When choosing a heating floor control unit, you should study the parameters of the controller and the functioning system. Correct installation and appropriate adjustment of the device will significantly save energy, as well as improve indoor comfort, while adjusting performance in the required range. Correction of the system in question can be carried out in several ways. Consider these methods and their features.
general information
Underfloor heating control units are slightly cheaper than analogues associated with liquid heating systems. On average, the cost of the node under consideration costs around 4-6 thousand rubles. Automatic variations require more significant investments (about 20 thousand rubles).
Conventional mechanical versions are much cheaper, designed for manual adjustment of the warm floor. The control unit in this case serves to maintain the desired temperature according to one’s own feelings - “hot” or “cold”. In accordance with the indicators, the crane is unscrewed to the maximum or screwed to the stop.
Automation Features
The control unit for servos of underfloor heating on the "machine" contributes to the control of several devices simultaneously:
- circulation pump;
- thermostat heads;
- gas burner (if necessary);
- servo drive;
- special valves.
Control of the circulation pump is one of the most affordable and easiest ways to adjust the warm floor in a residential building. The device makes it possible to activate or deactivate the device, depending on the temperature in the pipes. However, such a system is not focused on apartment buildings, where there is one pump, which, during interruptions, turns off the power to all rooms.
Another common type of control for electrical floor heating units is semi-automatic controllers. They are corrected by means of thermal heads, make it possible to turn off the heating when certain conditions occur. For example, in this design, the three-way valve is shut off immediately after the high temperature of the water in the pipeline is reached. A low indicator, on the contrary, opens a valve through which a liquid with an elevated temperature is supplied.
Other nuances
If the water-heated floor control unit aggregates with server drives, a special device is mounted on the collector, which corrects the flow of water into several working circuits. Such a controller is optimally suited to adjust the temperature simultaneously in several rooms.
The weather-dependent controller works with a sophisticated design that includes a host of indicators and switches, depending on climatic conditions. Some devices are mounted directly in the room, other devices are placed on the street. This approach allows you to save on heating at least 15 or 30% (gas or wood, respectively). Private small houses and cottages are successfully heated by elementary systems that use a circulation pump or a mechanical valve.
How to connect the underfloor heating control unit?
The location of the regulator is chosen by the owner of the housing, depending on individual preferences and features of the room. The height of the device does not affect its operation. It is usually mounted near the light switch, not far from the floor surface.
A recommendation that you should strictly adhere to is a ban on the installation of the device in rooms with high levels of humidity. When equipping the bathroom with the specified system, the underfloor heating control unit should be taken out into the corridor, arranging the wiring to the heating elements through the wall partitions.
Structural connection for all modifications is carried out according to a similar scheme. Each version has connection terminals, heaters, power supplies and sensors. Some options are equipped with a connected cable, the length of which ranges from 200 to 300 centimeters. This indicator is enough to connect to the distribution panel.
The principle of the group collector
The instruction for controlling a block of underfloor heating of this type practically does not differ from automatic analogs or semiautomatic devices. The whole process can be divided into several stages, namely:
- The signal from the group collector to the servo drive.
- Bringing the control valve in motion.
- Correction of the heat transfer fluid in the pipes.
- A group of mixing parts responsible for adjusting the circulating water in several collector compartments.
It is worth noting that the connection of individual mixing units is carried out by means of a group connection, when individual points for adjusting the operation of warm floors in compartments or rooms are developed and mounted. The branched system makes it possible to regulate the construction using a thermostatic head or a three-position valve.
Zone installation
This kind of control is realized through the installation of room automation. It is aimed at adjusting thermal indicators through a node with sensors that are responsible for the temperature in each room according to the specified characteristics.
The zonal distribution of the degree of floor heating provides for automatic adjustment of indicators. The device itself is mounted in such rooms where it is necessary to maintain constant climatic comfort (pools, saunas, baths and the like). The adjustment process is carried out through the introduction of specific parameters by the user into the thermostat program. The reaction to such actions is appropriate - the device turns off or turns on when the difference in characteristics that are set by the consumer.
Pros and cons
Controllers for controlling the operation of a heated floor with a wired structure are installed in the interior of the rooms at an altitude of 1000-1500 millimeters above the floor. The advantages of such a system include the possibility of its installation in the place where the establishment of an accurate indicator of the current temperature is required. The disadvantages of such equipment include the impossibility of installing them on the outside of the structure, or at a point that is exposed to direct sunlight. In addition, wired regulators are not recommended to be placed next to household appliances.
The advantages of wireless controllers include the possibility of their installation in apartments and houses where repairs have already been made, or not. Such modifications are mounted next to gas or electric boilers.
Damage and repair of the underfloor heating control unit
Judging by user reviews, most often these systems fail for two reasons. The first of them includes incorrect operation of the device or a complete refusal to work. In this case, the device can be diagnosed independently. To do this, you need a tester. The current is supplied to the receiving terminal, and the parameter is checked on the neighboring analogue, which supplies energy to the heating part of the device. If voltage is not observed, the sensor must be carried to a specialized workshop, since this defect cannot be eliminated on its own.
The second "trouble" is a violation in the operation of the temperature indicator. To check it, use a multimeter with which to measure the resistance of the sensor. Permissible values are indicated in the instruction manual, amounting to about 5-45 kOhm. In case of inconsistency of these parameters, the indicators must be replaced.
Finally
The underfloor heating control unit is often an almost indispensable thing in a house or apartment. These designs make it possible not only to adjust the temperature regime, but also save on the consumption of electrical energy. Programmable panels are ideal, however, not everyone can afford them. It is worth emphasizing that the savings are due to the direction of the temperature to the heating elements, and not to heating the "air".