Warm floor electric or water - description, characteristics and reviews
Today, more and more people are starting toprefer to warm from the Soviet era heating radiators floors. It is convenient, practical and modern. In the market these products are represented by two types - electric and water. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, a natural question arises before the consumer: what is the choice of a warm floor - electric or water?
What is the description object?
The warm floor is a modern method of heatingpremises or a part thereof. It has such a device that contributes to the simultaneous heating of the heated room, so that it warms up evenly. Unlike radiators, when air is heated, the air does not dry, but the floor and the air warm up, which creates additional comfort when moving over the barefoot surface, crawling on the floor of the kids, when the legs are lowered onto the tile after taking the bath.
There are a variety of warm floors, which are combined into two types. Warm floor water or electric - which is better? Consider the advantages and disadvantages of these two types.
"A barrel of honey" for a watery view
considerable length;
there is no electrical potential;
low cost;
As an energy source used to heat the coolant, boilers and collectors working from the sun can be used - any equipment operating in accordance with this principle.
For many consumers, the main factor of choicebetween the water and electric floor heating - the price. The coolant "water" is characterized by a lower cost. With a successful selection of components and proper installation by professionals, this type of object in question can last a very long time.
Advantages of electrical type
This warm floor can be mounted inrepaired apartment. Its cable version has a longer service life than that of the water one; it is characterized by a low power consumption, comparable to other household appliances. The film infrared floor can be placed not only under the screed, but also under the floor covering, as well as under the carpet.
The core variety of the species under considerationcan withstand heavy loads of furniture and other objects (unlike other types of the object under consideration), can be filled with tile adhesive, placed under the screed, outdoors, that is, it is resistant to high humidity and harmlessness. Thus, the potential answer to the question of which warm floor - electric or water - is better, of course, will be electric, if there is no dependence on subsequent monthly additional payments for electricity.
Disadvantages of the watery species
The main disadvantage is the concreting of this species,which makes it difficult to repair if necessary. In addition, during the execution of the screed, there may be damage to the pipeline, which will not be detected in time. It is necessary to constantly maintain this species in the heating season in working order, otherwise the water will freeze and the pipes may splinter.
Not for all owners of these shortcomingsare essential. So, to the question of which warm floors in the apartment - water or electric - are better to use, you can give an unambiguous answer that if the heating is central, then you can not mount the water view without appropriate permits from the operating services.
"Fly in the ointment" for electric type
The considered view can createan additional electromagnetic field, although, according to the manufacturers, two-core cables for a warm floor with a shielding braid have much less radiation compared to the wiring of the apartment, and therefore lower in relation to regulatory requirements. In houses where insufficient capacity can be used in a limited area.
Installation of an electric floor is quite expensive. For the infrared variety, its main advantage - the possibility of placing under the carpet - is offset by the fact that all contacts need to be hidden in some way; In addition, the contact between the wire and the film is provided by a connector compressed by a flat press, which is not always applicable.
The core variety is sufficientexpensive. Thus, the lack of an answer to the question of which warm floor - electric or water - is better, everyone should determine himself. In an apartment with central heating it is preferable to use an electric kind. Which particular use - electric or water heated floor in the house, the owner should decide.
Characteristic of electrical type
As already noted, there are a number of varieties for the electrical object of analysis:
cable floor. Here, as a part of the cables, there are special alloys, which convert electric energy into thermal energy. For this variety, a thermoregulator is required. Confirmation of safety is the certificate of compliance for the cable ISO 14000 and KIMA products;
film floor. The carbon film is heated. When connected to electricity, infrared rays and anions are emitted. Electric power is supplied by means of copper-silver conductors, the main working parts are sealed with two layers of polyester;
core floor. Here the main elements are the carbon rods, which are connected to each other, connected to the thermostat and the network. They are realized as mats.
Characteristics of the water species
Here the coolant is water. In the case of operation without a pump it is necessary to take into account the laws of gravity, it is better to use it with a special water pump. Metal-plastic pipes, through which the coolant moves, are mounted under the screed, and then poured with concrete.
If the floor is already in the room, and the warmThere is no water floor, it can be placed on the surface of the existing floor, which will raise the level of the coating by the amount of the concrete screed. Is the floor hot or electric? What's better? Consider these types of cost.
The cost of purchasing a warm floor
The costs of the review object depend on manyfactors: the price of acquisition, installation, repair and other moments. The question of which warm floor is cheaper - water or electric, assumes an integrated approach in the search for an answer.
44 and 37 euros per 1 square. m - the average cost of water and electric underfloor heating. The price of installation can vary considerably. As a rule, when buying and installing the electric floor is a little cheaper.
The cost of owning a warm floor
In addition to the cost of the floor itself, you need to considercosts that arise during operation. When burning 1 cubic meter of gas, about 10 kW-h of energy is released, while the cost of 1 cubic meter of gas is approximately 1.5 times higher compared to the cost of 1 kW-h of electricity, therefore monthly payments for using a warm water floor are 6-7 times lower in comparison with the electric one. During operation, there may be a situation where it will be necessary to carry out repairs to the warm floor.
In the event of damage to the electricalaccuracy of several square centimeters to find the damaged area and replace it only. If the accident happened in the water system, it will most likely have to be replaced completely and, possibly, a new floor covering is needed. These costs are difficult to take into account when laying a warm floor. It is necessary to hire professional installers and take into account the quality of water. Warm floor electric or water - which is more profitable? There is no single answer to this question. For trouble-free operation, a watery view is more profitable.
Preliminary results
After reading most of the article, the reader can do soand do not make your choice. Is the floor electric or waterproof? This article does not try to embrace the immensity. What kind of warm floor to choose - electric or water - everyone should think himself. If you are willing to incur significant one-time costs, expecting them not to get if you live in a house located in an area in which power outages are not uncommon, if you are afraid for your health, your choice is a watery look.
If you are ready to carry an increased monthlycosts for electricity, without assuming significant repeated one-time costs, if you live in an apartment with central heating, if the repair in the apartment has already been done, if you have a small house or a house with a large area, but with a stable supply of electricity, then your choice is an electrical one . A comparison of the water-heated floor and the electric one shows that the latter is favored mainly by well-off consumers, while the first is a segment of the middle class.
Reviews of the heated floors
In our age of rapid development of the global network, manyusers are looking for answers to their questions on the Internet. One such question is: "Which warmer floors are better - water or electric?". In search of an answer to this question, one can meet with diametrically opposite points of view. Many users at forums discuss warm floors - water and electric.
Reviews are also largely determined by the characterman, his material position, his outlook. Very often, water species perform perfectly their function and maintain a high temperature in the houses. People who installed electric warm floors are also mostly satisfied with their choice, although there are occasional complaints that after a while the floor starts to heat unevenly, and then it can completely break down.
Finally
Which warm floor to choose - electric orwater - the consumer should decide for himself, having weighed all the advantages and disadvantages of one and the other kinds, and in case of electing an electrical floor it is necessary to consult with professionals and choose a variety.