Electric underfloor heating is an increasingly popular way of heating a house or additional heating of individual rooms. When planning such an installation, it is also worth thinking about appropriate fuses. They will protect against voltage changes, shocks and fires.
Protection of electric underfloor heating installations
Underfloor heating is one of the ways to heat individual rooms or the entire house. It is powered by electricity, so due to the elimination of the furnace, it does not require an additional room serving as a boiler room. At the same time, this heating is convenient to control - using an appropriate programming device, you can permanently or continuously regulate the temperature in a selected room or the entire house.
Underfloor heating is most often installed, for example, under the floor of a bathroom, kitchen, vestibule or winter garden, but it can be installed over the entire surface of the house and completely eliminates the need to install radiators that often disturb the aesthetics. This solution gives a pleasant feeling of warmth, e.g. in the living room or bathroom, where, especially in winter, our feet can be cold because of the cool tiles.
Check circuit breakers at the Onninen wholesaler
Which fuse should I choose for electric underfloor heating?
Underfloor heating installations differ, mainly due to the surface area and heating power that professionals select for an individual project. It is assumed that in a properly insulated house with energy-saving windows, the power of the heating cable cannot exceed 200 W per 1 m2 of floor.
Because electricity flows in the underfloor heating system, it is a potential threat to humans. Therefore, fuses are necessary, the use of which minimizes the risk. Most often, these are overcurrent fuses and residual current circuit breakers . Their parameters should be selected for a specific installation.
A circuit breaker is commonly known as a fuse. It is necessary in every electrical installation in the house. The underfloor fuse is therefore the basic protection against overloading of cables and devices. When too much current reaches the fuse, the circuit is disconnected. Among the fuses available on the market, the underfloor fuse should be single-phase.
The residual current fuse , in turn, protects against differences in current in two wires - phase and neutral. They are connected in an electromagnetic loop - if the current in both wires is identical, the installation works correctly. However, if an imbalance occurs, e.g. because part of the current escapes through grounding, an impulse is created which, thanks to the fuse, disconnects the power supply and protects the installation.
Three types of residual current fuses are used for heating mats:
- low sensitivity - for current differences above 500 mA
- medium sensitivity - for current differences between 500 and 30 mA
- highly sensitive - for current differences up to 30 mA.
Overview of fuses at the Onninen wholesaler
At the Onninen electrical wholesaler , you will find various types of fuses that, working with the underfloor heating installation, will ensure the safety of the rooms and the people staying in them. Among the overcurrent fuses it is worth mentioning:
RX3 1P B 10A 6000A circuit breaker - single-pole fuse recommended for residential construction, protects against overloads, short circuits and electric shocks
ETIMAT 6 1p B16 circuit breaker - single-pole fuse with a rated current of 16 A
Circuit breaker S 303 3P B 16A 6000A TX3 - three-pole fuse to protect against installation overload
Circuit breaker S 301 1P B 16A 6000A TX3 - protects against network overloads and short circuits, is easy and convenient to install
Circuit breaker S 301 1P B 10A 6000A TX3 - protects against the effects of short circuits and overloads, cooperates with auxiliary and signaling contacts, undervoltage and shunt releases and remote drives.
In turn, in the group of residual current fuses we can choose from:
Residual current circuit breaker P304 4P 40A 30ma type F (HPI) DX3 series - fuse recommended for protection of installations and devices against electric shock and fire
Residual current circuit breaker P304 4P 63A 30ma type F (HPI) DX3 series - used to protect against surges, electric shocks and fires.