Types of heaters, pros and cons of radiators and underfloor heating

Until the heating season begins, it is worth taking care of the weather in the house.

The coldest time is the end of September and the beginning of October. And in some places it is already cold now. No, it’s still quite emotional on the street. But at home you have to get into warm socks and pajamas. Alexander Krasavin, a specialist in the water supply department of Leroy Merlin, told Wday.ru how to heat a home so that it is comfortable all year round without spending extra money, where are batteries needed, where are heaters, and where is underfloor heating.

It would seem that everything has been invented in the apartment for a long time: there are pipes, there are batteries, nothing else can be done. But no, it turns out you will. And if in your own house you would have to think over the type of boiler room and do other boring things, then you do not need to create an autonomous heating system in a high-rise building. And this is a plus: you can simply improve what is.

About batteries

The choice of a new radiator is a design rather than a technical task. You can buy any battery: different colors, with a different number of sections, with a different type of attachment. The undoubted hit is bimetallic radiators. They are reliable, with good heat dissipation and are ideal for use in a two-pipe heating system, which is found in apartment buildings.

“When choosing a radiator, choose, first of all, a good manufacturer. Only he can guarantee the quality of welding and connecting units, and this is not worth saving on. But what will definitely help you protect yourself from unnecessary spending is point control devices that allow you to achieve maximum thermal comfort in each separate room. Thermostatic heads for radiators will automatically maintain the desired heating temperature. If your house keeps track of individual heat meters, you will notice a reduction in heating costs immediately, ”advises Alexander Krasavin.

About warm floor

If in rooms with windows the heating problem is best solved by radiators, then where there are no windows, but there is high humidity, a warm floor is responsible for comfort. That is, in the toilet and bathroom, if desired, also in the kitchen.

Let’s make a reservation right away: if you decide to make a warm floor, the requirements of legislation and utilities are important. Otherwise, problems will not be avoided when selling an apartment, overhauling, and even when agreeing on a project. A good option is an electric underfloor heating. It used to be thought that making it takes a long time, difficult, expensive, it eats up a lot of space, and then it is expensive to operate – electricity is now expensive. But everything is changing.

“The heating cable can be laid in the floor screed, then it will rise only 3 – 5 cm. If the screed is already in place, you can put the heating mat in the tile adhesive. If you chose not tiles for the floor, but laminate, linoleum or carpet, then use a film infrared heated floor. This option implies the simplest, easiest and fastest installation. But whichever option you choose, installation will be simple, and the degree of reliability and comfort is very high, ”says Alexander Krasavin.

As for costs, there are options for underfloor heating that can save up to 70 percent of electricity due to a programmable thermostat controlled by Wi-Fi. Using the mobile application, you can turn on the device right from bed or on the way from work, and it will be not only pleasant, but also economical. In the application, you can also check the current floor temperature and change it, as well as view the statistics of energy consumption and make sure: such a warm floor will quickly pay off the costs of its purchase.

But this is just the case when nature has already turned on the cold, but the communal services have not yet had central heating. Such a delay can last only a few days, but they are remembered as vividly as the days when hot water is turned off in summer.

In a private house, an ambulance heating aid is needed even more. Those who use the house as a summer cottage and do not even think about the design of the heating system need local heating during any cold snap. Those who live in the house all the time know how sometimes it is necessary to warm up a garage or basement, arrange a small private summer in a garden pavilion, or turn up the heat in other utility rooms. The main requirements for such heaters are the lightness of the device, the heating rate and the safety of use.

There are several types of mobile heaters. They differ from each other in speed and principles of work. For example, electric fan heaters quickly heat up a room using a directed air flow. But it is worth paying attention to the type of heating element. Open-type appliances with a red-hot coil can burn oxygen during operation.

“I do not recommend using them in small rooms where you spend a lot of time: stuffiness, drowsiness, weakness and even a headache will quickly begin to feel. For residential premises, it is better to choose fan heaters with ceramic heating elements. They also burn oxygen, but to a much lesser extent, ”our expert recommends. Industrial heaters – heat guns that run on gas, diesel fuel or electricity – can perfectly cope with heating a garage or other large technical room. Thanks to their high power and large volume of pumped air, they work quickly and efficiently.

Oil radiators are an inexpensive and good solution for an apartment or other living space. They are silent and able to warm up the room, if not quickly, but efficiently.

Infrared heaters are the most economical appliances with a good heating effect. But they heat up nearby objects, which is not always safe.

“If there is no electricity at all on the site, choose a gas infrared device. The main thing is to protect it from children and animals and do not place it close to wooden furniture, otherwise it is an excellent, fast and very effective heater for summer cottages and technical premises, ”says Alexander Krasavin.

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