Best practices – Part 3: Verifications and measurements
In this third part of best practices for the installation of heating mats, we will focus on the verifications and measurements necessary to ensure the correct operation of the underfloor heating and to detect on time any incidence during installation.
The first verification has to take place at the time the heating mat is received. Data on the label should be checked to ensure the heating mat is the apropriate one for the room where the underfloor heating mat is about to be installed.
The outside label summarizes all the information necessary for the different verifications and measurements that will have to be carried out during the installation. During this previous step, the following points have to be checked:
- Product reference to ensure that this heating mat is the one aimed for this specific room (especially when several mats are received for different rooms).
- Nominal output of the heating mat.
- Surface of the heating mat. It has to be always lower than the free available surface.
All this information together with the batch production number have to be recorded on the certificate of warranty.
The second verification should be carried at opening the plastic wrap and consists in measuring the electric resistance and the insulation resistance of the heating mat:
- The measured value of the electric resistance should match the value stated on the label (within the tolerance -5%/+10%).
- The insulation resistance value in between one conductor and the earth conductor may not be less than 0.5MΩ
- Both measurements must be recorded in the certificate of warranty.
The third verification should be carried out when the heating mat is totally laid on the floor. Following the same procedure than the previous verification, electric resistance and insulation resistance should be measured and recorded on the certificate of warranty. Both measurements should not show any significant variation in respect to previous measurements.
The final verification should be carried out once the heating mat has been covered by the self-levelling screed or directly by the floor pavement in case of direct heating. The same procedure has to be applied and no variation should be detected in respect to the two previous measurements.
If any incidence is being detected in any of those verifications, the installer should contact with the wholesaler before proceeding with the installation. The sooner a problem is detected, better will be the solution.
Those verifications and their recording are absolutely necessary for the activation of warranty in base of problems. Besides, those verifications will provide to the installer the proof of a correct installation in case of posterior damages to the heating mat caused by the intervention of other workers (Mechanical damages during pavement installation, cable cut at installing rails, pipes, etc.).
Best practices – Part 1 – Thermal insulation
Best practices – Part 2 – Heat dissipation
