We start the heating system at home in the winter: order, instructions and recommendations

Maintenance of the heating system is essential for its efficient and long-term operation. Compliance with the technology will increase the time of maintenance-free work, which, in turn, will affect the cost of maintenance. Traditionally, work on cleaning and filling the coolant is carried out in the middle of autumn. However, it is possible to start the heating system at home in the winter: the order, the instructions differ from the standard ones.

Possible problems when starting heating

What can the user face when trying to turn on the system during the winter? The main danger lies in freezing temperatures. If autonomous heating systems are launched according to the traditional scheme, then if external factors do not correspond to the required ones, an emergency situation may arise.

For example, consider the order of actions that are regulated by manufacturers under normal conditions:

• Draining the old coolant... Already at this stage, at negative temperatures, problems may arise. When using water, there is a high probability of the appearance of so-called long plugs. They also cause damage to pipes and radiators;
• Cleaning and pressure testing... Even if antifreeze has been poured into the heating before, restarting the closed heating system is impossible without first cleaning it. In winter, you should choose special fluids that do not freeze at subzero temperatures;
• Choosing a new coolant... If it is impossible to heat the room to the required level, it is best to use antifreeze. Water can freeze even at the stage of pouring into pipes.

There may also be a problem with the tightness test. The formation of ice in places of damage to heating elements will not give a complete picture of the state before the heating agent is heated. For central networks, heating in an apartment building is started according to a strictly worked out scheme only by representatives of the management company. Let's consider how the procedure for starting heating in winter differs using the example of a private house. It is in such cases that the most problems arise.

Before starting heating in an apartment building, it is necessary to open all shut-off valves on the radiators. Otherwise, there is a high probability of air congestion.

Preparing and inspecting the system for launch

The first start-up of heating in a private house after a long downtime should be carried out as soon as a detailed analysis of the premises is done. It includes measuring the temperature in each room where the pipeline passes and where heating devices are installed. If before that water was poured into the pipes, you should check that there are no ice plugs. They can be identified by their characteristic sound - it will be several tones higher than if there is liquid in the line.

A more professional approach is to use a thermal imager. It will show where the temperature is below zero and thus, even before filling the coolant, you can eliminate possible malfunctions. Then you need to perform the actions in the following order:

• Measure indoor temperature... If it is below zero, try to raise it with the help of heat guns or other similar devices;
• Investigate the most likely locations for gusts or defects... Most often, they appear in threaded connections, fittings or pipe swivels;
• Drain the coolant... It is recommended to start the heating system correctly in winter only after completely replacing the water or antifreeze in the system.

After checking the condition of all heating components, it is necessary to replace the gaskets in the places where thermometers, manometers, air vents, etc. are installed. The damaged pipe sections are being replaced, if necessary, a new shut-off valve is mounted.

When draining the old coolant, you can visually check its approximate volume. If it is less than expected, then there are blockages or ice plugs in the pipeline or radiators that prevent water from escaping.

For closed pipelines, the correct start of the heating system in winter includes a check of the centrifugal pump and expansion tank. For open lines with stable pressure, the liquid level in the expansion vessel is monitored.

Flushing the heating system

During the operation of heating, scale inevitably appears on the walls of pipes and radiators. If it is not removed in time, the efficiency of the heating system will be significantly reduced. This is due to a decrease in the working diameter of the line. In addition, the thermal conductivity index decreases - most of the thermal energy is spent on passing through the scale layer and the walls of pipes or radiators.

To avoid this, the complete instructions for starting up the heating system include a flushing procedure. It can be done in several ways, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. To increase the effectiveness of this measure, special equipment should be used - a pump with a tank for flushing liquid.

Chemical washing

The most popular type of cleaning, as it removes the overwhelming amount of scale and sludge. However, you need to be very careful in choosing the composition - some of them negatively affect the condition of plastic pipes and connectors. It is noteworthy that in some cases, the start of central heating is also carried out with their use. The purifier must contain special inhibitors, which form an additional protective layer on the inner surfaces of the mains and heating devices. It helps prevent rust.

Hydrodynamic flushing

Often, the first start-up of a heating system is done after a hydrodynamic flush. Compared to the chemical method, this method is characterized by a large mechanical effect on external elements in the system. Ordinary distilled water under high pressure flows along the entire line. All debris that may remain after installation inside the pipes will be washed away.

Hydropneumatic flushing

The technology is similar to the hydrodynamic one, but differs in a greater value of the generated pressure. It is used to start an autonomous heating system, in which there is a high probability of the presence of a formed thick layer of scale. As an additional device, you can use a pneumatic gun, with which you can accurately flush individual heating elements - batteries, boiler heat exchanger, etc.

Before starting the heating system in a private house, it is necessary to perform a pressure test. It is designed for closed pipelines with an operating pressure of up to 3 bar.

To start the heating system in winter, and in particular for flushing, you can rent the necessary equipment. The attached instructions will help you understand the principle of operation of a particular pump.

Heating system pressure testing

In some cases, crimping is neglected. However, it is important when starting up a closed heating system. This is especially true when the work is done in winter. The essence of this method is to check the state of the elements of the system by creating excess pressure inside it.

With the help of a special hydraulic pump, a pressure is injected inside the line, which exceeds the standard by 1.25 times. As a result, components containing hidden defects fail. They can be detected visually - the appearance of leaks (hydraulic pressure test) or air bleeding. To start the heating system in winter, such a check must be carried out according to the following scheme:

• The choice of method is hydraulic, air. It is recommended to choose the first one, as it will allow you to more accurately determine the "weak" points in the line;
• Connecting the pump to the circuit;
• Overpressure creation. At this stage, it is necessary to strictly observe the maximum possible parameters. If they exceed the permissible by 1.5 times, it is possible that even previously serviceable components fail;
• Visual control of the state of heating and drainage of liquid.

Before starting heating in an apartment building, representatives of the management company must warn tenants about pressure testing. At this time, you need to be at home and monitor the condition of the battery and pipes. If defects are found, immediately contact the management company to eliminate them.

The standard heating system start-up instructions do not include maximum pressure values ​​for pressure testing. If you perform this procedure yourself, there is a high probability of error. Therefore, it is for its implementation that it is best to invite a specialist.

Choice of coolant

The next stage in starting the heating system in winter is the choice of the heat carrier. Despite the emergence of new antifreeze liquids, water remains the best option for filling. This is due to its heat capacity - 1 kcal / (kg • deg). The lower this indicator, the more energy you need to spend on heating the house. That is, the amount of heat that is expended to heat it will be transferred to the room with minimal losses.

However, in addition to this, you need to take into account the negative aspects of using water. The main one is crystallization at sub-zero temperatures. This will cause ice plugs to appear in pipes and radiators. Therefore, the instructions for starting the heating system necessarily indicate that it is not recommended to use water at subzero temperatures in the room. In this case, antifreeze should be added. It differs depending on the composition.

Ethylene glycol heat carrier

Currently, it is not used for the first start-up of the heating system. This is due to its high toxicity - if it gets on the skin or into the respiratory tract, it is dangerous to human health. But at the same time, in terms of its parameters, it is as close as possible to water. The only difference is in the higher density.

Propylene glycol

It is part of a standard food supplement and is completely safe for humans. The disadvantage is the high cost and high heat capacity.

Glycerin-based heat carrier

It is currently the best replacement for propylene glycol. These antifreezes have a higher heat capacity and are also safe for use in both open and closed heating systems. The disadvantages of glycerin include its fluidity. Therefore, when planning the order of starting heating, it is necessary to add the replacement of rubber gaskets with paronite ones. In this way, small leaks can be avoided.

All types of antifreeze can be bought both ready-made and concentrated. When preparing the solution yourself, you need to take into account the lower freezing limit.For 40% of the composition, it is -30 degrees.

Filling the heating system

After completing all the above steps, you can proceed directly to filling the heating system. The technique differs depending on its design and type - closed or open. But in any case, for the correct start-up of an autonomous system, it is necessary to know its main operational parameters - temperature and pressure.

To fill the coolant, a filling nozzle is usually installed in the pipeline structure. It should be at the lowest point. During the start-up of a two-pipe closed heating system, the following procedure should be followed:

• Connection to the inlet pipe of the tank from the coolant;
• With the help of a pump, water is pumped into the system;
• At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the air vent and Mayevsky taps in the radiators;
• The system is filled until the pressure gauge readings reach the desired level.

For an open pipeline, the procedure for starting heating in a private house can be simplified. Usually it is carried out through an expansion tank, located at the highest point of the line. It is necessary to fill in the coolant until the expansion tank is 1/3 full.

When starting the heating system in winter, the boiler output must be set to the minimum level. In this way, a high temperature difference in the straight and return pipe can be avoided. The boiler output increases gradually.

To start the heating system in winter, the above procedure and instructions will help to avoid component damage. To reduce the likelihood, it is best to fill in the coolant along separate circuits, if any are provided for by the scheme. This can be done with a register.

Video instructions for filling with heating medium will help you do it yourself: