Ceramic tiles are in demand when arranging floors in different rooms. Its advantages are complemented by the ability to install an underfloor heating system. Which one to choose a warm floor for a tile - water or electric, depends on the individual preferences of households. Taking into account the type of heating elements, experts distinguish between cable, film, matt electric floors.
Content
- Water system
-
Electrical coatings
- Application of mats
- Infrared module
- Cable selection
Water system
The water floor under the tiles, in contrast to the radiator system, retains the natural humidity of the air for a long period. The tile itself easily retains and accumulates heat. Before choosing an electric underfloor heating for tiles, it is necessary to consider the advantages and disadvantages of existing systems, compare their characteristics with water heating.
If you lay the pipes correctly, you can create an optimal microclimate in the room. The pipes are connected to the boiler. Can use central heating. Water system installation procedure:
- Laying insulation on the base base.
- Installation of reinforcement mesh in order to fix the pipes.
- Installation of pipes.
- Arrangement of the screed, followed by the laying of tiles.
With the help of thermal insulation, the consumption of thermal energy, which is spent on heating the base, is minimized. Foil insulation reflects heat by redirecting the flow upward to heat the room. You can choose underfloor heating for rooms under which an unheated basement is located.
If the screed is done correctly, it is able to hide the contours of the water pipes under it, performing the following functions:
- A reliable base for the installation of a hard finish floor covering.
- Powerful thermal accumulator.
The screed heats up from the pipes, transferring heat to the tile. The downside of such heating is thickness. The share of cement screed is up to 30-60 mm. Since the screed is being poured, the system cannot be inspected. To repair it, you will need to dismantle the topcoat and screed.
Modern builders advise against installing such a heating system in Soviet houses that cannot withstand increased loads. When connecting a water floor to the central system, its balance is disturbed. To prevent such a phenomenon, it is necessary to install expensive adjustment equipment.
It is better to install a water floor in a private house without space restrictions. It is enough for the user to adhere to the manufacturer's recommendations. During operation, the temperature and quality of the coolant are monitored.
Electrical coatings
Such heating systems go well with tiles, easily withstanding the "wet" installation method. Unlike a water system, an electric system has the following advantages:
- the possibility of installation in private and panel multi-storey buildings;
- temperature regulation.
To find out which warm floor is better for a tile, some factors are taken into account, including the area of the heated room, the number of cores on the cable introduced into the house. The electrical heating system itself is mounted using a cable, mats or foil.
The cable floor is realized with the help of 1, 2 or ultra-thin cables made of nichrome or other alloy. This cable is characterized by high resistance. The flooring heats up quickly as heat energy is converted from electrical energy. The cable is laid with a snake over the entire area of the room.
Insulation material is used to ensure safety. This solution excludes the ingress of moisture and electric shock to households. The cable is rarely laid in apartment buildings, since it requires pouring the screed. The floor height rises by 8 cm.
More often, owners who plan to make repairs or finishing work on the entire living space resort to this heating system. Underfloor heating is easy to design when creating a black base floor. The loss of the height of the walls of the premises is minimized.
Application of mats
The source of thermal energy can be an electrical conductive matrix, which is based on thin cables. Such a heating system is effective if there is no need to fill the screed. More often, matte coatings are used in apartments with a concrete base.
Mats with cables, the thickness of which is 3 mm, are rolled out on the prepared surface. There is no need to install thermal insulation material. The tiles are easily laid out on the mats using special glue. The heating system is put into operation after 3 weeks. Its price is 30% higher than the cable analogue.
Infrared module
Film warm electric floor is considered a modern solution for space heating. It generates electromagnetic radiation to create a comfortable environment in the home. The polymer film itself consists of numerous 50x50 cm modules. One module contains dozens of thin strips, which are powered from the mains. They act as heating elements.
The infrared film floor is laid on a base made of heat-reflecting material. No cement screed is required for the installation of the heating system. To find out which warm electric floor is better, experts advise taking into account the presence of a heat-saving function.
The infrared system, in contrast to the types considered, is considered the most heat-saving and efficient. It works quietly and with minimal heat loss. The thickness of the film floor does not exceed 0.33 mm.
Before laying it, it is recommended to consider the following points:
- the power of the thermostat is calculated by the formula: the heat release rate is multiplied by the area of the room to be insulated;
- a heat-reflecting insulation can act as a substrate;
- the infrared system is laid out in parallel sheets, while the contacts should be at the bottom;
- to prevent displacement, the elements are fixed with tape.
The materials needed to equip a heating system are expensive. But the infrared floor pays off quickly during operation, as it consumes a small amount of electricity.
Disadvantages of a film floor for tiles:
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Low adhesion. The film does not adhere well to the concrete screed and glue. A floating effect is created. The screed, poured onto the film, makes an empty sound during tapping. If a heavy object is dropped onto the coating, it will crack. - Chemical composition. Adhesives and cement compositions are alkaline. It eats away at PET. This can cause a short circuit. For wet installation, experts advise using cable and rod systems.
There are bimetallic and carbon infrared heating systems. The latter system, unlike the first, does not corrode. In case of damage, only 1 section is turned off, which is associated with the parallel connection of elements. Manufacturers claim that infrared rays under the tiles lose some of their useful properties.
Cable selection
To lay the warm floor, the cable diagram is schematically displayed on paper. Heating elements cannot be installed in places where a bathtub, furniture and other heavy plumbing equipment will be located.
The calculation of the cable is carried out taking into account the specific power, which should be in the range of 140-150 watts per 1 sq. m. To find out the power, the area calculated for the installation of a warm system is multiplied by the value of the specific power.
When purchasing a system, you need to know the cable length for the room. Electric cables are available with one and two conductors. The latter wires are easy to assemble and connect. It is more difficult to connect a single core cable.
If there is any electric underfloor heating in the house, residents will be able to regulate their heating temperature. For this, a thermostat is provided. It is mounted on the wall in a convenient place. It turns the system on and off, maintaining the desired temperature.
Underfloor heating control types:
- Manual. The system is started and shut down manually, but the temperature is independently maintained at a preset level.
- Automatic. The system starts and stops by itself, taking into account the time of day and days of the week. There is a display that shows the required data.
If the warm floor is not the main source of heating the house, but only maintains a comfortable temperature, it is better to give preference to a system with a thermostat and a temperature sensor.
