Features of installation of infrared heated floors, pros and cons of the design

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Warm floor

The comfort of our home largely depends on the temperature in which we find ourselves. Infrared heated floors cannot completely replace a heating system, but they can significantly increase the comfort of a room and save money. This heating element raises the floor temperature to a comfortable level, forcing the overall temperature to decrease to an acceptable level.

If your room is +20, but the floors are cold, you will raise the temperature of the main heater (boiler, convectors, quartz heater, etc.) to +25-+28, i.e. until you feel comfortable walking barefoot. By turning on the heated floor, you will feel a feeling of comfort already at +18-+20 degrees, therefore the load on the main heating will be significantly reduced.

Flaws

Any store sales assistant will be happy to tell you about the benefits of infrared heated floors, but we would like to warn you about those things that they are unlikely to tell you.

The infrared heated floor is placed on an ideal screed. Those. when you are told that, unlike other systems, it does not require preparatory work, for some reason it is believed that you already have a perfectly even screed. And this is not always the case. Laying a film less than half a millimeter thick on a clumsy floor means laying it for six months to a year;
NOT placed under any surface. And if they tell you that you can put it under linoleum or carpeting, they are silent that before that you need to lay fiberboard or plywood UNDER this covering, which very seriously increases the cost of both materials and work. Plus, attaching these sheets also entails some difficulties (we will write about them in the installation instructions);
It is impossible to use as the main type of heating, or rather such heating will be very expensive. An infrared heated floor is considered economical if the thermal film itself does not warm up above +21 degrees - a temperature sufficient to keep the feet warm, but completely insufficient for the heat to reach the height of human growth. If you turn up the thermostat more, the floor will be much warmer, but electricity costs will also increase several times.
Relative fragility. The film itself lasts a long time, but the obligatory thermal sensor and thermostat accompanying it last no more than 7 years, after which they need to be changed. And if this is easy to do with a thermostat (it’s on the wall), then to replace the temperature sensor you will have to remove the laminate (or linoleum + plywood).

Operating principle

Infrared film floor is a type of heating system, which is a thin polymer film (no more than 0.4 mm thick) emitting infrared rays from the surface with a wavelength of 5-20 microns.

Consists of the following components:

Polyester films , inside of which carbon strips are placed, which have high thermal conductivity and consume a small amount of energy.
Connecting wires made of an alloy of silver and copper , connecting the heating elements to the power source.
Thermal sensor , which determines the heating temperature of the surface.
Thermostat , which is a “link” between the wires leading to the heating elements and the electrical network and performs the function of a “control panel” for the temperature in the system.
Contact terminals connecting wires to heating elements.
Bitumen insulators protecting terminal connection points.
Waterproofing film.
Protective polyethylene film.

The system operates as follows:

From the AC mains through the thermostat, voltage is supplied to the carbon plates. At the same time, they almost immediately begin to warm up, transferring their energy to surrounding objects and the human body.

That is, when heated, an infrared film floor emits rays that are reminiscent of solar radiation in the nature and range of their radiation.

This heating method allows you to create conditions that are as comfortable as possible for a person, since when used, the air does not lose its humidity.

In this case, objects and things in the room warm up, and from them the heat is transferred to the surrounding space.

Advantages

Along with the stated disadvantages, infrared heated floors have a whole set of unique advantages:

A film thickness of 0.4-0.5 mm is a guarantee that it will not require making any structural changes to the overall design of the room.
The infrared heated floor spreads directly under the covering and heats only it, thereby achieving a fairly high efficiency of the overall system.
Easy to install. Installation does not require any special knowledge/skills, special tools, or special materials. We described below how to install infrared heated floors.
Clean work. Installing a heated floor is a clean job, except for cutting the wall to bring out the wire for the thermostat
Flexibility of customization. The temperature can be adjusted very quickly with one turn of the thermostat knob (or by pressing a button - depending on the model)
When used strictly for its intended purpose, namely floor heating and not room heating, infrared heated floors can significantly save on overall heating by creating comfortable conditions for your feet
The durability of the film itself, especially when it comes to carbon rather than graphite films. The service life of carbon film for IR-heated floors is up to 15 years.

Reviews about the cable system

Heating cable

Anton : “A system based on heating cables inspires more confidence in me. I consider film flooring unreliable.”
Sergey : “I installed a cable system at home. There were no problems when using it. If you do everything carefully and carefully, then any coating will please you.”

Comments:

Nefedov

If it’s laminate, then I recommend only this floor to clients. No options, because it is the easiest to install, quite reliable and working with it is always clean, without dust and noise.

Konstantin

Nefedov, I agree, there is nothing better than film for electric floor heating for laminate and wood flooring, but if it is possible to connect to a gas boiler, then it is better to try and do the dirty work with the pipes in the screed. Then it will be cheaper.

Nikolai

Good article, true. They also tried to somehow prove to me that if all the floors in the apartment are covered with film, then there is no need for other heating. In general, it’s good that I didn’t fall for it. Now the floors are turned on according to a schedule and only in those places where they are needed, so money is saved and comfort remains.

Vladimir

During renovations on the balconies, I put Caleo Gold 170 W/m under the laminate, 10 years of operation - zero problems. They work every winter, the temperature on the floor is +30. Electricity costs add 100 rubles per month (subjectively). Very satisfied.

Demand for infrared floors for apartments

First of all, everyone notes the main advantage - the ease of installation of such a coating. Installation is not very difficult, so many owners cope with it themselves or hire one specialist. Efforts like in a major overhaul, a team of workers, and a long period of time are not required.

For example, you can improve the climate in one room. Often this is a children's room. It is enough to carefully remove the floor covering, install the infrared heating system, and then simply fix the same finishing layer.

You can often find advertising articles and reviews in which managers cite the healing properties of an infrared ray as the main advantage: it disinfects the air and destroys germs. But this factor can hardly be called the main one, and such advertising does not inspire much confidence among consumers. It is difficult to give examples to make this effect of heated floors obvious.

Important point! Infrared coatings can be used as heated floors on steps and porches. The system copes excellently with ice, and it is not afraid of frosts and temperature fluctuations.

Types of infrared heated floors

Let's look at the types of heated floors with infrared radiation. Let's find out what the specifics of rod and film heating systems are.

Film floor

This type of warm coating is recognized as the most effective, easy to use and convenient for installation. The canvas consists of two layers, between which heating elements are located.

Film systems are produced in two formats: bimetallic and carbon. But at the moment, it is carbon coatings that are widely used on the market, since their heating efficiency is significantly higher when compared with the bimetallic alternative.

Let's look at several distinctive features of film heated floors.

The material has a minimum thickness. This not only greatly simplifies installation, but also makes it possible to practically not reduce the height of the room when laying such a heating layer.
The air does not dry out even with constant operation of the heaters.
The system is quite reliable and safe. The risks of breakdowns are minimized due to the parallel connection of all elements.
The film is highly durable and practically does not deform.
To simplify installation, a special mesh made of microfiber is used.

Installation of film floors is simple and takes minimal time. The owners cope with it without any problems on their own. Removing the floor is also easy. This may be relevant when moving or changing the purpose of the room.

There are also disadvantages. The main factor is the relatively high cost, but high-quality material fully justifies the investment.

Important! Craftsmen advise including additional costs for drywall or fiberglass in the repair estimate: with such a basic base, laying a heated floor will be more reliable.

Rod floor

The rod-heated floor system is a set of mats, each of which contains heating elements in the form of rods. A step of 10 centimeters is maintained between them. The principle of operation here is generally no different from film floors.

Manufacturers provide a company guarantee for rod heating systems: the period is 10 years. Throughout this period, uninterrupted operation of the heated floor is ensured.

Here are a few specific characteristics of infrared rod floors.

The material is perfectly compatible with a variety of adhesives.
The floor copes well with negative mechanical influences and has an increased level of strength.
Can be used with almost any type of finishing floor covering.
No additional base substrate is required. The system already maintains its shape stability.
There is protection against overheating. This ensures the safety of the top layer.

It is important! The connection here is parallel: all sections work independently of each other. This ensures the maximum level of security for the system as a whole.

Choosing the right one

Be sure to use the recommendations of experts to ensure that your heated floor lasts a long time and is easy to use. A few useful tips will help you choose the right infrared coating.

A film that is already beginning to delaminate is not suitable for use. This is a sure sign of low quality.
The material must be clean, free of debris, without foreign particles inside. There should also be no stains or any dirt. Be sure to unroll the roll and check.
It is important to ensure uniformity: the printing of the carbon layer must be uniform.
When purchasing, you will need to check the geometry of the material. A high-quality roll has straight edges and a smooth surface.
The insulation of the wiring of a rod-heated floor plays a huge role: the safety of the entire system depends on it. Make sure the insulation is reliable and intact.

Important! It is necessary to distinguish materials by their types. Matte is optimal for a higher level of thermal insulation, while transparent is more suitable for successful gluing.