Is it always advisable to install traditional heating, which includes a boiler, wiring pipes and radiators? In some cases, it is impossible to implement such a system in practice due to the limited space of the premises and the high cost of components. An alternative to this can be PLEN heating: installation, video, reviews, specifications will help you learn more about this heating technology.
The principle of film heating
During operation of almost all heating systems, indoor air is heated. Its convection leads to a gradual increase in temperature throughout the volume of the room. IR heating PLEN works on a different principle. It is based on the generation of infrared thermal radiation, which heats the surface of objects that fall into the zone of influence of the device.
Heating of a new generation of PLENs is developed on the basis of the properties of carbonized metallized compounds. During the passage of current through them, heating to a maximum temperature of + 45 ° C occurs. But this is not a source of heat. The resulting waves with a length of 9.4 μm are reflected from the film surface and concentrated on the surface of objects. As a result, they heat up.
Infrared PLEN heating has a number of important features of operation and operation:
- Easy installation of DIY heating plan. To ensure maximum coverage, installation is most often performed on a ceiling surface. This can be done independently without special tools and experience;
- Energy saving. Despite the fact that the ceiling heating of the PLEN is powered by electricity, the level of energy consumption is an order of magnitude lower than that of electric boilers or similar appliances;
- Low inertia of work. This is due to the lack of an intermediate stage of heating - heating the coolant;
- Possibility of use as additional heat supply. Almost all reviews of the PLEN heating system speak about the advantages of its operation together with water heating systems.
Almost any video about PLEN heating talks about compactness and ease of installation, as well as work efficiency. However, they are often silent about operating restrictions. Firstly, a good thermal insulation of the room should be provided. The second factor is the inability to partially or completely cover the film with interior items. This can lead to overheating and, as a consequence, to failure. Ceiling mounted installation is allowed. But at the same time, the minimum distance from the heating elements to the panels should be at least 3 cm.
In addition, unlike water heating, after turning off the system, the temperature in the room decreases almost immediately.
In the video of the installation of the heating PLEN, it is mandatory to indicate the provision of waterproofing of the mounting surface - floor, ceiling or walls. To do this, use special waterproof materials.
Design and technical specifications
For the consumer, three characteristics of any heating system are important - cost, operating efficiency and technical specifications. It is worth telling more about the latter.
What is PLEN heating, and what components does it consist of? The main heating element in the system is a thin film made of lavsan or a similar material. On its surface strips with the content of carbonaceous mix are applied. They are conductors of electric current.
General technical characteristics of PLEN heating directly depend on the specific film model. But there are a number of parameters that are characteristic of all types of this heating system:
- Power - W / m² film. It can vary from 100 to 240 W / m² depending on the thickness of the carbon strips and their density on the surface;
- Width. This is a normalized parameter - from 300 to 1000 mm. The video of the PLEN heating installation shows that cutting the film along is not allowed. This may cause the electrical circuit to disconnect;
- Control device - temperature regulators. These are universal devices that are also used in the heating system of electric underfloor heating.
The time to reach the optimum power of IR heating PLEN depends on the parameters of the room - volume and thermal insulation. When you turn on the system for the first time, stabilization can last from 4 to 189 hours. In the future, after adaptation, the system will heat up to the required temperature for 5-10 minutes.
Another important feature of infrared PLEN heating is fire safety. This is explained by the maximum surface heating temperature up to + 45 ° С, as well as the presence of a special protective film.
Plen package
Studying the video about PLEN heating, you can notice that much attention is paid to the choice of the contour model of the heating element, as well as to the control units. The choice of installation technology, as well as the coating area, largely depends on the size of the installation surface.
First of all, it is necessary to determine the optimal width of the heating coil of the new generation of PLEN. In this case, the rated power per 1 m² of its area is taken into account. To install the PLEN of heating with your own hands, you need to purchase the following additional elements:
- Fixing material. It can be mounting brackets or dowels. It is important that their width is not greater than the distance between the resistive strips;
- Reflective backing. It is installed on the rough surface of the ceiling and is designed to concentrate IR radiation in the direction of the room;
- Temperature controllers and temperature sensors. With their help, manual or automatic adjustment of the modes of operation of ceiling heating PLEN is performed.
One of the installation conditions is a flat surface. Therefore, you may need to make a crate for ceiling heating PLEN. To do this, you can use a drywall profile or install a wooden structure.
For the convenience of regulating the heating temperature of a new generation of PLEN, you can purchase a thermostat with remote control or GPS module.
Rules for installing film heating
Installation largely depends on the technical characteristics of the heating PLEN. First of all, the overall dimensions of the roll. To carry out this work, you can not involve specialists - all stages of installation are performed without special tools. It is important to properly equip the system.
Most reviews of the PLEN heating system relate to the operation of this type of heat supply. And only a small amount speaks about the possible difficulties of installation. They are associated with the initial state of the installation surface and the location of the wiring in the house.
Knowing the definition and features of PLEN heating, general recommendations for its installation were developed. They are as follows:
- Choosing a mounting location. It can be a floor, walls or ceiling. The latter option is preferable, since infrared heating of the PLEN should cover the largest possible area of the room.Ideally, the area is from 60 to 75% of the total surface.
- Preparation of the draft ceiling. In many videos about heating PLEN, little attention is paid to this point. But for proper operation it is necessary to ensure a perfectly smooth surface. To do this, make the mounting grid of galvanized profile or wooden battens.
- Pre-insulation and waterproofing. This is necessary to ensure safe and long-term operation of infrared heating PLEN.
- Drawing up the installation diagram. It indicates the location of the film, the connection and installation of control elements.
Only after these steps is it possible to install the PLEN heating system yourself. The distance between the films should be at least 10-12 cm, and their distance from the walls is 4-5 cm. Given that the ceiling heat supply of the PLEN is sensitive to the resistive effect, additional insulation is installed in the places where the wiring passes.
If the installation is carried out on the floor - it is necessary to take into account the technical and operational parameters of the heating PLEN. Upon completion of installation, a concrete screed must be poured. It is necessary to trace the location of the films - in the process of pouring concrete, they should not be displaced under the mechanical action of the mixture.
With a large heating coverage, the PLENs provide for the installation of several control thermostats and temperature sensors.
Cost of equipment and reviews about ESP
After drawing up the installation diagram and determining the optimal configuration, you can begin to formulate a budget for the purchase of components of the ESP. Fortunately, products from many manufacturers that offer models of various capacities are presented on the market.
First you need to do an initial market analysis. It is recommended to choose a film heating of the brand that has service centers in the region. This will help to quickly resolve possible problems with defective products. Do not forget about the quality and technical parameters of components - they must be designed for a specific heating circuit, be convenient to use.
| Type of components | Features | Cost, rub. |
| Infrared film CALEO, mp | Width 50 cm, power - 232 W / m², | 504 |
| Thermostat UTN 200 | Weekly programmer | 2775 |
| Thermo tape, 20 m.p. | For ceiling mounting | 225 |
| Mounting substrate, 100 cm, mp | With markup for installation | 30 |
The actual features of the functioning of this type of heat supply can be found in the reviews on the PLEN heating system:
- Our country house has good water heating. The only drawback is the long heating time of the water. Therefore, we decided to install an additional film system. It works well as protection against freezing of pipes - before the trip I set the thermostat to + 8 ° C. For the month of absence at home, electricity consumption was only 78 kW;
- We have a small one-room apartment. Since central heating works very poorly, and there is a small child in the house, an IR film was installed. Everything is fine, but the room cools quickly after shutting down the ESP. Over time, they understood the reason. First, it was necessary to insulate the outer wall;
- For the PLEN children's room, one of the ideal options. Firstly, it does not dry the air, like ordinary water heating. You can not be afraid that the child will get burned on the pipe or radiator. Convenient temperature control. The only difficulty is the complexity of the installation.
It is also necessary to know that the efficiency of heating PLEN is affected by the height of the ceilings. The higher they are, the larger the film coating area. However, at the same time, radiation is scattered. The ideal ceiling height should be 2.7-3 m.
You can familiarize yourself with the installation features by watching the video of the installation of the heating PLEN:
