Do-it-yourself installation of a warm plinth

Faced with the choice, from a sufficiently large number of options, the most effective way to heat the home, people often resort to those options that provide a minimal, initial, investment that can provide an acceptable heat transfer coefficient. The installation of a heated baseboard has become a new trend in this matter. In Europe, this system has been used for about two decades, which, accordingly, indicates a fairly high efficiency indicator. An electric skirting board is a metal structure, inside which a heating device is installed, heating occurs directly using infrared radiation. This system can work in a single version or in tandem with radiator batteries.

Installation is possible on almost any territory, be it an apartment or a summer cottage. If you decide to join the owners of these units, we will tell you how to install a warm plinth water and electric with your own hands.

Warm skirting device

Outwardly, all the elements of the unit do not have special differences in comparison with an ordinary baseboard, most often it is made of an aluminum collapsible casing. The sizes of typical models of warm skirting boards are 14 centimeters high and three wide. Inside, by means of mounted brackets, a heating element is installed, which consists of two copper pipes interconnected by brass ribs. All heating units are connected into a single system using crimping nuts or by soldering with copper solder. In the corner sections, the elements are connected using copper or polymer pipes. You do not have to worry that over time the device will rust, because only non-ferrous metals are used in the production process of the product, which in turn provide a high heat transfer coefficient of the skirting board.

The principle of operation of a warm skirting board

Installation of a warm plinth is carried out around the entire perimeter of the room, so the room is heated smoothly and evenly. This is ensured by means of heat distribution through special holes located in the upper part of the device. In order to heat the room to an acceptable level, 20-24 ° C, it is necessary to heat aluminum plates to a temperature of 40-70 ° C.

The next aspect is worth paying attention to! Compared to conventional batteries, located at a certain distance from the floor, the warm skirting board system heats from almost the bottom of the room.

Space heating is carried out due to the heat transfer of the walls, they first absorb the heat coming from the baseboards, and then they become passive heat sources. Thanks to the fact that the heat evenly spreads throughout the room, you will not have cold zones anywhere. The installation of furniture will in no way affect the operation of the device, the efficiency will remain the same.

Types of warm skirting boards

According to the principle of operation, the units are divided into electronic and hydraulic.

The electric skirting board is made of paired pipes made of copper, where a cable is mounted in one of them, from a heat-resistant material with silicone insulation, while a low-temperature heating element is placed in the other, with a maximum heating temperature of about 60 ° Celsius. Temperature control is carried out using an electric sensor, thermostat. The product has a special clamp for grounding, you should not neglect this.

In the water baseboard, distilled liquid or antifreeze acts as a heat-conducting liquid. These elements are heated by means of a boiler, or by means of a tie-in into a centralized heating system. This method is more economical than an electric skirting board, since the second one consumes a certain amount of electricity. Temperature control is carried out using thermal valve or in automatic mode.

Pay your attention! The distance that you can stretch the lines of the water baseboard is limited to 15 meters, if the room is larger, then additional autonomous circuits must be installed.

Let's talk about the pros and cons of such a system

We list the main advantages of this type of device:

1. The principle of heating a room by means of a warm plinth in its principle of operation is remotely similar to a warm floor, but the installation process is less labor-intensive and much more economical. Please note that you cannot install underfloor heating, especially water underfloor heating, in many rooms. To install the skirting board, you only need a completely flat wall. If necessary, you can easily dismantle and install the system in another place.
2. With the help of a warm plinth, you can achieve a favorable climate in almost any room. Slowly rising air currents will not blow dust around the room. Heat is not concentrated in the upper part of the room, but will be evenly distributed throughout the room.
3. Due to the fact that the walls will act as a heat-receiving screen, you can forever forget about the presence of mold and dampness in the room. Condensation will not form in spacious glass areas.
4. The installation of such a system will not make an ordinary person sweat, because the ease of assembly is ensured by the block structure, which must be simply connected to each other and connected to a power supply or a centralized heating system.
5. Due to the fact that the device does not heat up to high temperatures, you can not be afraid that your furniture, wallpaper, curtains or other household items will become unusable.
6. The skirting board will not be noticeable to your guests, it will harmoniously integrate into your interior, because before buying you can choose the color you like.

Let's take a look at the minuses:

1. One of the first drawbacks is the amount required to purchase a warm skirting board system.
2. The second drawback that is present in electric skirting boards is electricity prices, because they grow day by day, and you need a considerable amount of it for normal operation.
3. The warm skirting system is not able to instantly heat the room, it is designed to maintain the temperature in the room.

Preparatory Activities Before System Installation

First of all, it is necessary to calculate the required power of the device, as well as make a choice of the type of device, water or electric. The number of required heating elements for each room will be individual, and will depend on the climate, the presence of a double or triple glazing in the window openings, as well as the area that needs to be warmed up. To ensure an acceptable room temperature, the average value is one hundred watts per square meter. An additional advantage, in terms of savings, is the presence of insulation in your house or apartment, which will allow you to significantly save money, because in this case it is possible to purchase a cheaper system, or to reduce the number of heating modules. To connect the elements together, it is recommended to use copper solder, because it is able to withstand high loads, as well as provide reliable sealing of the system. If it is impossible to implement this method, it is necessary to use threaded fittings. The water supply to the system from the boiler must be carried out exclusively with polymer pipes, preferably polyethylene.

The process of installing a warm skirting board

Before we tell you about the features of installing an electric or water skirting board, first, consider the general points:

1. Before you begin the installation process, it is necessary to mark the installation lines of the panels, the system must be located at a distance of one centimeter above the floor level.
2. The panel is mounted on the wall using self-tapping screws with plastic dowels. On the back of the panel there are stops designed to provide the required gap (15mm) between the wall surface and the system.
3. For better thermal insulation between the housing of the heating element and the wall surface, a heat-insulation tape is glued.
4. Drill holes for mounting brackets for convectors. To do this, it is best to use dowels in forty centimeters increments.

Electric skirting board

Attention! The device has high power consumption rates, which limits the number of panels used in one circuit to 17 pieces.

1. The cable must be wired inside the wall, or it can be installed outside, provided the wire is insulated with a special box.
2. The connection of the device to the network must be carried out exclusively through temperature control devices. It is mounted on the wall.
3. Before starting, the device must be calibrated.

Water skirting board

1. When passing corners, special shaped connecting tubes must be used.
2. Connect the assembled system to the collector and let out hot water.
3. After checking for leaks, install the skirting front panel.

In this article, we tried to explain the main points of how to install a warm water and electric skirting board, studied the main points of these manipulations and instilled detailed instructions on and installation with our own hands.