Connection of a warm floor to electricity: circuit, device features and recommendations

In the heating season, many owners are thinking about installing alternative heating appliances. Such equipment should be energy efficient and create high-quality space heating. One of the best solutions to date is electric floor heating. It consumes less energy than other heaters. The principle of its operation allows creating the most comfortable heating.

Mounting such a system is very simple. Connection of a warm floor to electricity, the circuit of which is detailed in the manufacturer's instructions, will help with this. Before mounting, it is necessary to study the installation process in stages. If everything is done correctly, the manufacturer's warranty will be valid during the operation of the connected system itself. At some manufacturers it reaches 20-25 years.

The principle of heating by electric drive

The popularity of the warm floor is growing every year. That reason is the set of features of such systems. Install an electric warm floor can be used for almost any covering. In each room the system is mounted. Unlike convectors, radiators and other similar devices, the electric wire heats the floor covering. Therefore, the highest temperatures are observed at the bottom of the room. At the ceiling the air is colder.

Therefore, this heating principle is the most comfortable for a person. Convectors, on the contrary, contribute to the accumulation of maximally heated air masses at the ceiling. At the bottom, the lowest temperatures are determined. But people are in this zone. Therefore, energy is used inefficiently.

Connecting a warm floor to electricity, the diagram of which is presented in the manual, is very simple. This process is easy to do on their own.

Types of systems

When studying the question of how to connect the warm floor to electricity, it is necessary to consider the existing varieties of systems. Most often, wires are used for the purposes presented. This product consists of a nichrome vein around which various insulating shells are created.

The cable is of different cross-section. If the diameter of the product in the section reaches approximately 7 mm, it is mounted in the screed. According to construction norms this layer is from 3 to 5 cm. If the screed is smaller, the heating is distributed unevenly. There will be warmer and cooler zones.

If the room is not possible to make a screed (raise the floor level by 5-7 cm), a thin wire is used. Its diameter is 3.5 mm. This system is mounted directly in the tile adhesive. The mortar layer is only 5-8 mm. This system heats up faster, but also cools down just 30 minutes after shutdown.

Infrared warm floor

Classic versions of the warm floor are poured with a solution. But if a wooden base is already prepared in the room, this type of system is not suitable. In this case, an infrared heated floor in the form of a film is used.

Advantageously, the heating element in such a device is a carbon paste. The scheme of connecting the film-warm floor to electricity is almost the same as the wire. But here there are several nuances.

The work of infrared film is similar to solar heat. The rays do not heat the air, but the surrounding objects become warm. On the film you can not lay the solution, glue. Such systems are designed exclusively for dry installation. Tiled adhesive or screed with time corrodes the film.

But under the laminate, linoleum or thin carpet film is installed very simply. In this case, its effectiveness will be maximum. The scope of the infrared warm floor is extensive. It is even mounted in animal cages, mirrors, incubators and so on.

Purpose of the system

Heating with a warm floor can be comfortable or autonomous. In order not to use any heaters in the room, except for electrical wires, they will need to cover about 70% of the area of the room.

The screed or tile adhesive will heat up and release heat to the environment. This can be compared to a heated panel of a convector located throughout the base of the room.

Features of the connection of the warm floor must be taken into account, creating heating in each room. Comfort heating is created if the system is mounted under a small area of the floor covering. Stepping on this surface will be warm, but other appliances should be used to heat the room.

The film warm floor was originally designed for comfortable heating. The wooden base requires heating not higher than +30 ºС. Therefore, the infrared film creates only a comfortable heating.

Thermostat

Whatever the system is chosen by the owners of the apartment or house, it must be connected to the network through the thermostat. This device controls the degree of heating. There are various thermoregulators on sale.

In the simplest version, the device has a built-in or remote sensor that measures the temperature. In the simplest version, the device has a built-in or remote sensor that measures the temperature. In some models, both types of measurement are simultaneously present. There are also two-zone varieties, in which there are immediately 2 remote sensors.

Control of the thermostat can be done mechanically or by installing the program for a week. On the reverse side, the device can have 4 to 9 terminals. But most often there are only 6 of them.

Two terminals are for connecting a remote sensor. If it is integrated in the housing, the connection jacks will be 4. The two following terminals are for connecting the wires from the mains (phase and zero).

Next, the floor is connected to electricity. The circuit, the features of which are determined by the type of thermostat and the system itself, involves the connection of 2 wires from the heating element to the last 2 terminals.

Solid wire

On sale there are heating wires of single-core and two-core type. Their connection is somewhat different. Any thermostat is suitable for such systems. Most often these devices withstand a load of 3.5 kW. But there are thermoregulators with smaller parameters.

Therefore, before connecting, the total capacity of the system is necessarily taken into account. The solid wire has both contacts for connection. This is taken into account during the layout. Both ends should return to one thermoregulator. Next, the floor is connected to electricity. How to do this job, the manufacturer's instruction will help.

The heating wire is connected to the cold connection via a coupling. For installation in a single-core system, 3 wires are output from each side (blue, brown and yellow-green). Before connecting, contacts of the corresponding color are connected and inserted into the terminals of the thermostat.

Stranded wire

On sale is more often a two-wire wire. It is easier to install. Its first end has a coupling and a cold wire for connection. The second edge, in contrast to the single-core system, is sealed. From here do not go wires for connection.

Therefore, the soldered end can be left far from the thermostat at the layout of the system. The corresponding cold wires enter the terminals of the device. This is a more simple scheme for connecting the warm floor (the instruction is always attached to the product by the manufacturer).

Infrared warm floor

The infrared warm floor is connected in a different way. The film is sold as a roll. It can be cut in certain places to lay the film in the desired area.

The kit also includes special clamps. It will take a wire and bitumen insulation. Metal contacts are put on the contacts of the film, wire is fed to them. The compounds are insulated with bitumen material.

Next, the floor is connected to electricity. The circuit is completely identical to the wired system. Two wires coming from the terminals are connected to the thermostat.

Self-regulating wire

For heating pipes, reservoirs in winter, self-regulating wire is used. It is purchased less often than the listed systems. But in some cases it is irreplaceable. This wire is not afraid of overheating. It can be mounted without screed.

Thanks to a special device, this product can change the heating level depending on the ambient temperature. Therefore, in this case, the thermostat is not required.

Connecting a warm floor to electricity (the scheme assumes the use of a thermostat) is simple. It can be performed even by a master who does not have much experience in carrying out such work.