Despite the emergence of new methods of heat supply, gas heating is still the best option for both a country house and an apartment. But it is not always possible to connect to the distribution main. The way out of this situation is heating a private house with gas cylinders. To do this, you need to choose the right boiler, calculate the fuel consumption and read the reviews.
Nuances of heating with gas cylinders
Correctly organized heating with gas cylinders is important for houses with permanent residence, as well as for summer cottages. Liquefied gas is used as an energy carrier, which by its properties differs from the natural gas main.
In order to make heating a private house from gas cylinders with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of its organization. An important step is the choice of the boiler, since it must be adapted specifically for this type of gas. In addition, the following factors are taken into account:
- Estimated consumption... Directly affects the consumption when heating with gas cylinders and their supply to ensure heat supply;
- Preparing the storage area for containers... Safety measures must be followed;
- Organization of gas transportation from cylinders to the boiler... Properly organized individual heating from gas cylinders must be safe;
- Selection of a supplier for filling gas into cylinders.
If you carefully read all the reviews when heating a house with gas cylinders, you can note the laboriousness of the assembly and installation of this type of heat supply. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate the parameters of all elements in advance so that after their installation they can ensure the normal operation of the system.
For heating the summer cottage with gas cylinders, it is recommended to use containers with a maximum volume of -50 liters. But at the same time, you should consider the way to transport them to the place of refueling.
Choosing a storage location for gas cylinders
Before deciding on the method of storing gas cylinders, it is necessary to correctly select their capacity. Currently, you can use containers with a capacity of 5, 12, 27 and 50 liters. If the heating of a private house with bottled gas is regular, it is best to purchase containers with a maximum volume of 50 liters.
To supply gas, a pipeline is made from the storage area of the cylinders to the boiler. You can use several containers at once by installing on each gas reducer. It should include two pressure gauges. One of them is needed to verify the pressure reading inside the cylinder, and the second shows this value at the outlet. The shut-off valve is used to regulate the flow rate of the fuel.
The place of choice for their storage directly depends on how many cylinders are needed for the heating boiler. The estimated number of containers depends on the following indicators:
- The total area of the house;
- Heat loss in the building;
- Minimum temperature in winter.
An important point is the place where the gas cylinder heating boiler will be installed.The length of the supply line should be minimal in order to reduce the likelihood of its depressurization and to optimize the gas consumption.
In addition to heating boilers, gas convectors can be used to supply heat to the house. But they need to be installed in every room, which is not very convenient for a large building.
Separate room for cylinders
The best way to store gas cylinders for heating is to prepare a separate room. Arrangement rules and requirements for it are described in detail in SNiP 2.04.08-87... Therefore, before installing heating using gas cylinders, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with this document.
The best option if the storage room will be located in the immediate vicinity of the boiler installation site. In this way, the supply line can be kept as short as possible. It is also necessary to provide the following storage conditions for containers for heating a private house from gas cylinders with your own hands:
- The room should not store flammable or lubricants;
- It is forbidden to use any heating devices - convectors, heaters. The exception is water heating pipes and radiators;
- Supply ventilation. Average air exchange rate is 12 m³ / hour per 1 m² of the room;
- Each cylinder must be placed on a pallet. This is necessary to maintain stability against possible fluctuations in the capacity during the gas release.
To ensure safety, the room must be closed. Fuel for heating a private house with bottled gas is supplied through the mains. If flexible hoses are used for this, during installation it is necessary to avoid kinking them.
Bottled gas heating boilers can be installed in the kitchen or in a separate boiler room. Fuel storage should not be made in basements or basements.
Gas cylinder storage cabinet requirements
An alternative to the above method is the use of special metal cabinets. This is important for heating a summer cottage with gas cylinders with low fuel consumption.
It is recommended to purchase a ready-made structure, since it will take into account the requirements from GOST 15860-84. They are as follows:
- Airing. For this, there must be ventilation holes in the cabinet structure;
- Eliminate the possibility of sunlight hitting gas cylinders. This can lead to a rise in temperature on their surface;
- All elements of individual heating from gas cylinders must be made of non-combustible materials. The same applies to storage cabinets;
- Availability of warning signs and inscriptions.
How long is a 50 liter gas cylinder for heating? It all depends on the nominal consumption of the boiler. But, despite this, only two cylinders can be stored in one cabinet. The optimal dimensions of the structure in this case will be 2000 * 1000 * 570. A separate foundation must be made before installing the cabinet. Its dimensions should exceed the dimensions of the structure by 15-20 cm.
The installation rules for heating a private house from gas cylinders with their own hands are also respected:
- The minimum distance from doors and windows should be 5 m;
- The wall to which the cabinet will adjoin is made of non-combustible materials.
Be sure to make special ventilation gaps on the surface of the foundation. Experts recommend grounding the structure to remove possible static voltage.
In the design of the cabinet for heat supply using gas cylinders, fastening elements for containers should be provided.
Calculation of the number of gas cylinders for heating
One of the significant disadvantages of such heat supply is the constant replenishment of fuel reserves. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate in advance how many cylinders are needed for the boiler. There is no exact method for this.But there are a number of ways in which you can determine the approximate fuel consumption.
To determine the flow rate for heating with gas cylinders, you must familiarize yourself with the technical documentation of the boiler. It indicates the fuel consumption for both natural and liquefied gas. Typically, in the latter case, manufacturers give the flow rate in kg / hour. For boilers with a capacity of 24 kW, it is about 3.5 kg / h.
In addition, the intensity of fuel consumption is taken into account. On average, to maintain a normal temperature in winter, the heating of a private house with bottled gas works from 12 to 16 hours a day. If the heating season is about 100 days, the total consumption for a 24 kW boiler will be:
3.5 * 15 * 100 = 5250 kg
Those. on average, 1 cylinder for a heating boiler with a capacity of 50 liters will be needed per day. This is the maximum fuel consumption that can be reduced as follows:
- Installation of automation for gas supply;
- Purchase of modern models of boilers with high efficiency;
- Insulation of the house to reduce heat loss.
But even these measures will not greatly affect fuel consumption. Almost all reviews about heating with gas cylinders indicate the relevance of installing this type of heat supply only in houses with a small area and non-permanent residence.
The table shows how many cylinders are needed for a heating boiler, depending on the area of the house.
| House area, m2 | Number of cylinders 50 l, pcs. |
| 60 | 66 |
| 70 | 77 |
| 80 | 91 |
| 100 | 112 |
| 120 | 136 |
| 150 | 167 |
| 200 | 223 |
These are not final figures. For each heat supply system, an individual calculation is made of how many cylinders are needed for the boiler. It is also necessary to take into account the correct filling of the container. All the liquid is preliminarily removed, the weight of the empty cylinder is measured.
When filling the cylinder, you can check the filling level by measuring the temperature level. The area where the gas mixture is present will cool the cylinder.
Choosing a boiler for cylinder heating
Currently, manufacturers do not produce narrow-profile heating boilers for bottled (liquefied) gas. However, equipment designed for natural gas cannot be used without prior modification.
Before purchasing a boiler, you must make sure that the package includes a propane equipment adaptation kit. The kit includes wider nozzles and a kit for attaching them to the burner. The reinstallation procedure can be performed independently only if it is provided for by the design.
There are several types of gas cylinder heating boilers, which differ in operational and technical performance:
- Burner type - open or closed... It is best to purchase heating boilers on a gas cylinder with a closed burner. For their work, air is taken from the street using a coaxial pipe;
- Installation - wall or floor... Most models up to 24 kW are wall-mounted;
- Number of contours... To supply heat to the dacha with gas cylinders, you can purchase an inexpensive single-circuit boiler. If permanent residence is planned in the house, it is recommended to buy a double-circuit model with hot water supply.
You can preliminarily calculate the flow rate for heat supply with gas cylinders by reading the technical data sheet of the equipment. However, manufacturers often give the maximum flow at the maximum power of the equipment. The lower the intensity of the burner, the less fuel will be consumed.
The best performance indicators are possessed by gas heating boilers using bottled (liquefied) gas with a cast-iron heat exchanger. It will last much longer than steel.
Reviews about heating the house with gas cylinders
Familiarization with reviews on heating with gas cylinders will help determine the relevance of the installation of this heat supply system.But it is necessary to take into account their subjectivity - negative ones are often associated with the wrong choice of equipment and violation of installation rules.
It should be remembered that the work of individual heating from gas cylinders largely depends on the professionalism of the installation and setup of the equipment:
- We bought a small country house 44 m², there was an ordinary stove heating. There was a lot of trouble with him - constant control of the stove, soot and soot. We tried to switch to electric heating with convectors - it turned out to be expensive. Monthly expenses increased to 6,500 rubles. Arranged the final version of heat supply using gas cylinders. Costs dropped to RUB 3,000 / month. The only drawback is that you need to constantly replenish the containers;
- He installed cylinder heating himself to heat the house. I bought two storage boxes, installed gearboxes, and led a pipe to a boiler in the house. But I noticed that the estimated flow rate is significantly lower than the actual one. I installed dependent automation (budget option), replaced the burner in the boiler with an injection one. Consumption decreased by 20-22%;
- After installing cylinder heating in the first winter, I was tortured with the rearrangement of the gearboxes to connect the filled tanks. They suggested a way out - to install several cylinders with reducers and connect each to the mains. As soon as the gas in one of them runs out, we open the tap and connect the next one. The scheme is convenient and simple. I advise everyone.
An alternative to cylinder heating can be the installation of a gas holder - a special container for storing gas. But for this it is necessary to issue permits. The maintenance and filling of the gas tank can only be carried out by a certified company.
In the video, you can see an example of cylinder heating at home:
