According to the method of heating water, hot water supply systems are divided into closed and open. To better understand what to choose for a private house or apartment, you need to know all the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Sometimes the cost of utility bills depends on this.
Open hot water system
The fees for such water can be low as state-owned enterprises receive fuel at a reduced price. You can save on the purchase of heating devices. If the central heating meets the standards, you do not need to buy electric fireplaces or air heaters that circulate warm air in the room.
The open system is gradually losing its relevance, as people tend to make repairs, which involves laying a warm floor. The temperature of the centrally supplied liquid may not be sufficient for heating. In most modern new buildings, people are offered a closed hot water supply system.
Closed DHW system
In this case, it is possible to regulate the intensity of the heating element, therefore, to change the temperature of the liquid.
The advantages of a closed system:
- control of fuel - gas, electricity, respectively, there is an opportunity to save money on utility bills;
- if it suddenly gets cold outside, and the central heating is already turned off, residents with an autonomous water heating system can create comfortable conditions for themselves;
- depending on the cost of fuel, you can install the appropriate equipment in order to pay less;
- it is possible to choose different types of heating elements - columns, boilers, boilers;
- hot water immediately flows from the tap, so the coolant itself is saved.
In general, the installation of an autonomous system requires more costs - you need to buy a boiler, radiators, pipes, pay for the installation work. But subsequently the costs pay off. It is more convenient to customize the equipment according to your needs, not to depend on the city.
Types of heating elements
The following devices are used to heat cold liquid:
- electric boiler;
- gas water heater;
- gas or electric boiler;
- boiler for coal or wood.
All of them are divided into flow and storage, differ in design features, power and power source. The boiler belongs to the flow-through one. Depending on the water consumption, you can select the required volume. It takes more time to heat the liquid with an electric heating element, but in general the device is more economical, since it consumes 1 kW per hour. There are gas and electric models. Their disadvantage is that they are designed for a certain volume.If you use it up quickly, you will have to wait again for the next portion to heat up.
Instantaneous water heaters are much more popular, as they allow you to use hot water in real time, without preheating. The most common are gas and electric boilers - single-circuit and double-circuit. Single-circuit ones heat only tap water for use in the kitchen and bathroom. Heating pipes are connected to double-circuit ones. For small rooms, there are small models that do the job. For a private house or a large apartment, an ordinary boiler with an average power is suitable. In them, you can separately conduct pipes for heating the floor and radiators, including, if necessary, all together or one thing.
The advantage is the possibility of hermetic water circulation. To protect the pipes from the appearance of scale inside, the masters pour distilled liquid into it during the system start-up and seal the circuit. If the pressure in the system drops, you can top up.
In connection with the rise in the price of natural gas, people are converting or constructing new types of boilers with their own hands that can operate on any type of fuel - wood, coal, diesel fuel, gasoline, as well as gas and electricity. If the gas price rises, you can simply switch to another type of fuel.
Manufacturers offer local devices for heating water - electric taps. Such a device can be installed in the bathroom or in the kitchen. It does not solve the heating problem, but it is suitable for a summer residence. As soon as the tap turns on, the liquid begins to heat up, if you turn off the device, heating automatically stops.
The main differences between hot water systems
First of all, the difference lies in the price of hot water for one and the second types of systems. In an open system, consumers pay the total cost for hot water. This takes into account the number of people living in the house or apartment; no meter installation is required. According to observations, usually people consume less fluid than indicated by the norms for each person.
In a closed system, utility bills are made up of cold water bills and the cost of the heating component. In this case, it does not take into account how many people use the water. Only the total consumption of the meter matters.
The differences between a closed and open hot water supply system are mainly related to comfort and convenience. If, with autonomous water supply and heating, it is possible to regulate the temperature of the liquid and air in the apartment, then when it is open, it is necessary to adjust to the city norms that are set for everyone in the same way.
With a centralized supply of hot water, if a breakdown of the heating equipment occurs, only cold water will come from the tap in the entire area. In the case of installing an autonomous system, heating and hot water disappear simultaneously when the electricity is turned off, since boilers and boilers depend on electricity. In a private house, you can build equipment that does not depend on electricity, but then the hot liquid will have to be supplied using a pump. If the electricity goes out for some time, the pump will not be able to work.
It is beneficial to use a centralized hot water supply system if the companies that are responsible for the operation of the equipment fulfill their obligations well. Otherwise, it is better to invest and go to the autonomy.
