The choice of heating method depends on the financial possibilities of the homeowner. Citizens with incomes above average are more interested in modern heating systems and the latest energy-saving equipment. Rural residents with low incomes set the task differently: to economically heat an apartment or a private house, incurring minimal installation costs.
Both groups of homeowners are united by a completely understandable desire - to pay less for a communal apartment. There are also two options for solving the problem: to use new technologies or to leave / reduce the consumption of expensive energy sources.
High tech solutions
The heating of residential and industrial premises is a rather conservative sphere, it is difficult to invent something new here, which is radically different from traditional options. Therefore, modern principles of heating remain the same - heat transfer from a source to a water system or direct heating of air.
As a rule, innovations in heating affect heating equipment. Manufacturers seek to increase the efficiency of solid fuel and gas boilers, and also offer a variety of alternative options:
- heat pumps;
- solar collectors;
- floor and panel electric heating with infrared film.
Over the past 10 years, the heating networks of suburban and apartment buildings (new buildings) have changed. The latest automation, security and remote control heating systems have appeared. Let's consider the applied technologies in order.
Reference. Over the past 10-year period, heating devices have changed very little. 4 types of water radiators are still used in apartments - cast iron, aluminum, steel and bimetal. A similar picture is observed in the field of electric heating, where convectors, fan heaters and infrared heating devices are used.
Traditional thermal installations
Boilers that burn various fuels and use electricity are constantly being improved. Traditional air heating systems, which were found only in industrial buildings 20 years ago, are being modernized. We unequivocally attribute the following equipment to the innovations:
- gas condensing boilers;
- automatic heat generators based on pellets and coal;
- air heating plants with heat recovery - recuperators.
Note. It would seem that the range of classic electric heaters was also supplemented with new products, for example, mycothermal and quartz models. These devices cannot be called innovative, because their principle of operation and efficiency is identical to infrared heaters.
We will understand, due to which the efficiency of boiler equipment is increased:
- In the optimal operating mode, the condensing boiler uses the latent heat of combustion of natural gas, the efficiency reaches 96%. Under normal conditions, water forms during combustion, which evaporates and flies into the chimney. The cylindrical heat exchanger of our unit causes the steam to condense and take back the heat of vaporization.
- Automatic supply of solid fuel to the burner allows to increase the efficiency of burning coal and pellets up to 86%. The decisive role is played by a clear dosage of fuel and the volume of air pumped by the fan. Note: the heat exchange part of the boiler differs little from the wood "counterparts" of direct combustion.
- The heat exchanger of the recuperator can heat the supply air, taking away the heat of the exhaust stream. In practice, it is possible to transfer 50 ... 70%, the remaining 30 ... 50 percent is heated by the heating installation.
A feature of the classic cross-flow recuperator is its non-volatility and absolute isolation of the hood from the influx. On the other hand, fans that consume electricity are needed to move air.
The best heat power equipment costs a lot of money. Condensation heat generators are 40–80% more expensive than conventional gas generators, and the cost of 1 retort pellet burner exceeds the price of a simple boiler with a chain. But over time and with the spread, boiler plants become cheaper, becoming more accessible every year.
Alternative heating equipment
Above we gave a list of non-traditional sources of heat, now we will reveal the secrets of their effectiveness:
- Heat pumps (VT), using the principle of the air conditioner, transfer energy to the inside of the premises. The unit takes away low-grade heat of soil, water or air. The ratio of consumed electricity to transferred heat energy is 1: 3 for air and 1: 5 for geothermal installations.
- Solar collectors located in an open area heat water directly or through a substance enclosed inside transparent vacuum tubes. Energy is received practically for nothing, but intermittently - at night and in winter, solar systems greatly lose their effectiveness.
- A thin polymer film with a heating carbon layer does not save electricity directly. But being laid under the floor covering (ceiling, walls) over the entire area of the room, it allows you to reduce the cost of electric heating due to the low heating temperature.
Clarification. Thermal units of various types directly heat the room air or coolant directed to the heating devices. The best in efficiency is a modern geothermal installation that extracts the energy of the earth. For each kilowatt of electricity spent, it brings 4-5 kW of heat.
Due to the high cost of equipment and installation, the listed methods of heating a house are implemented by few users. An exception is infrared film, which is available due to its low price and ease of installation.
Heat pumps are gradually getting cheaper - some companies are already showing digestible figures, for example, 300 y. e. for 1 kW of heating power along with installation (drilling is considered separately). With a great desire, soil TN can be assembled independently using the old split system.
Heating networks
Water systems are not going to give up positions of air heating and direct electric heating, remaining the most common method of transferring heat to rooms. We distinguish 3 heating schemes, gradually replacing the classic two-pipe system of a closed type:
- radiator network connected by a collector (beam) method;
- floor heating circuits;
- panel heating - the so-called warm walls.
Note. In a good way, only the radiation scheme should be considered modern. Heating floors and walls are described in Soviet textbooks on heating and ventilation, but gained wide popularity in the mid-2000s.
The essence of the collector wiring is the hidden direct laying of pipes to each battery individually. Adjustment is made on the comb, where all pipelines hidden in the floor are connected, behind the hemming of the ceilings or walled in the walls. The scheme allows you to maximize the automation of heating and control the temperature of each room separately.
The advantages of underfloor heating (in short - TP) are well known to homeowners - comfortable heating of the lower zone of the premises with a low-temperature coolant (30-50 ° C), hence the fuel economy of 10-30%. A significant drawback is inertia (prolonged heating and cooling of a concrete monolith).
Reference.In bathrooms and corridors of a small area, it is better to arrange electric underfloor heating, where a resistive cable or the same film serves as a heating element. The reason is lower installation costs.
Panel heating is an analogue of a warm floor, only the pipe is attached to the wall and sealed with plaster. When connected to a heat pump or chiller, a wall loop can cool a room in the summer. Read more about the modern heating option in the video.
Automation tools and safety fittings
In modern heating systems, the following automation devices are used:
- Thermostats – programmers are connected to gas and electric boilers equipped with electronic “brains”. By fixing the air temperature, the device controls the combustion / heating of the heater and thus maintains the microclimate in the house. Following the user's settings, the controller changes the temperature depending on the presence of people at different times of the day.
- Radiator thermoheads + thermostatic valves limit the flow of coolant through the batteries, preventing the room from heating above a predetermined temperature.
- RTL thermal heads control the flow rate of the coolant in the loops of the TP, guided by the heating of the return flow.
- Mixing units based on two- and three-way valves limit the temperature of the coolant in any main - heating floor circuits, dead-ends with radiators, in the small circulation ring of a solid fuel boiler.
- The zone control system includes an electronic unit, room thermostats and servos installed on the valves of the distribution manifold. The controller regulates the flow of water in the circuits and automatically maintains different temperatures set by the user in the rooms.
- Remote heating control via GSM-channel or the Internet. An electronic unit, for example, Xital, is connected to the boiler, exchanging information with the homeowner's cell phone. The latter always sees the state of the heater, the temperature in the house and can remotely give various commands.
Reference. In recent years, smartphone applications have appeared that interact with the boiler in real time via the Internet.
We consider the thermal safety valves used in closed systems with TT boilers to be a real novelty in the field of heating safety. Unlike conventional pressure relief valves, these devices respond to excess water temperatures and quickly cool the boiler jacket in case of boiling.
The principle is as follows: through one pipe, the valve discharges boiling water into the sewer, and through the second, it supplies cold water from the water supply to the boiler tank. The probability of explosion of a solid fuel boiler is reduced to zero.
Budget heating options
In rural areas and remote regions, the heating systems of private houses are mounted taking into account complicating factors:
- in case of power outages, any innovations and technological solutions turn into a pile of useless rubbish; after turning off the light, the rooms cool down;
- often it is necessary to consider options for heating without gas, since connecting to the main is too expensive or technically impossible;
- the price of liquefied gas and related equipment does not allow the owner with low incomes to arrange autonomous heating;
- limited budget.
Comment. If blackouts or power surges are constantly observed, it makes no sense to buy an uninterruptible power supply unit or an electric generator. The first one may not have enough charge, the second one will not start without the help of the owner. Result: you come home from work and find yourself in a cold house.
In such conditions, a non-volatile heating circuit is considered modern, implemented in 2 ways:
- A gravity wiring from pipes of increased diameter is mounted with observance of slopes in horizontal sections, as is done above in the diagram of a two-story house. The heat carrier heats the stove with a water circuit or a boiler that does not need electricity.
- A brick oven is being built with access to 3-4 rooms. In a small country house, a metal or cast-iron stove on wood is placed.
During the Soviet era, when settlements were gasified in large quantities, the owners of residential buildings destroyed brick stoves, which in vain occupy the area. Now the opposite trend is observed - the furnaces are restored or laid out from scratch.
Many modern developers prefer to lay a solid brick heater in the project and not depend on external factors. If the old stove is preserved in the house, restore it, as shown in the video:
Conclusion
The modern heating system in our understanding is an effective way of heating that meets current conditions. It makes no sense to invest and make the automation that turn off along with the mains voltage, buy some devices (generators, uninterruptible), so that others work (pumps, controllers, drives). Confess the principle of economic feasibility.