When manufacturing a heated floor from a heated towel rail in an apartment, you must obtain permission from your management company. The coordination procedure is complex, since the laying of such highways affects the design of the house. After all, it must be borne in mind that the underfloor heating pipes are connected to central heating. And the second - they can let flow at any time. As a result, you simply flood your neighbors from below.
Construction and work
For underfloor heating in the bathroom there are no requirements for air heating. The main thing is that the flooring is always warm and dry. Only in this case it will be possible to provide maximum comfort, and the drops will quickly disappear from the surface. And if one heated towel rail is not enough for heating, it is recommended to install a warm floor - with its help you will be able to get rid of fungi, musty smell and mold. In other words, the heated floor in the bathroom from the heated towel rail can perfectly perform its functions, and its connection is very simple.
Installing a warm floor system will create a normal microclimate in the room, which will get rid of excess moisture. Moreover, the floor can be both water and electric. The first option is made on the basis of plastic or metal-plastic pipes enclosed in concrete screed. This is the most economical option, but its implementation is quite difficult.
As for electrical structures, even in bathrooms they will be absolutely safe. All active elements are under the floor in the screed. Power is supplied using a power cable. A good option is the infrared floor of the film type. To mount it, there is no need to equip the screed. In addition, it is possible to adjust the temperature. The floor is laid directly under the tile.
Of course, usually with the heated towel rail they install a liquid system, since it does not require large expenses during operation. The heated liquid enters the circuit from the hot water supply system of the apartment.
Liquid heated towel rails
A heated towel rail is a type of radiator that has a coil shape. The coolant circulates through this tube. The liquid model is mounted using fittings that allow you to connect it to the central system. Electric models have in their design a heating element - TEN. The principle of operation of both devices is similar - the pipe warms up due to the coolant. In this case, the indoor air is dried, moisture from the towels is removed. The batteries are mounted on the walls. Next, we will consider how to make a heated floor from a heated towel rail in your apartment or house.
Disadvantages and advantages of fluid structures
The heated towel rail during installation must be embedded in a hot water supply. This design is the most popular. At the same time, there is no dependence on electricity supply, and there are some advantages:
- The design is as simple as possible.
- Increased security.
- Easy to maintain.
- Low cost and a large number of models.
- Effective work.
But there are several drawbacks:
- Depends on the supply of hot water to the system.
- Scale and corrosion appear inside, the case heats up worse.
Quite often, air traffic jams appear in such structures, which worsen heating, and the warm floor begins to work worse. If you connect it through a heated towel rail, then the efficiency drops many times.
Electric heated towel rails
In fact, this is a simple radiator with a closed circuit, but only they have a little more dimensions. You can install the radiator anywhere, the main thing is that the power cord reaches the nearest outlet. Of course, it is not allowed that the wire hangs and is greatly stretched. It is necessary to lay it on the floor, and the best option is to install a separate line. Two types of structures can be distinguished:
- Oil - they have a high heat capacity.
- “Dry” - there is no working fluid, a heating spiral is used instead.
Advantages and disadvantages of electrical models
The advantages include the following points:
- Great resource.
- Designs have high reliability.
- Consume a fairly small amount of electricity.
- The device can be turned off and on as needed.
The disadvantage is that there is a dependence on electrical energy. The second disadvantage is the high cost. In addition, timers, thermostats, automatic equipment for protection can be installed.
It is worth noting that on sale you can also find combined designs. They are included in both the heating system and the power supply. The main thing is to choose the right place in which the device will be installed.
Combination Options
A heated towel rail is a device that allows you to heat the bathroom. In addition, it is used to dry towels, linen, etc. Often, homeowners together with a heated towel rail install a warm floor, and combine them in one circuit. It is possible to connect to any type of piping:
- To the main risers.
- To a central heating system (rarely used).
- To recirculation tap of the hot circuit.
These types of connections have different operating modes. If you connect the contour of the warm floor and the heated towel rail to the central heating system, it turns out that it will function only in the winter. If you connect to the riser, you will get low system performance. The most suitable will be the inclusion in the recirculation line.
As for the underfloor heating specifically, it can be connected to the heated towel rail in series, in parallel, by means of a circulation station. Consider them as detailed as possible.
Parallel connection
This connection option can be performed using tees. The tube that goes to the floor system is connected using a faucet. Be sure to install a valve that allows you to adjust the flow of coolant. This connection option has one drawback - the probability that an insufficient volume of liquid will pass through the system is extremely high.
This is due to the fact that the loop resistance is higher than that of a heated towel rail. To ensure full circulation of water, it is necessary to significantly limit the consumption of heated towel rails. To do this, cover the inlet or outlet valves. Here are just such actions can affect the overall pressure in the house.
A good solution is to install a low power circulation pump (50 W is enough). With its help, the whole system can be filled with coolant. Only have to spend on electricity.
Sequential inclusion
The junction is in the section of the riser. When implementing such a scheme for connecting a warm floor from a heated towel rail, both devices will be able to work simultaneously. It is necessary to disconnect the riser and cut a pipe section from it. In the slice, a crane and a valve are installed (2 valves can be used). It is through this armature that the pipeline is connected.
The disadvantage of this solution is that there may be great resistance to the work of the riser itself. And if you attach a valve to it for adjustment, then the negative effect will only intensify. It is highly undesirable to install a circulation pump, as it will be an obstacle.
Heat exchanger
The most optimal solution would be to use a unit with a pump and a heat exchanger. In the latter, the heating medium is heated. In this design, it is possible to achieve the formation of full hydraulic independence.
It is best to connect the pump in series to the heated towel rail. In addition, a bypass must be installed. If you perform a parallel connection, then the same disadvantages will appear as with a direct insert. And the most important minus is a small fluid flow.
Work sequence
First of all, you need to completely remove the old flooring. You will need to expose the concrete base. Then clean the surface, waterproof and level it. Be sure to perform thermal insulation so as not to heat the room under you. Let's look at how to make a heated floor in the bathroom from a heated towel rail. To do this, the following manipulations are performed:
- The specifics of the installation depend on which materials are used. Polypropylene pipes, for example, are connected by fittings. Metal-plastic must be selected and purchased so that when laying, make as few joints as possible. Pipes made of stainless steel or copper must be mounted using corners of similar materials.
- Fixation of elements must be performed on the base with the help of clamps.
- Using couplings, the circuit is inserted into the system. The main thing is to prevent sharp turns of the tubes.
- The reinforcing mesh is being installed, which will increase the strength of the concrete screed.
- Glue damping tape around the entire perimeter of the walls. It will prevent cracking of the cement base during drying.
- Install beacons and fill the concrete mixture. Drying will last long enough - depending on what layer thickness. On average, this process lasts about two weeks.
When drying the coating, it is recommended to moisten it with water - this will avoid drying out. After the circuit is connected to the heated towel rail, you need to test the system and install the finish coating. It can be a tile, linoleum, a bulk floor.