ČeskyIn the world of electric heating, especially carbon heating films, there are many myths, half-truths and distorted facts that often discourage customers from electric heating. In this article, we have focused on these facts.
Electric underfloor heating with the use of heating films offers many advantages. The biggest ones include low acquisition and operation costs, maintenance-free and full-area heating. Thanks to its thickness, the LARX CARBON-FILM.COM heating system is suitable for all types of new buildings and reconstructions. Heating films are a low-temperature type of heating. They do not cause dust swirling or air drying, so they are an ideal type of underfloor heating for allergy sufferers, asthmatics and other people with respiratory problems.
The heating film is very simple in construction. It is a carbon paste applied by CNT (“carbon nanotubes”) technology between two copper strips fused between two strips of PET foil. The performance of the heating film is affected by the concentration of carbon in the applied paste. The carbon heating film is supplied in strips 50 cm wide, rolled into a roll with a roll of 100 m (our “yellow” foil 50 m). The strips can be divided at the marked places by cutting. After disassembly according to the laying plan, the individual strips must be electrically connected by conductors with double Teflon insulation (so-called cold cable), the ends of which are connected to the copper strips at the edges of the foil by mechanical pressing of the connector.
IP certification for heating film
We often encounter questions about the IP certification of our LARX carbon films to see if our films are as durable as the competitors ones. As mentioned above, the carbon film is always sealed between two layers of PET lamination. PET is a material that lasts in water practically indefinitely – see ordinary PET bottles. Therefore, declaring an IP certification for the carbon film itself is unnecessary. The only place endangered by water are the connectors. These can corrode and are therefore always insulated with strong self-curing butyl tape.
This clearly states that the water resistance depends on the quality of the insulation of the connectors on the construction site. The certification of the film itself in the laboratory does not say anything about this and is unnecessary. We not only care about the quality of insulation during installation, it is our daily bread. When installing under a concrete or anhydrite layer, we use a LARX-resistant carbon film designed for this purpose with double lamination and we always insulate not only the connectors, but the entire cutting edges with butyl tape. This guarantees a long service life.
Carbon heating films and reflective foils
According to some sellers of heating films, reflective foil can reflect radiant heat towards the room and thus reduce heating costs. But is it really so? No, don’t believe them. Radiant heat spreads between surfaces of different temperatures that do not touch each other. Therefore, if we place the heating foil directly on the reflective foil, no gap will be created between the heat source and the reflective foil. The heat will continue to propagate down the reflective film, as if the reflective foil was not there. Reflective metal can cause side effects. Reflective foil in combination with carbon heating film is therefore only a marketing ploy of insincere sales representatives of some sellers of heating films.
Carbon heating films and electromagnetic smog
Electromagnetic smog, ie radiation that is created by the passage of an electric current through metal conductors. But carbon is not a metal. Heating films have negligible metal components and therefore the production of electromagnetic smog is minimal, especially in comparison with heating cables or mats, which are metal, and therefore the production of smog in the room is much higher. The LARX CARBON-FILM.COM heating system meets all European and Czech standards and the strictest European certificates for operation in living rooms.
The cost of purchasing a heating system can be significantly reduced by installing heating film yourself. The installation of the LARX CARBON-FILM.COM heating system itself is simple and can be done by any skilled electrician. On our website you will find instructions, procedures, videos and lots of other information on how to install heating films yourself.
Are you interested in the LARX CARBON-FILM.COM heating system? Do not hesitate and send us your project via the contact form and together we will find a suitable solution.