In our article we will talk about a two-pipe heating system in private homes. From this engineering design depends on how well it will be in the room. Comfort is the most important thing to achieve when building a house. You can also distinguish such communications as electricity, water, sewage, even Internet access. They must be present in a modern house, because living without them is quite difficult.
Features of the heating system
In apartment buildings, central heating. This gives residents an advantage - there is no need to think about heating throughout the cold season. Of course, there may be inconvenience before the start of the heating period (when it is still hot outside) and after it (when frost is cracking). But when building out of town, you will have to resort to self- designing a heating system. In our article, we will consider which heating system is better - one-pipe or two-pipe. It can be built according to any scheme. Also consider all their features, disadvantages and advantages.
The popularity of both systems is quite high, even experienced developers are actively using them. But each has its pros and cons, we will talk about them further. The design of the systems is as follows:
- Boiler. Its design can be absolutely any. You can also use any type of fuel - from straw to gas or kerosene.
- Pump for circulating fluid. With its help, the coolant is distilled from the boiler to the farthest corners of the highway.
The design of the two-pipe system is the most efficient and economical. It is also worth considering the presence on the boilers of various automation, shut-off valves, as well as other units that help to carefully monitor all the processes in the system.
Single pipe system
Some builders still doubt which system is better. If you pay attention to practice, you can see that a lot depends on what kind of design the house has. For example, if the house has no basement and only one floor, then the most optimal option is the installation of a single-pipe system. In addition, not much money will be spent on construction.
With such a system, the pipes go from the boiler to the radiators. The coolant is pressurized due to the pump. Heated water passes through all the batteries. But in this case, there is one small nuance - those radiators that are close to the boiler will warm up more than those that are located at a distance. Therefore, a one-pipe system is best installed in small houses.
Horizontal systems
In the manufacture of a two-pipe system, you will ensure that all batteries will heat up the same way. In this case, a slightly different denouement is realized. A separate pipe is suitable for the radiators, through which water is pumped. The so-called return allows you to collect the cooled liquid and send it to the boiler for re-heating. Most often, such designs of heating systems are used in the construction of multi-storey buildings.
Two types of systems can be distinguished:
- With a vertical layout.
- With horizontal wiring.
Horizontal is usually used when the roof of the house is flat and there is a basement. Vertical layout is ideal for building houses with a well-equipped attic. In this case, all heating equipment is installed there.
Two-pipe system wiring diagram
When manufacturing a two-pipe system, you guarantee yourself that all radiators will heat up the same way. This is very important, as indoor comfort is greatly enhanced.
We can distinguish such schemes of two-pipe wiring of heating systems:
- Collector connection. In this case, two pipes from the collector go to the radiators.
- Parallel connection of radiators.
The latter type of connection is good in that it provides the ability to adjust the temperature in each battery. But there is a drawback - there are a lot of pipes, there is locking equipment. But the main disadvantage is considered to be complex and quite expensive installation work.
How is the system installed?
It is imperative that the system be manufactured to be divided into certain stages. The boiler is installed first. At the same time, you need to put it in a separate room. Often a basement is equipped for this. If natural circulation is used, the boiler must be installed lower than pipes and radiators. After installing the boiler, it is connected to the expansion tank. It is installed as high as possible - in the attic or under the ceiling.
If the system has a pump, then the collector can be installed anywhere, most importantly, that it is located above the floor. But if the circulation is natural, then the collector should be placed just below the tank. After this, it is necessary to conduct a “hot” pipe to each radiator from the collector. Similarly mount and "return". Return pipes must be assembled in one circuit, it is connected to the boiler.
Be sure to weld another pipe to the expansion tank - it should be done at the very top. It is designed to drain excess water. When boiling, the liquid is forced out of the radiators of the two-pipe heating system and enters the tank. When cooling, water again enters the system.
Varieties of two-pipe system
As the name implies, a two-pipe system has two pipes through which the working fluid flows. When cooling the water in the radiator, it does not immediately go to another, but goes back to the boiler for heating. As a result, the temperature at all entrances to the heating devices will be the same.
Installation can be carried out in one of the following ways:
- Horizontal is a pretty good choice if the area of the house is not very large. But it is necessary to install circulation pumps, they exclude the appearance of traffic jams.
- Vertical - ideal for large houses with several floors. But it is also necessary to use a pump, because the efficiency of the system in this case is much higher.
Separation of structures
In the direction of the coolant supply, it is possible to divide into the following types:
- The two-pipe deadlock scheme - the direction of movement of water along the hot and cold contours is different. This design is very similar to a single-tube one, but all batteries are connected in parallel. It is worth noting the low cost of this design.
- Direct-flow - water moves in one direction along both circuits. Such schemes are good in that they do not have pressure drops.
System benefits
Using any two-pipe heating system, it is possible to quickly and efficiently distribute heat across all rooms, regardless of how far it is from the boiler. In this case, the temperature of any coolant will be unchanged and stable. This is quite convenient, especially when it comes to houses with two or three floors.
Is it possible to adjust the temperature?
Modern systems of the two-pipe type are quite simple, they work on the same principle. One pipe is used, called a collector. The coolant is supplied to the radiators separately. To transport the used coolant, whose temperature is quite low, use a pipe, which is called the return. It is necessarily present in such a system. Connecting a two-pipe heating system without it is simply impossible to do.
With the help of such a system, the same temperature is set throughout the house. However, if necessary, the owners can adjust the level of heating. For this, in each room separate regulators are installed, with the help of which the degree of heating of the room is changed.
The main components of a two-pipe system
Two main groups of heating devices in the system can be distinguished:
- The main devices, which include radiators, thermal valves, pressure regulators, air vents, shut-off valves. These devices can be of various designs, it all depends on which room they are used. All these components are available in a two-pipe heating system of a two-story house, and one-story.
- Device for implementing temperature control. The design of the two-pipe system includes devices that help regulate the temperature. For example, the most demanded are thermostats, heads, valves, servos.
It should be noted that in the design of a two-pipe heating system there are a lot of different equipment. This, on the one hand, is a significant advantage, since it is possible to increase the efficiency of the system. But there is a drawback - the reliability of the system depends on the quality of its worst component.
How to make a hydraulic heating calculation?
It is imperative that the very implementation of the project requires the creation of a scheme in which all the features of the system must be taken into account. A hydraulic calculation is necessarily done, with its help it is determined:
- Approximate water flow in various places of the highway, as well as pressure loss.
- The most optimal pipe sizes in different areas. This is necessary in order to achieve the optimum water circulation rate when using the minimum cross-section.
- The method of linking reinforcement for adjustment. This is done in order to balance the system when working in different modes.
Calculation of the heating system
It should be noted that at first it is necessary to select several options for the systems, and only after that their hydraulic implementation grows. It is in such projects that the locations of radiators are set, as well as their typical sizes, the heat balance in the room, and the configuration of the structure are calculated. Also taken into account are individual sections, the main circulation ring, pipe dimensions, type, location of control and shutoff valves. If you want to save money, then you can make a two-pipe heating system from polypropylene. But this is necessarily taken into account when designing.
As a rule, calculations are performed in the following ways:
- Monitoring of coolant pressure loss opens, local resistance is taken into account, it is provided by fittings and various equipment. Separate inspection of individual sections and the system as a whole. Then it is necessary to calculate the optimal fluid distribution depending on thermal loads and pressure losses.
- Be sure to take into account the characteristics of conductivity and resistance. At the exit, it is necessary to obtain the most accurate data, for example, how much heat is planned to be consumed by water in certain areas. If there are temperature indicators, then significant changes can be made to the distribution of fluid flows. This technique is more suitable for calculating systems in which circulating pumps are installed.
The order and features of the installation work
When designing, be sure to consider what diameter of the two-pipe heating system will be used. Regardless of which house the system is installed in, the list of works will be as follows:
- Installation of radiators. They install the components of the fittings, Mayevsky cranes, plugs. They are fixed in designated areas.
- If the system is completely autonomous, then it is necessary to install the heating boiler. It can be installed or hung, be sure to connect to the chimney. Of course, electrical devices do not need this.
- A distribution unit with a collector is assembled, if it is provided for by the design of a two-pipe home heating system.
- Pipe routing is in progress. It is advisable to place them in the cavities of the frame, and can also be laid in the strobes of the walls or floor. The main thing is to ensure that they are not visible. Please note that pipes located in cement must be insulated with foam materials. At the end of each straight section, free thermal expansion is necessarily made.
- Installation of control valves, pumping equipment and expansion tank is being carried out.
- The boiler is finally tied, it is connected to the control cabinet and radiators.
- The tightness of all connections is checked. During installation, the reliability of all components is monitored. After that, it is necessary to pressure the heating system. This is accomplished using a pressure test that far exceeds the minimum level.
- The system is filled with liquid; air must be vented from all heating devices.
- The regulating device, which is located on the radiators, allows balancing the system in order to achieve the most optimal distribution of the coolant across all devices.
In this way, the installation of a two-pipe heating system in a private house is carried out. But whether you need it - decide for yourself. After all, with a small area of the building, a simple one-pipe is enough.