Encyclopedia of fire safety

Water heated floor: a detailed analysis of laying systems and do-it-yourself installation examples. Do-it-yourself warm water floor How to make a water floor with your own hands

Modern system warm water floors is a very effective design based on pipes, the basic task of which is to qualitatively heat the surface of the floor covering, followed by the most uniform redistribution of warm air masses over the area of ​​​​the entire heated room.

Adherents of underfloor heating note the presence of many advantages when using water space heating, the main of which are:

  • high degree of energy efficiency:
  • stable indicators of reliability and safety of a properly installed system;
  • good potential for use as the main heating system;
  • excellent compatibility with all types of modern flooring materials, including ceramics, laminates and parquet boards, as well as all types of linoleum.

In addition, this category of underfloor heating is characterized by invisibility and the absence of harmful indicators of electromagnetic radiation in combination with high level comfort. In fairness, it should be noted that the installation of such floors is different high cost and requires the involvement of specialists of a certain qualification not only for installing the system, but also for performing repair work.

System Components

A properly designed “underfloor heating” water system under standard conditions is represented by a water-type circuit equipped with a collector and a thermal nodal connection which includes a heat exchanger, hydraulic pump, expansion tank and security group.

The heat carriers in such a system are hot water from the central heating system and elements of the water heating structure, and a special heat exchanger performs the regulating function. By means of a hydraulic pump, the coolant circulates under the conditions of the installed water circuit, and the expansion tank helps to compensate for the excess of the coolant, which can be provoked by a high level of heating.

The operation of such a system would be unstable without the functioning of a special safety group, represented by a pressure gauge, automatic air vent and safety valve. A special group is mounted at the highest point and protects the closed type of the system from the formation of airing processes or too high intra-system pressure.

Set of water floor heating for 15 m2

NameQtyCost, rub.
MP pipe Valtec. 16(2.0)100 m3 580
plasticizer. Silar (10l)2x10 l1 611
Damper tape. Energoflex Super 10/0.1-252x10 m1 316
Thermal insulation. TP - 5/1.2-1618 m22 648
Three way mixing valve. MIX 03 ¾”1 1 400
Circulation pump. UPC 25-401 2 715
Adapter nipple. VT 580 1”x3/4”1 56,6
Adapter nipple. VT 580 1"x1/2"1 56,6
Ball valve. VT 218 ½"1 93,4
Straight connector with transition to internal thread. VTm 302 16x ½”2 135,4
Ball valve. VT 219 ½"1 93,4
Tee VT 130 ½”1 63
Keg VT 652 ½”x601 63
Adapter H-BVT 581 ¾”x ½”30,1
Total 13 861.5

Calculation and selection of materials

Each room requires separate calculations to determine the amount of consumables based on the length of the pipes, as well as the step during their installation. For this purpose, it is advisable to use special computer programs or use ready-made project documentation developed by specialists.

floor heating pipe

Independent power calculations are classified as complex, due to the need to take into account a lot of parameters and nuances. Even minor flaws can provoke insufficient or uneven circulation of water along the circuit, and in some cases the formation of local areas of heat leakage is possible.

Calculations are based on the use of several parameters:

  • area of ​​the room;
  • characteristics of the material used for the construction of walls and ceilings;
  • the presence and category of thermal insulation of the room;
  • view of the heat-insulating layer under the system itself;
  • flooring materials;
  • characteristics and parameters of pipes in the system;
  • temperature indicators of water at the inlet to the system.

The most crucial stage before purchasing the material is the competent choice of heat carriers, represented in such a system by pipes. The following types are popular:

  • stitched type polyethylene pipes. Get under high pressure and are characterized by a high level of strength. Optimally resistant to any kind of mechanical damage, temperature changes and pressure instability;
  • metal-plastic pipes. They perfectly combine the main positive qualities of steel and polymers. Are not subject to formation of a rust and are steady against adverse external influences;
  • copper pipes with plastic sheath. They are characterized by maximum durability, which is due to the use of high-strength metals in the production process.

Modern systems of water heated floors can be implemented through several of the most common installation options:

  • snake mounting. An option for laying pipes along one of the walls with a rounding at the end point and a change in direction, as a result of which the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room is covered. The main difficulty lies in the specific design of the turning zones;
  • installation with a double snake. An option performed by analogy with the previous method, but during the laying process a pair of parallel pipes is used in increments of three centimeters;
  • installation with a snail or spiral. Installation option, when laid, a kind of spiral is obtained with an end point that closes the entire system;
  • combined installation. The option involves the implementation of several ways of laying on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bone room with the dominance of the most convenient and effective.

Basic rules for the distribution of pipes in the system of water-heated floors:

  • installation of the system starts from an external, cold wall;
  • a gradual decrease in the heating of the floor surface is achieved by using pipe laying using the "snake" technology;
  • uniform heating can be obtained by spiral laying in the direction from the periphery of the room to the central part, maintaining a double step from turn to turn, followed by laying in the opposite direction;
  • the standard step cannot be less than ten and more than thirty centimeters, but the greater the heat loss, the smaller the step should be;
  • special attention should be paid to the calculations of hydraulic resistance, the indicator of which increases in direct proportion to the length of the pipes and the number of turns;
  • it is forbidden to join pipes with couplings if it is necessary to install them in a screed.

Selecting and installing a collector

The collector is selected in accordance with the number of circuits. It must have the optimal number of pins and allow you to connect absolutely all the circuits being performed.

The simplest type of manifold has shut-off valves, but is deprived of the ability to configure the system, which makes it possible to classify it as a budget equipment option.

Underfloor heating collector, option No. 1

In the collectors of the middle price segment, the installation of control valves is provided, which, if necessary, allows you to adjust the water flow in any heating loop.

The most efficient are automated collectors, equipped with a servo drive for each valve and special pre-mixers. Such systems allow you to adjust the temperature regime for the supplied water and mix different-temperature liquids.

collector group

Mandatory elements of high-quality collectors are represented by an air vent valve and a drain type of outlet. For installation, a collector box with a standard thickness of about twelve centimeters is used. The correct dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the manifold group and the necessary additional elements, which can be pressure sensors, air ducts and drains.

A well-placed box has a number of characteristics:

  • has a free space under it, used for pipe bends;
  • the same length of the pipe from each room and the dimensions of the circuit are characteristic.

It is allowed to mount the box in a non-bearing type wall. Please note that the collector box must be installed above the surface of the "warm floor" system. The assembly and filling of the box is standard and is carried out in accordance with the attached instructions.

The sequence and features of installation

The most popular and demanded option for laying warm water floors is the use of which is carried out after careful preparation of the surface to be equipped and markings for the location of the collector and pipes. All work is carried out in stages, in compliance with the following sequence of main actions:

  • laying thermal insulation based on polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene;

    When performing installation work, areas of the room near external walls are formed by using a smaller step, which allows you to stabilize the heating.

    Laying the pipe system according to the “snake” type involves performing the smallest step, and with spiral installation, the step can be from two to fifteen centimeters.

    To improve the quality of the concrete composition and facilitate pouring, it is advisable to add a standard amount of polypropylene fiber to the working solution, which will increase the strength of the screed during shrinkage.

    Do not neglect the use of a damper tape, which allows you to qualitatively compensate for the expansion of the concrete screed.

    Compliance with the technology allows you to get a high-quality and durable system of underfloor heating, which will improve the microclimate of the room and create comfortable living conditions.

    Video - Warm water floors, installation diagram and installation. Video seminar

Underfloor heating can be used as the main and additional heating. Recently, it has become increasingly popular, as it allows you to save significant funds. Underfloor heating (water) is traditional way home insulation. But before you install it, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the system, as well as decide on the equipment that you will use.

Such heating has the following advantages:

  • Increasing indoor comfort;
  • Uniform heating of all rooms;
  • Efficient temperature distribution, depending on the height of the room;
  • Reducing heat loss through the ceiling;
  • There is no dehumidification of air and combustion of oxygen;
  • Aesthetics;
  • Profitability. Such a system makes it possible to save up to 40% of the cost of heating a house.

These advantages speak in favor of the presented type of heating. But there are also disadvantages. For example, the heat loss of a room should not be higher than 100 W/m2. In addition, there may be some restrictions on the use in apartment buildings that are equipped with single-pipe heating systems. The disadvantages include a rather large height of the screed, which is unacceptable in apartments with low ceilings. The cost of materials for installation can be quite high. And yet, not everyone can make a system on their own.

These disadvantages are not too serious, since you can find a way out of any situation.

How are you going to install the water floor?

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The system consists of pipes that are laid under flooring in concrete screed. Heated water constantly circulates through them, which transfers its heat to the floor. Naturally, the entire structure must be connected to the source. This can be arranged in houses in which autonomous systems heating. In other cases, their installation is prohibited.


The drawing shows a device for water floor heating.

Water heated floor can consist of the following layers:

  1. Floor slab.
  2. Polyethylene waterproofing layer.
  3. Insulation.
  4. Foil material that will direct heat upwards.
  5. Reinforcing mesh.
  6. . The total thickness should not exceed 10 cm.
  7. Reinforcing mesh to which pipes are attached.
  8. Flooring.

Features of the preparation of the base

We have already considered the pros and some other nuances of the water floor. Now you need to understand how you can prepare the base for work. If there is an old screed, then it must be dismantled. The resulting base must be leveled. This procedure is necessary if the height differences exceed 1 cm.


Substrate preparation includes leveling the floor surface, installing a damper tape and a waterproofing layer.

Now you can lay the waterproofing layer. At the same time, please note that a damper tape must be fixed around the entire perimeter of the room. Thanks to it, you can somewhat reduce the thermal expansion of the floor.

If you intend to build several contours of the water floor, then such a tape should also be mounted along the line between them.

Heating will be most effective if the base is insulated. Depending on the purpose for which the room and the heating system will be used, you can use the following materials:

  • Foamed polyethylene. It can be equipped with an additional layer of foil that will reflect heat. This method can be used if the warm floor is not the main source of heating.
  • Small sheets of expanded polystyrene. This method is effective if there is a heated room under your apartment.
  • Expanded clay. This method is best suited for those apartments that are located on the ground floor. At the same time, there is an unheated basement under them.
Thermal insulation options for water floors.

Important! To date, in construction stores you can purchase special heaters in which there are already channels for pipes.

The last layer before laying a warm floor is a reinforcing mesh. It is necessary for fixing pipes and fixing the screed.

What equipment and materials will you need?

In order for water heating not to become a serious problem for you, you need to decide in advance on all necessary devices. So, you will need:

  1. Boiler with water heating function.
  2. Pressure pump.
  3. Pipes for distributing.
  4. Valves at the boiler inlet, preferably ball valves.
  5. Two collectors with systems for adjusting and setting underfloor heating. One of them is needed as a distribution of hot water, and the second is needed to collect the cooled coolant.
  6. . They can be made from cross-linked polyethylene or polypropylene. The second option is used quite often, but at the time of purchase, make sure that the product is reinforced with fiberglass. The pipe diameter should be within 16-20 mm. In addition, the material must withstand very high temperatures (95 degrees) and a pressure of 10 bar.
  7. Fitting.

In addition, you will need to purchase flooring, cement and sand. Please note that the equipment for a warm water floor must be of high quality and have all the necessary certificates (passports).

Features of the calculation and distribution of water floor pipes

It must be remembered that in order for the heating design to be effective, it must be correctly calculated. For each room, this procedure will be individual. Remember that it is very difficult to calculate a water-heated floor on your own. Here you need to take into account the following parameters:

  • The area of ​​the room and its volume.
  • The materials from which the ceilings and walls were made, as well as insulation.
  • Boiler power (the temperature of water heating depends on this).
  • Type of thermal insulation.
  • Types of finishes.
  • Pipe diameter.

It is best to leave the calculation of all parameters to a specialist. As for the distribution of pipes, here you need to choose best option. In doing so, do not forget to consider the following rules:

  1. The presented heating must be started from the outer walls, which are colder.
  2. The most common mounting method is the "snake". It provides the most optimal heating of the room.
  3. The step between the pipes should be about 30 cm. However, if there are places where heat losses increase, then the distance between the elements can be reduced to 15 cm.
  4. Pay attention to the hydraulic resistance of the system, it should be the same in all circuits.
  5. Each circuit must be made from a pipe, which is sold in a single piece. Couplings or fittings must not be laid in the screed.

The picture shows how the pipes are laid. The hot coolant is marked in red, the cold coolant (return) is marked in blue.

Features of choosing a collector

The presented heating of the room is impossible without the use of. Therefore, after you determine the required number of circuits, you can start buying this device.

During the selection, it must be taken into account that the product in its composition has shut-off and control valves, which allow you to control the coolant flow for each individual circuit. Thanks to such collectors, you can adjust the warm floor so that the heating occurs evenly.


The photo shows a collector for 6 water floor circuits assembled with additional equipment (mixing unit, pump, pressure gauges, etc.).

Do not select a device without a vent valve. In addition, it must be provided with drainage. The composition of the collector may include a special pre-mixer, with which you can adjust the temperature of the coolant. That is, hot water is mixed with the already cooled. However, such a device is quite expensive. Therefore, you can give preference to more acceptable options. The product is mounted in a special box. It is with its placement that the installation of a warm floor begins.

The collector box must not be installed at the level of the pipes. It should be higher. Only in this case the system will work without failures.

How to choose the right boiler?

The design of the underfloor heating system provides for the presence of the most important device - the boiler. It needs to be chosen correctly. Otherwise, the heating will not be as effective as it should be. It should be chosen taking into account the following features:

  1. Device power. The entire heating system depends on it. During the purchase, it must be taken into account that the boiler must cover the power of the underfloor heating and have a margin of 15-20%.
  2. The presence of a circulation pump. Modern boilers already equipped with this device. Its power is usually enough to provide heating for a two-story house. However, total area heating should not exceed 150 m2. Otherwise, you will need to mount another pump. If you need it, you can fix it in the collector cabinet.
  3. Check valves available. They are present in all boilers without exception. They are installed at the exit and entrance. Thanks to this design, you do not have to drain all the water from the system in case of repair or maintenance of the boiler.

Schematic diagram of a water heated floor system using a heating boiler.

After you have collected everything you need to equip the heating, you can proceed with its installation.

Pipe laying

To fix the structure, you will need special mounting profiles, which must be screwed to the base with screws or dowels. These elements have sockets for fastening pipes in advance.


There are several ways to fix water floor pipes. In the photo - laying in pre-mounted profiles.

When fixing the pipes, do not tighten them very tightly.

If you have purchased a whole bay, then you need to unwind it very carefully and gradually. Pay attention to the bends, they should not be too strong. Otherwise, a room may appear on the product, which in the future will lead to a breakdown of the system. Therefore, pipes with such defects should not be laid in the screed.

During the installation of pipes, you should observe the distance between them, the laying pattern, make sure that the bends are smooth.

If the pipes of the water-heated floor will pass through the walls from another room, then they must be additionally insulated with foamed polyethylene. A compression fitting can be used to connect the pipe to the manifold.

Pressing and pouring the screed

After such heating is installed, it must be checked. For this, high pressure compression is used. That is, the system must be filled with coolant and withstand a pressure of about 6 bar throughout the day. If you do not notice any leaks, then you can start pouring the screed. In this case, the structure must be included. Laying floor cladding material can only be done after a month.

In order for the heating to be efficient, and the heat to be evenly distributed in the thickness of the screed, it is necessary to take into account some nuances in its formation. For example, if you use tiles as a finish coating, the thickness of the screed should be no more than 5 cm. If linoleum or laminate is used for cladding, then this layer should be thin enough. However, in order for it not to lose its strength, it can be reinforced with a reinforcing mesh.

Conclusion

You can turn on water heated floors in the fall, while it is not very cold. Please note that heating will not work as efficiently as possible right away. This takes a few days. Further, a warm water floor will already be able to maintain the temperature you set.

The presented type of heating can serve you for many years if it is done correctly. Therefore, at the slightest difficulty, try to use the advice of specialists. Good luck with your repair!

Underfloor heating is a heating system that uses hot water as a heat source for a room. The principle of operation of such a heating system is quite simple: special flexible pipes, through which the hot coolant is distributed.

The source of heat for such a heating system is a central heating system or a gas boiler. You can do the installation of a water-heated floor with your own hands, but before that you will need to draw up a project correctly and decide on the connection method.

The water floor heating system installed in the apartment consists of:

  • Water heating boiler;
  • circulation pump;
  • Ball valves installed at the inlet to the boiler;
  • Pipes for distributing and laying the heating main;
  • Collector;
  • Control and adjustment systems;
  • Fittings connecting the manifold to the pipeline.

The boiler, which you yourself need to connect to the plumbing heating system, can be:

  • Electric;
  • gas;
  • solid fuel;
  • On liquid fuel.

The circulation pump is included with most boiler models, but before installing it, you should make a calculation and find out if it has enough power for the underfloor heating system. The power of the heating circuit, (kW) and the temperature of the coolant are taken into account.

The collector distributes hot water along the heating circuit - with its help, the underfloor heating in the apartment is adjusted and adjusted. Make and connect a collector using metal-plastic pipes you can do it yourself - this will save money on installing the system.

The cake of a water-heated floor laid in a screed is divided into three layers - these are:

  • Shielding substrate;
  • Heating circuit;
  • Finish flooring.

A foil-coated film is used as a shielding substrate. The film protects the heating circuit from possible heat losses.

A pie of a water-heated floor without a screed consists of:

  • primary sex;
  • Thermal insulation layer, best of all - a special polystyrene plate;
  • Aluminum plates for pipe laying;
  • heating pipes;
  • Substrates;
  • Finishing coverage.

Comparing water and electric underfloor heating, it should be noted that:

  • It is more difficult and expensive to design and install a water floor than an electric one, but its operation is much cheaper. Heating 10 sq. m., the water floor consumes only 1.5 kW of electricity per hour.
  • The water floor heating system is characterized by the complexity of adjusting the temperature in the apartment. Adjusting the heating of electric floors is quite simple.
  • Starting floor heating with a water system takes much less time than with an electric one.
  • With a large area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, it is possible to make a water floor the main source of heating, with a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, it is recommended to carry out heating with an electric underfloor heating.

Underfloor heating project

H2_2

Optimum floor heating temperature.

The project drawing up instruction requires the availability of initial data, which includes the level of heat loss of the entire building and each room separately. In addition, it is necessary to calculate in advance the temperature value that should be in each room.

The technology is focused on averaged data, so the water floor generates an average of 100 W / m2 of energy, which is equal to the average heat loss of an “average building”. When drawing up a project, it must be taken into account that a warm water floor in each room will cover various heat losses. So, for example, in the bedroom they are 50 W / m2, in the hall 100 W / m2, in the bathroom 75 W / m2.

Pipe laying scheme

Pipes for the heat transfer system are made of cross-linked polyethylene, polypropylene, copper, metal-plastic or stainless steel. Advantage polypropylene pipes lies in their low cost. Metal-plastic products retain shape stability and do not deform. Copper pipes have a long service life and a high degree of thermal conductivity. Pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene are characterized by high thermal stability and strength.

Before you start laying the floor water heating system with your own hands, you must select the pipeline pitch. Here, the step is the distance between the laid pipes that perform floor heating. The pipe laying step affects how evenly the temperature will be distributed over the floor surface.

The laying instruction allows you to use a step from 5 to 60 cm, but most often the pipes are laid in increments of 15-30 cm. The choice of this parameter must be made depending on the type and characteristics of the room, as well as indicators of its calculated heat load. For example, it is recommended to install a pipe system with a laying step of 15 cm in bathrooms and all those rooms where it is important to evenly distribute heat over the floor surface at a heating load level of more than 85 W / m2. You can lay the pipes yourself with an orientation to the following schemes:


When implementing the “snail” laying scheme, the pipeline must be laid in a spiral, which unwinds from the center of the room to the walls. "Snail" is the most popular and common method of laying pipes with your own hands. The design of such a scheme makes it possible for the supply and return to be located nearby, which helps to equalize the average floor temperature, in which cold zones will not occur.

Such a scheme allows heating to be carried out in the coldest areas located along the outer walls. Reverse loop instructions allow mounting closer to the center of the room. It is possible to do laying with a snake in rooms with a floor slope - it is important to correctly lay the heating circuit in the highest part of the room. This will contribute to the independent exit of air from the pipeline to the collector.

The layout of pipes with a double snake allows you to smooth out uneven floor heating. To perform this installation, you need to make double loops of the supply and return circuits. The laying technology allows the combination of “snail” and “snake” schemes - snake pipes are laid along the perimeter of the walls, and in the middle of the room they are laid in a spiral.

All presented methods directly depend on the characteristics of the room and the angle of the floor.

Advice! In the coldest areas, it is necessary to increase the density of the serpentine laying step to 10 cm, especially for areas near external walls.

Ways to connect the underfloor heating system

Do-it-yourself connection of the water floor follows the “pipe-collector-boiler” connection chain. The most common options are:

  • Collector systems.
  • Connection using three-way mixers;
  • Connection with a circulation pump.

When connected using a collector, the system is mounted in such a way that return and supply pipes are freely connected to the collector cabinet. Further, tank collector outlets are connected to the pipes, providing the supply and return flow of the coolant. The design is equipped with shut-off valves, with thermometers installed in them to monitor the temperature regime.

Fixing pipes, valves and other elements is carried out using compressor fittings. In addition, the collectors can be fastened to the water floor contour using special connections - a brass nut, a clamping ring or a support sleeve. At the last stage, the collector is connected to the heat transfer pipes.

If you install and connect a system with a three-way mixer, then it should be installed at the outlet of the return circuit. You can mount such a system with your own hands by directly connecting a three-way mixer using pipes to the boiler.

The collector must be supplemented with a splitter, on the upper side of which an air vent is installed. This element will ensure the removal of air bubbles from a closed system. Fastening of all chain components can be done with fittings or clamping rings.

If the system has a low water pressure, and the mixer is not needed, then you can install a circulation pump equipped with a thermostat. The pump can be connected to the central heating system, but this must be done after agreement with the permitting authorities of the Housing Office. It is advisable to install the pump on the return circuit of the system, since when installed on the supply circuit, it will take excess water which can damage the central heating system.

How to install a warm water floor with a screed

The underfloor heating system is installed in the following order:

  1. The foundation is being prepared - the main requirement for subfloor it is a flat surface and dry.
  2. A waterproofing layer is being laid. As a waterproofing, ordinary polyethylene film. The film is spread over the entire surface and glued with adhesive tape at the joints.
  3. The damper tape is laid. You need to do this around the entire perimeter of the room.
  4. The thermal insulation layer is installed. Expanded polystyrene foam can be used, on top of which a foil-coated film is laid.
  5. In accordance with the markup, pipes are laid.

After the hydraulic tests are carried out, the turn comes concrete pouring. In order to make reinforcement, you should use metal mesh with a wire cross section of 5 mm, with a mesh size of 10x10 or 15x15 cm. The finishing screed can be poured from mixtures for self-leveling floors, special building mixtures or mortar with the addition of a plasticizer. The thickness of the concrete layer in this case should not be more than 30-35 mm.

Advice! An aluminum bar with a length of up to 2 m is best suited for leveling an uncured screed. The bar will help you quickly and efficiently complete the initial leveling.

After completion of the work, you need to wait for the complete solidification of the fill, and then lay the decorative coating.

How to install without a screed

A warm water-type floor can be installed without the use of a concrete screed - under a polystyrene base or wooden flooring.

Laying under a polystyrene base is carried out in the following order:

  1. In accordance with the preliminary marking, the polystyrene foam base is laid in the form of plates. They are fastened to each other with special snap locks.
  2. Aluminum plates are laid in the grooves, on top of which pipes are laid with an orientation to the laying plan of the heating circuit.
  3. A waterproofing layer can be laid on top of the plates - an ordinary plastic film will do.
  4. The top coat is laid on top of the plates.

When using wooden modules, the following actions are performed:

  1. The modules are placed on the logs, while maintaining a step of 600 mm.
  2. A waterproofing and insulating layer is laid between the lags.
  3. The modules are interlocked with each other with special locks.
  4. Metal plates are placed on top of the layer of prepared modules.
  5. On top of the metal plates, pipes are laid according to the selected scheme.
  6. If tiles or linoleum will be laid under a warm wooden floor, you will need to prepare flat surface- put on top of metal plates drywall sheets or chipboard, fix them and seal all joints and cracks with putty.

Warm floors heated by water are quite an attractive solution. But if you want to install them yourself, without resorting to the help of professionals and without spending money on their services, you will have to thoroughly study the topic and learn all the subtleties. You should know both the principles of connection and the methodology for constructing the base. Laying will also have to be done using special technology.

Design

There are many types of underfloor heating on the market. It is produced by dozens of leading manufacturers. But regardless of the specific brand and model obligatory components are:

  • a boiler that heats water;
  • water pump;
  • ball valves (they are placed at the inlet to the boiler);
  • pipes;
  • a collector device that allows you to set up and regulate floor heating at your discretion;
  • fittings, through which the main route is mounted, starting from the heater, and pipes are also connected to the collectors.

Each of these constituent elements has its own characteristics. So, the pipes must be made of polypropylene with a reinforcing glass fiber layer, otherwise there is a great risk of their excessive expansion in the hot state. Polyethylene has a lower level thermal expansion. In this case, the optimal diameter of the pipes is from 1.6 to 2 cm. Find out when buying whether they can withstand a pressure of 10 bar when pumping water heated to 95 degrees.

The collector, through which water enters the pipeline, is sometimes called a splitter. One of these devices sorts hot water into heating circuits, and the other collects it after passing through the entire system. Both devices are placed inside the manifold cabinet. High-quality performance of the collector grouping also includes:

  • valves;
  • air outlets;
  • devices that regulate water consumption;
  • units for accelerated outflow of liquid in a critical situation.

A manifold with a shut-off valve is impractical, so it is better to choose options equipped with control systems that provide a smooth change in the flow of coolant into one or another circuit.

The exact length and installation step when installing pipes is calculated individually for all rooms (rooms). There are no uniform standards here. If you do not feel well prepared for self calculation using specialized software, use the services of design organizations. Designers will need to know what the size of the room is, how powerful the boiler will be installed, what the walls in the house (apartment) are made of, what are the properties of the ceilings and partitions. Be sure to take into account the type of flooring, the device of the insulation layer and the diameter of the pipes.

The project should indicate not only the length of the pipe, but also the installation step and the rational laying path. Additionally, heat losses and hydraulic resistance are calculated (it must be strictly the same in each circuit). It is undesirable to use large contours (100 m and longer).

It is better to divide each such into several smaller ones. All circuits are strictly one pipe, so joints and couplings when laying in a screed are prohibited. Verandas, attics and loggias are heated separately from the adjacent rooms.

Remember that you need to lay the pipes, starting from the outer walls, and the uniformity of the decrease in heating is achieved through the "snake" scheme.

In rooms where there is only internal walls, the design of the warm floor should be spiral, directed from the boundaries of the room to its middle. In this case, a double step is maintained between any pair of turns.

For your information: you should select and buy a collector only after how the number of contours and their characteristic features will be calculated. The simplest solution, equipped with only shut-off valves, is relatively cheap, but the lack of flexibility in adjustment will cause many inconveniences. The other extreme to be avoided is an expensive manifold equipped with servo drives and pre-mixers.

Such equipment in a private house or apartment is completely superfluous, with the exception of giant cottages. When deciding which boiler to install, be guided, first of all, by its power, which, even when operating in peak design mode, should have a reserve of at least 15%.

To ensure the mixing of hot and cold coolant, use thermostatic mixers. They are two-way (paired structures are placed on the supply and return pipes) and three-way (with the addition electric drive, mounted on the outlet of the boiler). Take care of the presence of a servo drive, a thermostat: investments in these devices are justified by the fact that it will be more convenient to use the system. Servo drives are placed on the water supply combs.

Mechanical thermostats They are relatively simple and reliable in use, so they are easy to use even for people who are poorly versed in technology. Electronic controllers are a little more complicated, and if necessary, you will have to purchase a programmable device to flexibly adjust the parameters of the underfloor heating.

Having understood in general terms the device and the configuration of floor heating equipment, let's now see how it works. From the boiler (in rare cases, from a heated towel rail), water enters the pipeline. Passing through the thermostatic valve, it transfers a certain amount of heat to it. When a certain temperature is reached, the valve starts the process of mixing water taken from the return pipeline. For this purpose, a two-way or three-way valve is opened, installed before the circulation pump (inside a special jumper).

The mixed liquid, having passed through the circulation pump, touches the thermostat, which ultimately gives commands to open and close the coolant supply from the return circuit to the main one. Thanks to this scheme, the water temperature is maintained within a predetermined range of values ​​and is instantly corrected when deviating from it. Then the water passes into the distribution manifold (but only in a large room, where there is a need to distribute the coolant over several circuits and then pump it in the opposite direction).

Mounting a warm floor in several rooms at once, install a temperature control manifold. This is necessary not only because each requires its own degree of heating, but also because a completely identical circuit length cannot be maintained. Adjustment is especially useful if one of the rooms is internal and the other has external walls.

Thermostats can measure the heating of the air in the room, or the temperature of the floor. Focus on what is important to you and do not confuse these two types.

Make sure there is a bypass in the heating system. It will allow you to keep the equipment in perfect order, if suddenly the water supply to all circuits is stopped at the same time.

Pros and cons

Water heated floor economical. The low temperature of the coolant (not exceeding 50 degrees) will reduce the current consumption of the electric boiler by 20% (compared to heating with radiators). Homogeneous heating of the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe dwelling with a physiologically comfortable temperature distribution (22 degrees on the floor itself, 18 degrees on the face level) can also be considered a positive side. The hidden location of the heating system completely eliminates burns and mechanical injuries in direct contact with it and the coolant, which is especially important if there are children in the house.

Safe water floor serves for a long time. Competently executed installation and correct selection of components allows using the system for 30-40 years. Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages. For example, increased installation complexity (if you do not understand the problem well enough or do not have the necessary experience, contact professionals, or choose the electric option). If the installation is carried out with errors, this not only reduces the heating efficiency, but also increases the risk of leakage.

If, due to installation errors, natural wear or any other problem, water starts to leak, you will have to disassemble the floor, dismantle the heating structure, change it completely or partially, and only then reconnect it. Finally, in private residential buildings it will not be possible to use water floors as the only sources of heat.

Long-term (tens of hours) warming up cannot be considered a disadvantage: especially since significant thermal inertia will allow the floor to stably heat the air even during short-term interruptions. Be prepared that laying a water floor (even with your own hands) will be significantly more expensive than installing its electric version. Some materials in terms of 1 sq m can cost at least 1500 rubles. When a brigade is involved, it will need to pay no less.

A good result is achieved if the floor is raised by at least 10 cm. Costs are also associated with the installation of control systems, manifold cabinets and air outlet valves.

Where is it used?

Such a heating system in an apartment room can only be used theoretically. The technical obstacles are very serious. The fact is that it is extremely dangerous and simply forbidden to supply the pipeline with ready-made hot water, and special heating of cold water is expensive and complicated. In addition, any effective systems are voluminous and heavy, that is, they take up a considerable part of the height of the room, putting a significant load on the surface of the floor and ceilings.

In a private wooden house, the thermal loads on individual circuits, if they differ, are insignificant. Therefore, carefully consider whether it is worth installing expensive, complex automatic control systems in a small home. A large cottage or house with unheated rooms is another matter.

It is quite possible to put a water floor in a frame house, but its installation has important difference- due to the lightweight foundation to the limit, it will be necessary to abandon the use of heavy screeds made of concrete or cement-sand mixtures. It is more correct to use dry polystyrene styling. It was specially designed for frame dwellings. Please note that in order for the thermal effect to be maximum, you will have to think about good insulation external walls, which are usually made thin.

The water floor heating system has its own specifics in the bathroom. If it is installed in an apartment, we recommend that you get advice from the design organization, as well as form and register an official project and obtain consent from the neighbors. It is advisable to feed the circuit with coolant from a heated towel rail, and two-way valves at the inlet will allow not to reduce the temperature of the water below and above the riser. Regardless of whether you need to heat the bathroom in an apartment or in a private house, pay maximum attention to waterproofing. It is worth spending money on a special kind of film or euroruberoid.

The base is poured using expanded clay or fine gravel. To eliminate the appearance of irregularities, beacons must be set up. Please note that you should not walk on the bathroom floors filled with screed for 5-6 days. In this case, you will regularly have to wet the surface, otherwise it may crack. Since self-made cement mixture(which will not be covered with an intricate pattern of cracks in the next few years) will be able to a rare builder, it is better to purchase a fully prepared composition in the store. And to do experiments another time, when thinking through the design of a heated bathroom, for example.

Tools for work

In the process of installing water heated floors, you need to use 18 different tools. You will definitely need:

  • electric drill;
  • screwdriver;
  • construction dryer.

From hand tools you will need:

  • scissors;
  • ordinary saw;
  • saw for metal;
  • work knife;
  • a hammer;
  • bit;
  • vise;
  • pliers;
  • file.

Work with coatings is carried out with a spatula and a paint brush. You need to measure the required dimensions with a tape measure and a meter ruler, but in addition to them, you will also need a grinding mesh or sandpaper.

In addition to tools, you will need materials:

  • for thermal insulation, foil mats made of expanded polystyrene are most often used, or plates of the same material processed by extrusion;
  • damper self-adhesive tape should have a thickness of 0.5 to 1 cm. The pipes are fastened with brackets, mounting strips, swivel arcs and some other details.

Foundation preparation

According to the technology, the old screed must be completely removed so that the base floor is exposed. Immediately level the floor surface if the deviation from the horizontal exceeds 1 cm. If cracks, chips and cracks remain after removing the old floor covering, use a cement or gypsum leveling mixture. Next, making sure that the surface is free of dust, dirt and construction debris, a layer of waterproofing is placed on top of it.

The perimeter of the base is occupied by a damper tape, which will help compensate for the thermal expansion of the main floor covering during heating. It is important to consider when there are several contours at once, the tape should also be placed in the intervals of contours close to each other.

To reduce unproductive heat loss, you will have to additionally insulate the floor. Only rarely is it originally ready in this sense. Choice of warmth insulating material determined by the following considerations:

  • if the warm floor serves only as an assistant to the main heating system, you can limit yourself to polyethylene foam with a reflective foil layer;
  • when the apartment is located above the heated parts of the building, it is required to use extruded polystyrene foam 2-5 cm thick, or no less durable substitutes;
  • in apartments located above a cold basement, more serious protection is required - expanded clay is poured and expanded polystyrene is laid with a total layer of 5 cm or more.

Modern manufacturers offer special insulating materials for underfloor heating. One side of such heaters has channels for the installation of pipelines. It is recommended to use mineral wool, expanded polystyrene and special mats. To strengthen the screed layer, a reinforcing mesh structure is used, to which pipes can be attached. Their attachment is provided by plastic ties, so there is no need for fastening strips and special clips. When the base is ready, it makes no sense to wait for something else - it's time to start installing the floor heating equipment itself.

Mounting

Wiring diagram

Installation of a water heated floor always begins with the installation of a manifold cabinet. They put it in such a way that the distance to the pipelines going to and from all rooms is approximately equal. You can hide an unsightly looking closet by embedding it into the wall ( bearing walls not suitable for this). Please note that the box is placed above the warm floor, otherwise the air outlet will be blocked.

In a modern system (with rare exceptions), circulation is provided pumping equipment. The pump installed inside the boiler is enough to pump water over an area of ​​150 square meters, even if the building is two-story. If the total building area is larger, it will be necessary to install additional pumps with advanced functions.

In order to be able to service the heating system without draining the water, the boiler inlet and outlet are equipped with shut-off valves. Using them, you can disconnect the heater for repair and maintenance at any convenient time. In the presence of two or more collector cabinets, the main supply line is equipped with a splitter, immediately after which the narrowing adapters are installed.

Connecting pipes to the manifold involves the use of compression fittings or Euro cone devices. If necessary, it is possible to carry out such pipes through the walls, close them on all sides with an insulating layer of polyethylene foam. When all parts are laid and each block is connected to its proper place, the system must be tested. After supplying water to the pipes, they are kept under pressure of 5 or 6 bar for 24 hours (depending on the design working value). If such a check did not lead to the appearance of visually noticeable extensions, you can safely proceed to pouring the concrete layer.

It is allowed to fill the screed only when fluid is supplied at the intended pressure. Drying time to readiness is at least 4 weeks (under ideal conditions). If tiles are to be laid on top, the screed should be 30-50 mm thick and the pipes distributed at a distance of 100-150 mm from each other. Failure to follow these rules, even if the connection of all elements is correct, will lead to uneven heating of different parts of the surface.

Under laminate or linoleum, the screed may be thinner. Then the reinforcing mesh helps to compensate for the decrease in its strength. If the underfloor heating is placed under the laminate, it is not necessary to install thermal insulation, otherwise the energy efficiency of heating will be reduced.

Shrinkage joints are required in the screed if:

  • the area of ​​the room exceeds 30 sq. m;
  • there is at least one wall longer than 8 m;
  • the length is less than 50 or more than 200% of the width of the room;
  • the configuration is complex and bizarre.

For the design of screeds it is allowed to use cement-sand mixture based on Portland cement (at least M-400, and it is even better to use M-500). When ready-made concrete is used, its grade must be M-350 and higher. In addition to laying the damper tape, the reinforcing mesh where the seam passes is separated. The thickness of each seam is 1 cm, and its upper share is treated with a sealant. When pipes pass through these places they should only be placed in the outer corrugated pipe.

The launch of water floors into operation should occur at the onset of the first cold weather. Please note that the thermal inertia of the floor covering is large, and only after a few days, when it is overcome, will optimal conditions be created.

To the battery (as well as to the existing system central heating and hot water supply) you can not connect a warm floor! This will not only cause sanctions from the controlling state bodies, but also lead to disruption of the normal operation of utility systems. Be sure to install an autonomous heating boiler, which will become the source of hot water in the system. In addition to manual adjustment, the underfloor heating can be controlled by means of a servo drive and a sensor, or weather automatics.

Since the system must have control and regulatory components, it must be connected to electricity. Heated floors in different rooms can be controlled by one thermostat only if the thermal conductivity of the floor covering is identical. Such a scheme requires the same or slightly different lengths of the contours. Thermostats can be connected to the mains directly or through an RCD, which is much safer.

For gasket power cables either a strobe is used in the wall, or an additional protective corrugation is applied.

It must be taken into account that at the time of the initial connection vending machines must be set to the "off" position. Look carefully which wire to which phase should be connected. An alternative installation scheme (without a concrete screed) will be disassembled a little further. For now, let's just say that its main options are to place pipes in polystyrene foam grooves, or in grooves made of wood. It's time to see how the pipes of the water-heated floor will be laid.

Laying technology

Modern technology installation of underfloor heating involves laying pipes with their retention by special fixing profiles. The profiles themselves are attached to the base with dowels or screws. The advantage of this solution is that the profile is supplied with clamps in production. You do not need to carefully measure the pitch from one turn to the next and carefully calculate it. A simpler option is fastening to plastic ties pressed against the reinforcing structure.

However, the simplicity of such a scheme requires that extra effort when pulled. Make sure the loop is free. The bay of the pipe is carefully unwound, and not immediately, but directly in the process of work. The manufacturer's instructions always prescribe that the bend be neat b along the smallest possible radius. When using polyethylene structures, it is most often 5 pipe diameters. Do not pinch the product if it has a whitish streak, as this means the appearance of a crease, which subsequently easily breaks through and leads to flooding.

Installation according to the "snail" or "spiral" scheme is recommended for large rooms, and makes heating more even. The classic "snake" works best in small rooms, and if you want to apply heat to the floor covering in a medium-sized room, it is advisable to prefer the "double snake", in which the hot and return pipes are directed in parallel.

Whatever methods are chosen, try to reduce the number of joints between pipes, as well as the number of their turns. Such areas, despite all the perfection of modern technology and careful execution by professionals, dramatically increase the risk of leakage. Ideally, connections should only be made at the boiler inlet and outlet.

For connecting pipes, in addition to the options listed above, there are also such devices:

  • polyamide attracting collar (2 pcs per meter);
  • steel wire (similar consumption);
  • stapler and 2 clamps per meter;
  • fixing tracks, or PVC-based strips;
  • polystyrene mats;
  • aluminum spreading plates.

The rules of operation indicate that, regardless of the method of holding the pipes, their fixation is ensured by grids with a square cell of 15x15 mm, wire diameter is maximum 0.5 cm. By introducing modern automatic devices into the system, it is possible to make the control of the water flow through the pipes not only human factor, but also remote.

The final selection of the laying option should take place taking into account the private properties of the premises and their functionality separate parts. The "snake" system is designed to supply water initially to a cold area, and only then throughout the rest of the floor, for example.

When the screed under the laminate or linoleum is made thinner than usual, an additional reinforcing mesh is placed directly under it above the heating pipe contour.

How to do it without a concrete screed?

A long wait (about a month or even more if the weather conditions are unfavorable) does not suit everyone. Instead of a concrete screed, a floor covering can be used. When you lay the pipes, you will need to form a substrate for the finishing floor. If there is a laminate at the top, use cardboard and polyethylene foam. Filling under the tile is also not required. Under it, as well as under linoleum, they prepare a special design based on cement-bonded particle boards.

A warm water floor on a wooden floor is mounted using aluminum distribution plates. Boards are pre-prepared in which the necessary grooves are formed. You can make the most even surface in the bathroom with your own hands if you lay chipboard, plywood or gypsum sheets over the pipes. Always carefully check that these materials comply with sanitary regulations.

You can connect a warm water floor without a screed by laying pipes both between the lags and on the surface of the subfloor. The modular variation (wooden blocks with milled grooves) can be replaced by a slatted one, in which the plywood sheet is covered with slats. The intervals between them serve for the installation of pipes. Laying between the joists necessarily requires the use of waterproofing, insulation, reflective plates with holes for the passage of pipes, the pipes themselves, plywood sheet and the final coating.

The imposition on the flooring also implies the placement of insulation in the gaps of the lags on top of the waterproofing, and plywood or draft boards are placed above. Nuance: grind the boards so that channels for laying pipes appear. The reflective layer is made of foil attached to the boards using staples. The pipes in the channels are held by narrow metal plates placed on top, the plates themselves are also attached to the boards.

Instead of boards, you can use polystyrene mats standard dimensions 1x0.5 m, attached to each other with a fastener in the "lock" format.

Always (regardless of the method of laying the underfloor heating) keep a distance of 0.1 m from the wall, as this will significantly reduce the effect of thermal expansion of the floor materials. A hydrophobic coating is placed over the flooring or joists. Only after that comes the turn of the formation of the final floor.

In addition to the two described options for the formation of a heated floor without a screed, it is allowed to use a foam or wood substrate, chipboard. Lightweight, relatively thin floors are more expensive and not very durable, but they are recommended for use:

  • if necessary, lay a new coating over the old without dismantling;
  • if the height of the dwelling is limited;
  • if installation speed is critical to you;
  • if it is impossible to arrange the delivery of concrete properly;
  • if the floor is wooden;

In addition to facilitating the design, the underfloor heating system without screed has one more indisputable advantage - it is easier to repair. Even the best pipes, laid correctly and handled with care, can suddenly burst. If you still want to use a full-fledged screed, but do not wait 28 days for complete drying, you should apply semi-dry mixtures. Special additives in them make it possible to reduce the required amount of water, but the cost of such building materials is higher than in a simpler version.

Keep in mind that the installation of underfloor heating without a screed is only permissible on condition that the floor level differences are 0.2 cm for every 2 sq m of surface. If it is less even, it is still necessary to create a tightening layer, albeit the thinnest one.

Possible mistakes

Even experienced home craftsmen, who take up the installation of a warm floor for the first time, can allow serious mistakes. Often, a dried concrete screed is covered with a network of cracks. The reasons for this defect are varied. You can avoid it if:

  • take care of the optimal density of the insulation;
  • make high-quality shrinkage seams;
  • do not overestimate the recommended screed thickness;
  • do not try to dry it too quickly, accelerate the normal hardening process;
  • thoroughly compact the solution and strictly observe the proportions during its formation;
  • add plasticizers according to the recipe.

The minimum density of the insulation is 35 kg per cubic meter. Covering it with a polyethylene film will help prevent excessive drying of concrete.

It will help to eliminate installation errors by 95% (except for those caused by inattention, haste and manufacturing defects) drafting drafts. Having thought over the implementation of the system, “seeing” it on a piece of paper, you can detect shortcomings in advance and avoid their manifestation. It is better to mark on the sketch areas for furniture placement and other places where, for some reason, the coolant circuit should not pass.

The entire area to be heated is divided into sections of 15 square meters each. At any site, the installation step of the pipeline is 10 cm. A common mistake is that people do not think in time which wall it is better to install a collector or they bring it too close to one heating circuit, moving it away from others. Choose the right heat source that connects to the warm floor.

Comfortable life is provided at a coolant temperature of 40 to 45 degrees, which allows you to warm the floor up to 26-30 degrees. This heating is provided condensing boilers, while others heating appliances not able to heat the water to less than 60 degrees.

Never put a thermal insulation layer on top of a warm floor and do not use carpets in the room, because these solutions will only worsen the quality of heating. Remember that polystyrene thermal insulation is dense, and it is not able to correct the unevenness of the rough screed, so from the first steps you need to do everything as accurately as possible. As for the thickness of polystyrene, contrary to the recommendations of most manufacturers, it is not required to withstand 10 cm (as a rule, even on the first floors, 8 cm is enough).

On top of the thermal insulation layer, you should not just lay a reflective film (this is a mistake), but it should be laid out evenly and wound up behind the polystyrene along the edges. The bottom material itself should be pressed more tightly against the walls through the damper tape. Do not connect the parts with tape, as they are intended for completely different purposes. This may be harmful to health.

It is better to grease the edges of the blocks with glue. Another blunder, often found in the work of non-professionals and "shabashniki" - a different indentation of pipes from the walls. Real masters make it at least 100 mm and uniform in all rooms.

If it is necessary not only to lay pipes, but also to organize the rotation of the pipeline, it is necessary to bend the metal-plastic structure manually (and not with the help of springs and other auxiliary tools). Please note that the reinforcing mesh should not touch the surface of the pipes, as this is considered a gross mistake. The circuits undergoing thermal contraction and expansion will constantly push the network, and it will soon be deformed and fail.

According to experts, in the coldest parts of the room, it is necessary to compact the “snake” laying step to 0.1 m. First of all, they do this by laying a warm floor near the outer walls. Do not try to heat more than 40 square meters of floor with one circuit. It is also worth organizing separate circuits for adjoining rooms with different temperatures. The installation of metal-plastic pipes under the screed is preferable to the installation of a pipeline made of other materials. The temperature of the coolant should increase systematically with access to the level you require 70-72 hours after connection.

The best pump installation point is return pipe located immediately in front of the boiler. Most often, expansion tanks are mounted in the highest section of the circuit, however, membrane closed systems can be done in any other way. If you are feeding the gas boiler from main pipeline, and not from cylinders, you must obtain the approval of the local authorities. Only specially trained personnel working in licensed organizations should be involved in the work.

Loops from a single pipe with a cross section of 1.6, 1.7 or 2 cm are characterized by a minimal risk of leakage at the joints.

The average temperature of floors in residential premises is 26 degrees according to current standards, and in those places where people visit periodically and a special thermal regime is required, it is 31 degrees. The highest allowable difference in heating of individual parts of the floor and coatings in different rooms is 10 degrees.

In order for the heat transfer to be optimal and not forced to intensify the operation of the system beyond measure, it is necessary to carefully level the floor.

Deviations from the plane by more than 5 mm are not allowed. Their presence leads to overflow of the circuits with air and unstable, inefficient heating operation. The functions of vapor and waterproofing are often performed by a polyethylene film, and its minimum thickness is 0.02 cm, otherwise it will not be possible to guarantee full protection of the insulation from moisture.

The laying of the film should overlap up to 100 mm, and its borders are held by adhesive tape, which covers the intersections of the floor and walls. When all the lower layers are laid and even the pipes themselves are installed, it is necessary to carry out pressure testing in different ways depending on the material. So, metal-plastic structures must be subjected to an internal pressure of 6 bar for 24 hours. Before this, the circuits are filled 100% with water, the air is completely released through the drain valves.

There is another option: the coolant is filled in, its temperature is brought to 80 degrees, it is kept for 30 minutes, after which, while maintaining the pressing pressure, a concrete screed is laid.

If the pipeline is made of cross-linked polyethylene, after reducing the pressure, you will need to add water, and then repeat the test after 30 minutes. Then they wait 90 minutes, restore the previous pressure and leave the heating circuits alone for 24 hours. By the end of this pause, the pressure drop should be a maximum of 1.5 bar.

After installing and checking all the details of the pipeline and additional components take a picture of their location and write a description with reference to landmarks. Subsequently, if you need to make repairs to the underfloor heating, such information will greatly simplify and speed up the work.

When you need to heat a very small area (the area around a sofa, armchair, table and other furniture, for example), flexible rolls with built-in plastic tubes are preferable. The technology allows cutting the desired part of the roll, bending it at any angle - the main thing is that the channels for the passage of the liquid remain intact.

Compliance with these points will allow you to achieve complete success in installing a warm floor and enjoy its stable operation for several decades.

How to make a water heated floor with your own hands, see the following video.

Comfort and coziness in the house during the cold season depends on temperature regime premises. Poorly heated apartments, cold floors pose a threat of colds to family members. One of the means to maintain a stable temperature in a living space is underfloor heating. Not always and not everyone has enough Money to call the wizards to install them. It is important to learn how to make a warm water floor with your own hands. Today we will tell you about it.

What is a warm water floor

Water heated floor whole system modern heating replacing radiators.

Water floor heating schemes


The simplest installation layout is snake.

Pipes run from the collector in the form of loops, covering the entire area of ​​the room. Each loop goes from one wall to another, replacing the previous one. This method allows you to completely warm up only part of the room. Hot water comes only from one side. Passing through the entire heating system, it loses heat. The cooled pipeline does not warm up enough the part of the room remote from the coolant.


The scheme of a water heated floor with a snake in a private house is a laborious process. Temperature fluctuations in double serpentine are reduced, but the installation remains laborious.

by the most known way pipe laying is considered a spiral, in other words a snail. It evenly heats all rooms in the house.

Spiral covers the entire perimeter of the room, starting from the edges gradually approaches the center, and then from the center to opposite side. A pitch of 10 mm avoids thermal pits. Installation in this way is quite easy, it can be performed by one person without an assistant.

Snail convenient in that the bending of the pipes in it is insignificant. The spiral can be made in any part of the room, rounding difficult places. It can insulate the cold spaces of the room - at the outer walls, at the entrance to the veranda. The advantage of this scheme will be the ability to establish any step between the pipes.

There is a combined method of laying pipes - combination of snake and spiral. The snake can be installed, for example, at the entrance, where special heat is not required, and the snail can be installed in the central part of the room to create thermal comfort

Stages of installation of warm water floors

Stage 1 – installation of the technological unit in the manifold cabinet.


2nd stage
- floor preparation.

The floor surface must be level and free from unevenness. Exceeding the level is allowed only by 5 mm. If the surface is uneven, then you need to make an additional concrete screed. We remove debris from the base with a powerful vacuum cleaner, then seal cracks and cracks with cement.


Stage 3
- laying damper tape.

It is necessary in order to separate the heating plate from the walls, to prevent heat loss and to compensate for temperature deformations. Tape thickness 5-8 mm, height 15 mm. The tape must be laid around the perimeter so that after the screed and finish coating it protrudes above them. At the end of the construction work, the edge of the tape protruding above the final laying surface is cut off.

Stage 4 - we put a layer of thermal insulation, which will prevent heat loss by the contours.


Expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam is used as a material for waterproofing. It also serves as the basis for laying pipes. Styrofoam mats are overlapped on each other, inserting into the grooves. If the coating is exposed to moisture from below, then a vapor barrier is laid under these plates. Thermal insulation can also be ordinary polyethylene film. You can use multifoil. Then a reinforcing mesh should be applied on top of the heat-insulating material, to which the contours are attached using plastic clamps, steel wire, a stapler and a retainer. An excellent fastening of pipes to a reinforcing mesh is a PVC strip.

Stage 5 - Do-it-yourself water-heated floor for a private house also involves laying pipes.


Pipes are laid with a snake or a snail. The segments between them (step) are laid out in accordance with project documentation. From proper styling heating efficiency will depend. Contours should be no more than 60-90m. If the room is large, then a few more contours should be laid. It is important that they are of the same length, from a single piece, otherwise the sealing will be broken.

We cut the ends of the pipes and attach them to the collectors. We tighten the Eurocone fitting with a wrench.

stage 6 - check the heating system for leaks.


To do this, fill the system with pressurized water. The pressure should be several times higher than usual, but not less than 0.6 MPa. This pressure should be maintained for 30 minutes. The next hydraulic test is already underway for 2 hours, and the pressure rises to 1 MPa.

Stage 7 - if the pressure test was successful, then you need to pour a concrete screed. It freezes for about 28 days.

Screed for warm water floor


The screed is a cement-sand mortar with the addition of a plasticizer.

The modifier is liquid and dry.

Dry plasticizer is diluted with water 1:2. The modifier helps to remove excess liquid, makes the solution plastic and homogeneous.

The screed in a warm water field protects the pipes from external influences, prevents depressurization of the pipes. It has good heat dissipation: receiving heat from the pipes, transfers it to the air in the room.

Types of coverage


Water heated floor is used mainly for tiles and porcelain tiles.

These floor coverings heat up quickly and do not emit harmful substances. They are durable, not subject to deformation, will last a long time. A wide design solution will make the tile a beautiful floor covering according to your taste.

You can use other materials: laminate, PVC tiles, linoleum, carpet.

You just need to take into account the features of these materials and listen to the advice of the masters on using it as floor coverings for the heating system.

Wood shrinks at elevated temperatures. Therefore, it is not necessary to warm up the circuits above 27 degrees.


Heat and sound insulating linoleum will not let heat through. Thermal conductivity is greater than the thinner linoleum. In addition, it must be taken into account that small particles can get into it, which will be felt by bare feet. Therefore, it is advisable to lay it by professionals. If you yourself took up the coating of linoleum, then do it carefully so that Decoration Materials lay flat.

Chipboard, plywood or GVL are laid on top of the pipes.


Laminate used as a floor covering in a water-heated field has a high thermal conductivity. The thinner its layer, the faster and more it gives off heat. Such a floor heats up faster, creating comfortable conditions for those living in the house.

Parquet is less reliable because it is exposed to high temperatures and pressure drops. This is a capricious material, so it needs careful care and sufficient moisture.

The cost of a water heated floor

The price of a warm water floor is on average 1500-3000 per sq. m. This price is made up of the cost of all materials: pipes, fasteners, insulating material, boiler, pump, manifold cabinet, floor installation work.


Water electric warm are a system consisting of pipes 20 mm in diameter. Inside them is a heating cable. The antifreeze coolant is static and does not move, so a pump, boiler, and collector are not needed.

Installed in a screed. Principle of operation: when the power is turned on, the coolant heats up. When the antifreeze is heated, the pressure increases, contributing to the rapid and uniform distribution of heat.

So, we told you about the do-it-yourself warm water floor system, touched a little on electric floors. We hope that after reading the article, you have learned a lot of important and useful things about this system and will be able to buy a water heated floor and install it yourself.


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