Installation of a boiler in a heating system: description of the design, specifics of installation and operation

A hot water boiler is installed in almost every house or apartment. And sooner or later a reasonable question arises - can it be used for heating? To solve it, you need to know the specifics of the operation and operation of this device. Let us analyze in what cases the Boiler is used in the heating system of a private house: schemes, calculations, connection.

Boiler as a source of water heating

A classic boiler is a sealed container with an electric heating element inside. To connect to the water supply system, the structure has 2 pipes. Can a similar boiler be used in the heating system of a private house?

Alas, it does not have the proper characteristics necessary for the organization of autonomous heat supply. For normal operation, a boiler for heating a private house must have a very high power. On average, 10 m² of living space will require 1 kW of thermal energy. Those. to supply heat to a house of 100 m², a boiler model with a minimum power value of 10 kW is required. Manufacturers simply do not produce such models.

If you use a boiler to heat a summer cottage with a small area, you may encounter the following problems:

• High rate of inertia... On average, a tank is 100 liters. with a heating element power of 2 kW, it will heat up to a temperature of + 75 ° C for 1.5-2 hours. In this case, circulation will be impossible, since it will only increase the heating time;
• Large tank volume... In theory, it makes it possible to use a boiler for heating and hot water supply. However, the constant intake of water and replenishment of the system from the outside will lead to uneven heating of the coolant;
• High energy consumption... Before making heating from a boiler, it is necessary to calculate its power. It should be borne in mind that using it in hot water supply will lead to permanently on heating elements. This will increase energy costs.

So why are there more and more schemes on the network in which heating is carried out using a boiler? After all, it is much more rational to use an electric boiler for this. It's all about the wrong terminology. In water heating, it is possible to install so-called indirect heating tanks, which are structurally similar to boilers. To avoid further confusion, we will also refer to them as boilers.

If there is a desire to install a classic boiler as the main heating element, there may be problems with the manufacturer's warranty. This is due to a malfunction of the device.

Storage tank as an alternative to the traditional boiler

The storage tank is structurally almost completely similar to a classic boiler. The difference lies in the internal piping that connects to the heating system. In this case, it is necessary to solve the question - why do you need a boiler in the heating system?

Correctly organized heating through the boiler assumes that this element will perform the function of a heat accumulator. The water in the tank receives heat energy through an internal coil connected to the heating system.After the boiler is turned off, the reverse process will take place - an increase in the temperature of the coolant from the water in the boiler.

In addition, after the correct connection of the boiler to the heating system has been made, it will be able to perform the following functions:

• Organization of hot water supply... Since the liquid from the container does not come into contact with the coolant, it can be used on the farm. But for this it is necessary to make the correct calculation of the boiler power for heating the house, so that this does not affect the heat supply parameters;
• Water heating with built-in heating element... Thus, it is possible to maintain the heating level of the coolant even with an inactive boiler. This can only be done by purchasing an electric boiler for heating.

It is important to initially determine the purpose of the storage tank - it will be designed for hot water supply, work as a heat accumulator or combine these functions. Based on the decision made, the optimal volume is calculated and the heating scheme from the boiler is selected.

You can make the storage tank yourself. To reduce heat losses, it is necessary to insulate the case.

Calculation of the volume of the storage tank and the power of the heating element

At the first stage, it is necessary to calculate the power of the boiler for heating the house. There are several ways to accomplish this. The most optimal of them is to familiarize yourself with the recommendations from the manufacturer of a specific tank model.

It must be borne in mind that the heating scheme from the boiler directly depends on the power of the entire system. Therefore, this value is taken as the initial parameter. Let's assume that it is 1 kW / h. After installing the boiler in the heating system of a private house, it must maintain the optimal level of water heating for another 5 hours. In this case, the thermal regime of the system is 75/50 (low temperature). In this case, the optimal volume of the boiler for heating and hot water supply is calculated using the following formula:

V = 5 / (75-50) = 0.5 m³ or 500 l

The resulting volume can be reduced by purchasing a boiler model for heating a summer cottage with a heating element. Then, when calculating, you need to take into account the power density of this device. On average, to ensure the full operation of heating with the boiler off and an average rate of DHW consumption (10 l / h), it is necessary to purchase a model with a volume of about 400-450 liters.

For a complete calculation of the power of a boiler for heating a house, it is necessary to take into account all factors - heat losses in the building, the location of the tank in the system, etc.

Installation and operation of a heating boiler

After performing all the necessary calculations of the boiler power and its volume, you can start integrating the device into the heating system. Determining the installation site is an important task. Having decided on the purpose of the boiler in the heating system, you need to read the instructions for its installation. The best option would be to install it in the immediate vicinity of the boiler. In this case, the transfer of heat energy from the coolant to the water is most efficient.

But at the same time, you can face the following difficulties in organizing heating using a boiler:

• DHW supply... In a heating system with a solid fuel boiler, it is most convenient to place the boiler directly in the boiler room. But then, to supply heated water to the premises, you will need a separate pump and control devices for it;
• Large capacityif heating via a boiler is planned for large residential areas. There is a problem with the placement of the heating element;
• Power supply to ensure the operation of the heating element... For the normal functioning of a boiler for heating a private house, it is also recommended to install an autonomous source of electricity.

Having solved these issues, you can proceed directly to the installation.

The temperature of the heating water through the boiler is monitored using an installed thermometer. It is not included in the standard package and therefore needs to be purchased separately.

Installation of a heating storage tank

To install the heat accumulator, it is necessary to prepare a flat area in advance. Its heavy weight should be taken into account - if necessary, a separate foundation is made or the floors are reinforced.

The best mounting option is on a separate platform. In this way, contact of the housing with the concrete surface can be avoided, which will reduce heat losses in the electric boiler for heating. Almost all manufacturers make containers on special legs. If they are absent, it is recommended to install insulation on the floor.

The procedure for connecting the boiler to the heating system is to perform the following actions:

1. After installing the container, you need to check its position relative to the horizon. Deviations are not allowed.
2. Connect to heating. It is important that the diameter of the nozzles is equal. Otherwise, after connecting the boiler to the heating system, excessive hydraulic resistance will appear.
3. If the installation is carried out in an unheated room, the boiler body is insulated.
4. A connection to the hot water supply is made so that the boiler works not only for heating, but also for hot water supply.

Upon completion of this work, it is necessary to check the tightness of all connections and start the heating system. Within 2-3 weeks, it is recommended to measure the temperature of the water in the tank and the coolant in the pipes after the boiler is turned off. In this way, you can determine the actual time to maintain the required heating level in the heating circuit from the boiler.

In order to make full heating from the boiler, it is not recommended to use antifreeze. It is characterized by a relatively low heat capacity, which will affect the transfer of heat to water and back to the coolant.

Conditions for the correct operation of the boiler

Maintenance of the storage tank is practically no different from carrying out the necessary procedures to maintain the operability of any electric boiler with heating elements. And in this case, in order for the boiler to work normally in the heating system of a private house, it is required to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

This can be ensured even before the heat supply from the boiler is made. It is best to purchase models with the so-called "dry heating element". On it, the formation of scale is much slower. You should also pre-filter the water before feeding it into the storage tank.

In addition to these procedures, you must do the following:

• Check the integrity of the thermal insulation of the structure once a month;
• Control the duration of maintaining the temperature of the coolant during the operation of the heat supply through the boiler. The difference between the calculated and actual indicators should not exceed 15%;
• Checking the tightness of connections. It is recommended to replace the gaskets before each heating season. This way you can achieve more reliable heating of a private house using a boiler.

The control unit of some models is sensitive to voltage surges. To avoid damage to this expensive device, you should connect a stabilizer for the boiler in the heating system.

To clean the heating element from scale, you should dismantle it. But before that, you need to ask the seller whether the factory warranty will be preserved.

DIY boiler for heating

It should be noted that the cost of factory models of a boiler for heating a summer cottage is quite high - from 7,000 rubles. and more. An alternative option is to manufacture the structure on your own.

For this, you can use any steel container. It is important that its volume corresponds to the calculated one. To organize heat supply schemes from a homemade boiler, you will need the following components:

• Tank... It is best to order a stainless steel structure or make one yourself. The body must have holes for soldering the inlet and outlet pipes;
• Coil... The best option is to install a copper structure. This material has optimal parameters for the transfer of thermal energy;
• Fastening of branch pipes for connection to heating and hot water supply.

To ensure thermal insulation, it is recommended to make a double casing. Glass wool or basalt insulation is installed between the walls. The recommended thickness of the interlayer is 5 cm. The procedure for installation and commissioning is no different from the factory models.

How effective is the use of a boiler in the heating of a house? It all depends on the correctness of the calculations of the parameters of the entire system. Only after calculating the optimal characteristics and checking them in practice can we talk about the real efficiency of the boiler installation.

The video material shows an example of using a boiler in a heating system.