Wall heating or warm water walls. Warm walls: water, electric, infrared - which are better

Everyone has heard of underfloor heating. What about warm walls? The heating of the walls is not new, it is enough to remember what the walls in ancient temples are like. In them, this is one large chimney, going in a spiral from the furnace. Heat from the source passed through a long chimney tunnel and heated the wall, giving off heat inside.

Modern warm walls would help solve a number of heating issues:

• Cut off the cold from the street.
• Get rid of convection due to the rejection of traditional heating radiators, which means dust in the air.
• Increase the heating area, respectively reduce the temperature of the heated surface and make the heating process uniform and more comfortable for the inhabitants of the house.

However, if you make a warm wall in the traditional way, then there is a high probability of damage during the repair process. Judge for yourself how to hang a shelf and not damage the tube through which the coolant flows?

If you do electric heating of the walls, then the core can still be found using a special device, however, the dust attracted by the electromagnetic field will create an intricate pattern on the walls, which, you see, will not be very pleasant to please the eye.

3THERMO has found a way out of this difficult situation. The company's engineers designed the radiators in such a way that the coolant flows only in its lower part, and due to the fact that the radiators are made of aluminum alloys, which have good thermal conductivity, heat spreads throughout the wall. The grid from which the radiator is made plays the role of reinforcement for the plaster applied to it. Such a heating system is mounted before applying plaster to the walls. Due to the large area of ​​the radiator and its low temperature, special compounds for leveling the walls are not required. During operation, the plaster will not crack, the manufacturer of radiators for warm walls promises.

If desired, such a radiator can also be placed in a horizontal plane, then it will turn out to be an analogue of the warm floor that is so familiar to us.

Such radiators are connected in series with a special rubber hose. It has a reinforced structure, while remaining flexible enough, which is important for passing corners where a small bend radius plays a role without refractions, this will significantly save on fittings. The rubber hose withstands high temperatures, so that if there is a malfunction in the heating system, nothing will happen to it even at temperatures of 120 ° C.

The hose is fixed with special clamps using pliers. It's fairly quick and easy. In general, the design is very easy to install.

After plastering, we get walls without unnecessary protrusions. Below is a video of this system, though in Polish.

Photo: 3THERMO
Text: Varvara Ilitskaya

They began to make warm water walls in Europe, although we have already introduced this method of heating under the advice. The development and calculations were not carried out by anyone, but by entire research institutes (research institutes). You can still find houses where low-temperature heating systems are embedded in the walls. So the method is far from new.

Features of warm walls

Lateral heat radiation is most comfortable for people.

Warm walls are water and electric. For water pipes, pipes made of polyethylene metal-plastic with a degree of cross-linking from 70% are used. For electrical heating, it is allowed to use a single-core or two-core thick cable (5 mm) or a thin cable (2.5 mm) glued to a fiberglass mesh. Last produced in rolls.

Warm walls are a great alternative when underfloor heating is not possible - in garages, workshops, warehouses, small double bedrooms, simply filled with furniture rooms, etc. It is possible to combine these two heating systems. Features of warm walls:

• the air does not overheat;
• you can save from 3 to 6% of energy;
• heating of the room occurs in a radiant way;
• no convection - no dust.

Thanks to the radiant heating method, the room temperature can be lowered by 2 degrees. This will not affect comfort in any way, respectively, you can save on energy.

You can not force the walls with furniture in order to make the most efficient use of thermal energy. Lateral radiation of heat is most comfortable for people, besides, there are no strong temperature drops from above and below the room.

Warm walls as heating are more efficient than underfloor heating in rooms with high humidity, since no energy is spent on evaporating water. For example, in the bathroom. Heating can be mounted both on external walls and on internal partitions. In the second case, one circuit can heat two rooms at once. Making water warm walls with your own hands is more difficult than electric ones. But, despite this, they almost never resort to installing an electric cable on walls under plaster, preferring a low-temperature water heating system.

The need for insulation

In the bathroom, you can put electric heating mats directly under the tiles.

To make external warm water walls with your own hands, it is necessary to insulate. Thermal insulation is laid outside. Although this will lead to an overexpenditure of the energy carrier for heating the walls, the dew point will be shifted to the heater, and condensate will not settle. About , we have already discussed in one of the articles. Depending on the method of insulation (wet or ventilated facade), materials are selected:

• Styrofoam;
• mineral wool;
• polyurethane foam;
• ecowool;
• penoizol and others.

It also needs to be correct . For the Moscow region, the thermal insulation layer should be 8-10 cm. In extreme cases, if external insulation is not possible, thermal insulation can be laid from the inside. To do this, it is convenient to use warm panels for walls with aluminum inserts, which, after laying out the contour, are sewn up with drywall.

Layout of the contour of warm walls

A horizontal snake is preferable to a vertical one.

The wiring of warm water walls is carried out by a horizontal or vertical snake. The snail laying method makes it difficult to remove air pockets, so it is not used. The coolant moves from the bottom up, from the floor to the ceiling. With vertical wiring, there is a problem of air removal in the upper half rings. With horizontal wiring, it is easier to expel air. Unlike a warm floor, the pipe laying step is not limited, as temperature changes are allowed. You can use a variable step to achieve a temperature distribution in the room close to ideal conditions:

• from the floor to a height of 120 cm, pipes are laid in increments of 10-15 cm;
• in the interval of 120-180 cm, the step is 20-25 cm;
• above 180 cm, the step can be 30-40 cm.

The contour is laid under the screed or drywall (wet and dry methods).

We have already told. With the walls, everything happens in the same way, so we will not repeat ourselves. During dry installation, a sheet of galvanized corrugated board is attached to the wall in order to increase the heat exchange area. A PEX pipe made by any of the stitching methods (a, b, c) is placed in the grooves. Drywall is screwed onto the corrugated board.

On warm water walls, according to reviews, it is necessary to put a separate . In the vertical low-temperature circuit, the coolant velocity must be at least 0.25 m/s. The water pressure must be strong enough to squeeze out any air that may have accumulated in the system. By the way, a warm floor is devoid of such a problem, although a pump is often also needed for it. Warm walls are connected to the main heating system through a collector unit, in which thermostats and an automatic air vent are installed.

Installation of warm walls in wooden houses is allowed. In this case, only the dry method of finishing is suitable. It is not necessary to use corrugated board. It is possible to lay the contour between the crate, having previously laid the reflective insulation with foil inside the room. At the same time, Penofol is not enough for normal insulation, it is just a screen for IR rays.

Wall heating is an environmentally friendly, practical and aesthetic solution for the home.

The warm wall heating system is an alternative to traditional radiators. In our country, these systems are used quite recently, but in fact they are not a new invention. The idea of ​​wall heating was actually known in antiquity.

Warm wall system - heating in a new way

Panel heating in the wall, as in the "underfloor heating" system, can be water or electric.

• the water system includes collectors connected by pipes through which water flows, giving off heat to the walls;
• in the case of an electrical system, electrical heating cables are used.

Both methods of heating a room have both advantages and disadvantages. Heated walls radiate heat into the room very gently and do not cause dust to float. The disadvantage may be the high cost of installation and the inability to put high furniture near the walls. A separate issue is the requirements for thermal insulation of vertical partitions.

A photo. Heating in the wall

Water heating in the wall

Installation of heating in the wall consists of connecting and fixing manifolds interconnected by pipes. To implement such a project, multilayer pipes made of plastic or copper can be used. Copper heating pipes in the wall are not used too often due to their relatively high price.

The pipe is installed in the inner layer of the wall on a permanent basis, it is laid vertically, horizontally or wavy. The temperature of the water in the pipes must be less than 50 degrees Celsius, as stronger thermal radiation can adversely affect the well-being of people in the room. The optimum water temperature range is 30-45 degrees Celsius. The thermal energy that is able to pass through a wall with water heating is about 200-280 W / m².

A water heated wall has an advantage over an electric one, as it is cheaper to operate, in addition, the heating system can be converted into a cooling system. When there is cold water in the pipes in summer, the surface will give a pleasant coolness to the room, which will lower the air temperature.

After laying the pipes, the surface is covered with plaster or drywall sheets, and then finished according to your preferences. It should be taken into account that water pipes have a relatively large cross-section, which will affect the thickness of the partition wall and, to some extent, reduce the area of ​​the room. An interesting offer is prefabricated plasterboard panels designed for installation of pipes in them. This solution is made in the form of two plates, between which the heating system is already built.

Advantages and disadvantages of the "warm walls" system in comparison with the "warm floor" system:

• temperature distribution in the case of warm walls is more even in height, in the case of underfloor heating the temperature decreases with increasing height above the floor level;
• most of the heat is transferred by radiation - 90%, and 10% by convection. In the case of a heated floor, these proportions are: 70% by radiation, by convection 30%;
• there is no problem of thermal resistance of the flooring, for example, the phenomenon of drying out of the wooden floor;
• the temperature of the wall surface can be up to 35 °C, so you can get a higher thermal efficiency per 1 m²; for a room temperature of 20 ° C, the thermal efficiency is 140-160 W/m², and in the case of underfloor heating, this value is usually 80 W/m² (increasing only in wall areas up to 120 W/m²);
• in wall heating, it is also possible to use a higher water supply temperature than in a floor heating system, even up to 55 °C, while the water temperature in underfloor heating rarely reaches 45 °C;
• in the system of warm walls, the thickness of the plaster coating is less (about 1.5 cm) than the concrete layer with underfloor heating (about 4.5 cm). As a result, wall heating has less thermal inertia, which makes it easier to control the room temperature;
• wall heating can be successfully used in summer for cooling rooms.

Disadvantages of a water heating system for walls:

• Often in a heated room we have too little wall surface as the only source of heat, considering that it is most expedient to heat the outer wall as a "cold barrier". Its surface is usually small due to the presence of windows and balcony doors. Therefore, sometimes we have to install heating pipes in internal partitions (but they can be covered by tall cabinets), or we are forced to supplement the system with underfloor heating or another heater, such as a fireplace.
• When mounting interior decor items and electronics (such as paintings and a TV) on the wall, make sure that the mounting fasteners do not damage the pipes.
• External walls must satisfy the condition that the heat transfer coefficient U ≤ 0.4 W/m². This condition is met in standard walls in new buildings, but in the case of old buildings it is necessary to insulate the wall.

Wet and dry mounting systems

The most commonly used technical solutions for the installation of wall heating can be divided into two ways:

1. "wet" method (with coating of heating pipes with a layer of plaster);
2. "dry" method (coated with plasterboard).

"Wet" way

This method is used to install pipes in the outer walls. The pipes are laid in a meander, preferably horizontally, with a pipe spacing of 15, 20 or 25 cm. This solution allows for the most efficient heating and minimum pipe bending radii.

In cases where the distance between the pipes is from 5 to 10 cm, they should be arranged in a double meander.

It is also possible to lay pipes in a winding vertical shape or even in a volute shape, but such solutions can cause problems in operation in the form of air pockets.

The most commonly used for warm walls are X-PE / Al / PE-X multilayer pipes and pipes made of polyethylene PE-X or PE-RT with a diameter of 14 mm, the length of the coil with the approach to the distributor should not exceed 80 m.

The distance from the pipe to adjacent walls, window and door openings, floor and ceiling must be at least 10 cm. The distance between the mounting profiles must be no more than 50 cm.

In the wet installation system, gypsum plaster with low thermal expansion is most often used, which is characterized by high thermal conductivity and resistance to temperature. The plaster is applied in layers. The first layer should cover the heating elements and be about 20mm thick. Then a mesh of plastic or fiberglass with cells of at least 7 x 7 mm is pressed into the plaster. The mesh should be wrapped onto the adjacent wall. The canvas is then covered with another layer of plaster having a thickness of 10-15 mm. The total plaster layer with pipes is about 40 mm.

A complete wet-wall heating system is shown in the figure.

"Dry" method

The simplest version of the installation of the "warm walls" heating system is in the dry method, when the pipes are mounted between the profiles of the plasterboard wall. In addition, you can lay heating pipes on the slopes of the attic roof. This method causes certain difficulties in implementation - for example, the need to cut grooves in the mounting profile to allow the passage of vertical pipes. In addition, the calculation should take into account the low thermal conductivity of such a wall, since there is a layer of air between the pipes and the drywall plate.

Electric heating system in the walls

Although this system is more expensive to operate than water, it is often used. This is dictated primarily by the small size of the electrical cables and, therefore, the possibility of avoiding excessive thickening of the walls. Other advantages are the speed and ease of laying the cable, as well as the easy control of the resulting heating system.

However, such a system has many disadvantages. This is, first of all, an increase in electricity bills, which are now quite expensive. The accident rate of the system should also be noted, since the electric cable can burn out when the outflow of heat from the walls is blocked, for example, by a large furniture set located close to the wall. It is also worth considering the electromagnetic field that arises in this case, which can adversely affect our mood.

Electric wall heating is created from two-wire wires connected on one side, or from single-core wires connected on both sides. The wires are laid in loops of a certain wavelength. After installing the system, the walls are covered with drywall slabs and finished in any way - for painting, for wallpaper, or for laying ceramic tiles.

Heating "warm wall" - the pros and cons

Interest in the wall heating system is growing from year to year, but the so-called heated floors still have absolute superiority. At the same time, electric wall heating or warm water walls are very similar in principle to underfloor heating and are not yet very popular due to the fact that they are little known.

The benefits of warm walls

• Environmental friendliness.
• High aesthetics (lack of visible radiators, which often limit the possibilities of interior design).
• More hygienic than traditional heating and underfloor heating because indoor air is cleaner (not polluted by dust from convection currents from the floor and less dry).
• In addition, contrary to popular belief, a "warm wall" heating system can be economical, as it makes it possible to lower the temperature by one to two degrees without sacrificing thermal comfort. While using traditional radiators and heating the room to a temperature of 18-20 degrees Celsius, we will feel cold, warm walls will help us feel absolutely comfortable, due to the transfer of a significant part of the thermal energy in the form of infrared radiation.

The most serious disadvantages of warm walls were mentioned at the very beginning of the article, namely, their high cost. In addition, in this case, the problems associated with the thermal insulation of the building manifest themselves more negatively. If the walls have a heat transfer coefficient U greater than 0.3 W/m²K, the “warm walls” heating system will not be effective. In this case, there are two solutions. The first is the insulation of the walls from the outside. Another is the rejection of the system of warm walls.

» is well known to Russians and has been used for heating apartments and private houses for decades. But the analogue - warm walls - is just gaining popularity. Let's study the European experience and understand in what situations warm walls are indispensable and beneficial, and when it is better to do with traditional heating methods.

Warm walls - the pros and cons of the system

Warm walls for home heating are widely used in many European countries. For example, in Germany, entire residential complexes are being built, where the premises are heated only by warm walls without installing radiators. At the same time, domestic experts do not cease to assert that the "warm wall" system is good as an additional source of heat. But not the only one.

Advantages of warm walls:

– High efficiency. Manufacturers and sellers of this equipment claim a figure of 85%. Against 60% of central heating radiators.

– Large heated surface area. Due to which the air in the room heats up faster, which allows you to save a lot on resource consumption.

– Unique thermal effect. The heating temperature of the coolant is much lower than in traditional batteries. And this also contributes to savings. Regular expenses for housing heating are reduced by 6-11% in the next month after the installation of the system.

- Comfortable atmosphere. Warm walls belong to the so-called radiant heating. Unlike the convection system, this heating is as close as possible to natural heat and has a positive effect on the condition of humans and animals. In addition, with radiant heating, there is practically no circulation of dust in the air, which facilitates breathing and improves the well-being of residents.

– No exposed heating elements. Which, of course, excludes burns (especially in a house with small children) and does not overheat the air. It is much easier to maintain the optimal level of humidity during the heating season.

- Among the advantages of warm walls, comfort occupies the first place. A person can talk for a long time about technical subtleties, for example, about the favorable temperature difference between the supply and return circuits, but first of all, he will evaluate this particular indicator - whether he is comfortable or not in a room with warm walls. Pleasant tactile sensations, when the palm touches not a cold, but a warm wall, are complemented by an obvious feeling of warmth in the whole room, and not just near the radiator or underfoot.

Disadvantages of warm walls:

– Installation costs. In addition to buying the product itself, you will have to pay for installation and related work.

- Difficult to install and operate. The point here is not in the system itself, but in the fact that it is located inside the wall, which requires appropriate internal and external surface finishing, including rough finishing, heat and waterproofing, installation of heat-reflecting panels, etc. Further, during the operation of the system, even the most reliable, malfunctions may occur. Access to pipes or cables will be possible after the dismantling of several layers of the wall. And this leads to additional expenses and then requires unplanned expenses for repeated repairs. True, they can be avoided by using for wall decoration, for example, not a concrete screed, but removable false panels.

- Requirements for the interior. A room with warm walls should be freed as much as possible from wall furniture and accessories. Such as carpets, large panels, walls, wardrobes. Otherwise, the installation of the system is considered useless. Heat will not pass through the additional barrier and will not warm the room.

- Failure to agree. Water warm walls, however, like floors, are an option for private houses. In the apartment, the connection of such systems to the central water supply and heating is prohibited by law. No authority will approve such a plan. Electrical systems are suitable for the apartment. They are quite easy to install, but costly for large rooms in terms of electricity consumption. The way out is to install warm walls in one room: a nursery or a bathroom.

Scope of application, variants and general installation rules

Warm walls are intended for the following rooms:

• Halls and living rooms
• Auditoriums, classrooms, conference rooms (for non-residential buildings)
• Children's rooms (safe, adjustable, maintain the optimal level of humidity for the child)
• Bathrooms (help fight mold and mildew)
• Swimming pools, baths, saunas

Warm walls are water and electric

In warm water walls, a hot coolant circulates, namely water. Hot water enters the pipeline from the installed heating boiler. The pipeline is connected to the collector, a circulation pump and a thermostat must be installed. The pump will be responsible for the speed of movement of the coolant, respectively, and for the speed of heating the room, and the thermostat will ensure that the optimum temperature of the system is maintained. Installation of such a complex of equipment will cost more, but it will save you from problems in operation.

Water walls are assembled from copper, metal-plastic, polypropylene pipes or stainless steel pipes of small diameter. Stacked in only two ways - vertically or horizontally. The “snail” method, characteristic of a warm floor, thanks to which it is possible to master the heated area more densely, while laying the pipeline more compactly, is excluded due to the formation of air congestion.

How is the water system installed? The walls are cleaned and leveled, heat and waterproofing are laid, heat-reflecting panels are installed, and the pipeline is installed. A special supporting mesh (lattice) is placed on top, on which plaster or drywall is applied.

The type of wall that is planned to be heated is important. If this is an external wall, insulation is required. As well as the use of frost-resistant materials. If it is internal, you can do without insulation and, thereby, kill two birds with one stone. If "warm walls" are mounted on an adjacent structure, then the heat will spread in both directions - about 70% of the heat will fall on the main room, and 30% on the adjacent one.

When laying pipes in the wall, you must follow the step. Chaotic installation does not contribute to the uniform distribution of heat over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. The standard step is:

• At a distance of 1.2 meters from the floor, pipes are laid in increments of 10-15 cm
• At a distance of 1.2 m to 1.8 m - step 20-25 cm
• At a distance of 1.8m. - step 30-40 cm

It is clear that when installing warm walls at the facility, the master takes into account the features of the room, including the height of the ceilings.

Before closing the pipeline of warm walls, it is tested at maximum pressure for 1.5-2 hours. If no leaks are found, further finishing is carried out.

Electric warm walls are presented on the market in two types - cable and film.

Cable heat-insulated floors are made of a single-core or two-core cable with a diameter of 2-10 mm. They are connected to the mains, for which they use a separate line so as not to overload the main one. Installation of the electrical system differs little from the water system: cleaning, leveling the wall, insulation, installation of the mounting frame, cable laying, finishing.

The cable is laid horizontally or vertically, keeping an average distance of 10 cm from each line. At the same time, they should not intersect and be away from other heating and electrical equipment at a distance of less than 10 cm.

Film warm walls are sold in the form of electric mats. They represent the same cable, only thin, fixed on fiberglass or textile mesh. The mats are twisted into rolls, when buying, the sellers simply cut off the desired “piece”, according to the dimensions of the customer’s wall. Electric mats are easy to install - they do not require the installation of a frame and any fastener. Mounted on the wall with a special adhesive. This option is the most beneficial for small spaces. Due to the thin cable, the room area is not significantly reduced, i.e. installation of warm walls "does not eat up" meters. And the power that the mats have is not the largest compared to conventional electrical systems, will slightly affect the amount of utility bills.

Film systems also include infrared warm walls. They are produced in the form of the thinnest polymer film, inside which heating elements are soldered in the form of flexible wires. Such a film is universal - suitable for floors, walls and ceilings. It is connected to the network, controlled by a thermostat, fits under any decorative coating. In some cases, wall mounting of infrared film is acceptable.

• Temperature control accurate to the degree
• Timer
• Delayed start
• Switch on and work only at night
• Remote control
• Room cooling in summer

Take advantage of our "warm walls" heating system.

The desire to improve and modernize things that are already quite effective sometimes leads not only to the appearance of another blade on a razor or even smaller micro-bristles on a toothbrush, but also to real cost savings and higher thermal comfort. So, the technology of creating a warm wall, today is increasingly of interest to those who are trying to thoroughly study the features of each heating system.

Today, in addition to traditional radiator systems, floor, ceiling, and wall heating systems have been developed. All of them have taken root in the market in different ways. I must say that the popularity of one or another principle of heating largely depends on the awareness, first of all, of masters of heating engineers. It is no secret that very often people whose qualifications leave much to be desired are engaged in the installation of a heating system. Many of them are tolerably proficient in only one technology, and are not at all interested in its alternatives. However, when they receive some “exotic” order from a client, they boldly take on its implementation, not wanting to lose earnings. But before that, they will still try to dissuade the client from an unconventional undertaking in favor of their “native” technology.

All this was said to the fact that we all often become hostages of non-professionals, but no one forbids us to become more literate ourselves and make our housing comfortable, economical and environmentally friendly.

Why is wall heating good?

First of all, high thermal comfort. In "warm wall" systems, heat is distributed throughout the room most evenly and exclusively through thermal radiation. A warm wall acts as a source of this radiation, and since a person is an upright creature, he can absorb the heat coming from the side most of all. The work of a warm wall is very clearly shown by an example with a snow-covered slope in bright sunny weather. Despite the fact that the air temperature is well below zero, we are warm, because we are in a zone of intense diffuse radiation emanating not only from the sun itself, but also from white reflective surfaces. As soon as we go into the shade, the thermal effect instantly stops and thermal comfort disappears in the place with it.

If a warm wall is used in the room, then thermal comfort is achieved already at 17-18°C. This is several degrees lower than with traditional radiator heating, which cannot but affect the savings. By the way, with wall heating, there are no radiators in the room, which affects the aesthetics for the better. So, the "warm wall" system is a high thermal comfort, cost savings and the absence of protruding heating elements.

Varieties of wall heating

Warm wall systems differ in the way these walls are heated. The first type is the oldest air heating wall. Today, air heating looks a little different than in ancient Rome, but its essence remains the same. The heating element is located at the bottom, and between the finishing layer and the bearing part of the wall there is an air gap, the air in which, when heated, gives off heat to the wall.

This heating system is called hypocaustic. Ideally, the walls of the house should be constructed from hollow blocks, which, laid in a certain way, would form communicating air channels inside the wall. Directly above the floor, a niche is provided in which the heating element will be located (usually a laid copper pipe connected to a water heating circuit).

Air heated wall, in principle, can be created with any design of its supporting part and in the absence of a niche near the floor. For this, a plasterboard false wall is made, behind which there is an air space heated in a similar way. In both cases, the wall heats up and radiates heat into the room.

A warm wall with air heating can be open. In this case, warm air, rising through the air channels, enters the room through the holes near the ceiling. In closed systems, air circulates within the wall through convection.

Wall heating water surface type in principle, it is very similar to the system of underfloor heating. Copper, plastic or metal-plastic pipes are laid on the wall with a coil, through which the coolant is supplied. Pipes are securely fixed with special fasteners. The direction of laying (horizontal or vertical) is largely irrelevant, since the function of the pipes is to directly heat the wall. The pipes themselves are covered with a layer of plaster (by no means warm) or another finish with good heat transfer properties.

Warm wall with electric heating arranged in a manner similar to the previous one, with the only difference that in place of the water pipes are special electric heating elements. Electric heating films can also be used, which are quite convenient to install. However, experts recommend using films only from European manufacturers, since they have a longer service life. The weak point of Asian films is in the oxidation of contacts, which must be made of high-conductivity alloys manufactured using a special technology.

Quite rare is the method of heating the wall with the help of heat pipes, inside of which there is a volatile liquid. A system of such tubes is laid in the wall, and a collector with a coolant passes below. Easily evaporating liquid boils and in the vapor state rises through the tubes, giving off heat to the wall. It must be said that this method of heat transfer is one of the most efficient in terms of energy savings. The fact is that as a result of the use of heat pipes, the volume of coolant in the system is reduced by 5-8 times. This system is less inertial, i.e. more controllable and heats up faster in the event of a "cold start".

Where can a warm wall be installed?

Although a warm wall is an alternative to traditional radiators, it is still best to use it in conjunction with a floor heating system. To achieve high thermal comfort, the proportions of wall and floor heating must be adjusted. It is advisable to give priority to a warm wall in the living room, dining room and children's room. Bathrooms and kitchens will need more underfloor heating as these spaces are small and don't require a lot of energy to heat them. And, finally, the installation of a warm wall on glazed verandas and in winter gardens is not at all suitable, where the floor area is much larger than the wall area.

The "warm wall" system with a surface water or electric heater has several disadvantages, although not very significant. Firstly, it is advisable not to cover a warm wall with furniture, you can’t hang carpets on it, and in general it is necessary to block it as little as possible with various materials that have low thermal conductivity. Secondly, an attempt to drive a picture nail into it may result in damage to the heating pipe or electric heating element. To accurately determine the sections of the passage of thermal channels, a special map of the wall is drawn up, according to the coordinates of which free places are then found. Also, for this purpose, you can use special thermal films that change color depending on the surface temperature. With the help of such a film, it is easy to find a thermal channel located in the wall.

IMPORTANT: before creating a warm wall, it is necessary to think over the furnishing of the room. The greatest restrictions apply to built-in furniture: it is absolutely pointless to heat the contents of the closet!

Benefits of wall heating

The temperature of the coolant in a warm wall usually does not exceed 30-35°C, and this makes it compatible with solar collectors, heat pumps and other low-temperature sources.

The elements of the warm wall system are made so that they can be easily mounted even by yourself, however, the system design must be carried out by a specialist. Its effectiveness will largely depend on this.

A huge plus, thanks to which the same thermal comfort is achieved, is the absence of air drying and adverse air ionization, which occur with high-temperature heating methods.

Speaking of ionization, which for some reason is given so little attention when choosing a heating method. From the school physics course, we know that positively and negatively charged particles are respectively called cations and anions. So, it turns out that cations, being in the air, increase the movement of dust, viruses and various allergens present in every apartment. Beam monitors and kinescopes, as well as hot metal surfaces, such as radiators, contribute to positive air ionization. Numerous studies have established that the atmosphere in rooms where there is a high concentration of cations cannot be called healthy.

Anions - negatively charged particles, on the contrary, improve the well-being of a person. At the level of sensations, this manifests itself as freshness, ease of breathing, cheerfulness. In order to increase the amount of anions in the air, it is necessary to use special ionizers, but it is also possible to achieve the desired ratio of cations and anions by reducing positive ionization, i.e., by eliminating the cause of cations.

Warm wall systems exclude air contact with hot metal surfaces, and therefore, in a room with such heating, balance is maintained between positively and negatively charged particles.