Typical wall mount arrangement
There are a large number of manufacturers of gas boilers. Some have their own production base, while others order everything externally and simply stick their nameplate on the finished product. But what cannot be taken away from wall-mounted units is their sameness. They are all carbon copies. But at the same time they differ from each other in details
Wall-mounted boilers for heating a home are quite compact. Usually they do not exceed 45 cm in width. They are 70-80 cm in height. In fact, they can easily hang in your kitchen instead of some kind of shelf. The control panel is usually located on the front side. Sometimes it happens that all control is transferred to a separate remote control, which you place where it is convenient for you.
Inside, all wall mounts are equipped with the same thing, only in different implementations and designs:
- burner,
- heat exchanger,
- pump,
- hydrogroup,
- security groups,
- smoke exhauster (if the combustion chamber is closed),
- gas valve and other little things.
Equipment selection
Despite the rapid development of alternative types of heating, household heating appliances running on gas are recognized as the most optimal use case. In terms of technical characteristics, maintenance, equipment cost and fuel price, gas boilers are unrivaled.
In order to find out which boiler is best to install, you need to determine the power needs and additional functions. For a private house with a large area, it is advisable to purchase a floor-standing device. Such devices with a cast iron heat exchanger are more reliable and economical.
Wall-mounted units are usually equipped with a steel or copper heat exchanger. They take up little space, so they are more suitable for a summer house or small cottage. While a floor-standing boiler often requires a separate room due to its overall dimensions and heavy weight.
Many household models, both floor-mounted and wall-mounted, are equipped with an additional hot water circuit, this will save you from unnecessary costs for purchasing additional heating devices.
Types of wall-mounted boilers
When choosing a gas boiler for heating a private house from a wall-mounted option, you will definitely come across different varieties. Therefore, we will break them down by type and explain the difference.
By camera type
Wall-mounted boilers, like floor-mounted ones, come with an open and closed combustion chamber. With an open (atomspheric) combustion chamber, oxygen for gas combustion is taken from the room where the boiler is installed. For such a unit, a full-fledged chimney is installed to provide better draft. Such models are less common, but still occur. The main disadvantage is lower performance.
Boilers with a closed combustion chamber (turbocharged boilers) are distinguished by the fact that oxygen for gas combustion is also taken from the street. Coaxial chimneys (pipe in pipe) are included with such devices. Oxygen comes in from one pipe, exhaust gases come out from the other. The chimney is only 1 meter long, which can be extended by 3 meters if desired. Such models are characterized by high performance with an efficiency of 91% and can be installed in residential premises.
Number of circuits
Wall-mounted boilers can not only provide heating to the house, but also provide hot water directly. This is especially convenient when you do not have extra space or simply do not want to use boilers for some reason.
If the boiler is capable of providing heat only for heating, then it is called single-circuit. If it is also capable of providing hot water, then it is called dual-circuit.
Double-circuit models come with a biothermal and monothermal heat exchanger. In the first case, hot water and heating are heated in one heat exchanger, in the second case, in different ones. Monothermic options are considered more common and preferable.
Traditionality
Boilers come in a traditional design, called convection boilers, and there are also condensing boilers. The latter are considered more economical, but they are effective only in low-temperature heating systems (water heated floors and others). Also, condensing models are more expensive than traditional ones.
For most purposes, a traditional wall-mounted boiler as the main source of heat for a private home will suffice. The difference in consumption between them is not much different. But if you have water floors throughout your house, then why not look towards an even more economical solution.
History of the development of gas boilers
The first mass production of gas equipment for heating water was established at the beginning of the 20th century in Germany.
The manufacturer became, which also used in its product an innovative technology at that time - an automatic control unit for the entire system.
The first domestic serial gas boiler appeared only in 1947. The model was produced under the name "Conord".
In world practice, the development of heating and water heating equipment depended on the availability of certain resources.
For example, in the USSR they mainly produced gas boilers, since the fuel for them was and remains very affordable.
In Europe, models powered by electricity were more valued.
Products that run on diesel fuel and, more recently, solar power have sold well in the United States.
Advantages of wall-mounted boilers
The main advantage of wall-mounted boilers is their performance and compactness. Especially if you are considering models with a closed combustion chamber. The efficiency of a wall-mounted boiler is 90-93%. Moreover, it is constant and does not depend on external factors. Boilers are often equipped with a large number of functions and have the ability to connect various sensors (room, street).
In terms of durability, the boilers are designed for 10 years of active use. They can continue to work if, in the event of a breakdown, you are able to fix it.
Smoke removal
There are two types of smoke removal methods: natural and forced. Which one is better to use depends on several factors: the condition of the chimney, room ventilation, etc.
Natural
Often, a wall-mounted gas boiler is installed with a natural chimney. In this case, the smoke is exhausted through a vertical pipe passing through the roof. The only condition for this method is the presence of good ventilation in the room where the water heater is installed.
Forced
If a private house does not have a chimney pipe or its condition leaves much to be desired, it is recommended to purchase a device with a built-in fan. Then the smoke can be removed through a hole in the wall, although such equipment will cost a little more.
Coaxial
Modern wall-mounted gas boilers are equipped with a coaxial smoke exhaust system. This is a special chimney in which one pipe is located inside another. The smoke is removed through the inner pipe, and air is supplied to the burner through the outer pipe. The advantage of such a system is that the pipe can be located both in a vertical and horizontal plane.
Power calculation
The calculation of the power of a wall-mounted boiler when heating a house should be selected based on the heat loss values of the house. They are quite easy to calculate and you can do it yourself using ready-made calculators on the Internet. The heat loss value is equal to the required power value of the gas boiler.
Pay attention to the boiler power designation. Some manufacturers indicate the rated power (without taking into account losses), others the actual power (taking into account losses). When specifying nominal values from power, subtract the percentage of losses based on the efficiency data. Then you will get the actual power. That is, if the power of the cat is indicated as 26 kW, and the efficiency is 92%, then subtract 8% from 26 kW and get the very power that the boiler will definitely give you.
If you are going to buy a double-circuit boiler, then it is better to purchase a power of at least 24 kW. With these values, the boiler will be able to produce the required amount of domestic hot water without any problems.
Advantages and disadvantages of gas boilers compared to boilers using other fuels
The main advantages of gas boilers:
- Fuel (natural gas) is cheaper than using electricity, wood, coal or fuel oil for a similar process.
- The efficiency of gas boilers is higher than that of analogues.
Main disadvantages:
- Higher cost of installation work. The owner of a gas boiler will need to collect additional documents and obtain permission from Gaztekhnadzor. Naturally, this requires a waste of time and additional money.
- To ensure the safe operation of gas equipment, the installation of additional systems and structures will be required. This is, first of all, the installation of a chimney and gas alarm.
- Requires a gas line in most cases. Equipment operating on bottled gas is not economically viable.
Time-tested boiler models
We seem to have sorted out the base for the wall mounts. But you will most likely also be interested in the question of choosing specific models. In this list we will share boiler models that we have tested in our own practice and which have performed quite well.
Bosch Gaz 6000
Boiler from the famous German concern Bosch. Produced in Russia in the city of Engels. It can be single-circuit or double-circuit. He showed himself well in action. Although there is a lot of information on the Internet about frequent board failures, we have never encountered this
Buderus Logamax U 072
Essentially this is the same Bosch Gaz 6000, just in a different package. Therefore, you can safely take both of these boilers.
Baxi Luna 3
The boiler is already from the Italian concern BDR Thermea. A very popular brand all over the world. The model is perfectly executed, has a brass hydraulic group inside and great opportunities for improvement.
Viessmann Vitopend 100
Every master is familiar with this model and this manufacturer. Although Viessmann is not famous for its large variety of wall-mounted boilers, it has no equal in terms of industrial equipment. Time-tested model. Feel free to take it. Often, models from Turkey are equipped with a logo with a red border. They are leaving Germany without her.
In fact, there are a great many excellent models. We have only given some examples that we can recommend ourselves. In any case, the final choice is yours. But if you decide to buy a wall-mounted boiler, then in our opinion you are already on the right track.
Warmth to your home. If the material was useful, do not forget to share it on social networks.
Installation work
Installation of a wall-mounted gas boiler is carried out by specialists in strict accordance with the rules and instructions. Before starting work, prepare the wall on which the device will be installed. A protective non-flammable layer is applied to it. The gap between the boiler and the wall should be 4.5 cm.
Then water is passed through the device, which washes away dust and small debris that has settled on the walls after assembly. After this, install the filter and shut-off and control valves.
At the next stage, the chimney duct is installed and the draft is checked. Next, a connection is made to the central gas pipeline using a metal pipe and a special pipe. The installation of a wall-mounted gas boiler is completed by connecting the automation and testing the system.
Circular pump factor
Don't forget about the circulation pump factor. More precisely about the final brand that produces these pumps. For European boilers, everything is quite simple: most often they install Grundfos and Wilo brand pumps into their boilers. Other manufacturers equip gas boilers with incomprehensible pumps. And there are such pumps in gas boilers that are quite good, but there are others that are not so good. Grundfos have proven themselves well; their pumps are very durable. A Grundfos brand pump is an indicator of a good quality gas boiler boiler. If you see a pump of an unknown brand in a boiler, it is worth considering whether you need such a boiler, but again you need to take into account the other factors that we are talking about.
The Italtherm City Class boiler uses a hydraulic group with a Grundfos pump
