Heating a country house with your own hands. Heating a country house DIY country house heating project

The main problem with heating a country house is that heating is not carried out by a solid structure, but with the help of individual elements that need to be correctly selected and installed. We will tell you what you need to do if you want to carry out the work yourself.

The heart of the heating system is the boiler. It is he who produces heat and transfers it to the coolant. The boilers are similar in design: the equipment is equipped with several chambers, in the first of which fuel burns (combustion chamber), and in the second there is a coolant (heat exchanger).

Boilers can be single-circuit or double-circuit. The second scheme has its visible advantages - a double-circuit boiler will not only help heat the house, but will also become a source of warm water. But when purchasing a single-circuit boiler, you will additionally have to spend money on purchasing a boiler. The main difference in boilers is the type of fuel used.

Stove for heating a house

The first type is electric boilers. Heating with their help has its own characteristics. The main disadvantage is the high cost of use, since the boiler consumes electricity in large quantities, and the cost of this “fuel” is quite high today. But such boilers operate almost uninterruptedly. They are convenient to install in houses that are not yet connected to the central gas main.

One of the most common is . Their enormous popularity is quite easy to explain. Heating with their help is characterized by efficiency, ease of use, and constant fuel supply. Of course, this option is suitable only for those whose house has direct access to the gas main - otherwise, laying pipes, gasifying the house and installing a mini-boiler room will be very expensive.

Liquid fuel boilers are rarely used. This is due to the high price of diesel fuel and gasoline. The second reason is the need to install a powerful ventilation system to remove waste. Without this, the smell of gasoline will fill the entire house. There are also boilers that run on solid fuel, which can be wood or peat. Such equipment is relevant for houses that are not connected to the gas system. The main advantage is that their fuel costs less than electricity or gasoline. True, there are plenty of disadvantages. For example, in order to provide uninterrupted heating, you need to purchase and deliver fuel to your home, and you also need to manually load fuel into the combustion chamber. Typically, solid fuel boilers are used as a backup option if the heating is temporarily turned off.

The home heating system has a second mandatory component - pipes. Depending on the location of the pipes, the heating system can be single-pipe or double-pipe.

In the first case, the connection diagram will be as follows: radiators and pipes are connected in series, which can negatively affect the efficiency of the entire system - if the first radiators heat up to the required temperature, the temperature of the others may drop to +23 °C. This will not be enough to warm up a large room. This is why many people choose the two-pipe option.

Choosing a radiator for your home

The connection diagram for a two-pipe system also has several varieties. The first option involves parallel connection of all radiators to the pipe. The second system is a radial connection, when the pipes of all radiators are connected to one riser. The second option requires more costs due to the need to use a large number of pipes. In addition, pipes may vary in material of manufacture. Over the past few years, home heating has increasingly been carried out using PVC pipes, which are lighter and cheaper than metal ones. They are virtually clog-resistant and can be installed behind sheets of drywall to conceal infrastructure.

The choice of radiators is also an important step. The most common materials are cast iron and aluminum. For a country house, it is better to choose cheaper and lighter ones, which are characterized by a high level of impact. Their only drawback is that they are sensitive to temperature changes.

To properly heat your home, you need to do the calculations correctly. This will allow you to find out what power boiler you need to buy, how many radiators and what length of pipes are needed. There is nothing complicated here. You should start by calculating the required power for the boiler. Of course, you can purchase equipment by eye, but in this case there is a high probability of making a mistake and buying a boiler that is not suitable for your home. As a result, you will either overpay for the fuel consumed by the boiler or freeze in your house due to insufficient power of the equipment.

Radiator under the windows

To determine the power, you need to use the formula W = k*S/10, where S is the area of ​​the house in square meters, W is the power of the equipment in kW and k is the correction factor, which depends on the region of development.

To the result obtained, it is advisable to add another 25% power reserve for an unplanned event. For example, if the winter temperature drops below normal. Round up the result and you can start choosing a boiler.

The next stage in the calculations is to determine radiators for each heated room in the house. This process is quite labor-intensive, so we decided to carry out an example of calculations for a room of 10 square meters with one external wall. In this case, the power should be about 1.2 kW.

If there are two or more windows in the room or there is a wide doorway, which leads to a decrease in the temperature in the room, the power must be increased to 1.3 kW. Now you can calculate the power that will provide the necessary heating in each room: multiply the area of ​​the room by the power indicator (1.2–1.3) and divide by 10. The result must be multiplied by 5 and rounded to the nearest whole number. The result is the number of heating radiator sections required to warm the room. To be on the safe side, you can add a few more sections to the required quantity.

Next, you need to draw a diagram of the house on paper, where you can mark the boiler, radiator, and pipe distribution to ensure the supply of coolant to all rooms. This will make it easier for you not to make mistakes when calculating the number and length of pipes and the number of radiators.

In addition to such system elements as the boiler, pipes and radiator, you will need to purchase other parts and spare parts, including nipples, pipe gaskets, brackets for installing radiators. If you decide to do the installation yourself, do not forget about the need to tie all the elements, for which it is better to use strong linen threads.

Self-installation of a heating system

In order for the heating system to function without interruption, it is important to follow the following rules:

• Radiators should only be installed near window openings. The distance from the radiator to the floor is at least 10 cm, to the window sill - at least 6 cm.
• The heating system must be equipped with a drain (at least one), which is necessary for preventative work to replace the coolant.

Don't forget to check for leaks and other problems. If you notice any malfunctions in the operation of the boiler, immediately turn off the system and begin setting it up. Most often, problems arise in areas where sections are joined, where the piping was performed poorly. So it is better to immediately carry out all the work as efficiently as possible.

A dacha is a great place to spend time with family and friends. You can even live on it in the summer. However, some people prefer to relax at their summer cottage not only in the warm season, but also in the cold season. This is where many summer residents have a question about how to ensure heating of a summer house in winter without electricity, because it is not always possible to connect the heating system using electrical equipment.

How to heat a country house

Currently, there are many ways to heat a country house. When choosing one heating scheme or another, you should take into account some subtleties. Since country houses were built in different time periods, the building materials used for their construction may differ from each other. Some spent a lot of money on the construction of their country house, building a full-fledged structure, while for others the dacha cost a pittance, but it was not suitable for permanent residence.

Heating a country house largely depends on the building materials that were used in the construction of the premises. If you use heat-resistant panels and slabs, heating will be much easier than when equipping a dilapidated building.

In addition, when selecting a heating system, it is necessary to take into account the availability of communications. As a rule, most holiday villages are located in remote places from centralized gas pipelines.

When choosing how to economically heat a dacha in winter, it is also important to take into account the fact of the presence of the nearest source of coolant. So, the house can be heated using coal, firewood, diesel fuel, etc.

The most popular type of fuel in Russia for heating country houses, villages and even country houses has been and remains firewood. Firstly, their price is lower than any other alternative fuels, and secondly, such resources can always be at hand.

VIDEO: Electric heating. An inexpensive way to heat your home

Types of heating systems

Cottage heating options are classified depending on the coolant:

• air;
• steam;
• electrical;
• aquatic.

In addition, heating blocks are grouped based on the type of fuel:

• liquid fuel - diesel fuel, diesel fuel, etc.;
• gas heaters for summer cottages;
• solid fuel - firewood, coal, pellets, etc.;
• heating a country house with electricity.

Each of these heating block piping methods has its pros and cons. If we talk about price, then the most expensive will be an oil heating system. Whereas the cheapest heating system for a country house will be a gas boiler. However, as mentioned above, not all villages are connected to a centralized gas pipeline.

In addition, the choice of heating system for a country house is also influenced by the seasonality of stay in it:

Summer option

Quite a large number of country houses were built from wooden saw cuts. The wall ceilings of such premises are not capable of retaining thermal energy inside the structure for a long time. Therefore, if the dacha is not heated, the temperature conditions in the room will be almost identical to street values. Wooden buildings can be quickly heated using electric heaters or furnace equipment. In this case, you will need to carefully insulate the facade of the building, as well as use a powerful heating unit.

All-season option

Structures that are planned to be used regardless of the time of year are prepared for low temperature conditions even at the design stage. A person who lives in a country house throughout the year has certainly made sure that his home is equipped with all the necessary communications. At a minimum, such a room must have light and water. Summer models, as mentioned earlier, are mostly built from wood or panel panels, while when constructing permanent buildings, concrete slabs, bricks, cinder blocks and other building materials identical in functionality should be used. And if your country house has the above communications, then the most suitable way to install a heating system will be an electric boiler. In the absence of electricity, you can use gas heating or other alternative options.

Stove heating

If you don’t know how to heat a dacha in winter without gas or electricity, then you will probably be interested in an option such as a cast iron or steel stove. The first model is more preferable due to some of its features:

• durability;
• long-term temperature maintenance;
• warm-up speed.

When considering stove heating, you need to take care of the chimney in advance. After all, without this structural element, the heating unit simply will not function.

Disadvantage of a stove heating installation: systematic storage of fuel resources. And if you do not add fuel in time, the fire will go out and you will have to re-light the stove. In addition, there is a need to regularly clean the furnace from fuel decay products.

For stove heating, the best material for the firebox is beech, oak or hornbeam. Whereas spruce and pine will not provide the temperature conditions necessary for full-fledged living.

An excellent option for a summer house would be a good old potbelly stove in a modern design. The stove is easy to use and does the job perfectly.

Currently, the technology of long-burning boilers has been developed. Their work is based on the principle of pyrolysis, when firewood or any other solid fuel burns at a low temperature with the simultaneous release of pyrolysis gases. They are taken to a separate chamber, where they additionally burn out, releasing heat. On the one hand, this significantly increases the efficiency of the boiler - almost up to 85 and even 90%, on the other hand, the burning time of one load of firewood reaches almost 8 hours.

Gas heating

Piping using a gas boiler is the most profitable and easy-to-use method of heating a home. However, this option can be used provided it is connected to a centralized gas pipeline. Gas heaters are considered the most effective because they can warm up the room temperature in a fairly short period.

If there is no connection to the gas pipeline, you can easily connect the heating unit to gas cylinders. Despite their simplicity, such devices are no less popular than stationary heaters that are identical in functionality. But at the same time, they can be easily transported from place to place. It is for this reason that gas-cylinder heating equipment is considered autonomous.

The gas heating circuit can be connected using natural or forced circulation of the coolant. So, if you have a one-story house, then a system with natural circulation will be quite enough to provide the necessary temperature conditions in the room. Whereas to heat a two-story house, a more powerful system will be required, for which you need to use a centrifugal pump.

Infrared heating device

The most primitive way of heating a country house. To do this, you only need to purchase a heater, place it in a room that needs heating, and connect it to a storage device. These heaters, as a rule, have compact overall dimensions. They can be placed not only on the floor, but also on the walls, and even on the ceiling.

Infrared heating systems are alternative heating sources that can operate for a long time from electrical storage devices. All that is required is to regularly check the performance of the battery and charge it from time to time, for example, from solar panels.

There are many alternative heating methods that allow you to heat your home efficiently and economically. Among these can be called geothermal heating, where the heating of the house is carried out using natural resources - water, light and earth. Electric convectors, solar collectors, air conditioners, etc. - all these are ways to create a comfortable temperature in the house.

Which one to choose depends only on your financial capabilities. We hope our advice will help you make the right choice and give your preference to the most profitable and efficient heating unit.

VIDEO: What is cheaper to heat a country house?

Long gone are the days when only a stove could heat a private house. The lack of hot water in sufficient quantities and the need to light the stove and keep it burning did little to facilitate life outside the city. That is why many sought to move to comfortable multi-storey buildings, where heating and hot water supply were centralized.

Today, a lot has changed - the abundance and range of modern heating equipment allows you to do heating in the house yourself, even without the involvement of specialists. Now, on the contrary, the priority is to live in country houses, since hot water is available all year round, and heating can be turned on at any time, without waiting for a decision from utility services.

In total, there are 3 main energy sources - gas, solid fuel and electricity. We will talk about each of them, as well as how to properly wire the boiler and ensure heat supply to different components, in this article.

You will not be able to purchase the entire heating system in any store. You can select individual elements and assemble them into a system, you can purchase materials and make the boiler and piping entirely yourself. Regardless of which path you decide to go, you must first decide on the following parameters:

• what type of fuel is planned to be used;
• which fuel is more economically feasible.

What home heating systems are there?

The most famous means of heating since time immemorial has been the Russian stove. Among the main disadvantages of such structures today are their large size, which is not always convenient, and uneven heating of the air in the room. It’s very hot near the stove, warm two meters away, cold in the next room. Modern fireplaces, although they have changed over time, generally act as an analogue of a stove and therefore can be used exclusively as an auxiliary heat source.

The most popular and effective is a water heating system, where heated coolant circulates through pipes and thereby heats the premises.

Air heating, based on the operation of air heat collectors, is considered no less effective, but practically unknown.

Electric heating can be called a relatively new type, which works by converting electricity into thermal energy without using any coolant.

Types of boilers

The main task when organizing heating with your own hands is to create an effective system, mostly automatic, with minimal human participation in its operation. Based on the availability of the type of fuel and the appropriateness of its choice, you should purchase a specific type of boiler.

The main classification of boilers depends on the type of fuel:

• gas;
• electric;
• solid fuel;
• combined.

Modern industrial boilers are economical, relatively silent and easy to operate. The main disadvantage of such equipment is its energy dependence, since at the heart of each there is a fan that forces air into the chamber or ensures the movement of the coolant.

The exception applies only to those boilers where it is used. This pump belongs to the category of emergency equipment and runs on a battery. In the absence of electricity, the pump ensures the movement of coolant through the pipes, preventing them from freezing and subsequent rupture.

Heating scheme for a private house

Gas

No matter how often the price of gas is indexed in our country, it still remains the cheapest type of fuel.

Modern gas boilers are silent, easy to operate, and differ in the number of circuits:

• single-circuit - designed only for heating the house

• double-circuit - for heating and hot water supply.

Electric

The safest type of equipment. Capable of heating a room of any size (power 4-300 kW). The only disadvantage of such equipment is the cost of fuel. Electricity is traditionally the most expensive type of heating compared to gas and solid fuel.

Key benefits include the following:

• large power range of boilers capable of heating up to 350 sq.m. premises on different levels and consisting of several rooms;
• there is no need to organize a chimney or exhaust ventilation - heating occurs by converting electricity into heat, so no combustion products are released;
• environmentally friendly equipment that does not emit any pollutants into the atmosphere;
• compact size and the ability to install in any room without restrictions on square footage and distance;
• there is no need to obtain permits to put equipment into operation.

Even a small house can be heated with electricity only if 3 phases are supplied and the network voltage is absolutely stable.

Boilers also differ in the number of circuits:

• single-circuit - for heating only;
• double-circuit - for heating and water heating.

Solid fuel

This is an improved "hello" from the past, modernized to such an extent that it can be left for a week and the temperature in the house will be comfortable. All solid fuel boilers are based on the Kolpakov principle, when the boiler is first heated, and then the temperature is maintained at a certain level to ensure stability of heating of the coolant.

Such boilers are characterized by a fairly high efficiency, but at the same time they require regular (at least 1-2 times a week) cleaning of combustion products, installation of a chimney, organization of exhaust ventilation and the presence of a separate room.

Advantages of solid fuel equipment:

• a wide range of fuels (firewood, coal, pellets, braces, waste from the woodworking and agricultural industries, etc.);
• high efficiency, in some cases reaching 92%;
• possibility of process automation for long-term combustion units.

To ensure that the heating season does not cause difficulties, it is necessary to prepare in advance a certain amount of fuel sufficient to heat a private home for 2-3 months.

Combined

This type of equipment allows you to rationalize heating costs and ensure constant operation of the boiler, depending on the availability of a particular fuel.

The fundamental difference lies in the combination of solid fuel with other sources - electricity, liquid fuel or gas. Depending on the pair, electric, solid fuel and universal combo boilers are distinguished. The choice depends on what fuel is available in the region.

The transition between alternative sources is carried out by changing burners, which is quite difficult and does not always work out the first time.

Burners are always purchased separately!

When choosing a boiler for a private home, you should understand that this is only a small part of the entire heating system. certainly very important, on which its functioning and maintaining heat in the house will depend, but also a lot depends on the boiler piping, on the organization of the heating and hot water supply system.

Types of heating systems

Depending on what coolant circulates in the system, the following types of heating are practiced:

• water, where ordinary water acts as the coolant (in some cases, antifreeze can be added);
• air - coolant - air heated to a certain temperature;
• steam - pipes heat steam;
• electrical - electrical appliances (heating elements, infrared emitters, etc.) are placed around the perimeter;
• combined - organizing heating in such a way that the source is not only the coolant, but also other options;
• "warm floor" system.

Each of the listed methods has certain characteristics, advantages and disadvantages in relation to each other.

This is the simplest type of heating for a private home, which is easy to do with your own hands. There are no special requirements for operating the system; the main task is to correctly calculate the number of batteries and select the appropriate boiler power.

How to calculate power

There is a universal formula for calculating power:

1 kW of power = 10 m 2 heated area

However, it only works in ideal, one might say, laboratory conditions, which are very far from reality. When determining the parameter, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of a particular house - the year of construction, what building materials are used, the presence of thermal insulation, the type of windows and doors, etc.

So, for example, if a house was built more than 30 years ago, but is insulated, doors and windows are replaced with modern sealed structures, the power should be increased by 1.5 times, that is, by 10 sq.m. take 1.5 kW of area. If the building was built recently, but is not properly insulated, the doors and windows are wooden and draughty, the power should be increased by 2 times.

Power calculation factors

• 2 or more windows on the north side - 1.3;
• 2 or more windows on the south, east and southeast sides - 1.1;
• 2 or more windows on the west side - 1.2.

When organizing water heating, purified water acts as a coolant, which does not need to be drained at the end of the heating season. This is a closed system where water circulates under the influence of a pump or by gravity.

Forced coolant circulation

In order to ensure the movement of heated water through the pipes, centrifugal force is needed. As a rule, a circulation pump is used for these purposes, but an ordinary centrifugal pump, only of low power, is quite suitable.

The main task of the pump is to supply cooled water to the boiler to heat it and distribute the already heated coolant throughout the system. Since we are talking about a vicious circle, a constant volume of water circulates through the pipes.

Installation of a circulation pump in the heating system of a private house

The use of pumping equipment, although it makes the system energy-dependent, completely eliminates the need for human participation in the operation of the boiler. The temperature sensor monitors the heating limit, the pump moves water progressively from the boiler to the pipes and back. If we are talking about an electric or gas boiler, all participation comes down to only one thing - set a comfortable temperature and forget about the boiler for the whole season.

In order to ensure the operation of the boiler in the absence of electricity, you can purchase a 12-volt circulation pump powered by a battery.

Coolant circulation by gravity

Today, such a system is extremely rare and only in one-story houses. Here, the coolant moves through the system by gravity, when water of different temperatures moves under the influence of differences in specific gravity.

A prerequisite for proper water circulation in a gravity system is the installation of pipes at a slight angle - up to 150.

DIY installation of a water heating system

In order to make the house comfortable and warm, you should correctly calculate the number of radiators through which the coolant will circulate. Please note that all boilers must be equipped with an exhaust ventilation system and a chimney. The only exception applies to an electric boiler.

How to calculate the required number of radiators

The most correct way is to calculate the area of ​​the heated room (in each room separately). According to SNiP, each square meter requires 100 W of heat. Find out the area of ​​the room and multiply by the required amount of heat. So, for example, for a room of 20 sq.m. you will need 2000 W of heat (20 x 100), which corresponds to 2 kW.

Now we determine the number of radiators by the number of sections or units. Each manufacturer indicates the heat transfer of one section of a radiator or monolithic product. Divide the resulting heat volume by the heat transfer coefficient and get the number of sections that you convert into radiators, or immediately the number of radiators.

1. Single-pipe, where only hot water leaves the boiler

In this case, the coolant moves from the first to the last radiator, gradually losing heat. When choosing such a system, you should keep in mind that in the farthest room the battery will be almost cold.

It is difficult to adjust the temperature of radiators with such a system, since by shutting off one radiator, you stop the flow of coolant to all subsequent ones.

1. Two-pipe - supply of hot water from the boiler and return of water to the boiler (return).

This is the most optimal system for heating a private house, where 2 pipes are connected in parallel to each device - primary and return. In this case, the temperature of all radiators in all rooms will be approximately the same. You can increase or decrease the temperature in each room as needed.

This method of wiring is also called radial, when a pipe with direct supply is supplied from the boiler to each device and discharged with a cold one.

The collector in such a heating system performs the task of storing coolant.

This is a universal system that is suitable for organizing heating in any room, while it is possible to make hidden wiring to each device separately.

Depending on the chosen wiring system, the number of pipes and the total cost are determined. Single-pipe wiring is the cheapest option.

After the number of radiators has been calculated and the system has been selected, the pipes should be installed.

Previously, metal pipes were used for this purpose. Today, such a solution is not profitable due to cost and susceptibility to corrosion, so you should choose polypropylene.

Polypropylene pipes in the heating system

Pipes are laid in all rooms that will be heated, moving from one room to another. The pipes are connected to each other with a special soldering iron for plastic pipes.

You can assemble a water heating system for a private house with your own hands, but this will require precise calculations and a boiler piping diagram. The main drawback of such a system is the need for regular prevention. And please note that if you use antifreeze, it must be changed every 5 years.

A fairly popular method of heating residential and office premises, based on the principle of gravity and forced ventilation. The gravitational system involves the movement of air at a temperature difference due to its natural circulation. Different temperatures mean different air densities, which is why warm and cold layers move.

When heating with air, a heater is installed in the room or ventilation ducts are installed through which warm air enters. Each such heat source can be installed anywhere in the room - on the wall, ceiling or floor. This has no effect on the principle of convection.

There are 2 main types of air heating:

• local (localized);
• central.

Localized

This method is suitable for heating only one room in the room. The heat source can be:

• air heaters;
• heat guns;
• thermal curtains.

The optimal heat supply is a heater that distributes heat several meters around. The power of such equipment is 1-1.2 kW per hour.

A heat gun is a more powerful equipment, which also instantly dries the air in the room. Used only for heating warehouse and industrial premises where people stay for a short time. Power 2-2.5 kW per hour.

A thermal curtain is an analogue of an air conditioner that supplies hot air to a point. Most often, a curtain is placed at the entrance to simultaneously prevent cold air from entering the room. Power 1.5-2 kW per hour.

Central heating

This is an example of a centralized hot air supply, which operates on the principle:

• direct-flow or partial recirculation;
• complete circulation of hot air.

Most often, such a system is chosen in rooms with suspended or suspended ceilings, where ventilation ducts can be installed above them. Through such ventilation holes, hot air enters the room and circulates in it.

It is not advisable to install ventilation ducts in the walls, since part of it will be needed to mask the ventilation shafts.

The cost of air heating is more expensive both in terms of installation and the cost of equipment. The source of coolant supply is a gas or electric boiler.

Advantages:

• filtering the air entering the room;
• fresh air due to the fact that the intake is carried out from the street;
• possibility of organizing drip irrigation and air ionization.

Flaws:

• such a system can only be created in a building under construction (with the exception of a water gun and a heat curtain);
• expensive installation.

Electric heating

The most affordable way to heat any room, since electricity is everywhere.

The operating principle is based on the operation of an electric convector that converts electrical energy into heat. Modern models are equipped with a large number of functions that completely eliminate the need for human participation in monitoring work.

It could be:

• temperature controller depending on the time of day;
• regulator for increasing the temperature at night and decreasing it during the day (day-night mode);
• maintaining system pressure and minimum temperature in the event of absence of people for a long time;
• compliance with the regime even during a short-term power outage, etc.

Advantages:

• very simple and easy installation that anyone can do;
• extremely simple operation;
• mobility of the system, when convectors can be moved from room to room if necessary.

Flaws:

• the high cost of energy is the most expensive of all existing heating methods.

When choosing an electric heating method, there must be 3 phases and a stable voltage in the network.

Steam heating

In this case, the operating principle is completely identical to the water one, with the only difference that instead of water, steam circulates in the pipe system. Installation of pipes, selection of boiler power and organization of piping are completely identical to the water heating system.

For steam heating, special boilers are used that generate hot steam. It is mandatory to have a “Through the Gauntlet” filter system, which purifies water from all kinds of impurities before it is converted into a vapor state.

There is only one advantage of a steam heating system - savings, since heating occurs almost instantly. The efficiency is 95%.

There are incomparably more disadvantages:

• peculiarity of the equipment - it is extremely difficult to find a steam boiler on the open market;
• high installation cost, which includes the installation of special pipes and the presence of a filter system;
• dangerous operation because the steam temperature exceeds 100 degrees.

Warm floor

The huge advantage of this heating system is the large heat-transferring surface area. This is an ideal option for common areas - kitchen, bathroom, hallway, as well as in the living room or children's room.

It is optimal to lay a heated floor under ceramic tiles - in this case it acts as an excellent conductor. Laminate and parquet are much less often used for heated floors, since when the temperature rises, warping of the material and its subsequent dismantling are possible.

A prerequisite for installing a heated floor is a foil layer. It is neither an insulator nor a reflector, as is commonly believed. Foil is used to distribute heat evenly across the floor surface. If you do not use such a layer, the tactile sensations of the floor will resemble a zebra - the stripe is warm, the stripe is cold.

Heated floors can be water-based, where hot water circulates through pipes, and electric - a system of wires where electrical energy is converted into heat.

Water heated floor

A branch of a water heating system in the form of small-diameter pipes laid on a flat floor surface. A prerequisite is the use of a substrate that will prevent heat loss from contact with the floor.

The difficulty of installing a water heated floor lies in the need to lay pipes and connect them correctly to the existing heating system.

Electric heated floor

A type of heating that is elementary in installation and operation. The only difficulty that may arise is preliminary preparation of the surface for laying wires or mats using a concrete screed, and laying the floor covering on top of the heated floor

Even simpler is to use electric mats on the existing surface. Such mats are absolutely safe to use and are easy to set up. To avoid mechanical damage, it is recommended to use an overhead electric floor under a carpet or rug.

In most cases, a heated floor is an auxiliary element of the heating system in the house.

How to choose heating for your home

The most correct thing when choosing a heating system and, accordingly, a boiler is to focus on the available type of fuel. If there is no gas pipeline in some area yet, but its installation is already underway, it is advisable to use combined boilers - solid fuel and gas. Where gas is not available and is not planned, but electricity is expensive, you can connect an electric boiler.

Each system has both its advantages and disadvantages. Even if you heat the house yourself, be sure to consult with the designers regarding the type and method. Any of the selected heating systems is quite expensive so that errors in calculations can be made.

For example, when developing a fireplace, stove or solid fuel boiler with your own hands, there is a risk of carbon dioxide concentration in the room, which will lead to accidents.

The best option would be to purchase ready-made certified equipment, and you can do the installation and wiring yourself.

In order to accurately understand which type of heating to prefer, you should take into account the cost of each type of fuel and its consumption per unit of time.

As of March 2016, fuel prices are as follows:

• 1 liter of diesel - $0.5. The cost of 1 kWh of energy is $0.05.
• 1 m 3 of natural gas for individuals - $0.05. The cost of 1 kW/h is $0.006.
• 1 liter of bottled gas - $0.3. The cost of 1 kW/h is $0.020.
• 1 kW/h of electricity for an individual - $0.03.
• 1 kg of coal averages $0.3. The cost of 1 kW/h is $0.05.

Properly organizing home heating is not an easy task. It is clear that specialists - designers and installers - can handle it best. It is possible and necessary to involve them in the process, but in what capacity is up to you, the owner of the house, to determine. There are three options: hired people perform the entire range of activities or part of these works, or act as consultants, and you do the heating yourself.

Regardless of which heating option is chosen, you need to have a good understanding of all stages of the process. This material is a step-by-step guide to action. Its goal is to help you solve the problem of installing heating yourself or competently supervise hired specialists and installers.

Heating system elements

In the vast majority of cases, private residential buildings are heated with water heating systems. This is a traditional approach to solving the issue, which has an undeniable advantage - universality. That is, heat is delivered to all rooms through a coolant, and it can be heated using various energy carriers. We will consider their list further when choosing a boiler.

Water systems also make it possible to organize combined heating using two or even three types of energy carriers.

Any heating system, where the coolant serves as the transfer link, is divided into the following components:

• heat source;
• pipeline network with all additional equipment and fittings;
• heating devices (radiators or underfloor heating circuits).

For the purpose of processing and regulating the coolant, as well as performing maintenance work in heating systems, additional equipment and shut-off and control valves are used. The equipment includes the following items:

• expansion tank;
• circulation pump;
• hydraulic separator (hydraulic arrow);
• buffer capacity;
• distribution manifold;
• indirect heating boiler;
• devices and automation equipment.

Note. A mandatory attribute of a water heating system is an expansion tank; other equipment is installed as needed.

It is well known that when heated, water expands, and in a confined space there is nowhere for its additional volume to go. To avoid rupture of connections due to increased pressure in the network, an open or membrane type expansion tank is installed. She takes in excess water.

Forced circulation of the coolant is provided by a pump, and if there are several circuits separated by a hydraulic arrow or a buffer tank, 2 or more pumping units are used. As for the buffer tank, it works simultaneously as a hydraulic separator and a heat accumulator. Separating the boiler circulation circuit from all others is practiced in complex systems of cottages with several floors.

Collectors for coolant distribution are installed in heating systems with heated floors or in cases where a radial battery connection scheme is used, we will discuss this in the following sections. An indirect heating boiler is a tank with a coil where water for domestic hot water needs is heated from the coolant. To visually monitor the temperature and pressure of water in the system, thermometers and pressure gauges are installed. Automation tools (sensors, thermostats, controllers, servos) not only control the parameters of the coolant, but also regulate them automatically.

Shut-off valves

In addition to the equipment listed, the water heating of the house is controlled and maintained using shut-off and control valves shown in the table:

Once you have become familiar with what elements the heating system consists of, you can proceed to the first step towards the goal - calculations.

Calculation of the heating system and selection of boiler power

It is impossible to select equipment without knowing the amount of thermal energy required to heat the building. It can be determined in two ways: simple approximate and calculated. All sellers of heating equipment like to use the first method, since it is quite simple and gives a more or less correct result. This is a calculation of thermal power based on the area of ​​heated premises.

They take a separate room, measure its area and multiply the resulting value by 100 W. The energy required for the entire country house is determined by summing up the indicators for all rooms. We suggest a more accurate method:

• by 100 W, multiply the area of ​​those premises where only 1 wall, on which there is 1 window, is in contact with the street;
• if the room is a corner room with one window, then its area must be multiplied by 120 W;
• when a room has 2 external walls with 2 windows or more, its area is multiplied by 130 W.

If we consider power as an approximate method, then residents of the northern regions of the Russian Federation may not receive enough heat, and residents of the south of Ukraine may overpay for equipment that is too powerful. Using the second, calculation method, heating design is carried out by specialists. It is more accurate, as it gives a clear understanding of how much heat is lost through the building structures of any building.

Before you begin the calculations, you need to measure the house, finding out the area of ​​the walls, windows and doors. Then you need to determine the thickness of the layer of each building material from which the walls, floors and roofs are built. For all materials in the reference literature or on the Internet, you should find the value of thermal conductivity λ, expressed in units of W/(m ºС). We substitute it into the formula for calculating the thermal resistance R (m2 ºС / W):

R = δ / λ, here δ is the thickness of the wall material in meters.

Note. When a wall or roof is made of different materials, it is necessary to calculate the R value for each layer and then sum the results.

Now you can find out the amount of heat lost through the external building structure using the formula:

• QTP = 1/R x (tв – tн) x S, where:
• QТП – lost amount of heat, W;
• S is the previously measured area of ​​the building structure, m2;
• tв – here you need to substitute the value of the desired internal temperature, ºС;
• tн – street temperature in the coldest period, ºС.

Important! The calculation should be made for each room separately, alternately substituting into the formula the values ​​of thermal resistance and area for the external wall, window, door, floors and roof. Then all these results must be summed up, this will be the heat loss of this room. The areas of internal partitions do not need to be taken into account!

Heat consumption for ventilation

To find out how much heat a private house loses as a whole, you need to add up the losses of all its rooms. But that’s not all, because we must also take into account the heating of the ventilation air, which is also provided by the heating system. In order not to go into the jungle of complex calculations, it is proposed to find out this heat consumption using a simple formula:

Qair = cm (tв – tн), where:

• Qair – required amount of heat for ventilation, W;
• m – amount of air by mass, defined as the internal volume of the building multiplied by the density of the air mixture, kg;
• (tв – tн) – as in the previous formula;
• с – heat capacity of air masses, is taken equal to 0.28 W / (kg ºС).

To determine the heat demand for the entire building, it remains to add the value of QTP for the house as a whole with the value of Qair. The boiler power is taken with a reserve for the optimal operating mode, that is, with a coefficient of 1.3. Here you need to take into account an important point: if you plan to use a heat generator not only for heating, but also for heating water for domestic hot water supply, then the power reserve must be increased. The boiler must operate effectively in 2 directions at once, and therefore the safety factor must be taken at least 1.5.

At the moment, there are various types of heating, characterized by the energy carrier or type of fuel used. Which one to choose is up to you, and we will present all types of boilers with a brief description of their pros and cons. To heat residential buildings, you can purchase the following types of household heat generators:

• solid fuel;
• gas;
• electrical;
• on liquid fuel.

The following video will help you choose an energy carrier, and then a heat source:

Solid fuel boilers

They are divided into 3 types: direct combustion, pyrolysis and pellet. The units are popular due to their low operating costs, because compared to other energy sources, firewood and coal are inexpensive. The exception is natural gas in the Russian Federation, but connecting to it is often more expensive than all the heating equipment including installation. Therefore, wood and coal boilers, which have an acceptable cost, are being purchased by people more and more often.

On the other hand, operating a solid fuel heat source is very similar to simple stove heating. You need to spend time and effort to prepare, carry firewood and load it into the firebox. The unit also requires serious piping to ensure its long-lasting and safe operation. After all, a conventional solid fuel boiler is characterized by inertia, that is, after closing the air damper, the heating of water does not stop immediately. And efficient use of generated energy is possible only if there is a heat accumulator.

Important. Boilers that burn solid fuels generally cannot boast of high efficiency. Traditional direct combustion units have an efficiency of about 75%, pyrolysis units - 80%, and pellet units - no more than 83%.

The best choice in terms of comfort is a pellet heat generator, characterized by a high level of automation and virtually no inertia. It does not require a heat accumulator and frequent trips to the boiler room. But the price of equipment and pellets often makes it inaccessible to a wide range of users.

Gas boilers

An excellent option is to install heating that operates on main gas. In general, hot water gas boilers are very reliable and efficient. The efficiency of the simplest energy-independent unit is at least 87%, and the efficiency of an expensive condensing unit is up to 97%. The heaters are compact, well automated and safe to operate. Maintenance is required no more than once a year, and trips to the boiler room are needed only to monitor or change settings. A budget unit will be much cheaper than a solid fuel unit, so gas boilers can be considered generally available.

Just like solid fuel heat generators, gas boilers require a chimney and supply and exhaust ventilation. As for other countries of the former USSR, the cost of fuel there is much higher than in the Russian Federation, which is why the popularity of gas equipment is steadily declining.

Electric boilers

It must be said that electric heating is the most efficient of all existing ones. Not only are the efficiency of boilers about 99%, but in addition they do not require chimneys or ventilation. There is practically no maintenance of the units as such, except for cleaning once every 2-3 years. And most importantly: equipment and installation are very cheap, and the degree of automation can be any. The boiler simply does not need your attention.

No matter how pleasant the advantages of an electric boiler are, the main disadvantage is just as significant - the price of electricity. Even if you use a multi-tariff electricity meter, you will not be able to beat a wood-burning heat generator in terms of this indicator. This is the price to pay for comfort, reliability and high efficiency. Well, the second disadvantage is the lack of the necessary electrical power on the supply networks. Such an annoying nuisance can immediately cancel out all thoughts about electric heating.

Liquid fuel boilers

In terms of the cost of heating equipment and its installation, heating with waste oil or diesel fuel will cost approximately the same as with natural gas. Their efficiency indicators are also similar, although the processing, for obvious reasons, is somewhat inferior. Another thing is that this type of heating can easily be called the dirtiest. Any visit to the boiler room will end with at least the smell of diesel fuel or dirty hands. And the annual cleaning of the unit is a whole event, after which you will be smeared with soot up to your waist.

Using diesel fuel for heating is not the most profitable solution; the price of fuel can hit your pocket hard. Used oil has also risen in price, unless you have some cheap source. This means that it makes sense to install a diesel boiler when there are no other energy sources or, in the future, a main gas supply. The unit easily switches from diesel fuel to gas, but the exhaust furnace will not be able to burn methane.

Heating system diagrams for a private home

Heating systems sold in private housing construction can be single-pipe or double-pipe. It's easy to distinguish them:

• according to a single-pipe scheme, all radiators are connected to one collector. It is both a supply and a return, passing by all the batteries in the form of a closed ring;
• in a two-pipe scheme, the coolant is supplied to the radiators through one pipe and returned through the other.

Choosing a heating system layout for a private home is not an easy task; consultation with a specialist will certainly not hurt. We will not sin against the truth if we say that the two-pipe scheme is more progressive and reliable than the one-pipe one. Contrary to popular belief about the low installation costs when installing the latter, we note that it is not only more expensive than a two-pipe one, but also more complex. This topic is covered in great detail in the video:

The fact is that in a single-pipe system, the water from radiator to radiator cools more and more, so it is necessary to increase their capacity by adding sections. In addition, the distribution manifold must have a larger diameter than the two-pipe distribution lines. And lastly: automatic control with a single-pipe circuit is difficult due to the mutual influence of the batteries on each other.

In a small house or dacha with up to 5 radiators, you can safely implement a single-pipe horizontal circuit (common name - Leningradka). With a larger number of heating devices, it will not be able to function normally, because the last radiators will be cold.

Another option is to use single-pipe vertical risers in a two-story private house. Such schemes occur quite often and work successfully.

With a two-pipe distribution, the coolant is delivered to all radiators at the same temperature, so there is no need to increase the number of sections. Dividing the lines into supply and return makes it possible to automatically control the operation of the batteries using thermostatic valves.

The diameters of the pipelines are smaller, and the system as a whole is simpler. There are the following types of two-pipe schemes:

dead-end: the pipeline network is divided into branches (arms), through which the coolant moves along the highways towards each other;

associated two-pipe system: here the return manifold is, as it were, a continuation of the supply, and the entire coolant flows in one direction, the circuit forms a ring;

collector (radial). The most expensive wiring method: pipelines from the collector are laid separately to each radiator, the installation method is hidden, in the floor.

If you take horizontal lines of larger diameter and lay them with a slope of 3-5 mm per 1 m, then the system will be able to work due to gravity (by gravity). Then a circulation pump is not needed, the circuit will be non-volatile. To be fair, we note that both single-pipe and two-pipe wiring can function without a pump. If only conditions were created for natural water circulation.

The heating system can be made open by installing an expansion tank at the highest point, communicating with the atmosphere. This solution is used in gravity networks, otherwise it cannot be done there. If you install a membrane-type expansion tank on the return line near the boiler, the system will be closed and operate under excess pressure. This is a more modern option, which finds its application in networks with forced movement of coolant.

It is impossible not to mention the method of heating a house with warm floors. Its disadvantage is that it is expensive, since you will need to lay hundreds of meters of pipes in a screed, resulting in a heating water circuit in each room. The ends of the pipes converge to a distribution manifold with a mixing unit and its own circulation pump. An important advantage is the economical, uniform heating of rooms, which is very comfortable for people. Underfloor heating circuits are clearly recommended for use in any residential buildings.

Advice. The owner of a small house (up to 150 m2) can safely recommend adopting a conventional two-pipe circuit with forced circulation of coolant. Then the diameters of the mains will be no more than 25 mm, the branches - 20 mm, and the connections to the batteries - 15 mm.

Heating system installation

We will begin the description of installation work with the installation and piping of the boiler. In accordance with the rules, units whose power does not exceed 60 kW can be installed in the kitchen. More powerful heat generators should be located in the boiler room. At the same time, for heat sources that burn different types of fuel and have an open combustion chamber, it is necessary to ensure a good air flow. A chimney device is also required to remove combustion products.

For natural water movement, it is recommended to install the boiler in such a way that its return pipe is below the level of the ground floor radiators.

The location where the heat generator will be located must be selected taking into account the minimum permissible distances to walls or other equipment. Typically these intervals are specified in the manual supplied with the product. If this data is not available, then we adhere to the following rules:

• passage width on the front side of the boiler is 1 m;
• if there is no need to service the unit from the side or rear, then leave a gap of 0.7 m, otherwise - 1.5 m;
• distance to the nearest equipment – ​​0.7 m;
• when placing two boilers next to each other, a passage of 1 m is maintained between them, and opposite each other - 2 m.

Note. When installing wall-mounted heat sources, side passages are not needed; you only need to maintain clearance in front of the unit for ease of maintenance.

Boiler connection

It should be noted that the wiring of gas, diesel and electric heat generators is almost the same. Here we must take into account that the vast majority of wall-mounted boilers are equipped with a built-in circulation pump, and many models are equipped with an expansion tank. First, let's look at the connection diagram for a simple gas or diesel unit:

The figure shows a diagram of a closed system with a membrane expansion tank and forced circulation. This tying method is the most common. The pump with a bypass line and a sump tank is located on the return line, and there is also an expansion tank there. The pressure is controlled using pressure gauges, and air is removed from the boiler circuit through an automatic air vent.

Note. Piping an electric boiler that is not equipped with a pump is carried out according to the same principle.

When the heat generator is equipped with its own pump, as well as a circuit for heating water for domestic hot water needs, the pipe layout and installation of elements is as follows:

Shown here is a wall-mounted boiler with forced air injection into a closed combustion chamber. To remove flue gases, a double-walled coaxial flue is used, which is led out horizontally through the wall. If the firebox of the unit is open, then you need a traditional chimney with good natural draft. How to properly install a chimney pipe made of sandwich modules is shown in the figure:

In country houses with a large area, it is often necessary to connect a boiler with several heating circuits - a radiator, heated floors and an indirect heating boiler for DHW needs. In such a situation, the optimal solution would be to use a hydraulic separator. It will allow you to organize independent circulation of coolant in the boiler circuit and at the same time serve as a distribution comb for the remaining branches. Then the basic heating diagram for a two-story house will look like this:

According to this scheme, each heating circuit has its own pump, thanks to which it operates independently of the others. Since coolant with a temperature of no more than 45 ° C should be supplied to heated floors, three-way valves are used on these branches. They add hot water from the main line when the temperature of the coolant in the heated floor circuits drops.

With solid fuel heat generators the situation is more complicated. Their strapping should take into account 2 points:

• possible overheating due to the inertia of the unit; the firewood cannot be extinguished quickly;
• formation of condensation when cold water enters the boiler tank from the network.

To avoid overheating and possible boiling, the circulation pump is always placed on the return side, and on the supply side there should be a safety group located immediately behind the heat generator. It consists of three elements: a pressure gauge, an automatic air vent and a safety valve. The presence of the latter is crucial; it is the valve that will relieve excess pressure when the coolant overheats. If you decide to organize, then the following strapping diagram is required:

Here, a bypass and a three-way valve protect the furnace of the unit from condensation. The valve will not allow water from the system into the small circuit until the temperature in it reaches 55 °C. Detailed information on this issue can be obtained by watching the video:

Advice. Due to the nature of their operation, solid fuel boilers are recommended to be used in conjunction with a buffer tank - a heat accumulator, as shown in the diagram:

Many homeowners install two different heat sources in the furnace room. They must be properly tied and connected to the system. For this case, we offer 2 schemes, one of them is for a solid fuel and an electric boiler working together with radiator heating.

The second scheme combines a gas and wood heat generator, supplying heat to heat the house and prepare water for hot water supply:

To install the heating of a private house with your own hands, you first need to decide which pipes to choose for this. The modern market offers several types of metal and polymer pipes suitable for heating private homes:

• steel;
• copper;
• stainless steel;
• polypropylene (PPR);
• polyethylene (PEX, PE-RT);
• metal-plastic.

Heating lines made of ordinary “ferrous” metal are considered a relic of the past, since they are most susceptible to corrosion and “overgrowth” of the flow area. In addition, it is not easy to independently install such pipes: you need good welding skills to make a hermetically sealed joint. However, some homeowners still use steel pipes to this day when they install autonomous heating at home.

Copper or stainless steel pipes are an excellent choice, but they are too expensive. These are reliable and durable materials that are not afraid of high pressure and temperature, so if you have the means, these products are definitely recommended for use. Copper is joined by soldering, which also requires some skills, and stainless steel is joined using dismountable or press fittings. Preference should be given to the latter, especially when the installation is hidden.

Advice. For piping boilers and laying pipelines within the boiler room, it is best to use any type of metal pipes.

Heating made from polypropylene will cost you the cheapest. Of all types of PPR pipes, you need to choose those that are reinforced with aluminum foil or fiberglass. The low price of the material is their only advantage, since installing heating from polypropylene pipes is quite a complex and responsible task. And in appearance, polypropylene is inferior to other plastic products.

The joints of PPR pipelines with fittings are made by soldering, and it is not possible to check their quality. When the heating was insufficient during soldering, the connection will certainly leak later, but if it is overheated, the melted polymer will half block the flow area. Moreover, you won’t be able to see this during assembly; flaws will make themselves known later, during operation. The second significant drawback is the large elongation of the material during heating. To avoid “saber” bends, the pipe must be mounted on movable supports, and a gap must be left between the ends of the line and the wall.

It is much easier to make your own heating from polyethylene or metal-plastic pipes. Although the price of these materials is higher than polypropylene. For a beginner, they are the most convenient, since the joints here are made quite simply. Pipelines can be laid in a screed or wall, but with one condition: connections must be made using press fittings, not collapsible ones.

Metal-plastic and polyethylene are used both for open laying of highways and hidden behind any screens, as well as for the installation of water-heated floors. The disadvantage of PEX pipes is that it tends to return to its original state, which can cause the installed heating manifold to appear slightly wavy. PE-RT polyethylene and metal-plastic do not have such a “memory” and easily bend as you need. More information about choosing pipes is described in the video:

An ordinary homeowner, going to a heating equipment store and seeing a wide selection of different radiators there, can conclude that choosing batteries for his home is not so easy. But this is the first impression; in fact, there are not so many varieties of them:

• aluminum;
• bimetallic;
• steel panel and tubular;
• cast iron.

Note. There are also designer water heating devices of a wide variety of types, but they are expensive and deserve a separate detailed description.

Sectional batteries made of aluminum alloy have the best heat transfer rates; bimetallic heaters are not far behind them. The difference between the two is that the former are made entirely of alloy, while the latter have a tubular steel frame inside. This was done for the purpose of using the devices in centralized heat supply systems of high-rise buildings, where the pressure can be quite high. Therefore, installing bimetallic radiators in a private cottage makes no sense at all.

It should be noted that heating installation in a private home will be cheaper if you purchase steel panel radiators. Yes, their heat transfer rates are lower than those of aluminum ones, but in practice you are unlikely to feel the difference. As for reliability and durability, the devices will successfully serve you for at least 20 years, or even more. In turn, tubular batteries are much more expensive, in this respect they are closer to designer ones.

Steel and aluminum heating devices have one useful quality in common: they lend themselves well to automatic regulation using thermostatic valves. The same cannot be said about massive cast iron batteries, on which it is pointless to install such valves. This is due to the ability of cast iron to heat up for a long time and then retain heat for some time. Also because of this, the rate of heating of the premises is reduced.

If we touch on the issue of appearance aesthetics, then the cast-iron retro radiators currently offered are much more beautiful than any other batteries. But they also cost incredible amounts of money, and inexpensive Soviet-style accordions MS-140 are only suitable for a one-story country house. From the above, the conclusion suggests itself:

For a private home, buy those heating devices that you like best and are comfortable with in terms of cost. Just take into account their features and choose the right size and thermal power.

Selection by power and methods of connecting radiators

The number of sections or the size of a panel radiator is selected based on the amount of heat required to heat the room. We have already determined this value at the very beginning; it remains to reveal a couple of nuances. The fact is that the manufacturer indicates the heat transfer of the section for a temperature difference between the coolant and the air in the room equal to 70 °C. To do this, the water in the battery must warm up to at least 90 ° C, which happens very rarely.

It turns out that the real thermal power of the device will be significantly lower than that indicated in the passport, because usually the temperature in the boiler is maintained at 60-70 ° C on the coldest days. Accordingly, for proper heating of the premises, the installation of radiators with at least one and a half heat transfer margin is required. For example, when a room needs 2 kW of heat, you must take heating devices with a capacity of at least 2 x 1.5 = 3 kW.

Indoors, batteries are placed in places of greatest heat loss - under windows or near blank external walls. In this case, connection to highways can be done in several ways:

• lateral one-sided;
• diagonal scalene;
• lower - if the radiator has appropriate pipes.

The lateral connection of the device on one side is most often used when connecting it to risers, and the diagonal connection to horizontally laid highways. These 2 methods allow you to effectively use the entire surface of the battery, which will heat evenly.

When a single-pipe heating system is installed, the lower versatile connection is also used. But then the efficiency of the device decreases, and hence the heat transfer. The difference in surface heating is illustrated in the figure:

There are models of radiators where the design provides for connection of pipes from below. Such devices have internal wiring and, in fact, they have a one-sided side circuit. This can be clearly seen in the figure, where the battery is shown in section.

A lot of useful information on the issue of choosing heating devices can be found by watching the video:

5 common mistakes during installation

Of course, when installing a heating system, you can make many more than five mistakes, but we will highlight the 5 most egregious ones that can lead to disastrous consequences. Here they are:

• incorrect choice of heat source;
• errors in heat generator piping;
• incorrectly selected heating system;
• careless installation of the pipelines and fittings themselves;
• improper installation and connection of heating devices.

A boiler with insufficient power is one of the typical mistakes. It is allowed when selecting a unit designed not only to heat rooms, but also to prepare water for domestic hot water needs. If you do not take into account the additional power required to heat water, the heat generator will not cope with its functions. As a result, the coolant in the batteries and the water in the hot water system will not heat up to the required temperature.

The parts play not only a functional role, but also serve safety purposes. For example, it is recommended to install the pump on the return pipeline just before the heat generator, in addition to the bypass line. Moreover, the pump shaft must be in a horizontal position. Another mistake is installing a tap in the area between the boiler and the safety group; this is absolutely unacceptable.

Important. When connecting a solid fuel boiler, you cannot place the pump in front of the three-way valve, but only after it (along the coolant flow).

The expansion tank is taken with a volume of 10% of the total amount of water in the system. With an open circuit, it is placed at the highest point; with a closed circuit, it is placed on the return pipeline, in front of the pump. Between them there should be a mud trap mounted in a horizontal position with the plug down. The wall-mounted boiler is connected to the pipelines using American connections.

When the heating system is chosen incorrectly, you risk overpaying for materials and installation, and then incurring additional costs to bring it to fruition. Most often, errors occur when installing single-pipe systems, when they try to “hang” more than 5 radiators on one branch, which then do not heat up. Flaws during the installation of the system include failure to comply with slopes, poor-quality connections and installation of the wrong fittings.

For example, a thermostatic valve or a regular ball valve is placed at the inlet of the radiator, and a balancing valve is installed at the outlet to adjust the heating system. If pipes are installed to radiators in the floor or walls, then they must be insulated so that the coolant does not cool down along the way. When joining polypropylene pipes, you must scrupulously adhere to the heating time with a soldering iron so that the connection is reliable.

Choosing a coolant

It is well known that filtered and, if possible, desalted water is most often used for this purpose. But under certain conditions, for example, periodic heating, water can freeze and destroy the system. Then the latter is filled with a non-freezing liquid - antifreeze. But you should take into account the properties of this liquid and do not forget to remove all regular rubber gaskets from the system. Antifreeze quickly causes them to become limp and leaks occur.

Attention! Not every boiler can work with non-freezing liquid, which is shown in its technical data sheet. This must be checked when purchasing it.

As a rule, the system is filled with coolant directly from the water supply through a make-up valve and a check valve. During the filling process, air is removed from it through automatic air vents and manual Mayevsky taps. In a closed circuit, pressure is monitored using a pressure gauge. Usually when cold it is in the range of 1.2-1.5 Bar, and during operation it does not exceed 3 Bar. In an open circuit, it is necessary to monitor the water level in the tank and turn off the replenishment when it flows out of the overflow pipe.

Antifreeze is pumped into a closed heating system using a special manual or automatic pump equipped with a pressure gauge. To ensure that the process is not interrupted, the liquid must be prepared in advance in a container of appropriate capacity, from where it must be pumped into the pipeline network. Filling an open system is easier: antifreeze can simply be poured or pumped into the expansion tank.

Conclusion

If you carefully understand all the nuances, it becomes clear that installing a heating system in a private house on your own is quite possible. But you must understand that this will require a lot of time and effort from you, including monitoring the installation if you decide to hire specialists for this.

If you decide to install heating in a country house, you need to carefully weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of heating systems. In addition, it is important to understand whether you have enough skills and experience in installing equipment yourself, because the cost of a mistake is expensive - remodeling and purchasing new materials will cost a pretty penny. Next, we will look at options for heating a country house, as well as what list of services are provided by specialized organizations (so that you understand how professionals work).

What systems are there?

So, first, let's look at the options for heating a residential building:

Air. It is provided by heat generators that heat the air and fans that distribute heat through air ducts into heated rooms. Not the best option, because the installation of air heating must be carried out during the construction of a country house. In addition, air heating is not the most economical and also requires constant maintenance (cleaning filters, etc.).

Electrical. A good option if the house will be visited rarely, because... There will be no need to drain the system for the winter or constantly maintain heating so that the heating circuit does not defrost. Installing electric heating is not difficult if you use electric convectors or IR heaters. An electric heated floor requires proper installation, otherwise the system will not work well enough or will quickly fail. The main disadvantage of electric heating is its high cost.

Pechnoe. Again, a rational choice for a rare visit to a country house. Heating a home with a stove is the least comfortable and is practically not automated, which is its main disadvantage. To keep the room warm, you need the constant presence of a person who will promptly add firewood or coal to the stove. The main advantages are low cost of installation and solid fuel.

Vodyanoe. Well, the most optimal in terms of price and quality is the installation of water heating in a country house. Heating is carried out through a boiler (gas, electric or solid fuel), as well as a system of pipes, radiators, convectors (if necessary) and automation (optional). In addition, a water heated floor system can be installed. This heating option is the most popular and rational, especially if the country house is visited frequently or is a place of permanent residence.

As for water heating, I would like to consider in more detail the types of heating options (or rather boilers):

1. Electric. Pros: silent operation, safe operation, compact size, multifunctionality. Disadvantages: the quality of the electrical network must be high (voltage fluctuations can damage the equipment), the cost of the electric boiler, as well as heating costs, are quite high.
2. Gas. The advantages include low heating costs, relatively inexpensive equipment and simple operation. The disadvantage is that you need to obtain permission to install gas equipment.
3. Solid fuel. Positive aspects: the boiler is cheap, safe to use, minimal heating costs. The other side of the coin is that in order to heat the room, you need to constantly monitor the availability of firewood or coal. In addition, solid fuel boilers emit combustion products, which is why it is necessary to install a chimney.
4. Liquid fuel. High efficiency (up to 90%), service life reaches 30 years, the ability to automate the system, no permits for installation of the boiler are required. However, liquid fuel equipment is quite expensive, and the boilers are noisy during operation and require placement in a separate room (boiler room).
5. Combined. For example, gas-electricity or gas-wood. With this type of equipment, you will insure your house against freezing in the event of a gas pipeline failure, which often happens in the private sector. However, you will have to pay more for convenience than alternative options.

In addition, I would like to note that water heating can be with natural circulation (the coolant is distributed based on physical laws, as a result of which the system will function even without electricity) and forced (inclusion in the circuit of a circulation pump operating from the network).

Another important point is the heating circuit diagram; it can be single-pipe (the coolant passes through the radiators in direct sequence) or two-pipe (cold and hot water enter the circuit from different pipes, which makes it possible to more carefully regulate the heating temperature of the rooms).

Stages of installation work

So that you understand what installation consists of, as an example, we present to your attention a step-by-step process for installing turnkey heating in a country house:

• calculation and design of the heating system;
• selection of suitable components (including pipe diameter and boiler power);
• purchase of all necessary equipment, delivery to the installation site;
• installation of radiators, boiler, automation;
• laying main pipes according to the diagram;
• connecting the circuit to the water supply of the house;
• filling the heating system with coolant;
• commissioning of equipment and putting the system into operation.

As you can see, the process of installing a heating system for a country house is quite labor-intensive. If you have no experience in this matter, it is better to overpay a little and use the services of specialists.

By the way, the company voksdom.ru can provide turnkey heating. We provided a review of it on video:

Now you know what a turnkey heating installation for a country house is. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article, we will try to help you solve the problem!