Carbon heat-insulated floor, we study the advantages and disadvantages

Types of carbon systems

Carbon fiber underfloor heating is laid as the main heating in small rooms, or as additional heating in separate cold zones of an apartment or a private house. Thermal film, sheets with a continuous application of a carbonic mixture, and rods are used as heating devices. What are the characteristics of the systems?

• The thermal film is produced in rolls. It is thin, no more than 0.42 mm thick. The material is made of polypropylene. The carbon mixture is applied between the layers of the film in horizontal or vertical stripes. A spray method is used. A copper and silver heating element runs along the top and bottom edges. Electrical wires are connected to it. Depending on the floor surface, a material with a power of 100 to 220 W / m2 is chosen. The thermal film is laid in a room with the correct configuration. It can be cut into ribbons only according to special markings, which do not allow violating the integrity of the carbon layer.
• Carbon floor heating with continuous application of the mixture has the same properties as thermal film. A distinctive feature is that there are no markings on the sheets. Any contour can be cut, therefore the system is used to heat rooms with non-standard geometry. Stationary furniture can be installed on the sheets without fear of clamping the heating element, which can lead to overheating and shutdown of the system.
• Carbon fiber rods increase the heating surface of the floor. They are assembled in a contour with a step of 10 cm; connected by copper wire, which is insulated with a plastic sheath. This coating can withstand high temperatures over 100 ° C. The system is produced in rolls. The tape is not cut during installation. Make an incision in the wire, turn the roll in the desired direction, continuing the installation.

It is proposed to use the rod system from Unimat for heating the premises; manufacturer Korea. The heating works from a 220 V network. The maximum temperature of the rod heating is 60 ° C. Average energy consumption 24 W for 1 running. m.

When installing, it is recommended to use a reflective screen based on a mylar base. A thermostat from "Kaleo" is installed as a control unit. The technical passport describes the capacity of the system, depending on the conditions of the room and on the nature of the topcoat.

The principle of operation of such a system

Heat rays warm up objects in the room, freely passing through the floor covering and almost without heating the air, which fundamentally distinguishes them from the usual electric warm floors. Human bodies, furniture, objects heat up evenly. Heating efficiency does not depend on the presence or absence of drafts, the level of humidity in the room. 90% of the radiation is in the far infrared range, which has a positive effect on the health of people living in houses with this type of heating.

About half of the heat loss of the human body occurs precisely in the infrared bioresonance range (wavelength 9-10 microns). In the same range, heat is most efficiently absorbed. Therefore, under the condition of infrared heating, for a comfortable well-being, a person needs a temperature 4-5 C lower than with other types of heating. Thanks to this and high efficiency, heating costs are reduced by 15-20%. The air in rooms with carbon floors does not overheat and remains fresh and dry.

The heating rods of the carbon floor are connected to each other with a thick copper cable

Carbon floors not only allow you to maintain a comfortable temperature in the premises, but also have a healthy effect on the human body. Radiant heat and an increased amount of negatively charged ions act like solar heat. The effect of radiation is similar to that of aeroin generators used in medicine.

Biogenetic far infrared rays have played a huge role in the development of life on the planet, they are called the rays of life. Using them in heating systems has additional advantages:

• reducing stress levels;
• suppression of the growth of cancer cells;
• acceleration of slag removal;
• purification and deodorization of polluted air;
• stimulation of plant growth;
• elimination of the hepatitis virus;
• positive effect on patients with psoriasis, diabetes.

Live infrared radiation is perceived by the body as its own warmth and has a mild healing effect - blood microcirculation improves, redox processes are stimulated, so that a person is less prone to fatigue, feels better.

Carbon infrared underfloor heating has a beneficial effect on the human body

Why carbon floor heating is better than others

A heated carbon floor is more often used for heating houses. Such a heating system has such advantages.

Self-regulation

The carbon flooring independently controls the temperature and reduces the consumption of electrical energy. In such a situation, the homeowner does not need to buy expensive electrical equipment.

As the temperature rises, the distance between the parts of the heating elements increases, and the heating of the room becomes less - an increase in resistance occurs. As a result, the carbon floor reduces the consumption of electrical energy.

When the temperature drops, everything happens exactly the opposite.

Reliability and safety of continuous floor technology

Infrared carbon underfloor heating never overheats, so it keeps parquet, laminate and other floor coverings intact.

The infrared radiation of the heated floor has no side effects.

The scope of use of such infrared floors is expanding every year. They are installed in spas, modern saunas and other places.

Cost-effectiveness of imported options

The carbon floor has a power of 116 watts per running meter.

When the glue layer or screed is heated, under which such a heating system is placed, the power consumption decreases - and it becomes equal to 87 watts per 1 running meter. Carbon fiber underfloor heating is considered one of the most effective.

Advantages and disadvantages of carbon rods

Advantages:

• fast heating, uniform distribution of thermal radiation (in the presence of a reflective substrate on the rough side);
• high design reliability - service life of at least 50 years;
• convenient installation: you just cut the required length from the roll, and connect the surface with wires;
• infrared radiation does not have a negative effect on people and interior items;
• it is not the air that heats up, but the details of the room;
• 100% fire safety: firstly, carbon does not burn, and secondly, the system is walled up in concrete;
• the system is not afraid of high humidity: even if you have a flood, after collecting water, the heaters can be turned on immediately;
• when leaving the dwelling without heating (with a long trip), the system will not defrost;
• just like the foil panels, the carbon core floor is integrated into the smart home system;
• energy consumption is lower than that of cable underfloor heating;
• if you can make a screed yourself, you can also do the installation of carbon rods yourself: saving on installation.

The kits are offered in different price and size categories.

Cons of technology:

• the cost is too high for mass use;
• for laying, it is required to fill the floor with a mixture, this reduces the height of the room;
• an error during installation or a malfunction (this is unlikely) does not give a chance to fix the problem: all the wiring is under a layer of concrete.

Properties of film KTP

The carbon fiber underfloor heating system heats up quickly and evenly. It can operate in a constant mode for quite a long time, is very durable, is not afraid of mechanical stress and does not corrode.

Due to lamination in a special film, the possibility of water and steam getting on the contacts is completely excluded. The film is also fireproof and has a high melting point (120 degrees).

A significant advantage is the mobility of the film KTP. It can be easily dismantled and taken away with you when you move, used on walls, inclined surfaces and heated separate areas of the apartment.

Absolute noiselessness, the ability to ionize the air and hygiene allows you to install a film carbon floor heating in medical institutions.

Preparatory work before installation

Before you start installing underfloor heating, make sure you have all the materials you need:

• A large number of carbon mats. During the calculation, it is necessary to take into account that the coating is allowed to be cut and laid in any desired direction.
• A sensor that measures the temperature of the floor.
• Required number of UTH thermostats. It must be remembered that they are selected taking into account the power consumed by the film floor system.
• Temperature sensor responsible for activating the "overheating protection" mode.
• Heat reflective backing material. Allows for more beneficial use of the system by reflecting downward radiated heat.

Before laying underfloor heating

need to prepare the surface

Important: A specialized coating based on polypropylene or mylar film is used as a substrate. It is absolutely forbidden to use aluminum-based foil, which can provoke a short circuit and system failure.

Where can you apply a carbon floor

A core carbon floor underfloor heating is a type of infrared structure that can be placed under a laminate flooring, for example. It is a stationary intelligent heating system based on infrared floor heating mats. Each of them consists of parallel placed thin carbon rods, which are connected to each other by a hermetically insulated power cable.

Experts say that there are almost no restrictions on the use of such a floor. The system can be used for heating:

• loggias, covered terraces, balconies;
• apartments;
• premises for industrial needs;
• private country houses and houses;
• hotels and motels.

Underfloor heating is considered a good replacement for conventional radiators. All a decent number of developers are showing interest in him and are going to collect them in their own apartments or offices. But before purchasing the material, you should familiarize yourself with the good qualities that it has over similar options:

• Relatively light weight and, as a rule, low floor load.
• Most economical energy consumption.
• Possibility of installation in large areas.
• No need to install large and heavy heating devices and, on this basis, equip a separate area for them.
• Possibility of installation under all kinds of floor coverings.
• Ability to work during the life of the structure.
• Explosion and fire safety.
• Can be installed in rooms with high humidity.
• If necessary, it can be turned off without harm to the properties of operation, even at low temperatures.
• Does not undergo corrosive processes.
• Lack of electromagnetic radiation.
• Fast heating.
• The presence of a special self-regulation system that protects the system from burnout even in the event of a defect in the screed. Moreover, thanks to it, heavy furniture can be installed on top of the mounted floor.

The practical infrared carbon floor heating has only one drawback: the mats can only stand in a thin screed or in a layer of tile adhesive. In a similar way, a stationary system is obtained, which cannot be dismantled with all the desire.

Infrared carbon floor consists of rods connected by a power cable

Carbon fiber rod floor

Contrary to the advertisements, this is not a new generation of carbon fiber technology: core mats have not come to replace film carbon. This configuration is used where film cannot be used (it is poured into a screed or self-leveling floor). It is a set of parallel connected hydrocarbon rods with an admixture of graphite and silver, connected in parallel.

Technologically, a heating element is not even a rod. A bundle of carbon fiber threads is assembled to the required diameter and reliably covered under insulation. The shell material conducts heat well, and protects the material, which is quite fragile to break, from mechanical stress during installation and use.

Graphite filaments in combination with carbon and silver, when electric current passes through them, emit infrared waves. The material allows you to calculate resistance with precision accuracy and obtain the required thermal characteristics.

Since each rod is connected independently (on parallel buses), the failure of one (or several) elements will not affect the performance of the system. Unless there will be less heat. However, the method of laying (pouring into concrete) implies high requirements for reliability. Unlike carbon film, these heaters cannot be changed just like that; you will have to destroy the entire surface of the screed.

Since the system is a monolith with overlap, care must be taken to direct the thermal radiation (infrared waves). They diverge evenly in all directions, therefore, when laying, it is necessary to provide a screen on the back side.

Otherwise, a significant part of the energy will go to heating the neighbors below (or the basement in a private house).

An interesting feature of carbon rods is the ability to self-regulate temperature. When overheated, the resistance decreases, and the rod cools down somewhat. This allows the heaters to be stacked over the entire area of ​​the room, without highlighting the place where the furniture will be installed. This is very convenient, especially considering the impossibility of reconfiguring the location of the heat mats after the concrete has hardened.

Installation of the film floor

All carbon systems are laid on a flat surface. It is recommended to level the base. Differences of 1 mm per 1 running meter are allowed. m. Thermal foil and rods heat the entire surface around: not only the floor covering, but also the lower base, the foundation. In order for warm air to pass upward, thermal insulation and a reflective screen are placed on the base. In the future, the installation of thermal film is carried out.

The boundaries of the "warm floor" are marked on the floor. The film is placed at a distance of at least 5 cm from the wall and from the furniture.The gap between the strips is 2 cm

Pay attention to the roll width. If the width is 50 cm, then the length of the tape should not exceed 13 m

The wider the roll width, the smaller the allowable tape length will be: width 80 cm - length 10 m; width 100 cm - length 7 m. The film is recommended to be pre-marked and divided into separate tapes. A place for a thermostat is allocated on the wall. A hole is made into which a plastic cup is inserted. It will contain the entire electrical part of the system and the control unit. The control panel is left on the wall surface. Thermal foil tapes are laid along the markings.They are connected with scotch tape. Contacts are connected to each sheet. The terminals are installed in the area of ​​the copper and silver busbars. Strengthen the terminals with pliers. Mount the wiring; connect the terminals. The connection diagram is parallel. The joints are insulated with bitumen tape. Insulation is used to seal the cuts in the area of ​​the metal busbars. So that the joints do not stand out on the surface and do not experience a large load from the floor cladding, a recess is made for them in the substrate or in the reflective screen. A temperature sensor is installed on one of the belts. A distance of 60 cm is maintained from the wall to the sensor, 10 cm from the edge of the film. A niche is cut out in the substrate for the sensor. All wires are led out into a corrugated tube, which is connected to a thermostat. For the tube, a groove is made in the floor and in the wall, which is then sealed with mortar. The system is being tested. If the result is positive, the carbon floor is covered with a substrate and the laminate is laid. Tile glue is used to lay the tiles.

Types of carbon floors

Currently, there are two types of carbon flooring, they are core mats and a film. Each model has general advantages over other systems, but they also have their own differences. Therefore, in order to make the right choice, it is worth considering them in more detail.

Rod mats

This model of electric floors is produced in rolls with the following standards: width - 83 centimeters, length up to 25 meters, thickness no more than 3.5 millimeters. They include a thermostat and a temperature sensor. For rod mats, the power consumption depends on the heating temperature, on average, it ranges from 110 to 180 watts per linear meter. Energy consumption per linear meter is no more than 50 watts per hour, with power supply from the mains with a capacity of no more than 220 volts. This type of underfloor heating can be combined with any flooring, but the ideal solution would be to lay a core carbon underfloor heating under the tiles.

Installation of rod mats

Due to the fact that the manufacturers have done most of the work, the installation of a carbon underfloor heating is carried out several times faster than devices made of electrical cables. Installation of cable models is rather painstaking. Since, before fixing the elements, you need to lay the cable, with the correct distance. If we take into account that such work will take more than one meter, then we can assume that it will take up a fairly large amount of time. In a carbon fiber rod heat floor, the distance between the rods has already been taken into account, therefore, for installation, it will be enough to spread the mat on the floor surface and fix it with construction tape or glue. Where you need to unfold the mat, you will need to remove the rods from the mesh, cut the mesh along the outlined lines and lay it parallel to the first strip at a distance of 6 cm, carefully making sure that the cables do not touch each other. After the installation is completed, the concrete screed is poured in a thin layer.

Infrared film

Film carbon fiber underfloor heating consists of a continuous layer. Its elements are connected by soldering, due to which such fastening is more reliable than clipping. The carbon film can be cut into strips of different sizes, in any direction. There are currently two types of infrared film:

1. Regular. Such a film consists of one or two layers of polypropylene, on which a layer of carbon-graphite mixture is applied in strips.
2. Solid. This film has great protection against overheating, since it consists of 13 layers, where on each side there are 5 layers of safety and 3 layers between them. Such a film is made of pure carbon, so its price is much higher than that of a conventional film.

Both of these films of carbon flooring are absolutely safe, as they can withstand temperatures up to 120 degrees.But if a continuous film can be laid under overall furniture and electrical equipment, it is strictly forbidden to use the usual one in these places, for the reasons that the effect of thermal locking can occur.

Installation of infrared film

A feature of film floors is that during their installation there is no need to pour a concrete screed. In order to mount them, it will be enough to spread the film on a clean base of the room, and then lay the floor covering. But here it is worth noting that the film warm floor is not combined with carpet and tiles. Since in the first case there will be insufficient thermal conductivity, and the tile requires a concrete screed. Wood flooring has its limitations too. In order to avoid the formation of cracks when the wood dries up, film floors should not exceed a temperature of 28 degrees. The ideal option would be to place the warm floor under laminate or linoleum.

Film carbon underfloor heating

The film carbon electric warm floor got its name from the appearance - the film. Although, in fact, a carbon-graphite mixture acts as a heating element, which is located between two layers of dense polymer. The polymer film can withstand temperatures up to 120 ° C, which allows us to speak about reliable protection of the heating element. Thus, the three-layer structure of the film provides good heating and ease of installation. And 5 protective layers, applied on each side of the film, are responsible for the safety of operation.

Heating carbon film underfloor heating

Film carbon underfloor heating

The peculiarity of the carbon film floor is that it does not need to be equipped with a screed. To install the system, it is enough to lay the film under the final floor covering.

Note. The film floor is mounted on a prepared base, directly under the final floor covering. When installing the system, the use of foil-clad insulation is prohibited.

Scope of use of the carbon film floor

A continuous carbon film underfloor heating can be installed under any floor covering. The exceptions are:

• carpet (due to poor thermal conductivity);
• tile (due to the need to perform wet works).

A wooden floor can be laid on a film, but with some restrictions due to the specifics of the wood itself (its ability to dry out). Therefore, the temperature of the heating element must not exceed 28 ° C. The same conditions must be observed when laying the film under the laminate.

Please note that we are talking about the temperature of the heating element itself, not the front surface of the floor. After all, part of the heat is spent on heating the floor covering.

Film carbon underfloor heating - pros and cons

Benefits

• temperature resistance;

• high heating rate and uniform heating over the entire surface of the coating;

• the ability to integrate with the "smart home" system;

• strength;

• resistance to moisture and corrosion;

• spark resistance;

• environmental friendliness;

• neutralization of unpleasant odors;

• ease of installation;

• mobility. The film can be mounted not only on the floor, but also on walls and ceilings. However, in the case of ceiling mounting, the efficiency is reduced. If necessary, the film floor can be disassembled and moved or transported to another room. Also, its use does not create difficulties when moving furniture;

• in case of damage to one section of the floor, the rest continue to function unchanged;

• the low film thickness does not reduce the height of the room. Thus, when installing the film, there is no need to make a step between the heated and unheated area (room). And do not raise the floor level with a screed, as is the case with other types of floor heating systems;

• relatively low retail price - 350-900 rubles / sq. m;

• energy savings (up to 30% compared to cable floor heating).

Disadvantages:

• lack of resistance to mechanical stress. Directly with the heating film, you need to deal with it carefully during installation, so as not to lead to its breakage;

• significant cost of a set of equipment.

Technical characteristics of the carbon floor

Characteristics and properties depend on the manufacturer. Analysis of multiple systems will provide averaged data:

• roll width - 500-1000 mm;
• length - 50,000 mm;
• heating film thickness - 0.23-0.47 mm;
• power for 1 sq.m. films - 25-35 W / m;
• the maximum surface temperature of the film is 33 ° C.

The best manufacturers of carbon (film) flooring:

• CalorIQue LLC is a trademark of CalorIQue (USA);
• Devi (Devi) - trade mark of Devi (Denmark);
• Ensto Electrification is a trademark of Ensto (Finland, Estonia);
• K-Technologies is a trademark of Caleo (Russia);
• RexVa - XICA trademark (South Korea);
• Sangwoon Trade Co is a trademark of Ace Floor (South Korea).

Reviews of these manufacturers are mostly positive. Users confirm that carbon floors work without problems for at least five years, note the absence of extraneous sounds during operation (crackling, etc.) and smell.