Overview of cottage heating. DIY installation of a heating system in a cottage

We design turnkey heating systems for individual private houses. We will install heating systems at reasonable prices. Comfortable heat supply for every square meter of a low-rise building depends on heating equipment, the quality of pipes, radiators...

At the stage of building a house, a heating option with a calibrated heat load for each room is designed. We implement proven piping diagrams, heating devices and an energy-efficient heating boiler.

Prices for installation of heating and boiler piping in cottages per square meter

* We offer a free visit of a specialist to evaluate the work. The customer will only find out the cost “up to a ruble” at the work site. (No other way)

We will provide it for free

estimate

Heating a house with warm water floors

Radiator heating of the cottage will perfectly complement or replace the “Warm Floor”. The system is filled with various coolants, but usually water-based. The material for installing a water floor is used from a metal-plastic pipe and cross-linked polyethylene. We recommend the latter option as a reliable type of material for underfloor heating. (Rehau is the very thing...)

There are two main types of pipe laying: “snake” and “snail”:

“Snake” is preferably laid in small rooms: bathroom, dressing rooms
“Snail” pipe laying method - recommended for uniform heating of large rooms

The installation scheme for a water floor for uniform heating of large rooms in the house is carried out taking into account the passage, first of all, through areas located closer to the outer wall, since as the coolant passes through, its thermal capacity is lost. For each room or individual zone, pipes are routed through the manifold, in this way it is possible to adjust and even program a comfortable temperature regime.

An example of heating wiring in a wooden house (made of laminated veneer lumber)...

Installation of a heated floor collector with flow meters

The collector consists of a distribution comb with outlets to the floor contours. Control of the flow of coolant into the system is provided by shut-off valves (ball valve, air valve, servo drive or three-way valve). The servo drive regulates the coolant supply automatically. It is controlled directly by the boiler or by remote control devices. In manual mode, it can be adjusted using a three-way valve.

An important role in the collector group is played by the circulation pump, which ensures uniform circulation of the coolant in the system.

The circuit must be laid as a single pipe, without connections or joints. The length of the pipes should not exceed 60 linear meters. From this calculation, our specialists plan the number of “map” circuits needed for each room individually.

7 stages of the technological process of laying a water floor

We select the type of pipes (REHAU cross-linked polyethylene, metal plastic) and their laying pattern. We install water heating in stages:

We prepare the base of the floor.
We lay thermal insulation. It is better to use thermal insulating polystyrene foam mats with special locking fasteners. The pimpled surface of the mat allows you to evenly lay the pipe in the groove without additional fixation. There are also more economical thermal insulation materials: foil penofol and penoplex.
To compensate for thermal expansion, we lay a damper tape around the perimeter of the room.
Pipes are laid out according to a pre-developed thermal scheme.
Important point. We test the tightness (especially of the threaded connection) for half an hour in a heated state of up to 80 degrees and at a pressure of 6.0 bar (0.6 MPa)
We bring the pressure to 3.0 bar and fill the screed with a thickness of at least 3 cm and preferably no more than 8 cm.
We lay parquet boards, tiles, etc. on the floor. (at your discretion)

Which pipe should be used for the heating system piping?

We will not describe the properties and characteristics of cylindrical pipe threads, as well as incline us to a specific choice of pipes. Everyone chooses the choice of material themselves. The differences are small and only in the method of connecting the pipes (clamping, pressing, threaded, soldering or welding).

A set of straight or transition fittings: couplings, tees, adapters, elbows, locknuts, shut-off valves, etc., allows you to connect pipes into a pipeline, and it to household equipment.

We install pipelines in cottages from the following pipes:

Cross-linked polyethylene
Polypropylene
Metal-plastic pipes
Copper pipes

Options for pipe routing in a private home. Heating schemes

Installation of a single-pipe house heating system with natural or forced circulation of coolant
Wiring of a two-pipe heating circuit with forced or natural coolant circulation
Collector single-pipe or two-pipe heating installation diagram

Prices for proven heating installation options for country houses are individual. Calculation of the cost of work and other expenses depends on the wiring diagram and the design of the premises. The building material used during the construction of a low-rise building, the area of each room, the location and presence of areas of increased heat loss are taken into account.

By choosing a cheap single-pipe wiring diagram, you save on the cost of installation work and materials, but be prepared for uneven distribution of thermal energy. There are options for improving single-pipe systems by using narrowing devices (nozzles) to create pressure in the pipeline. In this case, part of the coolant directly passes through the pipe to the next radiator in the chain, which crashes into it. This option even provides for the installation of a thermostat for automatic or manual control of heat transfer. This method of pipe routing is more suitable for heating a small or medium-sized country house of standard construction.

For a large suburban building, a two-pipe and radiant (collector) heating system with copper piping of the boiler room is provided.

An example of copper piping...

Example of installation of water treatment (water purification system). To select the correct cylinder, you need to do a laboratory water analysis...

* We remind you!!! Our installers have been certified from leading manufacturers of boiler equipment. We also provide access to our existing facilities. We carry out any scope: from the installation of radiator heating in a country house to the installation of heating systems in a group of private houses and adjacent buildings connected to one boiler room.

We will prepare several price options for heating all buildings on your site!!!

Heating radiators, wall, floor and floor-mounted convectors for heating houses and cottages

We recommend three types of radiators, for heating private houses, cottages. The pressure threshold in an autonomous pipe system (usually not exceeding 2 MPa) allows the use of aluminum, bimetallic and steel radiators.

Convective method of heat transfer, carried out by a convector or radiated heat by a radiator, is easily calculated by a specialist from our company when designing autonomous heating for a cottage. Regardless of the choice of heating devices, basic calculations are required.

An incompetent specialist does not use parameters in calculations: operating pressure, coolant quality, corrosion resistance that affects service life, or even the required type of heating devices for each room.

Rooms with high panoramic windows, winter gardens, terraces and rooms with a swimming pool, where convectors with efficient heat exchange are used, require separate calculations.

The parameters of each heated room are taken into account: the height and area of the room, the presence of walls bordering the street, the location and choice of heating device, and other factors. For example, simply connecting the same radiator in different ways leads to a loss of its heat transfer power. Even the fact of using a decorative panel (screen) is taken into account.

Below is an example of a manifold heating distribution for a two-story house in Moscow. The final cost of operating a house after installing water heating will decrease if we add additional thermal insulation to the floor before laying cross-linked polyethylene pipes. Only professional certified workers carry out the work. Call! We consult for free...

Prices for heating distribution in a country house in 2019

Options for work with prices:	Unit change	Cost of work in rubles:
Radiator assembly with bottom connection (type: “Kermi, Global”)	PC.	From 300 – 900
Radiator assembly with side connection (type: “Kermi, Global”)	PC.	From 350 – 1000
Installation of radiators (type: “Kermi, Global”)	PC.	1500 – 2500
Installation of an L-shaped radiator connection tube	PC.	200
Laying the pipe in a protective corrugated tube	linear meters	20
Laying pipes along the floor from the manifold group to the radiator	linear meters	70
Wall chipping	linear meters	70 – 200
Installation of a cabinet under the manifold (external)	PC.	1000
Installation of manifold cabinet (built-in)	PC.	1500 – 6000
Manifold installation (type: “REHAU” “Oventrop”)	PC.	From 2000
Installation of Oventrop air valves	PC.	150
Installation of shut-off valve "Bugatti"	PC.	300
Installation of equal passage, transition coupling "Rehau" - Ø25	PC.	300
Connecting radiator pipes to the manifold using Rehau threaded connections Ø3/4 and 90° angles Ø16	PC.	150
Laying a pipeline route from the boiler room to the collector group Ø25 - 32 mm.	linear meters	250
Prices for installing heated water floors
Preparing the subfloor	sq.m.	50
Installation of thermal insulation mat	sq.m.	100
Laying foil foam foam 1 cm thick with galvanized metal mesh 50X50 mm. Ø1.5	sq.m.	200
Laying Penoplex with mesh	sq.m.	250
Laying "Snake" pipes - Rehau in "cards" of underfloor heating Ø16	linear meters	40
Laying REHAU - "Snail" pipes in the groove of insulation mat Ø16	linear meters	50
Laying the damper tape	linear meters	25
Connecting the Grundfos circulation pump	PC.	1000
Installation of a three-way mixer "Oventrop"	PC.	1000
Servo drive installation	PC.	2000
Pressure testing and injection of the system	PC.	From 4000
Complete assembly of a boiler room (heating + water supply)	PC.	From 30000

For proper understanding:

The total cost of our work is (30%) and materials - (70%) per sq. m. m (m2) for home heating installation. Wiring radiator heating, installing internal and external chimneys, heated floors, assembling boiler equipment in a cottage averages from 2,000 rubles. per square meter of heated area. The price of good heating of a country house will depend on the wishes of the customer, the selected boiler equipment, and automation.

Cottage heating design. For each client, we will select the best option for a proven, reliable heating system. The choice of piping, type, boiler power and equipment for uninterrupted provision of heat to the premises is calculated mathematically.

Installation or modernization of heating in a private home

Owners of brick, wooden houses, dachas and cottages often contact our company due to inefficient heat supply. The installation of gas heating must be entrusted to our certified craftsmen due to the lack of a design for heat supply, water supply and sewerage of the premises.

Many pseudo-self-taught specialists assemble incorrectly selected heating equipment according to their own ill-conceived scheme with low energy efficiency coefficients or increased energy costs.

Our company will, with a guarantee, modernize or install the heating of your home from scratch and on a turnkey basis. We will draw up a project for the heat supply of each room of the cottage.

We will install or replace a water purification system (water treatment), change the heating boiler, pumping and other equipment. We will modernize the pipe circuit, carry out thermal and hydraulic adjustments to acceptable energy efficiency standards, and install automatic heat supply control systems.

It makes no sense to prove that for comfortable year-round living in a cottage, it is necessary to install heating. Everyone already understands this. Many are interested in specific applied questions, which heating system to choose, what are the features of its arrangement and installation, and whether they can do everything themselves. All this can really be confusing, not so much because of the complexity, but because of the variety. The good old stove heating has sunk into oblivion; today the market can offer a lot of innovative and economical solutions that are easy to use and maintain. Therefore, within the framework of this article, we will talk about how you can arrange the heating of a cottage, what heating wiring diagrams exist, how to choose a boiler, radiators and heating pipes. We will also touch on applied issues: how to make a heating project and calculate everything, how to install the system yourself and what are the nuances.

Which cottage heating systems to choose?

There are several gradations by which heating systems differ. Let's start with the main type of coolant, which, by releasing heat, heats the room.

Coolant in heating systems

Based on the type of coolant, cottage heating systems are divided into water, electric, air and open fire. The latter are a stove, stove or fireplace; they can successfully heat a small one-story house, but the heat will spread unevenly: it will be hot right next to the fireplace, but cold at a distance, the floor will also be cold.

Water system the most common, more than 90% of heating cases are implemented with its help. It is a closed circuit that contains a boiler that heats water, pipes and radiators through which the water heated in the boiler moves, a circulation pump, an expansion tank or other related elements. Hot water moves from the boiler through pipes and radiators, and then, after cooling in them, it returns to the boiler, where it is heated, and the cycle is repeated again and again.

Water heating can be realized using various heating devices. This can be a gas, electric, solid fuel boiler, diesel, as well as alternative energy sources (wind turbines, etc.). And instead of water, there may be antifreeze in the system. Installation of such a heating system with all equipment and design work will cost approximately 9000-10000 USD.

Electrical system can be represented by electric convectors, infrared long-wave heaters (ceiling) and a heated floor system. Its installation is very simple, you just need to buy heaters and install them in the right places. Thanks to this, the price for installing electric heating for a cottage is the lowest; for a cottage of 100 m2 you will have to spend approximately 1200-1500 USD. for the purchase and installation of equipment. But at the same time, monthly energy bills will be astronomical. In other words, it is difficult to call such heating economical.

Air system heating of the cottage is based on the circulation of hot air. The system has a heat generator that heats the air, air ducts through which heated air moves and cold air returns to the heat generator. The heated air rises through the ducts into the heated room and exits under the ceiling in such a place as to displace the cold air that has accumulated near the door or window. Cold air is forced into other ducts leading back to the heat generator. Air circulation can be realized in two ways: gravitational circulation due to temperature differences and forced ventilation using a special fan. The first method has one significant drawback: if the doors or windows are open, the circulation is disrupted.

A heat generator for an air heating system can burn natural gas, diesel or kerosene, the combustion products go into the chimney. It is possible to equip such a heating system for a cottage only at the stage of its construction, since the design itself must include structural elements and increase the height of the room for convenient placement of air ducts. It will cost approximately 11,000 USD.

Conclusion! The most thorough, cost-effective, familiar and convenient is the water heating system. Almost everyone chooses it. Electric heating devices can only be considered as additional elements of the cottage heating system, so to speak, a backup option. Air heating has not yet gained mass popularity, although if you include it in a project, it can turn out much better than water heating.

Energy carrier/fuel for heating boiler

The second gradation, which is important when choosing a heating system, is the type of fuel/energy carrier burned (or consumed). The cost of heating a cottage per month will directly depend on the chosen energy source.

There are boilers using natural gas, electricity, solid fuel And diesel. The last option is used extremely rarely. Heating with an electric boiler is used as a complement and backup option to a gas or solid fuel boiler, especially in regions where electricity is cheaper at night. Solid fuel boilers are used in areas where there is no main natural gas. In addition to boilers loaded with coal or wood, there are modern solid fuel boilers, such as Ferolli, that operate on pallets.

Important! The most economical and convenient is gas heating (until gas becomes more expensive) and its combinations: gas + electric or gas + solid fuel. In areas where there is no gas main, it is more advisable to install a combined solid fuel boiler + electric system.

Method for implementing a heating system with liquid coolant

Since the most common and widely available water heating system is a water heating system, let’s look at how to make heating in a cottage using its example.

Radiators under the windows a familiar way of arranging heating for everyone. It has good heat transfer, but the radiators themselves are sensitive to the coolant. Although for a cottage with autonomous heating this is not significant. In a radiator system, heat rises from the radiator up to the ceiling, reducing the penetration of cold air into the room through the windows, then passes under the ceiling and falls along the walls to the floor, gradually cooling. The air returns along the floor to the wall with the radiator, where it is heated again.

A system that allows you to make the temperature near the floor as comfortable as possible. Particularly relevant for families with small children. The water floor pipes are laid out over the entire area of the room and embedded in the screed or raised floor. The water circulating through the pipes heats the floor screed, the air near it is warmest, then it rises. Heated floors cannot be used as the only heating system in a cottage with year-round use, since our winters do not allow such a luxury. It can only be installed in addition to the radiator.

Baseboard heating system absorbed the best from the radiator and underfloor heating system. The pipes are located along all the walls along the entire perimeter of the room below, where the baseboard is. The heat spreads evenly: both to the floor and to the walls. The room warms up at all points approximately equally. Another advantage of such a system is that the space is not occupied by radiators and furniture can be arranged more organically.

As a result, it should be noted that radiator and baseboard heating can be installed both in a new cottage and in an already built one. But the heated floor system is installed only at the construction stage, otherwise the floor will have to be completely redone.

Cottage heating system diagram

After choosing the type of heating system, you need to decide on its layout. We chose a water heating system, implemented using radiators under the windows, the most common case.

There are 3 different schemes according to which the heating system pipes can be laid out: single-pipe, two-pipe and collector.

It is a closed circuit in which water passes through pipes and radiators one after another as if in a chain, and only after leaving the last radiator in the system does it return back to the boiler. It turns out that the temperature in the radiator farthest from the boiler is the lowest. The result is uneven heating of the cottage. Such a system is installed only in small houses and cottages, where the water in the heating system does not have time to cool down much.

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 using 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 heating circuits for underfloor heating).

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 one with one window, then its area must be multiplied by 120 W;
when a room has 2 external walls with 2 or more windows, 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 the given room. The area of internal partitions does 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 control 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.

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.

Cottage heating systems - which one to choose

There are several gradations by which heating systems differ. Let's start with the main one - the type of coolant that, releasing heat, heats the room.

Coolant in heating systems

Electrical system can be represented by electric convectors, infrared long-wave heaters (ceiling) and a “warm floor” system. Its installation is very simple, you just need to buy heaters and install them in the right places. Thanks to this, the price for installing electric heating for a cottage is the lowest; for a cottage of 100 m2 you will have to spend approximately 1200 - 1500 USD. for the purchase and installation of equipment. But at the same time, monthly energy bills will be astronomical. In other words, it is difficult to call such heating economical.

Energy carrier/fuel for heating boiler

Important! The most economical and convenient is gas heating (until gas becomes more expensive) and its combinations: gas + electric or gas + solid fuel. In areas where there is no gas main, it is more advisable to install a combined solid fuel boiler + electric system.

Method for implementing a heating system with liquid coolant

Since the most common and widely available water heating system is a water heating system, let’s look at how to make heating in a cottage using its example.

Radiators under the windows- a familiar way of arranging heating for everyone. It has good heat transfer, but the radiators themselves are sensitive to the coolant. Although for a cottage with autonomous heating this is not significant. In a radiator system, heat rises from the radiator up to the ceiling, reducing the penetration of cold air into the room through the windows, then passes under the ceiling and falls along the walls to the floor, gradually cooling. The air returns along the floor to the wall with the radiator, where it is heated again.

Baseboard heating system absorbed the best from the radiator and underfloor heating system. The pipes are located along all walls along the entire perimeter of the room - below, where the baseboard is. The heat spreads evenly: both to the floor and to the walls. The room warms up at all points approximately equally. Another advantage of such a system is that the space is not occupied by radiators and furniture can be arranged more organically.

As a result, it should be noted that radiator and baseboard heating can be installed both in a new cottage and in an already built one. But the “warm floor” system is installed only at the construction stage, otherwise the floor will have to be completely redone.

Cottage heating system diagram

After choosing the type of heating system, you need to decide on its layout. We chose a water heating system implemented using radiators under the windows - the most common case.

There are 3 different schemes according to which the heating system pipes can be laid out: single-pipe, two-pipe and collector.

Two-pipe heating scheme cottage - a more advanced option. All radiators are connected to the hot water pipeline in parallel. Each radiator is connected to two pipes: through one, hot water from the boiler enters it, and through the second, cooled water leaves. In such a system there are losses, but not as large as in a single-pipe system. The last radiator in the system will be cooler, but not much.

Collector system- ideal for large cottages and houses. In it, hot water from the boiler first enters the collector, which then distributes it to each radiator separately. In the same way, one return pipe departs from each radiator. The collector heating circuit allows you to regulate the temperature in each individual room and even on each individual radiator. Heating occurs evenly. The only drawback is the large number of pipes that somehow need to be routed around the house. Most often, the collector system is installed in houses under construction: it is convenient to hide the pipes in the floor screed.

Which heating radiators to choose

The correct choice of heating radiators is no less important than the choice of boiler. Moreover, the material used to make the radiator will affect its characteristics, durability and may impose certain restrictions on the composition of the water in the system and the material of the pipes. Size and shape are also important, but this is more a matter of convenience and aesthetics, since the main parameters are: material, size, power.

Heating radiators made of various materials

Cast iron radiators- the oldest type of heating appliances. They are not afraid of corrosion, high pressure (withstand 9 - 15 atmospheres), and high acidity of water. The room is heated evenly. But at the same time they have a lot of weight and some difficulties in installing the pipeline. After several years of oblivion and complete rejection, cast iron radiators are gaining popularity again. This is due to the fact that modern radiators are much smaller in size and beautifully designed so that they do not interfere with the overall interior design.

Aluminum radiators At the moment they buy most often. They have low weight, low price, beautiful design and high heat transfer, and can withstand high pressure of 10 - 16 atmospheres. But at the same time, aluminum is very sensitive to the composition and acid-base balance of water; it must have at least 7 - 8 pH. Also, in aluminum radiators it is necessary to remove air from the upper collector; their weakest point is the threaded connections. However, they are considered quite reliable.

Steel radiators They heat up very quickly and give off heat, i.e. have high heat transfer. The room is heated comfortably with maximum efficiency. The price of each kW of heat generated has the lowest price compared to other types of radiators. For example, in the West, steel radiators are a mass solution.

Bimetallic radiators combine the advantages of aluminum and steel radiators, since they are an aluminum radiator in which a system of steel pipes is mounted through which water circulates. As a result, the radiators turned out to be strong, durable, can withstand very high pressures of 20 - 40 atmospheres, and are not afraid of aggressive liquids. But it is not advisable to use them in the heating system of a cottage.

The choice of heating radiators depends on the personal preferences of the owners; the main thing is to pay attention to their power.

An important parameter for choosing a heating radiator is power; it is indicated on the product itself and in the passport. It is marked something like this: 1700 W DN 70/50. Let's decipher it. This means that if water enters the radiator at a temperature of 70 °C, then passing through the radiator and cooling to 50 °C, 1.7 kW of energy is released.

But more often, manufacturers indicate power for another temperature range 90/70, which are used extremely rarely. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the specified power by 30%. Then you will get an approximate return at coolant temperatures of 70/50. It is better to choose a radiator with a larger power - with a margin - than a smaller one.

When purchasing radiators, it is important to size, since they are installed under the window sill on the basis that at least 10 cm should remain free above it (to the window sill) and 15 cm from the floor. Otherwise, normal air circulation will not occur. The size is usually indicated as follows: 500x1500. This means that the product is 1.5 m long and 50 cm high.

Connection points in radiators can also be located either at the bottom or at the top. Which one is needed in a particular case depends on the project and pipe layout.

When choosing a radiator, you must also take into account the specifics of the room, the thickness and location of the walls, the number of windows and doors. The power and size of the radiator, which are calculated in the heating project, directly depend on these indicators.

How to choose a heating boiler

Distinguish gas, electric, solid fuel And diesel boilers. You need to choose the one whose energy source is the most accessible in your region and the cheapest.

In addition, it should be taken into account that for residents it is more convenient to use boilers that run on gas, diesel fuel and electricity, operating in automatic mode, i.e. they do not require constant outside intervention. Servicing of such boilers is carried out once a year, after the end of the heating season. And a solid fuel boiler must be constantly loaded with fuel (pallets). Despite the fact that there are combined boilers that use two types of fuel, it is better to choose the type of boiler that runs on only one coolant; it is more reliable.

Heating boilers are single-circuit and double-circuit. Single-circuit provide only heating or only heating of hot water for domestic needs. Dual-circuit can perform both functions simultaneously. In cottages, either a double-circuit boiler or two single-circuit boilers are most often installed.

The boiler power is selected based on calculations carried out during the design. In fact, the boiler power is the total power of all installed radiators, plus 20-30% reserve.

Which heating pipes to choose

The most common and proven option for heating pipes over the years is alloy steel pipes. They are strong, durable, not afraid of water hammer and high pressure, high temperatures, and they are quite affordable. But at the same time, they rust over time, and suspensions settle inside and deposits build up; steel pipes also conduct stray currents, which leads to their rapid destruction. The biggest drawback is the complexity and labor-intensive installation (threading and welding).

Copper pipes- the most expensive and most ideal option for heating pipes. They are not afraid of rust, do not react to the composition of water, are flexible, and can withstand high pressure and temperature. But there are some restrictions on their use: they cannot be joined to products made of unalloyed steel, and when installed in plaster, they must be wrapped in a polyethylene coating to protect them from temperature deformation.

Corrugated stainless steel pipes They are not yet universally popular, but in vain - after all, they are ideal for heating. In addition to the fact that they do not rust, are not afraid of high pressure and temperatures, fungus and mold, they are so flexible that they can be installed with a minimum number of joints, they have high heat transfer, so you can do without radiators altogether, laying only pipes.

Metal-plastic pipes are not subject to corrosion, do not accumulate deposits inside, are durable, flexible, so they are convenient to use in rooms with complex geometry. But at the same time, such pipes are afraid of ultraviolet radiation, mechanical stress and open fire (they burn). Detachable connections of metal-plastic pipes are not very reliable.

Polypropylene pipes- the most popular choice today. They have a lot of advantages: they do not rust, are not afraid of chemicals, do not make noise, durable, strong, relatively cheap (economically beneficial), connected monolithically and reliably. Mounted using a special welding machine.

The main disadvantage of plastic pipes is very dangerous - they burn. If there is suddenly a serious fire, all polypropylene pipes will burn out. You can guess for yourself what this will lead to. Therefore, when choosing, pay attention to this and think carefully.

DIY cottage heating

Arrangement of heating in a cottage is an extremely important task. Therefore, if you have even the slightest doubt that you can handle the design and installation yourself, it is better to turn to professionals. Or at least order a heating project from a design office, and then purchase all the necessary materials and carry out the installation, having studied the rules and instructions. This way you will at least be sure that you are making the right system.

Cottage heating design

Heating begins with a project. You should not rely on chance and on the average temperature in the room. You can start design calculations with a piece of paper. It is necessary to depict the cottage floor by floor with all the rooms and their sizes, and the locations of windows and doorways with dimensions should also be indicated. Then the material and thickness of the walls, floor and ceiling, and roof are indicated. This is necessary in order to calculate the heat loss of the cottage.

Heat loss can be calculated using the Valtec program or any other. It is in order to enter the parameters of the cottage into the calculation calculator that you will need a drawing on paper with dimensions and materials. In addition, you must specify the climate zone. The obtained value of the heat loss of the cottage is necessary in order to calculate boiler power.

If, for example, the heat loss is 8 kW, then the boiler must be 20 - 25% more powerful, i.e. 10 - 12 kW.

The cottage heating project should include: the location of the boiler and chimney, the location of radiators in each room, their size and power, the diameter and material of the pipes, the layout of the heating pipes and the hydraulic calculation of the system. It should also be indicated here power of each radiator, it is also calculated in terms of heat loss and depends on the size of the room and the number of windows, external walls and doorways.

Once the project is ready, you can purchase a boiler, radiators, pipes and related materials and begin installation.

Construction of a boiler room and installation of a heating boiler

Installation of heating for a cottage begins with the installation of a boiler, for which it is necessary to allocate a special room, which in the project will be called a “boiler room”.

Boiler room can be located both inside the cottage and outside it, but in any case, special requirements are imposed on it:

Ceiling height not less than 2.5 m;
Volume not less than 15 m3;
Fire-resistant walls and floors made of non-combustible material;
Window opening of at least 0.03 m2 per 1 m3 of room;
Supply and exhaust ventilation with a chimney with a diameter of at least 130 mm, ensuring a threefold exchange of air in the room. Those. for 15 m3 it is necessary to provide 45 m3 of air in 1 hour;
The door should open outwards;
The boiler must be grounded;
Free area in front of the boiler of at least 1 m2;
Technological supply openings of at least 0.01 m2 in size for every 10 kW of the boiler. They can be performed in the boiler room door;
The diameter of the chimney pipe must be no less than the diameter of the boiler pipe.

By the way, heating boilers are floor-mounted And wall-mounted. Their installation is different, and there are fewer requirements for wall-mounted ones. Chimneys can also be implemented in various ways: a straight up pipe, a chimney in an adjacent wall, and a chimney that goes horizontally to the street. A wall-mounted boiler can be connected to a chimney using a corrugated pipe, since the temperature of the exhaust gases is not too high, but floor-standing boilers can only be connected to a chimney using sheet iron.

Important! Before installing the boiler, be sure to read the instructions. The sequence of work and the necessary requirements will be indicated there.

To install a wall-mounted boiler, you need to select a location, then mark the mounting locations. The boiler comes with a mounting plate or bracket. We drill holes in the wall, fasten the strip and hang the boiler, connecting it to the chimney. There are pipe outlets at the bottom of the gas boiler. A single-circuit boiler has 3 pipes: hot water, return and gas. The double-circuit one has 5 pipes. We connect the gas pipeline to the boiler.

Installation of heating radiators

The radiator kit should also include brackets and dowels, a plug, 4 plugs and a Mayevsky tap. Additionally, it is necessary to purchase radiator taps and pipes: if the main pipeline pipe is 25 mm, then the inlet and outlet pipes to the radiator should be 20 mm, and if the main one is 32 mm, then the inlet and outlet pipes should be 25 mm, tees of the corresponding diameters, 2 for each radiator.

First, we outline places for installing radiators. We drill holes for the brackets and secure them.

Important! The brackets must be secured so that they are located between the radiator sections. We set them according to the level - strictly horizontally. In order not to make a mistake with the dimensions (there should be 10 cm above the radiator, 15 cm below it), we attach the radiator to the wall and make notes.

We assemble the radiator: unscrew the threaded part from the radiator faucet, wrap tow or flax on the thread, lubricate it with plumbing paste designed for high temperatures, put on the union nut from the faucet and then screw it into the radiator cap. Using the same scheme, we screw the Mayevsky tap and plug into the remaining plugs.

At this stage, it is necessary to install sections of inlet and outlet pipes, as well as a bypass pipe, if designed. When cutting pipes for these sections, it should be taken into account that the pipe must go inside the part being connected.

Important! We make sure that the direction of the tee coincides with the direction of the radiator valve.

We fix the radiator to the brackets. We repeat the procedure for all radiators in the cottage.

Installation of heating system piping

Now you need to connect the boiler and all heating radiators with a pipeline. Various materials are used for this, but we will only consider stainless steel pipes, as they are among the best. And you will find instructions for installing polypropylene pipes. But remember, they burn.

Corrugated stainless steel pipes are sold in coils. Their flexibility makes installation very easy. You can lay a route with virtually no connections. For convenience, it is advisable to install a hydraulic pump after the boiler so that the water in the system circulates forcibly, then there is no need to ensure a mandatory slope of the pipeline.

We unwind the pipe and measure the required length from the boiler to the radiator. We cut with reserve. We connect it to the fitting, pressing the nut a little, insert the pipe into the fitting, then crimp it and everything is ready.

Then we connect it to the boiler in the hole from which hot water should come. We stretch the pipe to the radiator. This can be done openly along the wall, through the wall, or inside the wall in plaster, and difficult areas and doorways can be done in the floor. We attach the pipe to the radiator, or rather to the radiator valve. Then we fix it to the wall using fastening clips.

We install all other sections of the pipeline, both coming from the boiler and returning to it.

Starting the heating system

Before turning on the heating boiler, it is necessary to check the strength of all connections that we have made. To do this, the system must be pressure tested. This can be done with both air and water. In any case, it will be necessary to use a compressor and a pressure gauge. You can connect anywhere in the pipeline by simply unscrewing the Mayevsky tap.

Apply pressure 2 - 3 times more than working pressure. For example, if in autonomous heating systems there is usually 1.5 - 2 atmospheres, then we check at 5 atmospheres. We leave the system pressurized for at least a day. Then we check again, maybe it’s missing somewhere.

Important! If you pressurized simply with air, then leaks can be seen by smearing the connection with a soap solution.

If the test results are good, then we start the boiler and set it to 40 °C. We check whether all the radiators are filled, whether they are heated evenly, and whether all the return flow has returned to the boiler. Here we bleed air from the system using the Mayevsky valve. After satisfactory test results, we start the boiler at 60 - 80 °C. We also check the uniformity of heating and return temperature.

The heating system can now be used. As you can see, the installation of heating a cottage itself, although complex, is quite feasible for a person with intelligence and straight hands. But whether to do the design yourself is worth thinking about again. Nobody wants to freeze in winter when the boiler is at maximum load.

The construction of an autonomous heat supply system is a technically and technologically complex process, the implementation of which must be approached with all responsibility. In order to arrange a flawlessly functioning circuit, many factors must be taken into account. In this case, it is necessary to comply with building regulations and requirements.

We will tell you how, in what order and according to what rules the heating of the cottage should be organized. The article we presented describes the steps of system design and project implementation. Recommendations are given for carrying out calculations, selecting equipment, and putting the system into operation.

Regardless of whether an old system is being modernized or it is being designed “from scratch” in a newly built house, the first thing to start with is becoming familiar with the regulatory documentation. It describes in detail how the equipment is put into operation and describes the subtleties and features of its further use.

After spending some time on this, you can be sure that the heating system will last for many years. From year to year, the requirements are adjusted and updated. But there are some principles that every cottage owner should know. The first thing that needs to be ensured when installing a heating system is explosion and fire safety.

For safe operation during the installation process, you need to ensure free access to the equipment for cleaning and regular checks.

The list of rules that will help make a private home not only cozy, but also safe to live in, should include the following aspects:

The temperature of open heating system elements should not be higher than that recommended by the manufacturer.
Equipment and all appliances should be properly insulated. This will avoid burns, eliminate the formation of moisture and reduce heat loss. In addition, hot elements can ignite dust, gas or aerosol in the room.
When using a coolant, the temperature of the latter must be 20 degrees Celsius lower than its evaporation or self-ignition temperature. For example, if the system uses water, then it must be prevented from boiling. An excellent solution would be to raise the pressure.

There are also operational requirements for the heating system. After all, any equipment must be as strong, durable, easy to operate, silent and easy to repair as possible.

It is better to order equipment from trusted manufacturers. Such companies produce truly high-quality products, since they stand behind them with their own name.

By choosing a boiler, radiators and pipes that best meet the listed criteria, you can save yourself from many problems.

Main stages of installation

When you plan to install a heating system in a completely new house, the best solution would be to think through all the nuances at the design stage.

Preparation for drafting

A well-designed diagram and calculations carried out by a specialist will allow you to solve many problems “in the bud.” For example, this approach will allow you to find out whether it is necessary to allocate a separate room for the boiler room.

Experts recommend starting to design and select equipment only after the thermal circuit of the house has been closed. That is, this needs to be done after the doors, windows have been installed and the roof has been covered.

To simplify the process of installing a cottage heating system as much as possible, the work is divided into several main stages:

choosing the type of heating system;
design and calculation work;
ordering equipment;
arrangement of a boiler room;
installation of radiators;
carrying out commissioning works.

Each of the steps listed above has its own characteristics. Knowing all the intricacies in this area, any beginner can cope with installation at the highest level, and the equipment will confidently last for many years.

Particular attention should be paid to the season. It is better to install the heating system in the warm season. After all, the cold will negatively affect the quality of building materials. In addition, you need to calculate everything in such a way as to meet the harsh winter in warmth and comfort.

Selecting the coolant type

Manufacturers offer a wide range of heating equipment. On the one hand, this allows you to choose everything you need to implement the most complex and uncomplicated system.

But with such a large model range, any unprepared buyer will undoubtedly have a lot of problems. Therefore, before going to the store, you should understand this issue in as much detail as possible.

There are several types of heating systems. So, depending on the coolant, it happens:

Airborne equipment, as the name suggests, uses air to transfer heat. It is taken from outside the building, heated and delivered directly to the desired area. The main advantage of such a system is its security.

Its disadvantages are low heat transfer, high cost, and to carry out installation, you will have to go deep into technical literature.

The easiest heating system to operate is water. This equipment uses water, antifreeze or a mixture of them in a certain proportion. But you have to pay for simplicity (literally). After all, in order for the liquid to move, you will need to install a pipeline, install radiators and a unit for heating it.

Steam plays a major role in the installation of steam heating, but it will be necessary to build steam pipelines and install pipes for collecting condensate. And when using a heating stove, hot gases transfer heat into the room through its walls, passing through channels.

As for liquid systems, today they are the most popular. This is due to their ease of installation and high efficiency. Such equipment is divided into single- and double-circuit

One of the options is, i.e. system without coolant. To obtain heat you need electricity, and it is transmitted through a solid medium. Autonomous infrared or oil batteries, electric convectors, electric fireplaces or special fans are used.

But you have to pay for simplicity (literally). After all, such equipment uses a large amount of electricity. And its performance is quite low, which makes it a profitable solution only for rare use in small country houses.

How many circuits should I equip?

The main difference is that it heats water for both space heating and the domestic hot water system. On the one hand, this is beneficial, since the purchase and maintenance of such equipment will be cheaper than the purchase of single-circuit devices and a separate arrangement of a hot water supply system.

It should be understood that in order to ensure a constant temperature of hot water, you will have to constantly expend energy or install additional equipment to save

And also with a double-circuit boiler, you still have to choose the type of heater between flow-through and storage. Considering that the first option is convenient for a family of 2-3 people, and the second will save fuel, but will require space for an additional tank to store hot water.

As for the single-circuit system, today this is the best solution for many cottages. It assembles faster and requires fewer components.

Boiler fuel type

Boilers for heating systems are divided into categories depending on the type of energy source they use. There are gas, solid fuel and, as well as devices that run on electricity. Before making your final choice, it is recommended to evaluate which type will be most beneficial.

It is also worth paying attention to whether there is a network gas pipeline near the house, how accessible solid and liquid fuels are in the region, and whether there are problems with the stability of the electricity supply.

When installing equipment that uses solid or liquid fuel as an energy source, it is necessary to understand where coal, firewood and other supplies will be stored

The most profitable solution would be to install a gas-fired boiler. But its installation will require some financial investment and time. After all, you will have to obtain the appropriate permission. And there will also be a problem in allocating space for storing fuel reserves if a liquefied analogue in cylinders is used or instead of network gas.

Design and calculation work

Once the issue related to the type of heating system has been resolved, you can begin to develop the project. If the cottage has fairly modest dimensions, then you will be able to do all the calculations and draw up a diagram yourself.

But the best solution would be to entrust this work to an experienced heating engineer. A professional will make all the calculations correctly, which will avoid many problems that may arise during the installation stage.

When developing, the document should indicate:

radiator installation location;
a method for eliminating combustion products, if any;
the place where the boiler will be installed;
a detailed pipeline layout plan, which precisely indicates the location of fittings, taps and other elements.

It is recommended to order design and calculation work only from trusted companies that have permission to provide this type of service. This is often done by organizations that work in the field of installing heating systems or selling the equipment needed for this.

By spending once, you can save more than one day, which will be needed to study all the necessary technical documentation, and many hundreds of dollars, which will have to be paid in the future for mistakes made at the design stage

All calculations can be done independently. To do this, you need to understand the drawings, diagrams and detailed descriptions in the reference literature. You will need to take a closer look at information about the characteristics of the heat generator, the type of wiring, the general network configuration, the location and specifications of the equipment, and so on.

Purchasing the necessary equipment

When the type of boiler has been chosen, you should decide on its power, taking into account that the productivity of the equipment for a double-circuit system should be greater, since in this case the heat losses will be much higher.

Correctly means that the temperature in the combustion chamber will not exceed 90 degrees Celsius. By following this rule, the equipment will last much longer. For example, for a cottage with an area of 100 m2, the best solution would be equipment with a power of up to 15 kW.

The next thing you will need to install a heating system is heat transfer devices. To do it correctly, you need to decide on the number of these elements and the number of sections. Their characteristics depend entirely on the size of the living rooms. As for the material, experts recommend choosing cast iron products or bimetallic models.

The last detail to pay attention to in the shop is the pipes. Preferable. They are distinguished by ease of soldering and low weight, which allows you to do the installation yourself, without the involvement of specialists.

Do not buy large quantities of pipes and fittings. Follow the previously developed heating system diagram

Installation of a boiler room in the house

Once all the necessary equipment has been ordered and delivered to the site, you can begin installing the heating system. When installing, it is important to strictly follow the project documentation, which will avoid problems and unplanned financial expenses.

The heating device is installed as specified in the manufacturer's manual.

In the absence of manufacturer's instructions, the following basic rules should be followed:

there must be at least 1 m of free space in front of the boiler, and about 70 cm in the back and sides;
The device must not be installed closer than 70 cm in relation to other devices;
If two or more boilers are installed, a distance of about 2 m should be left between them.

If wall-mounted equipment was ordered, then more lenient requirements are imposed on it. For this type of heating boiler, you only need to leave enough space for easy access to the device.

Installation should begin with the main element of the system - the boiler. If a low-power device (up to 60 kW) is used, it can be installed directly in the kitchen, hallway or pantry. If the productivity of the device exceeds the above number, then a separate room will have to be allocated for the boiler

Chimney and combustion products outlet

The next stage of installation of a cottage heating system is the organization of the chimney. With an improperly designed chimney, there is a risk of a fire in the house or a chance of carbon monoxide poisoning for residents.

It is recommended to build a structure for the removal of combustion products from metal, brick or ceramics. is the optimal solution in most cases.

Ceramics harmoniously combine low heat transfer and modular design. The only drawback of such a chimney is its high cost. In addition, the structure must have a strictly vertical configuration.

As for metal products, they will be an ideal solution for liquid and gas equipment models. After all, such chimneys are resistant to mechanical and chemical influences. The list of advantages should also include ease of installation (the design is assembled from modules).

The main disadvantage of a metal chimney is quite large heat losses

Brick chimneys are most often used with solid fuel boilers. Their main advantage is low heat transfer, but construction should only be carried out by a qualified specialist.

When designing a chimney, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

A canopy must be placed at the end of the structure. This element will provide protection from moisture and foreign objects;
the shape of the chimney should be round. In this case, fuel combustion products accumulate less;
the number of chimney turns cannot exceed three;
the structure is installed half a meter above the flat roof, and for the ridge this parameter is 0.5-1.5 m.

If a decision has been made to install an external chimney, then a certain standard must be adhered to. Experts recommend placing such a structure upward at a distance of at least half a meter from the roof surface.

Installing radiators in the house

Installation of radiators requires compliance with certain rules. First of all, they should be installed exactly horizontally, without any distortions. If a single-pipe heating system is being assembled, then it is advisable to place the radiators at the same level.

To minimize heat loss, the elements need to be fastened at a distance of 8-12 cm from the floor and window sill, as well as 3-5 cm from the wall. In addition, the size of the radiator must be at least 3/4 of the window dimensions. This will prevent condensation from forming.

The best choice would be brass adapters and fittings. If we compare them with other products offered by modern manufacturers, their main features are versatility (the above metal interacts well with absolutely any materials), good heat transfer and corrosion resistance

Today, three methods are used: side, diagonal and bottom. The first option, in turn, is divided into one-sided and diagonal. Also, sometimes experts prefer the saddle method.

Which way is better? When installing a heating system in a newly built cottage, the ideal solution would be the bottom connection method. It allows you to install pipes into the floor, hiding them under the screed. This will save precious square meters, and also make the interior of the room more harmonious and neat.

Checking and configuring the system

After all heating equipment has been connected, you should make sure that the work done is correct. To do this, the system is filled with coolant, after which you need to monitor it and check for leaks.

Then the boiler starts. Heating the liquid will allow you to finally verify that the circuit has been assembled correctly and that there are no violations.

If a mistake was nevertheless made and a leak was discovered somewhere, then for this you need:

drain the coolant;
correct the defect;
check again.

The final stage is sealing the grooves where the pipes were laid. If the installation was carried out on the floor, then the best solution is a screed. When the pipeline is installed on a wall, putty or plaster is used. Next, you can do finishing work.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video #1. Heating a private house with an area of 300 m2:

But even when the work was entrusted to professionals, you will have to control the entire process. Remember that only in this case can you organize a high-quality heating system that will make a private home truly warm, cozy and, of course, safe.