Do-it-yourself warm plinth system. How to make a water warm plinth with your own hands? Installing a warm baseboard

The popularity of baseboard heating is gradually growing. It is characterized by extreme compactness and is not striking when compared with classical heating systems. Let's see how to make a warm plinth with your own hands and what you need for this. Some sources claim that the system will only have maximum efficiency if it is assembled by a specialist. But in reality this is far from the case. The main thing is to have a set of tools and straight arms with you.

What is baseboard heating

It is possible to install baseboard heating with your own hands - there is nothing complicated about it. But before we give information on installation work, it is necessary to understand what a warm baseboard is and how it works. We will also talk about the varieties of plinth heating equipment.

The warm plinth, which we will make with our own hands, is a modern heating equipment with a minimum size. Already from one name it is clear that it is intended for installation in the plinth area. Here, compact radiators are used, resembling skirting boards in appearance, only of a larger size.

The very principle of operation of baseboard heating is interesting. It is convection, that is, the most ordinary natural convection works here. And the equipment itself is a compact convector heaters. These heaters work as follows:

A huge plus of warm baseboards is that they warm up not only the air in the room, but also its walls.

Skirting convectors heat the air inside them, as a result of which it rises;
Rising along the walls to the ceiling, warm air displaces colder air masses from there;
The colder and denser air that has descended is sucked into the convectors and heated to go up again.

After some time, the room becomes noticeably warmer, because the air circulation covers the entire volume.

Warm baseboards differ from conventional radiators in that the warm air coming out of them sticks to the walls, gradually heating them up. After a while, they will stop pulling cold. Separately, it should be noted that the air near the floors will be almost as warm as in the middle of the room - thanks to this, users will not have the feeling of freezing feet.

If you are going to make a warm skirting board with your own hands, you will save money in the family budget. There is nothing complicated here, and any special or expensive tools are not needed for installation. And the efficiency of self-installation will not suffer a bit. But you will get at your disposal an extremely compact and almost imperceptible heating.

Varieties

In this review, we will tell you how to make a warm skirting board with your own hands. But before that, you need to decide what equipment will be used to heat the premises. Skirting heating can be water or electric, and the choice of a particular system depends on the availability of certain energy sources. Water systems are powered by boilers of any modification, and electrical systems need a reliable power supply.

Water heated skirting boards

Do-it-yourself installation of hot water skirting boards is a complex process. The system should turn out not only effective, but also airtight so as not to flood the floors and neighbors (if any). Water plinth heaters are small-sized convectors. The basis for their manufacture are non-ferrous metals - copper and aluminum. The pipes passing inside are made of copper, and the radiators are made of aluminum.

A non-ferrous metal bond provides equipment with maximum efficiency and heat dissipation. By the way, to increase the power, water convectors are made double-row - they are thicker, but more powerful.

When installing warm skirting boards with your own hands, you need to mark the contours - one or two contours for each room, depending on its area. The maximum recommended length for each loop is 15 meters. Accordingly, if the perimeter is larger, it is recommended to divide it into two circuits. Convectors in separate directions are connected in series.

To ensure uniform heating, a distribution manifold is installed in the system. Each circuit is powered by a separate pipe with a tap - if anything, the coolant supply can be shut off without affecting other circuits. This feature can come in handy in case of an emergency.

When installing a hot water plinth with your own hands, it should be remembered that the operation of this equipment in centralized heating systems is dangerous - convectors may not withstand water hammer or high pressure, which will lead to their destruction. In order to protect the heating from damage, an intermediate heat exchanger is installed in the system. As a result, an independent heating circuit is formed in an apartment with central heating, taking heat from the heating plant.

Electric warm skirting boards

Making an electric warm baseboard with your own hands is much easier than installing water radiators. The whole point is that this equipment is powered by the mains and does not require a coolant supply. Electric skirting convectors are similar in design to water appliances, but instead of copper pipes, heating elements are located here. They are the source of heat.

Skirting electric convectors can be equipped with built-in thermostats. But the easiest way to control each circuit is with an external thermostat. If necessary, consumers will be able to implement a remote control system via GSM networks or via the Internet.

Advantage and disadvantages

Now you know that warm baseboards can be water and electric. Let's now look at the pros and cons of baseboard heating, after which we move on to the do-it-yourself installation process. Let's start with the positives:

Compactness is the most important advantage of a warm skirting board. The miniature dimensions of water and electric skirting convectors make the heating system almost invisible;
Uniformity of heating - unlike traditional convector heating, warm skirting boards heat the premises more evenly. The air temperature near the floor covering is about the same as in the middle of the room;
The possibility of heating premises for any purpose - warm skirting boards are mounted in children's rooms, living rooms, kitchens, office premises, as well as on covered balconies and loggias;
The possibility of heating rooms with panoramic windows - baseboard heating will prevent the penetration of cold air into the room and ensure the fight against the formation of condensate.

In addition, warm skirting boards can work in conjunction with any other heating devices, such as wall convectors.

Key disadvantages:

When planning the installation of baseboard heating, make sure that the furniture does not interfere with the movement of air flow.

When installing warm skirting boards with your own hands, you should consider the arrangement of furniture. The thing is that by blocking the plinth area with a high cabinet, this section will lose its effectiveness;
Skirting heating not compatible with built-in furniture- it covers the installation area;
High electricity consumption - true for electric warm skirting boards. Tariffs "on the light" are very high, so the monthly costs will be very impressive.

But the compactness and efficiency of baseboard heating more than covers all its shortcomings. Let's now see how to install a warm skirting board with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself installation work

We have come to the most important section, which will tell you how to make heating from warm skirting boards with your own hands. First, let's deal with water equipment.

Installation of water warm skirting boards

To install a warm water plinth with our own hands, we need:

Collector with taps;
metal-plastic pipes;
Water plinth convectors with decorative covers and plugs;
Thermal insulation;
Set of tools;
Metal or plastic adapters.

The first step is to install a heating collector and bring pipes to it that feed your baseboard heating.

First you need to install the collector and connect it to the heating system. The system itself can be powered by any type of boiler - gas, solid fuel, liquid, electric or universal. Remember that the recommended pressure in the system is 3 atm.

We continue to install warm skirting boards with our own hands - now we need to calculate the power of radiators based on the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. As an example, take a room of 12 square meters. m. (4x3 m) with one window. To heat it, we need 1.2 kW of thermal energy. The length of the perimeter, minus the doorway 90 cm wide, will be 13.1 meters. In total, we need 13 linear meters of baseboard heaters with a power of 100 W per 1 meter.

If necessary, you can purchase more powerful radiators and equip not all walls with skirting boards, but only some of them. This approach is useful if there are large wardrobes and built-in furniture in the rooms.

The next step in installing a warm plinth with your own hands is piping. They are laid on the rough floors, reaching the beginning of each circuit. There are two pipes for each circuit - one brings the coolant, and the other takes it. Here we also need adapters for connecting to radiators. After that, we proceed to the installation of plinth heaters.

When installing warm skirting boards with your own hands, do not forget about good thermal insulation - it fits between the walls and radiators. Next, we fasten the base to which the non-ferrous metal heat exchanger will be attached. After that, we proceed to connect the system - we fix the heat exchangers, connect them with straight or angle adapters, tightening the connecting nuts well to prevent leaks.

After you complete the installation of the contours of warm skirting boards with your own hands, it's time to check the system for leaks. The easiest option is to supply pressurized water to it, filling the entire system and drowning it out. Now we check all connections, making sure there are no leaks. If everything is normal, you can start the heating system and check it is in working order.

At the last stage, we close the radiators installed with our own hands with decorative covers (front profiles). The gaps between them and the end sections are closed with special plugs - everything here depends on the design of the selected radiators.

Now you know that there is nothing difficult in installing warm skirting boards with your own hands - you just need to ensure the tightness of all connections. If water is leaking somewhere, arm yourself with a wrench and tighten the connecting nuts. Please note that the hot coolant is usually supplied to the top pipe, and leaves through the bottom.

Installation of electric warm skirting boards

Electric baseboard heaters are mounted in much the same way as their water counterparts. Only they work not due to the hot coolant, but from the electrical network. Instead of a collector, a distribution electrical panel is installed in the system. In him it is necessary to provide for a separate circuit breaker for each circuit. For each room we will have one contour (direction).

Electric warm skirting boards are connected in the same way as ordinary electrical outlets.

Instead of pipes, we lay electrical wires - do not forget to make sure that they fit in the section, otherwise they may not withstand the load. In order to ensure the integrity of the connecting wires and extend their service life, we recommend laying them in flexible plastic pipes (when laying on a subfloor). You can also run cables along the walls, fixing them with mounting brackets.

To control the temperature, we recommend installing one thermostat for each room - separate adjustment will allow you to turn off an unnecessary circuit and save on electricity consumption. All this is easily installed and configured by hand, without the help of qualified specialists.

Laying thermal insulation;
We fasten the bases with heat exchangers;
We make electrical connections;
We close the equipment with decorative protective panels;
We connect the circuits to the thermostats and to the switchboard.

Once again we inspect all electrical circuits, make sure that all connections are correct and that there are no protruding and bare conductors. After that, we turn on the machines in the shield and check the operation of the system.

Do-it-yourself electric warm skirting boards are much easier to install than water ones. There are no pipes and leaks, but working with electricity requires no less care. Remember that installation work must be carried out with a de-energized system - connect it only after a final check. In no case do not reach into the connected electric convectors with bare hands, as this can lead to an electric shock.

Video

The house should be warm and cozy, only in this case it will be pleasant to live in it.

Previously, fire was used for heating, then the turn of water heating and batteries came.

Today, the system is gaining popularity: despite some features, it is more convenient and practical.

Advantages and disadvantages

Plinth is a decorative element that covers the junction of the wall and floor below.

A warm baseboard is a small heating system that runs under the element.

At the same time, the height of the plinth rises to 12-15 cm, while its width remains unchanged - about 2-3 cm.

The system can be electric and water - each of the options has some features of operation and installation.

Like any system, baseboard heating has a number of advantages and disadvantages.

The first ones include:

Among the shortcomings can be identified:

higher cost per acquisition;
the inability to completely turn off the plinth, like a battery.

It's important to know: despite the safety of use, it is still not recommended to force a warm baseboard with flammable objects, especially when it is working at maximum.

Installation of the water version

not much different from the usual central heating battery: heating occurs due to the supply of hot water, which runs around the entire perimeter of the room. It is connected to a heating boiler and is a more economical option compared to an electric one.

The system consists of:

a heat exchanger, inside which hot water circulates, it consists of two copper pipes, between which aluminum radiator plates lie;
fasteners;
external facade and plugs.

Take note: the total length of the water plinth should not exceed 15 meters, otherwise it will not be able to heat the entire room.

Installation of a warm baseboard is not difficult, you can do it yourself:

Installing a water plinth is not difficult, but if in doubt, you should contact the professionals.

Experts advise: if the perimeter of the room is more than 15 meters, it is necessary to install several closed circuits, each of which will lead to central heating.

Assembly of electrical models

consist of the same parts as water ones, but instead of a heat exchanger with water, they contain special copper tubes.

The system consists of:

a heating rod located inside a silicone cable that can withstand temperatures up to +180 degrees;
heat shrink tube with a diameter of 12 mm;
clamp for grounding;
heating register;
connecting element;
metal base, fasteners and external decorative elements.

Before installing the system, it is necessary to calculate the required power so as not to purchase a model that is too cold or too hot. To do this, take an average value of 100 W per 1 sq. m - it can be reduced or increased depending on the average temperature in the region.

Note: the installation of the electric skirting board should be above the floor, at a distance of about 1 cm - the wires should not lie on the floor.

Do-it-yourself system assembly includes several steps:

Specialist's note: electric warm baseboard must be grounded and tested to avoid serious problems.

Warm skirting is gradually becoming more and more popular with many families. Due to the uniform distribution of heated air, it helps not only to maintain the selected temperature, but also helps to eliminate excessive wall moisture.

Invisible, efficient, comfortable heating. A very attractive combination of features. A warm floor immediately comes to mind for many. And rightly so. But this is not the only heating method that meets these characteristics. There is also a warm plinth. The system is easier to install, most of it is available for maintenance at any time. So a heating baseboard should also be considered as an option for invisible heating.

Warm skirting system: what is it

Heating baseboards or baseboard heating are not new in the field of heating. The idea was proposed at the beginning of the last century, but due to the complexity of implementation and high price, it was almost forgotten. With the development of technology, the complexity has become lower, but the price is still high. It is this, in the main, that deters potential users.

The main difference of this system is the non-standard form of heating devices and their unusual location. Heaters are long and low, located along the perimeter of the room at floor level. The heaters are covered with a long decorative strip that looks very much like a plinth. When installed, they replace the usual plinth. Therefore, such a system is very often called a "warm plinth". This system is very good for panoramic glazing - it can be no higher than the frames, so it is completely invisible. She is no worse in ordinary rooms - she is not visible at all.

Types of warm plinth

There are two types of warm plinth: electric and water. Electric warm plinth is different in that each heater is independent and can work separately. They can be installed in case of lack of power of the main heating - as an additional one, in case of cold weather. Installation is simple, but it works efficiently, is invisible, does not dry the air too much.

There is a water warm plinth. This is one of the subspecies of water heating, that is, all heating devices are connected into one system. It can be either the main (only baseboard heaters) or an additional type of heating (together with or radiators).

Heating pad device

In any case, a warm baseboard looks like this: these are two copper tubes, which are located at a distance of 7-15 cm from one another. To increase heat transfer, vertical plates of aluminum and brass are put on the tubes (they cost a little less, but the heat transfer is slightly lower) or copper (more expensive and warmer option). From above, the finned tubes are closed with decorative covers made of extruded aluminum. Aluminum was not chosen by chance - it transfers heat well. So the heated lid itself radiates heat.

There are air holes at the top and bottom of the lid. Cold is sucked in through the lower ones, heated comes out through the upper ones. So it turns out that heating comes from three sources:

Such a triple heat source contributes to the fact that the room heats up quickly, and the location of the heating elements around the perimeter contributes to uniform heating of the air throughout the volume.

Advantages and disadvantages of baseboard heating

What is the difference between heating using a warm baseboard? Warm air is taken from the heating element up along the wall, heating the wall. As you move up, the air gradually cools down, then falls down, but not along the wall, but in the center of the room.

As a result, it turns out that the warmest air is at the bottom along the perimeter of the room. The warmest object - other than heaters - is the walls. Also, warmer air is located near the floor. Rising up, it cools down and at the level of the head it is a little colder. The difference is small 1-2 degrees, but it is this distribution of temperatures that is better for a person's well-being.

Uniform distribution of heat over the entire area and volume is one of the most important advantages

Heating with a warm baseboard is inertial. It is impossible to unequivocally attribute this property to advantages or disadvantages. There are both positive and negative points. Minus: until the walls warm up, the room is cool. Therefore, such a system is good only for permanent residences and is completely unsuitable for summer cottages. The positive point is that when heated, the walls work like a large stabilizer - they maintain the temperature at the same level, giving off the accumulated heat if necessary. Such a large heat accumulator will help to hold out for some time even if the heating is turned off.

The advantages of heating systems with heating skirting boards include their efficiency. After the walls are heated, the boiler consumes a minimum of fuel - only to maintain the temperature. And such modes, as a rule, are more economical. But this applies to any inertial heating system, so this cannot be considered a special advantage of a warm baseboard.

Warm plinth assembly a little closer

There are skirting heating and undeniable advantages. The first is one of the few systems that provides uniform heating. Even the corners are always warm. The second is the most inconspicuous system that easily fits into any interior. With all this, heating devices are easily accessible, the system can be repaired at any time.

It has a warm baseboard and a clear drawback - a high price. This is due to the fact that copper and aluminum are used to increase heat transfer, and they cost a lot.

Types of heating skirting boards

The baseboard heating system can be of two types: with electric and water heaters. At the installation stage, a system with warm water baseboards is more complicated (requires a collector or beam connection), but during operation it is more economical. Electric warm plinth is mounted quickly - you just need to fix the heaters to the wall, immediately after installation it is ready for use. But heating costs, like any electric heating, are high.

One of the most inconspicuous heating systems is a warm (heating) baseboard.

Heating device with water warm plinth

The system of water plinth heating differs only in the non-standard form of heating devices. The key components do not differ from the standard ones: you need a hot water boiler, a collector assembly and a pipe system with which a warm baseboard is connected.

There is also a combined warm plinth - with an electric heating element and pipes for the coolant

Please note: the optimal operating mode of the system is low-temperature. On the supply 40-50°C, on the return about 5°C lower. Therefore, it is necessary to select a boiler or build a system based on this. If the boiler is gas, the best choice is condensing. When installing any other, the system requires a heat accumulator and / or a mixing unit - to reduce and stabilize the temperature.

Connection method

There are features in the choice of connection method. Serial connection of all baseboard heaters in the room is inefficient: until the coolant reaches the last ones in the heater branch, it will cool down greatly and they will remain cold almost all the time.

For a water heating skirting board, a beam system is used: devices are connected one at a time or in pairs. To do this, a collector node is built into the system, to which pipes are connected that go to heating appliances. The disadvantage of such a system is the high consumption of pipes. After all, two pipes go to each device (or a small group) - for supply and return. The pipe consumption is much higher, but the heat distribution is more even and the system itself is more reliable. Why is it more reliable? If pipes or radiators in one group are damaged, all others work normally.

Mounting Features

When installing water plinth heating, pipes are usually hidden in the floor. Laying them along the walls will not work, as the place is occupied by heating devices. That is, the installation of warm water baseboards is possible only at the repair stage - you will have to raise the floors.

Special polymer pipes are recommended to be laid in a screed - they are not subject to corrosion and have low heat transfer, that is, heat loss during transportation of the coolant will be small. But since the availability for repair of these systems is low, you need to take high-quality goods from well-known manufacturers, and this is not cheap.

Electric warm plinth

The electric warm plinth externally differs from the water one only in the presence of terminals for connecting the power supply. The rest is the same view. These are two tubes with aluminum/brass/copper plates fixed perpendicularly. A heating element is located in the lower tube - a heating element, wires for connection are laid in the upper tube.

It is much easier to install and connect an electric warm plinth. You just need to fix it, stretch the wires and connect them to the terminals. To maintain the set temperature, a thermostat is built into the system, which turns the heaters on and off. The use of thermostats is desirable, as it optimizes work - saves electricity.

Installation is really simple, but you need to connect an electric warm plinth to a dedicated line with a properly selected circuit breaker rating and copper single-core wires of the appropriate section. So in this case, repairs are also required - it is customary to lay the wiring in the wall, and for this you need to do it, that is, break the walls.

Installation of a water warm skirting board system

Installation of an electric warm plinth is very simple: we fix it on the wall. Everything, the system is ready for operation. It remains to plug in the sockets. The main thing is to be correctly calculated, standing. This is the main problem in the case of using an electric warm plinth. Water is much more difficult to mount. Everything must be assembled into a single system, and this is not easy.

Calculation of baseboard heating

A complete thermotechnical calculation of heating is a long and complicated matter. The size and geometry of the room, the material of the walls, floor, ceiling are taken into account, the degree of insulation of all structural elements, including windows and doors, is taken into account. In general, the calculation is quite difficult. Therefore, most often they take the average figure, which is derived from the analysis of many calculations.

It is believed that 100 W of thermal energy is needed to heat one square meter of a room with medium insulation. That is, to calculate the power of a warm baseboard, you need to multiply the area of \u200b\u200bthe room by 100. Get the required figure. That is how much (and preferably more by about 20-25%) should give in total all the elements of a warm baseboard.

For example, the area of the room is 18 square meters. For its heating, 1800 watts will be needed. Next, we look at how much heat is emitted by one meter of heating. A water heating skirting board can work in different modes, depending on the mode it emits a different amount of heat. The table above shows data for one of the systems. For example, let's take the heat output of one meter of warm plinth from this table (other manufacturers may have significant differences).

For example, the system will operate with a supply temperature of 50°C. Then one running meter produces 132 watts of heat. To heat this room, you will need 1800/132 = 13.6 m of warm plinth. When ordering, it is better to add a margin of 20-25%. This reserve is necessary so that the system does not work all the time at the limit. This time. And also in case of abnormal cold weather. This is two. So, with a margin we take 17 meters.

Once again, we draw your attention: these are average data for some average house. And here even the height of the ceilings is not taken into account. It is again taken as an average - 2.5 meters. If you have better insulation, you will need less heat; if worse than "average" - more. In general, this method gives only approximate calculations.

How to act

The first thing to do is to draw a plan on which to indicate the length of each heater, the length of the connecting tubes. After all, the length of a warm baseboard is not always equal to the perimeter of the room. In this case, the segments of heating devices are interconnected by copper or polymer pipes. It is undesirable to use steel, as they chemically interact with copper (it is gradually destroyed).

Preparation for installation takes place long before its actual start. At the very beginning of the repair, even before the leveling of the floor, pipes are pulled from the boiler or collector unit to the place where the warm baseboard is connected. The pipes are laid, tested for integrity, filled with a screed in a filled state under pressure (working pressure in a private house is 2-3 atm, in a multi-storey building it is necessary to find out in the housing office). Then all repair work is carried out and only after the finishing of the walls and floor does the installation of a warm baseboard begin. Here is its order:

Actually, the installation of warm baseboards is not too complicated. But the tightness of the joints is important and special attention must be paid to this.

Today we know how you can heat your room if the central heating system can not cope with it. To do this, you can place additional radiators in the house or make underfloor heating. But modern technologies delight us with their latest inventions, and today on the market you can find a completely new, but already popular heating system - warm skirting boards.

In the modern world, more and more new technologies appear that delight us with their quality and functionality. We all want to create a cozy corner from our home where we will feel comfortable. To do this, we acquire everything new and convenient.

A water heating skirting board is just such a new technology. This simple, but very convenient heating system will help you heat the room not only in living rooms, but also on the veranda, balcony, office.

Warm plinth is distinguished by its non-standard sizes and shapes. However, this does not prevent him from easily and beautifully fitting into the interior of the room.

Such a plinth consists of the following elements:

Front panel with small holes through which warm air enters the room;
The rear panel, it is attached to the wall, it serves for protection;
Heating radiator, which performs the function of heating;
Side plugs;
The heat exchange module, it consists of two small tubes through which water has the ability to circulate.

In general, the design of the plinth is very simple, it will be easy to install it in any room. The size of this design is 15 - 20 cm in height and 3 - 4 cm in width. It is not necessary to install a heating baseboard around the entire perimeter of the room, it can be in separate places, for example, under the window. But wherever you install it, it will perform one function - to heat the room.

Heating baseboard: its positive qualities

In the cold season, you really want your home to be warm and cozy. Central heating cannot always cope with this situation, so we often resort to other effective means by installing additional heating equipment in the house.

A heating skirting board is one of the types of heating that will heat the room and allow you to enjoy the warmth and comfort of your home. This method of heating can be used both independently and together with other heating devices.

A warm plinth is compact and does not take up much space in the house, compared to other appliances. Such a plinth is easy to install, since its design is very convenient, you can do it yourself.

The main advantages of a warm skirting board:

Compact;
Effective;
It is easy to install and repair;
Heats the room well from all sides;
Does not dry out the air in the house;
Its appearance is aesthetic;
Has any color.

The heating baseboard heats not only the floor, but also the walls, which prevents the formation of mold and fungus. It can be of different colors, so it fits into any interior. Its design is combined with any floor covering, whether it be carpet, linoleum or wooden parquet.

How to install a warm baseboard with your own hands

If you have purchased a warm skirting board and want to install it, you do not necessarily need to contact specialists for this. You can install and connect it yourself. Since its design is very simple.

Do-it-yourself warm plinth is not at all difficult to install, you just need to carefully study the scheme of its design and be patient. Before you start installing the skirting board, you need to correctly calculate and measure everything.

For work, we need tools that can be found in every home: adjustable wrenches, wire cutters, pliers, a hammer, sharp scissors, a drill. Having collected all these tools, you can get to work.

Step-by-step scheme for installing a water plinth:

Fix profiles;
Then install the holders;
Attach the convector to the holders;
Connect the system to the main heating source;
Check for leaks;
Close up with decorative panels.

If you do everything right, doing the work according to this scheme, then you can enjoy the correct operation of the plinth, and your house will become warm and cozy.

Electric homemade warm plinth: the main advantages

The design of an electric heating skirting board is simple, but in order to make it yourself, you need to have some skills, understand electricity, and have the appropriate tools and materials.

A homemade warm baseboard is best done with an electric one. This option will not cost you much and is found to be more efficient. An electric skirting board can heat a room faster than a water one.

The design of the electric plinth is simple, it consists of heating cables that will need to be connected to the mains and the front panel, with which we fasten and close the heating elements.

The advantages of this type of plinth:

Has a small size;
It is easy to connect;
The room will heat up faster;
Economical.

Working with electric skirting boards is much easier and easier. However, you need to be very careful with electricity so as not to create an emergency. Before starting work, you need to make sure that the power supply is de-energized. If, however, there is a short circuit or ignition of the devices, you must definitely seek help from the manager.

Do-it-yourself installation of a warm plinth (video)

A warm skirting board is an ingenious invention that has recently appeared on our markets, but is already very popular. Such a plinth is able to heat the room, despite its small size. To date, we know only two types of skirting boards: water and electric. Such skirting boards will be in perfect harmony with any furniture and decoration of the room. They are installed not only in residential premises, but also in offices, warehouses, clubs, cafes.

In our market, a novelty in solving heating problems has become a new system that provides heating - a warm baseboard, although in Europe it has been known for two decades and is considered quite effective there. A metal plinth is mounted around the perimeter of the room, and a heating element is located inside it. Heating here is carried out due to thermal radiation. This system can supplement heating with radiators or even be the only source of heat in a private house or apartment.

The principle of operation of a warm plinth
Warm skirting board design
Classification of warm plinth systems
- Water warm plinth
- Electric warm plinth
Advantages and disadvantages of a warm skirting board
- Advantages
- disadvantages
Installation of a warm plinth
- Training
- Installation process using the example of a water system of a warm skirting board
- The nuances of installing electrical panels
- Option number 1 - from roofing copper
- Option number 2 - from aluminum profiles

The principle of operation of a warm plinth

A warm skirting board has the simplest principle of operation: electricity or a coolant heats the tubes and their fins, and they radiate heat, heating the outer aluminum casing of the skirting board.

Evenly heated along the entire length, the body creates a kind of thermal curtain near the walls. The air slowly rising along the walls warms them, giving them its heat. A screen is created near the walls and windows, which does not allow heat to leave the room, and the heated walls gently radiate heat into the room, heating it. As a result, heat from warm baseboards is distributed more evenly around the perimeter of the room, and, therefore, the room also warms up more evenly along the height.

Video about the principle of operation of a warm skirting board:

Warm skirting board design

Externally, this device is a metal box with dimensions of 30x140 mm. Such a box is mounted directly on the wall, replacing the classic wooden or plastic plinth. On the upper side in the box there is a gap through which the heated air flows along the wall, rushing up. Aluminum panels heat up to 40-70 degrees, while a comfortable temperature is set in the room.

This design compares favorably with conventional radiators located at some distance from the floor in that the heat-radiating baseboard is able to heat the lowest level of the room.

Inside the box there are special brackets on which a heating element is mounted, consisting of a pair of copper tubes, where brass plates are fixed. Copper tubes have an internal diameter of only 11 mm with a wall thickness of 1 mm. The heating modules are connected to each other with crimp nuts or by means of copper soldering, and special copper or polyethylene swivel tubes are used in the corners.

The coolant, which is most often ordinary water, enters the circuit through the supply pipes from the distribution manifold. It is advisable to complete the distribution manifold with shut-off and drain valves, flow meters and automatic air traps. In addition, it is useful to add a water pressure gauge and a thermometer to the warm baseboard, with the help of which it would be possible to control the entire system and make it easier to manage its parameters.

Classification of warm plinth systems

Like the underfloor heating system, warm skirting boards can be:

water;
electric.

Water warm plinth

Despite the name, not only water, but also heavy alcohols can circulate through the tubes of this circuit. It takes 0.34 liters of coolant per linear meter of the plinth to fill the tube, whose operating temperature can vary between 50-85 degrees. Temperature control is carried out automatically or manually through the collector. The water skirting perfectly adapts to both centralized and autonomous heating systems, while it can even serve as the main source of heat in the room, and not just as an additional one.

The length of each contour of a warm water plinth cannot be longer than 13-15 m, therefore, if the perimeter of a room exceeds this value, then several consecutive autonomous circuits must be installed in it.

Electric warm plinth

The warm electric plinth is heated with the help of heating elements with a power of 200 W per linear meter of the module length. At the same time, the operating temperature does not exceed 60 degrees. All heating elements included in the system are interconnected in parallel. Their work can be regulated through a wall-mounted electronic or electromechanical temperature controller with a built-in ambient temperature sensor.

The heaters are laid in the lower copper tube, and in the upper one there is a special cable with a heat-resistant sheath. The voltage from this cable is transmitted to the electric heaters located under it, which are sections from 0.7 to 2.5 m long.

Advantages and disadvantages of a warm skirting board

Advantages

When using a warm baseboard, almost all restrictions on the arrangement of furniture in the room are removed, as soon as its location close to the walls can lead to its overheating and drying out.
A warm baseboard helps to create a comfortable microclimate in the room, and slow air currents rising along the walls do not raise a lot of dust. The volume of the room will warm up more evenly: the ceiling is not too hot, and the floor is not too cold.
Constant heating of the walls will finally rid them of mold and dampness, and if such heating is used in rooms with a large glazing area, then condensation does not form on the windows.
Due to the small cross section of the tubes, a large volume of coolant is not required, which reduces the cost of its preheating. The coolant circulates more intensively, due to which the heat loss of the system can be reduced by 5%. It also leads to a decrease in the thermal inertia of the system, which responds faster to any adjustment in the operating mode. In the electric version of the warm skirting board, it is possible to save electricity.

Due to the fact that the device does not heat up too much, it is possible to save energy costs. Due to the possibility of separate adjustment for each room, it is possible to maintain the desired temperature in any of them.
Skirting boards are very easy to install, as they consist of ready-made modules that only need to be connected to the heating system or power supply.
Moderate heating of skirting board boxes makes them safe for curtains, furniture and other items located near the walls.
After installation, the skirting boards remain almost invisible, they can organically fit into any interior style, since aluminum protective panels can have different colors.

disadvantages

The high cost of the structure itself.
High energy costs.
This system needs constant functioning.
Due to the low power, the warm plinth system is unable to quickly warm up the room; it will warm up the walls for a long time until they begin to give off heat.

The question is natural - what is better a warm floor or a warm baseboard, because the system of a warm baseboard in many ways resembles its sister underfloor heating system, but at the same time it requires much less effort and cost during its installation.

In addition, a warm floor (primarily water) can not be installed in every room, since a concrete screed needs to be prepared for it. There are no such restrictions for the plinth, all he needs is a flat wall. At the same time, the modular design of the system makes it mobile, so it can be dismantled and assembled in another room if necessary.

Installation of a warm plinth

Training

the climate of the area;
glazing area;
the quality of the thermal insulation of the room.

For a temperate climate, the average power consumption is 100 W/m2. If the dwelling is well insulated, then you can put in it a cheaper and less powerful system.

To connect adjacent modules of the device, it is desirable to use copper soldering - this method is considered the most reliable, since it allows you to withstand high pressure and thanks to this the system can be connected to centralized heating. If copper soldering is not possible, threaded fittings are used. Water from the boiler is supplied through reliable pipes made of polymers.

Installation process using the example of a water system of a warm skirting board

Usually a warm baseboard is connected through a distribution comb or manifold.

For the effective functioning of the system, it is necessary that the length of each heating element does not exceed 13 meters, and then the next element, connected separately to the comb, would work.

Lead pipes from the distribution manifold to the installation site of the panels.

Before installing, mark the installation lines for the panels, keeping in mind that the distance from the box to the floor should be about a centimeter.
Attach the back panel to the marked line and mark the mounting holes, which can then be drilled with a puncher.
Fix the panel with self-tapping screws and plastic dowels or glue. The rear side of the box has stops that provide the necessary indentation of the device from the wall, which is 15 mm.

Stick heat-insulating tape between the skirting board body and the wall, carefully trim the edge of the tape.

Drill 2 holes in the bearing brackets for self-tapping screws, countersink them.

Insert the prepared brackets into the slot of the upper bar with a step of 50 cm.

For corner joints, prepare and install the upper parts of the corners.

Install the bar with brackets on the prepared place on the wall. Attach the brackets with self-tapping screws, drowning their hats.

Break and remove the lower parts of the brackets - they were only needed to maintain the strict parallelism of the installation of the upper bar relative to the lower one.

Insert a PTFE gasket into each bracket.

Prepare the heating module for installation by cutting off excess sections if necessary. To connect the module, it is necessary to remove 2-3 lamellas from the edge. Put on the connecting nuts, rubber gaskets of the fittings and pressure cones on the pipes.

Connect the heating module, tighten the nuts, make the final crimp.

If necessary, make a linear and / or angular connection of the heating modules.

The fully assembled system must be connected to the collector and run a hot coolant there.
Stick the heat reflective tape on the inside of the cover strip and attach the latter to the brackets in engagement: first put the top part of the strip on the hooks of the brackets, then snap the bottom part firmly in place.

You can always choose a decorative closing profile:

A warm skirting board with all the connecting elements is quite expensive, but at the same time it is very effective, and it provides new opportunities for interior design.

Video about the installation of a warm skirting board:

The nuances of installing electrical panels

Due to the high consumption of electrical power, no more than 17 modules can be used together so as not to overload the network.
The electrical cable that feeds the device can be placed outside or inside the wall, covering it with a box.
The device is connected to the power supply through a thermostat, which is conveniently attached to the wall one and a half meters from the floor, and you need to leave free access to it. As a rule, the thermostat is installed next to the sockets.

Calibrate the device before commissioning.

When making a warm plinth with your own hands, you need to consider two possible options for its manufacture:

Option number 1 - from roofing copper

In the first case, the design consists of unannealed copper tubes with a diameter of 12-20 mm and roofing copper sheet with a thickness of 0.4 mm. Such systems are assembled in the following order:

Roofing copper plates must be cut into strips having a width of 15 cm.
Then bend the edges of the resulting strips at a right angle to the base so that the width of the folded part is approximately 7-8 mm. At the same time, the length of the strip itself should not be more than 3 m, otherwise it will be simply inconvenient to work with such blanks.
Then solder the copper tubes to the inside of the case, first bending the ends of the tubes a little to the side to make it easier to install the adapters.
The coolant can be supplied using standard hoses with an inner diameter of 12 mm and fixed with ordinary pipe clamps.
After that, home-made skirting boards must be fixed to the wall using mounting clips, which must be selected according to the diameter of the tubes.

Option number 2 - from aluminum profiles

In another option, standard aluminum profiles are used in the structure, the same as those used for the installation of drywall structures. In this case, the assembly order is as follows:

First, several small holes must be made at the top and bottom of the workpiece through which the profile will be attached to the wall.
After that, lay copper tubes inside it and fix them with aluminum wire.
Then the profile, together with the tubes, must be fixed on the wall in such a way that one of the tubes is higher than the other.
To assemble all the fragments into a single system, the easiest way is to use standard connectors, for example, fittings. The front panels in such boxes can be the same profiles that you just need to paint in a color that is in harmony with the color of the walls of the room.

Would you like to install a warm skirting board system in your home or apartment? Or do you already heat your house this way? Tell us about your plans or accomplishments in the comments.