The process of heating housing is one of the most important for any person. When building a house, major repairs, updating the pipeline, it is very important to accurately determine the source of heating. If the homeowner lives in a gasified area, then there will be no unnecessary questions with the choice of a heating boiler. A gas appliance is the optimal solution available at a quality level and cost.
It will be more difficult for those people whose house-building is located in places remote from the gas supply lines, and the purchase of cylinders is intermittent. In such a situation, it is logical to pay attention to the electric induction heating boiler. User reviews and the opinions of independent experts will provide us with an invaluable service in the study and selection of the device.
First acquaintance with the heat generator
Based on the name of the heating boiler, it becomes clear that the principle of electromagnetic induction is based on its work. What is its essence? Let's try to pass current through a coil of thick wire. A strong electromagnetic field immediately forms around the device. If you place a ferromagnet (attracting metal) inside, it will heat up very quickly.
The simplest induction heating boiler is a wire coil with a dielectric tube, inside of which there is a steel rod. Having powered the device from the electric network, we will get the core heating. It remains only to connect the resulting coil to the heating main and get a primitive heating system.
In other words, electrical energy produces an electromagnetic field, the waves of which heat the metal base. And from it, the high temperature is transferred to the coolant (water or antifreeze). Intensive heating of the fluid creates convection currents. Their power is enough for the productive work of a small heating circuit. In systems with a long pipeline length, it is recommended to install a circulation pump.
Internally device
Structurally, the induction electric heating boiler is a transformer enclosed in a welded metal shell. Under the casing is a heat insulating layer. The coil is located in a separate compartment, hermetically insulated from the working space. Such placement is safe because it completely eliminates contact with the coolant. The core consists of thin steel tubes with a toroidal winding.
Please note that the heating boiler from the induction cooker does not have heating elements, which is fundamentally different from traditional heat generators equipped with heating elements. Its design features ensure uninterrupted, highly efficient operation of the heating system for a very long period of time.
Long-term operation of the heating system is ensured by the design feature that distinguishes the induction heating boiler. User reviews indicate that such units work equally effectively at any current frequency. That is, the devices can be powered not only from the household electrical network, but also from high-frequency converters. Built-in sensors are able to respond to voltage fluctuations and monitor heating performance.
Induction heating boilers: reviews and complaints
The lack of information about the device and the principles of operation of heat generators creates many questions. Having consulted a specialized store, one can sometimes hear extremely positive characteristics that induction heating boilers reward. Feedback from trade managers is often tricky, because there are no perfect devices in the world.
By deliberately forgetting the existing flaws, sellers may mislead potential buyers. To objectively understand the situation, consider the most common statements.
Key points
Development innovation
In fact, electromagnetic induction as a physical phenomenon was discovered by the scientist Michael Faraday in the 19th century. And furnaces based on induction cookers have long been used for steelmaking. That is, no new technologies were invented, and modern boilers operate at a long-known opening.
Profitable purchase
We are assured that an induction heating boiler can save up to 30% of electricity. Responses of reputable experts express incomplete agreement with this thesis.
Firstly, any heating device transforms all incoming electrical energy into heat. In this case, the efficiency will not necessarily be high, because the dispersion of heated air flows can occur unevenly.
Secondly, the heating medium heating rate depends on the effective operation of the heating device. As much as we would not like this, but the facts confirm the large amount of electricity that the induction heating boiler consumes. The reviews of any person who is at least slightly familiar with the laws of physics express agreement with the obvious fact: the same amount of electricity must be spent to get one kilowatt of heat.
Thirdly, some of the heat generated is wasted. For the sake of justice, it is worth noting that she still remains in the house, and does not fly into the pipe.
Thus, the high efficiency of the device can be considered somewhat relative.
Durability
We are assured that induction boilers for heating a house are capable of uninterrupted operation for thirty to forty years. And that the reliability of appliances is much higher than other varieties of electric boilers. Let us examine this statement in more detail.
Firstly, induction devices are incapable of mechanical wear. They lack moving parts, so there’s simply nothing to break.
Secondly, the copper winding of the coil can last a long time. Even damage to the insulation will not harm its operation.
Thirdly, the steel core, despite the sufficient thickness (about 7 mm) and the strength of the base material, is still gradually being destroyed. The constant change of heating by cooling noticeably affects the strength of the rod. But the negative process is too long in time, so more than one year can pass before the core completely fails.
Fourth, the duration and reliability of the heater is affected by the quality of the transistors. It depends on them how long induction heating boilers will serve impeccably. Reviews from the grateful owners confirm the fact of a ten-year warranty. In practice, there have been cases when heat generators have been working without failures for more than thirty years.
The above arguments unanimously recognize the true durability of induction boilers. This advantage looks especially convincing against the background of heating furnaces with heating elements, in which the replacement of the internal parts is required after several years of operation. There are frequent cases when heating elements do not even produce their own resource.
Constant operation parameters
Ovens based on heating elements gradually lose power due to the formation of scale on the heating elements. In this, induction heating boilers differ significantly from them: the technical characteristics here remain unchanged over many years of operation. Let's try to figure out whether this statement is true.
The great influence of scale on the decrease in power in boilers with heating elements is somewhat exaggerated. The fact is that limescale does not have a high level of thermal insulation. In addition, in a closed ring of water heating, the formation of a large scale layer is impossible.
In induction devices, the formation of layers is completely eliminated. Even if the core comes into contact with the liquid coolant, it will still not overgrow with limescale. Deposits simply cannot physically be held on the surface of the rod due to its constant vibration under the influence of an electromagnetic field. In addition, water bubbles constantly form on the hot core, which destructively affect any scale.
Thus, the statement about the invariance of technical characteristics in induction devices is completely true. As for the heating elements, here the thesis is not entirely true.
Silent operation
Sales agents are in a hurry to assure us that induction devices do not make any sounds when turned on. Is this really so?
There are no sound vibrations in any electric heating devices. Insignificant noise level can create additional devices - circulation pumps. The modern market offers a wide range of enforcement devices, among which you can find completely silent. So, the claims of sellers can be considered fair.
Compactness
A small piece of pipe with wound wire - this is how the induction heating boiler looks externally. Responses of the owners of the heater confirm the possibility of the location of the device in any premises.
Security
To say that the heat generator is absolutely safe is not worth it. In the event of a coolant leak, core heating will continue anyway. If you do not turn off the device, it will melt very quickly. In order to exclude such situations, it is necessary during installation to take care of an additional device that automatically disables the system in case of unforeseen circumstances. It is obvious that the safety of all electric boilers is at the same level.
Is it possible to make an induction heating boiler with your own hands
The need to obtain inexpensive and efficient home heating with minimal expenses for arranging a heating system makes many consumers think of making equipment on their own. Having carefully examined the working and design principles of the device, you can assemble a home-made induction heating boiler. The main assistant in the business will be a schematic representation of the heating piping, which must be constantly kept near you, checking and clarifying the installation on it.
For home, you do not need a high power device. So, to heat a room with an area of 100 square meters, it is enough to make a 10 kW boiler. He is able to provide in rooms a temperature of 20 degrees. To a home-made boiler, you can purchase an electronic programmer of operating modes. With it, you can plan the operation of the induction apparatus for a week in advance. It is also possible to control the temperature regime at a distance.
Where to begin
Getting started, you need to prepare the necessary materials and suitable tools. For the convenience of manufacturing, it is desirable to prepare an inverter-type welding machine. With its help, joints will be connected in the generator housing and pipelines will be attached. Also, in the device of the heating circuit, a high-frequency converter (inverter) will be needed.
From the materials you may need:
- pieces of stainless steel wire or wire rod 50 mm long and about 7 mm in diameter - material for heating in a magnetic field;
- a piece of plastic thick-walled pipe with an inner diameter of up to 50 mm - the basis for the boiler body;
- enameled copper wire - the main element of heating;
- adapters - connecting fasteners;
- metal mesh - a barrier between the coil and the walls of the housing.
Having prepared everything you need, we begin to make an induction heating boiler with our own hands.
Installation of a simple circuit
- Lay a metal mesh at the bottom of the plastic pipe.
- Fill the entire body space with steel segments and close with a mesh section from above.
- Wrap the copper wire evenly with a spiral onto a plastic pipe. In total, it should turn out from 90 to 100 turns with the same distance between them.
- Install the resulting inductor in the heating circuit using adapters. To do this, remove part of the pipe from the overall system and place the coil in the resulting incision. Solder the first adapter to the body.
- Connect the ends of the copper wire to the high-frequency inverter.
- Fill the system with water and start it.
To increase the safety of a home-made heat generator, it is desirable to insulate open areas of the coil. When choosing a material for protecting copper wire, it is necessary to take into account its electrical and thermal conductivity.
The considered scheme of an induction boiler, made by hand, costs the manufacturer inexpensively and can significantly increase the heating rate of water in the heating system. The disadvantages include the small size of the equipment and the nondescript appearance.
The second option for installing the boiler
You can try to make a high-power heater. Its device will cost a little more than the first option, but subsequently all expenses will fully pay off with excellent quality and high work efficiency.
The design of the sophisticated model is a welded joint of two pipes that looks like a bagel. The resulting part will simultaneously serve as a core and a heating element. The copper winding directly on the boiler body provides a high level of performance while maintaining the compactness and low weight of the device. Inlet and outlet pipes are welded directly to the inductor. Thus, the heating of water will occur as a result of the contact of the coolant with the copper winding.
Features to consider when installing the boiler.
- Such an induction device can only be integrated in a closed heating circuit operating on forced circulation of the coolant.
- Only plastic materials should be used in the piping system.
- Induction device should be placed in a room so that the distance from it to the nearest walls and objects is at least 300 mm. The boiler should be 800–1000 mm from the floor and ceiling.
The time-consuming process of installing an induction circuit will ultimately result in high-quality heating of the house. A homemade heater will last you at least two decades, without causing any worries.
SAV induction boiler is a well-known brand of industrial equipment
One of the varieties of factory equipment can be considered an induction heating boiler SAV. The furnace is a piping system with an integrated inductor. The manufacturer of heat generators is the Volgograd research company Velebit.
SAV thermogenerators are successfully used in several types of systems:
- autonomous heating;
- combined circuit;
- backup heating;
- hot water supply;
- maintaining a predetermined temperature regime of technological processes involved in flow and chamber reactors.
It is noteworthy that the SAV induction heating boiler shows high efficiency in remote-controlled automated heat supply systems. Industrial production of electrical installations of three classes with power ranges has been established: 2.5–10 kW, 15–60 kW, 100–150 kW.
VIN type heat generators
Vortex induction heating boiler (VIN) is intended for heating and hot water supply of private residential buildings, country houses and commercial and public facilities. Depending on the size of the power, two types of heaters are produced: single-phase and three-phase. More powerful models can be successfully used in devices of the heating system of industrial enterprises.
To summarize
Induction heating boilers in Ukraine began to be used at the end of the eighties of the last century in industrial enterprises. The development of household options began around the mid-nineties. Over the past decades, electric heaters have repeatedly changed, modernizing and improving.
To date, induction devices are worthy of competition for gas and electric heating boilers. The distribution network offers many models that differ in technical parameters and cost. The price of household appliances starts from 25 thousand rubles. Industrial boilers are much more expensive - over 100 thousand. Making a thermogenerating apparatus with your own hands will allow you to significantly reduce the cost of arranging home heating.