At the outlet of any heating system, a water carrier circulates at a fixed temperature, which is automatically maintained within preset limits. Some of them have several circuits with heat transfer fluids heated to different levels. To mix them and obtain an aqueous medium with the required temperature, special devices called thermo mixers are installed in the underfloor heating structures.
The purpose of the thermal valve
The thermostatic valve for underfloor heating is a regulating device of a special design, built into pipelines with a working fluid circulating through them. Unlike a two-pass device, it is designed to mix two streams (cooled and hot) and obtain a third at the outlet, having a fixed temperature. The presence of such a three-way valve in the system allows solving the following tasks:
- change the direction of water flows;
- mix them in a certain proportion;
- receive water at a constant temperature at the outlet of the heating system.
To expand the range of tasks solved by these devices, thermo-mixing valves of various types with specific characteristics are used.
Valve types by mixing method
Mixing devices for underfloor heating have several varieties that differ in their functions. The first is a thermostatic valve with a special sensitive sensor head, located in each of the circuits and responding to the ambient temperature. The principle of operation of the thermostatic element is based on determining the temperature difference and giving a command to the actuator that controls the flows of warm and cooled water.
In systems of the second type, a valve with a thermostat function is used as a sensitive and control element, which allows maintaining the temperature in the floor heating system at a fixed level. It works like all control devices and provides a more accurate control of the monitored parameter.
Advanced thermostats use an integrated controller for flow control. This option for organizing the regulatory process is the most accurate and most in demand among the consumer.
Valve types in the direction of flow
In an asymmetric valve, streams of cold and hot water come from one of the ends and from the bottom, respectively. The resulting aqueous mixture is fed into the system from the second end of the valve. This scheme is also widespread due to the versatility and ease of maintenance of the valve train.
Other types of industrial devices
The domestic industry produces many thermostats for the water floor, which allows you to control the flow of liquid in an autonomous mode.Among the known varieties of valve mechanisms, the following types stand out:
- mechanical three-way valves for underfloor heating;
- the same models, but with a remote sensor;
- sensor mixers;
- electronic devices;
- thermostats controlled by software.
Mechanical devices are the simplest, cheapest and most reliable devices in operation, equipped with a protective casing made of durable plastic. To adjust the temperature with such a device, it is enough to turn the thermostatic head in the desired direction. The exact value from the temperature range is selected by turning a special dial with a scale divided into divisions.
Mechanical thermostats equipped with a remote temperature sensor are more advanced designs that allow you to control the value of the operating parameter. Their disadvantages include the need to constantly monitor the current parameter, which is changed only in manual mode. This forces specialists to install an additional thermometer in the system (specifically for temperature control). Taking into account the difference between the settings and the readings of the device, it is possible to manually adjust this indicator with an acceptable error.
When operating sensor mixers connected to the system by means of special adapters, the thermal parameters are set from the external panel. In some models, a manually operated remote control is used for this purpose. This type of thermostat belongs to more modern models that greatly simplify the temperature control procedure. They provide several adjustment parameters, which guarantees the exact setting of the desired temperature regime. The reliability and safety of using these devices largely depend on the specific model, when choosing which they are faced with a wide range of price categories. In this situation, it is undesirable to save money and choose a cheaper sample, since the real losses will exceed the difference in the money spent.
Electronic models of thermostats in terms of their functionality are practically in no way inferior to similar sensor samples. On the body of these products there is a small display and a set of buttons by means of which the user can easily program the desired mode of operation of the warm floor. In the most advanced models, it is possible to introduce a program designed for the next week and for certain periods of the current day.
Wireless devices allow you to maintain the temperature in an apartment or in a private house only if there are people in them. At the rest of the time, the floor system is put into standby mode. Due to this, the costs of heating the premises during the heating season are reduced. Such devices can be connected to a smart home control system, when working with which the heat savings reaches 30 percent. Due to the fact that you can control the modes manually (when the user is in the house), the efficiency indicator will be even higher.
A feature of programmable devices is the ability to simultaneously control several water heating systems located in different rooms. Their disadvantages include:
- high cost of equipment;
- the complexity of the setup;
- the need to call the specialists of the service center during the start-up work.
In addition, the user will have to study the attached instructions and further follow its instructions.
Radio-controlled models used to regulate the temperature of the carrier are extremely rare, due to their unjustifiably high price. In terms of their functionality, they practically do not differ from those already described, and the price increases several times. The only difference is that the mechanisms are not controlled via a cable, but by means of radio signals.During the operation of such a system, the thermostat receives signals with information about the indicators of the sensors and transmits them to the controller. The latter processes the parcel and sends radio signals to the servos for supplying hot or cold water.
The disadvantages of these systems include the need to equip transmitters and receivers of each of the individual devices. The increasing complexity of process control schemes leads to frequent breakdowns of electronic components and to difficulties with the restoration of devices.
