Water heating floor in apartment: design, advantages and disadvantages

Systems of warm floors are now used both as the main and as an additional heating of housing. Recently, their popularity has increased significantly, as these devices can significantly reduce the cost of heating the room.

The traditional and most familiar for the consumer is the water-heated floor. In the apartment It can be installed with the help of specialists or on their own. But we will tell you about the difficulties that can arise when installing it and how to properly perform such a job in this article.

Is it possible to install water-floor systems in an apartment

Before making a decision on the arrangement of such heating, it is necessary to find out whether a warm water floor in the apartment is allowed. Since the device is connected to a common heating system, it is necessary to obtain permission from such companies for housing and communal services and heating systems, and, as practice shows, it is practically impossible to do this.

It is explained by the fact that the water floor leads to a significant increase in energy costs and creates an additional load on the heating system, which was not taken into account during the design. To exclude such a phenomenon, it is necessary to install devices that ensure compulsory water circulation (pump and mixing unit), and on the basis of central heating it is very difficult to do this.

Exceptions are only the premises in which there is an autonomous heating system. In this case, having installed a water-heated floor in the apartment, the owners simply need to register the changes made to the BTI.

What threatens the owners of housing for the illegal installation of the water circuit in the floors

Nevertheless, despite all the prohibitions, many owners decide to independently connect the warm floor from central heating (in the apartment), after which they face various troubles and sanctions. Namely:

1. If there is a need to sell an apartment, it will be impossible to do it legally.

2. In case there is a breakthrough of the circuit and the apartment from below is flooded with water, all costs for its repair in full will lie on the owner of the warm floors.

3. If the illegal redevelopment of the system will be detected by the representatives of the heating network or the housing office, the owner of the apartment can not avoid litigation, sanctions and fines.

That's why, having decided to connect the warm floor from the central heating in the apartment, you need to weigh the pros and cons well. To do this, let us consider what other advantages and disadvantages the given heating system has.

Advantages of warm floors

Owners of housing, installed a water-heated floor in the apartment, note the following positive aspects of such re-planning of heating:

• the room becomes much more comfortable than when heated by stationary radiators;

• all rooms in the apartment warm up evenly;

• the humidity level in the room is practically unchanged, the air does not dry;

• Heating costs are reduced to 40%;

• The system does not affect the appearance of the room (as opposed to bulky batteries and pipes).

If we compare the water circuit and film heating, the first option has an undeniable advantage due to the absence of electromagnetic radiation. The cost of energy resources in the operation of water heating is also less than when using electrical analogs.

Negative aspects of the system

If we talk about the shortcomings, which has a water-heated floor (in the apartment), then they can include the following facts:

• due to a sufficiently large layer of screed (about 10 cm), the height of the room is noticeably reduced;

• If poor quality materials were used during the installation or if mistakes were made, there is a high probability of a breakthrough, which causes a lot of problems;

• since the water-heated floor is laid in the screed, it can be installed only during the construction phase of the building or during the overhaul;

• work on the arrangement of the system is very laborious, therefore it is not possible for all owners to independently install it.

The device of a water floor

As it became clear, the heated floor is mounted in the screed. The device is presented in the form of tubes, which are located under the floor covering and are flooded with cement mortar. The design is connected to a heating system, from which hot water or a special liquid enters the pipes. By circulating through the pipes, the heating medium heats the floor covering, due to which the heating of the room takes place.

If we consider the system of the warm floor layer by layer, we can see that the elements are arranged in the following order:

1. Concrete slab (ground floor).

2. Waterproofing material.

3. Insulation.

4. Reflector of heat (foil sheets).

5. Reinforcing mesh.

6. Pipes.

7. Screed.

8. Finishing material.

As a floor covering in living rooms use a laminate and linoleum, as these materials are less susceptible to deformation and excellent heat transmission. In the bathroom and kitchen, the floor is laid under the tile (water). With their hands, this finish is simple enough, besides, the ceramics have increased wear resistance and good heat dissipation.

Which pipes and insulation can be used

Advantages, disadvantages and elements of heating floors with liquid coolant we have already considered, it remains to understand what materials are used in the process of its installation and how to perform the necessary work independently.

First of all you need to choose quality pipes. Many prefer the products of foam, since they are the cheapest. This saving is not justified, since plastic pipes are characterized by lower heat transfer.

In the case of water-based floors, it is preferable to use metal-plastic versions with a diameter of 20 and 25 mm. They have an ideal price-quality ratio. If your budget allows, you can install more expensive options, such as corrugated stainless steel and copper.

Next, you need to decide on the choice of insulation, on top of which will be mounted a self-contained heated floor (water). The apartment is mostly made of foamed polyethylene (with reflective coating) and thin expanded polystyrene. If the apartment is located above the unheated room, you can use claydite as a thermal insulation.

Required Devices

The main components of the system of warm water floors are:

• boiler for heating the liquid (in the case of autonomous heating);

• a pump that provides pressure in the system;

• pipes for wiring;

• ball valves;

• a pair of collectors with a regulation and adjustment system;

• Fittings;

• water circuit (pipes).

Ways of laying pipes

Before proceeding with the arrangement of the system, it is necessary to determine the method of laying the pipes. The scheme of the warm water floor in the house can be presented in two versions. In the first pipe stacked with a snake, and in the second - a snail.

The method of laying "snake" is considered the most simple, however, when using it, the surface temperature in different parts of the room may differ.

The snail-like arrangement eliminates overheating, but pipe installation and system design are much more difficult.

Recommendations for installing the system yourself

The installation of the water circuit can be done manually, for this you need only take into account several recommendations and follow the instructions clearly.

1. First of all, remove the old finish (if any) and clean the floor before the concrete screed. The new coating will be 6-7 cm higher, which should be taken into account for the owners of rooms with low ceilings.

2. If you are building heating in the bathroom, then in order to lay the warm floor under the tile (water) with your own hands, you need to completely dismantle the screed.

3. If metal pipes are installed in the room, they must be replaced with plastic tubes so that rust does not appear at the connection points. If the circuit is mounted in a stationary heating system, pipes need not be changed.

4. To protect the floor from leakage, it should be placed a reliable waterproofing. For these purposes, a special mastic is used, which after hardening does not allow moisture to seep into neighbors.

5. Next, the heater is mounted. The material is placed reflective coating outward, and the seams between the sheets are glued with adhesive tape. On the heater you can lay an additional layer of waterproofing. This will reduce the risk of water leakage.

6. On the entire perimeter of the room (along the edges of the insulation material) it is necessary to glue the damper tape. After that, mats are placed for installation of warm floors.

7. On the mats are mounted pipes (selected method). The distance between the turns of the pipe should be at least 30 cm. At the base, the pipe is fixed by means of special clips or staples (of strong wire), which are stuck in the heater. If you have purchased special mats with recesses for pipes, this procedure is not necessary.

8. Both ends of the pipe are brought to the place where the floor collector will be located. With it, the system is connected to the main heating or makes an outlet to the boiler.

9. After the system is assembled, water is pumped into it and checked to create the maximum pressure. This is done to identify leaks and eliminate defects.

To reduce the cost of equipping the water circuit, in the places where the furniture will be located, pipes can not be laid.

Important nuances

If the laying of the thermal floor is carried out under the ceramic tile, the thickness of the screed should not exceed 5 cm. Also, the pipes should be placed at a distance of 15 cm from each other so that they warm up the space to the desired degree, and cold areas do not form between them.

Under linoleum and laminated panels, the screed is made even thinner, and for reinforcement over the heating system a reinforcing mesh is laid .

The first warming up of the floor can take several days, but in the future the system will maintain the desired temperature. Some parts of the apartment can be heated all year round (where the floors are tiles). In this case, a full warm-up in the cold season will take less time.

In conclusion of the topic we will mention the cost of warm water floors. In the apartment, taking into account the material and installation, experts will make floors for 1300-2600 rubles per m². The price depends on the quality of the equipment purchased and the complexity of the project. If you calculate, the total amount is quite high, but after 5 years of operation the system fully pays off. And if you take into account its long service life (about 50 years) and the rising prices for heating, then, perhaps, all the efforts for installing the water circuit are completely justified.