The most important condition for comfort in the 21st century is a constant and uninterrupted hot water supply. Connecting a boiler in an apartment, country house or in the country can solve the problem. Devices vary in design and function, so it is important to choose the right heater. Installation tips will help you do everything yourself.
general information
A boiler, according to the scientific and technical dictionary, is a device for heating water below the boiling point.
At home, natural or liquefied gas and electricity act as energy carriers due to which heating occurs.
Automation devices maintain the water temperature within the specified range. Human participation in the process is minimal.
Allocate storage and flow designs, direct and indirect heating. There are models for wall or floor mounting.
The devices are easy to operate, but it is necessary to install the boiler correctly - the performance of the device and the safety of the user depend on this.
Choice by type of food
The main types of energy sources for domestic water heating devices are electricity and gas from the centralized mains. In some cases, liquefied gas in cylinders is used.
To make the right decision on the choice of the type of boiler, evaluate:
- the presence of a gas pipeline in the house or the cost of a new connection to gas supply networks;
- suitability of the ventilation system for the operation of a gas device, the ability to organize the removal of combustion products through building structures outside the home;
- permitted power consumption in an apartment or household;
- condition of the lead-in cable and electrical network inside the dwelling.
If the gas is already connected, submit an application for a change in the project with a request to allow the installation of an additional device. The process is slow and costly.
Gas equipment, if the boiler is incorrectly installed and operated, causes explosions and fires. Methane is deadly if inhaled. All work must be performed by licensed organizations or entrepreneurs.
Modern flow-through gas heaters require holes in the wall or ceiling to lead the coaxial pipe outside the building. It is not possible to install a gas water heater in a modern apartment due to the design of the ventilation shafts.
Water heaters from bottled gas are autonomous, but they require special knowledge in reconfiguring equipment from natural gas to liquefied gas. This can only be done by specialists.
Installation of electric water heaters does not require approval from the supplying organization, but there are important restrictions:
- the nominal value of the introductory machine;
- condition of the wiring;
- the presence of grounding or the technical ability to make it yourself.
Powerful instantaneous electric heaters consume up to 7 kW. For power supply, the input circuit breaker and wiring must withstand a current of up to 30 A.
In summer cottages with old power grids, it is impossible to connect and ensure trouble-free operation of such models.Smaller devices allow you to heat water, the amount of which is enough only for washing dishes and taking a shower - it will take too long to get a bathroom.
In conditions of poor-quality power supply, storage products are chosen that heat up gradually.
Direct storage boilers are not suitable for the preparation of drinking water. It is impossible to rinse the tank to the required state, therefore, the remaining water may contain pathogenic bacteria.
Possible designs
The choice of a heater depends on the task at hand. A storage electric boiler is a container with water, the temperature of which is maintained within a predetermined range. Depending on the volume of the required liquid, a boiler is chosen that can hold from 5 to 300 liters of water.
Small heaters are compact, do not take up much space, they can be hung on the wall. The products are capable of preparing a small amount of water for washing dishes, washing, and taking a quick shower by one person. The devices are suitable for summer cottages or apartments for backup hot water supply during the period of preventive outages in cities.
A family of three may need a capacity of up to 50 - 100 liters for morning / evening hygiene procedures.
The capabilities of flow heaters directly depend on the power. A domestic boiler up to 1.5 kW is enough for washing dishes and taking a warm shower. If the needs are greater, the device becomes more powerful.
Indirect or direct heating
The method of heating water is direct and indirect. Examples of direct heating devices are a gas water heater or an instantaneous water heater. The principle of operation is simple - the burning gas acts on a heat exchanger through which water flows. In direct electric heaters, water flows around the hot heating element.
There is an intermediate link in indirect heating boilers. The advantage of such products is the rapid heating of water for distribution to consumers. As a disadvantage, they note the high power of the devices.
Scheme of work:
- gas / electric current heats the coolant in the storage tank;
- inside there is a heat exchange tube, the contents of which are heated by the coolant.
- the devices themselves do not have heating elements.
Connection diagrams
Installation of a boiler is within the power of any person with minimal skills in working with household tools. It is better to consider all the subtleties on the example of installing a wall-mounted storage electric heater. The flow-through view is mounted in the same way.
Conventionally, all stages are divided into general construction, plumbing and electrical work.
Site selection and fastening
Most manufacturers recommend a 4x load safety margin. If the apparatus, filled with water, weighs 10 kg, the anchor or bolts must be able to withstand a load of 40 kg.
The set of products always contains parts for installation.
The boiler is hung on the main walls using standard mountings. Partitions made of wood and hollow bricks are drilled through. To secure the bracket, threaded studs or bolts of suitable length and diameter are used. Additional supports are mounted in drywall walls. A good option would be to install a water heater in the kitchen or in the toilet if the bathroom is separate.
GOST R 50571.11-96 Allows installation of a water heater directly above the bathroom, if all electrical safety conditions are met. But it is better to place the appliance outside the zone - on the opposite or adjacent walls. This makes it easier to meet the wiring requirements.
Connecting pipes
In the lower part of the wall-mounted boiler and on the side of the floor-standing boiler there are unions for cold water connection (marked in blue) and outlet (red). You cannot confuse them when connecting.
In settlements, water supply can be organized with different quality, therefore, water shocks and sudden surges in pressure in the water main are not uncommon.
There are two ways to connect:
- with the installation of a security group;
- without special protective devices.
The second option is used if the protection is built into the water heater or if the technical characteristics of the equipment allow it to work under increased pressure.
The cost of safety devices is low compared to the cost of a boiler if replacement is required due to destruction. Better to install GB - this will not greatly increase the estimate.
The scheme is used if the boiler serves as a backup source of water in case of a hot water supply cutoff. If the house is not supplied with hot water supply, the pipe marked in red is excluded.
Algorithm of work after installing the heater on the wall:
- Tees are cut into the pipes of cold and hot water after the shut-off valves (1), to which the boiler will be connected.
- In settlements with pressure drops in the main water pipelines, it is advisable to install a reducer (2) in the cold water supply pipe.
- Bends of the required length and configuration are made from the tees.
- Water heater valves are needed to remove the device in the event of an emergency or to turn it off while the DHW is operating.
- A check valve (4) is installed after the cold water valve. Its purpose is to prevent the drainage of water from the storage tank into the main line if the cold water supply is turned off.
- It is advisable to install a valve for draining water for large-capacity boilers. If it is necessary to empty it through the check valve connection, the draining process will take a long time.
- The heater is connected last. It is recommended to use a quick-release connection with a union nut (American) in case the device is removed.
- The last step is filling the heater with water and checking the connections. Leaks in threaded connections are eliminated.
The connection diagram with a safety group is similar to the previous one, but after the check valve, an additional FAR is installed - a 6 bar safety valve. A metal-plastic pipe is drained from it through a compression fitting into the sewer.
With excessive heating of water, the pressure in the accumulator rises, FAR dumps the excess, thereby reducing the pressure.
By closing the valves, the boiler operating mode is set. When hot water is supplied from a centralized network, shut off the ball valves (3). This excludes the boiler from the circuit.
When the centralized DHW is turned off, close the inlet valve on the "hot" pipe (1) and open the boiler shut-off valves (3). In this case, cold water enters the electric heater, and after opening the tap at the washbasin, sink or bathtub, it goes to the consumer. The same scheme is used if there is no DHW network in an apartment or private house.
Electrical connection
Boilers of any capacity are not plugged into a common outlet - they need a separate three-wire power supply line.
Instead of a socket with a plug, use a connection through an automatic two-pole switch. The device simultaneously breaks the line of the phase and neutral wires. This is necessary in order to protect against electric shock.
The boiler supply line must be equipped with a residual current device or a residual current circuit breaker. The minimum distance from the bath to the switching devices is 60 cm.
The devices are similar in design and in the protective functions they perform.
The residual current device compares the currents flowing through the phase and neutral conductors. In operating mode, they must be equal.When earth leaks appear, for example, through the human body, the currents will differ, the protective device will disconnect the boiler from the network within a fraction of a second. The differential circuit breaker, in addition to protection against electrical shocks, will turn off the load in the event of a short circuit.
The devices are chosen with a differential current of 30 mA, this guarantees protection against electric shock.
For connection, select a cable (not a wire) corresponding to the capacity of the boiler section. The manufacturer of the heaters always indicates the minimum permissible values in the passport.
Electric water heaters must be connected to earth ground. For this, a terminal is provided on the housing.
When there is a two-wire network in the house, a separate wire with three conductors is drawn to the boiler from the shield. The connection is carried out in the electrical panel on the site.
For work in the distribution board, they must contact the management company. The work must be carried out by electrotechnical personnel with the appropriate approval group.
Earthing
On Internet resources you can find "alternative" boiler grounding schemes. In no case should lethal mistakes be made:
- Connect the third (zero) wire from the outlet to the plumbing pipe or batteries. If a phase falls on the case, a dangerous voltage will go to the riser - the neighbors who have turned on the water will get under an electric discharge. The method does not work if the pipes are plastic.
- Combine neutral and grounding conductors in the outlet.
- Connect several devices to earth ground in series.
- Connect multiple earth conductors to one bus terminal.
Self-installation of a boiler in a house or apartment is not technically difficult and safe, subject to regulatory requirements. In this case, the boiler will last a long time and without breakdowns.
