Underfloor heating due to hot water is legal. Do-it-yourself installation of a water-heated floor in the bathroom

Do you want to install underfloor heating from central heating? This is real! Let's consider with you all the points regarding the installation of such floors in apartments with central heating. In principle, it is allowed to use water floor heating where the heating circuit is carried out with a special wiring. Where there is one main heating medium throughout the apartment, which is distributed throughout all rooms, and a large return main pipeline. Accordingly, if you have installed heat meters, then you can safely count on the installation of warm water floors in your apartment.

Warm water floor scheme

The only thing to remember is that a sufficient amount of heat was completely allocated to the entire apartment. Otherwise, a situation may arise when the energy consumption will be more than expected, which can significantly disrupt the balance of heat exchange between neighboring apartments. But such a destabilization of the balance can be eliminated by the regulators, which, in turn, forces the underfloor heating system from central heating to consume a metered amount of water volume.

When is it forbidden to install warm floors in an apartment?

It is forbidden to install underfloor heating from heating, if you thereby lead to the destabilization of the warm and hydraulic balance between neighboring apartments on a common heating riser. In other words, this is when each room has a separate heating riser.

If it is so that it is strictly forbidden to install warm water floors, as this can lead to the fact that your water heated floor connected to this riser is able to take off the temperature so much that it will significantly reduce the heat that passes to other apartments using this riser. But, practically and theoretically, water heated floors can be installed anywhere and anywhere, the main thing is that the balance of the water flow is not disturbed, and the conditions for dosing the heat consumption are observed.

Installation schemes for underfloor heating, where its use is prohibited

Let's take a little look at those schemes, thanks to which they carry out the installation of underfloor heating directly in the apartment.

Cheap and angry

Here we will consider the option of installing underfloor heating, where it is forbidden to install water underfloor heating. To use this scheme, it is necessary to use a very weak pump (Flow rate - 5-10 l / min, pipeline - 16mm, pipeline length - no more than 70 meters). This scheme has one drawback - such floors are practically not regulated. Also, if there is a small heat loss on the floor, then in the end you can get very cooled radiators.

Balancing adjustment circuit

In the installation diagram of a warm water floor, a balancing tap is shown, due to which the flow rate in the water heated floor is reduced, which means that the temperature of these floors can be reduced. In order to reduce the temperature of the underfloor heating water, you need to open the balancing valve to the appropriate pass.

Reducing the effect of heat consumption

"K2" - a three-way valve with a temperature-sensitive mechanism. It gives a constantly unchanging temperature at point "3". In other words, if your hot water underfloor heating consumes a lot of energy, then this creates a greater likelihood of causing almost cold water to enter the riser. That, in turn, can cool the radiators down the riser in the neighboring apartments.

Scheme of a warm water floor with a three-way valve

This three-way valve can be purchased at specialized plumbing stores. It is called: "Mechanical 3-way mixing valve for water supply with thermostat". That is, the presented valve is necessary for us in automatic mode, in order to regulate the temperature regime of the flow of hot water in the circuit of the warm water floor of the apartment.

Three-way valve

In the presented diagram, you need to adjust the tap so that at point "3" there is a warm, very high temperature. But if the warm floor from the central heating is very weakly heated, you can lower the temperature of the valve, thereby increasing the heat loss in the warm field. Here, to adjust the floor temperature, you can use the balancing valves "K1" and "K2". If it suddenly turns out that the radiator begins to cool below the set temperature, then the temperature will not pass into your warm floor. The circulation in the warm floor will simply stop.

Scheme for discerning consumers

К1 "- bypass balancing valve. "K2" and "K3" are differently connected three-way valves. The "KZ" valve is used to stabilize the temperature of the underfloor heating from the central heating by means of the return temperature from the circuit. It is this scheme that allows you to make the so-called "climate control". If it gets hot in your room, it will reduce the flow of hot water in the underfloor heating circuit, correspondingly reducing the release of heat energy into the room. The warmer it is in the room, the faster the hot water passes along the circuit and cools less and reaches the thermosensitive element of the three-way valve, which, in turn, does not allow liquid to flow at a very significant rate.

The structure of the bypass balancing unit

The "K1" valve is required to operate in a closed circuit of the warm water floor of your apartment. Such a valve can reduce or completely close the flow of the circuit so that it can cause very favorable performance for the pump being used. Therefore, this valve is necessary in order to balance the flow for the pump. It is worth remembering that the pump is operated on a closed circuit, which can cause its overheating, and therefore increase the power consumption, and the "K1" valve is in fact a regulator of the hot water pressure of the circuit. The higher the pressure of hot water, the faster it will go along the entire contour of the underfloor heating.

Underfloor heating installation schemes, where its use is permitted

Now we will consider the option that must be used in apartments where it is allowed to use such heating, the water underfloor heating of which will become the main source of heat.

A balancing valve or flow regulator must be installed at the inlet of the mixing unit. Of course, the second option is better. Such a valve will regulate the required energy consumption, and therefore the room temperature. It is also possible to supply an auto-valve to stabilize the differential working pressure, which is also able to stabilize the flow. Such heating with underfloor heating is capable of providing heat to the entire apartment, provided it is properly installed and operated.

The consumption of hot water for hot water heating, the underfloor heating of which is the main source of energy, should be so minimal as not to increase the standardized water consumption that was used before the installation of the underfloor heating system.

If you increase this expense, then the relevant services will immediately find out about it. It is worth using the special schemes described above and not increasing the flow rate of the coolant, as this can spoil the normalized flow of hot water in the radiators of your neighbors.

Underfloor heating from central heating, water heating at home

Underfloor heating from central heating. Various schemes for connecting a warm floor to a central heating system. Description of the main units.

Warm floor from hot water in the apartment

For a bathroom, a liquid underfloor heating is the best option. Conduct warm floor from hot water supply in the bathroom there are several ways: connect to a heating riser or to a heated towel rail, if, of course, it functions from the heating system. The same principle applies to other types of premises.

Water floor: pros and cons

The most basic drawback that prompts to abandon liquid heating is that a permit is required for a water-heated floor in an apartment, and this is also a laborious process that requires duplication and a large consumption of material (but then these costs pay off). However, if a team of experienced craftsmen is involved in the work, then they solve all these issues on their own, including obtaining permission. And trusting the conduct of communications to private dubious persons is dangerous in every sense.

The negative side is that there is a high probability of pipe leakage. The Colmart online store offers only high-quality goods made in Italy, Austria, Germany, which exclude such problems. All products are covered by a manufacturer's warranty.

Water underfloor heating benefits

As for the advantages, they significantly exceed their disadvantages. The liquid principle of heating is the most profitable in comparison with other types, even if a warm floor is installed in an apartment with individual heating.

Warm floor from hot water in the apartment - comfort, warmth, savings

Warm floor from hot water in an apartment - comfort, warmth, savings. Buy components for underfloor heating in the online store Ukraine, Kiev, Kharkov - colmart.com.ua

How to make a warm water floor yourself and without problems

Underfloor heating is ideal for space heating, as they distribute heat evenly throughout the room. They can be used as the main source of heat in the house, as well as an additional one.

There are two types of underfloor heating: water and electric. The former are heated by circulating hot water, the latter work as heating electrical appliances. In this article we will look at how to make a water heat-insulated floor.

In which rooms can it be installed?

Water heat-insulated floor

Installation of underfloor heating can be done in any room, but it is necessary to take into account that any underfloor heating system dries the air, therefore, in rooms with poor ventilation, residents will not feel comfortable.

This problem can be easily solved with a humidifier, but it is still not recommended to mount them in bedrooms, because fresh and cool air is needed for normal sleep. Warm floors are great for bathrooms and kitchens, as there is enough ventilation and humidity.

Room preparation

In the room where the installation is planned, the old floor covering is removed.

It should be remembered that when all the work is completed, the floor level will rise by 5-7 centimeters, so the door frames will also need to be raised. In the bathroom, an old screed is being disassembled, under which, most likely, there will be a filler (expanded clay, for example).

When making a new fill, experts advise making it a couple of centimeters lower than the general floor level. To do this, you can make a smooth transition or step.

This is done with the aim that in the event of flooding the bath, water will not enter other rooms in the apartment. If there is waterproofing in the bathroom, then it can not be removed, but it is better to put it in bags for the duration of the work.

Preparation of risers for floor installation

If you plan to connect a warm floor to central heating, then it is not necessary to change the entire riser, since they rarely break. However, it is better to replace the hot water riser with polypropylene pipes, because they are not subject to corrosion.

From the plumbers who are maintaining your home, you need to find out what kind of riser spill. If the spill is from the top, then tap 2 will be the inlet of warm water, and tap 3 will be the outlet. For a bottom spill, the placement is reversed.

Laying waterproofing

Water flows through the pipes in the underfloor heating system, therefore, in theory, a leak may occur. Naturally, all manufacturers claim that their products are of high quality and durable, but no one is immune from possible factory defects.

In this regard, waterproofing is done.

There are various types of waterproofing on the market, but it is best to use linokorm insulation or the like for its simplicity.

Connecting underfloor heating

The insulation is overlapped by 10 centimeters, and the seams are soldered with a blowtorch or a hair dryer. On the walls, it should go above the level of the warm floor. It is recommended to prime the bottom of the wall for better soldering.

Filling the rough screed

If the flooring in the apartment lies directly on the floor slabs, or the future floor will not be higher than 10 centimeters above the level of the slabs, then you will need to make a rough screed.

With the help of a level, markings are made around the perimeter of the room. After that, the highest point of the slabs is determined and the level of the rough screed is marked from it.

The level should be 7 centimeters lower than the finished floor. This level depends on the diameter of the pipes. So, if the diameter is 16 millimeters, then the screed is made by 5 centimeters, the diameter is 25 millimeters - the screed is at least 7 centimeters.

Basically, a rough screed is made from a mixture of expanded clay and cement-based mortar. If the size of the room is not large, then it is not necessary to install beacons, and are guided by the marks on the walls. The mixture is leveled by a long rule. With large areas of the premises, beacons still have to be installed.

Note! Any object of sufficient length can be used to level the mixture.

Experience shows that it is quite difficult to mix the solution and expanded clay. Expanded clay dust, mixing with the solution, makes it less durable, and a large amount of such a solution will be needed for a normal screed.

In this regard, it is better to do a rough screed in another way.

Piles of solution are poured and paint beacons are placed on them. If the distance from the base plates to the floor is large, then the piles can be poured onto the previously laid bricks. Further, below the level of the lighthouses, expanded clay is poured and leveled. After that, the welded mesh is laid down and the screed is poured.

Pipe laying

Filling the contours with concrete

Before laying the pipes, a flooring is made of foil insulation, which acts as a heat shield. The joints of the sheets are glued together with aluminum tape. The edges of the insulation should extend 4 centimeters to the walls.

Bending of pipes is carried out by a spring into which pipes are inserted. However, this should be done carefully, since it is strictly forbidden to bend the pipes. The pipes are attached to the screed with special plastic fasteners.

Fittings are put on the pipe leads, and the connection is lubricated with a sealant that can withstand temperatures up to 95 degrees Celsius. Further, with special collapsible joints, the fittings are attached to the risers. All threaded connections are assembled on flax, as this is the most durable material.

Test run of the system

After the sealant has dried, carry out a test run of the underfloor heating. Use a Mayevsky tap to remove air from the system. If the system is powered from a riser, then use a hot water tap.

This is done in the following sequence: valves 1 and 2 are opened, and valve 3 is closed. Next, the hot water tap is closed and time is given for it to glass. After that, the first tap closes and the third opens.

Thus, the system is kept under pressure for several days to check the strength of all connections and that there are no leaks anywhere. After the test run, the entire system is shut down, the valves are turned back in the reverse order, and time is allowed for it to cool down.

Pouring a fine screed

The finishing screed is poured in the same way as the rough one: a masonry mesh is laid down, beacons are placed, and pouring is performed. If a worm screed was made, then the masonry mesh does not need to be laid. When preparing the screed, make sure that its surface is flat.

After the screed has dried, remove any unevenness on the surface with a construction float. Then let the screed dry completely.

Note! A well-dried screed becomes light gray in color.

Conclusion

In order not to depend on utilities, connect the system to a hot water riser. The ball valve is used to prevent mixing of industrial and drinking water.

How to make a water-heated floor: connection diagram

How to make a warm water floor yourself? What you should pay attention to? Tips, recommendations, technologies

Which warm floors are better, water or electric - 2 factors of choice.

What do you need to know?

First of all, decide on the type of underfloor heating. They can be of two types:

Where to use which and why?

Warm floors as the main and additional type of heating are most often used:

• in a country cottage or cottage

• in an apartment of a multi-storey building

In a private house, you are your own boss and are free to choose any type, option and any heating scheme. There are no prohibitions here. But nuances and restrictions are already appearing in the apartment.

In the apartment, it can be taken from two sources:

The radiator heating system is inconvenient for two factors:

Accordingly, your warm floors will be idle for most of the year.

First, it's not cheap. And secondly, it takes up significant space in the room.

In theory, it is possible to connect, but it is necessary to provide a sufficiently low temperature for underfloor heating. A direct connection will be accompanied by temperatures of 70 degrees and above, and this will simply overheat the flooring.

You will not be able to legally formalize your connection in any instances. And if you discover such a fact during the check, you can easily run into a fine. Plus they will force to dismantle everything at their own expense.

Therefore, most competent experts do not recommend installing water-heated floors in an apartment building:

• heating systems are inconvenient

• from DHW it is impossible

You can, of course, come up with an autonomous container with water, but do not forget that the rules prohibit placing "wet zones" above the living quarters of neighbors. A warm water floor will be considered such a zone. Unless you live on the ground floor.

There remains only the option with electric underfloor heating.

But if you have a private house, then there is already a wider choice. You can dwell on both electric heating and water heating. But which one is better to choose?

Many people still in such a situation make their choice in favor of water-heated floors. This is explained by the fact that people are afraid of the influence of electromagnetic radiation on the body, which supposedly has electric warm floors.

Meanwhile, all manufacturers have long been required to have certificates and papers confirming the safety of their products. And all heating cables are made shielded.

If we consider how many WiFi, GSM and other networks are around us, then e-floors are not the biggest evil. However, most of this does not convince them that they are right.

In their opinion, it may also work for the bathroom, but if this is the main heating in all rooms, then any headaches or illnesses will be automatically recorded about electric warm floors.

Well, the second important point is the absolute maintainability of water floors anywhere. Moreover, you can make such repairs yourself, at home.

In case of damage to the heating cable of the electric mat, you will either have to strip off the entire tile and change it entirely, or call specialists with equipment for burning, and search for a short circuit with a thermal imager, followed by the installation of couplings.

Moreover, the search for some accidents, even for them, can cause certain insoluble difficulties.

Therefore, safety and maintainability are two factors that incline for many the choice in favor of water-heated floors as the main source of heating. The electric option remains only as an additional source of heat.

But here are the factors that can scare away from water heated floors:

You need a boiler, a mixing unit, a manifold and much more, without which electric heating can easily do.

• constant revision work

Replacing water, limescale on heating elements, pump breakdowns, leaks from poor-quality pipes. In short, many water floor installers earn significantly more money, not only for installation, but also for further maintenance.

Naturally, it is profitable for them to convince their customers about the dangers of electricity and underfloor heating based on them.

Personally, your choice should depend on two variables:

• installation budget and required follow-up maintenance

If there are no problems with this, then go ahead to the store behind the water floors.

• lack of prejudice and belief in modern technology

If this is about you, then the electric underfloor heating is exactly what you need.

The two most popular varieties are:

Infrared film

What to look for when choosing an infrared film?

It is a sheet with soldered copper conductors. Between them, with a very small gap, current carbon paths are laid, which are the heating element.

Look at your contacts first. They must be soldered.

If they are made with pistons, such a connection is extremely unreliable. Excessive heating will occur here, creating a potential fire site.

The film acts as a separator between the base of the warm floor and the decorative coating. Therefore, it cannot be laid where the screed will be poured.

It will not fit under the tiles. But it fits perfectly:

• under the carpet

• linoleum

If you lay a heating cable under the same materials, then due to the distance between the turns (laying step) you will clearly feel the border of heat and cold - a thermal zebra.

The film heats the entire surface evenly. True, some are afraid that with such heating of the laminate, harmful substances will be released from it. And that's why you need to buy a special product labeled "for underfloor heating".

This is not true. The sun heats up the laminate much more when it shines directly through the window. And nothing harmful is emitted at the same time.

There are also concerns about dry air and dust, which warm floors inevitably lift up. It all depends not on the heating operation mode, the presence or complete absence of radiators in the rooms, but on ventilation.

Provide a regular supply of fresh air and there will be no problems. And if you block up all the windows, then you will suffocate with the central heating batteries.

Approximate calculation of electricity consumption when heating a house with heated film floors:

Where is the best place to use the heating cable? Where you will have a minimum screed, or tiles with glue - i.e. kitchen and bathroom.

As a rule, after the completion of the work by the builders, there can no longer be any talk of a full-fledged screed. The maximum is 5-6cm.

If even less, then the choice is unambiguous - only the heating mat. It can be applied directly to the tile adhesive.

The disadvantage of an electric underfloor heating can be attributed to the fact that in addition to your room, you will also warm up the ceiling from below. At your own expense, you will also heat your neighbors.

You have a warm floor, they have a warm ceiling.

Comparison table of the effectiveness of heating cable and infrared film floors:

Compare current prices of warm floors with heating cables or mats and infrared films.

A cake with water floors should ideally look like this:

• pipes with a coolant are mounted on this surface

• then there is an adhesive layer in the cake and a tile or other coating

The approximate thickness of the entire slab is 130-140mm. Under this condition, all the heat will be spent on your room, and not go downstairs.

Don't waste your money. In addition, without reinforcement of the thin screed, as a result of the destruction of the foil insulation, subsidence and cracking of the flooring can occur.

The best solution is to use extruded polystyrene foam with a density of 35 kg / m3 or multi-foil as insulation.

The base of the multifoil is air pockets in the form of pills or pimples. They are very durable and you won't be able to crush them just like that.

You can safely walk on them for as long as you like. Moreover, the aluminum coating is applied on the reverse side, i.e. it is not possible to damage and corrode it with a screed.

2 Be sure to apply edge insulation.

This is a kind of damper that is laid along the perimeter of the slab with a warm floor. It is necessary to compensate for the expansion of the screed, which inevitably occurs when it is heated.

If this is not done, the concrete screed will rest against the walls and it will have two options, either to break these walls themselves, or to break itself. When pouring, the edge of the damper film should be higher than the screed, then the excess is cut off.

3 If you have a large pouring area (more than 20m2), it must be separated with a compensating tape.

Since all the expansion during heating of such a concrete layer, flanging alone will not be able to compensate.

4 The coil of a warm water floor should be made of a single piece of pipe, without connections.

5 Never use compression fittings, i.e. those connections where there are nuts and threads.

None of this should get into your screed.

6 If the customer and the contractor are poorly versed in the preparation of solutions, then the recommended height of a full-fledged screed should be 85mm or 7cm from the upper wall of the heating element.

Such a thickness of concrete will help save you from cracking, even with not very high-quality cement.

In addition, 85mm helps against striping (thermal zebra). And the last thing is the inertia of such a screed.

If your energy carrier is electricity, you can “disperse” the warm floor at a cheaper rate at night hours and not turn on the boiler all day. The stored heat should be enough until the evening.

This heating mode is about 3 times cheaper than usual.

7 Do not save money and add a special plasticizer for warm floors to the screed.

Ultimately, you want a concrete that can withstand thermal deformations with ease.

8 Reinforcement is done as a last resort.

First of all, when you are forced to fill in a screed of only 50-60mm instead of 85mm. But if possible, this should be avoided.

9 It is not necessary to cut any holes in the substrate to the concrete base, supposedly for a good bond.

Even if this coupling occurs, everything will come off the first time the plate is heated. The slab of the warm floor, figuratively speaking, should "float" without connection with the base and with the walls.

10 Do not pour mortar with empty floor pipes.

The system must be filled and the pressure must be 3 bar. This is primarily due to the need to preserve the geometry and shape of the pipe. Without pressure inside, it is easy to crush.

Water or electric underfloor heating - 10 mistakes and installation rules

Rules for installing water and electric floor heating. Heating cable and film - efficiency comparison. Is electric magnetic radiation from underfloor heating safe? Screed thickness 85mm, why?

Warm floors water wiring diagrams in the apartment

The popularity of heating systems based on the modern principle of floor heating is constantly growing. In many countries, this technology has already become prevalent, and "warm floors", displacing the usual radiator schemes, are included in the projects of multi-storey buildings and are installed immediately, as the building is being erected. This is explained by the advantages of such heating in terms of creating the most comfortable conditions for living or working people - there is uniform heating from bottom to top with optimal temperature distribution and without creating pronounced horizontal movements of air masses.

Warm floors water wiring diagrams in the apartment

Such obvious advantages of such a heating system make many owners of houses and city apartments think - is it worth it to switch to it? When considering possible options, electric underfloor heating is very often treated with a certain prejudice, which is explained by the high cost of electricity, and a water "warm floor" will clearly win in terms of economic operation. This is complemented by the fact that water heating pipes have already been laid in the apartment, and it is very tempting to simply connect floor heating circuits to them. Probably, this explains the fact that in the top search queries on the Internet on heating topics, there is necessarily such as "underfloor heating, water wiring diagrams in the apartment."

However, you need to immediately warn the apartment owner who wants to switch to water floor heating - not everything is so simple. The system itself is quite complex and requires large-scale work. And in the conditions of multi-storey buildings, the number of obstacles on the way to the successful implementation of such a project increases many times over. Moreover, these problems are very versatile - both of a technological nature and of an administrative nature.

However, subject to certain conditions, there is such an opportunity. But first, perhaps, one should get acquainted with the difficulties that will inevitably have to be overcome. It is possible that, having seen the prospect and assessing the scale of the measures that will need to be done, some apartment owners will still decide to opt for a simpler in installation and safe operation of the electric "warm floor" system.

Do I need to coordinate the project with utilities?

In the event that the owner of the apartment intends to connect his water "warm floor" system to the existing central heating system, he will almost certainly face a number of administrative problems.

Heating a multi-storey building is a complex ramified system that was calculated in advance by specialists, and its possibilities are not limitless. When designing it, the power of the boiler room or local heat supply point, the diameters and length of the pipelines, the degree of their insulation, the required pressure and temperature of the coolant, the scheme of apartment wiring and connection of radiators, and many other criteria were taken into account. Self-introduction of any changes in the operation of this system can lead to imbalances, a decrease in overall efficiency.

It is clear that the design is always carried out with the necessary technological reserve, and the connection of one or two underfloor heating circuits, of course, will hardly be noticeable on the scale of the system. But, firstly, there are a lot of people who are sorry to embed this type of heating, most likely. And secondly, what is hardly noticeable in the volume of the entire local system may well be felt on the scale of an entrance or a specific riser. The connection of additional circuits, which usually have a very considerable length, can affect the temperature drop of the coolant in the radiators of neighbors. Surely, this will end with complaints about the work of the thermal power industry, and those, in search of a reason, will surely find it, and unauthorized connection will lead to serious administrative measures.

There is only one way out - to go through the approval procedure with the management company or with heat suppliers. But whether they will give such permission is a big question.

In this case, the owners of apartments located at the very end of the heating riser are in an advantageous position. For example, with a lower supply, this will become the upper floor, and if the coolant is supplied from the top in the riser (this happens more often), then residents of apartments on the first floor will most likely be able to obtain permission. The extraction of thermal energy for floor heating will no longer affect the radiators of the neighbors in the riser.

But this, again, does not mean at all that no other technical conditions will be put forward by the utilities. So, almost certainly from their side there will be a demand for the mandatory installation of an individual metering device for consumed heat.

When agreeing on the connection, you will need to install an individual metering device for consumed heat energy

A proposal may come from utilities to organize their heating system on a semi-autonomous principle. In this variant, the heat carrier from the central system will not be used for circulation through the pipes of the "warm floor" - the circuit is completely closed. And the transfer of heat energy received from the boiler room. It takes place through a special device - a heat exchanger installed on the supply pipe.

Heat extraction can also take place through a heat exchanger

Of course, in this case, additional equipment will have to be installed to organize the circulation of the coolant and prevent accidents. In addition, such a scheme also does not relieve the owners of the need to purchase and install a metering device for consumed thermal energy.

Many problems can be avoided if you decide to completely transfer your apartment to autonomous heating. A similar trend is gaining popularity - the owners refuse heating and hot water services and install their own electric or gas boiler.

More and more owners of city apartments are trying to switch to full autonomy in matters of heating and hot water supply

Here, too, approval is required with housing maintenance companies, but it is already of a somewhat different kind. But on the other hand, the owner of an autonomous system gets freedom in choosing the number and type of radiators, "warm floor" circuits, convectors, etc. Heat metering devices in this option will not be required - only the costs of the energy carrier - gas or electricity - will be paid.

This is not to say that the problems of apartment owners will end there - they will face a lot of difficulties of a technological order. But in all they are nevertheless solved in one way or another.

The key issue is laying "warm floor" pipes in a city apartment

If the administrative stage has been successfully passed, permission to connect has been received, or full autonomy of the heating and hot water supply system has been ensured, then it is time to move on to a step-by-step solution to the problems of laying the contours of the "warm floor". Here it is necessary to determine the possible height of the floor level rise, with the method of closing the contours, so as not to exceed the permissible load on the floors. A very important point is high-quality thermal insulation of the created structure, reliability and durability of pipes and their connections. And, of course, at this stage it is necessary to figure out the optimal laying scheme, the length of the contours, the step of their laying.

Possible obstacles - raising the floor level and making the structure heavier

The first thing that needs to be done is to assess how much the floor level in the apartment will rise after the installation of the "warm floor", and whether it can be allowed in specific conditions. And the increase in thickness is inevitable, and it consists of three factors.

An approximate diagram of a water "warm floor" under the screed

• Nobody wants to pay money for anything, and therefore it is necessary to provide for a thermal insulation barrier (item 1), which does not allow the heat to be spent practically in vain, for heating the reinforced concrete slabs of the interfloor overlap.

If the premises are located above another heated apartment, then usually a layer of thermal insulation of 25 ÷ 30 mm of expanded polystyrene is sufficient. Under the most favorable circumstances, they are sometimes even limited to roll foil insulation (made of foamed polyethylene) with a thickness of about 5 mm. But if a cold basement or an uninsulated basement is located below, then you will have to use a layer of thermal insulation of 50 mm, or even more.

• The efficiency of the "warm floor" operation is ensured by pouring a screed with a thickness of at least 50 mm (pos. 2). A layer of concrete not only covers the pipes of the contours (pos. 3), but also becomes an accumulating and evenly distributing heat element of the entire system.

But not only will the screed raise the floor level by another 50 mm. The loads on the floor slab increase significantly, and it is imperative to consult whether this is permissible in a house of a particular series.

• And, finally, the thickness of the finishing floor covering itself (pos. 4) cannot be discounted. It, of course, is incomparable with the thickness of the screed, but it can also add 10 ÷ 15 millimeters, or even more, especially if a thick ceramic tile is laid on a layer of glue.

Some problems can be avoided by applying the "warm floor" installation method without concrete screed. In this case, to increase heat transfer, special metal plates with channels for pipe laying are used.

Heat exchanger plate with channel for pipe laying

Such plates can be placed in special modules (wooden or made of wood composite), in insulation mats of a special design, or you can make a wooden floor structure on logs, as shown in the figure:

Water "warm floor" on a wooden base without screed

Between the joists installed on the base base of the floor and aligned horizontally (pos. 1), a thermal insulation material (pos. 2) is laid. Boards are stuffed on top (pos. 3) with a step that ensures the laying of heat-exchange metal plates (pos. 4). The pipes of the “warm floor” contour (pos. 5) are placed in the channels of the plates, and then the entire structure is closed from above with sheets of plywood, OSB, drywall, etc. (pos. 6) - this will become the basis for laying the topcoat.

This method of laying is somewhat inferior to the screed in terms of heat transfer efficiency. However, in this way you can gain precious millimeters of height and prevent excessive loads on the floor.

But in any case, raising the floor level cannot be avoided. This means that you should evaluate possible solutions in advance and make the right choice.

Now let's go through the main components for laying the "warm floor" contour - insulation mats and the pipes themselves.

The choice of insulation mats

• As already mentioned, in almost ideal conditions (the building itself and the floors in particular already have highly effective insulation, and a well-heated room is located below) roll materials, for example, "penofol", can be used.

A roll of foil-clad insulation based on foamed polyethylene

In this case, the contour can be laid by tying pipe loops to a pre-laid reinforcing metal stack, or using special mounting rails with grooves for pipes.

• If a better insulation is required, then mats made of expanded polystyrene (best of all - extrusion) are used.

Expandable polystyrene foam mat with marked marking lines

Such insulation can be in the form of separate plates, but it is better to purchase special mats, which are laid out like "accordion" or "tractor caterpillar". Very often, such products have a grid applied, which will greatly facilitate the process of marking and laying out the contour. The foil surface will provide heat reflection towards the room, increasing the overall efficiency of thermal insulation.

Fixing the pipe to the mounting rail and with a plastic clamp

Fixation of pipes to such mats can also be carried out to a reinforcing mesh or using mounting rails, or special clamps with harpoon tips are used, which reliably hold the pipe in a given place.

• However, the best, albeit not cheap, solution would be to purchase special profile mats made of expanded polystyrene for a water "warm floor". The protrusions-bosses located on their surface allow you to quickly and reliably fix the contour loops without the use of any additional accessories.

Profile mat with lugs and polymer coating

The optimal choice is profile mats with a polymer coating, which have locking protrusions (shown by arrows in the figure). When laid, a solid surface is obtained, which becomes an excellent waterproofing. Thus, three problems are solved at once - insulation, creation of a waterproofing barrier and simplification of the pipe-laying process. In addition, there is no need for additional reinforcement of the screed - the protruding bosses themselves perform this role.

Heat transfer plates fit well in the profile mat

By the way, such mats can be used even if the decision is made to do without a screed. Heat transfer plates are installed between the bosses, and the circuit pipes are already cut into them.

The choice of pipes for the "warm floor"

There should be no simplifications in this matter - the contours are mounted for a long time, hidden by a screed and an external coating, that is, it is necessary to have a guarantee of the safety and tightness of pipes and their connections. Any, even a minor leak can lead to catastrophic consequences and large-scale repairs with the obligatory opening of the floor.

What are the requirements for pipe circuits:

• Suture pipes are not allowed.
• It is impossible to place pipe connections in the thickness of the floor - the circuit must be made from one solid coil. There are, however, exceptions - this will be discussed below.
• Resistance to corrosion, to possible aggressive chemical attack of the heat carrier, to the formation of scale or lime deposits on the inner walls. Ideally - pipes should also resist oxygen diffusion - many modern models provide for this function.
• Thermal and mechanical strength margin. The pipe material should not be afraid of elevated coolant temperatures and withstand a pressure of at least 8 ÷ 10 atmospheres.
• The pipes must have a smooth inner surface - to reduce the hydraulic resistance of the circuit and so that the flow of the coolant through them is not accompanied by noise.

Based on the specified criteria, steel pipes VGP are immediately excluded - they are seam, and they cannot be used without creating joints.

Surely, it is tempting to use polypropylene pipes, since they are inexpensive and easy to install. However, in our case, they cannot be used. First, they have a large coefficient of linear expansion when heated. And secondly, the assembly of the circuit will require a very large number of welded joints. Although high-quality welded polypropylene joints are highly reliable, narrowing of the nominal passage, accumulation of solid sediments are possible in these places, and the numerous rectangular turns themselves lead to a sharp increase in hydraulic resistance, which is unacceptable in the contours of a warm floor.

So, the choice can be made from the following types of pipes:

Special processing of polyethylene, which has a linear molecular structure, creates numerous cross-links ("crosslinking", which will give the material completely new qualities. Pipes made of such cross-linked polyethylene are distinguished by their flexibility and strength, they can easily withstand temperature extremes, are not afraid of freezing.

Coil of pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene PE-Xa

The best performance indicators are for the material with the PE-Xa marking - the degree of crosslinking is the highest, up to 90%. And if they are also supplemented with a special layer that excludes oxygen diffusion, then this is even better.

In addition, it is possible to purchase pipes made of the most innovative polymer - PE - RT, in which the positive advantages of cross-linked polyethylene, especially in terms of thermal resistance, are expressed even more deeply.

As if specially created for a "warm floor" - light, have good heat transfer, allow you to lay complex contours with bends (subject to technology). However, when choosing them, you should be careful - there are too many low-quality goods on the market that cannot withstand high temperatures and pressure surges.

In addition, the aluminum layer can be very unstable to oxygen corrosion, and this leads to pipe delamination and loss of its qualities. Therefore, if reinforced-plastic pipes are selected, then attention should be paid to the material of manufacture of the outer and inner layers, and, preferably, to the presence of an oxygen barrier.

Always pay attention to the quality of the multilayer pipe

The best option is a pipe with PE-X-polyethylene outside and inside, and a layer of aluminum, welded using a special technology.

• Copper pipes

In terms of the degree of heat transfer and the durability of operation, such pipes probably have no rivals.

Layed copper pipe contour

The plasticity of the metal allows you to make contours of any level of complexity. Copper is not afraid of corrosion, water hammer, critical temperatures. The only thing that stops its massive use is the very high price.

Another modern approach is the use of corrugated stainless steel pipes. Their high flexibility is an excellent quality for laying the contour, and their corrosion resistance, also reinforced by an internal polymer coating, guarantees a long service life.

Modern corrugated stainless steel pipes show themselves well

In addition, this is the only exception to the rule that allows you to make butt joints under the floor surface - this is ensured by the highest reliability of standard fittings. And, despite the fact that the maximum length in the bay is 50 m, they can be safely used for laying and longer contours.

The only drawback in using such material is the very high price.

We decide on the scheme for laying the contour

In order for the water "warm floor" in the apartment to be really effective, it is necessary to follow certain rules for laying its contours.

• There are two main layering schemes - a "snake" or "snail". But they can be combined and combined in different variations. Basic schemes are shown in the figure:

Basic layouts for contours

a - "snail". It is considered the most appropriate from the point of view of uniform heat distribution. Differs in a more complex installation process.

b - "snake". It is easier to install, but it has a pronounced drawback - the heat is distributed zonal.

c - variation of the "snake" with a double entry. The distribution of heat over the area is more even, but there are pronounced bands.

• In order to prevent unnecessary heat consumption for heating wall structures, the contours are laid at a distance of no closer than 300 mm to them.
• One of the defining parameters of the contour is the step of its laying, that is, the distance between adjacent pipes in the loop. Usually this value lies in the range from 80 mm (it is impossible to make less, since the radius of bending of pipes will not allow) and up to 300 mm (they do not do it anymore, as a "zebra effect" appears - pronounced stripes of warm and cold coating).

The laying step largely depends on how you plan to use the "warm floor" - whether it will be the only source of heat, or should work in conjunction with radiators. In addition, for residential rooms, a surface heating temperature of up to 29 ° C is required (if natural wood or parquet is used as a topcoat, up to 27 ° C), while in a bathroom. in the kitchen, in the bathroom, finished with ceramic tiles, in the hallway, it is already 33 ° C.

• Heating radiators are not in vain installed near window openings - they create a kind of curtain, minimizing heat loss. This also needs to be taken into account when drawing up a "warm floor" scheme - provide for a denser installation in areas with maximum heat loss - near windows and along external walls. And here there can be a very large number of variations of the "drawings" of the contour.

It is best to depict the laying scheme at once on a scale in a drawing - a diagram. This will also help in the process of installing the circuit, and will allow you to calculate the required number of pipes in advance.

The length of the contour can be calculated using the formula:

L- the length of the contour in a certain area.

k- coefficient taking into account the bends of the pipeline.

Thus, if the laying step is uniform over the entire area of ​​the room, then the calculation is performed at once for the entire contour. If there are selected areas with compacted laying, then the length of the pipe is calculated for each, and then summed up.

To make things easier, you can use the calculator below:

Calculator for calculating the length of pipes for the "warm floor"

To the obtained value, the direct supply and return sections must be added, as well as the necessary "mounting ends" for connection to the manifold.

• It should be remembered that the contour cannot be limitless. The hydraulic resistance can become higher than the pressure of the coolant, and the circuit will simply "close". So, if a pipe DN16 is used, then you should limit yourself to a length of 70 - 80 m (optimally - up to 60 m), with DN20 - no more than 100 m (80 m). If, as a result of calculations, it turns out that a longer circuit is needed, you will have to divide it into two, with a separate connection of each to the collector. In this case, it is desirable to achieve approximately equal length of both - a difference is permissible - no more than 20%.

At the same time, if it is planned to fill the "warm floor" with a screed, a technological break of the coating must be made between different contours with the installation of a damper tape in it. The same tape, to compensate for thermal expansion, should be laid along the walls along the entire perimeter of the room.

Equipment required for the functioning of the "warm floor" in the apartment

It is naive to believe that laying the pipe loops already solves all the problems - they say, it remains to connect them to the supply and return, and everything will work right away. Nothing of the kind - the performance of such a system will be a big question. In addition, it is necessary to solve a number of other technological problems:

• The liquid will always choose the path of least hydraulic resistance, and in order to make it circulate along a long pipe loop, it will be necessary to install special equipment - a pumping unit.
• It is imperative that devices are needed to release accumulated air in order to avoid gas locks.
• The created pressure in the system must be equalized in order to ensure the circulation of the coolant with the most efficient heat transfer, without stagnation and with the exception of the likelihood of water hammer.
• The temperature level in radiators and in the “warm floor” circuits is completely different. If in the central system heating can reach 80 degrees, then this is completely unacceptable for floor heating. Such temperatures will create an uncomfortable environment in the room, and have a destructive effect on the condition of the insulation screed, and will lead to deformation of the floor covering.

Typically, the temperature of the coolant in the "warm floor" circuits is maintained within 35 ÷ 40, maximum 50 ° C. Thus, it is required to install a special unit that will mix the coolant from the supply and "return" to achieve the required level of heating of the floor surface.

Mixing scheme of hot and cooled coolant flows in a simple three-way valve

• The coolant in the system must be clean, therefore it will not interfere with the installation of appropriate filters, especially if water is used from the central heating system.
• To visually control the parameters of the system's operation - the pressure in the circuit and the temperature level, you will need appropriate instruments, a pressure gauge and a thermometer.
• The system must be safe to operate - without compliance with this condition, permission for its installation will simply not be obtained. In addition, if you plan to connect to central risers, then the "warm floors" created should in no way interfere with the regular operation of the heating system of the entire building.

By the way, with this approach, no one is allowed to show excessive independence. Most likely, one of the typical schemes for connecting to the central system will be offered. For example, such as shown in the figure:

One of the typical schemes for connecting a "warm floor" to the wiring of the heating system

This is exactly the option that has already been mentioned - the apartment is located last along the heating riser at the entrance.

An inlet valve (pos. 1) is not shown in the diagram at the entrance to the dedicated system, but it is recommended to place an “oblique” mud filter here, in order to prevent the ingress of unclean coolant into the distribution equipment and into the “warm floor” circuits themselves.

A check valve (item 2) and a shut-off valve are installed at the outlet of the system.

In this case, the temperature of the coolant in the "warm floor" circuits is set by a three-way valve (pos. 3). This can be a device with a manual setting of the required mixing level, or a more modern one with a servo drive that receives a control signal from a temperature sensor at the input to the supply manifold (shown by a green dotted line).

Three-way valves - manually operated (left), and equipped with a servo drive

To ensure circulation, a pump (pos. 4) is installed, which, in terms of its capacity and the generated head, must correspond to the total indicators of all circuits connected to the manifold.

A bypass valve (pos. 5) is installed on the bypass between the manifolds, which equalizes, if necessary, the differential pressure to the required value.

On the collectors themselves, there must be air vents (pos. 6) and drain taps (pos. 7)

In the event that the underfloor heating system is connected directly to both pipes - both to the high-temperature supply and to the return (this mainly happens with a completely autonomous heating system of an apartment, or upon obtaining the appropriate permission for a tie-in into the central one), then they can be used here other wiring diagrams:

The general setting is also done with balancing valves on the bypass (pos. 3) and on the return (pos. 4). The overflow valve (key 5) provides the differential pressure required for normal circulation.

The circuit is far from perfect, it is rather complicated in precise balancing.

The scheme is simple and effective enough, but the mixing quality is lame.

Both the temperature of the coolant in the "warm floor" circuits and the pressure level can be finely adjusted.

A two-way valve and two control valves are installed.

But there is one important difference from all previously considered schemes - the mandatory presence of a separate expansion tank (item 13) and its own "safety group, (item 12) in which the most important role is assigned to the safety valve.

Expansion tank and "safety group" are mandatory if heat transfer is via a heat exchanger

If it is supposed to connect several contours of a warm floor, then it is necessary to provide for their mutual balancing. If this is not observed, then the coolant will find its path of least hydraulic resistance, and in other circuits the circulation will either be unacceptably small, or, in general, will be interrupted. Maintaining a perfectly equal length of the contours is almost impossible, which means that additional adjustment is required.

For this, taps are installed on each of their outputs and inputs of the collector comb - with their help, it will be possible to perform mutual balancing. In addition, these cranes will allow the circuit to be disconnected locally if they are not needed or for preventive or repair work without disrupting the rest of the system.

Distribution manifold with thermostats on each connected circuit

It is even better if each of the circuits connected to the manifold has its own thermostat. This will make it easier to achieve accurate temperature settings for different rooms.

As an example, the figure shows a diagram of the operation of one of the varieties of collector-regulating units.

Schematically - the work of the collector unit

Is it worth assembling such a unit yourself? In principle, it is quite possible to find all the components for it, and with due experience in plumbing installation work, assembly does not seem to be an insurmountable obstacle. However, it is still better to purchase a ready-made manifold cabinet - both each individual element and their correspondence to each other are important in its design.

In the salon, you can pick up a ready-made manifold assembly for any layout of the "warm floor"

In the assortment of specialized stores, you can find the required model, designed both for a small heating area with two or three "underfloor heating" circuits, and capable of taking over the distribution and regulation of many circuits laid over large areas of a large apartment or house.

The installation of a manifold cabinet with multiple circuits is usually planned to minimize long flow paths. That is, the most preferable price will be tr sq. Artyra.

So, in the publication, the main schemes for installing a warm floor in an apartment were considered. When choosing a specific type and calculating the parameters of the system, it is best to contact a qualified specialist - errors in such a matter have a very serious effect on the quality of heating and are very difficult to eliminate.

Warm floors, water wiring diagrams in an apartment - how to choose the optimal one

If heated floors are used as heating, water wiring diagrams in the apartment differ in a number of features. Details are in the article.

A water-heated floor in a living room is now being installed very often. However, this design is more suitable for private houses where the heating system is separate (autonomous). But what if you need to make a water-heated floor in the apartment? Here you need to consider all the nuances of the installation process. In addition, in most cases, the installation of such a structure can lead to destabilization of the thermal and hydraulic balance between neighboring apartments. Plus, a poorly thought-out system will be immediately identified by inspection authorities. We will tell you more about the implementation of the correct floor heating system in the apartment.

Before making underfloor heating powered by a hot battery, it is necessary to consider the difficulties that the master may face:

• Temperature difference of water in the system. It should be noted that the maximum heating parameters of the warm floor are 50 degrees, while in the heating system this value is 70-90 degrees. If you connect the structure directly, the equipment may be damaged, and the floor covering may also be damaged.
• A ban on the installation of underfloor heating in apartments with centralized heating. If the inspection body finds the structure, the owner of the living space can be punished with a fairly large fine.
• If an elevator was used to connect the heating, then only copper pipes can be used for the underfloor heating equipment, and they are quite complex and expensive to install.

What alternative is there?

If you make a warm floor in an apartment powered by central heating, there is no way, you can choose alternative ways of arranging floor heating. For example, an electrical structure.

It is simple enough to install, you can do it yourself. Also, it practically does not affect the heating of other apartments. Although here it is already necessary to take into account the power of the electrical network.

Electric floor based on heating mats - the best solution for small areas

Another advantage of alternative electric underfloor heating is its complete legality. Modern thermostats make the presented design very easy to operate and allow to reduce. You can turn on such heating even in summer, unlike water heating, which only works during the heating season (if the system is connected to a battery, if the connection is to hot water supply, then you can use water floors all year round).

Options for connecting a warm water floor in an apartment

If, nevertheless, there is a need to connect a warm floor from central heating, then you need to consider all possible such designs in order to choose the most suitable one in each individual case. There are such connection schemes:

1. Direct connection of the loop to the hot battery. In this case, the most primitive low-power pump is used. This method is considered the cheapest and easiest. However, it is the least reliable. When using this method of connecting the structure, you need to be prepared for the fact that the heating temperature will not be regulated, and the total temperature in the riser will significantly decrease, which will negatively affect the neighbors.

   The easiest and least reliable way to connect

2. Direct connection using a balancing valve on the bypass. In this case, it is possible to reduce the temperature of the hot water supplied to the circuit. For the installation of the system, it is better to use pipes with a diameter of 16 mm and a circuit length of no more than 70 meters. In addition, special attention should be paid to the choice of a circulation pump. It should pump up to 5-10 liters per second, and the head should be 1-2 m.

   Manual adjustment with balancing valve

3. With three-way valve connection. If you connect underfloor heating from central heating in this way, you can significantly reduce the heat consumption of the circuits. The thermostat, which is located on the valve, makes it possible to automatically maintain the set temperature. If a two-way valve is also present in the system, then it can be achieved that with a strong decrease in the temperature of the coolant in the battery, it will not enter the underfloor heating structure.

   Temperature control circuit with a 3-way valve

4. With shut-off and two 3-way valves. This method is considered more modern, as it allows you to adjust the temperature of the coolant in the circuits using the "return". At the same time, a two-way valve is necessary to avoid a situation in which the circulation pump will run idle. This will lead to the fact that it can quickly fail due to overheating. In addition, the system will consume more electricity.

   The K3 valve is used to regulate the temperature of the warm floor using the return flow

5. With a remote sensor. This scheme is most similar to the previous design. Its main difference is the presence of a remote sensor. If a significant excess of the set temperature value occurs, the system will close the supply of hot coolant to the circuit. If the water in the structure is too cold, then the sensor will open the valve again, through which the system will be filled with hot liquid again. Such a connection scheme will make it possible to avoid excessive cooling of the radiators. In addition, there are systems on which multiple sensors are installed.

One of the connection options is described in great detail by one of the folk craftsmen:

It should be noted that from central heating it is possible on any basis. To facilitate this process, a reinforcing mesh is laid on the concrete surface, to which the pipes are attached. If the base is made of wood, then special grooves should be made on the logs. This is how the structure will be fixed.

Conclusion and conclusions

It should be noted that a warm floor powered by central heating can be made by hand, however, it is advisable to follow the previously prepared scheme. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the installation of alternative floor heating systems can be cheaper and also take much less time.

Installation of the presented structure requires knowledge and practical skills. An incorrectly configured system can lead to uneven heat distribution in several apartments at once. Someone's heat may disappear altogether. Therefore, it is better to give preference to the electrical heating system.

These are all the features of connecting a water structure underfloor heating. We must not forget that the use of such a system is illegal, therefore, if possible, it is necessary to make it invisible to the inspection authorities. Leave your comments, especially since the topic for discussion is very interesting. And finally, video connection through a separate heat exchanger - so to speak, the most ideal installation scheme:

The temptation to install a water-heated floor in an apartment is quite large. Despite the constant warnings from the authorities and the sad experience of those who have already laid the water circuit, residents are again and again making an additional heating system for their homes. What points need to be considered before taking on a project?

Is it possible to make water floors in the apartment

In domestic conditions, it is quite problematic to obtain official permission to install an autonomous heating system in an apartment. Therefore, warm water floors in an apartment building are connected to heating pipes, heated towel rails, etc., which ultimately constitutes a gross violation of the housing code.

The legislation severely punishes anyone who makes changes to the central heating system of an apartment building. Independent connection of a water heated floor in an apartment is fraught with sanctions, court decisions, fines, etc.

The reason for the lawsuit is usually the flooded neighbors below. Therefore, before arranging a water-heated floor in an apartment with your own hands or with the help of involved builders, you must first calculate all the advantages and disadvantages of the solution, take into account the possible risks and negative consequences.

According to SNiP, it is possible to make changes to the heating system of the apartment, subject to the approval of the modification with representatives of housing and communal services and the Heating System. In practice, this is possible only in the case of autonomous heating provided for in the project documentation.

What is needed for a water floor in an apartment

There are three main disadvantages of a water-heated floor in an apartment:

• Difficulties associated with registration and legalization of the work performed.
• The consequences of possible leaks, the responsibility for which lies entirely with the owner of the apartment.
• Responsibility for inconsistent installation.

To install warm water floors, you will need to overcome all these difficulties.

Registration- the reasons why water floor heating is prohibited in apartments are as follows:

First reason: According to housing regulations, it is not allowed to increase the heat output in an apartment when replacing radiators or making changes to the central heating pipeline.

This norm is made in order to maintain the temperature level of the coolant within the normal range for each room in the house. Any changes associated with an increase in energy consumption are unacceptable. Therefore, it is forbidden to install water underfloor heating in an apartment with central heating.

It is possible to bypass this rate if, after installing the water circuit, the total heat output remains the same. And for this you will have to reduce the number of radiators, which is not always practical.

The second reason: It is forbidden to install due to possible leakage of the circuit. We will have to draw up a project of work and prove that in case of violation of the integrity of the pipe, the likelihood that water will ruin the housing of the neighbors from below is negligible.

To legalize the laying and use of water floor heating in an apartment, you will have to use high-quality waterproofing, make a project with the materials indicated in it. It may be necessary to put an insulating corrugation on the pipes to prevent leakage and fulfill other conditions of the heating system.

Leakage probability- even in the case of a competent device of a waterproofing layer, it is unrealistic to completely prevent the likelihood that neighbors from below will not be flooded due to a pipe rupture. And since a home-made warm water floor in an apartment is a reorganization of the living space, the material responsibility for the damage will fall entirely on the culprit of the leak.

If it is not possible to negotiate peacefully with neighbors, you will have to pay compensation, including repair work, court costs, etc.

Official registration- getting permission is so problematic that most owners go the other way and simply assemble the heating system on their own, connecting the circuit without the necessary approvals. This is regarded as illegal redevelopment of the apartment. And independent changes lead to the impossibility of selling the living space.

The only solution is to make individual heating in the apartment. In this case, you only need to register changes in the layout, in the BTI, which is much easier than solving issues with the Heating System.

A fine for a water floor in an apartment is not the only punishment. The authorities judicially oblige the owner to dismantle the water circuit.

How to lay pipes on the floor

If, despite all the listed disadvantages, a decision is made to connect the heating circuit, you will need to adhere to the following do-it-yourself installation scheme for a water-heated floor in an apartment:

• Preparation of the base - floor slabs are treated with waterproofing materials. It is preferable to use a special mastic that will prevent moisture from leaking to neighbors in case of a leak.
• Insulation laying - the choice of thermal insulation material for laying a warm water floor heating in an apartment is limited. The height of the ceilings does not allow the use of thick insulation.
  The best option is to install warm water floors in an apartment building using polystyrene systems. Mats in this case play the role of insulation and base for pipes.
• Water circuit - installation technology implies the use of "snail" and "snake" pipe laying methods.
• Finishing layer - polystyrene systems are covered with plywood or gypsum fiber board in two layers. As a floor covering, you can use: ceramic tiles, linoleum, parquet, laminate, etc.

The service life of the PVC water circuit does not exceed 50 years. It is strictly forbidden to use ferrous metal pipes that rot in the concrete floor over several years.

From what to connect water floors

There are two methods that are used in apartments to connect to a heat carrier source:

1. Heated towel rail - as a rule, the heating return or hot water supply is supplied to the riser. Consequently, the heating temperature is more gentle around 35-50 ° C. It is much easier to power from a heated towel rail, especially when you consider that some owners have replaced this part of the riser by installing shut-off valves for possible repairs.
2. Connecting from a central heating system in a city apartment - the solution has several disadvantages. Water heated to 70 ° C and higher is supplied through the heat exchanger in the apartment. As a result, walking on a floor powered by radiators will only be possible in thick slippers with thick soles. To prevent overheating of the floor, a collector group is installed.

Installation features and probable errors

In addition to the difficulties associated with obtaining permits and approvals, certain mistakes are made during installation.

• Self-tapping with independent connection from the riser. There is a coolant in the heating pipe at all times. The liquid is drained only during the maintenance of the system for a short time. To start work with central heating, you need to obtain a permit, pay a receipt and drain the water from the riser.
• The inability to regulate the floor temperature. If you plan to feed the water circuit from central heating, you will definitely need to install a regulating heating of the coolant. The installation procedure will need to include the installation of a water collector.
• Lack of underfloor heating project. The maximum pipeline length cannot exceed 70 running meters. This is at best enough for 10 m². You will need to determine in advance the layout of the pipe, divide the room into heating zones.
• Use of accessories for underfloor heating and pipes from different manufacturers. A common mistake that leads to a rapid depressurization of the system.

It is necessary to connect the water circuit in such a way that after it is turned off, the coolant continues to circulate in the central heating system.

Which floor to choose - water or electric?

From the point of view of legality and possible negative consequences, it is still better to choose floors that run on electricity. Necessary equipment for the installation of a film or cable system: an electrician's kit (pliers, paint knife, wire cutters, tester, etc.).

The regulation on the use of electric floors in an apartment building does not have such serious drawbacks as in the case of a water heating circuit.

You can decide to lay the water heating circuit illegally, or try to get official permission, but, as a rule, material costs and time costs, as a result of this decision, are unjustified. According to SNiP, in an apartment building it is better to lay cable or film IR floors.

Most often, the installation of warm floors is not done independently, but certain specialists are invited for this. In order to control the quality of performance, it is necessary to have a minimum critical knowledge in this area.

What do you need to know?

First of all, decide on the type of underfloor heating. They can be of two types:

Where to use which and why?

Warm floors as the main and additional type of heating are most often used:

• in a country cottage or cottage

• in an apartment of a multi-storey building

In a private house, you are your own boss and are free to choose any type, option and any heating scheme. There are no prohibitions here. But nuances and restrictions are already appearing in the apartment.

Choosing a warm floor in an apartment of a multi-storey building

In the apartment, it can be taken from two sources:

The radiator heating system is inconvenient for two factors:

Accordingly, your warm floors will be idle for most of the year.

First, it's not cheap. And secondly, it takes up significant space in the room.

In theory, it is possible to connect, but it is necessary to provide a sufficiently low temperature for underfloor heating. A direct connection will be accompanied by temperatures of 70 degrees and above, and this will simply overheat the flooring.

The second DHW option is even worse. Since unauthorized extraction of heat from hot water supply systems is prohibited.

You will not be able to legally formalize your connection in any instances. And if you discover such a fact during the check, you can easily run into a fine. Plus they will force to dismantle everything at their own expense.

Therefore, most competent experts do not recommend installing water-heated floors in an apartment building:

• heating systems are inconvenient

• from DHW it is impossible

You can, of course, come up with an autonomous container with water, but do not forget that the rules prohibit placing "wet zones" above the living quarters of neighbors. A warm water floor will be considered such a zone. Unless you live on the ground floor.

There remains only the option with electric underfloor heating.

But if you have a private house, then there is already a wider choice. You can dwell on both electric heating and water heating. But which one is better to choose?

2 factors for choosing underfloor heating

Many people still in such a situation make their choice in favor of water-heated floors. This is explained by the fact that people are afraid of the influence of electromagnetic radiation on the body, which supposedly has electric warm floors.

Meanwhile, all manufacturers have long been required to have certificates and papers confirming the safety of their products. And all heating cables are made shielded.

If we consider how many WiFi, GSM and other networks are around us, then e-floors are not the biggest evil. However, most of this does not convince them that they are right.

In their opinion, it may also work for the bathroom, but if this is the main heating in all rooms, then any headaches or illnesses will be automatically recorded about electric warm floors.

Water heated floors are absolutely harmless.

Well, the second important point is the absolute maintainability of water floors anywhere. Moreover, you can make such repairs yourself, at home.

In case of damage to the heating cable of the electric mat, you will either have to strip off the entire tile and change it entirely, or call specialists with equipment for burning, and search for a short circuit with a thermal imager, followed by the installation of couplings.

Moreover, the search for some accidents, even for them, can cause certain insoluble difficulties.

Therefore, safety and maintainability are two factors that incline for many the choice in favor of water-heated floors as the main source of heating. The electric option remains only as an additional source of heat.

But here are the factors that can scare away from water heated floors:

You need a boiler, a mixing unit, a manifold and much more, without which electric heating can easily do.

• constant revision work

Replacing water, limescale on heating elements, pump breakdowns, leaks from poor-quality pipes. In short, many water floor installers earn significantly more money, not only for installation, but also for further maintenance.

Naturally, it is profitable for them to convince their customers about the dangers of electricity and underfloor heating based on them.

Personally, your choice should depend on two variables:

• installation budget and required follow-up maintenance

If there are no problems with this, then go ahead to the store behind the water floors.

• lack of prejudice and belief in modern technology

If this is about you, then the electric underfloor heating is exactly what you need.

Electric underfloor heating

The two most popular varieties are:

Infrared film

What to look for when choosing an infrared film?

It is a sheet with soldered copper conductors. Between them, with a very small gap, current carbon paths are laid, which are the heating element.

Look at your contacts first. They must be soldered.

If they are made with pistons, such a connection is extremely unreliable. Excessive heating will occur here, creating a potential fire site.

The film acts as a separator between the base of the warm floor and the decorative coating. Therefore, it cannot be laid where the screed will be poured.

It will not fit under the tiles. But it fits perfectly:

• under the carpet

• linoleum

If you lay a heating cable under the same materials, then due to the distance between the turns (laying step) you will clearly feel the border of heat and cold - a thermal zebra.

The film heats the entire surface evenly. True, some are afraid that with such heating of the laminate, harmful substances will be released from it. And that's why you need to buy a special product labeled "for underfloor heating".

This is not true. The sun heats up the laminate much more when it shines directly through the window. And nothing harmful is emitted at the same time.

There are also concerns about dry air and dust, which warm floors inevitably lift up. It all depends not on the heating operation mode, the presence or complete absence of radiators in the rooms, but on ventilation.

Provide a regular supply of fresh air and there will be no problems. And if you block up all the windows, then you will suffocate with the central heating batteries.

Approximate calculation of electricity consumption when heating a house with heated film floors:

Heating cable and mat

Where is the best place to use the heating cable? Where you will have a minimum screed, or tiles with glue - i.e. kitchen and bathroom.

As a rule, after the completion of the work by the builders, there can no longer be any talk of a full-fledged screed. The maximum is 5-6cm.

If even less, then the choice is unambiguous - only the heating mat. It can be applied directly to the tile adhesive.

The disadvantage of an electric underfloor heating can be attributed to the fact that in addition to your room, you will also warm up the ceiling from below. At your own expense, you will also heat your neighbors.

You have a warm floor, they have a warm ceiling.

Comparison table of the effectiveness of heating cable and infrared film floors:

You can compare prices for the current day of warm floors with a heating cable or mats and infrared film, as well as their components.

Water floors

A cake with water floors should ideally look like this:

• pipes with a coolant are mounted on this surface

• then there is an adhesive layer in the cake and a tile or other coating

The approximate thickness of the entire slab is 130-140mm. Under this condition, all the heat will be spent on your room, and not go downstairs.

Errors and rules when installing a warm floor

1 Do not use thin foil materials (3-4mm), such as penofol, as insulation.

They are enough for a maximum of 1 season, or even less. Here is a visual video experiment of what happens with such foil insulators.

Don't waste your money. In addition, without reinforcement of the thin screed, as a result of the destruction of the foil insulation, subsidence and cracking of the flooring can occur.

The best solution is to use extruded polystyrene foam with a density of 35 kg / m3 or multi-foil as insulation.

The base of the multifoil is air pockets in the form of pills or pimples. They are very durable and you won't be able to crush them just like that.

You can safely walk on them for as long as you like. Moreover, the aluminum coating is applied on the reverse side, i.e. it is not possible to damage and corrode it with a screed.

2 Be sure to apply edge insulation.

This is a kind of damper that is laid along the perimeter of the slab with a warm floor. It is necessary to compensate for the expansion of the screed, which inevitably occurs when it is heated.

If this is not done, the concrete screed will rest against the walls and it will have two options, either to break these walls themselves, or to break itself. When pouring, the edge of the damper film should be higher than the screed, then the excess is cut off.

3 If you have a large pouring area (more than 20m2), it must be separated with a compensating tape.

Since all the expansion during heating of such a concrete layer, flanging alone will not be able to compensate.

4 The coil of a warm water floor should be made of a single piece of pipe, without connections.
5 Never use compression fittings, i.e. those connections where there are nuts and threads.

None of this should get into your screed.

6 If the customer and the contractor are poorly versed in the preparation of solutions, then the recommended height of a full-fledged screed should be 85mm or 7cm from the upper wall of the heating element.

Such a thickness of concrete will help save you from cracking, even with not very high-quality cement.

In addition, 85mm helps against striping (thermal zebra). And the last thing is the inertia of such a screed.

If your energy carrier is electricity, you can “disperse” the warm floor at a cheaper rate at night hours and not turn on the boiler all day. The stored heat should be enough until the evening.

This heating mode is about 3 times cheaper than usual.

7 Do not save money and add a special plasticizer for warm floors to the screed.

Ultimately, you want a concrete that can withstand thermal deformations with ease.

8 Reinforcement is done as a last resort.

First of all, when you are forced to fill in a screed of only 50-60mm instead of 85mm. But if possible, this should be avoided.

9 It is not necessary to cut any holes in the substrate to the concrete base, supposedly for a good bond.

Even if this coupling occurs, everything will come off the first time the plate is heated. The slab of the warm floor, figuratively speaking, should "float" without connection with the base and with the walls.

10 Do not pour mortar with empty floor pipes.

The system must be filled and the pressure must be 3 bar. This is primarily due to the need to preserve the geometry and shape of the pipe. Without pressure inside, it is easy to crush.

The bathroom floor is cold even when the whole room is filled with steam: warm air always rises, and the floor covering is usually ceramic, which conducts heat well. How to make the bathroom?

Incorrect installation of the water floor () will lead to irrational heat loss in the entire heating system.

You can stop at this option if water heating in the house is not provided at all (for example, the main source of heat is a Russian stove).

How to make a warm bathroom floor from heating in an urban setting? Impossible. The administration will not give permission for a tie-in into the heating riser, since this will lead to a violation of the functionality of the entire system of an apartment building. The insert cannot be carried out without permission, it is a matter of jurisdiction.

But the townspeople also have the possibility of installing a water floor for the bathroom, which is not prohibited by law: a direct connection to a hot riser.

How to make a warm floor in a bathroom from hot water, we will consider below. There are disadvantages to this option: the floor will only heat up when hot water flows. And the water in the tap will be colder: it will have time to partially cool down, having passed along the contour.

The best option for the city is an electric floor. The heating area is usually small. It is not necessary to keep the system on all the time. When calculated correctly, energy consumption will be quite economical.

A cheap option is a heating cable. Its disadvantages are electromagnetic radiation, the complexity of installation, the need to install a screed (existing).

The film floor will cost more, but it has no other drawbacks. The installation of cable mats in the bathroom is problematic: the room is small, the geometry is complex. It is difficult to find the required number of mats, but they cannot be cut.

How to make a heated bathroom floor from electricity is described below. General requirement for film and cable: in accordance with electrical safety standards, the floor should be connected to a separate circuit breaker with a 25 amp RCD. And for the rest, you also need to follow the PUE.

Regardless of the type of floor, the first step is to draw up a diagram. The diagram shows the location of pipes / cables / film sections, the location of the thermostat, water collector. Based on the finished drawing, you can calculate the required cable or pipe length, the required number of film sections.

How to make a water heated floor in a bathroom - an option for a private house: integrating the floor into a common heating circuit.

1. Install the manifold cabinet (at a low height) or make a niche in which the manifold rail will be installed. Underfloor heating requires its own collector, independent of radiators.
2. Install the comb, connect the supply and return pipes from the boiler to it. Install shut-off valves at the connections.
3. Remove the floor covering, dismantle the old screed.
4. Level the base with cement mortar, seal cracks and cavities.
5. Cover the floor with a waterproofing film going up the walls.
6. Glue a damper tape at the joints between the floor and the walls. Its edge should be slightly higher than the future screed (which depends on).
7. Pour the rough screed. About seven centimeters should remain from it to the future topcoat.
8. Dry the screed for three days, regularly moistening with water.
9. Lay the heat insulator: foil foam, PPS, polyurethane foam.
10. If the insulation is not foil-coated, cover it with foil-clad film. Glue the joints of the strips with metallized tape.
11. Lay the reinforcement mesh.
12. Lay the pipes in accordance with the diagram. Fasten to the mesh with plastic clamps. The step between the turns is 15-25 centimeters.
13. Connect the supply and return pipes to the manifold connections through the shut-off valves.
14. Turn on the water, test the system for leaks.
15. Cool the floor, pour in a clean screed. The total height with pipes is up to 7 cm.
16. Dry the screed (about a day), lay the tiles ().
17. The system can be turned on when the screed is fully seized (after about a month).

How to properly make a warm bathroom floor from hot water? Floor cake - as described above. A feature of this connection method is the connection of the supply and return pipes directly to the hot riser.

This makes some adjustments to the standard editing:

1. The metal hot water riser must be replaced with a plastic one.
2. It is recommended to lay the floor with a pipe of increased diameter (metal-plastic 2 cm) instead of the most commonly used section 1.6. Otherwise, with a small head, the system will work slowly and ineffectively.
3. It is better to use a short pipe, up to 20 m. The laying step is 15 cm.
4. It is recommended to reduce the thickness of the finishing screed to a maximum of 5 cm.
5. It is advisable to make the layer of thermal insulation thick: if the PPS, then not less than one and a half centimeters with a density of 35 kilograms per cubic meter.
6. The pipes are connected to the riser through ball valves, adjusting and balancing ().

Electric floors

How to make an electric underfloor heating in a bathroom from a cable? In general, the process is similar to the installation of water pipes: waterproofing - rough screed - insulation - foil - mesh - cable - system performance testing - final screed - coating.

The thermostat is mounted on the wall in an overhead way or placed in a strobe no higher than a meter from the floor. With open wiring, the power cable from the switchboard to the thermostat is fed in a corrugated pipe; with closed installation, it is laid in a groove.

The temperature sensor with the wire extending from it is removed into the section of the corrugated pipe. The sensor is laid between the turns of the cable, the conductor in the corrugation is connected to the thermostat.

How to make a warm floor in the bathroom, if you settled on the film version:

1. The floor cake is formed as described above.
2. The film sections are spread parallel to each other in accordance with the diagram.
3. They also connect in parallel.
4. The screed can be omitted from above. In the absence of a screed, an additional layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the film.
5. Put a sheet of plywood.
6. Place porcelain stoneware or ceramic tiles with adhesive ().

Conclusion

We have outlined the basic rules on how to make a warm floor in a bathroom with your own hands.

In suburban conditions, water floors are preferable, in the city electric ones. Especially if the apartment is not located on the ground floor.

Pipe leaks occur even with proper installation. And if you flood your neighbors, the cost of repairs may be comparable to the funds that you saved ().

Video: how to make a warm floor in a bathroom with your own hands.