the cut strips and for this you can use a special electrical tape or adhesive tape:
- if the cut of the film coincides with the factory one, then only the plates need insulation;
- when a cut is made between the heating strips, the entire edge of the film along the width is subject to insulation.
Installation of film underfloor heating
The next step - prepared heating elements are laid on the prepared base, according to the scheme, and places are marked for strobes for wiring and thermal sensor. It should be noted that the scheme for connecting a film underfloor heating, or rather its compilation, is very milestone work and should not be neglected, since in this case, even on preparatory stage, you can correct existing errors and, if necessary, make adjustments.
Film laying
Connecting a thermal sensor and thermostat
The thermal sensor is mounted first and is connected to the underside of the film. And for the safety and durability of the operation of a warm film floor, all wires are recommended, as well as temperature sensor install using corrugated tubing. When installing a warm film floor, it is necessary to observe the correct connection of the heating strips: they must be connected in parallel. The installation of the thermostat is carried out after all the contact connections of the wires and film clips have been made and insulated.
Then the resistance indicators are measured, the data on which can be found either in the instructions for the film floor, or on the back of the warranty card.
Note!
If you plan to do the installation yourself, you need to take into account that this stage is carried out before the start of work on the thermal and waterproofing of the floor, and after completion, the surface is cleaned.
How to lay the flooring correctly and perform the first switch-on
Dense polyethylene is used as a protective layer between the heating elements and the floor covering, which should be laid “overlapping” (~ 20 cm).
Next, the final floor covering is laid. If the latter is used ceramic tile, then it is necessary to choose the type of glue that will not be an aggressive environment for heating elements. In addition, you should allow time for the screed to dry completely (about 2 weeks) and only after that you can turn on the underfloor heating for the first time. And the floor prepared for, parquet, carpet, floorboard and other materials, is laid directly on the protective film.
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Infrared warm film floor was invented at the end of the 20th century, and appeared in Russia at the beginning of this one. In the article, we will try to understand the structure of the film floor, as well as to understand how the do-it-yourself installation procedure takes place.
Warm film floor
floor structure
The structure of the film floor is very simple. So imagine a long roll of film of a certain width. For example, 1 meter. And across this film, i.e. across the width, heating warm carbon strips are laid out. Their main purpose is to be a resistance to a voltage of 220 volts connected to a warm floor.
Basically, one roll of film has a length of 7 to 13 running meters. This length depends on one single factor: the thickness of the copper strips that run along the film. It is along these strips that the current runs, and the maximum amount of current that is passed through the film depends on their structure (the more, the better).
The big disadvantage of infrared film underfloor heating is that the developers of this design have to combine copper strips with carbon strips. Some carry current and do not heat up, while others are resistance and heat comes from them. Usually they are connected with a silver substrate, which gives the least amount of resistance.
But this is in the case of using current-carrying paste, with silver - and these are cheap warm film floors. If you purchase a high-quality infrared floor, then you can be sure that there will be no short circuits and delaminations due to temperature differences. Such films also contain an “anti-spark” grid in their structure.
During installation, the task is facilitated by the presence of special cuts every 25 centimeters, which allow you to cut the film in this place without worrying that it can be damaged. These places have no important elements. All current-carrying and heating strips are located between two layers of film of different thicknesses. So, overall thickness films usually do not exceed 400 microns (or 0.4 mm).
Please note that such a film floor requires careful and careful operation, from transportation to installation and further use. You should not use screed installation, because, as experience shows, the film fails over the years. Remember that the slightest crack or scratch is a threat to your safety!
Useful characteristics of the infrared floor
- since the heat transmitted by the floor goes through the spectrum of infrared waves, the amount of heat transferred through the upper surface of the floor directly depends on the wavelength; so, the film floor has a wavelength in the range of 5-20 micrometers, which allows you to transfer over 90% of the heat through the tile or screed;
- the infrared floor helps to increase negative ions in the room, which are also called “air vitamins” in another way, since they help a person to better absorb oxygen during breathing;
- gives freshness and purity;
- there is practically no e / m radiation, such floors are absolutely harmless to humans;
- despite more low temperature than with standard apartment heating of the room (by about 5 degrees Celsius), the owner of the house and his guests will feel no less comfortable and cozy;
- infrared radiation heats objects in the room, which transfer their heat further - to the person.
Underfloor heating installation - General instructions
Preparatory stage
At the first stage, you need to free the room from unnecessary interior items - furniture, household appliances, carpets, etc. Next, you need to dismantle the floor, get rid of the floor covering - be it linoleum, tile or. After that, we carefully inspect our warm film floor and check it for defects such as depressions, cracks, sharp bulges and bumps. All this can cause the destruction of the surface of the film coating! And that's a security risk. Level the floor. In all sorts of recesses, you can place a substrate that reflects heat, the very one that you are going to use as a "litter" for an infrared film floor.
Selecting the location of the temperature sensor
The next step is to find a place to install the temperature sensor. Think it's that simple?
First, understand that the sensor must be installed on the substrate, between it and the film floor. If you install the sensor under the substrate, then it will come into contact with the cold floor. The temperature from the film floor goes up, so the sensor will track incorrect readings.
Secondly, take into account the fact that the sensor has an approximate thickness of about 5-7 mm, and its wire is hard and rigid, which avoids its deformation. If you have achieved perfect flat surface floor, then pick up a chisel (for example) or a chipper and forward make a hole for the sensor and the wire coming from it. In order to avoid unpleasant surprises, make a hole immediately slightly larger than the sensor itself, approximately 3-5 mm in different directions from it.
Selecting the location of the temperature controller
The next step is to find a place where we will attach our thermostat, which allows us to see all the information on the display about the readings of the film floor, set certain heating conditions, etc. The difficulty lies in the fact that usually the thermostat comes with a wire no more than 3 meters. So, if you install a warm film floor approximately in the center of the room, then you will have to solder others to these wires in order to stretch them from the temperature sensor to the thermostat. The thermostat itself is best hung on the wall at the level of your height, and so that you do not have to bend over to the outlet and set the temperature, run a cable from any outlet in the wall to a height opposite your eyes.
Thermoregulators come in different versions: some require a niche in the wall (you will need to manually make a recess for the mounting box), others are mounted directly on the wall, others require the installation of an adapter box on the wall, to which the thermostat will be attached in the future.
Installing a heat reflective underlay
To install the substrate, you will need the substrate itself, as well as double-sided tape plus lavsan with a metal coating or ordinary stationery (in the absence of lavsan).
Important! It is required to choose such an area of \u200b\u200bthe substrate, which will be at least slightly larger than the film floor itself. The amount of heat loss depends on this: the greater the difference in area between the substrate and the film, the less loss you will achieve. At the same time, you yourself decide whether to put a warm film floor on the entire area of the room or on separate sections.
When you decide on the place of laying the film, cut out the necessary pieces, then proceed to laying it on the surface of the substrate. Copper strips that carry current must be directed downwards. After that, use lavsan or stationery tape to secure the film to the substrate. At the same time, glue the adhesive tape along the edge of the film strips in length, stopping from the end about 20 cm. The fact is that you still have to connect the film floor and you need access under the film. You still have time to glue it tightly.
To connect the film, special clips called "crabs" are used. So, one half of the “crab” is inserted between two films, the other part is located on the copper strips from below. Then they are clamped together under spring pressure.
In order to simplify the task of connecting, which plays a very important role (after all, if the contact is poor, the “crab” metal can oxidize and very soon the warm infrared film floor will fail), do this: spread the two layers of the film with a knife, insert a match there, and only then place a part of the “crab” to avoid any kind of tearing from the cloves on the “crab”. "Crab" must be motionless! Check it out by pulling it to the sides.
Wiring connection
When connecting a strip of film, one must take into account the fact that each of them must be supplied with a voltage of 220 volts. That is, they must be connected in parallel, and not in series, because then each strip will lower the voltage due to the resistance due to carbon tapes.
Use wire with several cores, not rigid, while choosing the cross-sectional area depending on the maximum load. Yes, 1 square meter underfloor heating consumes about 220 watts of power. Calculate how many square meters you have and multiply this figure by 220. Get the total capacity. Basically 1.5 square millimeters should be enough for you.
Nothing is more invigorating than the touch of your feet on the cold floor. Especially in the morning. At these moments, we remember all the ancient mantras, enviously calling various misfortunes on the head of a more successful neighbor. In fact, his feet do not freeze, his shoes dry naturally in the hallway, he lives in a wonderful world. But this is not a miracle, but a warm film floor. A system that is quite possible to implement with your own hands. The good thing is that on the modern market there are many almost ready systems floor heating.
On this page you will find detailed information about this underfloor heating system, and step by step instructions DIY installation with photo and video materials.
Pros and cons of the film floor
First, about the pleasant. The advantages of this heating system are diverse, we list only a few of them:
Low price. In fact, such material is relatively inexpensive. Depending on the manufacturer and material of manufacture, the cost per 1 sq.m will be from 350 to 1300 rubles. For comparison, the material and installation of a warm water floor will cost two to three times more.
Low electricity consumption. The most powerful film floor consumes about 200 watts per square meter. On average, this value is lower: 150 W per m 2. Compared with the "voracity" of the cable floor (180-220 W), the benefits are obvious. You can’t even talk about a classic water floor: gas consumption for heating water, plus electricity consumption circulation pump– it turns out a decent amount.
Read tact: The most economical of all -!
Ease of installation. Knowing the basic rules, almost any owner can lay underfloor heating.
Beneficial features. Yes, this is not a myth or a miracle. The film floor ionizes the air, kills unpleasant odors, creates favorable microclimate in any room.
As seen, positive qualities so much that you want to run for a purchase right now. However, it would be dishonest to remain silent about the shortcomings of these systems. So, what is "uncomfortable" in a warm film floor?
Furniture cannot be placed on top. This is true for bimetallic material, carbon film underfloor heating is not so demanding. The minus is obvious: if the room is planned to be rearranged, then it is difficult to guess on which part of the floor you can lay the film, and which cannot.
You need a flat surface. That is, you need additional expenses for surface leveling. Imagine a situation where a film lies on an uneven surface and is pushed through by the coating. Insulation breaks, short circuit occurs. The result is a fire. Extremely nasty stuff.
Some jobs cannot be done on your own. You can prepare the surface, lay the film floor, even connect the power cable to it. But only a qualified electrician can install a thermostat, RCD and quality control.
Having dealt with the advantages and disadvantages, you can consider under which coating you can lay a film warm floor.
What kind of flooring is it suitable for?
The main question that worries many people is something like this: “Is it possible to lay a film floor if there is a tile on top?”. Yes, but only carbon. The bimetallic floor is completely unsuitable for these purposes.
In general, if you study numerous reviews, you can find out that it is good to lay a film floor under various types of floor coverings:
- wood (laminate, parquet);
- linoleum. More ;
- cork sheets.
The only condition will be the installation of a thermostat that allows you to maintain the temperature evenly over the entire floor area, within 27 degrees. Why exactly this value? If we consider physical properties wood flooring, it becomes clear that a change in its structure occurs at a temperature of 28 0 C. That is, when the floor is heated above 27 degrees, the material will deform.
Substrate laying
After the surface is completely dry, lay the substrate on the place where the film floor heating will be spread. If you want to heat the entire floor surface with a carbon film, then you need to spread the substrate, stepping back 10 - 30 cm from the walls. Joints must be fixed with masking tape.
Before installing the film, carefully inspect the entire surface so that the substrate is well fixed and does not bulge anywhere.
Do-it-yourself installation of a film underfloor heating
It is believed that a bimetallic film can be laid in any way, cutting it into strips of arbitrary length and shape. Actually it is not. There are a number of rules.
The ratio of the width and length of the stripes. You need to know what size your material is, because there is a maximum allowable length for the width:
- width 500 mm - maximum 9 linear meters;
- 800 mm - 5.5 p / m;
- 1000 mm - 4.5 p / m.
Minimum joints. The more joints, the lower the reliability of the coating. Therefore, the decision on how to lay an electric underfloor heating, along or across the room, depends on its dimensions, as well as on the width of the material itself.
Correct cutting. This material cannot be cut, like a substrate, in any order. To understand where you can cut the film, look at its surface. It is usually divided into square sections with dark (graphite) coating. In these places it is impossible to pierce and cut the material. In addition, it is forbidden to damage the copper wires (they are also perfectly visible).
The sequence of actions when laying the film
- We lay the sheets parallel to each other, avoiding overlap (butt). Spread the film only with copper conductors downwards. Important! If you accidentally pierced (pierced) the film through and through, you need to insulate this place from both sides.
- The side opposite to the one to which the connection will be made must be insulated. For this, bituminous insulation is used, which has great reliability and protection of the coating. Cut off the insulation a little more than required in size, this will provide greater reliability. So that the insulation does not protrude above the general level, you need to cut a recess in the substrate and hide the insulated edge there. For better fixation, it is necessary to glue the insulated edge to the substrate with masking tape.
- In the same way, using adhesive tape, we fix the sheets between each other and the edges of the infrared warm floor.
- Install the thermostat. See below for how to choose.
- Using a wire and copper clamps, we connect the underfloor heating mats to the thermostat. The connection must be consistent: like the connection of strips in a sheet of underfloor heating.
- We hook copper clips to those places that are indicated in the instructions. At this stage, it is important not to break through the material. To do this, carefully insert one side of the clamp between the film and the copper core. The other part is gently pressed against the film with pliers or light hammer blows. We do the same with each sheet.
- Now you need to connect the thermostat to the network and check the performance of the warm floor. This job is best left to a professional electrician for several reasons. The specialist knows all the nuances and can connect the entire system to the network with a quality guarantee. In addition, the bimetallic film floor is characterized by the absence of grounding. To protect yourself and your loved ones, you will need to install an RCD (device protective shutdown), which will de-energize the circuit section in the event of a short circuit. Installation of such equipment should be done by a specialist.
- The system health check typically takes 15 minutes. This time is enough.
Construction mesh installation
If the floors warm up evenly, and there are no complaints about the work of the warm floor, you can start installation construction mesh. What is it for? This material acts as a bonding base for the flooring.
Regardless of the material chosen, it will move slightly, expand with temperature changes, and so on. However, it can damage the warm floor.
Attention! If installation is planned tiles(in the case of a carbon film floor) - laying is strictly prohibited metal mesh. The best option, as mentioned above, will become fiberglass.
It is better to attach the grid to the floor. For this, dowels are used, which are inserted into drilled holes. You need to drill in those places where there is no black graphite coating.
How to choose the right thermostat?
Manufacturers produce temperature controllers various kinds: both mechanical and electronic. The latter type is in great demand due to its functionality: some models support work on a given program. That is, heating can turn on in the morning when you just woke up or in the evening. Saving electricity is obvious: you can, for example, set the program and the film floor heating will turn off at night if heating is not needed at this time of day.
The main thing to pay attention to is the correspondence between the power of the temperature controller and the power of the floor. Calculating this value is quite easy: you need to multiply the area of \u200b\u200bthe infrared floor by its power. Let's take an example. Let's say the floor area is 15 sq.m, and the floor power per 1 square meter is 180 watts. We multiply 15 by 180 and get the number 2700. This means that a thermostat with a power of 3 kW is required.
Tip: if the power of the thermostat is more than 2.5 kW, it is advisable to install a separate circuit breaker. In the event of a system failure, it will turn off the electrical circuit.
Conclusion
The installation of the underfloor heating is completed, you can start laying the final floor covering. To avoid unpleasant situations during the operation of the film floor, follow these recommendations:
- The interval between laying tiles or porcelain tiles on graphite floor and starting the heating system should not be less than 28 days. During this time, all moisture from adhesive composition completely evaporate, which will help to avoid a short circuit.
- For bimetallic heating system no furniture can be placed. Keep this in mind when rearranging indoors.
- Don't neglect installation additional equipment e.g. RCD. This will protect you from fire in the system and from electric shock in the event of a malfunction.
By following all the instructions prescribed by the manufacturer and our advice, you can create a miracle no worse than that of a neighbor. Now let him envy you: for sure he has water system heating, requiring large monthly costs. Good luck with your repair and warm floor under your feet!
The warm film floor belongs to infrared electric heating systems with high technical characteristics. Installation of this type of device is quite simple, but it can be difficult to connect it to electrical network. Therefore, not everyone can install equipment on their own. How to properly connect a film underfloor heating and what should be considered during installation work?
A warm film floor is quite simple design. As heating element a carbon mixture protrudes in the device, which is located in the form of strips between a soldered heat-resistant film. Admission electric current is done with copper wires. Each conductor connecting the carbon tapes is covered with a protective sheath.
feature film system underfloor heating is a parallel type connection. Due to this, a failed separate heating element of the structure does not affect the working process of the entire equipment.
They produce film rolls 50 meters long, while the width of the product for floor heating can be in the range from 50 centimeters to 1 meter. A carbon mixture that emits infrared radiation can be located between the layers of the film in the form of strips, and in more expensive models the carbon heater is a continuous sheet.
The film that forms the basis of the infrared floor heating is made of strong polypropylene, which does not change shape when heated to 120 degrees. In this case, the thickness of the material, depending on the model, can be from 0.23 to 0.47 millimeters.
heating system film type is used for all finishing floor coverings. Installation is carried out on a rough basis. Screed after laying is not required. Facing material placed directly on the film.
An important point in the installation of this type of underfloor heating is a small power consumption. On average, a film heating system consumes 25 to 35 watts per hour.
Criterias of choice
Models of manufactured warm infrared film floors have distinctive technical characteristics. There are several factors to consider when choosing a system:
- film quality and size. The characteristics of the product indicate the characteristics and material of manufacture of the warm floor. The denser and more layers of the film coating, the higher the resistance to mechanical damage. The width of the roll is selected depending on design features premises and areas.
- Power. The size of the heated room and the purpose of the underfloor heating system itself affect the value of this parameter. For equipment that is installed as the main heating, a sufficiently high power rating is required.
- Integrity and completeness of the system. When buying a warm film floor, you must visually inspect the product to exclude damage. The presence of all elements included in the heating device package will also be checked.
quality system infrared system warm it is recommended to purchase in specialized stores, where a certificate of quality for products and a guarantee of its use are provided.
Scope of application
Film equipment is widely used for heating various types premises. The system can act as:
- additional heating device;
- main source of heat.
Also, a warm floor can be installed to maintain the temperature of individual sections of the room. The film floor is most often used for heating;
- living rooms;
- bathrooms;
- utility rooms;
- loggias;
- bathrooms;
- winter gardens;
- public buildings;
- sports halls.
Often, a film heating system is used in kindergartens or game rooms. The device gained such popularity due to numerous positive characteristics, which include safety of use.
Advantages and disadvantages
A warm infrared film-type floor is considered one of the the best systems floor heating. Its main benefits include:
- the possibility of installation without a special load on the floor due to the low weight of the heating product;
- ensuring uniform heating of the entire surface of the floor covering during operation;
- ability to function fully when damaged individual elements devices;
- absence of electromagnetic radiation;
- long period of use;
- cost-effectiveness of use due to the low consumption of electrical energy, if you do not take into account the installation of the system as the main heating;
- ease of installation work.
A screed is not required for laying the film, and the top coat can be used regardless of its type. The system warms up fairly quickly without drying out the air.
Among the disadvantages of a warm film floor, sometimes there is a low resistance to mechanical influences and relatively high cost for quality products.
Mounting Features
Laying a floor heating film is not particularly difficult, but connecting the device requires precision and certain skills. Incorrect connection of equipment can cause a quick failure of the entire system. Therefore, if the installation of a film underfloor heating is planned to be carried out independently, then all actions should be carried out strictly according to the recommended scheme, taking into account all those indicated in the instructions. technological features heating product.
Scheme and styling features
Before spreading the film, you should calculate the parameters of the room. Laying can be done both longitudinally and across the room. It is necessary to arrange a material that emits infrared radiation based on the features of the layout of the room.
If the heating system will be used as the main heating, then the captivity will cover more than 60 percent of the floor area. When installing equipment as additional heating, it is possible to lay out the layout in separate areas. You also need to take into account that the minimum distance from the walls should be 20 centimeters.
In order to avoid overheating of the system, it is recommended to exclude laying under overall equipment and large pieces of furniture. In this case, the overlapping of the strips of the film should not be allowed, and the cutting of the material should be carried out only along the lines marked on it.
It is necessary to spread the film so that the heating elements are directed upwards, and the copper strips are directed towards the base. To properly install the device, follow all the installation recommendations specified by the manufacturer in the attached instructions.
Foundation preparation
Installation of a warm floor film type is carried out on rough screed from concrete. The main condition for the installation of equipment is a clean and even base. If the old coating has significant defects, then it should be removed. The working surface of the floor must be free of dirt and dust.
Installation of a warm infrared floor requires the use of a special substrate. The heat-reflecting material is spread over the entire area of the pre-prepared base.
The underlayment should fit snugly against the walls. To connect its strips, adhesive tape is used. The edges of the heat-reflecting material are also fixed. You can use a stapler for these purposes.
Film mounting
It is necessary to lay the film according to the scheme planned in advance. Stripes from polypropylene material are cut into the necessary parts according to the specified markings. In this case, the film should be located from wall to wall in a continuous layer.
After placing the strips, they are fixed to the substrate with adhesive tape. All sections of the cuts with outward copper conductors must be insulated.
Connection
To connect contacts you need:
- copper strips are fixed with a special clip;
- one side of the terminal must be inside the film, and the other outside;
- for tight adhesion of the contacts, the clamps should be pressed well on each side of the film material;
- wires are connected to correctly installed terminals - alternating "phase" and "zero";
- the connection points of the contacts are completely isolated with a special bitumen tape.
Installation of thermostat and sensor
The place on the wall for the regulator is determined before laying the system. It must be located near the current electrical wiring. At the same time, furniture or other objects in the room should not block the device.
All wires coming from installed thermostat, are placed in a strobe. The contacts connected to the film must be on the side of the control device.
The sensor is fixed with adhesive tape under the film coating. It should be located near the thermostat. So that the device does not protrude above the surface of the film, it is recommended to deepen it into the substrate.
After completion of installation and connection of all equipment of a warm film floor, a trial run of the system is required.
Laying the finish coat
Floor cladding can only be carried out after a complete check of the working process of the heating system.
Soft finish coats such as linoleum or carpet, it is recommended to lay on a layer of fiberboard or use another wood material small thickness. Such protection will avoid further mechanical damage. heating equipment.
For other stronger floor coverings, it is enough to cover the film with a thin polyethylene substrate.
Possible mounting errors
For the correct functioning of the film heating system, perfect precision in laying and connecting the entire device is required. In the process of performing independent installation work, mistakes are often made. Therefore, you should know what you can not do when installing such equipment:
- lay the film overlap;
- install one thermostat on two separate circuits;
- fasten the film to the base with nails or other sharp fasteners;
- install equipment near other heating appliances;
- connect the device without isolating the contacts to the electrical network;
- use a foil containing material as a substrate;
- cover the system with cement mortar;
- install dimensional pieces of furniture in the places where the film passes;
- bend material with a carbon mixture at a right angle.
To avoid damage to the film during repair work indoors, it is recommended to maintain accurate laying patterns.
Compared to many other floor heating systems, the installation of film heating equipment is much easier. Following the diagrams and instructions specified by the manufacturer, the installation of the device can be done by hand. But to connect the system to the network, certain professional skills are required. Therefore, the process of connecting all devices must be carried out by a qualified electrician.
Increased attention to infrared warm floors is fully justified, because. the technical characteristics of this innovative heating system demonstrate a number of advantages and allow you to equip an energy-efficient home.
Infrared film underfloor heating - what is it
Infrared underfloor heating is popular due to its unique operating principle. Although it is a variation (because it requires electricity to function), the infrared floor is much more economical and safer than its predecessor.
The principle of operation of IR underfloor heating is based on the release of thermal energy in the infrared range. Long waves of radiation heat a person and the surfaces of surrounding objects: furniture, walls. And they, in turn, being a secondary source of heat (reflectors) heat the air in the room. This approach to home heating allows you to subjectively feel the heat before the air warms up.
Advantages and disadvantages of infrared underfloor heating
- no electromagnetic radiation;
- simultaneous damage to the entire system is reduced to zero, thanks to the parallel connection of units;
- installation on any surface (horizontal, vertical, inclined) does not cause difficulties;
- uniform heating of the floor surface. What is very important when an infrared warm floor is installed under the laminate;
- do-it-yourself installation will not be difficult;
- it is possible to dismantle the film, for example, when moving;
- installation of the floor is possible in a room for any purpose (including wet ones) and under any type of coating;
- let's allow installation of the film in an open area (veranda, terrace) and closed (rooms in an apartment or house, office, warehouse, etc.);
- high heat transfer (97%) and efficiency (30% higher compared to other electric underfloor heating systems).
- the need to comply with the rules for connecting and operating the system;
- not recommended as the main source of heating due to the high inertia of the system (heats up quickly, cools down quickly);
- unlike, film is unstable to mechanical stress and damage.
Types of infrared film underfloor heating
Despite the relative novelty of the infrared heating system, manufacturers offer several varieties of them:
- film infrared heat-insulated floor. The essence of this system is that the heating element is a fiber laid between two layers of a polymer film. The heating film is flexible, durable, wear-resistant, and also a good dielectric.
In turn, the film floor has its own varieties. The division is based on the composition of the heating element:
- carbon - carbon-graphite;
- bimetallic - copper and aluminum.
The first system has become more widespread among users.
- . The peculiarity of the system is that the function of the heating element is performed by carbon rods connected by a wire. This is the most innovative of the systems, allowing you to reduce heating costs by 60% (compared to other systems). The ubiquity of carbon rod floors is hindered only by their high price.
Comparison of these systems for specific operating conditions will make it possible to find out which infrared warm floor is better.
Do-it-yourself installation of infrared floor heating
Installation instructions for infrared film underfloor heating consists of a number of successive steps, which you need to study in detail in order to eliminate the possibility of an error:
- Creation (development) of the project and calculation.
- Selection of equipment and materials.
- Installation of the IR warm floor system.
- Test run (verification).
- Clean finish.
Stage 1 - project development and calculation
An important feature of the installation of an infrared film floor is that it is not mounted under furniture. Thus, starting to calculate required amount material and determining the place of laying the film, you need to subtract the area under which the film will not be laid.
Note. For the system to be considered effective, the film must cover at least 80% of the surface of the room if the film floor is the main heating system of the house / apartment and at least 40% if it is an auxiliary (alternative, additional).
Calculation of infrared film underfloor heating
- calculation of the total area of the premises: Sp \u003d a * b * 2;
- calculation of the heating area Sb \u003d Sp - (X, Y, Z)
a, b - length and width of the room, m;
Sb - heating area, sq.m.;
X, Y, Z - fixed and / or low-standing interior items (furniture, Appliances etc.).
Note. The calculation of the heated area is made taking into account the fact that the IR film is laid no closer than 100 mm to any vertical (adjacent) surface or object.
After calculating the heated area, you need to calculate the sufficient power of the system. Be aware that the power range heating film is 150-220 W/sq.m.
Calculation of energy consumption of infrared floor heating
The energy consumption indicator for a film floor can be calculated by the formula: E \u003d Sp * k * T
Where, E - energy consumption, W / h;
Sp is the total area of the premises, sq.m.;
k - conversion factor (depends on the set temperature, if the system is turned on by 40% - the coefficient will be 0.4);
T - thermal power floor.
It is easy to calculate the cost of heating with an infrared floor, knowing the electricity tariff in a particular region.
Calculation of the power of infrared floor heating
A situation is possible when the area of the room is large enough and for the installation of a film heating system it is necessary to use several sets infrared film- in this case, their power is summed up. P total = P1 + P2 + ... + Pi,
If part of the kit was used, the calculation is made according to the formula:
P total = 110 L
P total - the total power of the film floor, W;
P1…Pi is the power of a single set of film, W.
L is the length of the infrared film that is used during installation;
110 – film floor power conversion factor.
Calculation of the number of thermostats and their installation location
The function of the thermostat for infrared floor heating is to regulate the level of heating.
As for the quantity, you should know that when connecting several sets of a film floor, it is necessary to install several thermostats, because the power consumption of a warm floor is summed up.
It is advisable to install the thermostat at a height of at least 150-200 mm. above the level of the finish coating, and for comfortable use at a height of about a meter (the height of the outlets). The second option is possible if the infrared floor heating system is installed before the repair work is performed.
Advice. The thermostat is placed on the wall, which is located perpendicular to the direction of laying the strips. This technique will reduce the length of the wire.
The thermostat is mounted next to the electrical wiring in a hidden or external way.
When exceeding permissible load There are two connection options for the thermostat:
- zoning and connecting each zone to its own thermostat;
- inclusion in the circuit of a solid state relay or magnetic starter. In this case, the system will be controlled by one relay. Such a connection requires certain knowledge, which requires the involvement of an electrician.
The scheme for laying infrared film for underfloor heating includes an indication of the direction of placement of the strips. Manufacturers and craftsmen recommend laying the film along the longer of the sides, this will reduce the number of cuts in the heating film when cornering.
Rules for placement (laying) of infrared floor film:
- the first row of film should be placed no closer than 100 mm. to the wall (or to another object), but no further than 400 mm;
- film cut line pitch – 250 mm. Cutting the film in other places is prohibited;
- the distance between adjacent film strips is at least 10 mm;
- the maximum allowable length of the floor strip is 8,000 mm.
The project of infrared film underfloor heating should contain:
- calculation of usable area;
- calculation of system power;
- the place of installation of the thermostat (and their number, when installing a warm floor in a large room);
- the direction of laying the film strips;
- number of stripes (depending on the width of the film).
The result of the design should be an installation diagram, which is necessary both for installation work and for further operation and repair.
Stage 2 - selection of equipment and building materials
Film underfloor heating is sold as a kit, which includes:
- infrared film for underfloor heating;
- connecting clips;
- scotch;
- thermostat;
- temperature sensor.
Note. The set depends on the manufacturer. For example, heat plus, caleo systems contain everything you need to work.
Additionally you need to buy:
- electric wire (preferably copper, stranded, with a cross section of 1.5-2.5 mm);
- thermal insulation material. Electric infrared floor heating allows the use of any type of insulation: foil film (with polymer coating), polyethylene foam, natural cork, etc.
- waterproofing film;
Tool: assembly knife, scissors, pliers, screwdriver, wire cutters, adhesive tape, hammer, tester, drill bit (nozzle for drill), puncher, square, pencil.
Stage 3 - installation of infrared floor heating
Step-by-step instructions for beginners with no experience in construction:
1. Preparation (learning security measures)
If the work is performed by a non-professional, you need to familiarize yourself with the installation technique and safety measures:
- minimize walking on the laid film. Film protection against mechanical damage, possible when moving along it, is achieved through the use of soft covering material (thickness from 5 mm);
- do not allow installation of heavy objects on the film;
- prevent the instrument from falling onto the film.
Safety rules for installing IR floor heating:
- it is forbidden to connect a heating film rolled into a roll to the power source;
- film installation is carried out with no power supply;
- connection to the power supply is carried out strictly according to SNiP and PUE;
- film installation rules are observed (length, indents, absence of overlaps, etc.);
- only suitable insulation is used;
- installation of the film under furniture and other heavy objects is excluded;
- installation of a film under low-standing objects is excluded. These are all items having an air gap between the bottom surface and the floor of less than 400 mm;
- contact of the film with communications, fittings and other obstacles is not allowed;
- isolation of all contacts (clamps) and cutting line of conductive copper bars is provided;
- the film floor is not installed in rooms where there is a high risk of frequent water ingress;
- mandatory installation of an RCD (residual current device);
- break, cut, bend the heating cable;
- mount the film at temperatures below -5 °C.
2. Preparation of the thermostat installation site
Includes chasing the wall (for wires and temperature sensor) to the floor and drilling a hole for the appliance. The thermostat is powered from the nearest outlet.
Advice. It is advisable to lay the wires in the corrugation, this technique will simplify Maintenance and repairs if needed.
3. Foundation preparation
Infrared film is laid only on a flat and clean surface. Horizontal deviation of the surface exceeding 3 mm is also unacceptable. Masters recommend treating the surface with a primer.
Note. Dismantling of the old floor (draft) is not required if its surface is satisfactory.
4. Laying the waterproofing film
The function of the waterproofing film is to protect the underfloor heating electrical system from moisture coming from below.
5. Installation of thermal insulation material
According to user reviews, the insulation allows you to increase the heating efficiency due to the fact that the heat does not go down. However, when installing an infrared floor heating system on the second floor, rarely anyone used a heater, because. thermal energy will warm up the ceiling between the first and second floor.
Advice. Foil insulation should be laid with the metallized side to the floor.
6. Laying infrared floor heating
- drawing markings for laying on the floor;
- preparation of a strip of film of the desired length. Please note that the film can only be cut along the cut line;
- the film is located towards the wall that is intended for the installation of the thermostat. The strip is oriented with a copper heater down;
- the recommended distance from the wall of 100 mm is maintained;
- the recommended indent (gap) between the edges of the infrared film sheets of 50-100 mm is maintained (film overlap is not allowed);
- strips near the walls are glued to the insulation with adhesive tape (squares, but not a continuous strip). This will avoid shifting the canvas.
7. Installation of clips
Metal clamps must be attached to the ends of the copper bus. When installing, it is necessary that one side of the clamp is inserted between the copper bar and the film. And the second was located above the copper surface. Crimping is carried out evenly, without distortions.
8. Connecting the wires of the infrared floor
The wires are installed on the clamp, followed by insulation and tight crimping. The ends of the copper bus are also insulated at the point of cutting. The requirement of parallel connection of wires is observed (right with right, left with left). In order not to get confused, it is convenient to use a wire of different colors. Then the wires will be laid under the plinth.
Advice. So that the clip with the wire does not protrude above the film, it can be placed in a heater. Previously, a square is cut out in the insulation for the clamp.
9. Installing the temperature sensor for the thermostat
10. Connecting the infrared floor heating to the thermostat
Stage 4 - test launch of the system (check)
Test connection of an infrared heat-insulated floor is an obligatory step before laying a final floor covering.
The normal laying of the film floor is evidenced by:
- absence of extraneous noise (cod);
- lack of spark;
- uniform heating of the film.
Additionally, the reliability of the insulation of the wire connection points is checked.
Stage 5 - fine finishing
Before installing the flooring, the film floor must be covered plastic wrap(100-200 µm). Further work is carried out in accordance with the instructions for laying the floor covering.
The specifics of laying the film floor under different types coatings shown in the picture:
- , parquet board
Infrared warm floor wooden floor fit in the same way.
– infrared warm floor under linoleum, carpet 
– infrared warm floor under tiles, stone Masters do not advise using a film floor under a tile, due to the need to perform “wet” work, which reduces the heat transfer of the floor.
Operation of infrared film underfloor heating
- if a significant amount of water gets on the film floor, it must be immediately turned off and dried (naturally);
- you can not turn on the system in order, for example, to dry the carpet after wet cleaning);
- it is not allowed to fasten something (for example, a door stop or a plinth) using hardware. They will damage the film sections;
- it is forbidden to spread carpets, blankets, metallized films (foil) on the floor, as well as rearrange furniture. This may cause the system to overheat.
Video instruction for installation of infrared floor
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