How to heat a house if there is no gas or electricity: comparison of the effectiveness of various options + ways to economically heat a private house

The pressing question of how to organize heating of a private house without gas and electricity is often of interest to homeowners who do not have gas mains. It is of interest to those who are looking for opportunities to save on energy consumption; this problem of saving has always been and remains relevant.

To create an effective autonomous heating system without a connection to gas and electricity, you will have to spend a lot of starting money, in the hope that this investment will pay off in the future. There are already many examples in our country of using natural energy for heating and power supply to our homes. But most methods currently exist only in theory or in the form of experimental projects; only a few are used in practice.

System Features

Not all methods of heating a private home involve a water circuit, although it is the most popular. Another option is air heating. This includes gas and electric convectors, all other electrical appliances, except for the electric boiler - it works with liquid coolants.

Among the solid fuel ones, this is a Buleryan boiler, which heats the room using the principle of convection, through pipes extending from the firebox. If the house has a large area, air ducts are connected to the pipes.

Heating a private house without gas and electricity

In hydronic systems, the first issue is proper design. In a small one-story house, you can install a system with natural circulation, without a pump, and do without electricity at all. This option is not suitable for a large area; heating will be uneven and ineffective.

In a large house, radiant wiring outperforms others in terms of efficiency: all heating devices receive hot coolant. There is no need to set the initial high temperature, which saves fuel.

Boiler automation can be non-volatile or electronic. The second is more expensive, but more convenient and profitable: it consumes little electricity, but allows you to balance all parameters as much as possible, which leads to noticeable savings.

Economical heating of a private house with your own hands can be achieved by installing an indirect heating boiler. First of all, this applies to electric boilers, but it also applies to others: if the system operates in temperature maintenance mode most of the time, less fuel is wasted.

Heating devices - radiators or heated floors. Floors provide more efficient heating for a private home: due to convection, heating is high-quality and uniform. In addition, the temperature near the floor is on average 40 degrees lower than that of the batteries. In addition to water floors, there are electric floors. This is often the most economical heating of a private home with electricity.

Thermal insulation of the house must be of high quality over the entire surface: walls, roof, attic, basement, window and door openings. This reduces natural heat loss, and therefore costs.

Features of water heating arrangement

Selecting a system type

So, we figured out what kind of heating to make at the dacha. Now let's take a closer look at water heating, which can be implemented in several ways.

Single-pipe heating circuit with circulation pump

First of all, water heating differs in the way the coolant circulates in the system.

It can be implemented in two ways:

• Natural - the movement of liquid is carried out due to the different densities of hot and cold water, while the system uses an accelerating tank, and the pipes are installed with a constant slope. The advantage of this option is the autonomy of the system, however, for this, the boiler must also be non-volatile.
• Forced - the coolant is driven by a circulation pump. In this case, there are fewer requirements for the system in terms of installation, but the heating of the garden house becomes energy-dependent.

Two-pipe heating system

In addition, an important difference is the radiator connection diagram, which can be:

• Single-pipe - all radiators are connected in series to one pipe, which goes around the perimeter of the room. This method is suitable for small houses, since with a long system length, the batteries are heated unevenly.
• Two-pipe - in this case, the hot coolant and return flow through different pipes, which ensures uniform heating of the batteries. True, in this case the price of the system is higher, since more pipes are required.

Before installing heating in a dacha, it is necessary to prepare a project that should indicate not only the location and number of radiators, but also the power of the heating equipment. On our portal you can get detailed information on how to calculate the power of your heating system.

Photo shows radiator installation

Heating installation

Heating installation should begin with installing the boiler and connecting it to the chimney. Further work is carried out in accordance with the system design - first of all, heating radiators are installed and the pipeline is assembled.

In the places indicated in the diagram, the remaining elements of the system are mounted - a circulation pump, an expansion tank, etc. After completing the work, you must start the system and make sure it is working and there are no leaks. This process is called crimping.

Here, perhaps, are all the main features of arranging heating in a dacha.

How to cheaply heat a house without gas or electricity

How to heat a house if there is no gas? How do solid fuel boilers work and how much do they cost? How to heat a house with the energy of the sun and heat pumps? How to use biofuel and what are the benefits of heating brick ovens?

The evolution of comfort resources is developing rapidly. However, it does not exclude traditional heating methods. Nowadays, infrared heating of a home can successfully coexist with a classic brick stove designed for wood and coal.

Certainly. Using gas and electricity for heating is convenient, although it can be somewhat expensive. And this is not just about the price of energy resources. Often the allocated power does not allow to provide a heating system for the house. For example, if there is no connection to the main gas pipeline, using gas in cylinders for heating will not be profitable. Expensive and difficult.

We told you how to cheaply but effectively heat your house with electricity. In this article we will tell you how to heat a house if there is no gas or electricity.

How to heat a cottage in winter using gas?

If the cottage is used only for periodic stays, it may not be worth making an expensive connection to the main gas pipeline. However, it is nevertheless possible to heat the dacha with gas. Gas in cylinders will help solve the question of how to quickly heat a dacha in winter. It is quite possible to bring the cylinder with you; it is not necessary to equip a place to store it at the dacha. And thermal gas equipment is much more economical than similar electric equipment with comparable efficiency parameters. For example, a gas heat gun can heat the air in a room in a matter of minutes, while consuming very little gas. All kinds of gas convectors are also quite competitive when it comes to heating a country house.

What is the best way to heat a dacha in winter is not a simple question. Since, along with the issue of savings, there is also the issue of efficiency of heating equipment. Special requirements for the speed of heating the room, automation of the process and the final price affect the final choice of country property owners. And only a careful calculation of all conditions of use will help you make the right choice in favor of one or another method of heating your dacha in winter.

Content

Liquefied gas

Liquefied gas is transported and stored in cylinders or gas holders, specially designed containers

In order to heat a country house, you can purchase liquefied gas cylinders. It is based on a propane-butane composition. Heating a country house with liquefied gas is much more expensive than natural gas, but often cheaper than diesel fuel and electricity. The cost is reduced if a large capacity storage facility with appropriate equipment is installed for several homes.

There are no fundamental differences in the design of heat-generating equipment for natural and liquefied gas: conventional boilers are used, the only difference is in the adjustment: the pressure in the gas pipeline is lower. In some cases, it will be necessary to replace the nozzles in the burners; this is inexpensive, and the equipment can be quickly returned to its original condition.

A gas holder is a container used to store liquefied gas in large quantities. Such tanks are installed both on the surface of the earth and underground. Most often, for country houses, they choose the underground option of installing a gas tank in order to save space and money. The depth of its occurrence must be no lower than the freezing level of the soil.

In Western European countries, gas tank systems are used quite widely; in our country, the liquefied gas delivery service is underdeveloped and is not available everywhere. For small houses, groups of standard liquefied gas cylinders can be used. True, their capacity is too small to ensure the operation of the boiler for a long time; frequent replacement, taking into account transport costs, can make operating the system on cylinders more expensive than heating with diesel fuel. For a small dacha, we can recommend using bottled gas with a convector. But only with strict adherence to fire safety measures!

Brick stoves or Russian stoves

In its classic form, the Russian stove is a miracle of engineering soap with a very efficient heating system. Not only did the stove heat the entire hut, it was also a multifunctional kitchen, a heated bed and even a bathhouse.

Nowadays, a number of functions of the Russian stove are not needed, but as heating in a private house without gas and electricity, it is effective!

In modern conditions

Making an ancient Russian stove modern is quite simple:

• If one of the sides is built into the wall separating one room from another, then two rooms will be heated. However, the stove has four sides.
• If you manage to build a stove into two walls of two different rooms, then you can heat almost the entire house.
• If the house is large, then you cannot do it with just one heat source - you will have to make a system of pipes and batteries with a water heating element.

A Russian stove differs from a simple brick stove in its size and the absence of a stove bench. A brick oven has great inertia - it takes a long time to heat up, but it also takes a long time to cool down.

To make the cooling process last longer, there is a damper system that retains hot air. However, it is in this system that the biggest danger of the stove lies - if the damper is closed ahead of time, then carbon monoxide from the firebox will not go into the chimney, but into the house.

The cost of building a brick stove depends on a number of factors: firstly, on the size, secondly, on the selected materials, and thirdly, on the wages of the stove maker. Moreover, the work costs the most.

So, if the stove maker charges moderately, and you are not going to decorate the stove with marble and ceramics, then you can spend 20-60 thousand rubles. Whether it is expensive or not - everyone evaluates it differently. However, you should take into account the fact that the stove will last for decades.

Convectors and warm baseboards

The convector is also not the cheapest model, since everything depends on electricity, and energy prices are quite high.

Recently, the warm baseboard system has proven itself well, replacing stationary radiators; it works on the principle of heating a coolant liquid, which creates a heat shield around the perimeter of all rooms. This is practically the most economical home heating, which also has a beneficial effect on health, prevents the appearance of dampness and condensation, and also saves heating.

How to heat a house if there is no gas

If there is no gas in the house, then heating can be built using solid fuel or electricity, or better yet, a combination of both. The more diverse the heating sources, the less likely it is that the system will fail.

For example, the installation of a solid fuel boiler can be supplemented with an electric convector for each room. You can combine a Russian stove on the first floor of the house and infrared heaters on the second floor. However, electric and solid fuel energy sources are not the whole list. So, let's start in order.

Heating systems used in modern conditions

The refusal to use electric heating systems is obvious, because this is the most expensive type of energy. The efficiency of electric heating devices remains low at high power consumption, and in private houses heat loss is always higher than in apartment buildings. In addition to these conditions, it is necessary to take into account the need to install a special boiler room, its and other problems.

Stove heating

For obvious historical reasons, the most popular method of heating premises is the stove. The classic version assumes that a stone stove installed in a specially designated area heats a room or group of rooms. The heat source in this case is burning solid fuel, which heats the stone structure. Having high inertia, that is, retaining heat for a long time, such a stove gradually warms the room over several hours.

The efficiency of such furnaces depends on several factors:

Construction of furnaces is a complex technological process that is beyond the capabilities of the average person, so it is imperative to involve an experienced craftsman, at least as a consultant.

Water heating with the construction of a furnace

The stove can be an independent heat source, but can also serve as a heater in a water heating system. In large houses or two-story cottages, this option is impossible without the use of a water pump, which runs on electricity and drives water through the system. If the length of the pipes is small, and the radiators have a pipe cross-section of 32 mm and above, then it is possible to arrange without gas and electricity with natural circulation.

The operating principle of such a heating system is known to many rural residents. Inside the furnace, in an area close to the burning fuel, a manifold welded from thick-walled metal pipes is mounted, in which water is heated. According to the laws of physics, hot water rises upward through a specially equipped pipe. Then it enters the heating pipeline, which is located with a slight slope, which is maintained throughout its entire length. According to the same physical laws, the liquid flows down, passes through the entire system, gives off heat, and ultimately ends up back in the collector inside the furnace, where the circle resumes.

Installation of such a system requires accurate calculation of the angle of inclination of the pipes and the presence of an expansion tank. The temperature of such heating can be controlled using valves that reduce the amount of hot water supplied to the system. In some cases, it is possible to install two or more heating circuits.

Fireplace heating

Fireplaces are more of a stylish addition to the interior than an effective source of heat. In order for a fireplace to heat at least a room, serious changes need to be made to its design, turning it into a classic stove that only looks like a fireplace. In such a pseudo-fireplace, the shelf is retained, and the flame is covered with a door made of fireproof glass.

Alternative sources

Heating a private wooden house without gas or electricity using exotic sources such as solar panels or geothermal heat is of great interest to advanced owners. In both cases, certain climatic conditions are required. Geothermal springs are found in very few places on the planet, usually found in seismically active areas. For residents of 99% of Russia, this type of heating is not available.

Solar panels are mounted on the roof, since they require a large area to operate effectively. It is known that in winter snow falls, which will have to be cleared several times a day. In addition, in many regions in winter the daylight hours are so short that it is simply impossible to accumulate the required charge.

Heating options for cottages: selection criteria

If the owners plan to use the dacha in winter, then they will have to think about how it will be heated. In order to wisely choose heating options for your dacha, options for which you can spy on the Internet, you need to consider some of them and determine which one is most suitable for a particular home.

Cottage heating options

If previously there were only two options available for use in suburban conditions - a wood-burning stove or electric heaters, provided that electricity was supplied to the dacha, today the choice of ways to heat a dacha house is much wider.

In addition, every owner of a country house, who has a little imagination and certain knowledge, can independently figure out how to economically and efficiently heat a home using one or more methods, combining them with each other. Perhaps a consideration of the heating systems below will help someone make a choice from ready-made solutions or even design their own innovative option.

Heating selection criteria

First, you need to decide what functions heating devices should perform, since sometimes simply heating rooms in a summer cottage is not enough.

• The main criterion, naturally, should be efficient heating of the house, maintaining a comfortable temperature in the premises in any weather.
• For comfortable living, it is advisable to consider heating the bathhouse (if there is one) or heating water for the shower.
• Cooking and boiling water for food needs - brewing coffee, tea, etc.
• Drying wet clothes and shoes, which is especially important in inclement autumn or winter weather.
• Drying vegetables and fruits for the winter.

Having identified the functions that you would like to have in combination with heating, you can move on to considering its various options.

Heating system powered by a boiler

It is advisable to install a heating system that uses a coolant heated in a boiler and supplied to radiators for heat exchange in a dacha if it is used for housing all year round. At the same time, you need to remember that very often you will have to go through all the authorities to obtain permission, draw up and approve a system installation plan, so you immediately need to estimate the cost of not only purchasing all the necessary equipment for installation, but also completing the documentation.

From a convenience point of view, the best option is heating using a boiler

Selecting a heating boiler

The choice of heating device depends on several factors:

• Availability of the necessary source of fuel or energy carrier on the site. For example, if a gas supply is connected to the dacha, then the most optimal option would be to choose a unit that runs on gas. In addition, boilers are produced that can operate on electricity or on solid or liquid fuel, as well as mixed-type heating devices in which, if necessary, the energy carrier can be replaced by one another.
• The area of ​​the heated premises, that is, it is necessary to determine the required power of the unit. To do this, calculate the amount of thermal energy required to heat 10 m² of a house. This parameter, of course, largely depends on how insulated the building that is planned to be heated is, and with high-quality thermal insulation, you can start from the proportion of 1 kW of energy per 10 m², with an average ceiling height of up to 3 m.

If a country house has thin walls without thermal insulation, then heat will not be retained in the house for a long time with any type of heating and with any boiler power. The funds spent on the purchase and installation of all elements of the system, as well as on energy resources, will simply be thrown away.

• Availability of space for installation of equipment, since some boilers necessarily require a separate room or a reliable base due to their technical characteristics.

In specialized stores you can find for sale not only floor-standing heating boilers, but also wall-mounted ones, which are small in size.

As a rule, compact wall-mounted options do not have excessively high power, but if the country house is small and well insulated, then it is possible to choose such a boiler with suitable parameters.

Boiler placed on the wall

Floor-standing boilers have massive shapes and are quite heavy. For them, it is necessary to prepare a special solid platform or even make an extension to the house in which the boiler room will be located.

More powerful units are usually floor-standing

• Any boiler (except electric) requires a chimney. Its specific structure and parameters will depend on what fuel the unit runs on and what its power is.
• Its price will largely depend on the type and power of the heating installation.

It is worth considering in more detail the positive and negative aspects of units operating from different energy sources. First, about the obvious advantages :

• A boiler running on natural gas is quite economical, has high power and is reliable in operation.
• Solid fuel boilers do not require additional connection to the gas mains or to the power supply system (if they are not equipped with electronic automation). Solid fuel in many regions of the country is much more affordable compared to electricity and gas. In addition, such boilers can often use various types of fuel - coal, firewood, peat briquettes, pellets.
• Electric boilers have a relatively low cost, are compact in size, and are also easy to install and do not require special intervention during operation. (more details about the features of electric boilers can be found in the hotel publication of the portal).

Now let’s “go through” the disadvantages of various units:

• The obvious “disadvantages” of installing a gas heating system include the expensive procedure for drawing up a plan and directly connecting the gas supply, which requires numerous approvals. In addition, not every dacha village has a gas pipeline yet.
• A boiler running on diesel fuel requires a large volume of it. And although diesel fuel has a relatively affordable price, a problem can be created by the lack of capacity to store at least a minimum reserve. In addition, the fuel itself has a specific odor, which intensifies when it burns. Another big disadvantage of such units is the loud noise during operation, so you cannot do without an additional separate room for an oil-fuel boiler.

A modern diesel boiler cannot operate without consuming electricity (albeit minimal), which means that if there are frequent interruptions, then you need to consider a backup uninterruptible power supply.

• A solid fuel boiler needs to be loaded fairly frequently, and fuel reserves require an appropriate location and conditions.
• An electric boiler (with the exception of induction ones) is not very durable, and, naturally, is completely dependent on the availability of electricity. Unfortunately, in holiday villages, complete power outages or surges with large voltage amplitudes are not at all uncommon. Therefore, in this case, it is imperative to have an alternative, non-electric heating option, which will inevitably entail additional costs.

For ease of perception, a table is provided that summarizes some of the distinctive features of various types of heating installations:

Combination boiler

Separately, it is worth saying a few words about the combined type of boiler, which can, if necessary, switch from one fuel to another.

Combination boilers have increased versatility

The options here can be different: “wood - gas”, “wood - electricity”, “liquid fuel - electricity” and others. This can be very convenient - if, for example, the power goes out, then the boiler can be continued to be heated, say, with wood or peat briquettes, or switched to diesel fuel. Sometimes combination boilers have special replaceable or built-in burners and are equipped with a hob, which can be simply irreplaceable in country conditions. Therefore, it is often the combination boiler that becomes the best option for a country house, provided that the place for it is properly prepared.

Any of the modern combination boilers has a built-in automatic system that monitors the health of the unit, fuel supply and controls its operation. For example, if the boiler was heated with solid fuel, and it burned out, and the temperature in the heating circuit dropped below the set value, electric heating is switched on.

Hot water supply

At the dacha, you also cannot do without hot water - if you live there permanently, then it is simply necessary for daily hygienic needs. Of course, in the summer you can use a summer shower, where the water is completely heated by the sun’s heat, but in winter this option is not suitable. If you don’t want to heat water on a hob the old fashioned way, then it is best to install a double-circuit boiler when installing heating, which will not only provide space heating, but will also supply hot water for a variety of needs.

A double-circuit boiler will provide both heat and hot water

You can use another option - this is a single-circuit boiler with an indirect heating boiler attached to it. In this case, a pump is built into the system, since the force of natural circulation of the coolant will not be enough. This option requires quite a lot of space to install all the necessary elements, so it will be necessary to allocate a room for this purpose or make a small extension.

Boiler in conjunction with an indirect heating boiler

In any case, if you decide to use a boiler for heating, you need to carefully consider all the nuances, and when purchasing it, carefully study the characteristics and clarify unclear information from the sales consultant.

Prices for the range of heating boilers

Heating boilers

Video: recommendations for using boilers in the country

Geothermal heat pump

In the comparison table above, the rightmost column is occupied by the characteristics of the heat pump. There is currently a lot of talk about it as an alternative source of thermal energy. Since this heating method is not as popular and well-known as heating from a boiler, it is worth devoting a few lines to it.

External units of geothermal installation

A geothermal heat pump is a system for creating a microclimate in a house, which operates from the heat of the earth.

At its core, it is a kind of air conditioner with two circuits - an evaporator and a condenser. In winter it works as a source of heat, and in summer it produces coolness. The process occurs due to the difference in soil temperature at different depths, and to increase the efficiency or reduce the costs of the cooling and heating system, a geothermal pump can be used in conjunction with heating a house using solar energy.

The operation of geothermal heat pumps is based on thermal inertia, since the temperature of the earth at a depth below 6 m is approximately the same as the average annual air temperature in the region, and it practically does not change regardless of the season.

In addition, there are similar systems that can use the thermal energy of air or water.

• “Earth-to-water” is the most common type of heat pump, which extracts heat from the ground using coolant circulating through pipes buried in the ground, and then, after conversion, transfers it to heating devices.

Use of earth's thermal energy

• "Water-to-water" - this type of pump obtains heat from water, in which case the primary heat exchanger is immersed in a natural body of water, or a deep well is drilled for the probe to reach groundwater.

A body of water or an underground aquifer can be used as a heat source

• “Air-to-air” - a heat pump operating on this principle receives energy from the air. This option does not require excavation, drilling wells or the presence of a nearby body of water. The energy is obtained using a probe block that uses the temperature amplitude of the surrounding air. All the main elements of such a system are located inside the building, which eliminates the risk of damage.

We learned to use the thermal energy of air

Heat pump prices

Heat pumps

Cost-effectiveness of a geothermal heating system

A home heating system using a heat pump will justify the cost of its installation only after several decades. It cannot operate on its own and will require electrical energy to keep it functioning. So, to produce 10 kW of thermal energy, the heat pump will need to consume 2.5 ÷ 3 kW of electricity, that is, the net gain will be in the region of 7 ÷ 7.5 kW, which, in principle, is not so small. However, if you look at this issue from the point of view of payment, then it turns out to be not much cheaper than when operating a conventional electric boiler, but the material costs of installing these devices are simply incomparable. In addition, to install a system with a heat pump, you need to do a tremendous amount of work, but an electric boiler is connected quickly and easily.

If there are frequent power outages in the village where the country house is located, to operate the geothermal heating system it is necessary to provide a backup power source - a generator running on a different type of fuel with a power of about 6 kW. The purchase and permanent installation of such a power unit will also lead to considerable costs.

To sum it up, we can say that this way of heating the house is without a doubt environmentally friendly, and it has a very bright future. But its current economy must still be questioned. Therefore, before taking on such a business, it is worth making careful calculations and soberly assessing the profitability of such an undertaking.

Infrared heating of the cottage

This type of space heating is based on the use of special infrared emitters or infrared film as a heat generator. This method of heating a house can be used both as the main and as an auxiliary one, in combination with other types of heating.

Operating principle of an infrared heating system

The principle of operation of infrared heating is that the heater transmits radiant thermal energy in the infrared range (by analogy with the thermal energy of the Sun) to all surrounding elements of the interior, as well as the floor and walls, and they, in turn, when heated, conduct a wide-area heat exchange with air.

It should be immediately noted that this type of heating of a country house will be effective only if all elements of the building - the ceiling, walls, floor, windows and doors - are well insulated. If this condition is met, then heating using infrared radiation will achieve the following results:

• Create a comfortable microclimate, that is, temperature and humidity in the premises corresponding to the normal well-being of residents.
• Ensure the most favorable temperature distribution across the height of the room.
• Preserve clean air, since with this method there is no intense air circulation, horizontal convection currents, especially along the floor, which always carry a lot of dust with them.

Infrared heaters

This type of heater is fixed to the ceiling, at a height of 2.3 ÷ 3.5 m, usually in the center of the room. The main thing to take into account is that the residents of the house are not constantly located directly under them, that is, they should not be hung above a bed, dining or desk, children’s play area, etc.

Ceiling infrared heater resembles a regular lamp

It is not recommended to mount infrared heaters on ceilings lined with PVC panels or close to windows, as heat loss in this case will increase.

Infrared film

In addition to heaters with infrared radiation, special film elements can be used to heat a country house, which are placed both on the ceiling and on the walls and floors.

Another option is film IR emitters

The film can be placed under various decorative coatings. So, on the floor it can be parquet or linoleum, carpet or laminate, on the walls - ceramic tiles or wooden lining, on the ceiling - plasterboard or the same lining.

Possible layout of infrared film heaters

However, there are some limitations. For example, you cannot install infrared film on the ceiling; you plan to decorate it with fabric. It is incompatible with suspended ceilings, PVC panels or materials containing metal (for example, foil).

Advantages and disadvantages of infrared heating

This type of home heating has its positive and negative sides. You need to know about them before choosing this particular option for installation in your dacha.

Advantages of IR heating

The “advantages” of using infrared heating include the following:

• Providing heating of the room in a short time after turning on the system, since surfaces quickly heat up and give off heat to the air.
• The heat obtained in this way does not dry out the air at all, so the rooms maintain the required level of humidity.
• The system does not make any noise when operating.
• The temperature in the room can be maintained at the desired level by very accurately setting the desired temperature using a thermostat.
• The infrared system is not afraid of voltage surges, which often happens in holiday villages.
• Installing the film is quite simple and quick, so you can easily handle this work yourself.

Installation of infrared film heating can be done on your own

• The system does not require preservation for the winter - it only needs to be turned off from the network. When you arrive at your dacha in winter or early spring, you can be sure that the house will not be cold at night. All you have to do is plug in the system and literally within half an hour the house will have an acceptable temperature.
• In addition, if such a need arises, the film can be easily dismantled and moved for installation in another room or building.
• The system is easy to operate and does not require maintenance.
• Long-term operation - manufacturers guarantee that with proper installation, such elements will last for several decades.

Negative qualities

It would seem that after so many advantages, one can not even pay attention to the negative aspects, since they should be completely insignificant. However, unfortunately, this is not entirely true.

The “disadvantages” of infrared heating include:

• If electricity is often cut off in a holiday village, then an infrared heating system alone will not be enough. In this case, it is necessary to additionally have an option that operates on a different type of energy.
• This type of heating is not as economical as manufacturers advertise it. For example, for 1 m² of area, depending on the quality of insulation and the height of the ceilings of the room, you may need from 5 to 20 W, and for a house with an area of ​​100 m², at least 700 kW will be required per month. Therefore, before purchasing and installing film, you need to make careful calculations of your real capabilities.

If the reader would like to find out more detailed information about the calculations and installation of infrared heating , then this can be done by following the recommended link to a special publication on this topic.

Stove heating

Stove heating can be called the most reliable. It is widely used both as the main type of heating at home and as an auxiliary one. The stove does not require connecting mains for energy - the homeowner himself must take care of the fuel in advance. If a supply of firewood or coal is prepared on time, warmth in the house will be ensured. If there is no electricity supply at the dacha, the stove will not only heat the house, but also “feed” the whole family, as it often allows you to cook lunch or dinner, heat water and even bake bread.

The traditional way of heating a dacha is a stove

Depending on the area allocated for the stove, you can choose the appropriate model, size of the stove and material for its manufacture.

You can build a traditional brick oven - it may well have compact dimensions and an aesthetic design. Or there is the opportunity to purchase a ready-made version, made of cast iron with or without stone trim.

In addition, both brick and cast iron stoves can have several options for their functionality:

• A heating system that will only warm the house.
• A heating and cooking option that has a hob, oven and even a hot water tank, allowing not only to cook food, but also to satisfy the need for hot water.
• A fireplace stove, which can be either simply heating or have a stove and oven, and at the same time create a very special coziness in the room.

Cast iron stove-fireplace

"Pros" and "cons" of stove heating

If you decide to choose this particular option for heating a country house, you need to familiarize yourself with the negative and positive aspects of using stoves

Advantages of stove heating:

• Complete autonomy and independence of the system from external factors.
• Affordable fuel price. If there is a forest or forest plantation in the area of ​​your summer cottage, then during the summer you can make a supply of firewood from fallen trees and dry branches - in this case, you will get fuel for nothing.
• The profitability of this type of heating is undeniable, since it will cost several times less than a boiler running on gas, electricity, or diesel fuel.
• If the oven is well maintained, it is always ready for use. In the case where the cottage is mainly used only in the summer, there will be no problems with freezing of the equipment, since the stove will not be affected by low winter temperatures.
• The ability to cook food and heat water are functions that are always necessary in suburban conditions, and which are not inherent in all heating systems.
• If you choose a cast iron unit, it will not take up much space, and the site itself will not require labor-intensive preparation, since this version of the furnace is not as massive as one built from brick.

Compact cast iron stoves take up very little space

• It is quite possible to install a cast iron stove yourself.

Negative points in using stove heating:

• Stove heating requires constant monitoring during its operation, as well as periodic, fairly frequent loading of fuel.
• A cast iron stove without a water circuit will not be able to heat more than one room.
• The efficiency of stove heating is significantly lower than when heating a house with a boiler. If the average efficiency of even not the most “sophisticated” devices reaches 80%, then for stoves it is only 50 ÷ 60%.
• Any stove requires periodic maintenance, more frequent than a boiler, since to create good draft, on which the efficiency of its operation depends, annual monitoring of the chimney and its regular cleaning are needed.
• There is no need to build a separate room for the stove, but if you choose a brick stove, it will take up quite a lot of space. Although you can get out of this situation by placing it between rooms, by building it into the wall.
• It will be quite difficult to build a brick oven yourself, since this requires special knowledge, skills and dexterity in work.

more about the stove heating option from a special article on the portal.

Prices for fireplaces and stoves

Fireplaces and stoves

Video: a very original option for heating a dacha from one stove

If the publication helped the reader at least preliminary decide on the choice of heating system for the dacha, then that’s great. But don’t rush to leave the pages of our portal! Go to the section on stoves and heating systems - there are detailed explanations and practical guides for calculations and installation for each type. Without a doubt, everyone will be able to find the best option for themselves.

Design and operation

The heat pump consists of tubes filled with freon, as well as several chambers, namely a heat exchanger, a throttle chamber and a compressor. This device will work similarly to a refrigerator. The operating principle is based on liquid freon, which passes through tubes lowered into the ground or reservoir. There in winter the temperature does not drop below plus 8 degrees. Under such conditions, freon begins to boil; for this it needs only 3 degrees of heat.

Rising upward, the substance, which becomes gaseous, enters the compressor chamber, where it is significantly compressed. As you know, if you compress any substance in a limited space, this leads to an increase in its temperature, so freon heats up to 80 degrees.

Giving off the generated heat through the heat exchanger of the heating system, the mass passes into the throttle chamber, where the temperature and pressure drop, thereby turning freon into liquid. At the next stage, it goes into the depths to warm up and repeat the cycle again.

Still don’t know how to cheaply heat a house without gas? You can use this rather effective technology, the implementation of which will undoubtedly require electricity. However, it will be consumed in disproportionately smaller quantities compared to direct heating of the coolant.

Method 1 - electric convectors

With the help of electric convectors it is possible to provide a cheap and efficient heating system. The electric convector is built on the principle of natural air circulation. Warm air moves upward from the heater, thus stimulating the movement of air inside the room and ensuring uniform heating. However, a convector is effective only in warm climates, when the temperature does not fall below 10-15 degrees.

pros

• No forced air blowing. Even in the cleanest home there are particulates that lie on surfaces. When warm air is artificially blown out of a heater, this dust becomes part of the air we breathe. Natural air circulation is not so active, so dust does not rise into the air.
• Small size with sufficient power. The heating elements of convectors heat up quickly, converting electricity into heat with an efficiency of up to 80%. In addition, there is a system of operation in different modes, as well as thermostats that allow operation not constantly, but only when the air temperature drops.
• Mobility, allowing you to move the convector around the room, to places with maximum cold flow.
• The possibility of creating a heating system exclusively using convectors or using them as part of a more complex heating system.
• The electric heating element does not heat up more than 100 degrees, and the body - 60 degrees. They have an increased level of protection from moisture, which allows the convector to be used in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Minuses

• The disadvantage of electric convectors is the installation of heaters in every room of the house.
• In addition, if you turn them on at the same time, there is a possibility of exceeding the permissible power limits.

The photo shows an electric convector from Nobo, Norway

Solar collectors

An excellent alternative to gas heating is solar collectors. Such installations operate smoothly and economically. Collectors are ways to maintain heat in a room for a long time. But the main thing is that under good conditions they can generate electricity. Such installations have both their advantages and disadvantages.

Thus, solar collectors are absolutely safe. Installing such installations is quite simple and quick. Collectors are installed somewhere on the façade of a building. The installation will fit perfectly into the design of the house, since among a wide range you can choose the most suitable option for yourself. But most importantly, collectors provide significant savings in utility costs. Therefore, this type of installation is perfect even for low-income families.

The only drawback of such collectors is that they operate exclusively on solar energy. This determines the specifics of the installation of collectors. In regions where it is sunny almost all year round (usually the south of the country), installing collectors is completely justified. But in northern latitudes these installations will be completely useless.

Biofuel use

Biological fuel is any organic matter that can burn. However, this term has recently come to mean the use of gases released by rotting organic matter.

Principle of operation

Anything that rots with sufficient intensity is suitable as a source of such gas. Typically, manure, food waste, and plant matter are used. All gases formed during the decay process burn well and replace natural gas.

The biofuel heating installation itself consists of units that collect the emitted gas, purify it and feed it into boilers for combustion. And then the operating principle is the same as that of a natural gas boiler.

Minuses

A significant disadvantage of this heating method is the low rotting performance under natural conditions. In order to speed up this process, you need to increase the temperature, which costs energy.

For this reason, it is impossible to use biofuel as the main method of heating a large house, but heating a small house or creating an auxiliary system is quite possible.

Biofuel heating is widely used by farms in countries such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal.

Classic stove heating

In certain cases, a stove is the only possible way to organize heat in the house

Stove heating is considered the oldest. Stove heating is still often used in suburban buildings. Don't think that this method is outdated. The lack of gas in some regions leaves this type of heating still very popular and in demand. Combination stoves remain in fashion, allowing both heating a room and cooking food. Among the advantages of this option are savings on installation, operation, fuel, and versatility. With all this, stoves need to be heated several times a day; they require constant maintenance. In addition, the risk of fire is high; ovens are quite large and take up a lot of space. The room in which the stove is located is always contaminated with soot and coal, and will also require constant cleaning and regular maintenance. There is a high risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if the stove is used incorrectly.

Types of heating systems for country houses

The types of heating systems may depend on the available energy resource, design features, climatic conditions, and the budget of the dacha owner.

The main types of space heating are:

• gas heaters;
• electric heaters;
• furnace equipment;
• equipment operating on liquid fuel resources;
• equipment operating on solid fuel resources;
• universal heating systems.

Choosing each type of heating requires drawing up a cost budget, taking into account the area of ​​the building that needs heating. The choice of heat supply method will determine how to maintain a positive temperature when you are away from your summer cottage.

Liquid fuel boilers efficiently and reliably

In terms of performance and characteristics, liquid fuel boilers are very close to gas boilers; the only significant difference is in the cost and type of fuel that is used for them: fuel oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, and less often rapeseed oil. Here are their most important features:

• Difficulties often arise during the delivery and storage of fuel, which is high in cost and flammable.
• When using these boilers, there is a need for an additional room - a boiler room.
• Diesel boilers have “outstripped” all others in emitting harmful substances into the atmosphere; in addition, they require high-quality protective automation.
• Liquid fuel boilers have excellent efficiency.

With a power of up to 10 kW, for example, they can easily heat a house up to 100 m², so they are suitable even for large buildings. There are hot water and steam boilers, most of them are compact and easy to install.

Cheap options

Relatively cheap types of heating your home without gas or electricity include stove and gravity. The latter type includes quite popular heating schemes, called “Leningradka” and “Spider”. Let's take a closer look at all of them.

Stove heating

This type of alternative heating without dependence on gas and electricity is relevant for rural and township one-story houses of small and medium area. For private houses with a kitchen and one recreation room, it is enough to install a metal or brick stove without, for example, installing a water or steam heating circuit. For houses with a large number of rooms, it is necessary to install a pipe heating system with radiators. Such stoves are heated with wood, cellulose waste, pressed sawdust briquettes, wood pellets and coal. The laying of brick stoves should be provided for at the design stage of the house. A metal stove can be installed without any problems in an already built building.

This type of heating is not suitable for two-story cottages; a solid or liquid fuel boiler with a loop circulation system is required.

Gravity heating

The gravity heating scheme is quite simple: a solid fuel boiler is installed (this type of boiler is usually marked “TT”) or a good stove, inside which a heating element (heat exchanger) is mounted. And from this heater, pipe distribution is installed throughout the rooms of the house with the installation of batteries or pipe heaters.

The pipe system has a closed cycle: water is filled into the pipe system from the top point (from the attic, where the so-called open-type expansion tank is installed) until the entire system is filled until a constant level of liquid appears in the expansion tank. The boiler or stove is heated, the water in the heater heats up, and a slight pressure appears, which pushes still cold water further into the pipe system. As a result of heating, the process of liquid movement begins along the circuit from the stove (boiler) to the batteries located in the rooms, and then upward - into a common collector, called by heating engineers “return”, which returns the already cooled water back to the water heater of the stove or boiler. Initially, this scheme was practiced in heating without gas, but with the advent of floor-standing gas boilers it began to be used with it. Gravity heating does not require electricity

But it is important to understand its pros and cons

In such a system, it is important to monitor the water level in the expansion tank. When the level decreases, it is necessary to add water to the system, otherwise you can disrupt the gravity flow process and even burn out the heater pipeline located in the firebox. In gravity heating of private houses, two wiring systems are mainly used:

In gravity heating of private houses, two wiring systems are mainly used:

• "Leningradka";
• "Spider".

It is worth dwelling on their description.

Leningradka

An example of single-pipe distribution with polypropylene pipes

This heating distribution system is the simplest and cheapest. It consists of a single-pipe circuit, in which a direct hot water pipeline from the heating boiler diverges sequentially to all objects, gradually losing heat as it moves from room to room. This solution is especially relevant in one-story houses with heating radiators located at the same horizontal level. When using this wiring in a two-story building, it will be impossible to do without a circulation pump.

Spider

The distribution of gravity heating according to the “Spider” scheme can be considered completely autonomous in the absence of electricity and gas. In such cases, it is best to install a solid fuel boiler. The scheme differs in that hot water is distributed in parallel from the upper collector to the heating radiators, so the coolant temperature in all rooms will be the same. This wiring diagram is quite accessible even for a two-story mansion. The main disadvantage is the difficulty of installing pipelines, since it is necessary to accurately calculate their diameter at the supply to individual batteries in houses with more than one level.

These heating systems are easy to make with your own hands.

Solid fuel boilers

Now people have an excellent alternative; they do not have to build a furnace if they want to give up heating with gas or electricity. Modern solid fuel boilers allow you to heat your home using firewood, coal or pallets. They are designed in such a way that the coolant in them is heated to a given temperature, and then enters the radiators intended for heating the house.

There are also universal options. For example, a gas-wood heating boiler can fully operate on both solid fuel and gas. Such options are initially equipped with two combustion chambers. Depending on the chosen model, a gas burner may be installed in them, but in some cases you will need to purchase one yourself.

You can also find gas-wood-electricity combined heating boilers on sale. In addition to fireboxes designed for the use of solid fuel or gas, they are additionally equipped with heating elements. Depending on the situation, the owner of such a unit can choose its operating mode and change the energy source at his discretion. There are models that change the type of fuel automatically. For example, you can add firewood at night, and when it burns out, the boiler itself will switch to gas heating.

But the cost of universal models is quite high. The average option will cost 200-300 thousand rubles. As a rule, they are used year-round, because these double-circuit boilers not only heat the premises, but also heat the water.

Types of sealants

Based on their composition, sealants are divided into three types:

• Acrylics are unstable and do not tolerate temperature changes well.
• Polyurethane - characterized by elasticity, good adhesion to metal surfaces, resistance to corrosion and high temperatures.
• Silicone is the most common type of sealant due to its versatility. Moreover, this product retains moisture resistance and elasticity in a fairly wide range of temperature conditions.
• Liquid polymer - used in heating systems specifically to eliminate leaks. They are a liquid that polymerizes upon contact with air.

Below we will take a closer look at the most common types of sealants.

Universal silicone

The most common today is a universal heat-resistant sealant, which is most often used to seal joints. This composition has all the necessary qualities.

In particular, among its properties the following points can be highlighted:

• Good strength;
• The composition is quite liquid and fluid, thanks to which it is able to penetrate even the narrowest crevices;
• Good elasticity.

It must be said that this sealant is used not only for heating systems, but is also used for other household purposes, as well as in industry.

Polyurethane sealant

Polyurethane

A distinctive feature of these compounds is durability and resistance to aggressive environments, as well as mechanical stress. In addition, the advantages include the cost-effectiveness of the composition.

It should be noted that polyurethane sealants come in one- and two-component types. The former take longer to harden, however, their price is lower. It must be said that despite a lot of positive qualities, polyurethane compounds are less common in everyday life than silicone ones, as they are more expensive.

Liquid sealant

Liquid polymer

All of the above compounds are intended for external application to the radiator or processing of threaded connections. But, in some cases, it is impossible to seal a leak from the outside, for example, if it is difficult to detect the damaged area. Then a polymer liquid sealant comes to the rescue.

The principle of its operation is based on the fact that it is poured into the system along with the coolant. In the area where there is a leak, the composition begins to interact with air and polymerize. Thus, clots of the composition seal the gap.

It should be noted that there are several types of liquid sealants:

• For systems operating on water.
• For systems running on antifreeze.
• For sealing metal surfaces.
• For plastic pipes.

Thus, before purchasing the composition, you should read the information contained in the instructions on the package.

Applying sealant to a threaded connection

Solar heating

It is possible to convert solar energy into thermal energy only if the sun shines frequently and for a long time over the roof of your house. Unfortunately, 80% of Russian territories have nothing to do with this. However, even in warm climates you cannot rely solely on solar heating; a backup source is definitely needed.

Principle of operation

Light-absorbing batteries are installed in place “under the sun,” which process solar energy directly into thermal energy and then transfer it to the coolant. There are two types of solar collectors - vacuum and flat. Vacuum ones are considered the most efficient and economical. Using solar energy is an achievement of science.

How to keep warm in a cold room: other effective ways

In order not to feel the cold, you need to wisely use your body heat. It is not necessary to put on 3-5 layers of clothing. It’s enough to put on thermal underwear - then you can walk around the house in just pants and a shirt.

The old-fashioned method also helps - a heating pad. Pour hot water (but not boiling water) into it, close it tightly and place it on the bed. Within 5 minutes the bed will become a comfortable temperature. If you don’t have a heating pad or an Esmarch mug at home, plastic bottles will help you quickly warm your bed. They are filled with warm water (up to 60-70°C) and placed on the bed.

Try to warm yourself up from the inside - drink warm tea or coffee. Alcoholic drinks, although they create the illusion of warmth, provide a short-term effect due to the dilation of blood vessels. As soon as they return to their original state, it will become even colder. So it’s better to drink tea and eat hot, hearty food.

Choice of energy carrier

There is an inverse relationship between the efficiency of heating and the cost of equipment: the more expensive it is to purchase, the cheaper it will be to operate.

What is the most economical heating in a private house? There is no universal answer to this question.

In forests, the cheapest fuel may be firewood; in areas of coal or peat mining, coal or peat, respectively.

In some places it is possible to connect gas, but in others it is not. The most economical electric heating is expensive in any case, but there are options to choose from. To heat houses the following are used:

• gas boilers and convectors;
• solid fuel - firewood, pellets, coal, peat, briquettes, wood and crop waste;
• liquid fuel;
• electric boilers. other electrical appliances;
• heat pumps. We will not consider this option: installation of the system is very expensive, it pays off in 10 years;
• solar panels and collectors. The installation is not justified: batteries collect little energy on winter and cloudy days.

Purchasing a diesel boiler is justified when the household is large (for example, a farm) and the owners have access to cheap fuel. Diesel boilers are produced only with high power; these are not required for a medium-sized house.

But the equipment has many disadvantages: environmental damage, noisy operation, large dimensions and weight, fire hazard. The compact modification of the liquid fuel unit—the exhaust boiler—is also environmentally harmful and fire hazardous. It is low-power, but it is not installed in the house, only in utility buildings.

Another option on how to save on heating a private home: purchase a combination boiler for two or more types of fuel. When purchased, it will cost more than any other.

But, firstly, under no circumstances will you be left without heating: in the absence of one energy source, you will switch to another. Secondly, there is room for savings. For example, expensive electricity can be burned only at “cheap” night time (with two-tariff payment), and during the day it can be heated with wood or coal.

Liquid fuel boiler

The difference between a liquid fuel boiler and a solid fuel boiler is insignificant. To obtain thermal energy, liquid fuel is poured into a liquid fuel boiler instead of coal:

The last two are provided only as an illustration of the possibilities. The use of oil and alcohol is an unaffordable luxury. And the point is not even that alcohol, for example, is very expensive, but that this fuel is obtained from plant raw materials, which could be used to produce food.

Peculiarities

A distinctive feature of liquid fuel boilers is their high efficiency - up to 92%. In addition, for installation and operation, permission from special services is not required, unlike, for example, gas boilers.

The price range for such boilers ranges from 25,000 to 180,000 rubles and depends on the manufacturer and the volume of the combustion chamber. The average annual cost of heating a private house is 150 sq.m. without gas and electricity on diesel fuel about 150,000 rubles.

Which is higher than the cost of solid fuel and even electricity.

Work organization

To install a heat pump, you need to make a circuit. If your house is on rocky soil, then one or more wells are drilled into it. Their total length is calculated based on the fact that for every meter of depression in the ground there is about 50 W of energy. If you plan to install a 10 kW heat pump, then you will need wells with a total depth of about 200 m.

If there is a plot of about 600 m² near your house. then you can make an earthen contour. In order to make heating without gas and firewood, it is necessary to install special pipelines at the depth of soil freezing. To obtain 10 kW, the circuit needs to be about 500 m long.

The most preferable option is to use the nearest body of water. It must be flowable and large enough in size. It is necessary to install a water circuit with a total length of 333 m. This length is sufficient to produce 10 kW.

Air circuits are used less often. This is due to the fact that the minimum temperature at which such a pump can operate is -20 °C.

The principle of its operation is the same as that of any refrigeration machine. It consumes electricity and converts it into thermal energy. The pump removes heat from the refrigerated products, and the condenser transfers it to the room. That is, heat is taken from the bowels of the earth.

Heating with brine-water heat pumps

To implement the project, it is necessary to drill a well up to 200 m in depth. The pipes should be placed in it in a U-shape along with the solution. You can arrange a heat exchanger that will be located at a depth of at least 5 m. This is necessary to reduce the difference in the heat received in different months of the year.

Heating circuit based on a brine-water pump.

The depth and number of wells are determined based on the ability to obtain the required 50 W of thermal energy. It is obtained from each linear meter of a drilled well. As a result, alternative heating of a private house using heat pumps according to the water-water or brine-water scheme is characterized by minimal heating costs compared to indicators characterizing other types of heating systems.

Why electricity

Electric heating differs from classic water-stove and gas systems by being more economical and practical. We will leave the first aspect for discussion below, and describe the operational advantages here:

Electric heating is not only silent, but also environmentally friendly. It is transported safer than gas and does not emit harmful substances at all, both into the atmosphere and indoors. In the absence of waste, the need for exhaust chimneys and traction structures disappears. Heating using coal or wood is not at all comparable to electric systems.

Heating with electricity does not require large one-time costs. You can make a comparison using gas as an example: to connect a house you must purchase equipment for each room, install communications, a boiler, and connect it to a common pipeline. Moreover, all this must be done together, since it is impossible to postpone connecting any part of the house to the system. And the electrical method allows you to organize sequential installation: first, the most important parts of the house are connected, and then, as funds accumulate, peripheral ones are connected.

Thanks to the possibility of using a multi-tariff meter in a private house or apartment, as well as the constant development of technology in this area, electric heating is already the most economical among analogues

You should not focus on the high price of the equipment - it quickly pays for itself due to low energy consumption. Almost every method of organizing electric heating allows you to install it yourself, without many additional tools.

The use of electrical systems for heating cannot be called ideal. The work of high-quality heating of each home requires taking into account many features. In some regions, the cost of electricity can be so high that gas cannot be avoided. In old apartment buildings, it is difficult to switch to electric heating for two reasons: it is very difficult to disconnect from the central highway, and the electrical network will have to be reconnected, taking into account powerful equipment.

Despite this, the overall picture tips the scales towards electricity. For premises where there is no gas or where there is no possibility of supplying it, it is a real salvation.

Reviews

I warm up a room at the dacha of 15 square meters with two oil heaters. Suitable for temporary short-term residence. But my plans include stove heating, since I plan to spend more time at the dacha in the winter.

After the rise in gas prices, I installed an electrode boiler, which operates on the “Winter-Summer” principle. I'm happy with the boiler; its area of ​​25 square meters heats up perfectly. But before installing the equipment, I insulated the dacha for better heat retention.

At first I decided to install a boiler, but I realized that the system would still be expensive and then I would have to live in the country to pay for it. Therefore, I decided to heat the dacha with a homemade potbelly stove. I am at the dacha several days during the winter, so this type of heating suits me quite well.

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Sunday, October 05, 2014 01:22 + to quote book

How to heat at least a small room or heat/cook food in the absence of such an achievement of civilization as electricity? The review contains advice and instructions from people who have already encountered such a pressing problem.

In a situation where the room is cold, the heating is not working and the electric heater either cannot be turned on, or not in the right way - there is no light, for example - anyone can find themselves. And Lugansk residents are already familiar with the ban on using electric heaters due to the danger of overloading power lines, which could lead to a complete shutdown of the city from electricity, as the Lugansk City Council warns about almost daily.

And if in the summer, in the absence of light, the only question is how to prepare food, then with the onset of cold weather, the problem of heating the room becomes no less acute.

But, as they say, the need for invention is cunning. And Luhansk residents are not the only ones who are faced with the problem of heating a room in the absence of basic amenities of civilization. Below we have collected popular and tried-and-true methods for heating a small (!) room, heating food and improvised heating pads from scrap materials.

Read also: DIY decorative cover for a septic tank

Electricity is a worthy replacement for gas due to its absence

Economical, efficient heating of a private home or cottage without gas should be more focused on maintaining familiar living conditions. The level of comfort determines the choice of an alternative heating method, and today’s technology provides ample room for maneuver. The availability of electricity will allow you to achieve gas savings in the cold season. It is not without reason that many owners of country houses and country cottages, due to the lack of technical capabilities for connecting to the gas main, prefer electric heating systems.

Compared to other heating devices, electric heating devices have almost 100% efficiency. An electric boiler is easy to maintain and inexpensive. In this case, there is no need for exhaust hood and chimney equipment.

Electricity remains by far the most affordable alternative to gas heating when considering efficiency and ease of maintenance.

In addition to installing an electric boiler for a water heating system in a house, convectors, heat guns and infrared emitters are actively used to heat small residential buildings. The installation of heated floors in a private home is becoming a fashionable phenomenon today. The technology is quite new, however, it has already proven its effectiveness. The variety of heat sources offered gives you the opportunity to make a choice as to how best to heat your home.

In the event that a heated floor is your main source of heating residential premises, the power of the equipment should be 150-180 W per m2 of living space. Warm floors must have an area of ​​at least 70-80% of the total area of ​​the building itself. Otherwise, the expected heating effect will be negligible.

When heating a private home using other methods, you can achieve even higher economic indicators. Without gas, an economical and uninterrupted source of thermal energy in your area can be obtained using a heat pump. The operating principle of the equipment is based on the difference in temperature, deep in the soil and on the surface. With the help of a heat pump, which really costs a lot of money, you can provide yourself with an almost eternal source of heat in a country house. The effectiveness of this system is confirmed by simple calculations. An indicator of the successful operation of a heat pump is the heat conversion coefficient (COR).

Eg. When a heat pump consumes 1 kW of electricity necessary to ensure the operation of the entire system (Htn), the heat conversion coefficient (COP) is 3.0, which means:

Rtn x COP = 3 kW Rp energy output. The savings and efficiency of this heating method are more than obvious.

There is no clear answer to the question whether it is more profitable to heat a private house with gas or other types of fuel. In each individual case, the presence of a variety of factors plays a role, not least of which are the economic and technical capabilities of the consumer.

Instead of gas for heating, you can use almost any fuel. Another thing is how well you can fully heat your own home in cold weather and create comfortable living conditions for yourself. When faced with a situation like this, the choice is yours. How to save money and make your heating costs optimal depends on you, on your attitude to the very fact of saving energy and technical capabilities.

• Design and calculation of a brick fireplace with your own hands
• How to lay and insulate heating pipes in the ground?
• Why do you need a plinth for heating pipes?
• Selecting ribbed registers, radiators and heating pipes
• How to hide a heating pipe?

Comparative analysis based on other criteria

In addition to the questions: the cheaper it is to heat a house, fuel consumption and efficiency, various heat generation options can be compared according to other parameters:

1. From an environmental point of view, it is better to use equipment that runs on electricity. Then there is a gas boiler and combined gas-electricity systems.
2. Electric convectors and infrared emitters have advantages in terms of complexity and cost of maintenance. The most demanding in terms of this parameter will be solid fuel systems, which require daily cleaning and loading.
3. In terms of installation complexity, hybrid systems rank first, for example, solar collectors - gas boiler. The easiest to install is electrical equipment, followed by solid fuel boilers. Gas devices are installed, tested, and serviced only by special organizations and require a large number of permits.
4. According to safety criteria, any heating system can lead to unpleasant consequences if used incorrectly. Possible electric shocks, fires, and gas explosions.

Nuances of operation

Heating systems have their own operating characteristics depending on the quality of installation and type of equipment.

Systems of the same type work differently because:

• fuel of a different quality is used;
• coolant parameters differ;
• a local zone of low pressure has formed in the expansion tank;
• air is sucked into the circuit due to a leak;
• air diffusion occurs through the surface of pipes made of plastic;
• During the installation of the pipeline, plugs were allowed to form, for example, when soldering pipes.

About fuel storage

To prepare a supply of firewood for the entire season, you will need a room protected from moisture. Coal, briquettes and pellets also require special storage conditions.

To contain liquid fuels, you will need a plastic or metal container, which should not be in the basement.

Equipment service

Primary and additional heating in a cottage or private house require periodic inspection, repair and replacement of components. The following signs indicate the need for work:

• Coolant is leaking from radiators and pipes;
• seething or noise is heard in the system;
• uneven heating in different rooms and floors;
• The system functions worse than at startup.

Possible causes of problems:

• design errors;
• the tightness of the connections is broken;
• Radiators are installed incorrectly;
• air pockets interfere with coolant circulation;
• equipment was installed in bad faith;
• due to incorrect connections, the system was unbalanced;
• use of low-quality components.

Solid fuel boilers and stoves

How to heat a house inexpensively? The most accessible and initially cheapest option for heating a country house today is the use of ordinary firewood. This is an old and proven safe type of fuel. But if in a simple small village house firewood and a small stove are enough for people, then for a modern country house this will not be enough. And here special boilers that run on solid fuel will come to the rescue.

As a rule, firewood produces a large amount of heat. Therefore, using them you can also heat the room, cook food and heat water if necessary. If we are talking about heating a large house with several rooms, then one boiler or stove will not be enough. Here special batteries or radiators will come to the rescue, which will distribute heat throughout all rooms from the main source installed in a certain place. Heat will circulate throughout the heating system. If desired, you can make such a system adjustable, which will allow you to heat some rooms and leave others cold.

Today, there are 3 main types of solid fuel boilers. These are pyrolysis units, classic devices and gas generator boilers. Each model has both its undeniable advantages and disadvantages. Classic installations are considered the most inexpensive and in demand. They are not that expensive, they work almost uninterruptedly and without serious breakdowns.

But still, the cheapest thing for a country house would be to acquire a regular wood-burning stove. Such economical heating will help solve several problems at once. You can cook food and heat water on it. At the same time, the stove will perfectly warm the air in the room. And in regions with a particularly harsh climate, such a stove is convenient because you can also sleep on it.

Wood stove in a private house

You can either build a stove in your home yourself, or invite a specialist to assemble it according to a finished project. It all depends on the financial resources of the homeowner. If you approach this issue wisely, you can make a wood-burning stove that will not only be highly functional, but will also fit perfectly into the interior. An example of such an installation is shown in the photo.

But when choosing this heating option, some disadvantages should be taken into account. So, you will have to constantly load firewood into the oven. If coal is used, then this can be done a little less often. When using the stove, you will need to strictly monitor compliance with safety rules. Another significant disadvantage for many homeowners is that when using the stove you will need to constantly remove debris and ash. And this can only be done mechanically. Therefore, you will have to give up carpets in a room with a stove in advance.

How to heat a house without using electricity and gas has now become clear. Is it cheaper to do this? Such a question cannot be answered immediately. Here a lot will depend on related factors. But still, now there are many options for alternative heating. Therefore, you can always find the most suitable solution for yourself.

Heaters

Depending on the operating principle and heat source, heaters are divided into oil, infrared, gas, etc.

Oil heater

What is an oil heater? This is the reservoir in which the heating element is located. Oil is also poured in there. Oil was not chosen as a coolant by chance: it takes a long time to heat up, but then, after maximum heating, it is able to maintain a high temperature for a long time.

This device has other advantages:

• relatively low price;
• mobility (unlike a battery, the heater can be moved to any place in the room or country house);
• there are no foreign odors or noise during its operation;
• When heating, it does not dry out the air in the room.

The disadvantages include the following:

• the oil heats up very slowly, so you will have to wait a long time for the air in the room to warm up. Oil heaters equipped with a fan do not have this drawback, although they are more expensive;
• Due to the massive body and the oil poured into the tank, these devices are quite heavy. If you have a two-story cottage, then when moving the device from one floor to another this can turn into a big problem;
• Due to the high heating temperature of the housing, there is a risk of burns. This is especially important in families with children;
• considerable cost of energy consumption during prolonged heating of the heater.

Infrared heater

An infrared heater has a completely different operating principle. The temperature rise there occurs due to the action of infrared rays (hence the name). They act like the sun's rays: they pass freely through the air without heating it. When some “obstacle” (person, animal, furniture, etc.) is encountered along the way, infrared rays are absorbed by it, and at the same time the temperature of this object or living creature rises. Thus, infrared heaters do not warm the air, but us and all objects that are in their zone of action. And now we give this heat to the air, increasing its temperature.

Infrared heaters can be installed on any surface: floor, wall or ceiling. They have tip-over protection, which immediately turns off the device after a fall. They also have other advantages:

• these devices do not waste time on prolonged warming up, like oil devices, but begin to give off heat immediately after switching on;
• they operate silently, do not create odor and do not burn oxygen in the room;
• Many models have sensors that prevent the device from overheating and maintain the temperature at the level desired by the owner.

Infrared heaters are not without their disadvantages:

• quite high price compared to oil heaters;
• limited distance between the device and an object/person, beyond which the effect of the device is no longer felt;
• If you stay in the area of ​​infrared rays for a long time, your health may deteriorate: headache, dry skin and eyes.

Convectors: electric and gas

A slightly different type of heating device, which is often used to heat country houses during the cold season, are convectors. The principle of their operation is based on the property of cold air to sink down, displacing warm air from there. The latter rises up, cools there and falls down again. This is how natural air circulation occurs - convection. She gave the device its name – convector.

An electric convector consists of a housing, in the upper and lower parts of which there are air intake openings. There is a heating element located inside the housing. Cold air enters the housing from below and flows around the heating element. At this time, its temperature rises, and a hot air flow comes out of the case through the upper holes, which immediately rises up to the ceiling. There it gives off its heat to the surrounding space, cools and sinks down again. This heats up the room.

Advantages of convectors:

• warms up the air in the room very quickly;
• unlike heaters, the body of convectors hardly heats up, so it is impossible to get burned on it;
• fairly low noise level;
• The temperature sensor helps control the heat level in the room and turns off the device when the desired temperature is reached. Thanks to this, energy savings occur.

There is nothing ideal in the world, so convectors also have disadvantages:

• while the convector is operating, the humidity level decreases, the air becomes very dry;
• high electricity consumption;
• Without a working convector, the air cools very quickly, so the device must be turned on constantly.

Heating with solid fuel

The closest alternative to gas in domestic realities can be called solid fuel: firewood, peat, coal or briquettes. In terms of cost, solid fuel heating boilers are somewhat cheaper than gas boilers; they do not require such strict control of safety systems, but that is where their advantages end.

Basically, wood-burning boilers or fireplaces are seriously considered as the main method of heating a home in cases where, over the next few decades, the slightly higher cost of fuel does not compare with the cost of connecting to the gas supply system. Such heating equipment is not without its drawbacks: the boiler needs to be constantly replenished with fuel, combustion produces a significant amount of soot and ash, and there are difficulties with adjusting power.

We like comfort, you can't argue with that. But there are also positive changes in the development of solid fuel heating equipment designed to improve ease of use. The simplest solution for civil residential buildings can be called long-burning boilers: they are loaded at intervals of one to several days, and the combustion intensity is approximately the same both at the beginning and at the end of the cycle. Modern solid fuel boilers, equipped with automatic devices, are able to maintain the coolant temperature with an accuracy of 2-3 °C by regulating the air supply necessary to maintain combustion.

The most technologically advanced in this regard are heating units that are specifically designed for the use of a special type of fuel - briquettes and pellets. In the latter case, it is possible to install a bunker, as well as automatic fuel supply and ash removal mechanisms. If such equipment is available, the home owner will have to visit the boiler room quite rarely, from 3-4 days to several weeks, it all depends on the storage capacity. Problems with the formation of soot and tar are also eliminated: the prepared fuel has extremely low humidity and does not cause condensation of moisture from the exhaust gases.

Comparison

Operating costs

Here's how our participants line up when assessing their cost-effectiveness:

1. The undisputed leader is solar heat. Collectors convert it into heating coolant completely free of charge. Electricity is consumed only by circulation pumps;

Pitched roof with solar collectors.

1. In second place is a solid fuel boiler that runs on wood. Yes, yes, I am aware that we are in the 21st century. These are Russian realities: in the absence of main gas and with short daylight hours, firewood is still more economical than all other heat sources and provides a cost per kilowatt-hour of 0.9 - 1.1 rubles;
2. Third place is shared by pellets and coal. Depending on local energy prices, a kilowatt-hour of heat obtained by burning them will cost 1.4-1.6 rubles;
3. Liquefied gas from a gas tank provides a kilowatt-hour cost of 2.3 rubles;
4. The use of cylinders increases it to 2.8 - 3 rubles;

The gas cylinder station will allow you not to change the cylinder every day.

1. Liquid fuel boilers running on diesel fuel produce heat with an average cost of about 3.2 rubles/kWh;

1. The obvious outsiders are electric boilers. The price of a kilowatt-hour of heat obtained by heating water with a heating element or any other direct heating device is equal to the cost of a kilowatt-hour of electricity and, at current rates, is approximately 4 rubles.

Induction electric boiler. Its undoubted advantage is reliability. But in terms of efficiency, it is no different from a device with heating elements.

Installation costs

How much will it cost to install heating in a country house or country house?

In order not to cause confusion due to the variation in the parameters of the heating system, I will compare the average cost of heat sources of the same rated power - 15 kW.

Gas boiler - from 25 thousand rubles;

• Pellet boiler - from 110,000;
• Electric boiler - from 7000;
• Solid fuel boiler - 20,000;
• Liquid fuel (diesel or exhaust) - from 30,000;
• Solar collectors with a total power of 45 kW (three times the power reserve compensates for downtime in the dark) - from 700,000 rubles.

Downtime at night has to be compensated for by the number of collectors.

Obviously, only wood and coal provide a reasonable balance between the cost of a kilowatt-hour of heat and the heating equipment itself. A good alternative to them - used oil - cannot participate on equal terms in our competition due to the inaccessibility of this energy carrier.

Free solar heat turns out to be prohibitively expensive at the installation stage: the cost of a thermal energy accumulator will be added to the exorbitant costs of the collectors themselves.

Diagram of a heating system with solar collectors.

Ease of use

Laziness, as you know, is the engine of progress. You want to heat your home not only cheaply, but also with minimal expenditure of time and effort.

What are the different heating options with autonomy?

1. Electric boilers are in the lead. They work indefinitely and do not require any maintenance at all. The coolant temperature can be adjusted automatically using a remote electronic thermostat. Electrical equipment allows you to program daily and weekly cycles (for example, reduce the temperature while you are away);

Remote thermostat for an electric boiler.

1. A gas boiler with a gas tank provides autonomy for several months, or even an entire season. It differs unfavorably from an electric boiler in the need to remove combustion products, so the location of the device is tied to the ventilation, chimney or external walls of a private house;
2. The autonomy of a liquid fuel device is limited only by the volume of the fuel tank;

Diesel boiler room.

1. The use of several parallel-connected cylinders reduces the autonomy of heating equipment by up to a week;
2. A pellet boiler can work approximately the same amount of time on one load;
3. A solid fuel boiler needs to be topped up every few hours and the ash pan needs to be periodically cleaned. This period can be increased by limiting the thermal power with a covered air damper, but in this case, incomplete combustion of the fuel will reduce the efficiency of the device and, accordingly, increase the owner’s heating costs.

What's the result? But in the end, comrades, we have to choose between the limited autonomy of a pellet boiler with its rather high cost, the continuous kindling of a solid fuel appliance and the sky-high cost of thermal energy from an electric boiler.

The main problem with solid fuel heating is frequent lighting.

Metal furnaces

Once upon a time they were called potbelly stoves. This name dates back to the distant times of the civil war and subsequent devastation, when the simplest joys of life were associated with great wealth.

Much has changed since then, but an iron stove is still called a potbelly stove. They look different now. Many of them are equipped with fireproof glass windows, but their essence has not changed - they heat up quickly and cool down just as quickly.

Maybe that’s why this stove was called a potbelly stove, because maintaining a constantly high temperature requires a lot of wood, bourgeois style.

Folk fantasy

In the Siberian taiga huts, where it is possible to install a cast-iron stove, but it is difficult to deliver bricks, the potbelly stove is lined on three sides with large stones, rolled in by the river. It turns out beautiful and functional - the stones heat up and slowly release heat to the air.

This technique is quite applicable in the conditions of a country house - when the house is built, but the heating is not yet ready. To some extent, stones perform fire-fighting functions, absorbing random sparks and excess heat. Stone structures can serve as a reason for the designer’s flights of fancy.

The efficiency of a metal stove will increase if you equip it with a coil for heating water and connect heating batteries to it.

Heater + camping stove for heating food from cans - alcohol lamp

The design is known abroad as an alcohol stove, or in Russian - an alcohol lamp. The Swedish army has even adopted it.

Alcohol is used because it does not smoke when burned. This means the dishes remain clean and no soot or smoke floats in the air. The design is as simple as 3 kopecks and can be repeated in a few minutes from any available materials. For example, a beer can, coffee can or condensed milk can be used as a donor for the stove.

More specifically: you need a small iron container with an iron lid, or you will have to cover it with something.

The author used a can of Korenovsky condensed milk - it is convenient because there is an almost airtight lid on top, but even without it everything will work if there is a flat-bottomed dish on top.

So: we take a jar, a ruler, a strip of checkered leaves and a marker or any drawing or scratching object.

1. Mark a stripe on the can, moving one third from the top. The easiest way to do this is by spinning the jar while holding the marker in one position.

2. We wrap a strip of paper around the edge of the mark and fasten it with a piece of tape or glue.

3. We begin to drill, pierce with an awl or cut holes with a knife along the marked strip. In this case, I made a series of holes with a diameter of 0.8 mm through 10 mm and through 5 mm - decide for yourself which option is better for you. You can see how they burn below. A small hole diameter for proper combustion is better than a large one, but you can make 3-5 holes a centimeter each. The uniformity of the holes is a purely aesthetic point in order to get a beautiful crown of flame like from a regular gas stove. All!

Well, not quite of course, now we’re learning how to light it up. You need to add alcohol and close the lid, 50 ml burns for 15 minutes or more. Place on a non-flammable surface and shake lightly so that the alcohol flows a little onto the outside of the jar through the holes. We light the alcohol outside and wait until it burns out. We repeat the procedure until we get a self-sustaining flame from improvised nozzles around the can. Usually it is enough to repeat 2-3 times and everything starts working on its own.

Its operating principle is simple: the flame heats the walls of the jar, the heat is transferred down the walls to the alcohol, the alcohol boils near the walls and the pressure inside increases, the alcohol vapor comes out under pressure through the holes and mixes with air and burns beautifully. Now we put a pot, a kettle, a mug on top, or we just warm ourselves around the stove - it gives a lot of heat and burns for a long time.

For greater heat transfer, you can place a homemade alcohol lamp in a larger iron container, which would heat up and release heat:

​

The smaller the number of holes, the harder it is to light, but the less fuel consumption and less heat from it. A liter of water boils in less than 10 minutes. It is resistant to wind, extinguish by covering, add as much fuel as needed, otherwise you will have to wait for it to burn out or pour the hot alcohol back into the container, which is not safe.

Similar options “for one mug” from a tin can with a filler hole that is closed with a coin and from an aerosol can:

conclusions

They are disappointing. A cheaper alternative to gas heating that will work in any climate is a myth. At current gas prices, it remains the most profitable source of heat. But his prospects, alas, are gloomy: gas prices will quickly rise, and the price ratio may yet change towards electricity.

Let us repeat - this is far from the only point of view. The video at the end of the article covers this topic differently; You will probably be interested in hearing another position. Warm winters!

Today, natural gas is the most popular and affordable type of fuel for domestic needs and heating. However, fossil reserves are not unlimited, the cost of gas is rising, and connecting to the main line is often impossible or insanely expensive. This forces us to look for other, less conventional ways to heat our homes.

How to save energy?

Follow these tips to make electric heating in a private home more economical:

• use multi-tariff electricity metering, since at night the tariff is much lower than during the day;
• use non-electric heat sources during business hours;
• install thermostats in the rooms;
• give preference to underfloor heating systems;
• traditional advice: try to insulate the house or the external wall of the apartment as much as possible.

There is no need to neglect automation tools that can help reduce the temperature in unused rooms. And in general, you should not reject any means that will help you reduce energy costs.

Create a project for an optimal electric heating system. For example, a small one-room apartment can be heated by an electric boiler (provided that the heat loss is quite small). But in a house with a large number of rooms, it may no longer cope with the task fully.

In this situation, the best option would be to install a convector system with thermostats that will control the climate in each room. Infrared panels are the optimal solution for outbuildings where there is no need to maintain a constant temperature.

Idea 1 Compact model for local heating

The simplest way to make an electric heater is this one. To get started, prepare the following materials:

• 2 identical rectangular glasses, each with an area of ​​about 25 cm2 (for example, dimensions 4*6 cm);
• a piece of aluminum foil, the width of which is no greater than the width of the glass;
• cable for connecting an electric heater (copper, two-wire, with plug);
• paraffin candle;
• epoxy adhesive;
• sharp scissors;
• pliers;
• wooden block;
• sealant;
• several ear sticks;
• clean cloth.

As you can see, the materials for assembling a homemade electric heater are not at all scarce, and most importantly, everything can be at hand. So, you can make a small electric heater with your own hands using the following step-by-step instructions:

1. Wipe the glass thoroughly with a cloth to remove dirt and dust.
2. Using pliers, carefully grab the glass by the edge and burn one side with a candle. The soot should evenly cover the entire surface. Similarly, you need to burn one of the sides of the second glass. In order for carbon deposits to settle on the surface better, it is recommended to cool the glass before assembling the electric heater.
3. After the glass pieces have cooled, carefully use ear sticks to clean the edges no more than 5 mm around the entire perimeter.
4. Cut two strips of foil, the width exactly corresponding to the width of the smoked area on the glass.
5. Apply glue to the glass over the entire burned surface (it is conductive).
6. Place the pieces of foil as shown in the photo below. Then apply glue to the other half and connect them.
7. Then seal all joints.
8. Using a tester, measure the resistance of your homemade heater yourself. After this, calculate its power using the formula: P=I 2 *R. About how to use a multimeter. We talked about it in the corresponding article. If the power does not exceed the permissible values, proceed to complete the assembly. If the power is too high, you need to redo the heating element - make the carbon layer thicker (the resistance will become less).
9. Glue the ends of the foil to one of the sides.
10. Make a stand from a block, installing contact pads on it connected to an electrical cord.

Using this technology you can make an electric mini heater with your own hands. The maximum heating temperature will be about 40 o. which will be quite enough for local heating. However, such a homemade product will, of course, not be enough to heat a room, so below we will provide more efficient options for homemade electric heaters.