Frequently asked questions – ECOFLOOR

Question:
Is it possible to have electric floor heating as the main heating system for the whole house? 

Answer:
Of course. Electric floor heating is a completely standard way of economically and ecologically heating buildings. We will be happy to provide a price quotation for your project. We only need:

• a properly dimensioned floor plan and cross-section of the building
• the composition of floors (including the floor covering), walls and ceilings in the direction interior → exterior
• the heat loss of the building (this is not necessary but it will speed up the creation of the price offer)

Question:
Which heating system should be chosen with regard to the floor covering?

Answer:
Ecofloor heating cables/mats can be laid in concrete, anhydrite, self-levelling material or glue under floor tiling and glued floor coverings (PVC, vinyl, …). In the case of glued floor coverings on dry-installed floor structures (OSB, gypsum boards, …), the thickness of the layer must be at least triple the diameter of the cable used (approximately 15 mm).
In the case of floating floors, we recommend the installation of Ecofilm heating foil directly under the floor covering. Heating foils cannot be installed under floating floors in bathrooms. AL-MAT heating mats can be installed under floating floors in bathrooms.

Question:
What is more suitable for the heating of bathrooms, a cable or a mat?

Answer:
The use of a mat or cable depends mainly on the shape of the heated area. In the case of a bathroom which isn't very irregular and where there is no e.g. curved bath tub or curved shower box, a heating mat can be used. The spacing between the loops is fixed and thus the mat's width and length is also unchangeable, and you can only cover a corresponding surface area with it. If you wish to cover the whole surface of the bathroom or copy the shape of, say, an arch around the bathtub, the use of a heating cable is more suitable as well as more labour intensive. With heating cables the spacing of loops must be calculated in advance, and it must be strictly adhered to.

Question:
I have a flat in an apartment building constructed from concrete panels and I would like to install floor heating in the bathroom. What would you recommend?

Answer:
As the floors in apartment buildings of this type have bad thermal insulation, I recommend laying F-board insulation on the floor first. These boards provide additional heat insulation and will speed up the start-up time of the floor significantly. With F-board insulation, the floor will heat up within 30 minutes, without it in approximately 2.5 hours; it can happen that the floor doesn't actually heat up at all if the apartment is on the ground floor. I recommend laying a heating mat or a heating cable on the insulation boards and applying flexible sealant. A floor probe must be used for temperature regulation.

Question:
Can heating cables and mats be divided and shortened?

Answer:
Heating cables cannot be divided or shortened under any circumstances. Only the cold leads of these cables and mats can be shortened. Mats/fabric can be divided and shortened in such a way that the insulation of the heating cable isn't damaged when the fabric is divided, and the heating cable mustn't be shortened or strained under tension. The fabric can be cut with standard scissors as needed. 

Question:
What is the surface temperature of a heated floor, and how long will it take for it to get warm?

Answer:
According to hygiene standards, the surface temperature of heated floors in habitable rooms can be 28 °C at most. The surface temperature of heated floors in bathrooms and washrooms isn't limited by a standard and therefore can be even higher than 30 °C. The time taken for the heated floor to reach the required temperature depends on the structure surrounding it. If a heating mat is installed under floor tiling in flexible sealant on a heat-insulated concrete base, the floor will heat up to 27 °C in about 1.5 hours when the room temperature is 20 °C. If you use F-board insulation, a similar temperature can be reached within approximately 30 minutes.

Question:
What is the lifespan of Ecofilm and Ecofloor?

Answer:
The lifespan of both products depends on the operating hours, the method of laying, and the regulation system. If the heating and regulation systems are designed correctly, the minimum lifespan is 30 to 50 years. The upper limit of the lifespan depends on the operating hours of the heating system. In the case of poor installation or design, the lifespan is shortened significantly. Generally speaking, the above mentioned products have a lifespan which equals that of the construction element housing them. The company provides a 10 year warranty for Ecofilm and Ecofloor products if installation instructions are adhered to completely.

Question:
Can thermal insulation in the floor be replaced with aluminium foil?

Answer:
No, it can't. On the contrary, aluminium would conduct heat well. Shiny objects such as aluminium foil can be used for the reflection of infrared rays in space.

Question:
How to regulate the temperature in the floor when a hot-air fireplace is used occasionally?

Answer:
If you only have a room thermostat (possibly with a sensor in the floor which limits the hygienic limit of the floor temperature, 28 °C), it will switch off the floor heating when the room is heated with a supplementary heater, with a hot-air fireplace in this case, and the floor will cool down. This mode is economical but it may not be comfortable.
If you only have a probe in the floor, the floor will be constantly warm when the fireplace is used. This may be comfortable but it certainly cannot be called economical.

There is no clear answer to this issue and it depends on each customer individually. Some people like to be more economical, while others are happy to pay for comfort whatever it may cost.

Question:
What is the suggested wattage per square metre for the heating of pavements and drives, and how long does it take before snow starts melting?

Answer:
250 W/m²–300 W/m². With regards to the high wattage involved, cables are not installed across the whole surface but only in exposed locations (car “tracks”, a “path” along a pavement). It can take quite a long time to reach temperatures which are sufficient for the melting of snow on outside surfaces. Even several hours, depending on the weather. In extremely low temperatures or when it is snowing, the snow or frost may not melt at all on the surface.

Question:
How is the protection of gutters and downspouts designed, and what type of regulation should be chosen?

Answer:
For standard gutters and downspouts (diameter of 150 mm) a wattage of 30–40 W/m per square metre is installed, or 60 W/m and more at altitudes around 1000 m and above (after evaluation of local conditions). Cable with a wattage of 20 W/m is used, and it is installed in the gutter or downspout at least twice (thus covering a larger surface), rather than installing only a single, more powerful cable. Gutter grips are used for the attachment of the cable in the gutter and downspout grips for attachment in the downspout. The grips are installed with approx. 25 cm spacing. The spacing of cable in the gutter should be 50–80 mm. On roofs, the cable is installed in a “saw-tooth” configuration spaced out in such a way that the wattage per square metre is approximately 200 W/m². For altitudes of around 1000 m and more it should be at least 250 W/m². Thermostats with the option of connecting humidity and temperature sensors are used for the protection of gutters and downspouts.

Question:
How is the anti-freeze protection of pipes designed, and what type of regulation should be chosen?

Answer:
For the protection of pipes, cables mainly with a wattage of 10 W/m and PFP cables are used. The total wattage of the cable depends on the temperature of the surroundings, the thickness and type of heat insulation and the required temperature of the transported medium. A thermostat with the option of connecting a temperature sensor placed on the pipe must be used for the protection of the pipe against frost.

Question:
I use gas for heating, and water radiators heat my residence to the required temperature, but the floor is cold. I would like supplement my heating system with a floor heating mat or foil from your standard range to make my bathroom and kitchen more comfortable. This system would only be used on a short-term basis, perhaps 3 to 4 hours per day. Can this system be controlled only by a standard switch, possibly with a time switch without a thermostat? 

Answer:
If heating cables are installed under floor tiling in flexible sealant, no form of heating regulation needs to be used unless the installed wattage exceeds 160 W/m², and providing that the system isn't used as the main source of heat. In the case of heating foils, a thermostat with a floor probe is necessary in order not to violate the conditions of the producers of laminate floors which state that the floor temperature mustn't exceed 28 °C.

Question:
We are planning electric floor heating for several rooms in a newly built wooden house. A fireplace inlay will be used as the main source of heating and therefore we only want to warm the floors with ceramic tiling for a pleasant feeling. The floor isn't finished yet – we are planning a “dry” construction – i.e. sleeper with backfill, floor slab, glue – heating mat – ceramic floor tiling. I would like to ask for advice as to what kind of floor slab is suitable under floor heating, and the wattage sufficient for keeping the floor warm.

Answer:
Floor slab type isn't a decisive factor for the correct function of floor heating. What is important is the heat insulation used in the floor. OSB boards, chipboard or cetris boards can be used. For heat insulation, I recommend using at least 7 cm of extruded polystyrene or mineral wool. In permanently inhabited rooms (living room, kitchen, etc.), we recommend the installation of a wattage of 100 W/m²; 160 W/m² can be installed in other rooms (bathroom, corridor).

Question:
Where is it suitable to place the thermostat sensor when Ecofloor heating mats and F-board insulation are used? The sensor is relatively thick. 

Answer:
I recommend placing the temperature sensor into a gooseneck in such a way that it can be pulled out easily if it breaks down. Place the sensor in the gooseneck between the cable loops. As the gooseneck will stick out, a groove needs to be cut in the F-board insulation and possibly also in the base.

Question:
We are planning the total reconstruction of a house and we would like to install your ECOFLOOR system but we are not sure about the following: 1. Do we have the right wattage (?) – there is a three-phase energy meter and a functional 1 × 25 A circuit breaker in the house. Originally, an electric boiler was connected, as well as 2 boilers and an old electric cooker which was later replaced with gas – what circuit breakers do we need? 2. We are planning floor tiling for the whole house – we have to lay new floors, there is no waterproofing + heat insulation, and new floors will be put on the original ones. What base is the best for the ECOFLOOR system? The total area of the house will be 91 m², ground floor only.

Answer:
The wattage of the heating and consequently the size of the circuit breaker depend on the heat loss. However, as the house was previously heated by an electric boiler, 3 × 25 A should be sufficient. You have to have the D45 electricity tariff. I would recommend the following floor composition if you have enough space:

1. concrete base
2. waterproofing
3. 7 to 10 cm of polystyrene
4. concrete layer of 5 to 7 cm
5. Ecofloor heating mat and floor tiling

Question:
How deep should the temperature probe be placed with regard to the ECOFLOOR mat? Does it have to be the same as the mat? Or can it be perhaps 5 mm under the mat in concrete? Would this have an impact on the heating of the floor? Or is it necessary to leave a certain distance so that the top of the gooseneck of the probe doesn't exceed the level of the laid mat?

Answer:
The general rule is that the floor sensor should be as high as possible in the floor so that it measures the temperature accurately. If you insert the gooseneck into a groove and the sensor is 5 mm under the level of the mat, it will not affect the function of the floor sensor. It is important that the sensor is between the loops and not under the cable.

Question:
I want to start the construction of a house and I cannot decide what type of heating and heating elements to choose. The house has a usable area of 160 m² (ground floor + first floor) and it will be made of Porotherm. We have also had a fireplace insert designed (can both floors be heated??) Please recommend an economical way of heating which will not ruin me over time and whose acquisition costs are not measured in hundreds of thousands of crowns.

Answer:
Energy saving is only influenced in a minor way by the selection of a heating system. Energy consumption is mainly influenced by the heat insulation properties of the house. A suitable system can save roughly 10 to 15 % of energy. As a suitable and not very demanding system as far as acquisition is concerned, I would recommend floor heating with heating cables or ceiling heating using Ecofilm C heating foils, in combination with a central regulation system. If you wish to know the acquisition costs and get at least a rough idea about operating costs, please send documentation for processing (ground plan, cross section, the composition of floors, walls, ceilings and possibly also heat loss) to my e-mail address.

Question:
Can heating mats be laid directly onto OSB boards or another type of flammable material? If not, how can they be laid on these materials?

Answer:
Yes, mats and heating circuits can be laid directly onto OSB boards.

Question:
Is it possible to lead the cable through the wall and under what conditions? Do you have better grips for the cable except for tapes and plastic? The tape twists, and I cannot lay it in a way I would like, in an arch around the bath tub. I was thinking about some kind of little plates which would be independent and would resemble plastic grips for the cables.

Answer:
Heating cables mustn't be laid through walls. We offer plastic cable grips or Grufast fixation strips for the attachment of cables; please see the e-shop.