Heating films

Infrared heating film, also known as heating foil, is a high-quality product that works well in almost any application. It is ideal as surface heating, particularly for underfloor, ceiling and wall heating.

Unlike classic heating cables or mats, heating film heats the entire surface rather than only locally through a high-temperature wire, which means it can be installed under any flooring. Heating film consumes 50% less electrical energy than a traditional heating mat.

Heating film is a safe product — it has been tested by research bodies accredited by the European Commission.

The heating film should be selected based on design data. If you want to choose the product yourself, for well-insulated new buildings a film with a power of 80W/m² will be suitable; for average insulation — a film with a power of 140W/m²; and for poorly insulated buildings — a film with a power of 220W/m².

The warranty for heating film installed by an Authorized Installer is 15 years, while for self-installation it is 6 years. The product's service life is rated at 100 years.

Yes, two heating film strips can be connected in series. However, they must be treated as a single, longer film strip.

The combined length of both strips must not exceed the maximum permissible length for the given heating film model. Information about the maximum strip length can be found in the table in the film's installation instructions.

Example:

If the maximum length of a single film strip is 8 m:
• 3 m + 4 m = 7 m — can be connected.
• 4 m + 4 m = 8 m — can be connected.
• 5 m + 4 m = 9 m — cannot be connected.

In most installations, two separate conduits (protective tubes) should be used:
• One conduit for the power cables supplying the mat, cable, or heating film.
• A second conduit intended exclusively for the floor sensor.

The floor sensor should be placed in a separate protective tube, capped at the floor-facing end. The tube should allow the sensor to be freely withdrawn and reinserted.

To correctly complete this part of the installation, it is best to use a "Floor Sensor Installation Kit". The kit makes it easier to route the protective tube and correctly position the sensor in the floor.

Thanks to the use of a separate protective tube, if the sensor fails it can be replaced without having to remove the panels, tiles, or the entire floor.

The thermostat contains a relay that switches the underfloor heating on and off depending on the temperature measured by the sensor and the value set by the user.

Control is performed in ON/OFF mode, i.e. zero-one: heating is either on or off. Once the set temperature is reached, the thermostat switches off the power supply, and switches it on again once the temperature drops.

No. TERMOFOL heating film is not designed or recommended for installation under a cement screed, anhydrite screed, or other poured compounds.

The film should be used strictly in accordance with its intended purpose and installation instructions, e.g. in floating floor systems, under panels or vinyl flooring approved for use with underfloor heating.

As a rule, heating film should not be laid under fitted units or furniture that restricts heat dissipation. This includes, among others, kitchen cabinetry, built-in wardrobes, wall units, and furniture placed directly on the floor.

The film may only be laid under furniture on legs if the clearance between the floor and the bottom of the furniture is at least 35 mm. This gap allows free air circulation and heat dissipation.

For non-standard applications, check the requirements given in the film's installation instructions.

Only flooring panels whose manufacturer approves their use with underfloor heating should be used in installations with heating film.

Panels marked as suitable for underfloor heating are designed to operate at elevated temperatures and, with a correctly executed installation, should not deform or suffer other damage. However, the technical documentation for the specific product should always be consulted, or confirmation obtained directly from the manufacturer.

The panel manufacturer specifies, among other things:
• The maximum permissible floor surface temperature.
• Requirements regarding the type of underfloor heating.
• Recommendations regarding the underlay and installation method.
• Conditions for maintaining the warranty.

Meeting these requirements is necessary to ensure safe use of the floor and to maintain the panel warranty.

The electricity consumption of heating film depends primarily on the room's heat demand. Key factors include the building's thermal insulation quality, the airtightness of the building envelope, the indoor temperature maintained, the outdoor temperature, ventilation, and the heating control method.

Energy consumption can be estimated based on the calculated or assumed heating energy demand for the given room. Heating film is resistive electric heating and converts the electrical energy it draws into heat energy at practically a 1:1 ratio. This means that to deliver 1 kWh of heat, the device draws approximately 1 kWh of electrical energy.

However, it should be remembered that the installed power of the film is not the same as its constant energy draw. The thermostat periodically switches the heating on and off, so actual consumption depends on the system's operating time and the current heat losses in the room.

No, the orientation of standard heating film does not affect its operation. It can be installed with the printed side facing either up or down — the heating element works the same way in both positions.

There is no single universal cross-section for the supply cable. Its selection depends on factors including the total power of the heating installation, the voltage and number of circuits, the cable length, the way it is routed, the permissible voltage drop, cooling conditions, and the overcurrent protection used.

The supply cable should be selected by a person with the appropriate qualifications — an electrician or an electrical installation designer — in accordance with the parameters of the specific system and applicable requirements.

Yes. It is recommended that film strips within a single heating zone be connected in parallel rather than in series. This way each strip receives the full supply voltage and operates independently of the other strips. Connections should be made in accordance with the installation instructions, using the correct terminals, wires, and insulation.

No. The film may only be cut at the points marked by the manufacturer as cutting lines.

Yes. Every unconnected end of a copper busbar must be thoroughly insulated. Proper insulation protects the installation against accidental electrical contact.

Yes, provided the vinyl panel manufacturer explicitly approves their use with electric underfloor heating. Before installation, check the product's technical data sheet and make sure all requirements are met.

An important parameter is also the choice of underlay for the vinyl panels. It should have adequate hardness, expressed by the CS (Compressive Strength) index, usually at least 60 kPa or higher — an underlay that is too soft may undergo permanent deformation under load.

Yes. The insulating underlay reduces heat loss towards the subfloor, supports even heat transfer to the floor, and protects the film during installation. It should be selected in accordance with the system's instructions and the panel manufacturer's requirements. The subfloor must be level, dry, and clean before installation.

In systems with floating panels, a vapour barrier layer should be used in accordance with the installation instructions.

In a typical layout, the vapour barrier layer is located above the heating film and below the panels or floorboards.

Yes. Before covering the installation, the correctness of the connections should be checked and the resistance of each circuit measured. The result obtained should be compared with the value derived from the system's power and supply voltage — the calculator available on termofol.pl can be helpful for this. The measurements should also be repeated after the flooring has been laid, to confirm that the installation was not damaged during assembly.

Yes, but this requires prior calculation of the room's heat demand and proper selection of the power and heated surface area. The building's insulation, the type of room, glazing, ventilation, the design temperature, and the constraints resulting from the planned interior fit-out must all be taken into account. In buildings with higher heat losses, the surface area available for the film alone may not be sufficient to cover the demand.

Yes. The film is laid only on the available heated surface, excluding fitted units and areas designated for elements that restrict heat dissipation.

Small temperature differences can result from the layout of the film strips, the presence of furniture, varying floor thickness, localized heat losses, or the method of temperature measurement. If the differences are large or there are clearly cold strips, the electrical connections, thermostat settings, sensor position, and condition of the installation should be checked before further use.

Drilling, screwing in fixing elements, or performing other work that could damage the film should not be done within the heated area. Before installing fixtures, it is worth keeping documentation or photographs of the layout of the film strips, cables, and sensor, so that safe locations for drilling holes can easily be identified in the future.

With correct parallel connection, the failure or disconnection of one film strip should not switch off the remaining strips in the same heating zone. However, it may reduce the system's total power and cause uneven floor heating.

If one of the film strips has stopped heating, this means the installation is not working correctly. Use of the heating in that zone should be stopped and the installation should be diagnosed by a qualified electrician. Repairs should not be carried out independently, nor should the system be restarted before the cause of the fault has been established.