heating mats

Heating mats are elements of basic or auxiliary heating installations, which are installed in the floor and can be used in virtually any room. They are a convenient alternative to underfloor heating, if they were not designed and created during the construction of the facility (once screeds are made, it is not possible to lay traditional underfloor heating).

Heating mats, as an invisible source of heat, create many possibilities for arranging rooms and increase their usable area (no need to reserve space for the installation of radiators). Installations of this type allow you to enjoy the comfort of a warm floor, e.g. in the bathroom, kitchen or hall. Properly installed, they improve not only the comfort, but also the safety of using the room (warm floor dries faster, making it more difficult to slip on it). Modern technological solutions allow them to be installed under any type of floor: terracotta, stone, panels, parquet or carpet. In addition, the heating mats are very thin, which means that their distribution does not significantly raise the level of the floor.

A wide range of mats available on the market makes it possible to install modern and very comfortable underfloor heating in a house or apartment with little effort and resources. High durability and reliability of this solution means that electric floor heating mats usually have a long warranty and do not require too frequent inspections or maintenance.

How the heating mat is built

Each mat is equipped with a temperature controller sensor, connection cables to the power supply network, the so-called "cold" and an installation box.

The most important part of the heating mat is a thin electric heating cable, which is mounted on a special structure intended for even distribution on the floor, most often it is a mesh made of plastic. It is important that the material from which the mat is made distributes heat over the entire surface and does not cause excessive energy loss. The heating cables are terminated with a power cable that should be plugged directly into the electrical socket.

Heating mats are sold in various lengths. However, their width is constant – is always 0.5 meters. The mat can be cut to suit the dimensions of the room. At the same time, care should be taken to ensure that the heating cables maintain their continuity.

Mats are available in the form of self-adhesive or to be fixed with an adhesive mortar. Unlike underfloor heating (made of pipes filled with water), you can install them yourself, e.g. during renovation.

How the heating mat works

The mat heats up when electricity flows through it. To control the floor temperature, a temperature controller with a floor sensor or a temperature limiter (equipped with a floor sensor) is used. The temperature regulator ensures that the right temperature is maintained on the floor surface and protects the floor panels from overheating.

Before installing the heating mat, plan its distribution, excluding the fixed elements of the equipment.

The most common heating mats have a power of 100, 150, 160 or 200W/m2. If they are to be the only form of home heating, they should not have a power lower than 150W/m2.

When it comes to the power of the device in a given room, up to 100W/m2 is enough for a children's room, bedroom, under panels or carpet. The power of 150 - 160W / m2 will be suitable for a bathroom, kitchen, living room or hall, and therefore under tiles or stone. The 200W/m2 solution is usually designed for cold rooms and, for example, winter gardens (under tiles or stone slabs).

Basic types of heating mats

Heating mats, due to their power supply method, can be divided into two groups:

1. one side powered mats – made of a two-core heating cable attached to a mesh.

The installation of this type of mat should start with the thermostat, insert the power cable into the box, and end anywhere in the room (this solution is easier to install than the double-powered version).

The el12.pl offer includes single-sided powered mats, which are characterized by the following elements:

• two resistance heating wires
• Teflon base insulation,
• protective screen made of 14 tinned copper wires,
• polypropylene/polyethylene outer sheath.

2. doubly powered mats – they are more difficult to install, but thinner and often cheaper than single-sided power.

This solution has two power cords (one at the beginning and one at the end). Lay out the mat so that both wires are connected to the controller. They can also be extended using an intermediate mounting box.

The el12.pl offer includes double-sided powered mats, in which the base is a glass fiber mesh, to which a heating cable with the following structure is attached with tapes:

• one resistance heating wire,
• Teflon base insulation,
• protective screen made of 7 tinned copper wires,
• polypropylene/polyethylene outer sheath.

From the bottom, the mat's mesh is equipped with 2 self-adhesive tapes for attaching it to a well-primed surface.

The el12 electrical wholesaler also offers an anti-icing mat for driveway heating. Its distinguishing features include:

• high mechanical resistance of the heating element in the mat,
• Heating element heat resistance up to 90°C,
• double insulation of heating wires made of Teflon and additionally made of polyethylene,
• assembly directly in sand bed or concrete,
• one-sided power supply for easy installation of the mat,
• the mat's heating cable is shielded along its entire length.

How to lay the heating mat

The size of the heating mat is calculated by subtracting from the total area of the room fixed buildings, i.e. the space for a bathtub, paddling pool, fireplace, etc. The mat should not be placed under household appliances or furniture (unless they have legs). Keeping these rules in mind, the mat should be cut to avoid cutting the heating cable.

Before installing the mat, choose the best place to mount the installation box. Only on this basis it is possible to determine the course of the (cold) wires supplying voltage to the appropriate heating wires of the mat, as well as the location of the wire and the thermoregulator sensor itself.

The supply wires and the temperature sensor cable are placed in thin protective tubes (so-called conduits).

Installation of the self-adhesive mat begins with forging a groove in the substrate for routing the temperature sensor cable. On the other hand, a place for the installation box and power cables should be prepared in the wall.

The self-adhesive mat is enough to unfold and press to the surface, which is why it is so important to thoroughly clean it of dust and dirt beforehand.

In the case of a mat requiring gluing, you should also prepare a place in the wall for the box and wires. The next step is to prepare the adhesive mortar and spread it on a fragment of the substrate so that the entire strip of the mat or its selected fragment fits on it. The mat is laid on the surface of the mortar so that the substance completely covers the installation (the mat is to “sink” in the mortar).

In both cases, remember that the cables that heat the floor must not touch each other. Also, do not plan to place mats at the junction of rooms (each room should have a separate underfloor heating system).