Owners of country houses do not always know how to make a warm floor from heating. It is very simple to independently install the system and connect it, if you know a few nuances.
Principles of technology for connecting a warm floor to a heating system
Installation of a warm floor from an existing heating system is carried out on the basis of the following principles:
- to existing radiators, you need to connect the collector assembly;
- the temperature of the heat carrier must be reduced to at least +55 ° C;
- the structure to be installed must be distinguished by a standard pressure that does not exceed 8-9 atm.
Also, the list of preparatory work includes the calculation of all operating parameters of a warm water floor, which depend on the characteristics of the existing heating system. It can be single pipe or double pipe.
The latter type is characterized by the presence of two pipelines. One is designed to supply hot liquid, and the other to drain the cooled coolant back to the boiler for heating.
A single-pipe heating system is characterized by the presence of one pipeline through which water circulates. Therefore, a warm floor is connected to it according to the principle of another radiator. It is installed after the heater, which allows you to reduce the temperature of the coolant without additional devices.
How to connect underfloor heating to the heating system
You also need to take into account - it is impossible to achieve the effective functioning of a warm floor in the presence of the gravitational principle of fluid movement. When the coolant passes from a pipeline of large diameter to a smaller one, the coolant will not be able to overcome the resulting hydraulic resistance.
Materials for the installation of a warm water floor
Underfloor heating from heating is installed using several important elements, the quality of which is subject to high requirements.
Pipes
To ensure the effective functioning of a water heated floor, it is recommended to use pipes with a diameter of 2 cm. The preferred material is polyethylene or metal. When using the latter option, a multilayer structure is used for pipelines, and the surface of the elements is covered with a special anti-corrosion layer.
Polyethylene is the preferred material. It is not subject to electrochemical corrosion, which cannot be said about metal. Also polyethylene pipes are easier to install. They are sold in bays of large volume, which allows you to install the entire water circuit with one element. The main material for fixing pipelines is plastic ties or special profiles that are installed using dowels.
The installation of the circuit is carried out according to the selected scheme. If the pipe material is polyethylene, then the radius of the coil should not be less than five of its diameters. If you bend the contour too much, creases form. In this place, the material is most susceptible to destruction during long-term operation.
Installation of water heated floors VALTEC
Collector
The collector is designed to regulate the operation of a warm water floor. When choosing a specific model, you need to pay attention to the availability of the required number of outputs to connect all elements of the system.
The cheapest manifold is equipped with only shut-off valves. This model does not provide for the possibility of adjusting the operating parameters, which makes the warm floor not always effective.
More expensive options are equipped with additional valves. They allow you to adjust the operation of the warm floor when necessary.
There are also models that are equipped with servo drives and pre-mixers. The first additional element provides full automation, and the second one allows you to adjust the temperature of the coolant supplied to the warm floor.
The collector is mounted in a special box (material - galvanized steel), which corresponds to its size. Its installation is carried out at a certain height, so that it is possible to bring all the necessary pipelines to it.
Do-it-yourself floor heating collector
Heat insulating substrate
Pipelines are laid on a prepared base, which is formed using special heat-insulating substrates. Use these options:
- foil coated. Such heat-insulating material as penofol is used. This substrate can be used when there is no need for high-quality insulation of the floor;
- polystyrene boards. To increase durability, a polymer material is used as a coating. They can be equipped with markings or special bosses. In this case, the laying of water heating pipelines will be carried out very easily and quickly;
- mineral wool insulation. It is used in cases where an unheated room or soil is placed under the structure. This thermal insulation material must be installed taking into account the normative requirements for thickness and resistance to heat transfer.
Connection scheme for a water heated floor, depending on the configuration of the existing heating
Connecting a warm floor to heating devices occurs in several ways, depending on the configuration of the existing system:
- one-pipe scheme. The connection of the supply circuit with a circulating coolant occurs after the circulation pump, and the return - after. Adjustment of the system operation is carried out using an installed manifold or ball valve;
- two-pipe scheme. When the laying of a water-heated floor is made, it is connected to the supply and return pipelines of the existing heating. Operation is controlled by two ball valves;
- connection diagram without circulation pump. Installation of this system is possible, but there is no guarantee of its normal functioning and efficiency. Given the complexity of installation, it is much easier to use the first or second option. For the functioning of the warm floor, the supply is connected at the beginning of the room, and the return is at the end. It is also important to ensure the required level of slope when installing pipelines.
Underfloor heating connection diagrams depending on the design features
A system of pipelines with a circulating coolant is connected to existing heaters using the following schemes:
Advantages and disadvantages of underfloor heating from existing heating
The device of a water heated floor according to this scheme has several advantages:
The disadvantage of this design scheme is the impossibility of its use in multi-storey buildings with central heating. There may also be some difficulties during the installation of all elements. But if you take into account all the recommendations, this is not so difficult to do.
Video: Installation of a single-pipe heating system with underfloor heating
The temperature of the floor, or rather, its increase, has been and remains an urgent task both for the owners of country estates and for owners of apartments in high-rise buildings. This problem is especially acute in relation to bathrooms and rooms for children. However, there is hardly a person who refuses to have floor heating, in the bedroom, for example.
The very idea of insulating the floor, as well as the walls, by laying pipelines with hot water inside them is by no means new. Even in Soviet times, experimental projects of panel houses were created and implemented, inside the floor slabs and walls of which hot water circulated, thereby providing heating for an apartment without radiators. It was believed that the absence of batteries saves the usable space of the rooms and does not spoil their aesthetic appeal.
Connecting a warm floor to a heating system
It is quite natural that such buildings have not passed the test of time, due to the almost zero maintainability of heating systems and extremely low economic feasibility. Indeed, most of the heat was not spent on heating the interior, but was used to heat the structural elements of buildings and the surrounding atmosphere.
The channels, made of iron, corroded very quickly due to constant contact with water under pressure and having a high temperature.
This publication is devoted to the description of floor heating systems combined with heating communications, as well as to the consideration of the nuances of underfloor heating.
Why underfloor heating?
They returned to the installation of underfloor heating combined with a heating system, due to the emergence of new materials, for example. The low maintainability of such floors does not play a decisive role due to the lack of the need for repairs (frequent, anyway).
Virtually non-corrosive and long lasting. Therefore, water heated floors are now very relevant and popular.
As noted earlier, underfloor heating is essential in children's rooms and bathrooms where people walk barefoot on them. Indeed, an unintelligent child, little aware of the influence of temperature on his health, can crawl, lie down and play on a cold surface.
An adult who gets hot in the bathroom also does not notice the cold coming from the floor, and can get sick. Some, on the contrary, have very sensitive feet and for them the usual discomfort turns into a test of will.
In fact, a warm floor with its natural convection, when heated air circulates throughout the area of the room, according to doctors, is the best option for heating any room.
In addition, such a healthy microclimate is easier and more economically feasible to create and maintain with the help of warm floors. The uniform movement of heat flows over the entire area contributes to this. For these reasons, the question of how to connect a water heated floor is very relevant.
Scheme of different heating systems Some experts argue that the design of a warm floor can be successfully used as a self-sufficient and the only heating system. Here, probably, given the climate of Russia and the cost of heating, one can argue. It is recommended to combine both types of heating.
General statement of the problem
When considering the task of how to connect a warm floor to a heating system, it is immediately worthwhile to clearly understand the difference between a heating device in a private and an apartment building. In the first case, the owner is free to carry out landscaping without any restrictions, based only on the characteristics of the boiler and the layout of the premises. In high-rise buildings, connecting a water-heated floor to the heating system causes much more problems.
The main ones are the following:
- the difference in hydraulic resistance in heating radiators and underfloor heating pipes;
- the quality of water in the central heating system leaves much to be desired and can have a tangible impact on the operation of underfloor heating;
- water hammer and pressure drops can lead to premature failure of the underfloor heating system.
These are just the main issues that can be solved through the use of various tricks so that the underfloor heating and radiators can function at the same time. But simply bypassing administrative barriers will not work. It is extremely difficult to obtain permission to lay additional circuits connected to the heating system of a building.
Usually, only apartment owners who have the very end of the heating circuit can agree on this issue. In addition, do not forget that when connecting underfloor heating, the heating circuit will have to be opened, and thus the pressure and temperature of the water in other apartments will change.
The way out of this situation is to connect a warm water floor to a boiler installed independently, which by no means cancels the requirements of housing and communal services for the installation of water meters. This event is undoubtedly very expensive, but for people who want to feel comfortable, this is the only possible option. A gas boiler is much more economical, but it is not uncommon to use electrical installations.
In addition, regardless of the type of heating system, the underfloor heating device must solve the main problem, which is to interface the high- and low-temperature heating circuit. A hot floor connected directly to the heating system will burn your feet. Indeed, whether it is a supply from a boiler in a private apartment or a riser in a high-rise building, the temperature in the pipes reaches 85 ° C.
In the pipes of the warm floor, the water should not heat up above 35 ° C and at the same time be taken from the heating system. At the same time, the heating scheme with underfloor heating, of course, is somewhat more complicated and cannot be connected directly. There are several options for its execution, using a heating boiler or connecting to a single-pipe heating system, which will be discussed in detail below.
Underfloor heating design
First of all, you need to decide on the floor insulation project and transfer it to paper. At this stage, you need to take into account the layout of the premises, their location (possibly on different floors) and even the arrangement of furniture and structures that form the interior.
There is no need for a bathroom, for example, to lay pipes under the container itself, which can occupy a significant area. The same applies to mezzanines and other stationary objects.
Here, you need to choose a pipe laying scheme. Usually, the "snail" scheme or various derivatives of the "snake" are used.
Various schemes for laying underfloor heating Double serpentine and volute patterns provide good surface heating uniformity and are therefore popular despite the more complex laying process.
It must be remembered that the length of one circuit should not exceed 30 m. This means that more than one snail or snake may be needed to heat the floors in a large room. At the same time, each of them must enter and exit the collector of the warm floor. The double-circuit option is usually sufficient for most rooms.
Materials needed for underfloor heating
The pipe material should also be determined during the design process. The quality, durability and cost of a comfortable stay largely depend on this. The most common are the following options:
- pipes made of polypropylene or steel, although suitable for floor heating, are not considered further due to obvious shortcomings;
- copper pipes;
- metal-plastic pipes;
- pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene;
- corrugated stainless steel pipes.
Copper, which has excellent performance both in terms of thermal conductivity and durability, was long abandoned due to its high cost (although there are also wealthy individuals).
Underfloor heating from copper pipes Metal-plastic gives excellent results, however, over time, the aluminum layer becomes brittle due to the pressure and oxygen of the water. This, in turn, can significantly reduce the durability of underfloor heating, the repair of which is very time-consuming and expensive.
Pipes for underfloor heating made of metal-plastic Today, the use of pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene is considered optimal. The technology of their manufacture allows, along with flexibility, to achieve excellent strength and durability of the pipe. If an additional EVON layer is included in the pipe design, reducing oxygen diffusion to the limit, then it becomes practically eternal.
Polyethylene pipes for underfloor heating Worthy competition to cross-linked polyethylene is stainless steel. Corrugated pipes from it are flexible, durable and inexpensive. Their distinguishing feature is such a reliable fitting system that their connection (building) inside the concrete screed is allowed.
Stainless steel pipe Under no circumstances should seam pipes be used. This is especially important when it comes to the central heating system. A water hammer, even if not very strong, will destroy the pipe and lead to serious trouble.
The term "insulation" in relation to underfloor heating will not be entirely correct. It is fairer to talk about shielding heat, which should warm the upper surface, and not be spent on heating the neighbor's ceiling or basement.
Materials for insulation are selected taking into account the possibility of raising the floor. In standard high-rise buildings, this circumstance is especially critical. The total thickness of the floor consists of, in fact, the thickness of the insulation and the thickness of the screed.
If a heated room is located under the apartment, then a 30 mm layer of insulation will be enough. In the case of placing a basement, basement, and even more soil under the floor, this value can reach 50-100 mm. The thickness of the screed, based on the requirements for its strength, cannot be less than 50 mm. These simple calculations-estimations must be taken into account when proceeding to the installation of a warm floor.
The thickness of the floor must be calculated already at the stage of its hydro and sound insulation, creating a margin for the heating layer.
Usually, when laying it, they use specially designed for this. The bosses located on them allow you to easily, quickly and reliably lay a pipe through them. The latter can also be attached to the reinforcing mesh during the pouring of the screed.
Thermal insulation mats To reduce the overall thickness of the floor, sometimes they refuse to use a screed, laying the pipe in metal heat exchange plates, which, in turn, are mounted in slatted or finished wooden structures, as well as in thermal insulation mats.
Heat transfer plate Types of connecting a warm floor to a heating system
Combined heating with radiators plus underfloor heating may be the only possible way to achieve comfortable indoor conditions. But for a number of reasons, it is impossible to connect a warm water floor with a simple "tie-in" into the riser or heating pipes, thus ensuring the supply of hot water and its return to the system (return).
The main ones are:
- independent circulation of water in thin and long pipes is impossible, which means that a pump is needed to connect to the heating;
- to coordinate the pressure in the system, it is necessary to have a device for its smoothing, which prevents the effect of water hammer;
- it is necessary to remove air from the system;
- water filtration, especially relevant in central heating systems, implies the presence of dirt traps;
- the presence of a mixer is due to the need to mix the water from the supply and return in certain proportions to achieve the required temperature in the underfloor heating circuit (lowering the water temperature relative to the heating system);
- devices for adjustment and accounting (for housing and communal services) are objectively necessary.
Due to these factors, the scheme for connecting a warm floor to a heating system is much more complicated.
Sometimes the simple tie-in method is still used, but this applies only to small areas, less than 10 sq.m., for example, a bathroom. This in no way cancels the coordination with the housing and communal services and the installation of related meters.
Types (schemes) of connecting water heated floors in the case of autonomous home heating or upon obtaining permission from the housing and communal services, involving insertion directly into the pipes of the system, are shown in the figure.
Scheme of connecting a water heated floor to a heating system The simplest, and, accordingly, inexpensive scheme for connecting a heated floor to boiler "a" works using a two-way faucet connected to a thermostat. The heat is regulated by decreasing or increasing the flow with the control valves (3 and 4). Bypass valve 8 serves to equalize the pressure.
Scheme "b" is in principle similar to the first, with the only exception that the collectors are directly connected by jumper 8 together with a valve that shuts off the flow when the pressure exceeds the permissible value.
The “c” scheme combines high reliability and simplicity. Here, a three-way valve (11) is installed on the return, which redirects the chilled water to the supply section.
More advanced than the previous one, the “g” circuit is distinguished by a more sensitive temperature control. This is due to the presence of a three-way mixer (9) on the supply pipe, which mixes the water until it enters the circulation pump (1).
There is no limit to perfection. The validity of the statement is confirmed by the scheme "e". It uses a four-way valve mixer, which can be controlled manually and by means of a servomotor that responds to signals from the thermostat unit.
Scheme "e" describes the optimal connection of the underfloor heating in the apartment to the central heating system through a heat exchanger (14). This implies the presence of an appropriate permit for this procedure, as well as an air vent, a pressure gauge, an overpressure valve and an expansion tank (13). These elements make up the safety group (12) when connecting a warm floor from a battery.
Trying to improve the aesthetics of the interior, the pumping and mixing unit can be "hidden" as far as you like. However, access to shut-off and control valves, as well as meters, pressure gauges and other controls and controls must be quick and unhindered.
Assembled, providing the inclusion and control of a warm water floor, should look something like the one shown in the figure:
Pumping and mixing unit Instead of a conclusion
From what has been said, with a great deal of confidence, we can conclude that not everyone can take on such a complex task that requires knowledge and experience. At the very least, trying to save money, you should install a warm floor with unlimited access to specialist advice.
Connecting a warm floor to a boiler is a very difficult task, not everyone will be able to complete it. Fortunately, almost everyone has a brother, a matchmaker, a neighbor or just an acquaintance who will help with advice free of charge. That's where we stand.
Providing floor heating in the process of building a private house is not an easy task, but it is quite solvable. It is much more difficult to make a water heated floor from the existing heating of a country cottage or apartment. How to properly lay and connect the heating circuits in a similar situation with your own hands, read in this article.
Planning and material selection
In order to successfully integrate underfloor heating into an existing heating system, several serious issues must first be resolved:
- Obtain permission to connect to the central heating network, if we are talking about an apartment in a multi-storey building.
- Find out what height can be allocated for the “pie” of underfloor heating without raising the thresholds of interior doors.
- Determine the connection points to the existing system and rationally select the scheme.
- Prepare building materials, pipes and plumbing fittings.
Each item of the preparatory plan is proposed to be considered separately.
Is it possible to connect to the central heating system
It is impossible to simply take and embed heating circuits into common apartment risers. Underfloor heating will take away a significant part of the heat from the neighbors, who will file a complaint with the management company, and you will receive a large fine for unauthorized interference with the network.
Advice. Do not connect to risers at your own risk. Please try to get permission properly. If you receive an unambiguous refusal, think about heating with electric underfloor heating.
When can you hope for a positive solution to the issue:
- in a new building with individual heating inputs from a common riser passing through technical rooms;
- in an apartment on the first floor with an upper coolant supply or a separate connection from the basement;
- in the dwelling of the last floor with the lower wiring of the supply line.
With vertical wiring, the owner of the upper apartment can get approval when the coolant is supplied from below
The idea of apartment connection is based on the fact that the batteries of your apartment are the last in a row. Additional load on the riser in the form of heating circuits will not harm the neighbors. True, the organization - the supplier of thermal energy has the right to require the installation of an individual metering unit and the development of project documentation. It is problematic for residents of other apartments to obtain permission.
Determine the thickness of the "pie"
The main problem with the installation of water floor heating in a residential building is the small distance from the base of the floor (floor slabs) to the bottom of the doorway. Usually this height is equal to the thickness of the screed and is 6-10 cm. The situation with wooden floors is similar - the width of the lag where the flooring boards are laid lies in the range of 50-150 mm.
An important point. Before you make a warm floor in a lived-in apartment, the existing screed will have to be broken to the ground, and the wooden flooring will be completely dismantled. Otherwise, the “pie” will not fit, and raising the door thresholds or making a step at the entrance is an unconstructive solution.
There is only 1 way to fit the heating circuits in a thickness of 50 mm - to use a floor system with metal plates - heat distributors, shown in the diagram. The composition of the "pie" will be as follows:
- a layer of dense polymer insulation 30 mm;
- metal plates with grooves;
- heating pipes Ø16 mm;
- thin flooring - laminate or tile, if we are talking about the bathroom.
Reference. For laying heat-distributing plates, special expanded polystyrene mats with bosses or ready-made modules made of wood are used.
Due to the high price of such systems, craftsmen often offer to install plates between boards 2-2.5 cm thick, laid on a layer of polyethylene foam 8-10 mm (Penofol). We do not recommend implementing such solutions - a small heat-insulating layer will let the lion's share of heat pass to the neighbors from below or to the basement of a private house.
With a threshold height of 10 cm, monolithic warm floors with a screed are arranged. Polystyrene plates 30-40 mm thick are laid in the base, the remaining 6-7 cm remain under the screed and finish coating.
Scheme of the "pie" of underfloor heating with a screed
Heating circuit connection diagrams
One of the most important issues that must be resolved before starting work is how to connect a water heated floor to an existing heating system. We offer the following options:
- In an apartment with an individual heat input - according to the classical scheme with a mixing unit installed in the hallway. A cabinet with a collector is neatly sealed inside the wall.
- In a private house, it is desirable to connect directly from a gas or other boiler using a distribution comb and a mixing unit.
- In apartments with two-pipe risers, connect the circuit of each room directly to the network near the radiators. The temperature is controlled by RTL thermal heads.
- In apartment buildings with single-pipe risers, installation of mixing units with a circulation pump is indispensable.
Wiring diagram for apartment heat distribution
Note. The connection of underfloor heating to heating mains without a pump and a mixing unit can be implemented in almost any two-pipe system. How to do it right, read below.
The heat carrier coming from the boiler or from the district heating network has a temperature of 50-90 ° C, which is unacceptable for underfloor heating. The temperature curve of the heating circuit lies in the range of 35-45 ° C, maximum - 55 ° C (if the pipes are monolithic in the screed).
Scheme of connecting underfloor heating to the boiler through a two-way valve
To prepare water of the required temperature, mixing units with a two- or three-way valve and a circulation pump are used that pump the coolant through the circuits. In centralized heating systems, it is better to use a scheme with a two-way valve, in individual - with a three-way valve.
Reference. The quality of the heat carrier in the central heating networks is too low - the water is saturated with rust and other impurities. The easier and more reliable it is to choose the equipment, the longer it will last without problems.
Scheme of connecting underfloor heating to the boiler through a three-way valve
Separate connection of the circuits to two-pipe lines is made through RTL thermal heads, which limit the return flow of the coolant when the outlet water temperature exceeds the set value. Mixing units, manifolds and circulation pumps are not used.
Branch connection diagram without additional pump
To connect a warm floor, it is enough to buy a ready-made unit with a thermostatic tap and an RTL head placed inside a neat plastic box. Similar products are offered by the well-known brand Oventrop, the name is RTL Unibox.
Connection diagram for a one-pipe vertical system
The expert will tell you about various options for connecting floor heating to an existing system in his video:
We select building materials and components
When you have chosen the connection scheme correctly, calculating the required amount of materials is quite simple. It is necessary to find out the area of \u200b\u200bthe kitchen, bedroom and other rooms where it is planned to install underfloor heating. Plus, choose the laying pattern and the distance between the pipes.
Also, when installing underfloor heating, consumables are used - a damper tape (glued around the perimeter of the room), clips for attaching pipes and a waterproofing film laid under the insulation. A ready-made building mixture is used for the screed, whose consumption is indicated on the package.
For heating circuits of the "dry" type, you will have to buy polystyrene plates with bosses and heat-distributing plates (preferably made of aluminum). Modular wood kits will cost more. The budget option is to run pipes between ordinary boards 20 mm thick, laid on the insulation with your own hands.
Advice. If the height difference between the base and doorways is 10-20 cm (for example, on a balcony, loggia), increase the thickness of the "pie" due to insulation. That is, take heat-insulating plates not 30, but 50 or 100 mm. The result is an increase in the energy efficiency of the premises and savings in heat.
Monolithic underfloor heating installation technology
After dismantling the floor structures - screeds or wooden logs - the base should be cleaned and leveled for laying heat-insulating boards. and fill in the corners with mortar, knock down bumps and sagging. Take out the trash and remove dust as much as possible (ideally with a special construction vacuum cleaner).
Step by step technology for installing underfloor heating in a residential apartment looks like this:
Note. Instead of a waterproofing film, it is allowed to use "Penofol" 4-5 mm thick, laying it with foil up. The canvases are placed without overlap and glued with aluminum tape.
When using regulation with RTL thermostatic heads, the length of the pipeline in the circuit should not exceed 60 m, otherwise the room will heat up unevenly. Carry out a tightness test with a working pressure of 3 bar in a country house and 6-7 bar in an apartment with centralized heating. Maintain the specified pressure for 24 hours.
After making sure that the connections are tight, proceed to pouring the screed without emptying the circuits. The minimum thickness of the cement-sand monolith is 5 cm, the maximum is 10 cm. In order not to make mistakes in proportions during the preparation of the mortar, it is recommended to work with a ready-made dry mix for pouring floors containing a plasticizer.
Further work on connecting underfloor heating to the existing heating network is carried out after 20-28 days (the exact hardening period is indicated on the bags of the building mixture). The contours are attached according to the selected scheme, after which the finish coating is laid. Visually, the installation technology of underfloor heating is shown in the video.
Floor heating device without screed
With the help of a wooden modular system or mats equipped with bosses, it is not difficult to make underfloor heating. The difference from the previous technology is the absence of a cement screed and the laying of the finish coat directly on the insulation or boards.
There is an easier and cheaper way to accommodate water circuits at a height difference of 5 cm:
- Lay 50 mm thick extruded polystyrene boards on top of the waterproofing with lateral locks.
- Mark the pipe laying routes on the insulation and cut grooves under them with a thermal knife or a sharp tool.
- Install metal plates into the grooves and lay the pipelines.
- Lay laminate or other thin flooring.
The remaining work on testing and connecting the underfloor heating to the existing heating mains is carried out according to the technology described in the previous section.
Conclusion
Before making floor heating inside a lived-in apartment with a working heating system, make sure that it is technically possible to connect and lay pipes into the thickness of the floors. If the height difference between the base and the doorway does not reach 5 cm, there are 2 options left: raise the thresholds and door frames or abandon the idea. The decision depends on the desire to arrange a warm floor and the budget that you are willing to allocate for construction.
Structural engineer with over 8 years experience in construction.
Graduated from East Ukrainian National University. Vladimir Dal with a degree in Electronic Industry Equipment in 2011.
Related posts:
Underfloor heating structures differ I am on the methods of adjustment and connection technology.
Some methods fit well two-story houses with an attic and a basement, others - living quarters with a small area.
Exists four main types of heating systems. Let's take a closer look at each of the options.
System without adjustment
The main difference between the heating system without regulation consists in a simplified thermal circuit collector. The cheapest models of collectors are equipped with only simple shut-off valves.
valves not allowed to regulate heat flow parameters. In fact, you will only have the opportunity to turn on / off the heating. As a result, the ultimate efficiency and comfort of using a warm floor will be in question.
The system is powered by a low power circulation pump. Total length of communications must not exceed 80 meters, and the diameter of the pipes - no more than 16 millimeters. The throughput of this design will be from 5 to 10 liters / minute.
With balancing adjustment
Balancing adjustment is a technically advanced solution. The scheme additionally includes a balancing crane. This structural element allows you to reduce or increase the flow of hot water. With the help of a tap, you can change the temperature of the floor, which is undoubtedly a plus.
With three way valve
Three way valve application- another design improvement. Its basis is a special device sensitive to temperature changes. The result is an automatic adjustment of the heat flow.
Three-way valve mounted to the point of temperature maximum. If you notice a decrease in the effectiveness of automatic adjustment, you can always manually tune the system.
With mixing unit
The mixing unit is the best option for those who want to make a warm floor on their own, as this design is the easiest to install and operate. In addition, this type significantly reduces energy costs - by 20-30%.
In general, the device consists of a pressure gauge, a circulation pump, a thermostat, a flow meter and an air valve. The mixing knot will cost you relatively expensive, about 20-25 thousand rubles.
Technology for connecting a warm floor to a heating system
The procedure and technologies for connecting a warm floor to heating communications at home have some differences. Total emit three main options- one-pipe and two-pipe scheme, as well as a combined method. Let's take a closer look at the features.
Single pipe system
Single pipe scheme best suited for one-story houses with a small area. For its installation you will need:
- circulation pump;
- security module;
- expansion tank;
- heat exchanger;
- pipes for supply and return (warm water);
- fittings.
The radiator part of the structure consists from two branches with check valves. Separate valves are also installed on radiators.
In the event of a malfunction it will be possible to cut off communications and carry out repairs (for example, a boiler, pipes or replace valves).
For supply and return use pipes of different diameters (20 and 25 millimeters) to provide the necessary pressure. Directly the floor pipes are connected to the return line.
Two-pipe scheme
Feed and return occur in separate circuits/bottlings. The spills are connected by a jumper, while the gap will contain home heating (for example, batteries). The two-pipe method is much better suited for installation in a two-story house.
Combined floor
This refers to the combination of several types of heating, for example, water and electric. This makes it possible to choose the most economical heating method.
Controller for combined floor, as a rule, the distribution manifold of the main acts. The device guarantees precise regulation of multiple heating circuits.
The design is characterized by high technical complexity and cost, if you do not have much experience, then installation work is recommended to be left to a specialist. Options without adjustment desirable to avoid. They won't let you adjust the floor temperature, resulting in significant energy loss and questionable levels of comfort.
On a limited budget a good solution would be to use a balancing adjustment or a three-way valve. According to the connection technology, the single-pipe scheme is the least expensive.
See the video for connecting the underfloor heating to the heating system: