How to properly install infrared heated floors. Infrared film heated floor - what is it. Laying waterproofing film

Warm house is the dream of almost every one of our compatriots. Now there are many options for heating systems. According to numerous reviews, infrared heated floors are one of the most optimal options for heating residential premises. We will talk about this type of heating in this article.

The infrared floor is a flexible and lightweight product. Its main element is a polymer thermal film up to 0.4 mm thick. With this ultra-thin film, infrared rays are emitted over the entire floor area.

In addition to thermal film, to install an infrared floor you will need:

  • electrical cable;
  • contact clamps;
  • thermostat;
  • temperature sensor;
  • waterproofing material;
  • insulation;
  • scotch.

The heating element of an infrared heated floor is carbon paste, which is soldered into the inner part of a film made of polyester. The operating principle of film heating is as follows:

  • copper conductors supply voltage to the emitters;
  • the system is activated;
  • elements coated with silver prevent contacts from burning out;
  • The connection to the electrical circuit occurs using a thermostat.

Film heating has the following main technical characteristics:

  • film width – 0.6-0.8 linear m.;
  • canvas thickness – 0.2-0.4 mm;
  • operating power of infrared heated floor – 180-220 W/m²;
  • melting point – 210ºС;
  • temperature on the surface of the canvas – 55ºС;
  • infrared wavelength – 5-20 microns.

The advantages of a film heating system include:

  • minimal energy consumption;
  • absolute environmental friendliness;
  • uniform heat distribution throughout the room;
  • ease of installation and operation;
  • the uselessness of a concrete screed;
  • long operational period (40-50 years);
  • uninterrupted operation (even if one of the sections of the heating element is damaged);
  • carrying out quick dismantling of the structure when remodeling a room or moving;
  • quite reasonable price of infrared heated floor;
  • possibility of installing a heating system to suit any flooring.

Infrared radiation is characterized by its ability to heat primarily the floor, walls, ceiling and objects in the room. Only after this does heat transfer to the air located inside the room. This method of heating a room makes staying indoors more comfortable.

The film heating system is advantageous in that there is no need to reduce the height of the room for its high-quality installation. This is especially relevant for small apartments. There is also no additional load on the floors. What does this video show? infrared heat field:

Preparatory work

At the initial stage it is necessary to carry out right choice warm floor. When purchasing products, you must make sure that they have certificates that confirm maximum electrical safety and the absence of spontaneous combustion.

It is recommended to buy polymer thermal film from manufacturers who have long established themselves in the market for electric heated floors. The following infrared floor manufacturers can boast of the best products:

  • Caleo;
  • Ecofilm;
  • Xica;
  • Rexva.

Before starting the process of laying a warm infrared floor, the coverage area is measured. It is installed only in places where there is no furniture or household appliances. The power of the infrared floor will depend on the space occupied. If the film will be placed on an area of ​​up to 20 m², then its power should be 220 W/m². When heating a larger area, the film power may be slightly less.

The electrical wire intended for connecting film mats must have a cross-section of 1.5-2.5 mm. Most best option– copper multi-core cable. After all, the heating elements to which the wires are connected are also made of copper.

Infrared heated floors place increased demands on the surface on which it is laid. The base must be perfectly smooth and clean. The height difference should not exceed 3 mm. If necessary, level the surface and thoroughly clean it with a vacuum cleaner.

Before installing an infrared heated floor, you should determine the location of the thermostat. Usually it is located at a level of 15-20 cm from the floor. Then:

  • a hole is made in the wall;
  • a vertical groove breaks through to it from the floor;
  • the power supply to the room is turned off;
  • wiring is carried out to the hole from electrical network;
  • everything is cleared of pieces of the wall and dust.

At the next stage, a scheme for laying film heating is drawn up. The first row is laid at a distance of 0.1-0.4 m from the wall. If the infrared floor will act as the only source of heat, then the film must cover 70-75% of the area of ​​the heated room. When using it as additional heating, covering 35-40% of the room's area will be sufficient.

The last stage preparatory work is the installation of waterproofing and thermal insulation layers. Waterproofing material It can be either special or polyethylene film. The thickness of the waterproofing must exceed 50 microns. It is this layer that will prevent the appearance of moisture on the heating elements of the heated floor.

The following are used as insulation:

  • technical plug (during subsequent laying of ceramic tiles);
  • material with a metallized side (for other floor coverings).

The optimal thickness of the thermal insulation material is 3-5 mm. The insulation is attached using mounting tape. Immediately cut holes for the electrical cable.

The nuances of laying film flooring

The infrared heated floor is laid towards the wall where the thermostat is installed. This way you can save on cable. The distance to the wall is within 0.1-0.2 m. If there are other heating devices nearby, then the distance of the film from them should be at the level of 1 m.

The film is cut along the light parts of the canvas. Its installation is carried out end-to-end. The joints and extreme sides of the canvases are connected with tape. There is no need to immediately glue the outer part of the film at the places where the wires are attached. The sheet is laid down with copper heaters and at a distance of 5 mm or more from the adjacent sheet.

Installation of infrared heated floors requires the correct implementation of:

  • insulation of cable ends;
  • mounting of clamps;
  • wire connections;
  • laying cables in insulation;
  • mounting the temperature sensor and thermostat;
  • checking system functionality.

Some areas of the infrared floor at the cut sites have open copper elements. They are subject to mandatory isolation. Bitumen film is quite suitable for these purposes. Areas with an exposed copper surface are covered with film on both sides. The sealed areas are connected to the insulation using tape. The areas that will be connected to the cable are not insulated.

Clamps are used to connect the infrared film to electrical wires. They are installed in areas where copper conductors are not insulated. One side of the clamp is placed between the copper strip and the film. The second side is clamped under the film. Do not clamp the contacts at the top, as this may damage the film.

At the next stage, the cable is connected in parallel with the clamps. For this reason, it is better to use an electrical cable with different wire colors. The ends of the wires are stripped, twisted and placed in the holes of the clamps. After which they are firmly fixed with pliers, insulated with bitumen film and attached to the base with tape. These nuances of installing infrared heated floors are presented in the video:

It is necessary to ensure that the cable is laid to the wall along a minimal path. This is how you can protect electrical wiring from excessive pressure from the floor covering. For normal cable output to the wall, you will have to additionally cut holes in the heat-insulating material.

To securely fix the wire, you must use tape. Moreover, both the cable and the tape must adhere securely to each other. The cable is laid near the wall in such a way that it does not protrude beyond the insulation. This is achieved by creating wider cuts.

As you install the electrical wiring, you must remember to install a temperature sensor. It must be placed under the film in the central part of the second canvas. Holes are cut out in the insulation for the sensor itself and the wire that will go to it from the thermostat. When the cable is turned, rounded grooves are cut. This will prevent the wire from breaking.

To connect the thermostat you need:

  • insert the power cable into the two central contacts;
  • in two contacts on one side - a wire from an infrared film;
  • in two contacts on the opposite side - the cable coming from the temperature sensor;
  • connect the grounding wire with a terminal (without inserting it into the contact clamp).

After connecting the wires and installing all elements of the heating system, it is checked for functionality. To ensure that the thermal film works effectively, 20-25 minutes will be enough. Each individual carbon strip must be heated.

Based on the above, a completely logical conclusion arises. It will not be difficult to install film heating special labor. Which will lead to a significant reduction in the cost of infrared heated floors.

Modern renovation technologies make it possible to create the most comfortable conditions in any living space. Let's take a closer look at one of these technologies - installation of a warm infrared floor.

This floor can be laid under parquet, tiles or laminate. Moreover, you can do this yourself. For work you will need the following tools and materials:

  1. Ready-made infrared floor kit.
  2. Thermostat.
  3. Winding wires.
  4. Heat-reflecting material that is not an electrical conductor.
  5. Soldering iron.
  6. Pliers.
  7. Sharp knife.

Laying technology

The technology for laying infrared floors consists of several stages.

Stage No. 1 - preparing the base

Before laying the mats, it is necessary to clean the floor from the old finish, repair it and carefully level it. There should be no large irregularities left - only a height difference of up to 3 mm per 1 is permissible square meter.

Stage No. 2 - floor insulation

Extremely important point- laying heat-insulating material. This will prevent heat loss and reduce electricity costs. It is very important to choose insulation with a foil surface. However, it should not be an electrical conductor.

The material is laid with the foil side up and the individual parts are connected with tape so that they do not move apart.

Stage No. 3 - laying the heating surface

The mats should be laid taking into account some nuances:

  1. The infrared film is not placed on the entire surface, but only on its open areas, where there will be no large-sized furniture.
  2. The distances from the walls must be at least 10 centimeters.
  3. Mats cannot be laid overlapping.
  4. To reduce the length of the wiring, the mats are oriented in the direction of the largest size of the room.
  5. After installing the film, it is necessary to cut off its areas that do not have a graphite layer. If this is not possible, such areas are simply sealed with insulating tape.

Stage No. 4 - connecting the film

If in doubt, it is better to call a specialist for help.

First, install the thermostat. The place for its installation is chosen with special care. It should be located next to the wiring, with one device serving 15 square meters of area.

There are two options for installing a thermostat:

  1. Outer.
  2. Interior.

The first option involves mounting a plastic housing on the wall. The second involves gating. A recess is made in the wall into which a small device is inserted.

The fixed wires are fastened with pliers and laid parallel to the heating mat. The next operation is to place copper clamps on the film cores. The entire structure is tightly connected, and the ends are insulated using silicone sealant.

Now you need to make sure that the assembled and connected circuit works. To do this, the thermostat is activated, and after a few minutes all parts of the film should warm up well. If everything works, check the places where the wires are attached again, and then ground them with foil tape.

Stage No. 5 - installation of a protective layer

After the installation of the infrared floor is completed, you need to protect it from the finishing floor covering. For these purposes it is impossible would be better suited foamed polyethylene. It is laid over the entire surface of the film, and plywood is installed on top of it. And only after this they begin laying the laminate.

Note! When laying laminate flooring, care must be taken not to damage the protective layer of the film.

Basic safety rules when carrying out work

There are strict restrictions that everyone who is taking on the project for the first time must be familiar with in advance. self-installation infrared heated floor.

Insulation of exposed wires

Remember:

  • It cannot be installed in a room with constant high level humidity.
  • Installation cannot be carried out at room temperatures below 0 degrees.
  • Do not bend the infrared mat at an angle of 90 degrees.
  • It is prohibited to place heavy furniture that does not have ventilation pockets on the heated floor.
  • Do not attach the film to a solid base using nails, metal screws or self-tapping screws.
  • You cannot make any holes in the film yourself.
  • Installation of such a floor without grounding is not allowed.
  • Experts prohibit installing one section of film more than 15 meters in length.
  • You cannot place an infrared heated floor next to other heating devices - installation is prohibited near a fireplace or gas stove.

Generalization on the topic

You can install an infrared floor in any dry room. If installation is done correctly, the system will last a very long time. This option is the most economical way heating among electric analogues. Even those who do not have vocational education. The use of heat-reflecting materials and a thermostat provides greater energy savings.

Every home should be warm. This can be done different ways: using centralized, stove and other types of heating. Increasingly, homeowners are choosing infrared film as a heating system, a practical and very effective option.

Operating principle and advantages of such a system

The system of underfloor heating itself is far from new. Until recently, two types of construction were widely used: water and electric floors. In the first case, the coolant was hot water, circulating in pipes laid under the floor covering. In the second, the room was heated by an electric cable, also laid under the floor.

Each of them is not easy enough to install and has significant shortcomings, which cannot be said about the new infrared heating floor system. Its main difference is in its application for heating infrared radiation, which allows you to heat objects in the room, from which heat spreads into the air.

Infrared heating floor - The best decision for warmth in the house, but no underfloor heating system can replace full heating!

The basis for the radiation is a special carbon paste sealed inside a polyester film. Therefore, the system is also called infrared carbon heated floor. The operating principle of the design is quite simple: voltage is supplied to the emitters through copper conductors, which activates them. Silver plating prevents the joints of current-carrying contacts from burning. The system is connected to the electrical network via a thermostat. Infrared heating floors have many advantages:

  • Low energy consumption due to the very high thermal conductivity of carbon. Energy costs are significantly lower than when heating a room using other methods.
  • Possibility of installation under almost any known topcoat, even under suspended ceiling. Can be mounted on vertical, inclined at any angle and horizontal surfaces.
  • Easy to install. No mandatory installation in tile adhesive or screed is required. If necessary, installation of infrared film heated floors can be done independently without any problems.
  • High reliability, which is ensured by parallel connection of elements. If a section of the heating strip is damaged, the rest continue to function properly.
  • Possibility of quick dismantling and re-installation, which is especially convenient when moving or any redevelopment of the premises.
  • Maximum safety for humans.

Find out about the advantages and disadvantages of installing heated floors under linoleum:.

Procedure for laying and installation

The installation work is quite simple. They are carried out in several stages.

Stage #1 - preparing the base

An infrared heating floor is quite demanding on the condition of the surface on which it is laid. It must be absolutely clean and even. The permissible height difference is no more than 3 mm. Professionals recommend using a level to check the horizontalness of the surface. If necessary, the surface is leveled, well dried and thoroughly cleaned of dust. For these purposes, it is better to use a vacuum cleaner. Only after this does the installation of the warm infrared floor begin.

The first to install is the waterproofing layer, which is necessary to protect the system from moisture. Thermal insulation is laid next. Some “craftsmen” believe that this is unnecessary. However, the insulating layer avoids heat loss from downward radiation, thereby increasing system efficiency and reducing energy consumption. There are different materials for thermal insulation. Professionals recommend laying technical cork if tiles are chosen for the finishing coating. Any special insulation can be installed under other floor coverings. The material is laid with the metallized side up, straightened and taped at the joints.

Stage #2 - drawing up a laying diagram

Immediately before starting installation, determine the location of the thermostat; 15 cm from the floor level is considered optimal. Then a film laying scheme is drawn up. It is necessary to take into account that the system is not mounted under stationary large furniture and household appliances. The first row is laid at a distance of no less than 10 and no more than 40 cm from the walls. One more nuance: if it is planned that the heating floor will be the only heating system, it should occupy at least 70% of the room area, but if it is additional heating, then 40%.

Stage #3 - installation and connection of the system

Polyester infrared film is laid out on the thermal insulation in accordance with the drawn up diagram. If necessary, it can be cut along the marked lines. The heating floor is laid with the copper sides of the contacts down towards the wall on which the thermostat is located. Terminal clamps are connected to the edge of the copper strip, then the wires are connected. Areas of film cuts and places where clamps and wires are connected must be insulated with special bitumen mastic. It must be taken into account that the large length of the panels heating elements involves fewer contacts. However, the maximum length of the strip should not exceed eight meters. Some of the contact clamps are placed on the current-carrying surface, and the rest are located inside the film.

First, a thermal sensor is connected to the underside of the film, which must be well insulated. After finishing laying the material and connecting all the wires and contacts, the thermostat is installed. It is best to connect it permanently, although it can be installed as a standard electrical appliance using an outlet. Practice shows that it is better to run the main part of the wires connecting the film to the thermostat under the baseboard. Then the infrared heated floor is connected to the electrical network.

For safety reasons, the installation of infrared heated floors should be done at a distance of at least half a centimeter from one panel to another

It is possible that you will have a different junction box, but the wiring principle is usually the same

You can watch the video for more details:

Stage #4 - testing after installation

Before proceeding with the installation of the floor covering, it is necessary to test the system. Normal operation is characterized by the absence of sparking and overheating in the areas where the contacts are connected; the film should warm up evenly. If the test is successful, the heating floor is covered with an additional layer of polyethylene film and installation of the finishing floor covering begins.

If you plan to lay laminate on top of a heated floor system, then pay attention to step by step instructions in our next material: .

It’s safe to say that making your own infrared heated floor is quite possible. Even if you don’t have installation skills, you can first get acquainted with the installation instructions included with the system, find specialized sites on the Internet and study all necessary information. A properly installed infrared heating floor will bring warmth and comfort to every home.

Heated floors for the home are increasingly becoming part of the daily life and today they are no longer a curiosity. The designs of such devices are different. Popular are water versions, types with various electric heaters, operating on different principles.

One of the latest fundamental solutions for the device is infrared heated floors. When it is used, heating occurs under the influence of radiation of certain frequencies located in the invisible part of the spectrum.

The coolant in IR floors is a two-layer film with emitters sealed between the two layers.

They are connected in a parallel circuit, so if one emitter fails, the device continues to work properly. The main advantages of this method of additional heating of the room include the following:

  • Uniform heating.
  • More efficient use of electricity and associated resource savings.
  • Hypothermia or overheating of the heating system and the room is excluded.
  • The dust content of the atmosphere is reduced.
  • There is no need for operational maintenance.
  • There is no burnout of air oxygen.
  • Heaters do not affect the humidity in the room.
  • Easy to install.

Devices of this kind are increasingly used both for production premises, and in housing construction for a variety of purposes. This can be heating equipment or containers with liquids, additional heating in extreme situations, or heating the floor to create comfortable conditions

residence.

What coatings is it used for? The release form of the emitters – film in a roll – allows for convenient use under any coating. If it were not for the peculiarity of the film itself. Meaning complete absence adhesion to it from any adhesive composition

. If you lay the tiles with any standard adhesive, they will seem to freeze, especially since “wet” installation involves the use of a waterproofing layer of polyethylene film. For such cases, it would be advisable to use a core floor.

But if other options for using the coolant are not possible, it is permissible to use the following technology for installing under tiles:

  • Option 1
  • Grooving the floor for laying the cable to the control system, taking into account the placement of the temperature sensor inside the corrugated pipe. Laying the cable with the sensor and connecting the wires to the control panel.
  • Then, you need to perform standard operations for an infrared film floor - laying a reflective layer of metallized film.

  • Laying mats for induction heaters, installing electrical circuits.
  • Test activation of the heating system to ensure its functionality.
  • Installation of a waterproofing layer of film 200 microns thick.
  • Installation of damper tape around the perimeter of the walls.
  • Once the screed is ready, lay the tiles using standard technology.

Option 2

After checking the functionality of the heated floor system, lay GVL on top of the heating device. They must be secured to the main screed with screws. To do this, you need to make a sketch in advance indicating the dimensions from the walls to the breaks in the film heater. In these places you need to install the mount. We remind you that the film heater is not placed closer than 20 cm from the walls; there is also free space between the rolls.

The tiles are then laid using standard technology.

Induction heated floor in the bathroom

If you plan to install a film induction heater in the bathroom, then it should be done according to option 1 above. In this case, you need to pay attention Special attention. It may make sense to arrange double protection, using, in addition to film, applying a layer of bitumen mastic. If there is constant humidity in the room, there is always a risk of electric shock. You also need to install double protection on all elements of the electrical circuit, both the power part and the control part.

Electricity consumption for infrared heated floors

The use of heated floors as the main source of space heating is practically not used. A comfortable coating temperature is about 23 degrees, higher temperatures are uncomfortable.

The thermostat will turn on the heaters when the temperature drops by 1 degree. It will take 12 to 15 minutes for the heating system to restore the set temperature. Consequently, when the thermal film is on, 10 square meters will remain on for approximately 3 hours a day. This is true if, when building a house, all SNiP requirements for wall insulation and thermal insulation of windows and doors were taken into account.

Under these conditions, 0.275 kW/hour of electricity will be consumed, which in terms of a day will amount to 6.6 kilowatts subject to payment.

It must be taken into account that the heat received from the floor surface will reduce the temperature in the main heating circuits, reducing its costs.

It is impossible to keep track of all the nuances of the heating regime. It makes sense to invest in a system of operational programmable heating mode, which will automatically take into account both weather factors and the dynamics of temperature fluctuations in the home.

DIY installation of heated floors

The installation of a reliable floor with heated floors provides solutions to a number of interrelated problems, such as:

  1. Minimizing heat loss during operation of the heating device. One of the areas is possible losses on the floor slab. Heating a slab that is the ceiling of a basement is not only pointless, but also harmful. The basement requires its own temperature and humidity conditions.
  2. Compensation for differences in temperature expansion of walls and floor slabs, since the influence of temperature on external surfaces and internal structural elements is different.
  3. Sound insulation of interfloor ceilings.
  4. and vapor barrier of the floor in order to establish optimal temperature and humidity conditions in the premises of the house.

The listed main tasks allow us to solve the problem of not just comfortable living, but also optimization of costs to ensure it.

Support base device

To solve the assigned tasks, it is necessary to perform the following work:

  • Inspect the condition of floor slabs in order to eliminate cracks, potholes and other defects. Eliminate detected deficiencies cement mortar. Clean the surface from debris and dust.
  • Along the perimeter of the junction of the walls and the ceiling, stick damper tape 8 - 10 mm thick onto the walls. It should be a short distance above the level of the future finishing floor covering in the room.
  • Arrange a vapor barrier from a 200 micron thick polyethylene film, laying it on top of the floor slab. Wrap the edges of the film onto the walls. When using several pieces, make the seams between them with an overlap of 15 cm. Tape the seams between the individual pieces with construction tape.
  • Place the reinforcement at a distance of 5 cm from the floor slabs. As a reinforcing material, you can use a road mesh with a mesh size of 50 x 50 or 100 x 100 mm, or lay rods, fastening them with knitting wire. The distance from the slabs to the grid must be arranged using “chairs” made of metal or brick (broken ones will do). It is undesirable to use wooden linings; they will quickly rot, forming voids in the screed.

  • Install “beacons” according to the planned thickness of the screed
  • Prepare concrete mortar brand M300. It is better to make the amount of solution in one batch, but in a large room several are allowed. In this case, you must strictly adhere to the recipe. The total volume of the solution can be calculated by multiplying the floor area by the planned thickness of the screed.
  • Laying the mortar should begin from the far corner, leveling the concrete according to the rule at the level of the “beacons”.
  • Upon completion of installation, you need to allow the concrete to harden, remove the beacons, and seal the places where they are placed with mortar. Then, after 3 days, grout the surface for final leveling.

The screed must be kept until completely cured for 28 days. In this case, its surface must be covered with film, and in the hot season, watered with water 1 - 2 times a day. When the screed is ready, you need to thoroughly clean the surface and remove dust.

To speed up the work, you can use a semi-dry or dry screed, then the time for completing the work will be noticeably reduced.

Thermal protection device

To avoid heat loss through the screed and floor slab. When preparing the surface for laminate for thermal insulation, you can use slabs of porous materials such as foam plastic with a thickness of about 10 mm. Place individual cards tightly along the screed, sealing the joints with tape.

The screed under linoleum is installed in the same way.

Determine the location of the control panel for the operation of the heated floor, make a groove in the floor and wall. Place a flexible hose in it to accommodate the wires of the control system and the power connection circuit.

If infrared film is used as a heater, there is no need for thermal insulation. Instead, you need to lay a layer of foil PET film, which will serve as a reflector of IR radiation in the direction of the screed.

You need to lay a plastic film over the thermal insulation in the same way as was done under the screed.

Laying heaters

When performing this work, you must adhere to the following rules:

  1. The distance from the edge of the heater film to the wall must be at least 20 cm.
  2. The film should not be laid in the location of heavy cabinet furniture and powerful electrical appliances (fireplace).
  3. After unwinding and laying, the rolls should be secured to the base with construction tape.
  4. The film should not be cut diagonally - this will lead to its damage.
  5. The distance between film strips should be within 0.5 - 1.0 mm.
  6. To effectively heat the floor in a room, heaters must cover at least 70% of the area.
  7. Kinks of the heating elements are unacceptable.

Having placed the film floor heaters, you can begin installing the electrical circuit.

Installation of heaters

Carefully insulate the conductive busbars at the cut points with bitumen insulation supplied with the heated floor.

At the connection points, the conductors must be cleaned with a knife, connected with terminals (from the kit) and securely clamped with pliers. The connection point is insulated with bitumen insulation.

To assemble the power circuit, use a double-insulated wire with a cross-section of at least 1.5 square meters.

Install the thermostat at its location and connect it to the panel via a separate machine.

Connect the temperature sensor to the wires and insert it into the corrugated pipe located in the screed, connect it to the thermostat control circuit.

Carry out a test run of the floor heating system, make sure that all heaters are working.

Installation of finishing coating

A backing made of polyethylene film is laid on top of the thermal mats, also with an overlap on the wall. Any heat-insulating pads are not used on top of the heaters, since this may interfere with heat exchange with the finishing coating. The technology for installing tiles on top of IR heaters is described above.

You can find out more about this in the corresponding article. - read the link.

And the final step in the whole work will be cutting the damper tape to the floor level and installing the baseboards.

For heated floors, read the corresponding article on our website.

Infrared film heated floor is new material, which has a high degree of energy saving. This material appeared on the construction market quite recently, but has already gained well-deserved authority.

His distinctive feature is, then it can be laid under absolutely any covering (laminate, tile, linoleum, etc.) and it does not require filling with a cement screed.

Infrared film flooring has another significant advantage. Its installation is not at all complicated and anyone can do it, as well as when moving to new apartment it is very easy to dismantle.

Technical characteristics of infrared film floor

The infrared film floor has the following technical characteristics:

Its voltage in the electrical network is from two hundred twenty to two hundred thirty Volts and fifty Hz;

  • Its power consumption depends mainly on the type of infrared film used (150 Watts per square meter; 220 Watts per square meter; 400 Watts per square meter);
  • Temperature work surface should be up to forty-five degrees Celsius at 150 Watts; up to sixty degrees Celsius at 200 watts; up to eighty degrees Celsius at 400 Watts;
  • Wavelength from seven to twenty microns;
  • There is no electromagnetic field.

Calculation of infrared film floor

Do-it-yourself installation of infrared film heated floors

1. First you need to prepare the floor surface. Then we put it on it thermal insulation material. If you plan to put carpet or linoleum on the floor, then any type of insulation with a sheet thickness of three to five millimeters will suit you, and all joints will be glued with tape.

And if you plan to lay ceramic tiles on the floor, then thermal insulation made from technical cork with a thickness of two millimeters is suitable.

Do-it-yourself infrared film heated floor: diagram

2. Before installing a warm floor, you need to determine the place where you will place the thermostat. Then compose and write detailed diagram installation, so as not to make a mistake during the installation of infrared film. Remember that the film is laid in places where open areas floor and there are no plans to install furniture.

Then we start cutting the film into strips of the sizes we need along special lines and lay them out copper strip down. and the contacts to the wall (the thermostat will be installed on it later) in accordance with the diagram you drew up.

4. Let's start connecting the film to the wiring. You need to install contact clamps on the edge of the copper strip, and then connect the contact wires to the clamps.

6. Then you need to connect the floor temperature sensor. This is done with reverse side films. And then be sure to insulate it.

7. After the film heated floor is completely laid, it is necessary to insulate all contacts suitable for it and connect it to the electrical network.

8. Before you start laying the flooring, you need to test the infrared heated floor. Pay special attention to the fact that there was no heating at the joints and various connections.

9. In order to provide additional protection, you can lay polyethylene film on top of the infrared film heated floor. Now you can begin installing the finishing coating for your floor.

Remember that when laying ceramic tiles, you need to allow the screed underneath to dry for about twenty days before you begin to fully use the heated floor.

Do-it-yourself infrared heated floor installation video
Therapeutic effects of infrared film heated floors

For many years in medicine, infrared rays have been used to treat many diseases. It has been proven that infrared light has a very beneficial effect on all damaged tissues.

Thanks to its effects, they gradually recover after surgery or serious injury. Using infrared radiation, film heated floors have a healing effect on the entire human body.

Scientists have proven that our body itself produces a certain amount of infrared rays with a frequency of up to twenty microns, but a film heated floor gives our body infrared impulses with a frequency of seven to twenty microns.

They are very similar to the infrared impulses of the human body. That's why this type A warm floor helps reduce fatigue and stress, and improves blood microcirculation several times.

Installation of infrared floor
Infrared floor design

The main difference between an infrared floor and other heating is its operating principle. The energy of a warm infrared floor is not used to heat the air in the room, but is spent on heating objects located in its enclosed space. They, in turn, accumulate and release heat into the room, maintaining a natural microclimate in it. Infrared radiation is absolutely safe for the health of living beings and is comparable to solar heat.

The infrared heating system is made on the basis of elastic heating mats or Mylar film. The heating element has the form of conductive strips, which are located in 15 mm increments and are made using Carbon NanoTube technology. The electricity that initiates the heating element is supplied to it through copper-silver contacts. The entire system is sealed on both sides with a polymer, which has increased electrical insulation, fireproof and waterproof properties.

The infrared heated floor is connected to the electrical network through a thermostat in a parallel manner. Connection density high quality The materials used and the use of carbon adsorbent spraying ensure the operation of the heaters in an efficient and continuous mode. Thanks to parallel connection, the system will function even if any of its sections fails. Sometimes this happens due to mechanical damage.

Main types of infrared floors

Warm infrared floors are available in two types: film and rod heating systems. They are produced in rolls with a width of 500 and 1000 mm.

Film floors are bimetallic and carbon. In the first option, the base of the floor is polyurethane, and the thermoelement is made of a copper-aluminum alloy. In the second, the carbon strips of the heating element at parallel connection laminated with lavsan film. Its presence protects the system from moisture and electrical breakdown. Film heated floors last about 15 years, their cost is 550-1100 rubles/m2.

In an infrared floor rod system, elastic mats combine flexible conductive bars and rods. The heating elements of the system are made of composite materials. During the entire operating time of the infrared rod floor, electromagnetic radiation is practically absent. This property makes it similar to film heaters. Its difference from them lies in the special design of thermoelements, thanks to which the rod floor has the ability to self-regulate and is not afraid of overheating.

The technical characteristics of such a floor allow it to be installed in cement screed and into the adhesive layer under ceramic tiles. The rod floor system can be safely used in rooms with humid air and even bulky furniture can be installed on it, which is not recommended when using film floors. The warranty period for the rod floor is 20 years, its cost is about 1,500 rubles/m2.

The infrared floor is powered from a 220 V network. If the room has good thermal insulation, heated floors consume 30-55 W/hour per 1 m 3 of space per day. The most comfortable temperature in a room with an infrared floor is ensured by installing a thermostat.

Advantages and disadvantages of IR floors

By installing an infrared heating system in the floor, you can get a lot of advantages, these are:

  • Energy savings due to low energy consumption due to the high thermal conductivity of floor thermoelements.
  • Possibility of installing an infrared heating system under any finishing floor covering.
  • Easy installation of the heating system. It does not have to be laid in screed or tile adhesive. If necessary, you can install the infrared floor yourself.
  • High reliability of the heating system, ensured by parallel connection its elements. Damage to one area of ​​the floor does not interfere with the proper operation of others.
  • Possibility of quickly transferring the system to another location. This is especially true when remodeling a room or moving.
  • Uniform heating of the entire room due to the heat radiated from objects.
  • The infrared heating system cannot freeze, overheat or cool the room.
  • Independence from central heating mode.
  • Hidden installation. Such a floor is invisible in the interior.
  • Maintaining a natural indoor microclimate.
  • Silent operation of the heating system.
  • The healing effect of infrared radiation. For some diseases it serves as a means of prevention.
  • This gender has very few disadvantages. First of all, this is the high cost of the models. If used incorrectly or damaged, the base of the infrared heating system may melt.

    Materials and tools for installing infrared floors

    To install the floor you will need the most simple tools, which are probably available in any home: wire cutters, screwdriver, pliers, scissors and a mounting knife. In addition, you will need materials, the list of which is given below:

  • Infrared floor film and connecting clips;
  • Thermostats equipped with temperature sensors;
  • Vinyl mastic insulation;
  • Thermal insulation material, its basis should be lavsan or polypropylene film, but not foil.
  • Depending on the type of coating, you can also add to this list: chipboard sheets with a thickness of at least 5 mm or plywood - like linoleum; reinforcing metal grid- under the tiles.

    Infrared floor installation technology

    Laying an infrared floor is not particularly difficult and is carried out in several stages: preparation of the base, installation of thermal insulation, marking for the location of the heater, installation and connection of the system.

    Preparing the subfloor

    To make an infrared floor of high quality, you need to install it on a flat and dry base. The old floor covering must be completely removed until the wood or concrete base of the floor is exposed. The horizontality of the resulting surface should be checked with a building level; deviations should not exceed 3 mm.

    After this, the wooden floor needs to be scraped, and concrete base- polish. The debris that will appear during these procedures must be removed, and then the surface must be cleaned of dust using an industrial vacuum cleaner.

    A polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 50 microns must be laid on a clean base to waterproof the floor.

    Thermal insulation is laid on top of the waterproofing layer. The heat insulator must be covered with lavsan or polypropylene film.

    If you plan to make the final floor covering soft, such as linoleum or carpet, you should use a material with a soft layer, for example, infraflex, as a heat insulator.

    If there are tiles on the floor, parquet board or ceramic granite, you need to choose thermal insulation with a solid layer, for example, technical cork, 2mm. After installation, the insulation joints must be secured with tape.

    Marking the floor surface

    Before marking begins, you need to determine the installation location of the temperature sensor, temperature controller and connection of the infrared film floor to the network. The thermostat is usually installed on the wall 10-15 cm from the floor surface.

    When marking the floor for laying the IR heater, you must follow the recommendations below:

    • The infrared film floor must be laid in an area of ​​the room that is free from furniture and household appliances.
  • If a warm floor will be the main source of heating the room, it should cover 75-80% of the room's area. For additional heating, 40% of the area for laying an infrared floor system is sufficient.
  • The heating elements should be laid at a distance of 10-40 cm from the walls.
  • When calculating the required characteristics of a heated floor, one should proceed from the maximum power consumption of the system, which at the time of connection to the electrical network is about 210 W/m2.
  • To separate the heating sections of an infrared floor, the film must be cut along special marking lines and nothing else. Typically, such lines are located in the longitudinal direction at distances of 17.4 cm, and in the transverse direction - 50-80 cm.
  • The base of the core floors must be cut according to the instructions supplied by the manufacturer with this product.
  • Features of installing infrared flooring

    Upon completion of the preparatory work, we begin laying the IR heating film. It is advisable to do this along the length of the room: in this case, with a larger number of solid strips, you will get fewer connection points. The floor installation procedure is described below.

    The heating film must be laid with the copper conductive strip down, the distance between the strips is taken to be at least 5 cm. When installing a heated floor under laminate or linoleum, they can be laid closely, thereby ensuring uniform heating.

    The infrared floor strips must be attached to the thermal insulation with construction tape. This ensures the immobility of the elements for the convenience of subsequent actions. Cut lines located in the area of ​​copper conductors must be treated with bitumen insulation. The same procedure should be performed with silver-plated contacts connecting the heating elements to the tape.

    Contact clamps must be mounted on copper conductive strips: one half of them should be inside the film, the other half should be outside on the strip. The contacts are secured with pliers.

    Connecting the IR floor system

    At the final stage of installing the infrared floor, it is necessary to connect it. The system thermostat can be placed permanently or connected to electrical outlet using a cord. At the same time, it should not interfere with further arrangement household appliances and furniture.

    The floor temperature sensor should be located closer to the thermostat under the infrared film. It is secured to the film under the carbon paste with tape.

    After installing the clamping contacts on the film, the power wires should be connected to them, and the connection points should be treated with a bitumen insulator.

    Then the heating system must be turned on, set to a comfortable temperature and checked for insulation of the film cutting line, heating of all film strips and wire connections (using a test screwdriver).

    After checking the operation of the system, we lay the flooring. Some of its types will require additional actions with heated floors.

    If the finishing coating is linoleum, you need to lay fiberboard or thick plywood on the infrared film. If tiles are planned as it, a reinforcing mesh with 2 mm cells or fiberglass mesh with 5-20 mm cells will have to be mounted on top of the warm floor. They are attached pointwise with dowels to the base. Then you can lay the screed on top.

    Important! Markings for fastening coatings should be done in advance to avoid damage to the heating elements of the system.

    How to make an infrared floor - watch the video:

    Warm infrared floors have an incomparable advantage over heating that uses the combustion of any materials. In addition to being silent, they also do not emit any toxins at all. Therefore, they are actively used in medical and children's institutions.

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    How to connect an infrared heated floor

    Today, non-traditional heating systems are quite widely used in modern houses and apartments. They are good sources of heat and help to significantly reduce electricity costs, which has a positive effect on family budget. And that is why the question “how to connect an infrared heated floor” is so relevant. In this article we will look at how to properly connect an IR floor.

    Technical characteristics of infrared heated floor

    Before connecting this heating system, you should understand some of its features. Characteristics of IR floor:

    • consumed power forty-five - 67 W/m2.
    • The width of the film thermal coating is 50 cm.
    • The maximum permissible length of thermal film coating is eight meters.
    • power supply - 220 V at 50 Hz.
    • The melting point of the film infrared heated floor is 130 C.
    • content of infrared rays in the emission spectrum – 95%;
    • The length of the IR beam is five to twenty micrometers.

    How to connect an infrared heated floor - the importance of proper installation

    Warm film IR coating is an alternative widely used method of heating a room of any parameters, which is powered from the mains. In this system, the area is heated from a special film (which contains a carbon mixture), heated copper conductors On the sides. To avoid the problem of burning contacts, the design has a protective silver coating.

    To connect a warm infrared floor you will not need a lot of effort and expense, it is only important to adhere to certain installation rules. We will consider all the connection steps below, and if you do not follow them, you may encounter certain breakdowns and improper operation of the system. The causes of the problems may be:

    • Violation of electrical system installation diagram standards.
    • Incorrect calculations regarding the ratio of the area of ​​the room and the warmest floor covering.
    • Use when installing materials that are not intended for the equipment of such a heating system.
    • Violation of the installation stages of steam and heat insulation layers.
    • When pouring screeds, use mixtures that are not suitable for IR film floors.
    • Inaccurate calculation of the type of electrical supply wire and cross-section regarding the total load.
    • Using materials with low thermal conductivity as the final layer. It is strictly not recommended to use natural carpet textile coverings on such a heating system.

    If you stick to all these simple rules and correctly connect the infrared heated floor. you will receive an economical, durable and safe heating system.

    How to properly connect an infrared heated floor - steps

    As mentioned above, it is extremely important to observe the correct technology for installing a warm floor system, the stages of which are:

    To reinforce this, watch a couple of video installation instructions.