Today, the most common type of heating systems in your own home or cottage is a system using gas boilers, and its importance cannot be overestimated. Note: security requirements here are equally important, as are the necessary functionality and practicality.
What does someone who decides to install gas heating in their home need to know? Looking at photos of gas boilers in company price lists or on website pages will clearly not be enough.
But still, let's determine the points that you should pay close attention to when selecting a boiler for gas heating, since it is the key element of the entire system.
Gas boilers for home heating
A gas boiler is a complex device used to generate thermal energy. It is used for heating various types of objects and the process of heating coolants. This is an affordable, convenient and popular type of heat generator. Propane-butane or methane is used as fuel.
When choosing a gas boiler for heating a private home, you should familiarize yourself with the available information and analyze it.
A variety of installation methods, design features and differences in equipment types provide a wide range to suit all use cases. It’s not easy to understand the variety of products offered, but having an idea of the characteristics and parameters, you can choose the right option.
Layout
The correct placement of boiler equipment is an issue that can only be resolved by knowing the area of the room, the complete list of necessary devices and their dimensions. In most cases, in order to avoid annoying mistakes when arranging equipment, it is advisable to contact a professional design and installation organization.
This is what one of the FORUMHOUE participants decided for himself about this.
pavellarinForumHOUSE user, Moscow.
I try to do everything in a normal, formal and beautiful way. Example: I installed a chimney (“Schidel”) with a ventilation duct. When coordinating the gas supply project for the house, the girl engineer spent a long time asking how these elements were organized, what and how they were made. All this is reflected in the technical specifications. The project was approved by the regional gas authority without any problems. After approval, a condition appeared in the technical specifications regarding the organization of a lattice opening in the lower part of the entrance door.
But you can give some general recommendations regarding breading even before its development begins.
Thus, unobstructed access to the heating boiler must be organized. This condition must be met even in cases where the device does not require regular refueling (meaning an electric or gas boiler). The distance from the walls of the boiler room to the equipment installed in it must comply with the requirements in the technical documentation diagrams for these devices. If we are talking about the layout of lighting fixtures, then they should comprehensively illuminate the space - in case you need to make minor repairs (replacement of pumping equipment, repair of boiler automation, etc.).
Photo of a boiler room in a private house.
Unobstructed access should be organized not only to the heating boiler, but, if possible, also to other devices - to the circulation pump and electrical switches, to the boiler and ventilation holes, to pumping equipment, chimney elements, etc. Take care of convenience in advance! After all, this will help to avoid difficulties in the process of further operation.
Operating principle of a gas boiler
From a specialist’s point of view, the equipment operation system is simple and reliable. The device is installed and connected to the gas supply.
- Fuel is supplied to the unit and piezo or electric ignition is activated.
- The pilot burner lights and heats the water or antifreeze in the heat exchanger.
- The elements and assemblies of consumers are heated.
- If the heating system does not work, the automation immediately cuts off the gas supply.
After reaching the parameters set by the thermostat, the burner stops operating. When the temperature drops to the set value, the sensor is triggered and the system resumes operation.
Finishing the boiler room from the inside
Brick and concrete walls of the boiler room are plastered and painted with water-based paint. Additional decorative finishing - ceramic tiles, metal cladding panels. You should not leave the wall surface in its original form. It generates dust, and this harms the operation of boiler equipment.
In a wooden house, the walls are impregnated with a fire retardant compound. It is recommended to cover them on top with sheets of non-combustible plasterboard and also plaster them, and behind the boiler, for reinsurance, attach aluminum sheets to the wall surface.
Plastering is another protection against damp fumes, fire, and other influences. You can increase the level of fire resistance using special heat-resistant plaster. It can withstand high temperature heating and even open flame for 30 minutes. up to 2.5 hours.
The floor is leveled with cement-sand screed. The strength of ordinary ceramic tiles is not enough to cover the floor with, since boiler equipment is quite heavy, and there is a risk of dropping some heavy object. Porcelain stoneware will be more reliable. Tiles made from this material are super durable and are not afraid of heating to high temperatures and fire.
The drain gutter will protect you from accidental leakage. If this cannot be done, then waterproofing must be laid around the perimeter to a height of 5-10 cm from the floor, and the boiler must be raised on a pedestal, thereby eliminating possible contact with water. It can be easily built from bricks and lined with porcelain stoneware intended for the floor.
Tiles on the walls and floor of the boiler room will help keep the room properly clean. Its installation is no different from a similar operation in other rooms, but it is important to accurately mark all communications entry points before starting work.
It is better to choose a light-colored granite with a matte texture for the floor. Shoe marks and dust are not so noticeable on it.
There are pipes and wires under the ceiling in the boiler room. To disguise them, make a box from the same drywall that was used on the walls. The outside of the box is plastered and painted. It makes sense to leave inspection windows in it and cover them with removable metal bars.
It makes no difference which windows to install in the boiler room - plastic or wooden. In a fire, both will burn. The plastic will also begin to melt and release toxic substances.
Positive and negative qualities
This type of equipment is optimal if you have access to liquefied or main gas.
Advantages of a gas boiler
- Economical.
- Reliability.
- Autonomy.
- Durability.
- Easy to use.
- High performance.
- Possibility of placement in small rooms.
Disadvantages of a gas boiler
- Compliance of the premises with technical requirements.
- The need to obtain special documents permitting installation.
- Installation, connection and maintenance are carried out by specialists.
- For smooth operation, constant access to fuel is required.
How to choose a gas boiler
An individual heating system is the most preferable for use in your home. The variety of offers currently available makes it difficult to choose.
To understand which gas boiler is best for heating a private home, it’s worth spending a little time. This will help determine the truly suitable option.
Wall or floor option
The first lighter and more compact models. They can be placed in the bathroom or kitchen. They have low power and do not allow heating large areas. Weight does not exceed 70-80 kg.
- The floor-standing version is larger, weighs more and costs more.
- Most devices have an open combustion chamber and require forced ventilation assembly.
- The product uses expensive materials.
- Preferred for use in large houses. The service life of such a device is from 50 years.
Powder painting
Maybe the ideas on how to hide a boiler in the kitchen are too radical, spies say: in order to reliably hide it, you need to leave it in a visible place.
Consider the option of powder painting - this is a modern technology that allows you to obtain a coating in a wide range of colors, which is in no way inferior to enamel in terms of heat resistance, while being more resistant to mechanical stress.
The use of vacuum installations makes it possible to apply textured coatings of different colors and wood imitation. By decorating the cauldron in this way, you will make it not a burden, but a decoration; for this you will only need to paint the lid.
What is better: a single or double-circuit boiler?
A model with one circuit is designed for heating a room. To operate the hot water supply, you need to purchase and install an indirect heating boiler.
A dual-circuit device has two heat exchangers. They are connected to heating and hot water supply lines independent from each other.
Gas boiler power calculation
To heat a home with an area of 200 square meters, you will need a 20 kW boiler. Based on 1 kW per 10 square meters of area. If we take into account the margin of 20%, then the final result is 25 kW.
The best gas boiler for heating and supplying hot water to a small house is a double-circuit one with wall mounting.
Modern solution to the problem
The best option for heating your own home is an automatic coal boiler. It has a number of advantages:
- does not require constant attention, can work in automatic mode for a week;
- the cost of heat is reduced, so 1 kW costs the owner less than 80 kopecks;
- coal savings are up to 50% compared to traditional boilers;
- The efficiency of such a device can reach 90%, since traditional options have an efficiency of 55-80%;
- When such a boiler operates, smoke comes out only when it is ignited, and then it is not visible.
For the full operation of this device, friction carbon with a diameter of no more than 50 mm is used, after combustion of which several times less ash remains.
This makes it possible to clean the ash and add coal once every 4 days; the burning time of one load can be increased to a week.
Boiler installation
Installation of specialized gas equipment must be carried out by professionals. And connection and commissioning by gas service workers. The assembly is carried out in accordance with the requirements of SNiP and is required to ensure the safety of the work and subsequent use by the consumer.
The price of gas boilers for home heating starts from 22 thousand rubles and can reach several hundred thousand, depending on the manufacturer, configuration and technical characteristics.
Prices for installation of equipment depend on the volume of work, the complexity of its implementation and the materials used
Redevelopment
Typically, kitchens occupy a small area with maximum load. Placing additional furniture is not always possible. Installing equipment with its communications clearly will not add comfort.
Try to arrange the furniture to hide it as much as possible. This is not possible - use existing wall cabinets and convert them to accommodate its installation. You can easily complete this task yourself.
