Boilers for warm floors. Gas boiler for heating system "warm floor. The main trump card of the warm floor

18.10.2019

Heating a house or apartment in winter time and the cost of it excites almost everyone. A warm water floor, which you can mount yourself, will be a good solution to the problem. To the boiler (or other heating system) pipes are connected through which circulates hot water. The advantages of this system: low energy costs and the ability to independently control the temperature in the room. It is very important to choose an economical boiler that is most suitable for specific conditions. The most important indicator will be thermal power heating equipment.

Underfloor heating boilers

Boilers are divided into single-circuit and double-circuit boilers.

Single-circuit boilers. Single-circuit boilers in the heating system provide only heating of the coolant (only room heating is possible). To expand the scope of single-circuit boilers (ensuring hot water) additional devices are required:

storage boilers (hot water supply);
heat exchangers;
mixing units for heating circuits;
and other.

Double-circuit boilers- multitasking devices: provide heating and water heating. The second function is performed by equipping the boiler with a built-in flow heat exchanger or a built-in storage boiler.

Variety of boilers by type of installation:

floor standing (power up to 120 kW);
suspended wall (power up to 35 kW).

Wall mounted boilers(most often these are atmospheric type devices) are more convenient in terms of installation and require less cost.

A boiler with a closed combustion chamber does not require additional space in the form of a separate room. Wall-mounted boilers are equipped circulation pump and other equipment for the boiler room. For commissioning, it is enough to connect the heating pipeline and pipes for hot water to it. Boilers with built-in 100 l storage boilers are a ready-made mini-boiler room

Types of boilers for a warm water floor

For the arrangement of a warm water floor, boilers operating on gas, electricity, solid or liquid fuels are used. Each type has its own advantages. The most economical are gas, and the most autonomous - diesel.

Gas boilers. The body of gas boilers can be made of steel or cast iron. Steel units are distinguished by low weight (about half lighter than cast iron units with the same power), small dimensions and good maintainability. Cast iron devices are more voluminous and expensive. floor standing gas boilers of the modern generation are suitable for main gas and for liquefied gas. Small dimensions of the wall gas boiler allow placement in any convenient place, and the power of 7-30 kW is enough for a small cottage.

diesel boiler runs on diesel fuel and is characterized by high efficiency and productivity. No equipment during operation unpleasant odors. Other advantages of this type of boilers include ease of installation, ease of maintenance and control, high efficiency and low fuel consumption. Liquid fuel boilers due to a special mode of operation based on a smooth decrease in water temperature at elevated temperatures environment are economical and environmentally friendly.

Solid fuel units for arranging a water heated floor will be a completely autonomous source of heat supply. They are considered a good alternative to liquid fuel, gas and other types of heating equipment. The combustion of fuel occurs according to the following scheme: the firewood laid on the grate is set on fire. After that, the boiler door closes and the smoke exhauster turns on. In the inner chamber of the boiler, the firewood is exposed to high temperatures (250–750°C) without oxygen. There is charring and the release of wood gas, which heats the heat carriers. Scope of solid fuel boilers: residential and industrial premises, objects of agricultural purpose.

Electric boilers suitable for residential and non-residential facilities equipped with water floor heating. The system is connected to the boiler using special equipment and additional devices. The choice of power of the device is influenced by the area of the room, its condition and other factors. The most optimal power can be selected in rooms with good thermal insulation of walls and ceilings (for example, in new buildings). If there is good thermal insulation, then the manufacturer considers 12 kW sufficient for heating 150 sq.m of area.

For tandem electric boilers- warm water floors", manufacturers recommend the following combinations:

heating area 250-450 sq. m - boiler power 36 kW;
heating area 220-350 sq. m - boiler power 30 kW;
heating area 140-300 sq. m - boiler power 12-24 kW;
heating area up to 70 sq. m - boiler power of about 6 kW;
heating area up to 30 sq. m - boiler power 6 kW.

Electric or oil boiler?

To compare two types of boilers, all factors must be taken into account. Despite the cheapness of diesel fuel in comparison with electricity, an assessment of all costs will show the real picture.

Initial equipment purchase and installation costs
The electric boiler is a ready-to-use device. A liquid fuel unit will require additional costs for the purchase of a boiler, a mounted burner, and a fuel storage tank. The difference in the consumable part is 2.5 times in favor of the electric one.

Installation of an electric boiler will cost several times cheaper, since all the necessary elements for the control and safety of the equipment are built into its body. The liquid fuel device needs the installation of additional devices: chimney, fuel tank, mounted burner.

Operating costs
Maintenance of an oil-fired boiler requires expenses (several hundred dollars a year) for regular maintenance and cleaning. An additional inconvenience is associated with the need for constant orders for the delivery of fuel. Electric boilers do not require these operations.

However, electrical devices also have disadvantages.

The operation of the boiler requires several tens of kilowatts of energy (1 kW per 10 m2 of area. The ceiling height is up to 3 m, and the room is well insulated). It is not possible to allocate such an amount of electricity in all areas.
The cost of electricity is high and power outages occur. For safety net in case of frequent power outages, a backup solid fuel boiler is often used.

If a water heating is done in a house or apartment within the boundaries of a big city, then electric boilers are the most preferred of all types. This is due to stringent environmental requirements and harmonization problems.

After analyzing the situation, one can distinguish a number of advantages of electric boilers:

low cost;
compactness and low weight;
ease of installation, no chimney required;
safety (no open flame);
ease of operation;
can be installed in any room;
service is simple;
environmentally friendly: no emissions and odors;
silent.

Boiler selection options

Heating installations, depending on the characteristics, provide different thermal efficiency, are suitable for a certain area and operating conditions.

Power. The required parameter is determined by the area of \u200b\u200bthe heated room and the level of its thermal insulation. The manufacturer indicates the area for which the boiler is designed, provided that the building is well insulated. If heat loss are unknown, then it is necessary to choose a boiler whose power is designed to heat the area by 25% more than the real one. It is not advisable to purchase equipment with excess power, as overheating and breakdown of the device will occur. In the case of installing the boiler in an unheated room, it is necessary to involve a heat power engineer to calculate the power.
Ability to control power. Gas installations may or may not be equipped with a power control system. To adjust the operation of the equipment, auto mode or manual control can be used. Automatic systems controls are more economical. In this case, the user only sets the necessary parameters, and the automation ensures the accuracy and smoothness of the gas mixture supply to the burner. Also, when using automation, the frequency of complete shutdown of the burner is reduced, due to which the service life of the equipment is increased.
Energy dependence. The use of electronics in the control system of electric pumps for forced circulation increases the performance of the boiler, but at the same time depends on the stability of the energy supply and reduces its autonomy.
Type of water heating. If it is necessary that the boiler (including industrial gas device) provided not only a heating function, but also produced water heating for household needs, it is necessary to choose a two-circuit model that heats water in flow mode. If you need more performance, then you need to stop at the cumulative option. Boilers can be built into the boiler or autonomous and connected to the installation. Remote models can have a very large volume (several hundred liters), while built-in ones are limited by the dimensions of the boiler.

How to calculate the power of a boiler for water heating?

Calculate the required power of thermal equipment is necessary for right choice boiler. Approximate required power for heating country house calculated on the basis of such data: to heat 10 m2. area, 1 kW of power is needed, that is, it is assumed that the specific power is 100 W/m2.

The calculation is rather rough, and it is suitable for brick house with low heat loss: the building must be well insulated, ceilings - no more than 3 meters high, metal-plastic windows with double glazing.

To increase the resource of the heating system and the thermal reserve, it is necessary that the temperature of the heat carrier be at the level of 65–75 ° С. To do this, the boiler power (under ideal conditions) is increased by 20–25%.

Any additional load requires more power. In the case of providing hot water with a storage boiler, another 30-40% must be added.
If in the future it is planned to expand the heated area, equipping a water heated floor, a pool with heated water, then the boiler must be purchased immediately with a capacity designed for further changes.

If a warm floor is planned as an element that complements radiator heating and increases the comfort of living, then its heat transfer is considered to be no higher than 50 W / m2.

Requirements for installing a gas boiler

Room requirements:

The boiler room requires a separate non-residential premises.
The height of the ceilings in the room is at least 2.2 m.
The volume of the room at the rate of 7.5 m3 per boiler.
Floor area per boiler 4 m2.
Doorway with a width of 80 cm.
The size of the window is determined from the calculation: for every 10 m2 of area - a window of 0.3 m2.
It is obligatory to have a hole for air inflow (for 1 kW of boiler power - 8 cm2).
The boiler must be installed at a distance of at least 0.1 m from walls that plastered or wall decoration made of non-flammable materials.
Installation of devices near fire-resistant walls is allowed if they are insulated with roofing steel superimposed on an asbestos sheet with a thickness of at least 0.3 cm.

Communication Requirements

Characteristics of the electrical network: single-phase current, voltage 220 V, current 20 A. An individual circuit breaker (AZS) is installed. Grounding is provided.
A shut-off unit is mounted on the gas main, for each boiler its own.
Water supply and the possibility of its connection to the heating and hot water supply (DHW) systems of the building.
Sewerage provides emergency drains from the water supply and boiler systems.
Communication parameters (gas pressure in the gas main, water pressure, etc.) must comply with state standards.

Boilers for water-heated floors are no different from ordinary ones heating appliances, which are used for modern radiator heating systems. To choose a boiler for a warm water floor, you should accurately calculate its power, this is perhaps the main difference from boilers for a radiator system. The market offers a wide variety of this equipment, so you will not have any particular problems finding a heating boiler. But, despite this, there is one convention that should be observed with the purchase.

Types of heating boilers - selection conditions

Although almost every boiler can be combined with underfloor heating, there is one convention - it must be automatic. At the same time, electric, gas, pellet and diesel units. As for pellet and diesel, they should also be automatic. Therefore, it is not scary that they work on solid fuel. Otherwise, there are no conditions. The most important thing is to choose a reliable manufacturer that provides quality heating equipment .

Features of the electric boiler

Heating a warm water floor with an electric boiler is on average 17% cheaper than radiator heating. Electricity is not a cheap energy carrier, so this percentage of savings will be several thousand rubles. Savings are achieved only due to the required lower temperature in the coolant.

The figure shows the principle of operation of an electric boiler:

The principle of operation of floor and wall boilers is the same. This article will consider wall options.

The heating boiler consists of a tank. It has a coolant in it. There are also heaters in the tank. The heaters are of two types:

Electrode (in this variant, instead of a heating element, electrodes are introduced).
Water.

In the indicated scheme, three heating elements are mounted in the tank. At the entrance to the boiler, a security group is installed, which in its kit has:

Safety valve.
Pressure meter.

It is mandatory to have a pressure sensor. If it is not there, then at the moment of lack of circulation, the coolant will overheat in the tank. This will cause it to start to evaporate. At the top of the tank, a void gradually forms and the heating elements simply burn out.

The electric boiler is also equipped with a pump for circulation of the coolant, an air vent that operates in automatic mode and expansion tank. When heated water enters the boiler, it gradually warms up. The figure shows the heating process different colors from blue to red. When the set temperature is reached, the coolant is sent to the warm water floor system. According to this principle, the process of heating water for water heated floors in an electric boiler is carried out.

Video demonstration of a combination of electric and solid fuel boilers for underfloor heating:

The principle of operation of a gas boiler is different. It can be equipped with a combustion chamber of two types:

Open.
Closed.

In the case of a closed combustion chamber, ventilation will only be forced. This option has a more complex design, so we will consider it in order to make it easier for you to understand this issue. The figure shows a diagram of a gas boiler of just such a plan.

Each node of the unit is placed in a special case. The boiler shown in the diagram is capable of heating not only a water heated floor, but also heating warm water. Therefore, it has 5 conclusions at once.

1 outlet for gas connection.
2 outlets for cold/hot water.
2 outputs supply / return for floor heating.

The attached instructions for the boiler must indicate the purpose of each pipe, so it is important to study it when connecting.

The gas boiler also differs in other ways. For example, it may or may not be equipped with a heat exchanger. If the boiler is planned to be used for heating domestic water, then a heat exchanger is built into it. In the diagram, the model of the boiler is provided with it.

If the unit does not have a heat exchanger, then the water is heated by one chamber as the heat carrier for floor heating. Consider the scheme of operation of just such equipment.

Cold water enters through the rightmost pipe, which is located below. The security team is in the same location.
Next, there is a circulation pump, in front of which a tube is removed from the expansion tank.
This tube has a temperature sensor. In general, the gas boiler has three such sensors:
1. On the chimney for flue gases.
2. On the pitch.
3. On the return.
After that, the coolant is sent to the heating element, and then sent to the heating system of the warm water floor.

Gas fittings are located in the center of the boiler. It also has its own individual security unit. It monitors the flame, gas pressure, flue gases. If malfunctions occur during operation, the safety group shuts off the gas. The gas comes to the burner just the same from this safety unit. Already exhaust gases are sent to the chimney. There may be a fan in the chimney, as shown in our diagram. This is how forced gas removal is carried out.

The main advantage of such boilers is that the arrangement of the chimney will not cause any difficulties. There is no need to bring the chimney pipe to the roof, you can simply pull it out to the street (the chimney pipe can be in a horizontal position). At the same time, air enters through the coaxial pipe, along its wide part, and waste is extracted at the smaller one. In contrast, for natural ventilation you will need a high chimney that will provide sufficient draft. It is displayed above the skate.

This is how the work is done gas installation.

Which gas boiler is best for underfloor heating

On the market you can find a wide variety (models) of gas boilers. Each of them has obvious differences in the principle of operation and device. The best option for a warm water floor would be a condensing boiler.

In it, the coolant is heated not only due to gas, but also due to the heat that is formed from water vapor during the combustion of fuel. As a result, the temperature of the water floor will not be very high. Although such equipment will require additional conditions, it is more effective for heating a residential area.

Which boilers cannot be combined with underfloor heating?

If you decide to install a solid fuel boiler, then in this case you will experience some difficulties in creating floor heating. This is due to the fact that fuel combustion is unstable and requires regular monitoring, and after strong heating it is difficult to control the required temperature of the coolant. Therefore, experts do not recommend using such equipment for underfloor heating, unless automation is being introduced.

So, in this article, the main options for boilers that can be used for underfloor heating were considered. We hope the photos and videos at the end of the article will help in this difficult choice. If you have already made your choice, then share your experience by writing a comment on this article.

It is very convenient and effective to use the “warm floor” system for heating a home.

It consists of coils located under the floor covering.

Despite all the comfort of this system, it is very expensive.

In order to find a suitable boiler in terms of power, you need to calculate the heat loss. For calculations, they usually take 2 kW of boiler power per 10 m2 of a room with a height of 2.5 m.

Gas boiler for "warm floors"

Why should a gas boiler be used to provide "warm floor" heating? There are several reasons for this:

Gas is an affordable fuel.
Gas boilers are very easy to use.
The possibility of using gas boilers in the apartment.

But the main reason lies in the design features of the condensing gas boiler. To make it clear what is at stake, let's look at 2 main types of gas boilers:

The convection gas boiler is a traditional model boiler. It includes one heat exchanger. Heating occurs due to the release of heat during the combustion of gas. Such a boiler is convenient, practical, and also has a low price.
A condensing boiler is the same convection boiler, only upgraded. That is, it has all the same qualities, but in addition it has its own advantages.

Due to the additional heat exchanger (economizer) there is an additional heating of the coolant. The economizer is located almost at the outlet of the combustion products from the boiler. Heating occurs due to the latent energy of water vapor, which is present in the flue gases. Steam condenses on the walls of the heat exchanger, thereby transferring its energy to the coolant.

Thus, a condensing boiler has a coefficient of performance (COP) of 15% more than a convection boiler.

Attention!
In order for the process of condensation of water vapor on the walls of the heat exchanger to occur more intensively, it is necessary that the water in the heat exchanger be as cold as possible. The optimum temperature is not higher than 400C.

Condensation process and "warm floor"

According to the instructions, cold water cannot be supplied to a working boiler - this can adversely affect the durability of the heat exchanger, but this rule applies only to convection boilers. In the case of a condensing boiler, there will be no temperature imbalance, since cold water preheated in the economizer to the optimum temperature. The heated water will already come to the main heat exchanger.

If insufficiently cooled water is supplied to the condensing boiler, then it will simply lose all its advantages, because the steam will not condense, which means that the coolant will not be heated. Therefore, the water in the return line must be cooled as much as possible. Underfloor heating will help us with this.

Heating "warm floors"

It turns out that when using a condensing boiler, the “warm floor” heating system is not only free, but also necessary to lower the temperature in the return line. Kind by-effect in the operation of the main heating system.

Features of underfloor heating

If water is supplied to the coils under the floor from heating radiators, then the floors will heat up in almost the same way as the radiators - this is too high a temperature. That's what it is distinguishing feature"warm floors" traditional heating. Their nominal supply temperature should be in the range of 40-450C. How to fulfill this condition?
The solution to this issue is very simple design. Its name is a water gun. It is a vertical storage tank. This tank collects water from the direct and return lines. According to the laws of physics, hot water will collect at the top of the tank, and cold water at the bottom.

How to install a gas boiler in an apartment with underfloor heating

It is better to entrust the installation of a gas boiler to specialists. And if it is produced independently, then you must comply with all the requirements specified in the instructions. The boiler piping must be done in accordance with the drawing. To connect pipelines, use only factory parts and seals.

The heating system must already be installed, it remains only to correctly install and connect the hydraulic arrow on one side to the heating system, and on the other side to the boiler.

On a note.
To ensure uniform distribution of the coolant between the heating circuits, you need to install 2 collectors - one on the straight line and the other on the return line. At each manifold outlet, install stop valves so that it is possible to disable each individual circuit.

The hydraulic gun has several exits located at different levels in height:

The topmost outlet is the supply to the main heating system. Thus, radiators are consumers of water with the highest temperature.
The lower exits give out a coolant with a lower temperature, it goes to the "warm floors".
The return lines of "warm floors" and heating radiators cut into the lowest point of the hydraulic arrow, at the same level the cooled water is taken to the condensing boiler.
To ensure more accurate temperature control, each circuit of the "warm floors" is equipped with its own circulation pump, which automatically controls the speed of the heat carrier.

The figure shows in detail the heating scheme of several heating circuits using a hydraulic arrow and two collectors.

The collectors are installed after the hydraulic arrow on the supply and before it on the "return", if you look in the direction of the coolant.

by the most the best option to provide heating with a "warm floor" there will be a gas double-circuit boiler with forced draft in a suspended version.

This model is well suited for a medium-sized private house and even in an apartment. It remains only to ensure the removal of combustion products. A coaxial pipe for a gas boiler with a closed firebox replaces the traditional brick flue. Therefore, the installation of the unit is possible even in the absence of a special flue.

Giving preference to autonomous heating methods, homeowners want to solve the problem of heating an apartment or house once and for all. Independent heating provides not only optimal temperature conditions in residential premises, but also provides significant cost savings in the family budget. What kind autonomous heating prioritize, it's up to you. First, let's take a look at the main existing options home heating, based on the energy they consume:

Electrical devices.
Solid fuel devices.
Liquid fuel units.
Gas appliances.

Each of the listed groups is divided into subgroups according to the installation method, the coolant used, the scope, etc. But to this list of devices used as the main means of heating housing, it is necessary to add systems involved in the heating process as additional devices that increase comfort temperature regime in room. Such systems include the so-called underfloor heating, electric and water.

Of particular interest in this regard is the water-heated floor, which operates from a gas boiler - an autonomous hot water generator. The system is relatively new, but sufficiently studied, superior in efficiency to devices such as, for example, heated fans.

Underfloor heating - idea and concept

The idea of underfloor heating in living quarters is not new. Man has long paid attention to the laws of physics operating around us - warm air indoors always accumulates at the top, under the ceiling. The cooled air, on the contrary, sinks down, making the floor the coldest place in the room, eating up precious kilocalories with its large area.

The floor artificially heated to a certain temperature becomes a powerful source of heat in the room. Due to the large heating area, the air evenly warms up and rises, filling the entire interior space. The process of air exchange provides the necessary temperature in the room, and, moreover, minimizes the difference between its values at the floor level and under the ceiling. In rooms equipped with underfloor heating, there are practically no zones with cool air.

Gas boilers used today for home autonomous heating are quite capable of ensuring the normal operation of a warm water floor. It is possible to achieve an effective increase in comfort in this situation, subject to certain conditions - accurate thermal and hydraulic calculations, competent installation of the underfloor heating system.

Concept

Floor heating can be provided by laying a pipeline in the existing space between the floor and the floor covering, in which the coolant heated by the gas boiler will circulate. The heat carrier is water (plain or with special anti-freeze additives) - a traditional liquid used for autonomous boiler equipment.

The heat exchanger in this case is a pipeline laid under the floor covering. The effect is achieved due to the large heat transfer area. The amount of heat entering the space interior, sufficient for horizontal and vertical distribution of warm air mass.

Important! The fundamental difference between this system and other types of heating systems is low temperature coolant. For a warm water floor, it is enough to heat the coolant to a temperature of 30-50 0 C.

Components of the "warm water floor" system

The main structural elements of such a system are:

a gas boiler;
pressure pump;
shutoff valves and connecting fittings;
the main pipeline for distributing the coolant to residential premises;
floor mini-pipeline for laying on the surface of the subfloor;
collector;
system of automation and adjustment of operating modes.

A gas boiler

For a private house of a large area, where it is planned to increase the comfort of the temperature regime in in large numbers rooms, the best choice would be a floor double-circuit gas boiler in an autonomous version. Such units have high power, are able to simultaneously solve several problems at once - heating residential premises and providing hot water.

On a note: for floor-mounted gas heating equipment, it is necessary to equip an appropriate room with a chimney and ventilation. The room allocated for the boiler room (boiler capacity up to 30 kW) must have an area of at least 4 square meters, and a minimum volume of 8 cubic meters. If a single-circuit gas boiler is used for underfloor heating, then for DHW systems you will have to install an additional boiler indirect heating, which can be placed in the same room.

For an apartment where every square meter of area is expensive, you can use a wall-mounted gas boiler, which, when correct selection power will also ensure the efficient operation of a water-heated floor. Due to its dimensions, it is easier to choose a place to place such equipment; wall-mounted gas boilers can be installed even in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Typically, the power of wall-mounted gas boilers varies in the range of 7-30 kW.

Wall-mounted autonomous gas appliances in most cases have closed cell combustion, therefore, for its efficient and safe operation, it is sufficient to equip coaxial chimney with access to the street or to the central chimney shaft.

An important point when buying equipment is to determine the optimal power of the gas boiler, which will have to ensure the operation of the "water heated floor" system, therefore, when choosing a gas boiler model, it is necessary to rely on thermal calculation data.

For reference: for heating 1 sq. m of living space requires the cost of approximately 100 W of electricity, subject to good thermal insulation of the room, ceilings no more than 3 m high and no excessive number of windows.

Most of the premises of a private house have external walls in their design, heat losses through which may require an increase of up to 150 W of heat consumption for heating 1 sq. m. living area. Therefore, when buying a gas boiler, even having a thermal calculation indicating the required power of the unit, it is better to purchase a device with an excess of the calculated value of this characteristic by 15-20%.

In most cases, the power of double-circuit boilers is designed for hot water supply with one or two water intake points. Therefore, with an increase in the number of hot water intake points, an increase in boiler power will be required.

In this respect, a water-heated floor has an advantage - it loads a gas boiler in a gentle mode. The principle of operation of the underfloor heating system in this situation requires minimal energy consumption from the boiler to heat the coolant. Most of the boiler power is released to heat the water of the hot water supply system.

Pipes for water floor heating

For laying a warm water floor, copper, polypropylene, metal-plastic or PEX pipes are used.

Copper pipes (high thermal conductivity, durability) are an ideal material for underfloor heating, so their price is high and availability is limited.

Polypropylene pipes are also not very common, but for a different reason - their flexibility is insufficient, and the minimum bending radius of the pipe should be equal to 8 of its diameters, which moves the coils apart.

Pipes made of metal-plastic are deservedly popular - the inner aluminum coating provides them with good thermal conductivity, and polymer shells protect them from damage. With such characteristics, an affordable price is a good incentive to choose in their favor.

PEX pipes are a material made of “cross-linked” polyethylene, that is, with an artificially modified molecular structure that makes this material strong and durable. The price of PEX pipes is quite affordable, and therefore their use in the installation of water-heated floors is widespread. However, one specific property of this material should be borne in mind - when heated, PEX pipes tend to take on their original contour, therefore, when laid on the floor, they must be firmly fixed to the screed reinforcement.

The heating system is not installed for one day, so its reliability, including tightness, and durability must be ensured. For this purpose, the pipes are laid in a single solid coil, without joints. The task is to obtain a single, closed circuit during the installation process, through which the coolant will circulate, for which it is better to use water with special additives. This will prevent the system from defrosting during severe frosts. This measure is relevant for owners country houses and cottages with non-permanent residence.

Important! When used in a water system, it is necessary to install an additional protective device, compressor or cylinder with compressed air for emergency purging of the entire circuit and draining the coolant.

Important! When buying pipes for a heating system, pay attention to the markings. Products intended for heating systems have the corresponding symbols and designations. As a rule, this is an allowable pressure of 10 bar and a heating temperature of up to 95 0 C.

Depending on the characteristics of the room and the type of flooring (thickness of the screed, height of the room, etc.), pipes with a diameter of 16-20 mm are used to install the underfloor heating system. During pipe laying, a minimum bending radius of five times the diameter for metal-plastic pipes and 8 times for polypropylene material.

To complete the picture, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the video material, which describes in detail and shows how the installation of a water-heated floor is carried out.

Installation of the "water heated floor" system

The installation of a water-heated floor system begins with the preparation of the foundation, which includes several operations, which we will briefly consider now. Failure to comply with the requirements for the subfloor, on which the heated floor is mounted, is fraught with at least a decrease in the efficiency of its work, at the maximum - depressurization followed by expensive overhaul.

Foundation preparation

The substrate must be properly prepared before laying the pipeline. The base surface must be firm, clean and even. Height differences are allowed in the range of plus or minus 10 mm per meter of linear length. If the floor surface does not meet the requirements, has a large curvature and obvious flaws, a leveling screed is installed, followed by waterproofing of the base in case of depressurization of the system.

Before laying the pipeline, thermal insulation of the subfloor is also carried out. For these purposes, plates made of extruded polystyrene foam, or basalt fiber 30-50 mm thick, are used.

With a sufficient budget, the use of plates shielded with foil and equipped with special protrusions for convenient pipe laying is justified. Such measures are resorted to to reduce heat losses through the floor in the premises of the first floor - a warm floor, together with a gas boiler of any capacity, will work with an increased load simultaneously with floor heating to heat the basement or someone else's apartment on the floor below.

Important! Before pouring the laid pipes of the underfloor heating system cement mortar it is necessary to stick a strip of damper tape 5 mm thick and a width equal to the thickness of the poured mortar layer on the walls along the perimeter of the room. The tape will compensate for the thermal expansion of the screed and reduce its pressure on the vertical structures.

Mounting

Underfloor heating systems are divided into 2 types according to the design and, accordingly, the installation method:

concrete (filled);
flooring.

In the first case, we are talking about pouring with concrete the contour of the system of water heated floors laid on the prepared base. This operation is preceded by breaking down the base into sections and laying the reinforcing mesh.

The following types of laying pipes-heat pipes are used:

snake;
double snake;
spiral;
offset spiral;
combined method.

The diagram shows how the heating circuit is laid in a room with increased heat loss - two or more external walls.

Important! After the installation of the underfloor heating system is completed, it is pressure tested at a pressure of 5 bar for 24 hours.

The concrete screed acts as an additional element-participant in the process of heat distribution. Considering bad job tensile concrete, it is laid at a pressure in the heating system of 3 bar, reducing the tensile load with further water supply to the system to the operating pressure.

For the screed solution, cement of a grade not lower than M-300 is used, and its thickness should be 30-50 mm, while the mortar layer above the heat pipes should not be more than 2 cm.

When installing a system of water heated floors, one should take into account the technological limitation - finishing flooring must have a high coefficient of thermal conductivity in order to give off heat to the room air with minimal losses. That is, laying linoleum, laminate, parquet, and boardwalk over a warm floor is not advisable due to the high heat-insulating properties of these materials. And the flooring over the tile system, especially with high density - porcelain stoneware, natural stone, a broom is not only justified, but also expedient due to the constantly cold surface of such a finish.

The laying method of laying is used in rooms where the use of a screed is undesirable due to low ceilings, or production concrete works fraught with leakage of moisture into the lower or adjacent rooms. The restriction may be seasonal or related to design features building. The main advantage of flooring systems is the high speed of their installation. Warm water floors of the floor type of laying according to the materials of the system device are divided into:

polystyrene;
wooden:

modular;
rack.

All these types of flooring systems are less labor intensive and there is no significant pollution of housing during installation.

Polystyrene underfloor heating

This system is a set of heat-insulating coating made of extruded polystyrene foam (expanded polystyrene), heat pipes and heat-distributing aluminum plates.

Polystyrene plates are laid on the supporting base, on top of which heat pipes are mounted on aluminum plates with special grooves.

On top of the aluminum plates, the floor is finished with a material with a high coefficient of thermal conductivity (for example, ceramic tile on a 2-component epoxy adhesive).

Wooden underfloor heating systems

These devices are mounted on existing wooden floors or logs made of wood.

In the modular version, plates (modules) are used with channels and grooves for heat-distributing plates and pipes.

In the slatted type of underfloor heating, the modules are installed between the existing ones on the hard draft floor lags, or lags are pre-installed for this. These structures play the role of stiffening ribs of a heated water floor and its subsequent finishing, the list of structural elements does not differ from the modular view.

After the laying of floor-type warm floors is completed, the system is also pressure tested and commissioning is carried out (tightness check, tightening of connections).

The flooring method of arranging the underfloor heating system is universal and applicable in almost all buildings and structures. However, its advantages are reflected in the cost, which is quite high.

Conclusion

A competent project combined with a qualified installation of equipment is a guarantee of a positive result. A water heated floor, which you will use as an additional home autonomous heating system, will be an effective, economical and practical device that significantly increases the comfort of your home.

In the article we are going to discuss heat sources for low temperature heating. Is an electric boiler suitable for underfloor heating? Is it difficult to connect a solid fuel boiler to a pipe laid in a screed?

We will try to find answers to these and some other questions.

Underfloor heating is convenient and practical. However, he, like any heating system, needs a heat source.

What's the difference

To begin with, let's define how a warm floor for an apartment or house is fundamentally different from radiator heating in terms of choosing a heat source.

It won't take long to find the answer. Touch the heating radiator in winter. Excuse me, what did you say? And, I heard ... Now imagine that the floor has the same temperature.

So, we formulate the key difference: in the underfloor heating system, the temperature of the coolant should be limited to about 40 degrees.
Exceeding this value will make staying indoors extremely uncomfortable.

And now let's see how good boilers using various sources of thermal energy are in these operating conditions.

Of course, we will evaluate not only the ability to maintain the desired temperature, but also a number of equally important parameters:

economy. It is clear that the cost of a kilowatt-hour of heat should be reasonable.
Ease of use. It is desirable that the boiler does not require the constant attention of the owner.
The complexity of installation and strapping requirements.

Electricity

economy

From this point of view, electric floor heating boilers are the worst possible solution. To produce a kilowatt-hour of heat, they require exactly one kilowatt-hour of electricity. And its price in most of the country is close to 4 rubles.

Let's do a simple calculation. Assume that the average daily heat demand of a house is 10 kilowatts. In this case, the cost per day at a rate of 3.5 r / kWh will be 10x24x3.5 = 840 rubles. For heating - prohibitive, isn't it?

To clarify: an electric boiler for underfloor heating can be much cheaper if you have a two-tariff meter installed.
Thermal inertia allows you to use the full power of the boiler only at night, when electricity is cheaper.

Ease of use

But from this point of view, the electric boiler completely rehabilitates itself: it does not require maintenance at all. It is enough to set the desired temperature of the coolant or, in the presence of a remote temperature sensor, air - and the device will continue to work in a completely autonomous mode. Programmable boilers are able to regulate the temperature within the framework of a daily or weekly schedule.