In the cold season, it’s impossible to imagine our houses without heating. And the main requirements that are imposed on it are high efficiency and low energy consumption. One of the newest systems that meet these requirements is the heat baseboard. Despite the high efficiency, as well as significant savings, this option is not very well known in our country. Consider in detail all of its features and benefits.
Warm plinth: design features
It became possible to buy a warm plinth not so long ago. In fact, this system was designed to increase heating efficiency with less energy. Moreover, these panels look very original, and the technology of warm plinth often makes it possible to completely abandon the use of traditional heating methods using radiators.
Externally, the heat of the plinth is a bar made of aluminum, which closes the inner contents of the box. If it were not for a very modest size, one could call it a full-fledged heating device, but the fact that the box has a small height does not bulge much from the wall and is mounted around the perimeter of the room on the wall near the floor, gives it the right to be called a plinth.
Inside the box there is a heating system, which may differ depending on the type of skirting chosen. Understand what the difference can be, having considered the existing types of warm plinths.
Obviously, this heating device got its name due to its location. They fix a warm plinth in the same place as the usual plinth around the perimeter of the room. The main advantage of such a heating system is that the device heats not only the air surrounding it, but also the walls with which it comes into contact. This system allows you to better retain heat and reduce heat loss.
The fact that air convection decreases and that heat is evenly distributed throughout the room without concentrating in one place, as is often the case with traditional radiators, has a positive effect. A considerable advantage is that due to the slow movement of air from the plinth to the ceiling, dust from the floor hardly rises. And this not only greatly facilitates cleaning, but also has a positive effect on the health of residents.
The temperature limits in which the device operates are 40-70 degrees and with the help of a thermostat it is possible to set an indicator within these limits. According to the reviews of the owners, the warm plinth never allows the air temperature to drop below 20 degrees, and this can be considered quite comfortable temperature for living. Of course, this applies to cases where the calculations of the required number of elements and their power were carried out correctly.
If we are talking about installing an electric plinth, then it is worth noting the fact that, like one section of any traditional radiator, one segment of a warm plinth emits 190 watts of heat. At the same time, the energy consumption for its production is 3 times less, and this is a considerable saving for the entire heating season.
As a heating device, a warm plinth can be installed in almost any room. Neither the size nor any location of the room can not serve as a contraindication to its installation. It is believed that this design option is ideal for rooms with panoramic windows, where conventional radiators under the windows simply do not fit.
Helpful advice! Warm skirting is the ideal solution for rooms with high ceilings where an additional or primary source of heating is required. The main thing is to take care of the proper power of the device.
There are two types of warm baseboards: electric and water. Both of these options have their advantages and can boast of much greater efficiency than other methods of heating. However, it should be recognized that electric models are much more popular. This is due to the availability of electricity in almost all localities, which cannot be said about the presence of individual boilers.
Of course, there is the option of organizing a warm water baseboard with your own hands, using liquid or solid fuel for this purpose, but this is rather troublesome and often unjustified. In addition, in this case, you can hardly save, because in addition to fuel consumption, you will have to face the need to store it, as well as maintain the system. Electric heat baseboard does not require an additional line and significantly saves energy. For these reasons, many prefer to use it.
According to reviews, warm skirting, working on electricity – is not only effective, but also quite easy to install heating method that does not require excessive effort during the installation process.
Externally, it looks like a panel, whose width is 30 mm. The height may be different and on average varies from 100 to 240 mm. The shape and color can be any.
The principle of operation of electric heat plinth is similar to a warm floor: there is a heating element installed inside, a thermostat that controls the temperature of the heating and temperature sensors responsible for ensuring that the temperature in the room corresponds to a predetermined figure.
Helpful advice! The ideal height for placement of thermal sensors is at the level of an average person’s height. So the data obtained will be as truthful as possible, and the system will work correctly.
The device can be powered from both a conventional outlet and from a separate branch, laid to the shield. The second option is much more preferable, as it provides greater security and allows you to install a separate machine.
Another important point – the choice of a thermostat. Since the market constantly offers buyers more and more modern models of these devices, today you can find those that can be programmed for several days in advance, and the “smart system” perfectly controls the air temperature in the room, adjusting the work of the heating device.
Many simple models do not provide owners with the ability to program temperature modes, but they are much cheaper, which also makes them popular. Your choice should be based on how much money you can spend on the purchase, as well as how much you are willing to continue to mess around with the device, each time setting the required temperature manually.
Water plinth outwardly no different from electric. After installation, it is almost impossible to visually distinguish one from the other. Their main difference lies in the inside, where instead of heating elements installed special tubes and ribs. The pipes move heated water, which is the basis of a water heating system.
Regardless of what type of devices in question (electric or water), there are many positive points of their use. Some of them have already been considered together with the design features of such baseboards. Consider the rest:
- The “heat cushion”, which is usually formed under the ceiling, is simply not created due to the uniform distribution of heat between the walls and the air in the room. Airing a room doesn’t risk “letting in the cold” because most of the heat is stored in the walls;
- In rooms with high humidity and the risk of mold and mildew, a warm plinth can surely be called a solution to this problem. Optimal convection allows you to maintain such a microclimate so that you don’t have to worry about all these things;
- About water plinth it can be said that due to the small cross-section of pipes, the amount of hot water supplied is significantly reduced compared to traditional radiators. This leads to savings in energy spent on heating the working fluid;
- both electric and water skirtings allow you to adjust the temperature and react to the changes that occur more accurately than any other heater;
- during the operation of this device, heat losses do not exceed 5%, given that for a conventional radiator this figure is 20%;
- thanks to the moderate temperature of the device itself, you can not worry that the wooden furniture located nearby will crack. Warm skirting does not pose any danger to nearby objects.
Warm skirting often try to compare with the floor heating system. In fact, it is almost the same, and the only difference is in the method of installation. Of course, floor heating is much more difficult to do, since it requires many jobs. But to accommodate such a plinth, you need only the surface of the wall.
Helpful advice! Another excellent quality of warm plinth is the possibility of re-assembly. That is, if necessary, you can remove the plinth and then install it in another place. With careful handling of its functionality, this will not affect.
We have to admit that the only thing that warm water baseboards can’t boast of is prices. Reviews at the same time claim that such a waste is justified and in the future you will not regret your investment. However, what if this cost is not included in your options? In this case, you can save money by doing the work yourself, without the help of specialists.
Here is a list of materials you will need for independent work:
- metal pipes;
- heat insulation material;
- collector with cranes;
- adapters (both metal and plastic);
- a set of common tools available to any home master;
- baseboard convectors with a set of plugs, as well as decorative covers.
Traditionally, installation begins with the installation of a collector, to which a pipe is supplied, designed to provide power to the heating device. As the primary source of heat can be used gas, electric, liquid or solid fuel boiler. In a word, the one that is available. Please note that for correct operation of the heating pressure must be normal and be 3 atm.
To ensure the correct heating of the room, it is necessary to make some calculations, namely, how much heat energy is required to heat a room of a given size. For example, for a standard room with an area of 12 m ?, where there is one window, you need about 13 m of baseboards with a capacity of at least 100 W per 1 m.
Helpful advice! When calculating the required number of plinth, do not forget to subtract the width of the door opening from the total perimeter. Otherwise, you will overpay almost for the whole extra meter.
It is possible to install the plinth not around the perimeter of the room, but only in some of its parts. This is convenient if you have built-in furniture, or you use a warm baseboard as an additional, and not as the main source of heat.
Having dealt with the calculations and preparing everything necessary for the work, you can proceed directly to connecting the system. The distribution of the pipes is carried out by laying them on the subfloor so that there is a separate approach to the beginning of each contour. It goes without saying that each circuit requires two pipes: one for the supply of coolant, and one for the intake. At this stage, you will need adapters that are used to connect radiators.
As can be seen from all presented, the warm plinths – a worthy alternative to the usual heating system. They occupy a small place and can be installed where conventional radiators simply do not fit. Depending on which type is more suitable for you, you can choose electric or water models, and the installation may well be carried out independently. To do this, just read the instructions or watch the training video.
