5 FAQ's about ELEKTRA heating cables
Created Jan 21 2006 by Walus, Mirek
How to de-code ELEKTRA heating cable MODEL
#:
VCD - one end of the cable to be connected to the
thermostat.
VC - both ends of the cable to be connected to the
thermostat.
10 -> 10 Watts/running
meter = 3.0 Watts/ running ft.
15 -> 15 Watts/running
meter = 4.6 Watts/ running
ft.
17 -> 17 Watts/running
meter = 5.2 Watts/ running
ft.
20 -> 20 Watts/running
meter = 6.0 Watts/ running
ft.
25 -> 25 Watts/running
meter = 7.6 Watts/ running
ft.
Can the heating
cable be installed in the thinset just like mats and tiled over right
away?
Unfortunatelly - no. Heating cables are thicker
than mats.
VC 10 and
VC 15 need 1/2"-1" of concrete type of material (thickset, self leveler,
mortar) to be in.
VCD 17,
VC 20 and VCD 25 need 1"-2" of concrete type of material to be
in.
Can the cable be
installed under wood or eng. wood e.g. Pergo?
Yes. If
the wood on the floor is not thicker than 1/2" then VC 10 can be used
providing that it is installed in the mortar, thickset or self leveler at
least 1/2" thick.
Can more than one
cable be installed and connected to the same controlling device (line voltage
thermostat)?
E.g.
VCD 10/70:
is a 10
Watts/running meter or 3.0 Watts/ running ft. with total of 70
Watts heating cable with ONE end to be connected to the 230V
thermostat and 230V power source as the cables are for 230V only and always
voltage specific.
What does the
above mean when choosing?
The
weaker the cable the more of it per square ft. has to be installed (more
densely) - this helps with even, gentler heating.
In order
to have sufficient heat in the given application (room, floor etc.) X
Watts/sq.ft. need to be calculated.
From the
experience it was found that best comfort and efficiency results are reached
when there are anywhere from 8 to 15 Watts per square ft. for
indoors applications
and
25 to 50 Watts
for snow and ice melting outdoor applications - all depending
on the climate and particular condition such as insulation from the ground
etc.
And that
is why VCD 10 type of cable (aside from its less rigid
construction) cannot be used on the outside - in order to have 30
Watts/s.f. needed for ice melting 10 ft. of it would need to be crammed
into 1 square ft. of walkway, driveway or steps. Not a good idea. Therefore
only VD 20 or better VCD 25 is meant for the outside.
On the
other hand VCD 25 is too powerful to be installed inside to have for instance 10
Watts/sq.ft. output. as this would mean that each sq. ft of the floor would only
get some 16" of the cable in fact creating cold and warm spots all over the
floor.
Can the heating cable be installed in the thinset just
like mats and tiled over right away?
Unfortunately - no. Heating cables are
thicker than mats.
VC 10 and VC 15 need 1/2"-1" of concrete type of material
(thickset, self leveler, mortar) to be in.
VCD 17, VC 20 and VCD 25 need 1"-2" of concrete type
of material to be in.
Can the cable be installed under wood or eng. wood e.g.
Pergo?
Yes. If the wood on the floor is not thicker than 1/2"
then VC 10 can be used providing that it is installed in the mortar,
thickset or self leveler at least 1/2" thick.
Can more than one cable be installed and connected to
the same controlling device (line voltage thermostat)?
Yes, if the total power of the cables are less than the max
what the thermostat (and the line) can handle
AND
the cables are connected in parallel and not in series.
Parallel means that each cable is connected independly
and not to one another.
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