Warm skirting: a new efficient heating system for your home

It is simply impossible to imagine our houses without heating in the cold season. And the main requirements for it are high efficiency and low energy consumption. One of the newest systems that meets these requirements is skirting board. Despite the high efficiency, as well as significant savings, this option is not yet well known in our country. Let's take a closer look at all its features and benefits.

Heat skirting board: design features

It became possible to buy a warm skirting board not so long ago. In fact, this system has been designed with the goal of increasing heating efficiency with less energy. Moreover, such panels look very original, and the technology of a warm plinth often makes it possible to completely abandon the use of traditional heating methods using radiators.

Externally, the heat skirting board is a strip made of aluminum that covers the inner contents of the box. If it were not for the very modest dimensions, it could be called a full-fledged heating device, however, the fact that the box has a low height, does not protrude much from the wall and is mounted along the perimeter of the room on the wall near the floor, gives it the right to be called a plinth.

There is a heating system inside the box, which may differ depending on the type of skirting board chosen. You can understand what the difference is by examining the existing types of warm skirting boards.

The principle of operation of the skirting board as a heating device

Obviously, this heating device got its name from its location. A warm plinth is fixed in the same place as the usual one - along the perimeter of the room. The main advantage of such a heating system is that the device heats up not only the air around it, but also the walls with which it comes into contact. This system allows you to better retain heat and reduce heat loss.

The fact that air convection is reduced, and heat is evenly distributed throughout the room, does not concentrate in one place, as is often the case with traditional radiators. A significant advantage is that due to the slow movement of air from the baseboard to the ceiling, dust practically does not rise from the floor. And this not only greatly facilitates cleaning, but also has a positive effect on the health of residents.

The temperature limits in which the device operates are 40-70 degrees, and with the help of a thermostat, you can set the indicator within these limits. According to the owners' reviews, a warm plinth never allows the air temperature to fall below 20 degrees, and this can be considered quite a comfortable temperature for living. Of course, this applies to cases when the calculations of the required number of elements and their power were carried out correctly.

If we are talking about installing an electric skirting board, then it is worth noting the fact that, like one section of any traditional radiator, one segment of a warm skirting board emits 190 watts of heat. At the same time, the energy consumption for its production is 3 times less, and this is a considerable saving for the entire heating season.

As a heating device, a warm skirting board can be installed in almost any room. Neither the size nor any location of the room can be a contraindication to its installation. It is generally believed that this design option is ideal for rooms with panoramic glazing, where conventional radiators under the windows simply cannot fit.

Helpful advice! A warm skirting board is an ideal solution for rooms with high ceilings, where an additional or main source of heating is required. The main thing is to take care of the proper power of the device.

Varieties of warm skirting boards: water and electric models

There are two types of warm skirting boards: electric and water. Both of these options have their own advantages and boast significantly higher efficiency than other heating methods. However, we must admit that electric models are much more popular. This is due to the availability of electricity in almost all settlements, which cannot be said about the presence of individual boilers.

Of course, there is an option for organizing a warm water baseboard with your own hands, using liquid or solid fuel for this purpose, but this is quite troublesome and often unjustified. In addition, in this case, you can hardly save money, because in addition to fuel consumption, you will have to face the need to store it and maintain the system. Electrical heat from the skirting board does not require an additional line and significantly saves energy. For these reasons, many people prefer to use it.

How does electric heat skirting work

According to reviews, warm skirting boards powered by electricity are not only an effective, but also a fairly easy-to-install method of heating that does not require excessive efforts during the installation process.

Outwardly, it looks like a panel with a width of 30 mm. In this case, the height can be different and on average varies from 100 to 240 mm. The shape and color can be any.

The principle of operation of an electric skirting board is similar to a warm floor: there is a heating element installed inside, a thermostat that controls the heating temperature and temperature sensors that are responsible for ensuring that the temperature in the room corresponds to a given indicator.

Helpful advice! The ideal height for placing temperature sensors is at the level of an average person's height.In this way, the received data will be as truthful as possible, and the system will work correctly.

The device can be powered either from a regular outlet or from a separate branch laid to the shield. The second option is much preferable, as it provides greater safety and allows you to install a separate machine.

Another important point is the choice of a thermostat. Since the market constantly offers customers more and more modern models of these devices, today you can find those that can be programmed for several days in advance, and the "smart system" perfectly controls the air temperature in the room, adjusting the operation of the heating device to it.

Many simple models do not provide owners with the ability to program temperature modes, but they are much cheaper, which also makes them popular. Your choice should be based on how much money you can spend on the purchase, as well as how willing you are to tinker with the device in the future, manually setting the required temperature each time.

A water skirting board is no different from an electric one. Once installed, it is almost impossible to visually distinguish one from the other. Their main difference lies inside, where instead of heating elements, special tubes and stiffeners are installed. Heated water moves through the pipes, which is the basis of the water heating system.

The advantages of heating with a warm skirting board

Regardless of what type of device we are talking about (electric or water), there are many positive aspects of their use. Some of them have already been considered together with the design features of such skirting boards. Consider the rest:

• The “heat cushion” that is usually formed under the ceiling is simply not created due to the even distribution of heat between the walls and the air in the room. When airing a room, you do not run the risk of "letting in cold", since most of the heat is stored in the walls;
• in rooms with high humidity and risks of developing fungus and mold, a warm plinth can confidently be called a solution to this problem. Optimal convection allows you to maintain a microclimate so that you do not have to worry about all these things;
• about the water baseboard, we can say that due to the small cross-section of the pipes, the amount of hot water supplied is significantly reduced compared to traditional radiators. This leads to savings in energy spent on heating the working fluid;
• both electric and water skirting boards allow you to regulate the temperature and respond to changes that occur more accurately than any other heater;
• during operation of this device, heat loss does not exceed 5%, given that for a conventional radiator this figure is 20%;
• thanks to the moderate temperature of the device itself, you can not worry about the fact that the wooden furniture located nearby will dry out. A warm skirting board does not pose any danger to nearby objects.

Warm skirting boards are often compared to a warm floor system. In fact, it is practically the same, and the only difference is in the installation method. Of course, floor heating is much more difficult, since it requires a lot of work. But to place such a plinth, you only need a wall surface.

Helpful advice! Another great quality of warm skirting boards is the possibility of re-assembly. That is, if necessary, you can remove the skirting board and then install it elsewhere. With careful handling, this will not affect its functionality in any way.

How to install water heat plinth with your own hands

It should be admitted that the only thing that warm water skirting boards cannot boast of is prices. At the same time, the reviews claim that such a waste is justified and in the future you will not regret your investment. However, what if this cost is not included in your capabilities? In this case, you can save money by doing the work yourself, without resorting to the help of specialists.

Here is a list of the materials you will need to work on your own:

• metal-plastic pipes;
• thermal insulation material;
• manifold with taps;
• adapters (both metal and plastic);
• a set of common tools available to any home craftsman;
• skirting convectors with a set of plugs and decorative covers.

Traditionally, the installation begins with the installation of a collector, to which a pipe is supplied, designed to provide power to the heating device. As the primary source of heat, gas, electric, liquid or solid fuel boiler... In a word, the one that is available. Please note that for the heating to work correctly, the pressure must be normal and be 3 atm.

To ensure the correct heating of a room, it is necessary to make some calculations, namely, how much heat energy is required to heat a room of a given size. For example, for a standard room with an area of ​​12 m², where there is one window, you will need about 13 m of baseboards with a capacity of at least 100 W per 1 m.

Helpful advice! When calculating the required number of skirting boards, do not forget to subtract the width of the doorway from the total perimeter. Otherwise, you will overpay for almost a whole extra meter.

It is quite possible to install the plinth not around the entire perimeter of the room, but only in some of its parts. This is convenient if you have built-in furniture, or if you use a warm skirting board as an additional, rather than as the main source of heat.

Piping for warm water baseboard: reviews and installation tips

Having dealt with the calculations and having prepared everything necessary for work, you can proceed directly to connecting the system. The pipes are routed by laying them on the rough floor in such a way that there is a separate approach to the beginning of each circuit. It goes without saying that each circuit requires two pipes: one for the supply of the coolant, and the other for the intake. At this stage, you will need the adapters that you use to connect the radiators.

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The basis for a high-quality self-installation of a warm water baseboard is thermal insulation. It is necessary to lay special material between the wall and the radiator. After that, go directly to the installation of the system:

• the first step is to screw the base. In the future, a heat exchanger made of non-ferrous metals will be attached to it;
• after fixing the heat exchangers, they must be connected. For this, angle or straight adapters are used;

Helpful advice! Make sure that all connections are tight. Otherwise, there is a risk of leakage.

• before completing the installation, the system must be checked for leaks. To do this, water is put into it under pressure until the system is completely filled, then it is muffled. Each connection must be carefully inspected to make sure there are no leaks anywhere. If no faults are found, you can turn on the system again;

• at the end of the work, the boxes are closed using special panels and plugs included in the kit, which differ depending on the selected model.

As you can see, the main task facing you is to ensure complete tightness of all joints. It is better to check several times that all connections are tight, and if in doubt, tighten them again to eliminate the risk of leakage.

Another tip that it is advisable to take into account if you are planning to mount a warm baseboard yourself for the first time is that the coolant must be supplied through the upper pipe. Water will leave through the bottom. This is not to say that this is a prerequisite, however, according to technology, this is how it is considered correct.

Installing an electric warm skirting board with your own hands

Installation of warm skirting boards powered by electricity has its own characteristics and requires taking into account completely different factors. Since they operate from the network, and not by supplying a coolant, the installation of an electrical distribution board is required, not a collector. If you are installing such a system not in one, but in several rooms, then an individual circuit, equipped with a separate machine, must be led to each room.

Instead of laying pipes, you have to lay electrical wires. In order to avoid malfunctions, be sure to check that they are of the correct cross-section. Otherwise, they simply will not withstand the supplied load. In order to increase their service life and provide reliable protection for them, flexible plastic pipes can be used when it comes to work on the subfloor. Another option is to run the cables along the wall using special brackets for fixing.

Temperature control is carried out using a thermostat. A separate device must be installed for each room. At first glance, it may seem that this will only entail additional costs. But in reality, separate regulation will help you save money by selecting the optimal temperature regime for each room separately, saving energy.

In order to carry out the installation yourself, without the help of specialists, you need:

• provide thermal insulation by laying a special material on the wall where the plinth will be placed;
• screw the base of the plinth with heat exchangers;
• connect everything with electrical wires;
• refit the front skirting boards;
• connect the circuit to the switchboard and thermostat.

Before checking, be sure to re-check that all connections are properly made, that there are no bare conductors, etc. If everything is visually in order, you can run the system to check.

As you can see, it is much easier to install electric heat on your own than a water one. Most importantly, remember to de-energize the system before proceeding with any work. It is also strictly forbidden to turn on the current supply until all the work is completed and the contacts are insulated. And of course, do not forget about the other safety rules, which must be observed when working with electricity.

Electric and water warm skirting board: prices for various types of models

One of the first aspects that everyone thinks about before buying a hot water baseboard is the price of such a device. Since it cannot be said that such systems are cheap, you need to really imagine their cost and make a choice taking into account your financial capabilities. Consider the prices of warm skirting boards using the example of popular models.

Warm skirting board Mr.Tektum is one of the most popular options. Depending on the model, it can be purchased at a price of 4-5 thousand rubles per 1 running meter. According to users on the forums, this is a low price: the warm skirting board of this manufacturer fully meets all existing requirements and serves excellently for many years.
If we consider electric skirting boards, the price is much more expensive. Even when choosing the simplest device (with the ability to cover no more than 8 m² and a power of 500 W), the plinth will not cost less than 12 thousand rubles. What can we say about more powerful options that are capable of covering up to 15 m². Their cost ranges from 20-25 thousand rubles.

Professional installation of hot water skirting boards: the price of work

If everything is more or less simple and understandable with electric skirting boards, then it is often necessary to involve specialists to install water models. And in this case, besides buying a warm water baseboard, you have to find a master who will be ready to carry out a high-quality installation at an affordable price.

It is best to start your search for a specialist with a survey of acquaintances. Perhaps someone has already used the services of a particular master or agency. If not, it is recommended to visit the relevant sections of the forums of your city, where they will probably tell you who to contact. They can also tell you where to buy a warm skirting board, the price per meter of which will be optimal.

The average price for installing warm skirting boards in Moscow is 1200-1400 rubles per meter. Of course, some private masters do it much cheaper, but here you should be careful and contact them only if it was recommended to you. Remember that a poorly carried out installation will cost you much more, since leaks can damage your property, not to mention the fact that all work will have to be redone.

Perhaps the best option is to order the installation of skirting boards directly from the manufacturer. So you will be sure that the craftsmen know exactly how this particular model of skirting boards should be installed correctly. Moreover, they will be able to help you calculate the required amount and power, so that the room is not too cold or too hot.

As you can see from everything presented, warm skirting boards are a worthy alternative to the usual heating system. They take up little space and can be installed where conventional radiators simply cannot fit. Depending on which type is more suitable for you, you can choose electric or water models, and the installation can very well be done by yourself. To do this, you just need to read the instructions or watch the training video.