Many, tired of the bustle of the city, dream of a cottage or a cottage. But in order to be there all year round, it is necessary to install heating at home.
Types of heating system
There are two types of heating systems that differ in the way the coolants circulate. The principle of a simple system is to spontaneously move the fluid through the pipeline. In this case, an additional device is not necessary, but the required slope of the pipes and their diameter should be taken into account. Natural circulation occurs when the heat carrier, heating up in the boiler, expands, moves under pressure through the heating pipes and gradually cools down in the radiator. Such a system is used in buildings with a small area and for boilers with a small capacity. The efficiency of the natural circulation through the pipes is very low.
When a forced circulation heating system is used, a pump is used to ensure the movement of coolants in the pipeline, which must be installed in the return pipe. When mounting the pump in a return pipe, it is protected from contact with hot coolant, which significantly extends its service life. It is better to choose a pump with high power, since the higher the fluid velocity in the system, the higher the room temperature.
The pump requires a constant supply of electricity, but if a failure occurs, it does not matter, the device can operate from a gasoline generator.
Advantages of the circulation system
- The heating system of the house is simplified, since there is no need to install the upper wiring, it is not necessary to ensure the slope of the pipeline.
- Saves money on the installation of risers of large diameter, as they are not required.
- You can use a system with a collector type of wiring, when it is used, the radiators are uniformly heated.
- There is an opportunity to increase the length of the pipes.
- This heating scheme allows you to arrange an additional system of "warm floors".
- The operation mode is being adjusted.
- The ability to bring metal-plastic pipes to the boiler.
disadvantages
The disadvantages of this system, although not significant, but they nevertheless are:
- The pump requires an electric current, which leads to cost overruns, but if there is no energy, then the pump stops working.
- Noise is created during operation, albeit insignificant.
- Requires large material costs for the installation of additional elements and installation.
The circulation pump is installed on the "return" in front of the boiler. An expansion tank is also installed next to it, which is mandatory in a closed system.
Open and closed heating circuits
As a rule, in open distributions of the coolant, the heating circuit has an expansion tank, where water is added as it evaporates. An open wiring system requires constant monitoring, because if the water boils, then the entire heating system may fail.
The most common is double-circuit heating. It is a two-pipe system with forced circulation. In order for it to work correctly, special equipment is additionally installed.
Pump selection
In order for forced circulation heating to function correctly and for a long time, two basic rules must be considered when choosing a pump. It must meet the following requirements:
- possess energy-saving qualities;
- its use should be simple and reliable.
Which pump is better
The power and pressure of the device are selected depending on the heated area, but it is very difficult to say which pump is best used, in this case it is necessary to calculate the heating. Only a professional can do this correctly, since it is necessary to foresee certain factors.
When calculating, it is necessary to take into account the diameter of the pipes used, the material, the required number of radiators, all valves, fuel used for heating.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that it is very difficult to calculate the heating.
It also happens that when private heating systems are used, there is no circulation. The reason may be airbags, to eliminate which a radiator is installed on each radiator to release air. This is the best method to circulate in the system. When purchasing Maevsky cranes, it is important not to forget that designs with automatic air release appeared on sale, which allows not to control its formation.
Diaphragm expansion tank
Unlike open tanks, a closed system does not come in contact with the atmosphere. The increase and decrease in fluid volume is controlled by a membrane located inside a closed tank. It has the form of a hermetically sealed container, which inside is divided by a flexible membrane. The upper half of the tank is filled with air or nitrogen, and the lower half is connected to the heating system. This unit is capable of controlling an unexpected increase or decrease in pressure, saving the system from breakdowns. The capacity value is selected taking into account the thermal expansion of the coolant. Approximately 10% of the volume of coolants in the pipeline. But it is important to carry out pressure control, observing the technical requirements for the boiler and pump.
Before installation, the membrane tank is pumped to the required pressure set by the standards. In some cases, tanks go on sale already with a full capacity. In this regard, they are pre-checked. For domestic systems, the pressure should not exceed 4 bar.
Also, many are wondering where to install the tank. The forced circulation heating system provides for the installation of a tank on the "return", to the pump, position it closer to the boiler. In order to avoid an accident in case of increased pressure in the pipes, which will be greater than the expansion tank can withstand, a safety valve must be installed.
Automatic air vent
The forced circulation heating system also includes an air vent with an automatic device. It plays an important role in the system and performs the function of removing air and prevents cavitation during pump operation. How is air etched? At the highest point in the system, the coolant is capable of drastically changing speed and direction, which leads to the release of bubbles. Here and install a water drain.
Its device has the form of a bulb with a float, which is necessary for the release of air. When air accumulates, the float settles and opens the valve. If pressure rises, the coolant fills the flask, and the raised float closes the valve. The easiest air vents to use - with a shut-off valve. It can be easily screwed and unscrewed. When this element fails, a leak occurs, the cause of which can be determined, there are only two of them:
- The needle is clogged with salts, which can be caused by hard water. You can fix this damage by cleaning the needle yourself. For access, the lid is unscrewed, and after cleaning it is assembled into place.
- The sealing ring under the housing cover has failed. The gasket also changes on its own, or you can wind the fum tape onto the thread.
The forced circulation heating system also provides for the removal of air in other wiring elements. For convenience, angular automatic air vents have recently been used on radiators. It is important to take into account when installing this design that the nipple should be directed upwards, otherwise the float will not perform its functions.
System adjustment
The home heating system is regulated in several ways. But before operating it is important to read the instructions for use. It is also necessary to invite a specialist to adjust the start and stop functions.
It must be taken into account that the heating circuit, which has a large number of bends and elbows of the heating pipes, does not affect the operation of the system for the better. Elbows with a small angle of rotation are recommended to be replaced in order to avoid the least hydraulic resistance. To increase the heat transfer, pipes that are not located in a residential building are recommended to be insulated.
Some nuances during installation
In order for the heating of the house to function without problems for a long time, the installation of important components must be approached with all responsibility, since the efficiency of the entire system depends on correctly performed work.
To increase the efficiency of the circulation pump, it is installed on the reverse water supply pipe. This is explained by the fact that the coolant, reaching the "return", is already cooling down, since the heat remains in the radiators. The design of the pump includes cuffs and gaskets, which are made of rubber, and with constant interaction with high temperature it can lose its previous properties. And in this regard, the chilled water entering the return pipe does not destroy the rubber parts, which helps to maintain the original functions.
Also, a forced circulation system allows the use of pipes with a minimum diameter, which significantly reduces the cost of the material and its installation. Reducing the volume of coolant filling the pipeline significantly affects the volume of the membrane tank and the capacity of the heating boiler, which also directly leads to cost savings.
Currently, all technological and design areas are aimed at reducing the cost of fuel consumption and lower operating costs.