Heating systems as an element of the interior
In each model line of equipment for creating heating, there is a segment where radiators of low height are presented. This group includes products in which this parameter does not exceed 450 millimeters. A low heating radiator under the window is indispensable for arranging heating for constantly soaking and cold walls facing the street, along their entire length.
Such devices are used in the event:
- large panoramic windows;
- the location of the heat supply system in the baseboards.
When choosing heating equipment, you need to take into account a number of technical parameters of products:
- material of manufacture;
- dimensions;
- power;
- resistance to corrosive processes;
- scope, etc.
Materials used
According to the type of material used in the manufacture, radiators for French windows are divided into the following types:
- Cast iron batteries, obtained by casting and representing a continuous heating section.
- Steel structures assembled from individual plates in combination with a tubular base.
- Cast or extruded aluminum radiators.
- Bimetallic products, in the manufacture of which two metals of different structure and characteristics are used.
Cast iron belongs to fragile materials, which limits the value of the permissible water pressure inside the battery sections. In addition, due to the rough surface, various impurities accumulate on their inner planes, reducing the effect of heat transfer. On the other hand, cast-iron water radiators keep heat well within the working area and are not subject to the destructive effects of salts dissolved in the coolant.
Features of the design of steel batteries, recruited from separate plates, allow to increase the level of convection and heat transfer. But they are also the reason for the frequent formation of blockages in the places where the plates are attached to the tubes.
The main advantage of the aluminum-based battery is its low weight and the ability to "hold" the increased pressure of the coolant. On the other hand, their convection performance is worse than that of cast iron and steel products. In addition, aluminum is not as strong as other metals and is not adaptable to frequent water hammering.
Aluminum horizontal radiators
The lowest aluminum heating radiators for panoramic windows have a height of 24.5 centimeters.
Similar models are produced by foreign firms:
- Sira. The company manufactures miniature radiators with heat dissipation in the range of 89 - 97 W (products Rovall 80, Rovall 100, Swing, Alux 80 and Alux 100).
- Global. We offer a low cast radiator Gl-200/80 / D, which is designed for installation in a heating system with an operating pressure of up to 16 Bar.
In this segment of the domestic heating equipment, the most popular are radiators Rifar Base 200 and Rifar Forza 200. The number 200 indicates that their center-to-center distance is 20 centimeters.
Low horizontal aluminum radiators have a number of important advantages:
- light weight - during installation, the help of a construction team is not required;
- high degree of heat transfer;
- when the control valve is turned, the battery quickly responds to changes in the parameters of the working environment;
- a small amount of water is required to completely fill the system.
Of the negative characteristics of aluminum batteries, it should be noted:
- chemical activity inherent in this metal, which affects the quality of the water used;
- the softness of the material of manufacture, so the product is easy to deform.
The disadvantages of aluminum heating devices can be dealt with if, before using them, thorough water treatment is performed, which is recommended by the instructions of manufacturers.
Manufacturers of aluminum radiators do not recommend using them in the heat supply systems of multi-apartment buildings, where the quality of hot water is in serious doubt.
If you plan to install an aluminum battery under panoramic windows, you should not forget that this metal has poor contact with copper and copper alloys. Galvanized fittings work without problems with aluminum. You can also install wall-mounted electric heating radiators, they are also quite effective.
Built-in appliances
For heating office, retail and residential buildings, heating radiators built into the floor are used. They can be used in greenhouses and greenhouses to create comfortable temperature conditions for plants. The operation of the device is based on the principle of convection. Built-in units contribute to intensive air circulation, therefore they heat the room faster and more efficiently, which reduces heating costs.
Worth knowing! On sale there are built-in radiators with automatic temperature control, condensate drainage function, the ability to program the microclimate in the room.
The unit has a simple design. A heat exchanger with convective plates is located inside the metal housing. The body of the device is built into the floor, and from above it is closed with a sturdy decorative grill.
For places with high humidity, it is better to buy a stainless steel device, and in a room with a normal microclimate, galvanized steel batteries are used. To protect the body and pipes from corrosion, they are powder coated.
In the interior of the room, only the radiator grill is visible from such a device. In its manufacture, wood, aluminum, marble or one of the varieties of steel (stainless or galvanized) are used.
By design, the grilles are divided into roll and linear. The last grates can only be lifted as a whole, while the second type is rolled up. Rolled decorative linings consist only of transverse beams, and in linear structures there are also longitudinal stiffeners. Since they will walk on the grill and put furniture on it, no plastic parts are used in its construction.
Types and scope of use
Built-in batteries are commonly used in the following locations:
- public and residential premises with panoramic glazing;
- greenhouses;
- galleries, museums and exhibition halls;
- offices and commercial premises;
- private and apartment buildings.
Important! The efficiency of underfloor radiators with a fan is increased up to 90%. This is achieved through improved air circulation. The fan can be turned off if necessary.
Devices with a fan have special foam rubber gaskets to reduce the noise level in the room. The unit has electronic temperature sensors, regulators for setting the temperature and fan speed.
Related article: Cladding windows outside a wooden house
There are two types of built-in batteries:
- Floor heating water radiators consist of a metal tube on which convection plates are threaded. Tubes of copper, steel or aluminum are usually used. The unit is connected to the water heating system of a house or apartment. In centralized networks, the copper pipe structure cannot be used.
- There is a closed heating element inside the electric built-in heater.To increase the heat transfer area, plates of steel, aluminum or copper are welded onto it. Stainless steel heating elements will last the longest. These radiators are fused for safe operation.
On a note! On sale there are floor radiators with fans that can both heat the air in the room and cool it.
Some varieties have built-in filters that allow them to purify air from the street and, after heating, supply it to the room. For the convenience of controlling the operation of the device, you can purchase a control panel for it. Usually, built-in radiators of a straight-line configuration are on sale, but a semicircular device can be made to order.
Pros and cons of embedded radiators
The advantages of underfloor heating batteries include the following:
- The unit can be installed anywhere.
- The device can be used in rooms of any size, because it does not take up space, being installed in a niche under the floor. You can walk on the grill and put furniture on it.
- The battery does not need special care, it is easy to repair and maintain.
- Due to the fact that the unit is not visible in the interior, it can be used in rooms decorated in any style.
- The safety of the device allows you to mount it in a children's room.
- When installed near a doorway or under panoramic windows, the radiator forms a thermal curtain that prevents heat loss.
But when choosing this type of heating devices, one should not forget about their shortcomings.
The disadvantages include the following:
- Installation and connection of this device is quite laborious. It is better to entrust all work to professional craftsmen.
- To install the device in the floor, the screed has to be made high enough, which leads to a significant consumption of materials.
- Heating efficiency is noticeably reduced in rooms over three meters high.
- The price of built-in heating devices is higher than that of their wall-mounted counterparts.
During the operation of the built-in radiator, active dust circulation occurs in the room. This worsens the well-being of young children and negatively affects the health of allergy sufferers.
Selection Tips
When buying, pay attention to the dimensions of the unit and its power. Also decide in advance if you need an appliance with a built-in fan.
When choosing, consider the following parameters:
- pressure in the heating system;
- the purity of the coolant and its compositions are important for the choice of pipe material in water units;
- the diameter of the pipeline can be ignored, because there are adapters on sale;
- type of wiring (one-pipe or two-pipe);
- humidity in the room (the material of the body and pipes depends on this, as well as the need for a condensate drainage function).
It is advisable to use floor and built-in heating devices in the room where the parameters of a conventional mounted radiator do not meet the requirements or their installation is generally impossible.
Bimetallic devices for panoramic windows
This type of radiator belongs to the heat supply equipment, the high cost of which corresponds to the quality as much as possible.
Bimetallic radiators are different:
- High indicators of working pressure.
- Compatibility with other metals. In them, aluminum is used only for the manufacture of a shell that increases the aesthetics of appearance and heat transfer. As for the inner case, equipped with outlets for connection to the system, it is made of stainless steel or black steel.
According to experts, it is bimetallic radiators that are the best option for systems connected to district heating. Their use to supply heat to private households is unjustified in relation to the margin of safety and cash costs.
The height of bimetallic radiators for panoramic windows ranges from 24.5 to 45 centimeters.
Low floor radiators
There is a wide variety of floor radiators: cast iron, steel tubular, aluminum, bimetallic and, as a separate group, floor convectors.
The types of convectors are copper-aluminum and steel. They differ in cost - the former are much more expensive due to materials and improved heat transfer.
They represent a pipe on which the ribs are welded. Such convectors are most widely used in heating rooms with glass walls. Creates an effective curtain of heat from cold glass while preventing ice formation on the window.
Steel Low Batteries
When it is necessary to equip a very low heating system with a height of 100, 150 or 180 millimeters, tubular steel radiators can be installed. These products are made rectilinear and in the form of structures of an unusual shape, repeating the configuration of the space under the window.
Tubular heating devices function quite well in different systems, regardless of the method of circulation of the working medium - forced or natural. There are also thin heating radiators that take up little space.
Heating in skirting boards
Relatively recently, a new and lowest way of creating heating has appeared. In this case, the heat supply structure consists of copper tubes, finned with plates, due to which heat transfer is increased. Water circulates through them.
The pipes are laid around the perimeter of the room and covered with special metal skirting boards. Such a heating structure has the smallest dimensions. It is 30 millimeters wide and 100-200 millimeters high (depending on the power of the system).
Heating in skirting boards has the following advantages:
- Great opportunities for the embodiment of design solutions in the interior.
- Even distribution of warm streams along the walls.
When a unique design is created in a room, it is low radiators for stained-glass windows that allow you to correctly and beautifully fit the heating system into the interior.
