Wood-fired water heaters: what it is and why you need it

A wood-fired water heater - it is also a shower column or titanium - is an indispensable assistant in heating water in a situation when you cannot connect to a centralized water supply and provide yourself with hot water, for example, in a country house or in living conditions in a village where it is not possible to use gas and electricity. Columns are quite common household devices due to their ease of use, economy, as well as the functions of heating not only water, but the entire room, which makes the conditions much more comfortable.

The column for heating water is a tank with a chimney, a combustion chamber and a tap passing through it. During installation, the structure is connected to the water supply system, due to which it is constantly filled with water. This ensures high-quality operation of the device throughout the entire period of operation. The mechanism of action is based on heating the cold water entering the tank through the combustion chamber, as a result of which, when the hot tap is opened, the column produces water of the appropriate temperature.
The main materials from which the furnace of the device is made are steel and cast iron. Part inserts are also made of cast iron. The combustion chamber in the column can be:

• Free-spinning watering can and separate from the water tank;
• Connected to the tank, which allows you to heat the water in a shorter time.

Firewood, coal or their waste are used as fuel for the device, which makes the operation of such a column autonomous from gas and electric supply, significantly increasing the efficiency of the heating process.

Varieties and differences

Boiler

A shower boiler is one of the most common varieties in the domestic environment of country and country life. This type of column is good in that it provides heating of a large volume of water in a short time period. Boilers can be:

• With a separate combustion chamber;
• The type where the firebox is combined;
• Combined subspecies, in the design of the finished there is a tubular electric heater that maintains the desired temperature on a constant basis.

Titanium

A device that performs the main tasks of a column for heating water in a summer cottage or village - boiling water through a built-in cast-iron combustion chamber and maintaining the temperature in the room at the required level. Such devices show high rates of efficiency and durability, and are also unpretentious in maintenance and operation. This type of column is heated with wood, coal, their waste and other fuel cells.

Column for heating water in the pool

This type of wood-fired water heater is used only if it serves a small pool with a small filling volume.
The device consists of a combustion chamber, a spiral tube and a grate for fuel supply.
The mechanism of action of the device lies in the fact that the column is connected to the pool using a pump and a hose, due to which water flows from it into the boiler, heats up and is supplied back.

Selection rules

The entire range of speakers on the market varies depending on the manufacturer, specifications, materials and types of devices. It will be easier to make the right choice in this situation if you pay attention to the following features:

• In the design of some varieties, there are tubular electric heaters that maintain the desired temperature in the room on a constant basis;
• Devices, the combustion chambers of which are made of cast iron, are more durable than their steel counterparts;
• The optimal and most reliable version of the material from which the water tanks in the columns are made is stainless steel;
• Devices with a built-in combustion chamber heat water on average 10-15 percent faster;
• The volume of the water tank capacity in the column should be selected based on the number of people who are going to use the device in the future and the approximate average of the volume of water used.

The most common on the market are models from manufacturers from Russia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. However, there are cases of selling counterfeit devices or speakers with a factory defect. To distinguish a high-quality heating device will help:

• Thorough check of all technical and other necessary documents that come with the column - instructions, technical passport, warranty card with appropriate marking;
• Checking the quality of the column packaging;
• Checking the performance of the product itself - the quality of the materials from which the column is made, welds, handles, removable panels and other things.

Installation features

Before the immediate start of work, it is necessary to decide on the purpose of the future use of the column and, starting from this, choose the installation site. In this case, the layout will allow heating several rooms at once.
The first stage of the installation is the leveling of the selected surface, which, in turn, consists of several stages:

1. Using a grinder, mark the contour of the base for installation with a size of at least 1 square meter, and then make a depression of 15-20 cm;
2. Pour crushed stone into the finished recess to a height of about 5 cm and pour concrete mixture;
3. Align the surface carefully using a rule.

In order to avoid overheating of the walls adjacent to the column, sheets of galvanized metal should be attached to their surface.
Then the device must be placed in a firm vertical position and secured with bolts, and the chimney must be led out through the furnace channel, calculating this so as to avoid back draft.
The next stage in the installation of a water heater is its connection:

1. Place two containers for cold and hot water above the appliance. In order to keep the temperature of the heated water as long as possible, the reservoir intended for it can be insulated with foam;
2. Using a pump, supply water to the tanks from a well or a water supply system - from an insulated tank it will pass through the water heater and return;
3. Attach a hose with a watering can and a tap to the heater, and then supply water;
4. Mount taps to taps or other systems from containers with water;
5. Seal all threaded connections with tow or other specialized materials that protect against boiling water leaks.

Popular models of water heaters

On the heating device market, there are columns of both domestic and foreign manufacturers, the most purchased of which are:

• Neva - wood-burning water heater of Russian production, a distinctive feature of which is a heater for laying stones, which contributes to the formation of steam, which means additional heating of the room. The volume of the tank is up to 86 liters, which makes the model an excellent option for installation in baths and showers.
• Ermak KVE 2 - a device made of steel with a volume of 90 liters, constructed from a steel combustion chamber built into a black steel water tank, as well as a tubular electric heater, a tap and a watering can with a flexible hose.
• Ermak KVE 10 - analogue of KVE 2 made of stainless steel. This distinctive feature of the material significantly extends the life and improves the quality of the column.
• KVL-90 - hot water column, which is in demand among consumers. The structure consists of a separate combustion chamber made of high quality stainless steel, a water tank and a tap. The stove, like many analogues, runs on any fuel, with the exception of coal.
• Silistra KVO 1 - a device from a Bulgarian manufacturer with a water tank with a volume of 80 liters, made of steel. The kit also includes a steel crane and a distinctive feature of the model - a small amount of heat-resistant clay for fixing the brick.