Each of us, before the start of the heating season, reflects on the issue of installing more modern, and therefore effective equipment. You must admit that the more efficiently heat is transferred from a radiator to a room, the better.
Usually a more powerful boiler is installed, which allows you to warm up the whole house or apartment well. But there is another way out - to install a vacuum heating radiator. This is a device that works on the principle of reducing heat loss during its passage through radiators and pipes in the room.
A little bit about the device
We can say that a vacuum heating radiator is not a revolutionary discovery. He has been known for a long time, another thing is that he gained popularity only in recent years. The device is quite simple. We look like a conventional sectional radiator, but not water, but a lithium bromide solution, which begins to boil already at +35 degrees Celsius, is used as a heat carrier. To minimize the pressure in the system, it is necessary to completely remove air from there, hence the name - vacuum. At the bottom of the radiator, water flows that does not come in contact with the coolant. These liquids contact through the wall of the metal pipe. It turns out that the water warms up the coolant, and it quickly enough transfers heat to the walls of the radiator.
In detail about the principle of operation
Since we already got a little acquainted with the design, I would like to better understand the operation of the device. So, hot water comes from the system, which transfers heat to the lithium bromide solution. Due to the low boiling point, it quickly evaporates, then the condensate flows down and again turns into steam. For this simple reason, intensive cooling of the bottom wall of the pipe occurs. The temperature difference contributes to the increase in heat flow.
From all this it follows that vacuum heating radiators have such advantages as speed of heating and high heat transfer. In addition, for a radiator of 10 sections, only 0.5 liters of solution is enough for efficient operation. To achieve the same effect, it is necessary to fill 4 in a cast-iron battery, and about 3.5 liters of liquid in an aluminum radiator.
Who should use this heating method?
In most cases, it makes sense to think about buying radiators of this type in the country or in a large country house. This is due to the fact that in rooms with a large area it is necessary to heat a large amount of coolant to a high temperature. And vacuum heating radiators can significantly reduce heating costs. Moreover, the room will warm up much faster. In addition, radiators have several sensors. When the desired temperature is reached, they will turn off themselves, and the boiler will go into standby mode. What is also interesting: absolutely any boiler will do. It doesn’t matter if it runs on solid or liquid fuels. Of course, you can’t say that such batteries do not have their own nuances and shortcomings, they are. But we will talk about this a little later. Now let's figure it out.
How to choose a vacuum radiator?
Before buying, it makes sense to pay attention to the quality of the product. It can be said that the liquid used as a coolant is poisonous. Therefore, you should not have any contact with her. In order not to be mistaken, pay attention to build quality, connections and tightness. Of course, the last point is very significant, and it is almost impossible to determine it by eye, but when testing the system everything will fall into place immediately. In principle, the amount of lithium bromide also plays a role . It should not be too much. To check this, take the radiator in your hands and try to swing it. If you hear only a slight rustle, then everything is in order. When a transfusion is heard, then this indicates its excessive amount. Do not forget that vacuum heating radiators, the principle of operation of which we have already considered, must be completely tight.
Vacuum heating radiators: consumer reviews
According to statistics, many prefer other types of heating. The reason is quite simple - the possibility of leakage from a vacuum radiator. Let it be negligible, but it is. Agree, you can’t put such a device in a children's room. Well, if a gap in the case is detected immediately, and if not? Results may not be the best. This is perhaps the main drawback, according to potential buyers.
But there are those who respond extremely positively to such radiators. Many say that this can significantly save an average of 20-40% on electricity. You can believe this, because the boiling point of the coolant is quite low, and its heat transfer is at a high level. In addition, there are responses regarding the appearance of the slightest crack in the body. You can be sure that in this case the room will quickly become cold. Depressurization will lead to atmospheric pressure in the system, and this, in turn, will increase the boiling point of the coolant. In principle, these are all the advantages and disadvantages that, according to users, vacuum heating radiators have. Reviews, of course, largely depend on the manufacturer.
About EnergyEco
We can safely say that these are the most famous vacuum heating radiators of Russian production. The company manufactures carbon steel appliances 1.5 mm thick. The approximate heat transfer of one section is 170 kW at a working pressure of 0.6-1.3 MPa. In principle, the product can withstand a pressure of 2 MPa, and already at 5 MPa it is completely destroyed. For consumers, EnergyEco products have practically no negative reviews, on the contrary, everyone is talking about the high quality of the assembly.
This is not to say that such a pleasure will cost you cheaply. So, a six-section battery costs about 300 euros, in an assembly for 12 sections - 550 euros. But, despite this significant drawback, an electric vacuum heating radiator is purchased not only for apartments and country houses, but also for heating industrial buildings and offices. As noted above, this popularity is due to significant savings compared with cast iron and aluminum radiators.
Do-it-yourself vacuum heating radiator
If you don’t want to pay specialists money for the assembly, then you can do it yourself. You may not have practical experience, but it is better to gain theoretical knowledge first. There is nothing complicated here, and all the work takes place in several simple sequential stages.
First you need to dismantle the old heating system, unless, of course, you have already done so. For this, the coolant is first drained. Then apply the mounting points for the vacuum radiators. Install the brackets and check for stability and durability, and only then hang the battery. If suddenly the mount does not stand up, the radiator may fall and be damaged. At the next stage, ball valves are sealed. To do this, you can use ordinary sealant. It is necessary to connect the main pipeline to the taps and re-carry out the sealing of the system. Please note that abrasive must not be used when stripping joints. This is due to the fact that in the system metal particles are a danger to the pump and seals. At the last stage, the coolant is poured into the system.
About the advantages and disadvantages of vacuum radiators
Most of the advantages of such devices have already been described. For example, a vacuum radiator can work both on wood and on coal or gas. Electric power sources, as well as innovative solutions such as a solar battery , etc., are no exception. At the same time, the amount of water in the system is reduced to a minimum of about 70%. It is needed only for heating the coolant. In addition, you can forever forget about what traffic jams and rusting of the inside of the radiator are. For most manufacturers, the declared service life is about 30 years, and the efficiency of devices is 98%.
You are probably interested in why, then, vacuum heating radiators in Moscow, and indeed, in many other cities of Russia, are not too common? It's all about their high cost. However, in Europe this method of heating the room is very popular, and there are not too many radiators there.
Conclusion
As you can see, this is a rather interesting way of heating. However, due to the high cost and possible poor-quality assembly, many consumers still prefer radiators, where water acts as the main coolant. By the way, during installation, it is recommended to glue an isolon or foil to the wall, that is, a reflector. This will achieve an even better effect in terms of heat transfer. As you can see, vacuum radiators have their strengths and weaknesses. But in any case, whether or not to buy them is up to you and only you. If you are sure of their safety and you have free money, then why not?