In addition to the collector or serial circuit, a mixed type of wiring can be applied. A number of small circuits are connected to the collector, which have autonomous control, but inside the circuit itself, the heating devices are connected in series.
System advantages
The main plus of such a system is convenient use.
- You can centrally adjust a single circuit. The collector provides the supply of the desired temperature to each register separately. You can also completely stop the heat supply to the radiator. Thus, in each room the desired temperature will be set.
- Each branch extending from the collector feeds one radiator. Therefore, when laying the trunk, pipes with a small diameter are used. As a rule, the highway is laid in the base of concrete. In this case, the floor is heated.
- With the help of the collector, you can easily create a number of independent circuits with different temperature indicators. For this purpose, use a hydraulic arrow (a type of collector). The inner diameter of her pipe is large.
- The collector heating system is installed extraordinary. Short circuits are created between the hot water supply and the return pipes. The water heated in the boiler constantly circulates along the contours. In this case, the selection of hot coolant at various distances from the collector is possible, thereby ensuring a temperature difference even in a separate room. This option is applicable for integrated space heating using conventional systems and underfloor heating.
Device cons
Despite the fact that the scheme is distinguished by wide possibilities in control, the collector-beam heating system is not widespread. There are a number of reasons for this.
- Increased consumption of main pipes. The more complex the design of the home, the more pipes will be needed. Increased installation costs are also reasons for the infrequent use of the system.
- Traditional heating configurations must be installed in both open and closed versions. Many highways are laid only under the floor. Otherwise, you risk getting an ugly interior in which pipes will prevail. The consumption of material during installation on the walls also increases significantly.
- A prerequisite for installing an eyeliner in a concrete screed is the absence of joints. Each junction provokes a breakthrough in the pipe. The further prospect of destroying the floor for the sake of repairing the pipe makes few people happy. In addition, the cost of restoration will be large.
- The hydraulic resistance of a system with a large number of pipelines increases significantly. Especially with a small indicator of the diameter of the highways. Therefore, gravitational heating models are not used in this case. Only forced circulation of hot water is suitable.
- When using several independent heating circuits, a circulation pump is mounted individually for each. Otherwise, the circuit will not function. Hence the additional costs of cash.
- In any case, the system is powered by electricity, because it cannot work without a heating pump. If the power supply is cut off, then additional autonomous supply will have to be provided.
All the disadvantages, one way or another, come down to additional costs. It is safe to say that the collector heating system is not one of the economical options.
Basic design rules
A collector heating system, the scheme of which does not apply to certain standards of planning and installation, has general rules in which all experts are unanimous. For example, such a system is in no way suitable for heating apartments. This is due to the complexity of the project.
Cause
Usually two or more risers are connected to an apartment in a multi-story building . Each of them is connected to one or two heating appliances. To implement the scheme in an apartment, you will have to connect all the radiators to one riser. This implies brewing all other heat supply channels. There will be one riser that must take on the entire load.
Such a solution will lead to the fact that the heaters located above will not receive heat in the right amount. Residents will start to freeze, so they will easily find out the cause of this phenomenon, and the scheme will have to be redone.
Installation of the system in a private house
The collector heating system is the best suited for private homes. In this case, a number of significant recommendations of professionals are taken into account:
- An automated air vent valve is always installed on the return manifolds. Through them all air flows pass.
- The contour involves the installation of an expansion tank. The indicator of its volume should not be less than 10% of the total amount of water in the system. A larger indicator is also possible. The cost of such devices is high.
- Choosing the right place to install the tank for expansion. It is mounted on the reverse feed line in front of the circulating pump. The reason for such a strict requirement lies in the design features of membrane-based expansion devices. They do not tolerate turbulence in water flows.
- The location of the pumps for water circulation in such systems is not critical. However, a reverse feed line would be the best choice. This is because the temperature of the coolant is low. This ensures long-term operation of the device.
- When installing the pump, it is important that the shaft is horizontal. Otherwise, system malfunctions will be observed.
How to make a choice of pipes?
Many are interested in what pipes should be for a collector heating system. When choosing them, they are also guided by a number of rules.
You should choose pipes that are sold in bays. This will avoid the connection in the wiring, which is mounted under the screed.
The pipes must be rust resistant so that after a short period of time you do not have to change them.
The strength level of the pipes is selected according to the operating parameters of the heating.
Pipes for a private house
The following parameters are suitable for radiators in a private house: water temperatures of 50-75 ° C and a pressure of 1.5 atm. For warm floors with the same pressure, 30–40 ° C will be sufficient.
Pipes in high-rise buildings
When installing the collector system in apartment buildings (this option is very rare), the indicator of the working pressure should be 10-15 atm. at a permissible temperature of the water carrier 110–120 ° . Given these parameters, the choice of pipes is carried out. In an apartment building, the corrugated stainless steel pipe becomes the obvious champion. For example, a pipe from the Korean manufacturer Kofulso is able to function at a rate of 110 ° C and an operating pressure of up to 15 atm. The pipe is flexible. The assembly of the connection is simple: the pipe is inserted into the fitting, where it is fixed with a nut that clamps the corrugated surface with a silicone sealant.
Pipes for cottages
For cottages, the use of stainless steel pipes is not the most economical option. In this case, cross-linked PE-X polyethylene became a popular material for radiation wiring. Pipes are sold in bays of 200 m. They are capable of operating at a temperature of 95 ° C with a short increase to 110 ° C and at atmospheric pressure of 10 kgf / cm2. Fittings are made of brass. Sometimes they are plastic fittings with a snap ring that fits onto the pipe. Cross-linked polyethylene has a mechanical memory: when the material is stretched with a special extender and inserted into the nozzle lumen, after a while, the pipe is tightly compressed. The snap ring will provide additional fixation of the connection. The pipe can be laid in a screed, but the connections are better placed above the floor.
The main steps when installing the system with your own hands
Many are interested in: how to install a collector heating system with your own hands?
For example, consider the installation in a private house, in which the installation of the floor boiler is carried out in the basement. The do-it-yourself collector heating system of a private house was made on a concrete screed, the thickness of which is 5 cm.
Pipes made of metal with a diameter of 32 mm are mounted to the supply and return of the boiler.
An expansion tank with a closed design is installed on the feed pipe.
Next, a collector is installed on the feed pipe. A pump for circulation is mounted on the return pipe.
Cranes are installed on both sides of the pump. They provide a quick change of the pump when it fails. In this case, you do not have to resort to draining the coolant.
A tap is mounted on the return pipe to ensure system recharge. A collector is connected to the return pipe.
It is not necessary to install a special cabinet in the basement. Collectors can be fixed on a corner made of metal.
All collector taps have built-in taps that allow shutting down radiators separately.
The beam distribution in the basement can be done on the ceiling. In this case, metal pipes are used. The connection of the heating rays with the collectors is carried out using a pipe made of metal-plastic.
Holes are drilled in the floor slabs through which the pipes are connected to the heater. A metal pipe is also used to connect radiators to heating beams.
Conclusion
The configuration is distinguished by its versatility. The collector wiring of the heating system is remarkable in that it can be mounted by people who do not have professional skills. Moreover, the design allows installation with hidden pipe wiring.
The collector heating system is not widespread, but it is in demand among people who are interested in convenience. Even less often, it can be found in country houses, where heat is supplied at an automated level.