Combined heating: building a "radiators plus underfloor heating" system

Best Answers

Rost:

Everything is very simple! To understand which is better, you need to do the following: 1. You need to calculate the heat loss of the house, knowing its shape, materials, etc. This is relatively easy to do, there are textbooks after all. 2. Knowing the heat loss, you can choose the power of the boiler and the brand of radiators and their number, well, or a warm floor. When choosing, you will have to calculate how much heat the boiler will give, how much heat the house will receive through radiators or the floor. Here you will find out what is best for your particular case. Without doing this, to argue that it is better is wrong.

But, you can just make warm floors and everything, like everyone else, you will be warm and comfortable, I have not heard that someone was cold.Maximum hemorrhoids, this is possibly a higher fuel consumption than with radiators, and depending on what kind of heating system. The bourgeoisie, for example, mainly has low-temperature boilers, so warm floors are popular with them, they give a high efficiency at the same time, and in our country, as parvilo, high-temperature systems are used, in such systems the floors are not efficient in terms of fuel consumption efficiency, the efficiency of the floors is lower, because because the heat transfer of the floors does not correspond to the amount of heat that the boiler gives out (roughly speaking), the coolant does not have time to cool down significantly, because the warm floor consists of concrete, its thermal conductivity is much worse than that of metal. But if you score on it, it will be quite comfortable. But in any case, it is most correct to make a calculation, and to determine what is best and for what.

Pyih:

radiators - it is more convenient to change - warm floors - if they are correctly made - more economical.

Just Olga:

The radiator heats only the air, and the warm floor does not heat the air. If your apartment is cold, you need normal heating. To do this, buy good batteries or heaters. The warm floor is pleasant for the feet, it does not need a carpet and you can walk barefoot. Often it is made under a laminate or tile, which always remains cold.

Nadezhda Zhumatiy (Maslova):

When the floor is heated, warm air, rising up (the law of physics), warms up all the air in the room from the floor itself; while the walls must be very well insulated to prevent mold on them. With radiator heating, the area along the walls and windows warms up. You can reduce heat loss by gluing special on the walls behind the radiators. reflectors; in this case, part of the heat will pass to the center of the room. If there are no financial problems, it is better to do floor heating.

Arthur Zarembo:

If the heating system is low-temperature, with a coolant of 40-45 degrees. , then underfloor heating can give a good result in terms of comfort and energy saving. If the heating system is high-temperature up to 90 degrees. , then the use of warm floors entails increased energy costs, it will be comfortable, but energy costs will be greater than when using radiators. At high temperatures, the efficiency of the system on radiators is better or higher. Gas costs money for the bourgeois, so they use low-temperature systems and underfloor heating, which is very economical and efficient. But, the sellers do not delve into these nuances, and sell floors to everyone, stupidly translating bourgeois booklets, which show chic performance. This is Boman.

Natalya Terekhova:

Where are the floors? In the bathroom? Kitchen? In general, radiators are used for heating. Underfloor heating is used in large kitchens and bathrooms where there are exterior walls and tiles. In all other cases, this is an unnecessary cost. Floors are no substitute for heating. And by the way, this is a rather complicated redevelopment in legalization. It cannot be legalized after the alteration. Until only after the project, approved by all the rules.

Andrew:

Try to make a warm floor, it is better than radiators in all respects, except for the initial investment.

Avanez Kirpikin:

What is better depends on the design of the house and the heating system. Comparing a radiator and a warm floor is silly in principle. A warm floor is, roughly speaking, a radiator wrapped in a fur coat. It works completely differently. It can be done well on radiators and with underfloor heating. Although often underfloor heating is not enough, it depends on the region and the heating system. Before you do anything, figure out what and how.As for the best indicators that the previous speaker is talking about, it is worth clarifying under what conditions they are obtained, and what kind of indicators are they, what are they called, what parameters or numbers do they have?

Wiring diagrams

There are several ways to commission a space heating system of this type.

In each of the schemes, it is necessary to provide for the absence of particles in the pipes, otherwise this will lead to clogging of the floor heating structural elements.

Through a separate input

With this method, the circulation pump is not allowed to run dry. For this, a relay is installed that regulates pressure or flow strength.

It is also permissible to use an overhead thermostat that allows you to block the operation of the pump when it crosses the mark of the lower temperature threshold.

The most effective option is to install a regulator that adjusts the temperature regime for heating the room in accordance with the outside temperature of the room.

Through the vertical

The main purpose of such a scheme is the process of restoring an existing radiator system.

By fixing the underfloor heating pipes directly to the riser, you can double the amount of heat received. This is due to the fact that at the same temperature in the supply pipe and return pipe at the time of the difference in the heated floor pipes, it will be higher than in the radiator.

If there are 4 risers in the living room, the coolant from two goes in transit, and from the remaining ones, warm water from the central heating system is used.

Photo 1

The sequence of actions according to this scheme:

• installation of new heat exchangers in place of previously used radiators;
• parallel fixation of the secondary circuit from the heated floor.

Important! When carrying out the process, it is mandatory to use PVC pipes of the same length

Single pipe system

Such a scheme does not provide for regulating the flow of the coolant and lowering its temperature.

The heated water floor is connected to the central heating system using a riser. This can be done by replacing the radiator with an underfloor heating circuit.

The difference between the heat loads of the central heating system and underfloor heating should not be more than 5-10 degrees.

In this case, the room temperature can be controlled using a circulation pump and a thermostat.

If there is no coolant in the riser, the pump will automatically stop.

To maintain a comfortable temperature in winter, a peak electric boiler can be used in the used circuit. This element will be able to perform this function with the help of a thermostat, provided it is connected to central heating on one side, and to a heated floor on the other.

Why underfloor heating?

They returned to the installation of underfloor heating combined with a heating system, due to the emergence of new materials, metal-plastic or polypropylene pipes, for example. The low maintainability of such floors does not play a decisive role due to the lack of the need for repairs (often, anyway).

Modern pipes are practically not subject to corrosion and serve for long periods of time. Therefore, water heated floors are now very relevant and popular.

As noted earlier, underfloor heating is essential in children's rooms and bathrooms where people walk barefoot on them. Indeed, an unintelligent child, little aware of the influence of temperature on his health, can crawl, lie down and play on a cold surface.

An adult who gets hot in the bathroom also does not notice the cold coming from the floor, and can get sick. Some, on the contrary, have very sensitive feet and for them ordinary discomfort turns into a test of will.

In fact, a warm floor with its natural convection, when heated air circulates throughout the area of ​​the room, according to doctors, is the best option for heating any room.

In addition, such a healthy microclimate is easier and more economically feasible to create and maintain with the help of warm floors. The uniform movement of heat flows over the entire area contributes to this. For these reasons, the question of how to connect a water heated floor is very relevant.

Scheme of different heating systems

Features of the combined system

The combined heating system includes radiators, which are high-temperature sources, and low-temperature sources - warm floors.

It is possible to connect a water floor in a mixed circuit in two ways:

1. To an existing heating boiler - this method reduces the cost of equipment and installation time. The disadvantage of this design is the inability to work autonomously. This increases energy consumption and reduces the efficiency of the floor.
2. By installing separate boiler equipment for the floor, this significantly increases the installation costs. However, such a system has the advantage of autonomy, its operation does not depend on batteries.This is convenient when the radiator heating is no longer functioning.

There are several recommendations that must be taken into account when deciding to create joint heating in a private house:

1. Set temperature conditions separately for batteries and underfloor heating. Since in batteries the heating of water at the supply and at the outlet is about 70 and 55 degrees, respectively, and for heating floors it is required - 40 and 30, the boilers are not able to cope with this task on their own.
2. Use special accessories to adjust the heating. Pumping and mixing units, shut-off valves - they will reduce costs and allow you to correctly connect the system to the tank in which the water is heated.
3. To carry out the adjustment of the combined system using special and correctly installed technical means. For example, a mixing unit with a thermostatic head, its function is to adjust the level of heating of the liquid, the thermostat is responsible for controlling the degree of heating of each room separately.

When laying a water floor, it makes no sense to be limited only to the bathroom and toilet. It is better to place such a system wherever possible, since an increase in its area does not significantly affect installation and operating costs.

After all, in any case, you will need to install a mixing unit and a device that will ensure the circulation of liquid

And what will be the collector group - one-pipe, two-pipe or more - it doesn’t matter

The cost of the screed also does not change, even if the floor is installed in only one part of the room, the concrete solution will have to be poured over the entire area.

By what criteria to choose boilers

A rather complicated question, in order to make the right decision, you need to dwell on it in more detail.From the point of view of the installation of additional heating systems, the technical indicators of the boilers are not of great importance, they all generate thermal energy in sufficient quantities, which makes it possible to connect the systems. But in practice, not everything is so simple. What are the heating boilers?

Boiler type	Technical specifications
Gas	The optimal choice for combined heating systems. It can work in fully automatic mode, has excellent efficiency indicators. In the sale there are goods that differ in size, installation method (floor and wall), thermal power, number of circuits (single and double circuits), installed electrical equipment and fittings. A wide range of technical parameters and cost allows all buyers to choose the option that suits them. The only problem is that not all regions of our country have gas pipelines.
Electric	A modern boiler that fully meets the stringent requirements for safety, degree of automation and efficiency. It can be connected to "smart home" systems, which significantly improves the parameters of the microclimate in the premises and saves energy. Has two drawbacks. The first one is known to everyone - high power puts forward special requirements for electrical wiring, coordination with regulatory organizations is necessary. The second drawback is known only to practitioners. Water heating is carried out by a special heating element, its surface area is negligible. In many regions the water is very hard and hard salts are deposited on the heating element. The thickness of deposits of only one millimeter reduces the efficiency by about 5-10%.In addition, because of them, the process of heat exchange between the heater and water worsens, the temperature of its heating exceeds the critical one, this causes a rapid failure of the device. As for various filters for water purification from salt solutions, their actual capabilities are very far from those advertised.
solid fuel	Most often used in summer cottages or in suburban villages in which there is no natural gas. Modern models increase the burning time of the fuel, which simplifies the operation of the boiler. But it is not recommended to connect them to combined heating systems due to the difficulty of adjusting the temperature of the heat carriers.

All modern solid fuel boilers have another significant drawback, manufacturers do not mention it.

Problems of solid fuel boilers

Why do professionals strongly discourage connecting solid fuel boilers to combined heating systems? We will not dwell on the fact that the temperature of heating the coolant does not depend on the wishes of the residents, but on the physical characteristics and parameters of fuel combustion, this is understood by most consumers. Solid fuel boilers have another unpleasant drawback.

An increase in efficiency can be achieved in one way - to increase the amount of energy transferred from the fuel (fire and smoke) to the water tank. This is achieved by increasing the contact surface area and the duration of energy transfer. The dimensions of the container have a direct impact on the dimensions of the boiler; this parameter cannot be abused.To increase heat transfer, designers additionally slow down the combustion process by limiting the supply of oxygen to the fuel, so it burns for a long period of time. But reducing oxygen automatically reduces draft and smoke temperature.

Solid fuel long burning boiler

All types of solid fuels produce a lot of ash and soot as a result of combustion, and with a lack of oxygen, their amount increases even more. The fuel has a certain moisture content, and steam is released during combustion. Steam condenses on the walls of the chimney, soot sticks to it, and over time, the draft completely disappears. This situation can lead to tragic situations.

Accumulation of soot on the inner walls of the chimney

In houses with ordinary stove heating, chimneys are periodically cleaned by strong combustion; this cannot be done in modern closed heating systems. The water may boil, and the installed expanders are of a closed type. As a result - a rupture of plastic pipes, a boiler or a violation of the sealing of fittings.

Do I need a combined heating system for a private house

The combined system is perfect for two-story and higher private houses. In terms of heating, the elements of the combined system do not differ too much from each other. But if they are installed together, then heating will become much more efficient.

Both wall-mounted radiators and convectors, which are placed in the floor, are connected to the combined heating system. The system is used when one type of heating is not enough. The wiring is the same in the first connection as in the second. They can even be connected to the same branch. There will be a mixed connection scheme using solid fuel material.

A combined system is needed if you want to heat the first and second floors separately. Use both radiators and liquid underfloor heating.

The combined system has limitations:

1. It can be closed or sealed;
2. It is circulating.

But this is solved by connecting different circuits into one. For this, two circuits, this is a radiator and a floor, are brought to one riser or boiler circuit. And then the issue is resolved.

If you have a tall house with more than two floors, you definitely need a combined system. She will not be redundant. Using such a system, you will be able to walk on a warm floor in "passable" places, such as a hall and a kitchen. And in the bedrooms you can be content with radiator heating.

The main nuances of heating pads

The most popular way to heat rooms is the use of main gas, since its price is low, and it is an affordable resource. It is allowed to use a gas boiler to form autonomous heating in a private house.

If it is impossible to use gas for the home, then solid fuel boilers that run on coal or wood are suitable.

An excellent solution for any home is the use of not only conventional heating, which involves the location of the battery under the window, but also a combination of this design with a warm floor. In this case, uniform heating of the room is ensured.

It is the heat from the floor that creates comfortable living conditions.

It is not necessary to remove radiators, since it is due to them that fast, uniform and efficient heating of a particular room is ensured. It is best to install underfloor heating plus heating radiators.

When forming an autonomous heating system, it is possible to independently regulate the temperature and select the pressure in the pipeline. There will be no temperature jumps or other problems in the system.

For a quality connection, it is important to choose the right materials for work. We need the pipes themselves, batteries and a boiler for heating water, which can run on different types of fuel

Best before:

create a connection project to take into account all the possible nuances and problems of this work;
if heating radiators will be located in the floor, then it is important to choose the right floor coverings that can withstand high temperatures;

underfloor radiators must have optimal dimensions and high reliability so that there are no leaks or other problems under the floor.

Choosing a floor heating option for a combination

Having decided on an additional heating device, you should know that there are several options for underfloor heating that have differences.

Types of underfloor heating

The main types of the heating system under consideration for combination with radiators are water and electric underfloor heating.

Water heated floors

The installation of water floors in an apartment building will require permission from official structures

Water heated floors can be both an additional and the main type of heating in the house. A water heated floor is not a simple device for space heating.

The heat carrier of this design is hot water, which can be supplied from the heating system of the house and plumbing (hot water), as well as heated using gas boilers or electric heaters.

If the coolant is selected from heating systems for the entire multi-storey building at home, then the installation of a warm floor will need to be legalized, certificates should be taken from the relevant authorities that allow connection to central heating, which will cause certain difficulties.

If you take hot water for underfloor heating from plumbing, then problems may arise with neighbors in the riser, since they may periodically lack water (at the time the coolant is taken into the system).

One collector is enough for the entire system in the apartment

The coolant is supplied through a collector - the main distribution and brain center of the water heated floor heating system, which distributes water along the contours of the heating device. The collector is installed alone for the entire apartment or house, its dimensions depend on the number of connected circuits.

Contours are special heating pipes that are laid under the finish coating. Depending on the size of the room, a different number of pipes can be used.

A water heated floor, as an additional type of heating, is used infrequently, since it is an expensive heating system that has its own specific requirements.

It is recommended to start the installation of this design during construction work or repair of the premises, since it will be necessary to remove the floor covering and make niches in the wall (for installing the collector).

Zigzag - great for small spaces. When installing pipes in a zigzag pattern, excellent additional heating of the floor covering is created.

Electric underfloor heating

The most popular type of heating device, with which you can create a combined heating of radiators in combination with underfloor heating.

The cost of electricity for space heating with underfloor heating can be seen from the table.

Infrared warm floor

Heated electric floors need to be connected to the plumbing system and installation of additional devices in the form of collectors, but they have certain differences. So, electric heating flooring can be divided into the following types:

• infrared;
• cable;
• matte.

Warm cable floors have a fairly wide scope. They can be both the main and additional source of heating. The heating element in this heating system is a cable that is laid on a concrete screed in a zigzag pattern, and then filled with a layer of mortar and covered with a finishing floor. The thermostat is responsible for bringing the cable into operation, which automatically (using a sensor) responds to temperature changes. For information on which floor is better to choose, see this video:

A warm electric floor in the form of a mat can be considered a type of cable flooring, but the difference is that the mat has certain dimensions and can both grow and shrink. The cable on the mat was initially laid with a certain wavelength, which cannot be changed. The principle of operation of a matte underfloor heating does not differ from cable, but the combination of this type of heating with radiators connected to central heating looks even more attractive.

Electromats

A warm infrared floor is a thin film in which carbon plates (heating elements) are mounted, interconnected by thin conductors.

This type is the most modern version of the warm floor. It consumes a minimal amount of electricity and radiates heat under the medium of infrared rays.

Thus, only the necessary items will be heated, which is important when combined heating systems are used.

Features of water heated floors in the bathroom

Scheme-example of connecting a water-heated floor.

To carry out the installation of water floors in the bathroom, under the coating or on the subfloor, a pipe of the required diameter is laid. The pipe, as already mentioned, can be in the form of a snake or a spiral. Hot water will be supplied to the pipe from the boiler of the gas heating system or the central heating system. It should be noted that it is more convenient to use a pipe laying in the form of a snake, because. in this case, the supply and return are carried out in parallel. As a result, the cooling of one sector will always be compensated by the heating of the other.

By opting for such a warm floor for the bathroom, you will ensure the safety and environmental friendliness of the heating system. In addition, you will have the opportunity to save on the operation of the device.

It must be remembered that the installation installation of water heating systems flooring is quite laborious and complex work, so you will have to pay quite a lot for it. In addition, do not neglect the quality of water, which can also significantly affect the degree of heating in the pipes of the system.

We take into account the features

In order to analyze in more detail the schemes for connecting a warm floor with a liquid coolant, let's recall some of the features of this heating system.

• First, the recommended temperature in the system should be 35-45˚C. Not more. Temperature options in heating radiators for underfloor heating are not suitable. This means that at the water inlet to the system, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for regulating (reducing) the temperature of the coolant.
• Secondly, the circulation of the coolant in the system must be constant. At the same time, the speed of its movement should not exceed 0.1 m per second;
• Thirdly, the temperature difference of the coolant at the inlet and outlet should not exceed 10˚C;
• Fourthly, the water heated floor system should not affect other heating systems, as well as the house's water supply system.

Design features of a warm floor without a mixing unit

Is it possible to do without a mixing unit? Experts believe that the heating system can function normally without a mixing unit, provided that the heating in the house is organized using low-temperature circuits. This is possible if the water is heated only to a certain point.

Features of laying warm water floors

Example: heating is operated by an air source heat pump. If you use the same boiler for heating the house and heating water for the shower, then you cannot do without a mixing unit.

The main disadvantage of such a heating system is the need to insulate the living space. In addition, thermal insulation works are also added. Flaws:

Water floor device

• The floor is laid in close proximity to the heating elements;
• The maximum area should not exceed 25 m²;
• It is necessary to contact a specialist who will help calculate the power of the water floor and the rate of cooling of the coolant in the water supply. If the temperature difference is too high, condensation will form. High humidity on the surface of the pipes leads to a rapid breakdown of the pipeline.

Thus, it is not necessary to install a mixing unit for a warm floor with your own hands if you plan to heat a small room up to 40 m². Design features of this assembly:

Scheme of structural elements and equipment of a water-heated floor

• A thermal relay TR is mounted on the reverse side of the manifold, which in the future will be connected to a 220 V network. This connection allows you to slightly change the direction of the coolant: the liquid begins to flow from the boiler to the supply manifold, from where it is already heated evenly distributed through the pipeline. The circulation of water through the pipes produces a pumping engine;
• Having made a full circle, the water returns to the collector. At this stage, the manifold detects the temperature of the liquid and turns off the pump motor. The movement of hot liquid gradually slows down, due to which the house is heated. The mechanism starts the pump motor again after the temperature drops, and the whole cycle repeats - first, the coolant enters the boiler, from where it is evenly distributed over the loops.

Experts believe that when a mixing unit for a warm floor was not installed with your own hands, it is better to play it safe by installing a relay. This device will completely cut down the functioning of the water floor if the temperature sensor detects too high a temperature of the pipes.

Wiring diagram for underfloor heating thermostat

Note that modern plastic tolerates high temperatures without any problems. For example, even the cheapest pipe can easily withstand 80–90 degrees

Please note that laminate and linoleum are not designed for overheating. 35-45 degrees is the maximum they can withstand.

Mixing unit for underfloor heating on three-way valves