Methods and equipment for piping heating radiators

When installing or reconstructing heating communications, it is necessary to install new or replace old units. If you have tools and skills, you can do the work yourself. The main thing is to figure out how the piping of heating radiators takes place, to choose its scheme and materials.

Definition of the term "battery harness"

The piping of heating radiators is understood as a set of piping elements and fittings for connecting radiators to the mains. The strapping is the most vulnerable area of ​​communications due to the reasons of detachable connections, the likelihood of using low-quality fittings and the lack of protection against mechanical stress in the circuit.

The principle of connecting the battery to the pipeline is not important, the efficiency and reliability depends on the chosen scheme. The simplest horizontal technology is stable; when using the lateral method, you need to calculate the financial costs.

To raise the system from the floor, special metal tubes are used - they increase the reliability of the strapping.

The need for piping heating pipes

The piping of the heating batteries ensures the correct operation of all elements of the heating main, the timeliness of their adjustment. The works also solve problems:

• the choice of the method of control over the system - manual or automatic;
• normalization of the functions of heating communications - the flow of the coolant in a separate section is limited;
• reducing the cost of paying utility bills;
• safety of a complete system that is not clogged with deposits and debris;
• ensuring normal temperature and protection against pressure fluctuations;
• removing air plugs from communications;
• adjusting the heating rate of heating devices;
• the possibility of attaching different contours, their settings;
• the quality of the distribution of heat resources among the batteries.

The strapping elements must be selected with the condition of their maximum heating.

Varieties of strapping systems

Heating equipment can be connected in two ways - single-circuit and double-circuit.

Double-circuit wiring

The two-pipe connection method provides for the use of 2 types of fittings - for supply and return. In the first case, the heated coolant enters the radiators, in the second, the cooled water returns to the reservoir. Uniform heating of the room is achieved due to the flow into each battery of the coolant from almost the same temperature.

The advantages of double-circuit piping include:

• temperature regulation of each circuit;
• maintaining efficiency regardless of the floor of the house;
• quick shutdown of the site during repair work or maintenance.

The disadvantages of a two-pipe system are the cost of a large number of consumables, an increased number of soldering points.

With the correct installation of a two-circuit system in a private house, its cost will be slightly more expensive than a one-pipe system.

Single-circuit wiring

One-pipe connection is a way of bringing all batteries to a single line. Water, heating up and cooling down, moves along one channel and is supplied to the devices in turn. That is, in a heated state, the coolant is directed upward along the main riser and distributed among the devices of each floor, starting from the top.

Single-circuit wiring has several advantages:

• saving money when installing in a private house;
• the use of a passing or dead-end movement of water;
• reduction in the number of materials on floors 2-5;
• the possibility of arrangement with a total length of the highway up to 30 m.

The disadvantages of a single-pipe wiring are a decrease in temperature on the lower floors with a minimum area of ​​radiators without bypasses.

A single circuit system is suitable for connecting 4 to 5 heating devices.

Popular schemes for connecting heaters to the pipeline

The reliability of the installation, the efficiency of the heat transfer of the batteries depends on the layout of the strapping. There are several ways to connect the system.

One sided side

You need to connect the batteries from the end - the supply and return lines will be on the same side of the device. The return line is located at the bottom, and the feed is taken out to the top. When performing this scheme, the heat transfer of the radiators is used to the maximum. In order to camouflage the reinforcement, you can supply the bottom, and bring the return upward, but this will reduce heat generation by almost 30%.

Diagonal

The scheme provides for the organization of the return flow from the bottom on one side, and the supply from above to the other. The diagonal technology is implemented for sectional batteries from 12 cells and panel batteries from 120 cm. The method ensures uniform heating of devices in the zone farthest from the highway.

Lower

The return and supply lines are connected at the bottom, which allows you to hide the pipeline. The circuit has differences depending on the type of batteries:

• Sectional devices. The supply pipe is connected at the bottom on one side of the battery, the return pipe is brought out to the other side.
• Panel steel devices. All pipes are located at the bottom of the battery - the supply from the collector goes up, and the return is directed to the collector at the bottom.

The bottom connection reduces the thermal efficiency of sectional devices by 20%.

Selection of accessories for strapping

You can tie up the system using the following elements:

• shut-off elements - standard ball valves;
• plugs covering other channels;
• Mayevsky cranes for air release at the time of seasonal launch;
• sealants - special compounds or tapes.

To control the quality of the work of communications, establish:

• pressure gauge for checking the pressure level in the pipes;
• manual or automatic thermostat that allows you to set the radiator to a certain temperature.

When performing polypropylene strapping, a special welding machine is needed.

Rules for choosing elements of control, shut-off and adjusting type

Do-it-yourself connection of radiators to the heating system involves the use of throttling and shut-off elements. The type of fittings depends on the number of communication circuits. For a single-circuit line you will need:

• ball valves for turning off radiators - 2 pcs .;
• Mayevsky's crane for air release;
• bypass with valve;
• throttles or thermostatic valves for temperature control - may not be used;
• automatic air vents.

For the diagonal arrangement, a flush valve is also used, but it can be replaced with a standard ball valve. When performing double-circuit piping, a choke is additionally used. That is, for one radiator, you will need a thermostat on the underwater pipe, a throttle on the return line and a flush valve with a diagonal connection.

How to make polypropylene strapping

Polypropylene type pipes are made from an elastic and durable copolymer. Manufacturers produce products up to 125 mm in diameter, which do not undergo deformation when water freezes, are resistant to acidic environment, mechanical damage.

Polypropylene strapping for heating batteries is made using soldering technology:

1. They begin to connect the pipeline after the installation of radiators, expansion tanks, boilers, and columns has been made.
2. The armature is cut with special scissors at a vertical angle of 90 degrees.
3. To prevent deflections and ensure the reliability of the connections, auxiliary fasteners are used.
4. The connection of polypropylene pipes is performed with a soldering iron. First, the fittings are heated with an apparatus for 5-10 seconds, after which the elements are combined with each other.
5. For reliable fixation, the pipes are set aside for 3-4 minutes.

The depth of the weld, the time of joining, heating and cooling depends on the diameter of the pipes and are indicated in the table.

The optimum temperature of the soldering iron for working with polyethylene fittings is 260 degrees.

The quality of the connection, the energy efficiency of the system and the economy of the flow rate of the coolant depend on the selection of the radiator piping scheme. When performing strapping work, you need to use good control valves and special tools.