Surface heating is a modern, economical and efficient solution, ensuring even distribution of heat in the room. An alternative to the commonly used underfloor heating is wall surface heating. In this system, the central heating pipes run in the wall. The choices are water wall heating (the most popular), air wall heating and electric wall heating. In this article, we focused on the activities that affect the proper installation of surface wall heating.
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How to properly plan strips for wall heating?
The very popular water wall heating uses heating elements (pipes) filled with water, which are placed in the wall. The operation of the water system is very similar to underfloor heating. In addition to thin plastic, copper or multilayer pipes, surface wall heating consists of frames and mounting strips equipped with mounting brackets, as well as distributors and connectors.
Special strips facilitate the installation of pipes on walls. The solutions available on the market differ, among others, in length, socket spacing and connection method (e.g. snap-in). Individual elements of the system are planned in a similar way to underfloor heating. It can be a vertical, horizontal or wavy arrangement. Installations made of plastic or other materials prepared in this way are covered with plaster or covered with plasterboard.
Which wall in your apartment is best to install wall heating on?
Heating elements should be mounted on external walls, i.e. those that are the coldest in the interior. Of course, the walls require prior insulation. In the case of large rooms, it is recommended to additionally mount wall heating on the internal opposite wall. This should provide optimal thermal comfort. Remember not to cover the walls with heating with furniture, wallpaper or thick curtains. It is also not recommended to mount decorations on walls with heating elements, because when drilling holes there is a risk of damaging the pipes.
Proper installation of the wall heating system
Heating elements, after being installed in the wall, filled with water and subjected to a tightness test (without heating), are most often covered with a thin layer of plaster. It is recommended to use a plaster mixture with increased flexibility, dedicated to demanding substrates or strictly wall heating. At water temperatures in the installation above 45°C, plasters with gypsum should not be used. The thickness of the plaster above the pipes should not be less than 10 mm (totalling approx. 25 mm). The first layer of plaster must cover the heating pipes. It is also worth using a glass fibre mesh.
If the wall is longer than 10 m, an expansion joint must be made. A cheaper and faster alternative to covering the system with plaster is plasterboard. This is how electric wall heating is normally covered. You can also opt for special, ready-made modules with built-in heating elements of the appropriate size. The use of plaster is the so-called wet technology, recommended for new buildings. In turn, the use of plasterboard is a dry technology, normally used in existing buildings. On the other hand, modules with built-in pipes are dry-mounted and then covered with boards.
It is important to remember to use paints resistant to high temperatures when painting walls with built-in heating. Otherwise, unsightly discoloration may quickly appear.
We invite professionals specializing in the sale, installation or servicing of wall and floor surface heating to familiarize themselves with the offer of the Onninen electrical and hydraulic wholesaler. Our assortment includes all elements of surface heating installations, including manifolds, cabinets, pipes, thermostats and beams. We supply modern and proven Onnline , KAN-therm , Purmo , Uponor , Wavin systems and other leading brands. Onninen technical and sales specialists answer questions and advise on individual solutions.