The operation of the heating system must be not only efficient, but also reliable. To ensure this, it is necessary to choose the correct installation scheme, accessories and consumables. According to the rules, the final measure of installation or start-up is testing of heating systems: hydraulic, thermal, pneumatic.
Purpose of heating tests
Checking should be a mandatory event, as during this, latent and obvious defects can be revealed. But how to properly conduct a thermal or hydraulic test of a heating system? To do this, refer to the normative document SNiP3.05.01-85.
It does not provide a clear methodology for performing these procedures. However, there is a reference to GOST 25136-82, which describes recommendations for drawing up an act of hydraulic tests of an internal heating system. These measures must be carried out both for autonomous circuits and for centralized heating. They are designed to do the following:
- Preliminary check of all elements of the circuit before starting. Minimizing the likelihood of breakage of individual units;
- Control of compliance of the finished system with design parameters - temperature conditions, pressure and heat load;
- In some cases, it is necessary to show representatives from government agencies an act of testing the thermal effect of heating systems or another document confirming the fact of verification.
There is a certain procedure according to which the sequence of tests is established. So, first, an act of hydraulic tests of the internal heating system is drawn up, which can be replaced by a pneumatic (bubble) one. The final is the protocol of the thermal study of the heating system operation.
Before proceeding with heating tests, you need to perform a preliminary calculation of the system. This is the only way to determine the optimal pressure indicators, which is important for further pressure testing of the system.
Hydraulic heating test
In fact, this procedure is a filling of the system to check the tightness. Unlike testing heating systems with air, hydraulic action shows how ready the equipment and components are for the winter season.
To carry out a hydraulic test of the heating system, the following conditions must be met:
- The ambient temperature must be more than + 5 ° С;
- The connection point for pumping equipment for filling the system is located in the lowest part of the circuit - in the return pipe;
- If the pipes are closed in some areas of the heating, the protective panels should be temporarily removed to visually control the filling of the system.
In the central heating system, a hydraulic check is carried out 1.5-2 months before the start of the heating season. In the supply unit of a multi-storey building, collectors are opened through which the pipeline is filled. The pressure is adjusted using the elevator assembly. The final stage of testing is a completed hydraulic test report for the internal heating system.
Only representatives of the management company should carry out the tests and draw up the report.But tenants have the right to demand a copy of the document.
Pneumatic heating test
In some cases, it is impossible to comply with the basic conditions for conducting a hydraulic test of the heating system. A similar situation may arise after repair work in the winter, when the ambient temperature will be below + 5 ° C. Then an act of pneumatic testing of the heating system should be drawn up.
Its essence lies in creating a pressure of 100 kPa in the heating lines. In this case, within 10 minutes, the level of its decrease should not exceed 10 kPa. To check this, use pressure gauges with an accuracy class of 2.5 and a graduation of not more than 5 kPa. All the characteristics of the equipment can be included in the pneumatic test report of the heating system.
Such checks are not recommended for polymer pipelines. However, the norms allow testing heating systems with air made of polypropylene or metal-plastic in the following cases:
- Specifications do not allow liquid filling. Most often this is due to the use of antifreeze;
- The ambient temperature is below 0;
- Temporarily there is no coolant in the required volume.
The main problem when testing the system with the air method is finding places where the tightness is lost. If a sharp drop in pressure was noticed during the procedure, it is recommended to perform a zone check of the areas. This is the only way to determine the location of a possible leak. Therefore, the hydraulic method is preferred as it is more convenient.
Upon completion, an act of pneumatic testing of the heating system is drawn up, in which the results are entered.
For the correct drawing up of the act, it is recommended to fill out the forms of the accepted form. They can be taken from the office of the management company or on its website.
Thermal heating test
Timely thermal testing of heating systems will determine the uniformity of heating of all radiators and batteries. Unlike the above documents, this procedure is recommended to be performed without fail for stand-alone circuits.
For district heating, these steps are not carried out every year. An act for thermal tests of the heating system is drawn up only in the following cases:
- System commissioning;
- Replacing most of the components with new ones, changing the piping configuration.
The heating test of the heating system is often combined with a test run before the heating season. For this, it is not enough to fill the pipelines with a coolant and turn on the boiler. First, clean the system to remove accumulated debris and limescale. If this is not done, the thermal tests of the heating system will be incorrect. Foreign elements will affect the thermal conductivity of radiators and pipes, which will directly affect their energy efficiency.
It is best to combine hydraulic and thermal checks. This will prevent air pockets from occurring.
Central heating
For a centralized scheme, filling out the test report for the thermal effect of heating systems is carried out according to certain rules. The main one is the water temperature - it must be heated up to + 60 ° С.
The inspection time must be at least 7 hours. At the same time, the individual components are adjusted to temperature-balance the assemblies. This is reflected in the certificate for thermal tests of the heating system. In apartment buildings, separate measurements are made for each riser and the general indicators are compared with those in the elevator unit.
What are the advantages for the residents of the house given by testing the heating system for warming up?
- Verification of the actual indicators of heat supply with those declared from the management company;
- With the installed metering device and regulating the flow of the coolant (in the elevator unit) - the ability to determine the optimal mode of operation of the system;
- Timely detection of air congestion.
All these works must be performed by the management company. This is reflected in the heat supply contract. The result of the test will be a test report on the thermal effect of the central heating system.
The act on thermal tests of the heating system takes into account not only the degree of heating of radiators and pipes, but also the temperature in the room.
Heating system
Carrying out tests of an autonomous heating system for warm-up is also necessary. During this procedure, the hot spots can be determined in advance. With the help of adjusting fittings, the operating modes of radiators and batteries are adjusted.
In practice, for autonomous circuits, it is not necessary to draw up a test report for the thermal effect of heating. But for determining the order of actions, it is best to adopt the methodology for central heating. The difference may lie in the measurement methods:
- The degree of heating of the heating elements is checked by installed thermometers or according to the indications of a thermal imager;
- The room temperature is monitored using external sensors.
However, in summer, the effect of low outdoor temperatures will not be taken into account. Therefore, in addition to the above indicators, it is necessary to take into account the degree of thermal insulation of the house - heat losses.
Remember that each type of heating system test (hydraulic, thermal or pneumatic) must be performed according to a specific method. It also depends on the type of heating system and external factors.
The video describes the features of a hydraulic test for heating in an apartment:
