Voltage stabilizer for gas boiler

Many modern gas boilers are a very complex "organism", the high-efficiency and stable operation of which is provided in many modes by their "brain" - the electronic block of automatic control and control and the associated system of solenoid valves and valves. In addition, already in the design of the boiler can be provided, or in the immediate vicinity of it, a circulating pump is installed, which ensures the movement of the coolant along the heating circuits. Well, gas boilers with a closed combustion chamber, in addition, it also requires the work of fans that provide forced air for combustion of gas and the removal of combustion products through a coaxial chimney.

All these electromechanical and electronic units, modules and devices for their proper operation require a stable power supply. However, it would be top of frivolity to directly connect the boiler to the domestic 220 volt. It's not a secret for anyone how tense the voltage in it can differ from the declared parameters, and similar deviations, or worse, sudden jumps in one direction or another, lead to instability of the equipment operation or even to its fatal failure. Hence, a voltage regulator for the gas boiler is needed, as will be discussed in this publication.

How much is the voltage regulator required for a gas boiler?

Skeptics will be found who will question the very need for equipping the boiler with a voltage regulator. Apparently, in the representation of such people, old models of heating equipment are still being drawn, all of whose automation was limited to bimetallic heating sensors, which cut off or open the gas supply to the burner as the coolant reaches certain temperature thresholds. However, a modern boiler is a completely different level. The electronics of heating gas units offer the widest opportunities for maximum efficiency, along with high efficiency and safety of equipment operation.

• The stepwise regulation of the heating levels is gradually replaced by modulating the flame - the automation itself determines the number of burners currently in use and the flame height in them.
• Modern boilers are equipped with a function of smooth ignition, reducing the intensity of burning when the last few degrees are set to the set level - all this allows to reduce the number of restarts of the equipment, ensures its extremely smooth operation.
• The postcirculation of the pump becomes a useful option - after switching off the burners, the heat transfer medium is provided for a few more minutes to achieve even heating in all sections of the heating circuit.
• Modern electronic circuits are equipped with "artificial intelligence" - weather-dependent automatics independently monitors current weather changes, analyzes the interconnection of conditions on the street and in the apartment, and produces the most optimal algorithm for the heating system.all this gives a significant saving effect.
• Many boilers are designed to provide heat to several heating circuits with different temperatures. All these settings can be stored in the device's memory with programming by day of the week and hours during the day - the most comfortable conditions will be created in those periods when they are really in demand.
• Automation of a modern boiler will never allow freezing of water in the system during a prolonged absence of the owners. Moreover, if the equipment has not been used for some period, the control unit will automatically command the switching of the electromagnetic valves to several positions, to briefly start the circulation pump - so that no bubbling, sticking of valves, stagnant phenomena in the circuits, etc. is triggered.
• And, of course, all modern boilers are saturated with safety levels designed to exclude the creation of emergency situations for various deviations from the norm-dropping of thrust, pressure in the gas main or heating circuits, accidental attenuation and in other contingencies.

However, all this rich and useful functionality becomes available only with stable power supply.

Certainly, any modern equipment can operate in a certain range of input voltage - this is indicated in the technical documentation of the product, for example: 220 ± 15%.But, unfortunately, even these frameworks do not provide a guarantee of the uninterrupted functioning of the automation - the voltage drops are much more significant. And it will be a great luck if such a drop just causes a temporary malfunction in the heating system( which, of course, is in itself extremely undesirable).Much worse happens when an unstable input voltage leads to a burnout of the electronic circuit elements, or even a complete burn-out of the printed circuit boards. In this case, one can not do without expensive repairs, and under certain adverse circumstances - even without complete replacement of equipment.

boilers And all this often happens due to the fact that the owners neglected the installation of the input voltage regulator.

It should not be hoped that there are no voltage fluctuations in our home( village), or they are so rare and insignificant that it is not worth it to purchase additional equipment. This is a profound error, fraught with serious consequences. After all, the nature of voltage swings can be different, and no one is immune from such a "cataclysm".

• Development or modernization of power lines often does not keep up with the level of consumption - the saturation of modern human life with electrical appliances is very different from even ten years ago, and many power lines have a much more "respectable" age. There is no guarantee that in a year or two the line of energy supply, now seemingly faultless, will just as well cope with the increasing load every day.

• No one can foresee spontaneous accidents. Hurricane wind, ice on the wires, the fall of trees and many other accidents - and here is a wire break, accompanied by an instantaneous sharp distortion of the phases and, correspondingly, a voltage jump.
• You can never rule out the "human factor".The unskilled actions of some "craftsman" - a neighbor who has independently climbed into the switchboard at the entrance, the mistake or negligence of the electrician, the incorrectly assembled inter-house wiring, the vandal manifestations of individual "individuals" and other reasons - all this also gives a very high probability of a sharpa surge in the supply voltage, which can become fatal to the electronics of the boiler.

In a word, if the diligent host really wants to protect his equipment from unforeseen circumstances, he will necessarily acquire a voltage stabilizer for the gas boiler, not paying attention to the skepticism of others or "good advisors."And the only question is how to choose the best device, which will maximally ensure both the uninterrupted operation of the equipment and the safety of its operation.

Properly built intercom electrical networks - a guarantee of safety!

Laying household or apartment electrical wiring does not tolerate negligence, disregard for existing regulations and rules, ill-conceived solutions. How to properly organize wiring in the house - read the special publication of our portal. And one more article will tell in detail about the optimal installation of the electrical distribution board .

Functions of voltage regulators, varieties and features of the

The functions of the stabilizer for heating equipment are simple and understandable. When the mains voltage drops within a certain range of its capabilities, the device must supply power to the equipment with characteristics that correspond to or as close as possible to the norm. In the event that the jumps or falls are so great that they go beyond the limits of the stabilizer's installed capabilities, its circuit must completely interrupt the power circuit - until the input parameters return to the specified range. Thus, the correct functioning of all equipment connected to the stabilizer is ensured and its failure is eliminated for unacceptably large swings.

Attention of consumers is presented a wide range of devices of this principle of operation, in very different designs and in a wide range of operational capabilities.

But if the device for emergency shutdown of the device in most cases corresponds to a similar device - a safety relay voltage, the issue of voltage stabilization can be solved in different ways. So, the stabilizers of electromechanical, relay and electronic principle of action are distinguished.

• In electromechanical stabilizers, the alignment of the voltage to the required level is performed by moving current collector carbon brushes along the circular winding of the autotransformer. The movable part is moved by means of the built-in servo.

1 - coils of autotransformer winding;

2 - current collector carbon brush;

3 - servo drive.

This scheme has proved itself well - it has a high accuracy of stabilization( within ± 3%), and the price of such devices is from the category of the most affordable. However, there are a number of electromechanical devices that limit their use with gas equipment.

The fact is that between the carbon brush and the collector collector of the autotransformer there can be arcing, especially increasing as the unit wears out. And in the boiler room is strictly prohibited the use of electrical appliances, which can be sparked - just their safety concerns. You can, of course, take the stabilizer and into the living area, but his work is accompanied by an audible noise that not everyone will like. In addition, the performance of such a stabilizer still leaves much to be desired - the total reaction time for the voltage drop reaches even up to 2 seconds, which is a bit too much for the sensitive electronics of a modern boiler.

In addition, these devices do not differ and have a special longevity - simply because of the presence of kinematics and friction units.

Conclusion - from the use of an electromechanical stabilizer in conjunction with a gas boiler it makes sense to refuse or to apply with special precautions.

• Relay stabilizers are arranged differently. Switching between the windings of the transformer, providing a voltage change towards the normal, is made by means of relays - they can be from four to five to ten or more( the higher the higher the stabilization level).Sparks of contacts in such devices do not exist - each cut is enclosed in a sealed enclosure.

1 - terminals of the autotransformer winding

2 - group of relays providing switching between terminals.

Such devices have their drawbacks, of course, and first of all it is the stepwise adjustment and not very outstanding output voltage accuracy - usually in the range of ± 8%, which, however, is quite sufficient for most devices.

But the relay regulators are characterized by the rapid response to network drops, the ability to withstand the overload of power, a wide range of permissible input voltage. Such devices serve for a long time and are reliable, and their price is low. It is possible to attribute a slight noise background to the conventional shortcomings from the operation and switching of the relay, but in the conditions of the boiler house it is unlikely that this will be significant.

At present, it is the relay regulators that are among the most popular with consumers.

• A big step forward was the appearance of stabilizers of purely electronic action. In them, the semiconductor elements - triacs or thyristors perform the role of keys for switching between windings, which ensures the maximum speed of the priority, which is not comparable even with the relay circuit.

The complete absence of "mechanics" not only speeds up the stabilization process, but also makes the device the most durable among all available varieties. The accuracy of stabilization directly depends on the number of control steps - this is the analogy with relay priorities. Plus, electronic stabilizers are the most compact, absolutely noiseless, unpretentious to external conditions of operation.

Undoubtedly, this type of stabilizer will be the best solution under any operating conditions - significant shortcomings, comparable though in something with other types, it simply is not observed. The only thing that can stop a potential buyer is a fairly high price for such products.

There are other types of stabilizer, including - and high-tech, with a double inverter voltage conversion and almost perfect smooth smoothing. However, for boiler equipment such devices are seen as superfluous luxury.

How to choose the voltage regulator for the gas boiler

The range of the

stabilizer options The first selection criterion is always the operating range of the stabilizer, that is, the upper and lower limits within which the device will be able to bring the voltage to the normal value.

The most reasonable solution is to choose and purchase a stabilizer after all to do a little "research" in your house or apartment. It consists in tracing the dynamics of changes in the mains voltage on various days and hours, during peak morning and evening loads, in a "quiet" night state, etc. Such monitoring will make it possible to more accurately determine the available range of fluctuations, and the current picture will allow to select the correct stabilizer correctly.

It's not difficult to do this, but it takes a multitestaster, an appliance that many good hosts have. It is worth it - inexpensive, and to get it in your "arsenal" will not hurt anyone.

. Before taking the measurement, it must be ensured that the switch is set to AC voltage( on different devices this can be indicated by the icons V ~ or ASV , and the upper limit- about 600 or 750 V. It will be advisable to make a small tablet, by the days of the week and by the hour, and to measure, for example, at 6.00, 9.00, 14.00, 18.00, 21.00 and 24.00.ha - and the whole picture of the dynamics of the changes will be before the eyes, that is, the upper and lower limits of the range will be roughly determined. Then these boundaries will be extended by another 10-15 volts to each side to create a reserve, and the working range of the stabilizer can be considered definite.protection at extreme voltage drops, restart function

These are extremely important options that should not be forgotten and which, unfortunately, may simply not be present on some low-price stabilizers.

The device must completely disconnect the power supply if the input voltages are outside the operating range, so it stores both itself and the equipment connected to it.

are shown. At the same time, the stabilizer should have a restart function. That is, in the emergency-off state, the automation monitors the input parameters, and when the voltage in the network returns to the permissible range of values, the device starts on its own, continuing to supply a stabilized power supply to the boiler. Restart can occur with a certain delay set by the user - to avoid frequent starts and stops when balancing the voltage at the boundary of the range.

The absence of such an option is undesirable - this is fraught with serious consequences. For example, during a prolonged absence of owners, a sharp drop occurred, and the voltage regulator disconnected. Whatever the "smart" gas boiler, in the absence of power supply, its automation can not provide at least a minimal heating of the heating system, and this can result in a defrosting of the system.

Volt-ampere characteristic of the stabilizer

This parameter is often called the power of the stabilizer, and this, to some extent, is not without sense, since it is also determined by the product of the current strength and voltage. The difference in detail, in terms of physics, and this parameter of the stabilizer says, rather, not about the useful power, but about the current parameters that it can support.

However, the initial values ​​for determining the current-voltage characteristic are still power, but only connected to its circuit consumption devices. In our case it will be the boiler itself with its electronic circuit and, possibly, built-in fans, one or more circulation pumps( for example, if the heating system implies several circuits operating independently of each other) and possibly other equipment of the system, for example, automationcollector-distributive units.

It would seem that everything is simple: you need to sum the values ​​of the rated power of the connected devices - and get the desired result. In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated. The fact is that many electrical appliances with inductive coils consume additional power necessary to create operating conditions, for example, the same electromagnetic fields. Usually this is expressed by the relation:

Wn = Wn / cos φ

where:

Wp - the required total power;

Wn - rated net power of the device;

with os φ is the power factor, which is usually indicated in the electrical data sheets along with their nominal power.

For instruments with electric drive, the value of the coefficient can be of the order of 0.5 ÷ 0.75, that is, the value of the total power - exceed the nominal value by 1.3 ÷ 1.4 times. For circulation pumps and boilers with forced air supply and extraction, it will not be a big mistake to focus on increasing the volt-ampere characteristic by one and a half times in comparison with the nominal capacity.

In addition, at the moment of starting up the devices there are always high starting currents, which generally can exceed the nominal value by 3 ÷ 4 times, and this should also be taken into account.

There is one more nuance. With the transformation of voltage there is an inevitable loss of power - energy can not be taken "from the sky."There is a special transformation ratio that takes into account this phenomenon, and it depends on the input voltage level:

Input voltage level	130 V	150 V	170 V	190 V	200 V	220 V	230 V	250 V	270 V
Transformation ratio	1.77	1.55	1.35	1,20	1.15	1.05	1,10	1.35	1.55

In order to avoid confusing the reader with independent calculations, a calculator is placed below which allows you to determine the required voltages with the required level of accuracyampere characteristic of the voltage regulator

Calculator for calculating the volt-ampere characteristic of the voltage regulator for the gas boiler

The calculation is made with the already set required power reserve

Speed ​​of response and voltage stabilization

With this indicator everything is clear - the fasterThe electronics of the device react to changes in the input voltage and produce adequate signals - the better. Usually it is measured in milliseconds( ms) and for high-quality devices it is only about 5 ms. However, and the indicator in 20 ms is quite acceptable. But if it is higher - it is worth considering, because the reaction is "weak."

In the passports of many stabilizers, the voltage equalization rate is also indicated. It is already measured in volts per second( V / s, / s).A good figure is higher than 100 W / s - stabilization will occur almost instantaneously. If the speed is low, of the order of 10 ÷ 20 V / s, then the electronics of the boiler may not work correctly for large voltage drops.

Additional equipment, design, dimensions of the

A very convenient option of the stabilizer is the digital indication of the input and stabilized voltage - there is always an opportunity to conduct visual control. However, it is worth overpaying for this, or simply to purchase a device with the usual LED indication of operating modes - to decide for the owner.

But the device protection systems must be mandatory. This refers to protection from overheating, overload, short circuit - the device must be able to "protect yourself."This is worth paying attention to.

Normally, the operating temperature range is indicated in the parameters of the stabilizer. It is wide enough, and its lower limit, as a rule, is +5 ° C - quite an acceptable value for any boiler house. Serious should be taken to its upper boundary, since overheating to the stabilizer is certainly contraindicated. When installing the device, you should think about a place that would ensure a free circulation of air for cooling.

The installation of the device depends on its features. Very convenient wall stabilizers - they can be placed near the boiler and they do not occupy space at all. However, in general, these are devices of low or medium power, and not always suitable for this parameter for specific conditions. Another option is a floor-standing stabilizer, which can also be installed on a shelf specially designed for it. There are universal models that allow any of the installation methods. The dimensions of the device are always taken into account when buying, based on the space reserved for it.

Device manufacturer, warranty provided by

A very important selection criterion is always the reputation of the stabilizer manufacturer. But in this matter, consumers are simpler - this is the case when it is not at all necessary to look for some leading foreign brands - domestic devices of the brands "Energy"( "Voltron"), "Rucelf", "Leader", "Calm" and some others at allnot worse than imported "Quattro elementi", "Resanta", "Luxeon" or "IEK".

The assortment of stabilizers of proven companies, which is on sale, is very wide, and it makes it absolutely pointless to purchase any device unknown to anyone, even with a nice name and attractive price. It is important to buy this type of equipment only in trusted stores( it is often offered by the same trade or service organizations that sell and install boiler equipment).It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the technical documentation of the device, clarify the terms of the service provided, the terms of the manufacturer's warranty.

Overview of the popular models of stabilizers

Model name	Illustration	Brief description of model	Estimated price
«Voltron RSN-500»		Relay-type stabilizer. Wall-mounted version. Electronic digital display. Power - 500 VA. Input voltage range: 105 to 265 V. Response time is less than 10 ms. Allowable overload - up to 110%. Dimensions: 170 × 165 × 115 mm. Weight - 3.5 kg.	3200 rub.
«QUATTRO ELEMENTI Stabilia 500»		Relay-type stabilizer. Outdoor execution. Two digital operation indicators. Power - 500 VA. Input voltage range: 140 to 270 V. The response time is less than 20 ms. Accuracy of stabilization - no more than 8%. Soft start function "Zero Cross". Two modes delay the restart. Dimensions: 280 × 155 × 190 mm. Weight - 2.48 kg.	1950 rub.
«RUCELF STAR-1000VA»		Relay voltage regulator, floor standing. Electronic digital display with the option of displaying the necessary parameters one by one. Power - up to 850 VA. Input voltage range: from 140 to 270 V. Accuracy of stabilization - up to 6%. Control time - no more than 20 ms. Dimensions: 265 × 117 × 168 mm. Weight - 2,85 kg.	2500 rub.
"Resanta ASN 1500/1-Ц"		The stabilizer of the relay principle of operation with digital control. Floor standing. Electronic display. The power of the device is up to 1500 VA. Input voltage range: from 140 to 260 V. Accuracy - up to 8%. Dimensions 140 × 170 × 237 mm. Weight - 4.85 kg.	2850 rub.
"Resanta ASN-1000 N / 1-C"		Stabilizer of the relay principle of operation, wall-mounted. Double electronic display with digital indication. Maximum power - up to 1000 VA. Input voltage range - from 140 to 260 V. Accuracy of stabilization - within 8%. Response speed - no more than 7 ms. Dimensions are 206 × 133 × 230 mm. Weight - 1,7 kg.	3200 rub.
"Energy APC 1500"		A modern voltage regulator of relay type, increased accuracy. Convenient wall mounting. Power - up to 1500 VA. Limit input voltage range: 120 to 276 V. Automatic shut-off function with subsequent restart with the delay set. Response time - no more than 10 ms. Accuracy of stabilization - an error of no more than 4%. Dimensions: 320 × 200 × 72 mm. Weight - 5 kg. The manufacturer's service life is not less than 10 years.	7600 rub.
«LIDER PS 900W 50»		Reliable, high-precision electronic voltage regulator. Wall-mounted version. Device power - up to 900 VA. Extended input voltage range: 100 to 300 V. Control accuracy, depending on the input voltage - from 0.5 to 4%. Extended operating temperature range - the device is not afraid of frosts down to -40 ° С. Five years of official guarantee of the domestic manufacturer! Dimensions: 265 × 135 × 245 mm. Weight - 10 kg.	10200 rub.

And at the end of the publication - another useful tip. If in local power grids the main trouble is not so much the differences as the power supply interruptions, the stabilizer is unlikely to become a good helper. In this case, the best option is to purchase an uninterruptible power supply, with built-in or plug-in batteries and, of course, with the existing output voltage stabilization module. But this is already a topic for a separate consideration.

Video: recommendations for selecting a voltage regulator for a gas boiler