The heating of the premises of a country cottage can be arranged in various ways - by a stove, gas or electric convectors, infrared devices and other air heaters. But for living rooms, traditional water heating remains the preferred option. The installation of such a system in a private house or apartment begins with the selection of the correct scheme, taking into account the layout of the building and the arrangement of heating equipment.
How the system works
If you plan to independently conduct heat in the premises, you should understand the design and principle of operation of water heating. Three components of any circuit:
- a plant that generates thermal energy and transfers it to water;
- piping;
- heating appliances located in heated rooms.
Note. Shutoff valves - taps, balancing valves, mixing valves - are always part of the wiring. Additional equipment - circulation pump, expansion tank - are part of the boiler or are mounted separately.
The principle of operation of the system is based on the transfer of heat from the source to the heating devices through a liquid working fluid - ordinary water, capable of absorbing a large amount of energy (specific heat - 4.18 kJ / kg • ° C). In some cases, an anti-freezing liquid is used - an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. How does this happen:
- Burning hydrocarbon fuel or consuming electricity, the installation heats the water to a temperature of 40 ... 90 degrees.
- Hot fluid moves through the pipes using a pump or in a natural way (due to convection) to water radiators.
- Between the heating devices and the room air there is a heat exchange - the water flowing through the battery cools by 10-20 ° C, the atmosphere of the room warms up. Plus, the hot surface of the radiator emits infrared thermal radiation.
- The cooled coolant is returned through the line to the heat generator, where it is again heated to the required temperature.
- Excess water resulting from thermal expansion enters a special tank. When the temperature in the system drops, the liquid contracts again and leaves the expansion tank.
Reference. The intense release of infrared heat from the surface of the batteries begins at temperatures above 60 ° C.
Before heating, remember one rule: the heating efficiency is practically independent of the volume of water in the system. This indicator only affects the heating / cooling rate of the house when starting or stopping the heat generator.
We list the really important characteristics:
- the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the home heater, the maximum allowable - 25 degrees;
- source power - should be selected according to the calculation of heat loss through external walls + air heating for ventilation;
- coolant flow rate - the volume of water passing through the radiators within 1 hour;
- The hydraulic resistance of the pipeline network together with radiators should ideally not exceed 1 Bar (10 m water column).
An explanation regarding the total volume of coolant in the pipes will be given by expert Vladimir Sukhorukov in his video:
Types of boilers and other water heaters
The efficiency of heating in a private house depends on the installation that heats the working fluid (water). A correctly selected unit generates the amount of heat needed for radiators and an indirect heating boiler (if any), saving energy.
Autonomous water system can work from:
- a boiler using a specific fuel - natural gas, firewood, coal, diesel fuel;
- electric boiler;
- wood-burning stoves with a water circuit (metal or brick);
- heat pump.
Addition. There are combined types of heaters that simultaneously combine 2-3 energy sources, for example, coal - natural gas, firewood - electricity (one copy is shown below in the photo). There are also universal boilers where you can install a diesel nozzle, a gas or pellet burner - to choose from.
Most often, for the organization of heating in cottages, it is the boilers that are used - gas, electric and solid fuel. The latter are made only in the floor version, the rest of the heat generators - wall and stationary. Diesel units are used less often, the reason is the high price of fuel. How to choose the right hot water boiler is discussed in a detailed guide.
Stove heating combined with water registers or modern radiators is a good solution for heating a summer house, a garage and a small residential house with an area of 50-100 m². The disadvantage is that the heat exchanger placed inside the stove heats the water uncontrollably. To avoid boiling, it is important to provide forced circulation in the system.
Reference. Previously, such schemes were made gravity - without a pump, with an open expansion tank. Registers and highways were welded from steel pipes with a diameter of 40 ... 80 mm (internal), laid with a slope of 3-5 mm per 1 m for better gravity flow. Heating was called steam, because the system was not afraid of boiling.
Heat pumps are not widely used in the countries of the former Union. Causes:
- the main problem is the high cost of equipment;
- due to the cold climate, air-water devices are simply ineffective;
- earth-water geothermal systems are difficult to install;
- electronic components and compressors of heat pumps are very expensive to repair and maintain.
Due to the high price, the payback period of the units exceeds 15 years. But the efficiency of the plants (3-4 kW of heat per 1 kilowatt of electricity consumed) attracts craftsmen - craftsmen trying to assemble home-made analogues from old air conditioners.
How to make the simplest version of a heat pump with your own hands, look at the video:
Water heating devices
As the heating elements of the premises can be:
- traditional radiators installed under window openings and near cold walls, for example, on the north side of the building;
- pipe contours of floor heating, otherwise - warm floors;
- baseboard heaters;
- floor convectors.
Radiator water heating is the most reliable and cheapest option among those listed. It’s quite possible to install and connect the batteries yourself, the main thing is to correctly select the number of sections by power. Disadvantages - poor heating of the lower zone of the room and the location of devices in sight, which is not always consistent with the interior design.
All commercially available radiators are divided into 4 groups according to the material of manufacture:
- Aluminum - sectional and monolithic. In fact, they are cast from silumin, an alloy of aluminum with silicon, and are most effective in terms of heating rate.
- Bimetallic. A complete analogue of aluminum batteries, only inside is a frame made of steel pipes. Scope - multi-apartment high-rise buildings with central heating, where the coolant is supplied with a pressure of more than 10 bar.
- Steel panel. Relatively cheap monolithic type radiators made of stamped metal sheets plus additional fins.
- Sectional cast iron. Heavy, heat-consuming and expensive appliances with an original design. Due to the decent weight, some models are equipped with legs - it is unrealistic to hang such an accordion on the wall.
Note.We are talking about cast-iron radiators in a modern design. Soviet-style batteries type MS-140 are outdated in all respects.
In terms of demand, steel devices occupy a leading position - they are inexpensive, and from the point of view of heat transfer, thin metal is slightly inferior to silumin. Following are aluminum, bimetallic and cast-iron heaters. Choose whichever you prefer.
Underfloor construction
The floor heating system consists of the following elements:
- heating contours from metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes, poured with cement screed or laid between the logs (in a wooden house);
- distribution manifold with flow meters and thermostatic valves for regulating the flow of water in each loop;
- mixing unit - a circulation pump plus a valve (two- or three-way) that maintains the temperature of the coolant in the range of 35 ... 55 ° C.
The mixing unit and the collector are connected to the boiler by two mains - supply and return. Water heated to 60 ... 80 degrees is mixed in portions with the valve into the circuits as the circulating coolant cools.
Warm floors - the most comfortable and economical way of heating, although installation costs are 2-3 times higher than the radiator network. The best option for heating is shown in the photo - floor water circuits + batteries, regulated by thermal heads.
Skirting and floor convectors
Both types of heaters are similar in design to a water heat exchanger - a copper coil with thin plates mounted on it - fins. In the floor-mounted version, the heating part is closed by a decorative casing that looks like a plinth; gaps for the passage of air are left above and below.
The heat exchanger of the underfloor convector is installed in a housing below the level of a clean floor. Some models are equipped with low-noise fans that increase the performance of the heater. The coolant is supplied through pipes laid in a hidden way under the screed.
The described devices successfully fit into the design of the room, and the underground convectors are indispensable near the transparent exterior walls made entirely of glass. But ordinary homeowners are in no hurry to purchase these devices, because:
- copper-aluminum convector radiators - a pleasure not cheap;
- for full heating of the cottage, located in the middle lane, you will have to install heaters around the perimeter of all rooms;
- floor-mounted heat exchangers without fans are ineffective;
- the same products with fans emit a quiet monotonous hum.
Hence the conclusion: a convector is a useful thing for certain places where it is difficult to place conventional batteries. But to heat such devices with the whole building is unreasonably expensive.
Radiator network - 4 pipe routing methods
When arranging heating in private houses, 4 main schemes are used:
- one-pipe, it is also “Leningradka”;
- two-pipe humeral (otherwise - dead-end);
- two-pipe passing;
- collector.
Note. In a two-story cottage, it is allowed to combine 2 schemes. Example: on the 1st floor to make a collector system, on the second - to install the wiring with the associated flow of coolant. Although such decisions are not always justified.
According to modern standards, all of the above schemes are made airtight. The water in the pipes is at a pressure of 0.5 ... 3 Bar (depending on temperature), a closed expansion tank is installed with a rubber membrane inside. A prerequisite for the operation of the system is forced circulation from the electric pump.
“Leningradka” and the two-pipe deadlock scheme can operate without a circulation pump, due to convective fluid flow. The principle is as follows: colder, heavier water displaces hot water with a lower specific gravity.But in order to carry out and establish gravity flow, it is necessary to use pipes of increased dimensions - Ø32 ... 80 mm, mounted with a certain slope.
Collector and associated ring wiring (another name - Tichelman loop) is unable to work without forced pumping of water, therefore it is always made closed. Let's consider each scheme in more detail.
One-pipe connection option
Initially, the system seems simple - along the outer walls of the building, one highway is horizontally laid, where all radiators are connected, with both hoses. Having passed the first battery, the cooled coolant returns to the common pipe, mixes with the hot one and enters the next heating device. Accordingly, each subsequent radiator receives a cooler coolant.
What is the complexity of a one-pipe scheme:
- The diameter of the main pipe is at least 20 mm (inner passage), which corresponds to the outer size of metal-plastic 26 mm, polypropylene - 32 mm. The specified section remains the same along the entire length of the pipeline.
- The number of batteries in 1 branch is a maximum of 6 pcs. Otherwise, it will be necessary to increase the diameter of the distributing pipe to 32-50 mm. Installation is complicated and more expensive by 15-20% (minimum).
- Since less heated water comes to distant radiators, their heat-exchange surface must be increased by 10 ... 30%, adding the number of sections.
- Manual or automatic flow control through 1 heater affects the operation of other devices, since the temperature and water flow in the common highway change.
Reference. In Soviet-built apartment buildings, vertical single-tube systems are used, where the batteries are connected to the risers, the principle of "Leningrad" is maintained. Similar schemes, only in miniature, are used in two-story private cottages when it is necessary to organize gravity flow.
One-pipe closed circuit water heating is suitable for country and residential houses with an area of 60 ... 100 m². Two floors is not a problem, the system is divided into 2 ring branches, converging on tees near the boiler, one pump is involved.
Two-pipe schemes - ring and dead end
A characteristic difference between these wiring is the division of the hot and cooled coolant into 2 lines - supply and return. Here two pipes come to the batteries - one water enters the radiators, through the second it flows back to the boiler. For heating homes, 2 systems are used:
- With a dead-end scheme, the coolant goes along the line to the last device, then returns through the return flow - flows in the opposite direction.
- In Tichelman’s ring loop, water does not change direction after exiting the battery. That is, the coolant in both highways flows in one direction.
Addition. The first system consists of one or several dead-end branches - shoulders of different or equal lengths. The second is made in the form of one or more closed rings converging on the boiler.
Advantages of two-pipe battery connection methods:
- small diameters of highways - 15-20 mm (internal);
- all radiators are filled with a coolant of the same temperature;
- there are no restrictions on the number of heaters on 1 line;
- the system lends itself to automation and adjustment, changing the flow rate or completely disconnecting one battery does not affect the operation of neighboring ones;
- properly assembled associated cabling is well balanced hydraulically;
- low installation costs.
It is not difficult to assemble a deadlock scheme with your own hands - it "forgives" frivolous mistakes and is easily balanced. With Tichelman's loop it is more difficult - in a one-story building, a double highway will necessarily cross the opening of the front door, which will have to be bent around with pipes from above or below under the floors.
Collector system
Here, the connection of radiators is organized by the beam method from a distribution comb located close to the center of the building.It is connected to the boiler with two pipes, and each battery has its own two-pipe line - supply and return. Radiator hoses go to devices along the shortest path - hide in the floor screed or fasten under the ceiling of the lower floor.
Note. Air removal from the hidden laid pipelines is made through the automatic air vents installed on a comb.
The beam scheme is a modern wiring option that preserves the advantages of a dead end system. There are additional advantages:
- pipes, hoses and a cabinet with a collector are hidden inside building structures, so the circuit is suitable for any interior solutions;
- convenience and simplicity of regulation (balancing), controls are located in one place - a distribution cabinet;
- if you equip thermostatic valves of the comb with servos and put an electronic control unit, you can fully automate the water heating of the building.
To connect the heaters to the collector, cross-linked polyethylene pipes Ø10 mm (internal section) are used, protected by a heat-insulating sheath. From a boiler installation to a comb, a highway with a diameter of 26 ... 40 mm is laid, depending on the number of consumers.
The disadvantages of beam wiring:
- in an old house it is difficult to conduct pipelines to radiators - open the screed or cut the strobes;
- high cost of materials and work;
- the circuit does not work without a pump;
- The lines laid inside the concrete monolith cannot be redone or replaced.
Finally, the advantages and disadvantages
First, we will reveal the main disadvantages of this heating:
- Significant investments in construction - the homeowner bears the costs of the purchase of materials, equipment and installation;
- during operation, it is necessary to monitor the operation of the heat power plant, diesel and wood boilers to be loaded with fuel on time;
- there is a possibility of leakage or thawing of the elements of the heating network.
These shortcomings can not be called critical. Investments are gradually paid off, with a lack of funds, installation is carried out independently. The probability of leaks is reduced to zero due to the high-quality assembly and filling of the non-freezing coolant (antifreeze) if the heating is switched on periodically.
The list of advantages looks much more impressive:
- Universality. To heat the working fluid, you can use equipment that uses various sources of energy and fuel. If necessary, put 2-4 different water heaters.
- A wide selection of accessories. The developer can choose the scheme and materials for a personal budget - apply inexpensive polypropylene pipes, supply panel radiators and an electric boiler.
- Flexibility. Any closed type scheme is easily adapted to the requirements of the homeowner, pipelines are laid in a closed or open way. The exception is gravity (gravity) wiring, mounted according to strict rules.
- The surface temperature of the devices does not exceed 80 degrees, soft infrared heat is released, the air does not dry out.
- In parallel with heating, it is easy to organize hot water supply - to install and connect an indirect storage boiler to the heat generator.
- There is the possibility of complete automation and control of heating at a distance - via GSM connection or the Internet.
As you understand, the publication is for guidance only and is useful to homeowners who have not decided on how to heat their home. More detailed instructions on the selection of heat-power equipment, pipes and fittings you will find on other pages of our resource (transitions are highlighted in blue in the text of the article).