Carbon floors installation in the bathroom. Infrared carbon heated floor: principle of operation and installation rules

A progressive room heating system is a carbon heated floor. The working heating elements built into its design are made of carbon, which is an alloy of amorphous carbon and silver. It has increased resistance to various types of influences.

Plastic rods in heaters come in three types: fiber, paste, cable. The power source for the entire system is a 220 V household power supply. The connection between the heaters is made in the form of thin copper plates with a high degree of protection. In continuous systems, the working parts are isolated from external influences on both sides by a durable film.

Operation of a carbon fiber floor

The effect of infrared radiation generated by carbon heated floors on the surrounding interior is somewhat different from the operation of classic electric heaters. The principle of operation of such a new product is not to heat the air, but to heat objects located in the room.

Radiation easily penetrates through the small thickness of the floor covering. An increase in the temperature of furniture or distribution of heat throughout the body of a person nearby is carried out evenly. The quality of heating is not affected by the following factors:

moving air flows (ventilation, drafts, etc.);
humidity level in the room (such heat does not dry out the air);
arrangement of objects (radiation penetrates objects through).

Due to the fact that the main spectrum of radiation is the infrared range, which occupies up to 90% of the flux, there is a positive effect on the health of residents. With this specific type of heating, comfortable conditions are provided at a temperature that will be 3...5 0 C lower for the coolant than for classical heat sources powered by electricity. This approach gives a gain in efficiency of up to 20%, while there is no drying out of the air, which has a positive effect on people’s well-being.

Types of heaters

Warm floors, which have carbon elements as the basis of their design, are distinguished by their low weight per square meter, have high strength, allow self-installation even without the help of specialists, and have a high degree of corrosion resistance. There are two types for users:

continuous film floors;
warm core floor.

Rod systems provide for assembly in the form of individual mats. They contact each other through multi-core heat-resistant copper cables with a cross-sectional diameter of up to 2.5 mm, and the outer surface is insulated with a three-millimeter sheath.

The mats are self-regulating systems, which allows them to be installed even under furniture without fear of unwanted overheating. Above them, it is allowed to pour a screed up to 3 cm high from concrete or adhesive-based materials, which does not affect the performance properties.

In a continuous carbon film, heating is performed in a single carbon layer. It is allowed to cut the fabric (exclusively according to the marks established by the manufacturers) in order to distribute the material in the room as efficiently as possible. The material can withstand static loads from the weight of the furniture. Various models are available that have several layers of film, usually two or three. Polypropylene is the basis for applying graphite-carbon strips. Manufacturers use special industrial printers for this operation.

The continuous system has three working layers, as well as five protective coatings on both sides. This design provides the most effective protection against overheating.

VIDEO: Which heated floor is better

Performing installation

Laying a rod infrared heated floor, as a rule, does not cause difficulties even for builders with little experience. Available tools can be purchased at any hardware store if necessary.

Installation is carried out in a prepared screed or adhesive base. In many models, it is allowed to open stripes to a width that is a multiple of 10 cm. The length of such stripes is 20-25 m. You can use one of the diagrams below as a diagram

Option 1

Option 2

We use the following materials as components:

Thermal insulating substrate

Thanks to it, thermal energy losses will be reduced, which will significantly increase the return on electricity used. In most cases, this material is a flexible polymer foam structure, up to 50 mm thick and with a Mylar film. The reflective surface must not be conductive.

Connection kits

It consists of heat-shrinkable tubes and a pair of sleeves. In small rooms, one set is enough.

End kit

It consists of a pair of thick-walled heat shrink tubes to cover each strip of mat.

Thermostat

It comes with a digital temperature sensor. If necessary, the sensor can be purchased separately. A thermostat will help ensure efficient operation of the infrared rod-heated floor, the operating power of which will be 15-20% higher than the peak load of the installed electrical system.

Wires. The wiring of cables with double insulation is selected.

Required tools for installation

construction knife or powerful scissors;
pliers for stripping cable insulation;
crimping pliers and wire cutters;
a construction hair dryer, household models are unlikely to be suitable, as it has low power;
single-sided and double-sided tape.

The site is cleared of foreign objects, leveled and cleaned. The most comfortable zone for installing the thermostat is selected. Most often it is placed closer to the entrance to the room. A vertical groove is made for laying the corrugated tube in which the cable will go.

A core heated floor is laid out on the surface. Next, it must be fixed to the base using a stapler, tape, or laid with glue. In this case, the strips with heat reflectors are fixed together with tape. Rolling should be done from the place where you plan to install the thermostat.

To unroll the strip, it must be cut and then unrolled by 1800 (snake). The strips are usually pressed down with tape. It is important not to cross the carbon rods with each other.

The strips are connected to each other with a prepared cable. In the cutting area, the end exits are protected. In this area we use a heat-shrink sleeve, crimping it with pliers. We also remove the insulation from the connecting wire and place a heat-shrink tube on its end. Using a sleeve, we connect the power cable and the connecting wire. The heat-shrinkable tube is moved to the resulting joint and heated with a hair dryer.

The first strip connects to the thermostat. Each set of heated floors contains detailed step-by-step instructions for installing the thermostat.

The final stage of installation is pouring screed or tile adhesive. The operation is performed directly on the heated floor rods. It is advisable to limit this height to 2-3 cm, including the thickness of the tiles. The launch is carried out no earlier than 28 days after filling.

Due to its ability to independently regulate the temperature, the carbon heating mat is called an intelligent system. The design of the carbon rods is organized in such a way that they constantly monitor the condition of the surface and, when cold spots are detected, adapt to them to increase the temperature. Carbon heated floors are always evenly heated - and this is their huge advantage compared to all other systems existing today.

VIDEO: Correct installation of carbon heated floors

The ideal option for installing a carbon heating system would be to subsequently finish the floor with tiles. Since the installation of a rod heated floor is accompanied by wet work, i.e. requires arrangement of screed.

Despite the fact that an infrared rod-heated floor is considered an intelligent heating system (“smart heated floor”), its installation technology is not complicated, and installation can be done independently.

In this case, there is no need to have practical experience or specific knowledge in construction; it is enough to know some of the nuances of calculation and installation of the system to avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Do-it-yourself installation of a rod-based heated floor under tiles

All stages of installation in the form of step-by-step instructions

1. Design and calculation

This process comes down to calculating the amount of materials and planning the direction of placement of the rod heating mat. The rod heated floor is sold as a kit, which includes everything necessary for installation (depending on the completeness, it may be necessary to purchase some additional consumables).

When performing the calculation, two factors are taken into account:

type of heating. It is planned to equip the main or additional heating of a house or apartment by installing a heated floor;

heating area. The size of the room should also be taken into account. You can install the system over the entire floor or part of it (if an additional heating system is installed).

These two factors influence the choice of power of the floor heating system. There are two types of carbon heated floors on the market: with a power of up to 160 W/m2. and up to 220 W/sq.m. The higher the calculated room temperature, the more powerful the system needs to be installed.

Note. Infrared rod heated flooring is laid over the entire surface of the floor, including places where furniture and other heavy objects are installed.

You can lay rod mats in any direction, but as testimonials from craftsmen testify, it is better to place them along the longer wall of the room, and orient them towards the heat regulator, and not install it parallel to it. Thus, the number of cuts in the heating fabric is reduced and the length of the wires for connecting to the heat regulator is reduced.

Sequential installation diagram of carbon floor rod mats

2. Set contents

Most manufacturers provide a complete set of materials for the job. The minimum kit includes: carbon mat, wires, end and connection kits, as well as step-by-step installation instructions.

Additionally purchased: corrugated pipe (preferably with a plug), temperature sensor, thermostat, thermal insulation material (foil can be used), bitumen insulation, tape.

3. Preparing the base for laying the core floor

Installation of infrared rod-heated floors is carried out only on a flat base, without significant differences in height (no more than 3 mm). To do this, the surface is checked with a level (laser level) and, if necessary, leveled. All significant surface defects are also eliminated.

In addition, here it is advisable to groove the wall to the installation site of the thermostat. It is advisable to install the thermostat close to the power source at a height of 0.9-1 m. And also groove the floor for subsequent installation of corrugations with a temperature sensor.

4. Laying the substrate (thermal insulation layer)

Insulation, in particular foil, will prevent heat loss into the ceiling. The insulation is laid out at a distance of 50 mm from the walls, and in order to prevent its movement, the insulation strips are fastened together with tape. Users recommend additionally fixing the thermal insulation layer to the floor surface.

Note. The foil insulation is oriented with the heat-reflecting layer upward.

5. Laying infrared rod-heated floors

The installation process is very simple. Carbon rods, formed into a roll where they are at the optimal distance from each other, are laid on the prepared surface. If necessary, the heating mat is cut, turned 180 degrees and a second strip is laid. It is necessary to ensure that the distance between adjacent strips is within 50-70 mm. And the length of one strip (or strips connected along the length) did not exceed 25 meters.

After installation, the heating mat is fixed with tape to prevent displacement.

6. Connecting a thermostat for a heated floor

After installing the thermostat, the rod mat wires are connected to it. The connection technology differs depending on the type of thermostat. It is better to entrust this work to a professional electrician or strictly follow the instructions from the kit.

7. Installing a temperature sensor for heated floors

The sensor is placed in a corrugation. This technique makes it possible to repair or replace the sensor in the event of a breakdown. The process of installing the sensor is shown in the photo.

The corrugation with the sensor is placed in a previously prepared place. To do this, the insulation is cut in the place where the groove was installed. It is advisable to install a plug on the open side of the corrugation to prevent screed solution from getting into it. If the thickness of the insulation allows, you can lay corrugation in the insulation. Often the sensor is placed directly between the carbon rods. This simplifies installation, but causes difficulties with repair. The sensor is also connected to the thermostat.

8. Checking the rod floor heating system

After connecting the system, the thermostat is connected to the power supply and the carbon mat is turned on. A performance check makes it possible to evaluate the correctness of the connection and the reliability of the connections.

Note. Test (first) activation of the system does not exceed 15 minutes.

9. Filling the screed for carbon heated floors

It is recommended to use dry adhesive mixtures for screeding. The thickness of the screed for a rod heated floor is 20-30 mm. The minimum height suggests that laying rod mats does not greatly affect the height of the room. When laying tiles, the screed is not poured.

Safety precautions when installing carbon rod heated floors:

all work is carried out with the power supply turned off;

It is prohibited to overlap strips of carbon heating mats, as this will damage the system;

It is prohibited to start using the floor until the screed layer has completely dried. The manufacturer Kaleo recommends not to turn on the system earlier than 28 days after installation;

It is prohibited to screw hardware into the floor. There is a high probability of hitting the carbon rod;

If the surface is flooded with water, the floor should be turned off until it is completely dry. Drying a wet floor with an electric floor heating system is unacceptable. Only natural drying is used.

Installation of carbon heated floors - video instructions

Installing this new, intelligent heating system with your own hands is not difficult. After all, the manufacturers themselves provide the new product with a user manual, which describes in detail how to lay a rod-based heated floor. And the low rate of spread of this heating system is not caused by the complexity of installation, but rather, it is determined by factors such as price and the risk of buying a low-quality system.

Carbon heated floors have their pros and cons. This type of underfloor heating system can be installed under tiles, as well as under any other floor covering (wood, parquet, laminate, etc.). It is a heating mat consisting of carbon rods 0.3 cm thick and 0.83 cm long, connected to each other by a power cable in a parallel circuit.

Advantages

Carbon fiber infrared flooring has a number of advantages:

First: this is useful heating with infrared waves.
Second: carbon mat is a universal heated floor that fits any decorative floor covering.
Third: since the design has a parallel connection of heating elements, the heating mat can be divided into any required number of pieces, which is very important in a room with a complex layout.
Fourth: the carbon heating mat is called an intelligent system for its self-regulating ability. Carbon rods are designed in such a way that they can recognize areas of the floor with different temperatures and adapt to them so as to heat the floor absolutely evenly over the entire area. This means that in warmer areas of the floor the heating level decreases, and in cooler areas the heating intensity increases.

The self-regulating property makes it not dangerous to be “blocked” by furniture or rearranged for a carbon infrared heating mat. Thus, if you place a stationary object on a carbon heated floor that has a large area of contact with the floor, then in such an area the infrared rod floor will not burn out or overheat, but will simply reduce heating to a minimum.

Flaws

This type of floor also has one small drawback: the carbon mat can only be installed in a layer of tile adhesive or in a thin screed. That is, such a heating system is not mobile and its installation can only be permanent.

Review of the warm rod floor in the video below.

Summary

USE: Carbon heated floors can be installed under any decorative covering.

PROS: Infrared heating is considered useful; the heating mat can be cut into pieces of the required size and thus adjust the length of the mat, laying it out in any direction. Versatile. Self-regulating, does not overheat and does not burn out.

CONS: Only a thin screed is suitable for installation.

Additional Information:

Rod heated floor is one of the latest developments of underfloor heating systems, which has no analogues. The heating elements of this system are…
Warm floors under carpet (under carpet) are not such a rarity today, since this material is one of the most popular decorative…
Before choosing a heated floor for laminate, you should study electric heating systems, since they are ideal in this case.…
Warm floor Unimat is a unique infrared rod heating system. It is a carbon mat, in the production of which several…

Infrared heating systems are primarily characterized as economical and durable systems. In addition, film and carbon “IR radiation generators” quickly warm up the room without affecting air humidity. Are the claims made by the marketing and development teams for this product true?

Expert opinions: reviews of film infrared heated floor models from various manufacturers

Ease of installation is a strong argument in favor of purchasing a film heater. However, experts introduce artificial restrictions on the scope of application of such heaters.

So, lay infrared heated floors reviews not recommended in the following cases:

on a screed prepared in advance;
in rooms with high humidity;

Meanwhile, experts note that the film heater is An excellent solution for heating wooden floors. The owner of a frame house described the operation of a system of this class on the positive side:

“In the gap between the strips and the tongue-and-groove board, there is an air gap 20 cm high, and ventilation holes are drilled in the boards - everything works properly, the room of 25 square meters warms up quickly, there is no overheating.”

Important! Absolutely all masters warn beginners: It is prohibited to use heat-insulating materials with a reflective layer on a metallized base.

The ability of film and carbon heated floors not to change air humidity is confirmed by reviews from many consumers. The owner of a country house, who used infrared heating as the main heat source, noticed the following feature:

“During the cooking process, steam always condensed on the windows in the kitchen, which did not disappear over time. The problem was solved by installing an electric convector. The rest of the rooms are dry and warm.”

Professionals emphasize that in terms of operational and economic indicators, IR heating systems and cable analogues are practically no different. largely determines the level of literacy and quality of installation, as well as the class of the thermostat. Programmable devices allow you to save electricity when residents are away.

Leaders in the production of film heaters for heated floors, experts believe American company Calorique And Russian group of companies K-Technologies(brand Caleo). The overwhelming majority of reviews about the infrared heated floor system, built on the basis of films from the above-mentioned manufacturers, contain comments of the following kind:

the plates work properly for at least 5 years;
there are no extraneous sounds (crackling) during operation;
there is no smell during operation;
The layer that insulates the contacts retains its strength throughout its entire service life.

More affordable products are produced Korean companies:

Rexva;
Naos;
EXA E&C (ThermoDar and Heat Plus).

Reviews note that the quality of work of the products of these corporations is not inferior to market favorites. However, the average durability of systems based on available products is about 3 years. After the first year of operation, failure of individual plates and, in some cases, failure of the entire complex is often observed.

We draw conclusions: reviews of a warm field based on carbon rods

Rod carbon mats attract the attention of consumers due to the presence of a unique property - ability to self-regulate the power of thermal radiation. Users claim that the so-called intellectual component of the complex functions properly. Here is an example of one of the many statements:

“At first I didn’t believe this miraculous marketing ploy, but I rearranged the furniture and was surprised that the floor underneath really didn’t overheat.”

In addition, reviews of carbon heated floors are also praised for low requirements for the composition and process of laying the screed. After all, the carbon heating system is not afraid of pores that predispose a conventional cable floor to overheating.

Based on experience in operating carbon heated floors, the private owner made the following conclusions:

the floor surface (tiles) acquires a pleasant temperature after 15 minutes, however, the presence of a base heating system does not significantly affect the air temperature in the room;
tiles under which the heater does not pass remain cold;
Calculations over two months showed that the system is 17-20% more economical than a cable mat of similar power.

The bulk of sales in this market segment come from the following companies' products:

K-Technologies(brand Unimat);
Felix(brand Excel);
R.H.E..

Prevailing part reviews of the infrared carbon heating field Unimat has a positive connotation. Two models Rail And Boost, cope quite well with the function assigned to them for a long time. As a result of improper installation, the system often fails in humidified rooms for a long period of time. The probability of failure of the rods and burnout of the connecting conductors is low.

Experienced craftsmen warn consumers about the presence of counterfeits of well-known brands in the retail network, the service life of which is estimated at several months, which negates all efforts to complete the mandatory screed installation procedure.

conclusions

Opinion monitoring about film heaters allows us to draw the following conclusions:

IR film heaters are not recommended for installation under tiles, in damp rooms or on screeds; at the same time, this is an excellent way to organize heating of a wooden floor;
the system, like the complex based on carbon rods, does not dry out the air;
Calorique And Caleo– premium class products that have been functioning properly for at least 5 years;
Rexva, Naos, ThermoDar And Heat Plus- affordable models, the service life of which is often limited to 2-3 years.

Analysis reviews of rod carbon heated floors showed that:

the system actually has the ability to independently regulate power depending on the temperature gradient in a certain place;
the complex has an insignificant effect on the ambient temperature;
electricity consumption is 20% lower than that of a system with cable mats;
branded products Unimat And Excel is of adequate quality, but you should beware of fakes.

Carbon flooring is an innovative type of electric heating system. The heating elements in it are conductors created on the basis of carbon fiber. Conductive structures are laid under various types of floor coverings and are sources of useful infrared radiation. In this article we will look at what a carbon heated floor is, as well as how to install two different types of this system: rod and film heating elements.

Rod

The rod carbon heated floor is made in the form of a structure based on conductive rods made of composite material. The material contains an amorphous form of carbon and also contains graphite and silver. The photo shows a separate rod:

The infrared floor rods are connected in parallel. The connection is made with a copper stranded wire in a heat-resistant sheath. The assembled structure has the appearance of a wire mat, which is spread on the prepared base for the floor covering.

Element connection diagram:

Type of assembled mat:

Carbon heated flooring in the rod version has a number of features that determine its advantages over other systems:

the lightness of the heating elements, so that heating does not load the floors of the building;
high corrosion resistance, ensuring the operation of the heating throughout the entire period of operation of the building;
increased level of fire safety due to the use of non-combustible materials;
Possibility of use in rooms with high humidity;
the ability to install under almost any type of floor covering;
high reliability - if one or more rods fail (which is unlikely in itself), the system does not lose its functionality;
a unique effect of self-regulation of the load, determined by the properties of the conductive material used.

Self-regulation lies in the fact that the carbon composite used increases electrical resistance with increasing temperature, unlike metal conductors. This property prevents overheating of the heating elements even in conditions of poor heat dissipation (for example, when a section of the heated floor is covered by standing furniture).

The only property of the rod system that can be considered a disadvantage is that this structure must be placed in a thin screed or a layer of adhesive under the tile.

Technical characteristics of rod heating elements:

Installation of a rod infrared heated floor begins with laying a heat-insulating substrate on a previously prepared surface. The backing is a two-layer material consisting of a layer of foam insulation and a heat-reflecting Mylar film. This procedure will allow you to use electricity more efficiently when heating the room. At the next stage, the mats are laid out, as shown in the photo below:

The system kit must contain connection instructions, in accordance with which all electrical connections must be made. After completing these operations, it is time to fill the rods with a layer of screed or tile adhesive. It is advisable to limit the thickness of the screed to two to three centimeters. Electricity is supplied after the screed or glue layer has completely dried.

Laying scheme for tiles and laminate:

Instructions for installing an infrared rod floor with your own hands are provided in the video:

Laying carbon rods

In addition to the mentioned tiles, installation of a rod heated floor can be carried out under laminate, under linoleum, and also under boards.

Film

The film carbon heated floor contains two layers of dense heat-resistant polymer film, between which there are carbon-graphite conductive tracks. The carbon electrically conductive layer is applied using high nanospray technology. Tightly welded layers of polyester prevent moisture from penetrating conductors and electrical contacts. The special polymer composition ensures high mechanical strength of the structure. The melting point of the film is 120° C. The photo shows the appearance of the film version of the system:

Infrared carbon film has all the main advantages of its rod counterpart, but has some features:

When laying a film floor, it is not filled with cement screed or tile adhesive, which limits its use for installation under tiles. In each specific case, you should follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Installation of the film is faster and easier than rods; if necessary, it can be dismantled just as quickly.
The thickness of the film is less than the thickness of the rod mat, which in some cases can play a decisive role in choosing a design.

In accordance with manufacturers' recommendations, to heat a room, it is enough to cover about 70% of its area with a heated floor. Having determined the coverage area, you need to calculate the footage of the material. To do this, you need to know what the bandwidth of the selected heater is. We talked about this in a separate article.