Warm floor electric smart home. Modern control systems for heated floors. What's so good about our smart thermostat?

Warm floor electric smart home. Modern control systems for heated floors. What's so good about our smart thermostat?

Warm floor in the apartment.

It is better to install warm floors in an apartment during the renovation stage - this is beyond doubt. You will be pleased to walk barefoot warm tiles, it is not only pleasant, but also useful.

Currently, making such floors is not a problem, but the question arises about the quality of installation and use. Because the floor needs certain time In order to warm up, and the thermostat is located nearby, you first need to turn it on, then wait for it to heat up, and only then go, for example, to the bath. In this case, most people either don't turn it on at all because they don't want to waste time warming up, or they don't turn it off and it heats up all the time. And at night, and during vacation, and when you are at work. Accordingly, it is unsafe and costly.

Heated floor control in a smart home occurs automatically. From the app on your smartphone, you set the time when the floor will be turned on and the time when it will be turned off. For example, you wake up at 8, go to the bathroom, the floor already greets you with pleasant warmth, then you go to the kitchen, and the floor is already warm. And when you leave for work at 9, you know for sure that the floor is turned off and will not “burn” electricity. Also, the heated floor can be controlled with simple switch, the main thing is that you feel comfortable and comfortable. But everyone has their own level of comfort, which is why the floor heating sensor shows the temperature to which it needs to be warmed up. This means that each family member can set the optimal temperature for themselves.

Warm floor in the house.

Warm floors in a house are similar to those installed in an apartment, but are most often used for heating rooms in general. It's important to know that if smart House absent, it is quite difficult to achieve optimal and coordinated operation of heated floors and radiators. It will always be either too hot or too cold. And if we add air conditioning and ventilation to this, then optimal temperature will be very difficult to achieve. You will constantly turn on/off the air conditioning, heating and hood. It's terribly boring and inconvenient, is that what you're building a house for?

When all microclimate functions work in a single system, this is called a smart, warm home. We do not waste resources, but use them as efficiently as possible, based on the sensors of the MiMiSmart system.

It is difficult to imagine a Smart Home system without a heated floor. It additionally warms up the room, making it especially comfortable to get ready in the morning or relax in the evening. We can install a heating system in a children's room, bathrooms, living room, hallway, or in all rooms of an apartment or cottage.

Temperature control is carried out using various devices:

  • touch panel fixed in the room;
  • switch;
  • smartphone or PC through the program.

An electric heated floor is used as an additional heat source. This scheme works well on any type of floor and can be installed in houses made of any material. Distinctive feature– simple installation, which will appeal to an inexperienced master. This type of flooring is good for installation in rooms where it is very difficult to install a heating system. For example, a balcony or terrace. Sometimes, heated floors are used as the only heating method, in which case it is necessary to take into account upcoming energy costs.

Advantages of electric floors

Electric underfloor heating has a number of advantages, thanks to which it is often used in an apartment or private house.

  • Possibility of heating the entire room or a separate part of it. Warm floors can be laid over the entire area of ​​the room, or you can install it only in a certain part. In this case, space zoning is performed.
  • Electric heated floors are convenient to use, since they are controlled using a remote control or a temperature regulator is used.
  • It is possible to connect to the “smart home” system. In this case, the heating can be controlled remotely.
  • Simple and easy installation that does not require special tools.
  • No possibility of leakage.

During installation, the floor occupies no a large number of height of the room, and therefore it should be used where this moment will not have a negative impact

Such floors are easier to use in high-rise buildings, since the standard water heating method places a greater load on the floors, while an electric heated floor weighs several times less.


Warm floor

But it should not be noted that this coating also has disadvantages.

Disadvantages of electric floors

These include:

  • Possibility of short circuit - this problem This can occur with any electrical heating device and heated floors are no exception. This problem should be prevented by checking all cables before installation. flooring.
  • Energy costs are not so much a problem as they are a disadvantage. When using such a scheme, increasing costs cannot be avoided - the decision depends on the intended use:
    • If electric floor heating is used as a constant power source, then reliable insulation of the house makes sense. For example, make high-quality thermal insulation of walls. In this case, heat loss will decrease and, as a result, heating costs will also decrease.
    • If the system is used as an additional heat source, then it makes sense to lay the elements where the greatest movement occurs. As a rule, the most frequent movement occurs in the center of the room, accordingly heating elements need to be laid in the center. Thus, fewer elements will be required, and costs will be reduced by heating a specific area of ​​the room, rather than all at once.

Radiation is sometimes cited as a disadvantage. But in fact, such a system is no different from any other electronic device, and therefore you should not be afraid of harm from it.

Types of electric heating

On the market for electric heated floors you can find several versions. Each has its own pros and cons. To understand which option is best suited to a particular home, you need to study each of them.

Electric heated floors are divided into 2 types according to their effect:

  1. Resistive - heating in this type is carried out by cables.
  2. Infrared - heating is carried out due to a special component that transfers heat to surrounding things.

Cable electric floor

The cable version differs in that it uses cables for the quality of the heating elements. Connected to electricity, they heat up due to which the surface is heated.

Solid wires

Single core cables are both a heat conductor and a heating element. If the installation of electric heated floors occurs with such a cable, then it is important that the ends of the wire meet in one place. This is necessary to connect the system to the control unit.


Twin wires

Twin-core wires are much more convenient to use. One core is necessary for heating, the other closes the circuit. When using these cables, it is not necessary for the two ends to meet. Therefore, it is more often used; it is much easier to bring one end of the wire to the control unit than to mount the system so that both ends meet in one place.

Heating mat

The convenience of the mats is that you don’t need to calculate the required power yourself; the manufacturer did it all. Mats are purchased depending on the number square meters on which the heating element must be mounted.

Infrared heating types

Rod type heating

A type of infrared floor is a rod electric heated floor. It resembles a rope ladder with wooden or metal rungs. But a rod with a heating element is used as crossbars.

The floor heating is carried out using this rod. And the “rope” is a polymer that can be cut to make installation. However, the cut polymer will need to be fixed into the circuit, since it plays the role of a conductor.


Film type of heating

Electric heated floors can also have a film appearance. IN in this case heating of surfaces occurs due to infrared radiation. The elements responsible for heating transmit a thermal signal over short distances, heating what is located next to them. These elements are made of carbon paste, and are responsible for its heating copper wires, which are enclosed in film. For installation, the film version is most often used, since it is easy to install.


Film version

The film floor has a very small thickness, and therefore it can be used where the ceilings have limited height.

Thermal sensor for electric floor

If you decide to install electric heated floors in your home, then you need to thoroughly prepare for this. In addition to materials such as concrete, flooring and others Construction Materials, need to purchase the right kit heated floors and additional elements, which will monitor the system.

These elements are:

  1. Thermal sensor - it shows temperature data.
  2. Thermostat – it is necessary to set the temperature to which the element will heat up.

Both of these elements work in pairs, as soon as the temperature sensor records the temperature to which the elements have heated up, the thermostat receives a command and turns off further heating.

Modern thermostats can be equipped with various parts that allow the installation of electronic heated floors. In this option, you can set the heating and shutdown temperatures, and the data can be stored in memory once; further control will be taken over by the thermostat system.


Heat sensor

In new models of the device, control can be carried out remotely by installing a SIM card. That is, in essence, the control sensor is transferred to the phone.

Via SMS message you can set the heating on and off time, and the floor heating temperature.

You can also turn off the entire system if necessary.

Calculation of the power of heated floors

Before choosing a heated floor, you need to calculate the area of ​​the room and the power of the system, so that it can heat the home. First you need to decide in what mode the heated floor from electricity will be used. If the floor will be the main source of heat, then use complex circuit calculations. If the floor is used as an additional source, then the calculations in this case are much simpler.

When using a heated floor as the main heating system, an accurate technological calculation is required, which should take into account such aspects as the area of ​​the house, the number of doors and windows, and possible heat loss. At the same time, when calculating the area, you need to pay attention to the furniture that will be placed in the room. Warm floors must be installed in spaces that are free of furniture.

The exception to this condition is heating rod elements. They can be laid over the entire area, as they are self-regulating.


When making calculations, it is important to correctly calculate possible heat losses. You need to pay close attention to this data, since incorrect calculations will lead to the fact that such a system simply will not cope with heating the room and the house will be cold. Possible heat losses are calculated using special tables. It is best to entrust these calculations to specialists. They will calculate more accurately required power systems.

If an electric underfloor heating will be used as an additional heat source, then necessary calculations can be produced independently. In this calculation, you need to take into account the type of floor used, resistive or infrared, the laying area, that is, the area on which the heating elements will be located and the power of the wire.

Laying rules

Before you begin laying floors, you must familiarize yourself with the laying rules. It is necessary to strictly follow the instructions, then you can guarantee the correct and smooth operation of the entire system.

Such nuances include the following requirements:

  • Before installation, it is necessary to install the thermal insulation layer. This is necessary for all types of floors, since part of the thermal energy will not go down. In this case, heat loss will be minimal, and floor heating will occur faster. This way it will be possible to reduce electricity costs.
  • When placing floors, it is necessary to take into account the location of furniture; heating elements cannot be placed under them, except for core floors.
  • There should be 5 cm indentations from the walls. heating devices(batteries) minimum 10 cm.
  • When laying, it is necessary to observe the pitch of the wire, and also avoid crossing the wires.
  • During installation, it is important to ensure that there are as few cuts for turns as possible. This way the integrity of the system is not compromised. All cut areas must be carefully insulated. Failure to comply with this rule results in loss of power and the possibility of a short circuit.

  • Joining small pieces of flooring is also undesirable; the minimum section length should be at least 50 cm. When purchasing a heated floor, it is better to take it with a reserve.

It is imperative to install an RCD device; it will turn off the heat supply if problems arise. For example, if power is lost, the RCD will disconnect the system from power.

It is better to entrust all floor installation work to a professional electrician.

Also, for electric floor heating, it is better to allocate a separate line where only this system will be connected. Also, it is better to switch the system to a separate machine; in case of problems with electricity or the floor itself, you can de-energize the system with this device.

Installation of heated electric floor

Before choosing electric heated floors, it is better to clarify what kind of floor covering you plan to lay and how the base for the heated floor will be prepared. Depending on this data, you can buy a heated floor system.

There are three ways to install the floor:

  1. Screed installation.
  2. Installation on a screed, but secured with tiles.
  3. Installation under flooring, but not under tiles.

If you need to install an electric heated floor in a screed or under a tile, you will have to choose cable systems or core floors.

Laying film flooring is only allowed under the floor covering. Moisture is harmful to this floor. Therefore, it is advisable to install it in rooms, and not in sanitary facilities.

The installation itself is almost the same:

  1. A layout plan is drawn up taking into account the location of the furniture and indentations. It is better to make a plan on graph paper, respecting the scale.
  2. A layer of waterproofing and a layer of insulation are laid, if necessary.
  3. The markings are transferred to the prepared base.
  4. The floor is laid according to the markings. All places that are cut, if necessary, must be insulated. Also, the position of the temperature sensor and thermostat is determined. The latter is installed on the wall and from the place of its installation you need to lower the groove to the floor.
  5. After laying all the elements, check the resistance.
  6. A pipe is placed in the groove, one end of which is connected to the thermostat, and the other has a temperature sensor. The end of the pipe with the temperature sensor is located in the middle of the nearby heating elements.

Layered cake electric heating

Test work

After this work has been carried out, it is necessary to check the functionality of the sensor and thermostat, once again the resistance and the system are completely de-energized, and the regulator is removed. Then, the screed is poured and the tiles or flooring are laid. Moreover, if a screed is planned, then they first wait for the concrete to dry, then check the functionality of the system again, and then install the floor covering.

It is worth checking how the temperature sensor is removed from the pipe; this is necessary so that later it can be easily replaced if necessary.

Energy Saving

Heated floor system electrical action has its pros and cons, which are described above. But, when correct design and using this system will cause only positive emotions. Don't be afraid high flow rate electricity, and, as a result, increased payments. At reasonable approach the number of kilowatts to be used will not increase much, and the heat in the house will be constant. This effect is achieved by using the floor only during hours when someone is at home.

Also, it wouldn’t hurt to think about insulation. problem areas: doors, windows, balconies. In this way, heat loss can be minimized; accordingly, the system itself will not work at full capacity. The effect of the work done can be seen on your heating bills.

By far the most effective way heating the house is . Not only the comfort and durability of the system, but also the coefficient of useful action, as well as resource savings compared to other types of heating. In this article we will look at the most modern control systems warm floors water and electric. Below you will find out how you can remotely control heating in country house via the Internet, wifi or even SMS messages.

Electric heating

To control floor heating, mechanical and electronic thermostats are used, which, using a remote probe, take readings and maintain the temperature at a given level, regardless of environment and time of day.

Programmable thermostats allow you to turn on surface heating at a given time, days and weeks, and thereby obtain significant savings. They are equipped with functions such as getting up in the morning, working day, evening, getting ready for bed. Some models are equipped with an anti-freeze function, maintaining a minimum positive temperature in the room, thereby preventing the room from freezing in the absence of people.

There are paired thermostat controllers that allow you to control electric heated floors from one place different rooms. These devices allow you to save on the purchase of one controller, instead of several individual copies, which in monetary terms will be much more expensive.

Models of thermal controllers with radio access allow you to work with four separate modules. Readings from sensors are displayed on remote and it is possible to monitor the temperature of the floor and air in the rooms. Electronic multi-zone programmable microcontrollers with radio access are combined into executive modules consisting of underfloor heating heating elements and electric radiators. Such devices are connected to a smart home system and allow you to monitor the modes in each room separately, as well as set days, weeks, and operating hours.

IN this moment MCS 300 built-in modules appeared on the market. This device can be used to control electric heating via wifi interface. IN home network via Wi-Fi router, allows you to connect to such devices via special programs from anywhere globe. Using the program, you can simultaneously interact with 32 thermostats. Access devices from multiple places, including over the Internet. Through mobile phone, tablet or computer, the operating mode, time and degrees are set.

Learn more about remote control You can use electric heated floors by watching this video:

Control over the system via phone

In addition to MCS 300, devices are used for control via the GSM network, via SMS commands. This remote control is part smart home and allows you to receive operational information about the status of sensors through messages such as intrusion, temperature, lighting, resource consumption (for example, water and light). Also, via SMS commands, you can turn on underfloor heating, a boiler, etc. in advance.

Water system

The ability of the water heated floor control system to respond in a timely manner to changes in the temperature of not only the coolant, but also to the condition external environment, the feeling of comfort depends on being in the room. And to reduce the inertia of the system, controllers with weather-dependent regulators are installed, room thermostats and damper servo drives on each heating loop.

This unit is designed to maintain a set temperature and control coolant flow in the heating circuit. It is equipped with the necessary adjusting equipment and elements ensuring stable work circuit, as well as preventing the pump from operating on a closed plug.

The figure below shows an adaptive circuit of a thermal controller with a PID controller that regulates the state of the coolant depending on the outside temperature.

Due to the presence of a digital interface in these controllers, it is possible to connect to a smart home system for wireless control and parameter settings via the network and the Internet.

Find out more about modern version You can control water heated floors via radio in this video:

Application of radiothermostats

That's all I wanted to tell you about how to do automatic control warm floor with your own hands. As you can see, there are quite a lot of ways and you can choose suitable option not only for electrical system heating, but also for water. We hope our instructions were clear and useful for you!

Last fall, during a major renovation of the kitchen and hallway, I encountered electric heated floors for the first time. I now have three segments of underfloor heating, and three thermostats in the walls. The porcelain tiles on the floor became pleasantly warmer, and the monthly electricity bill increased noticeably. The dream about a heated floor transformed into a dream about smart thermostat. Below the cut is a description of the resulting device.

What's wrong with regular thermostats?

I bought myself three ErgoLight thermostats. Because it is the most inexpensive childproof solution. I have a son with very playful hands. Regular mechanical thermostats with spinners we would definitely live only according to his children’s laws. While the child lock saves thermostats, you still have to adjust them when the child is sleeping. Because the algorithm for this protection is extremely simple - hold down the only setting button for a long time. So, the first problem is that sooner or later the child will hack this protection.

The target temperature on these thermostats is adjusted in steps. Step sizes vary depending on different models. The ones I have have marks on the scale of 5, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 35 degrees. In my case, it turned out that 30 degrees is weak, and 35 is too strong. This is problem number two.

The third problem was surprising in its unexpectedness. Apparently, in the kitchen we placed the temperature sensor too close to the corridor segment. As a result, when the thermostats are set to the same values, the two segments in the hallway turn out to be the same temperature, and the kitchen segment is noticeably cooler.

The fourth problem is appearance. I somehow found at least a slightly suitable series of socket-switches. They look similar, but not exactly the same. I somehow didn’t think about this at all at the start of installing the heated floor. But the thermostat and the socket can easily be next to each other and the difference will be very noticeable. Actually, on one wall I have such a neighborhood.

The fifth problem is that the LEDs shine quite brightly. Maybe for some this will not be a problem, but on the contrary - some kind of night illumination of the corridor. But I room doors with glass inserts and the light from the corridor through these inserts sometimes makes it difficult to sleep. Especially when the protection is turned on and the piercing blue LED lights up.

The sixth problem is the lack of centralized management. In principle, I would be willing to turn off the floor heating by hand at night. But I have three thermostats in the kitchen hallway. This summer two more were added in the toilet-bathroom. If every thermostat is set to child lock mode, turning off five devices at night and turning them on in the morning becomes too much of a task for the lazy me. It's easier to pay for electricity. Plus in the morning I would like someone else to turn them on. And in half an hour I would have been walking on the heated heated floor.

Yes, there are thermostats on sale with the ability to operate on a schedule. With LCD screens and a bunch of buttons. But personally, they are not particularly interesting to me. Because a) design and b) price. Buying five thermostats, three thousand each, which will look very clumsy in the walls next to my sockets, is not my thing.

What's good about our smart thermostat?

In general, controlling the thermostat from the wall is evil. You need to pay attention to the design, come up with a child lock. When there are several thermostats, it is still not convenient to crawl around the apartment to adjust them.

Almost every series of socket-switches has a special device - a plug. It is not always sold in consumer goods stores such as Leroy or Obi. But googling and buying something like this is usually not a problem. I bought myself these for the Legrand Carvia series.

If you place a radio-controlled thermostat behind such a plug, several problems are solved at once. And with appearance, and with child protection, and with central control. Our COOLRF WF1 thermostat is designed for this exact placement.

Respectively:

  • There are no controls on the wall at all. Child protection is absolute. At least until the child has access to the web interface. But this should happen much later, there will be more brains and less playful hands.
  • There are no bright indicators, the thermostat lives silently behind a plug.
  • The exterior design is exactly what you need. No differences or compromises.
Hidden behind a plug in the wall is this module:

On board is a power supply for the control part, a Wi-Fi radio module based on the ESP8285 chip, a relay, Feedback to control relay sticking. An NTC temperature sensor from ErgoLight thermostats is used, R = 10 kOhm at +25°C.

We are currently testing the second revision of the device. The development history can be tracked

Every day more and more new inventions based on innovative technologies appear in the world.

Until recently, we did not know what a heated floor was, but now it has firmly entered our lives and is extremely popular. But today we have the opportunity to use not only warm floor technologies, but also smart floor technologies.

What is a smart floor?

This latest system heating, which has no analogues in the world. It is based on energy saving technologies, its main task is to heat the floor to the desired temperature exactly where it is needed.

The design of the smart floor is an automated thermomat with carbon rods connected by cable to high degree protection. It is the rods made of silver and carbon (carbon) that allow for mobility of temperature conditions.

Unlimited possibilities: thermostats

How is the heating of the smart floor surface coordinated? The system has a temperature controller mounted in the wall and connected to a special sensor. By means of a cable connecting the carbon rods, the thermostat influences the heating process of the floor. It supplies current to the cable when heating is needed and stops the flow when it is not needed. The capabilities of the thermostat do not end there.

We are all different, we all have our own ideas about the threshold of comfort. Some people feel great even at a temperature of 22C, while others simply freeze at this temperature.

Today, special regulators equipped with software, allowing you to configure a specific thermostat specifically for your comfort conditions.

This makes it possible not only to set the temperature you need, but also to set temporary operating modes. Let's say you will be home in 2 hours. You set the appropriate program to the thermostat, and after 2 hours the system will heat the floor to the desired temperature. That is, like the other home appliances, the smart floor has a delay function.

Beware: smart floor! Installation and operation

A smart floor has many advantages compared to a conventional heated floor. This innovative technology, and it requires certain knowledge during its installation and further operation.

When installing smart floor elements, it is necessary to take into account that carbon rods (heating elements) must be distributed evenly over the floor surface with the same pitch. This will ensure not only uniform heating of the surface, but will also protect against localized overheating in certain places. Overheating here is dangerous - primarily for the connecting cable.

Operating a smart floor does not require any complex technical knowledge. However, it must be remembered that sometimes advantages are also disadvantages in some way. For example, if at minus outside temperature If you open the window, the system will identify a sharp drop in temperature and begin to operate at maximum capacity. This can lead to both overheating of the floor and failure of the entire system.

Modern smart floor technology can not only make our lives more comfortable, but also reduce heating costs. But no matter how smart the floor is, it also needs a smart person to control it.