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So, you are doing repairs in your apartment and decided to install a warm floor. There is no doubt about the advantages of this solution for heating in a modern house – in the cold season, when the main heating is not yet turned on, comfort is increased, you can forget about a runny nose, and if there is a small child at home, then such a solution is practically uncontested. But the warm floor cannot be fully used without a thermostat. KP will tell you how to choose a thermostat for underfloor heating together with Konstantin Livanov, repair specialist with 30 years of experience.
How to choose a thermostat for underfloor heating
Types of thermostats
Thermoregulators, or, as they are called in the old fashioned way, thermostats, have several varieties. Usually they are divided into mechanical, electronic and sensory – according to the method of control. But thermostats can also be distinguished by the scope. So, not every model that can work with electric underfloor heating has the ability to work with water heaters. But there are also universal solutions, for example, the Teplolux MCS 350 thermostat, which is able to work with electric and water heated floors.
Thermostat control method
Mechanical models of thermostats have a simple control, which consists of a power button and a rotary knob with a temperature scale applied in a circle. Such models are cheaper and very easy to learn even for older people. An excellent representative of the class of such devices is Teplolux 510 – for a modest budget, the buyer receives a reliable thermostat with an ergonomic design that can regulate the temperature of warm floors from 5 ° C to 45 ° C.
Electronic thermostats are a screen in a frame and several buttons that control the process of heating the warm floor. Here there are opportunities for fine-tuning, and on some models – already programming a weekly work schedule.
The most popular thermostats are touch models. They use large touch panels on which touch control buttons are located. These models already have remote control and integration into the Smart Home system.
Installing the thermostat
Thermostats have completely different installation methods and, when choosing a device, you should focus on the features of your home and the design in which it is made. So, the most popular form factor today is hidden or built-in. Such a device is designed for installation in the frame of light switches or sockets. This option is convenient because you do not need to think about where and how to install the thermostat, as well as how to power it. So, the Teplolux SMART 25 thermostat is built into the framework of popular European manufacturers and fits perfectly into any design.
The second most popular option is a thermostat that is independent of the installation site, under which you need to make a separate mount in the wall and conduct communications to it. Such models are often chosen, for example, by families with a small child, to place the thermostat higher – so that the playful hands of the baby do not get to control the warm floor. By the way, the MCS 350 thermostat is perfect for this purpose – it has a control panel lock.
A less popular option is installation in an automatic switchboard or DIN rail. This option is good when you want to keep the thermostat away from your eyes and are not going to constantly change the degree of floor heating.
Finally, there are highly specialized models for infrared heating systems that require connection to a 220V outlet.
Protection against moisture and dust
The first digit of the code is defined as the degree of protection of the body from the ingress of solid particles or objects from the outside, the second – as its protection from moisture. The number 3 indicates that the case is protected from foreign particles, wires and tools larger than 2,5 mm.
The number 1 in the international classification code indicates the protection of the body from vertical drops of moisture. IP20 protection class is sufficient for the operation of electrical equipment in normal premises. Devices with a degree of IP31 are installed in switchboards, transformer substations, production workshops, etc., but not in bathrooms.
Thermostat sensors
Sensors are a very important part of any thermostat. So to say, the “basic version” is a remote floor sensor. Roughly speaking, this is a cable that goes from the device into the thickness of the floor straight to the heating element. With it, the thermostat learns how high the temperature of the warm floor is. But this approach has its drawback – the device “does not know” what the actual temperature in the room is, which means that power consumption is inevitable.
The modern approach involves combining a remote and built-in sensor. The latter is located in the thermostat housing and measures the air temperature. Based on these data, the device selects the optimal operating mode for the warm floor. A similar system has successfully proven itself in Teplolux EcoSmart 25. Based on the operation of two sensors, this thermostat has an interesting function called “Open Window”. And with a sharp decrease in the temperature in the room by 3 degrees within five minutes, EcoSmart 25 considers that the window is open and turns off the heating for 30 minutes. As a result – saving electricity for heating.
The innovative design of Smart 25 thermostats was developed by the creative agency Ideation. Design awarded first place in the Home Furnishing Switches, Temperature Control Systems category of the prestigious European Product Design Awards1. It is awarded in cooperation with the European Parliament for innovative design projects.
The thermostats of the Smart 25 series feature a 3D pattern on the instrument surfaces. The slider mechanism is excluded in it and its place is taken by a soft switch with a color indication of the heating level. Now the management of underfloor heating has become clearer and more efficient.
Programming and remote control
There are two features in modern thermostats that dramatically increase their functionality – programming and remote control. The first, as mentioned above, is already found in electronic models. Using the programmer, you can plan the operation of the thermostat for a week in advance. For example, set the inclusion of underfloor heating half an hour before the expected arrival home after work. Some models of the best thermostats have programming-based self-learning. The device memorizes the combinations of time and temperature most favored by the user, after which it independently maintains the most comfortable mode. The Teplolux EcoSmart 25 model is capable of this. Using its example, it is convenient to consider what remote control is in modern temperature controllers.
EcoSmart 25 has control via an application from the user’s smartphone, with which the device connects to the Network. To connect from a mobile device on iOS or Android, install the program SST Cloud. Its interface is designed in such a way that even a person who is far from modern technologies can handle it. Of course, the smartphone also needs access to the Internet. After a simple setup, you can control the underfloor heating through EcoSmart 25 from any city or even any country.
Savings when using a thermostat
The best models of floor thermostats allow you to achieve up to 70% savings on energy bills, which is spent on heating. But this can be achieved only with modern models that allow you to fine-tune the heating process, program work by day and hour, and also have remote control over the Network.