Do-it-yourself infrared underfloor heating

Device and principles of operation

The warm infrared film floor is a polyethylene heat-resistant film containing strips of carbon paste, which is connected by copper busbars, also soldered into the film. It is through these tires that an electric current is supplied to the carbon material (most often carbon).

IR film for underfloor heating

Due to the fact that the current passes through the carbon, it generates maximum heat. The stripes are combined by a couple of pieces in one block. You can cut them along the dividing strip between the blocks, which greatly facilitates installation.

This design is also advantageous in that if one or more strips are damaged, the rest of the belt will function. Since the gap between the strips is small, even if several parts are broken, the floor will keep evenly warm.

Infrared film cutting line

This heating system is environmentally friendly.

In many countries of the world, scientists have long provided justification and evidence of the beneficial effects of infrared rays on all living organisms and their absolute harmlessness to human health.

The table below shows the technical indicators and characteristics of the IR underfloor heating.

Characteristic	Features of the
power consumption 1 m², W / m.h	45-67
thermal film width, cm	50
maximum permissible length of a strip of thermal film, m	8
melting temperature of thermofilm, ° С	130
food	220 V / 50 Hz
IR heating wavelength, μm	5-20

The amount of electricity consumed by an infrared underfloor heating depends on the size of the site and the mode of operation. Various companies producing such heating systems offer their own modifications of IR floors. They all have approximately identical characteristics and indicators, so which one to give preference to depends only on you.

Thermal film thickness - 0.4 mm. Thanks to this, it can be mounted under parquet, tiles, laminate, linoleum. In addition, you can install the film on walls and ceilings in order to heat the entire room as much as possible.

Types, advantages and disadvantages

Despite the fact that the IR film floor began to be used relatively recently, on the market you can find several varieties of such a heating system in terms of the parameters of the heating element that underlies it:

carbon - carbon-graphite;
bimetallic - copper and aluminum.

The carbon-graphite system is more widespread.

By purchasing an IR film floor, you will receive a lot of advantages:

installation and connection are quite simple and quick;
suitable for many floor coverings: tiles, laminate, parquet, linoleum;
no electromagnetic radiation;
can be easily installed on any surface: vertical, horizontal, inclined;
the entire floor surface warms up evenly;
it is highly durable and reliable;
you can make the connection yourself;
unlike other types of underfloor heating, you will save 10 to 20% in energy and finance;
such a floor can be mounted in absolutely any room, even wet;
destroys all kinds of unpleasant odors: paint, tobacco, etc.;
has an anti-allergic effect;
ionizes the air;
works without any noise;
characterized by high heat transfer.

Be sure to follow all the rules for connecting and operating an IR underfloor heating!

Minuses:

It is recommended to use it as an auxiliary heating source, and not the main one (since such a system is characterized by fast heating and the same fast cooling).
Cannot withstand mechanical stress and damage.

Installation

To install an IR film floor, you need to perform a number of sequential steps:

First of all, it is necessary to develop a project and make all the necessary calculations.
Get all the necessary materials and tools.
Install IR floor.
Start the system and check the function.
Make a fine finish.

Area calculation

The main distinguishing feature of an infrared film floor is that it cannot be installed under furniture. Therefore, when calculating the amount of material that will be required and choosing the location of the film, you must subtract the area where the film will not be laid.

If you have chosen a heating system IR film underfloor heating as the main source of heating, then in order for the system to function with maximum efficiency, the film must cover from 75-80% of the room surface. If you have chosen a film warm floor as an auxiliary heating, then 30-40%.

Calculation of the total area of the room S = a * b Calculation of the heating area Sreb = S - (X, Y, Z) where, S - the total area of the room, m²; a, b - length and width of the room, m; Sob - heating area, m²; X, Y, Z - fixed or low-standing interior items (furniture, household appliances, etc.).
When calculating the heated area, keep in mind that the IR film is laid at a distance of 100 mm or more to any vertical surface.

When the size of the required area is determined, the next step is to calculate the power.

Heating film power range - 150-220 W / m².

Film power	150 W / m²	220 W / m²
Main heating source	At least 95% of the area	Not less than 70% of the area
Additional heating source	At least 60% of the area	Not less than 40% of the area
Floor type	laminate, linoleum, carpet	parquet, carpet

Energy consumption calculation

Energy consumption of IR film floor E = S * k * T where, E - energy consumption, W / h; S is the total area of the room, m²; k - conversion factor (depends on the set temperature, if the system is switched on by 50% - the coefficient will be equal to 0.56); T is the thermal power of the floor, W.
The amount spent on heating with infrared flooring is calculated based on the electricity tariff in your area.

Installing a thermostat allows you to reduce the cost of an IR heated floor by about 35%.

Criteria for choosing thermostats for underfloor heating.

Power calculation

If the area of the room that is planned to be heated with a film floor is very large, several sets of IR films will be needed to install such a system. In such a situation, you need to summarize their power.

Use of several sets of IR film Ptot = P1 + P2 +… + Pi Use of a part of the set Ptot = 1.10 * L

where, Ptot is the total power of the film floor, W; P1… Pi is the power of a single film set, W; L is the length of the infrared film used for installation, m; 1.10 - the coefficient of conversion of the film floor power.

Calculation of the number of thermostats

The main purpose of the infrared floor heating thermostat is to regulate the degree of heating.

If you connect several sets of film floor at once, then several thermostats are needed at once, since the power consumed by the warm floor is summed up.

It is recommended to install the thermostat at a height of 15-20 cm, above the level of the finishing coating.

The thermostat is best placed on a wall that is perpendicular to the direction of the strips.

There are two connection methods:

Zoning and connecting each zone to a separate thermostat.
Connect a solid state relay or magnetic starter.It is impossible to make such a connection on your own, here you need the knowledge and skills of an electrician.

You can read about the underfloor heating cable here.

Characteristics of heating infrared film

An incredible amount of such products as heating polyethylene film is on sale, the choice of which is carried out according to such parameters as size, power, efficiency, cost, manufacturer.

In general, the choice of such products is very wide, and the price directly depends on how much film is in a roll, as well as what type and quality it is. These parameters depend on the brand and product configuration.

When choosing an infrared film for floor heating, you should pay attention to its quality and characteristics.

The European-made film from PASK is most in demand, since it is manufactured in accordance with all established standards and GOSTs, and also comes in a complete set. By purchasing such products, you can avoid problems during installation and operation, but the cost of such products will not be cheap. If we consider a more economical option, then it is worth giving preference to Korean-made models, with a power of 150-220 W per 1 m2.

They are installed in rooms where there is an increased level of heat loss, for example, at:

Balcony;
Loggias;
Floor in the vestibule and not only.

Such products are made in almost every country and in incredible quantities, and therefore it is not too difficult to choose an option for floor heating according to your own preferences, you just need to pay attention to a number of the above nuances and recommendations.

Rules for laying IR underfloor heating

It is necessary to adhere to a few simple rules for laying IR underfloor heating:

The first line of the film should be located at a distance of at least 100 mm to the wall and no further than 400 mm.
The step of the film cutting line is 250 mm, it is impossible to cut the film in other places.
The distance between adjacent strips of film should be 10 mm or more.
The permissible length of the floor strip is 8 m.

Under the laminate

When laying a film underfloor heating under a laminate, follow the rules:

To prevent the infrared film from overheating, it must be distributed in areas where there is no furniture.
In order for the room to warm up with maximum efficiency, the film floor must cover an area of at least 70%.

Installation scheme for IR underfloor heating for various types of topcoats floor

Next, you need to draw a plan for the location of the heating elements. On paper, reflect the locations of the furniture and heating film.

Laying is done on a surface that is leveled before that.

The concrete screed must not have any drops. To prevent heat from escaping from the thermal film, a thermal insulating substrate (polypropylene), 3-4 mm thick and covered with foil on one side, must be laid on the floor through the floor slabs to the neighboring apartments.

The strips of thermal insulation are fixed with thermal insulation tape, and they must also be carefully trimmed around the perimeter of the room.

The heating foil can only be cut in the places indicated on it. They are highlighted with a dotted line and a scissors symbol.

Cutting the film diagonally will ruin it.

The distance of the film from the wall should be at least 10 cm.

The heating film strips are placed on the substrate one next to the other with a gap of at least 5 mm, but not more than 1 cm.

It is impossible to bend the heating element at an angle of 90 degrees or more, as it will cease to function.

Wiring diagram for IR underfloor heating

In places where the thermal film is cut and conductive busbars are cut, it is necessary to perform bitumen insulation, which is included in the underfloor heating kit. The contact must be placed in the center of the end of the busbar and pressed well with pliers.Using a sharp knife, it is necessary to strip the current-carrying wires by 5-8 mm and clamp them with pliers in the contact terminal, then the entire contact is insulated with bitumen insulation. An infrared warm floor is connected in parallel with copper stranded wires with a cross section of at least 1.5 mm². It is also recommended to install a thermal sensor in order for the floor heating automatics to work correctly.

At a distance of 20-25 cm from the wall on which you will install the thermostat, using a puncher, perform a chasing. Place the temperature sensor in the hole formed under the heating foil.

For the sensor to show the correct temperature, it must be placed on a heat-insulating substrate.

After all the above manipulations, the thermostat is connected.

Upon completion of the installation, check the functioning of the IR underfloor heating. All thermal films should be heated when turned on. Only after making sure you can lay the laminate on the heating elements.

Under linoleum

Laying under linoleum is similar, but it also has its own characteristics:

At the first stage, prepare the base, because the floor can be mounted exclusively on a flat and stable surface.
The mats can be cut into 25 cm pieces. The edge is insulated with a special tape. The gap to the pipes of the heating system should be from 30 cm.
It is necessary to lay the film with copper busbars upwards; it is strictly forbidden to lay joints one on top of the other. The rest of the steps are carried out in accordance with the instructions. A prerequisite for high-quality heating is the connection of a thermostat.
Then linoleum spreads. In rooms that are small in size, the coating is laid and left for a couple of days, after which the edges are pressed with plinths.

Linoleum can be laid in different ways. When performing work, take into account the fact whether it will be necessary to disassemble and transfer the system in the future, and also pay attention to the technical characteristics of underfloor heating.

As you can see, infrared film underfloor heating is an excellent option for a heating system, and its installation is not so difficult. Therefore, everything can be done by hand.

Advantages of film underfloor heating

Carbon is characterized by increased heat conductivity, which reduces energy consumption. Therefore, in financial terms, infrared flooring is more profitable than other heating methods.
Advantages of film underfloor heating
The system is absolutely safe for humans.
It can be mounted in any position and under any topcoat (including stretch ceilings).
The film floor is easy to install, no glue or concrete screed is required. Therefore, you can handle the installation yourself.
Installation / dismantling occurs quickly enough, which is important when redeveloping housing or moving.

All elements are connected in parallel, which ensures structural reliability. If one heating strip is damaged, the rest will continue to work properly.