Electric floor heating has a lot to pay homage to this. It is clean, quiet in operation, does not require maintenance and is 100% effective at the place of use.
Avoiding the use of pipes and central heating radiators, you have more flexibility in placing furniture and fittings inside the room. In addition, allergy sufferers will benefit from the almost lack of air circulation, dust, and dryness associated with traditional systems.
There is nothing like radiant heating, which is electric floor heating. This is the most efficient way to deliver heat, and it provides more comfort than any other heating system.
Radiant heating is a low-temperature system, which in most cases can provide energy savings of 20-40% compared to alternative types, such as traditional thermal systems with thermal air, oil, or gas.
Instead of heating the air, the radiating heat radiates people and objects directly, so the thermostat can be set 2 or 3 degrees lower. The fully programmable digital electronic thermostat has been specifically designed to provide energy savings in a room-by-room environment with optimum comfort.
Radiation floor heating provides personal comfort by controlling radiation losses from the body. If the surrounding surfaces (heated by radiant heat) are about the same as the surface of our body, we feel comfortable with a good sense of well-being.
Electric floor heating from a reputable manufacturer can be installed in any room, including bathrooms, wet rooms, kitchens and winter gardens. However, there are different systems that correspond to different materials and floor coverings, and the purpose of this article is to give you the best advice for which you need a system.
Tile above existing tile floor
First of all, we consider what you need to provide a system in which there is a ceramic tile floor. You do not need to remove existing ceramic floor tiles - you can install heating mats directly on top of existing tiles, and then the tiles above them, as usual. This type of heating mat is ideal for installation in an adhesive layer - a method preferred by professional floor tiles. As a rule, it is not necessary to lower the heights of the doors or lift the baseboards when you install a heat mat in this way. However, to maximize the efficiency of your heating, we recommend installing Thermal Insulation panels under the carpet, which may require changes to any internal doors.
To determine what size of heating mat you need from a range, you need to measure the room (s) in question. Here is a guide to measuring the area:
- Measure the room, with the exception of all permanent lamps and furniture.
- Allow a 10 centimeter unheated border around the outside of the room.
- For an area that is not a square or rectangle, the simplest way is to divide the room into rectangles and measure each one of them; count the number of square meters of each rectangle, and then add them to the total area. Choose the mat that is the smallest for the entire measured area. In other words, if the total area that needs to be heated is 5.2 m 2, select max. 5.0 m2.
You also need to choose what level of heating you need from floor mats. You will see that, like the different sizes, there are three different options for heat output - 100 W / m2, 150 W / m2 and 200 W / m2. 100W is not really suitable for situations with ceramic tiles. 150 W is best suited if under floor heating is a secondary system used along with some other form of heating. If the flooring system is the only method of heating, choose 200W rugs.
When you begin to install the rugs, you will need to cut off the coincidence in order to turn the corners, etc. But you should never cut the heating cable, which should be continuous around the room. You also need to purchase a suitable thermostat and install it and connect the 3 meter “cold tail” sheathed to it. Choose a position about 1.5 m from the floor that is out of direct sunlight and any excess drafts. If you install these mats in a wet room, you will need to add a waterproof membrane, and if in doubt, contact the mats manufacturer.
Alternatively, to replace the ceramic tile floor, you can choose from a set of cable sets. They are supplied complete with cable, thermostat, floor sensor cable duct, PVA Primer, paint roller for applying primer and strong adhesive tape. Again, I recommend using heat insulation before you run the cables, otherwise you will waste energy heating the floor.
This system is more versatile because you can choose the distance between the cables to provide adequate power, and they are suitable for rooms with irregular floor areas where the heating mat can be uncomfortable. Think of this as an alternative in bathrooms or kitchens, where there may be a lot of small areas to accommodate because of the fixtures in the room.
Any system can be installed by any competent person in accordance with the detailed instructions, but the final connection to the network must be made by a qualified electrician in accordance with the requirements of building codes.
Richard Latvic MCIM
