Description of possible malfunctions for repairing the cable of the electric underfloor heating

Underfloor heating - what could be better than a rainy, dank autumn or cold winter, especially in case of central heating failures? But even such a reliable guardian of comfort is prone to malfunction and damage and may require repair. Consider the features of the repair of electric warm floors and their elements.

Structural elements

Cable electric underfloor heating consists of several elements, each of which may break.. Let's take a closer look.

1. Heating element - cable.
2. Thermostat.
3. Temperature sensor.

The heating cable can be single or two-core, it can be mounted on a synthetic base in the form of mats, it depends on its brand and manufacturer. Particular attention should be paid to the installation of the temperature sensor - it must be carried out in extractable form, usually it is placed in a corrugated pipe plugged from the far end, floor mounted. The thermostat is placed in any convenient place, usually not far from an electrical outlet.

Electric underfloor heating malfunctions

Job claims can be divided into two categories. Correct identification of a malfunction is the key to a successful repair.

• Doesn't work well.
• Doesn't work at all.

Consider the options for poor performance, there are also two of them: either underheating - overheating, or uneven heating of the surface - it heats up here, does not heat up there. With uneven heating, everything is clear - the installation technology is violated and, if this drawback is critical, then you do not need repair of a warm floor, and its reinstallation in accordance with all the rules and conditions of production of this type works.

In case of insufficient heating, attention should be paid first of all to the voltage parameters in the network, with a low voltage cannot do without a voltage stabilizer of sufficient power, sometimes this can be a solution Problems. But in any case, as with excessive heating, you need to check the temperature sensor and thermostat with a multimeter, the parameters must correspond to those specified by the manufacturer in the operating instructions. If the characteristics do not match, these devices must be replaced, their repair is impractical or impossible.

When a source of extra comfort does not work at all, and the supply voltage, temperature sensor and thermostat are in good working order; repair of underfloor heating goes into the most, as a rule, time-consuming stage.

Underfloor heating cable repair

This procedure should be started by measuring the resistance of the heating cable; it should not differ from that declared by the manufacturer. If the value of this parameter tends to zero, then a short circuit occurs, an infinitely high resistance indicates a break in the conductor. In either case, mechanical damage occurs, which has destroyed the insulation and / or the conductor. Accurate determination of the location of damage is a decisive stage, the amount of work to be done, the amount of costs and the final result depend on it.

Finding the break point

Determining where a heating element is damaged is sometimes a matter of common common sense. As an example: last winter and spring everything was fine, but this fall does not work, but... in the summer it seems that something was done with furniture or flooring, or something like that. Here it is necessary to look, if the surface was drilled, hammered or somehow disturbed, most likely, there was damage in this place. This, of course, is not an exhaustive method, especially since heating can stop and completely for no apparent reason.

Then you can not do without devices for detecting hidden wiring and electrical leakage. There are a lot of devices of this type, it can be both factory-made, which can be bought or rented, and home-made, based on a radio receiver or calculator. Of course, using a factory product is more comfortable, but you can also try a homemade version, it all depends on the specific situation. It is never harmful to try something and do it yourself, it is important not to make irreparable or very expensive mistakes, the consultation of a specialist will not be superfluous.

Parsing the floor

Well, the diagnosis has been made, the place of the rupture has been determined, it remains only to restore the broken one. Here you will need maximum caution, ingenuity and patience, an autopsy should not lead to even greater destruction of the object of repair and the surrounding area. Do not forget about the need to restore the appearance or make it better. The floor covering must be removed with the possibility of returning to its original place or having the possibility of replacement: it remains in stock or is being sold the same or suitable.

Cable repair

Actually, the repair itself does not require special efforts, it is only necessary to release pieces of the heating element of sufficient length and do not forget to put on a heat-shrinkable insulating tube in time. A repair kit, usually made of copper couplings and insulation, is supplied in the kit, but it will not be difficult to buy the necessary one, as well as the necessary tool for this.

After the cable is restored, it is necessary to check the operation of the system as a whole and only then proceed to repair the damage. You can turn it on only after, how everything dries up and settles.

Repairing an electric underfloor heating will not cause any particular difficulties if you think over and prepare all its stages in advance.