In a climate of harsh climate, the issue of housing heating always remains one of the most important. It is not advisable to build in a large house a traditional solid fuel stove on firewood, and it is impossible to connect a private cottage to central heating. To create a comfortable microclimate in a private house, the most successful solution will be to build an autonomous heating system by one's own hands. This is not very difficult, if you become acquainted with the basic rules of installation and consult with specialists.
Schematic representation of an autonomous heating system in a private house
What are the main types of autonomous heating
Today it is common to distinguish three main types of independent heating systems for a private house:
- A heating system of a traditional type in which the heat medium in a liquid form is heated in a boiler and circulates in a closed circleinside the system, giving heat to the external environment.
- An air heating system in which the main coolant is air. In special devices, it is heated, after which it spreads through all rooms through air ducts.
- Electric heating of direct action. In this case, we observe the complete absence of any coolant. Heating of the air in the room is carried out directly from electric heating devices. These can be heating elements, convectors or infrared radiators.
Let's consider in detail the advantages and disadvantages of each type, as well as the features of self-assembly.
Traditional heating system with liquid coolant
When we hear the phrase "heating system", the first thing that comes to mind is the traditional design. In countries with a cold climate, it is the main one, and the rest are auxiliary. However, in regions where the climate is milder, a wide range is occupied by two other types of heating systems. The traditional heating system is based on free or forced circulation of heated liquid inside the system from pipes and radiators. The latter have a ribbed structure that increases heat transfer. By and large, it includes 6 pipes, heating appliances, stop valves and an energy installation that serves as a source of heat for heating the liquid.
Schematic diagram of the simplest liquid heating system
In any traditional system of autonomous heating, a boiler is used as an energy installation. It can work by burning various types of fuel or use electricity to heat the coolant. As a coolant, ordinary water is most often used, but it can be antifreeze, antifreeze, transformer oil. The latter allow the use of a heating system in situations where there is a risk of freezing due to boiler shutdown. In the boiler there is heating of the coolant, which naturally begins to circulate through the system. More often for its circulation, a centrifugal pump is used, which allows to achieve greater effect from the heating system.
The main elements of a more complex collector autonomous heating system
The principles of the traditional heating system
If you conceived the construction of a new house, the nuances of the heating system need to be considered at the design stage. This will save you from having to cut through walls and partitions. After all, heating is easier to build even before the construction of internal partitions. In addition, if you plan to install a floor boiler, you will need a separate room for it. You can, of course, do this in the bathroom or in the kitchen, but then it will be at the expense of aesthetics.
Better in this regard, use two-circuit boilers, which hang directly on the wall, and the chimney is led through it. Such boilers not only provide the house with heat, but also hot water. They have a more aesthetic appearance and are noiseless, which allows them to be placed even in the kitchen. In addition, these units are equipped with a built-in circulation pump and a surge tank. Of the minuses, it is worth noting only their higher cost and a sophisticated electronics device that can refuse when the electricity is turned off. These boilers require constant monitoring, so you can not leave the house unattended in winter for a few days.
Wiring plan for double-circuit boiler
Two-loop boilers are installed in houses with an area of no more than 250 m2, since their power does not exceed 30 kW.If the area is much larger, it will be necessary to install a powerful single-circuit boiler. In this case for the organization of hot water supply additional water-heating equipment is required: capacitive boilers or plate heat exchangers.
Choosing the right boiler for the traditional heating system
When selecting a boiler, it is first of all necessary to pay attention to the area that it needs to heat. In addition, the capacity of the unit is affected by: the tightness of windows, the level of heat protection, climatic conditions in the area. Not least is the availability and cost of energy resources. Natural gas is most advantageous, but if gas networks are not available, then it is worth considering the purchase of solid fuel or liquid heating boilers. Consider electric boilers need in the last place because of the prohibitive cost of electricity. True, they have their own plus - the lack of combustion products.
Alternative gas versions of
boilers The most popular boilers are those that work by burning natural gas. Installation of autonomous heating using such units is most convenient. In addition, such a heating system does not require the availability of fuel and storage space, because gas is simply fed into the house through pipes from the gas distribution network. The most important element of the gas boiler is its burner, which is atmospheric or fan. With an atmospheric burner, the combustion of gas occurs naturally, which, at low pressures in the system, can lead to premature burnout of its housing. The fan system creates an artificial airflow, which causes the gas to escape from the nozzle with force, protecting the burner from damage. Such a system is more expensive and noisy, but more effective.
Standard burner for gas boiler
It is worth noting that for the normal operation of the gas boiler it is required to ensure a qualitative discharge of gases and condensate from the combustion chamber. In the case of a double-circuit boiler, there is a fan in it that removes the combustion products into a short pipe that horizontally leaves directly behind the wall. For a floor boiler, the construction of a bulky chimney of a special design is required.
Flue diagram for floor boiler
Advantages and disadvantages of traditional heating system and principles of its installation
The advantages of a traditional heating system include its energy efficiency. Only it is capable in conditions of a cold climate with minimal costs to provide heating of large enough areas without the use of complex structures. Of the disadvantages can be noted a certain complexity of installation and high cost of the entire set of equipment. The need for a large amount of non-renewable fuel can also be attributed to minuses in terms of ecology.
Today, polypropylene pipes and bimetallic radiators are most often used for mounting a liquid heating system. This allows you to collect the heating system yourself using a special soldering iron for a reasonably short time. The laying of pipes can be of several types. More about this can be found in the thematic articles.
In general, it can be noted that the batteries are usually installed under the windows, attaching them to the pipe with the help of a stop valve. This will remove the radiator if necessary without draining and stopping the entire system. To calculate the number of radiators, depending on the area of the room, there are special tables and formulas.
Table for calculating the need for heating radiators
When using a floor boiler, an open heating system is constructed. That is, at its upper point there is an open expansion tank, where it is necessary to add water from time to time. It is needed to compensate for the thermal expansion of water when heated. The wall-mounted double-circuit boiler is already equipped with an expansion tank, which is closed, and water in such a system is added directly from the water pipe under pressure. That is, before you buy such a boiler, you must make a water pipe in your house, the pressure in which is able to ensure the filling of the heating system with water.
Air heating system
Such a heating system is often used in large shopping centers and industrial buildings. Special high-power heaters drive the flow of hot air through a network of ducts laid throughout the building. Heating of air occurs due to electric heaters, through which it passes. Another version of air heating for heating air uses natural heat of the environment. Such devices are similar to air conditioners, they only work in the opposite direction, not cooling, but heating the air.
In domestic use for heating a house or apartment, these two methods are used extremely rarely. The first is due to the bulky calorifiers and large energy consumption, and the second because of the high cost and low efficiency at temperatures below -15 degrees. In addition, the functioning of both systems requires the construction of air ducts, which in the house can be simply inappropriate or will take up too much useful space.
Air heating system device
Electrical types of heating
In terms of safety and environmental friendliness, electrical types of heating are most attractive. In addition, the cost of building electrical heating will be significantly lower than liquid or air. After all, there is no need at all in any system. Heating devices themselves emit heat and can be installed in any room without any communications other than wiring. Perhaps the main drawback, which prevents the use of these devices for organizing the main heating system, is the high cost of electricity. The following four types of equipment are mainly used to create electric heating:
- Infrared heater, which can be portable wall or ceiling. The principle of their action is based on the emission of infrared waves, which are capable of heating the surrounding objects. In turn, they themselves become sources of thermal energy. Infrared heaters do not burn oxygen, since they do not have incandescent elements. For this reason, they consume the least amount of electricity and are the most economical of all electric heaters available today.
- Electric convectors of various types. They can also be portable or fixed on the walls.
- Cable, as well as film systems for floor or ceiling heating. This system is often used as an auxiliary system.
- Thermostats for heat regulation, as well as the various programmable devices necessary to ensure the automatic operation of electric heaters.
The main disadvantage of this heating system, in addition to the cost of energy, is that it does not provide an opportunity to provide hot water to the house. And its main advantage is the simplicity of construction and operation. Sometimes it's just enough to put the device in a room and plug it into a household electrical network.
If you decide to build a heating system in your own private house, you need to decide on its type. If your home is in the southern regions, where the winter temperature does not drop below 10 degrees, then you may well need to install in each room of infrared electric heaters. They will provide effective heating of the entire house, consuming a minimum of electricity. If you are an inhabitant of the middle band, let alone the northern latitudes or Siberia, then you can not do without traditional liquid heating. There are several options for its device. Which one to choose is up to you, based on the current situation.
