The use of the main distribution of pipes in the heating system is relevant only for short mains. If the scheme is designed for a large house, it is recommended to use a collector coolant supply system. Its main element is a distribution comb for heating: installation, calculation, device, principle of operation must be studied before installation.
Appointment of the manifold
What is a polypropylene or steel heating comb for? Its main task is to ensure uniform circulation of hot water through individual circuits. It is the main element of the distribution unit, installed immediately after the boiler and in front of the safety group.
It is a pipe with several nozzles located on its surface. The heat carrier entering the inlet channel is distributed along the heating circuits. The cooled water is returned to the boiler in the same way. For the practical implementation of this scheme, it is necessary to install a heating manifold on the inlet and return pipes. As a result, this will lead to an improvement in the following system parameters:
- Normalization of pressure, improvement of the circulation of the coolant;
- By installing shut-off valves on the inlet and outlet collectors, you can adjust the amount of hot water in each circuit. This will lead to lower energy costs;
- In case of failure of radiators or other heating elements, repairs can be made without completely stopping the boiler. To do this, it is enough to turn off the required circuit.
Applying this principle of operation of the heating comb, you can optimize the thermal regime of the system, as well as set the required temperature level in each room separately.
The installation of a comb is not advisable in houses with a large area of up to 100 m². For them, the best option is a two-pipe or one-pipe heating system.
Installation of a comb in the heating system and its calculation
The installation location of the distribution manifold in the heating system depends on its purpose. Most often it is used to organize multi-circuit heat supply. However, in addition to this, it is an indispensable element of a water heated floor.
Before proceeding with the installation, you should calculate the heating manifold. The main task of this process is to evenly distribute the pressure across the heating circuits. If the system is a complex circuit of highways, it is recommended to make a calculation using special programs. For a simple system with up to 5 contours, the principle of equal sections can be applied.
N0 = N1 + N2 + N3 + N4
Where N0 - collector diameter,N1, N2, N3, N4 - the cross-section of its outlet pipes.
The same calculation scheme is used when making a do-it-yourself heating comb. It is important that the dimensions of the inlet and outlet headers match. It is noteworthy that the standard device of the heating comb has no requirements for its shape. Those. it can be either round or square. The basic principles of installing collector heating are as follows:
- To improve circulation, it is recommended to install pumps for each circuit.At the same time, the distribution manifold of the heating system should not provide synchronization of the pumps;
- If the unit is located in a boiler room, the installation of a protective box is optional. The exception is the installation of a polypropylene heating comb in the underfloor heating system;
- To adjust the volume of the coolant, it is necessary to install control valves on each inlet and outlet pipes - inlet valves and balancing flowmeters;
- When planning the installation of a heating manifold, it is necessary to provide for the presence of a safety group on the distribution unit.
It should be remembered that these are only general recommendations that can be changed and supplemented depending on the specific parameters of the heating system.
In addition to these rules, experts advise taking into account the difference in the length of the circuits when calculating the heating comb. It is recommended to draw up the scheme so that their length is approximately equal.
To reduce energy consumption, a mixing unit can be installed in the heating comb device, which, in turn, will reduce heating costs.
Distribution comb for heating with your own hands
Given the high cost of collectors, the question remains - how to make a comb for heating yourself. Knowing the principle of operation of the collector, it may seem that it will not be difficult to manufacture it - the main problem arises when selecting components. One of the best materials are square and round steel pipes. However, it is not always possible to work with them at home - this requires a welding machine.
An alternative way is to make a manifold for heating systems from polypropylene pipes. This will require tee joints and a welding tool to dock them. It is recommended to choose the largest diameter of the inlet pipes, taking into account the principle of calculating the heating manifold. Those. if the diameter of the pipes in the circuits is 20 mm, the same parameter for the main body of the collector should be at least 3 times larger.
To make a heating comb with your own hands, you will need to perform the following steps:
- Measure the distance between the inlet and outlet pipes of the circuits.
- The size of the collector body should be 10-15 cm greater than the measured distance.
- Cut the pipe according to the dimensions obtained and install the branch pipes on it for connecting the circuits.
- Check the tightness of the resulting structure.
It should be noted that before making a comb for heating, you need to check the possibility of installing it for a specific system. The problem may lie in thermal conditions - polypropylene connecting fittings have no reinforcement. Therefore, when the temperature is exceeded, their partial depressurization is possible.
It is important that the throughput of the structure is not less than that of the pipe leading from the boiler.
An alternative to making a paddle yourself can be the purchase of a ready-made body. Its cost depends on the number of inlet pipes and can vary from 1400 to 1950 rubles.
Additional equipment
After making a heating comb with your own hands, it is tedious to think over the installation of additional elements. They are necessary to regulate the flow of fluid along the system circuits.
Control valves
This is a mechanical or automatic shut-off valve that restricts the flow of coolant through a specific branch pipe of the distribution manifold in the heating system.
The easiest option is to install a valve and constantly adjust the hot water flow in manual mode. This will be inconvenient, and besides, it will not protect the system from overheating.In a small circuit, it is best to install mechanical thermostats that change the position of the restricting rod depending on the temperature of the coolant.
A more expensive version of the regulating device is servo drives. They are mounted on shut-off valves and can be connected to external temperature sensors or a programmer. Despite the high cost, their presence in the heating comb device will lead to almost complete automation of changing the thermal mode of the system along its circuits.
Flow meters
They are mounted on the return manifold and are required to limit the flow of water from a specific heating circuit.
Unlike a thermostat, the water flow rate is measured not depending on the temperature, but on the set parameters. With the help of a rotary mechanism, the nominal size in the return pipe is adjusted, and the value of the water volume is displayed on a glass flask.
An additional, but not mandatory element in the manufacture of a heating manifold is a mixing unit. It connects the heating inlet and return pipes, and a two or three way valve is installed to regulate the percentage of hot and cold water. It is controlled by a servo drive, which receives signals from a temperature sensor. If the degree of heating of the coolant is high, the flow of cooled water increases.
To improve the operation of the distributor manifold, it is recommended to install a hydraulic arrow. This is true for systems with multiple collectors.
The video shows an example of making a steel heating comb:
