A neighbor taught me how to increase heat transfer from the battery. Now it's summer in my apartment

Residents of apartments equipped with a central heating system often notice that from year to year the efficiency of heating the premises becomes less and less. They have to add additional heat sources - electric radiators, which heat efficiently, but locally. In addition, electricity bills significantly increase your overall utility bills.

There is another way out of the situation - using simple ways to increase the heat transfer of a central heating radiator.

There is no need to invite a specialist or purchase additional tools - everything can be done with your own hands, using available tools.

How to regulate radiators

To understand how temperature regulation occurs, let’s remember how a heating radiator works.
It is a labyrinth of pipes with different types of fins to increase heat transfer. Hot water enters the radiator inlet, passing through the labyrinth, it heats the metal. This, in turn, heats the air around it. Due to the fact that modern radiators have specially shaped fins that improve air movement (convection), hot air spreads very quickly. During active heating, there is a noticeable flow of heat from the radiators. This battery is very hot. In this case, the regulator needs to be installed

From all this it follows that by changing the amount of coolant passing through the battery, you can change the temperature in the room (within certain limits). This is what the corresponding fittings do - control valves and thermostats.

Let's say right away that no regulators can increase heat transfer. They only lower it. If the room is hot, install it; if it’s cold, this is not your option.

How effectively the temperature of the batteries changes depends, firstly, on how the system is designed, whether there is a reserve power of the heating devices, and secondly, on how correctly the regulators themselves are selected and installed. The inertia of the system as a whole, and the heating devices themselves, plays a significant role. For example, aluminum heats up and cools down quickly, while cast iron, which has a large mass, changes temperature very slowly. So there is no point in changing anything with cast iron: it takes too long to wait for the result.

Options for connecting and installing control valves. But to be able to repair the radiator without stopping the system, you need to install a ball valve before the regulator (click on the picture to enlarge its size)

How to effectively increase the heat transfer of a central heating battery?

A centralized heating system involves heating the coolant in the boiler room and further distributing it to living quarters using a system of pipes and radiators. In order for heating to be as efficient and uniform as possible, it is necessary to select the right radiators, as well as take additional measures to increase heat transfer.

In the long term, knowing how to increase the heat output of a central heating battery will help the owner achieve maximum comfortable and smooth heating of his home, and permanently solve the problem of cold in the apartment when the heating system is on.

What determines the level of heat transfer from a heating battery?

To understand the operation of various methods of increasing heat output, it is necessary to become familiar with the variables that affect the efficiency of a central heating radiator located in an apartment.

In general understanding, the level of heat transfer from a radiator depends on the following factors:

• the material from which it is made;
• number of sections affecting the heat transfer area;
• type of radiator piping;
• coolant circulation speed;
• water heating level.

There are also indirect factors due to which the heating battery connected to the circuit does not operate at full capacity, these are:

1. formation of air jams;
2. clogging of radiators from the inside with solder, plaque or scale;
3. use of decorative boxes;
4. applying multiple layers of paint to the battery;
5. external contamination of the radiator with dust.

Improved air convection

Among the simplest methods that will help you understand how to increase the heat transfer of a heating pipe with your own hands is the use of the laws of convection. Often, in apartments, radiators are filled with pieces of furniture, protected by decorative boxes or hidden behind heavy curtains. All these elements prevent air circulation and it is quite difficult to achieve comfortable temperature conditions in the room, even if the central heating is operating at full power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7db920Q1zho

To optimize air flow speed, it is necessary to free up as much space around the radiator as possible.

Without encountering obstacles in its path, the air heated by the battery will move freely around the room and provide the maximum heating level provided by the radiator power.

Using an electric fan to improve convection

Owners who are well aware of the physical laws according to which heating, sewerage and water supply are designed in houses, understand that the speed of air circulation affects the heat transfer of the battery. The faster the air circulates in a room, the more heat it can pick up from the radiator over a given period of time.

To improve natural convection, electric fans can be installed near radiators. Preference should be given to silent models that consume a minimum amount of electricity. The fan should be installed at a certain angle to the battery. This simple method is quite effective. It is able to raise the temperature in the room by several degrees.

Arranging a reflective screen

Foil for radiators can be used as a tool to increase heat transfer, which will help direct the flow of thermal energy into the room. From radiators not equipped with a reflective screen, heat radiates in all directions, including to cold external walls. The screen helps focus the direction of heat flow and increase the temperature in the room.

The design of the screen is simple and accessible. It should have a larger area than the area of ​​​​the radiators, and be installed on a clean wall behind the battery. Instead of foil, you can use foil-isolon - a special material that has a foam base on one side and is covered with reflective foil on the other. You need to mount the screen on the wall using any high-quality construction adhesive.

Ways to increase heat transfer

From the point of view of releasing the maximum amount of heat into space, it is less effective than a pipe, perhaps a ball. It has an even worse surface to volume ratio.

What did the ancestors do to make these monstrous heating devices warm?

How to increase the heat transfer of a pipe?

Increased infrared radiation from the heating device. Simply painting the register with matte black paint gave a noticeable warming effect in the room. By the way, the current chrome plating of modern bathroom coils looks impressive, but from the point of view of the heat transfer of the device, it is pure idiocy.

The heat transfer of steel pipes can also be increased due to fins welded or otherwise mounted on the outside of the pipe. The final stage of implementation of this method is a convector, a coil of pipe with transverse plates. Of course, in this case, all methods for calculating the heat transfer of a pipe are not applicable - the pipe gives off a smaller portion of the heat in this device.

Install a reflective screen behind the battery

The battery distributes heat in all directions, that is, it also heats the wall facing the street. A reflective screen attached to the wall behind the radiator will help direct all the heat into the room. The most affordable option is made from foil-isolon - a foamed synthetic material (polyethylene) covered with foil on one side. You can use regular baking foil.

From sheet material you need to cut a screen wider and 10-20 cm higher than the radiator, place it behind the battery with the foil side in the room. To secure the screen, any glue, liquid nails or double-sided tape will do.

The foam material will trap air, thereby creating additional thermal insulation, and the foil will reflect heat, directing it into the room.

Frequent reasons for a decrease in heat transfer from a heating battery

Most often, the reason for the decrease in heat transfer from radiators is scale and rust that accumulates inside. If the radiator itself is flushed (which utilities should do annually), the heat transfer will increase significantly. The same applies to heating risers. However, it will not be possible to carry out such a procedure on your own due to the fact that when carrying out such work (even in summer), it is necessary to drain the water from the system. You can’t do this without the help of specialists. The same applies to replacing radiators from cast iron to bimetallic ones - they have greater heat transfer. Therefore, we will not dwell on such complex and time-consuming options. It’s better to consider simpler methods that any home craftsman can do, even without experience in this field.

The heat output of bimetallic radiators is higher than that of cast iron

We use a reflective screen: the use of foamed polyethylene

Using a reflective screen is a fairly popular method of increasing heat transfer. Foamed polyethylene with a foil coating on one side is perfect for these purposes. Such a screen (it should be larger than the radiator itself) is placed behind the radiator with foil in the direction of the room and fixed to the wall with double-sided tape or liquid nails. Foamed polyethylene provides additional insulation, and the foil reflects the heat that warmed the wall before installing the screen, directing it into the room.

Important information! It is best when such moments are thought through at the stage of installing heating radiators. In this case, a steel ribbed shield can be attached to the radiator, which will accumulate heat and then direct it into the room. Such panels are convenient if heating outages occur frequently.

This is what a foiled polyethylene foam screen looks like

Also, basalt slabs with aluminum coating have worked well as a screen.

Increasing heat transfer with additional accessories and painting

To increase the air temperature in the room, special aluminum casings are used, which are placed on the radiator. With their help, the area of ​​the heating battery increases and, as a result, their heat transfer. The cost of such casings is low, but the effect is quite significant.

The color the radiators are painted is also of great importance. It is better to choose darker shades for these purposes. For example, a radiator painted brown has 20-25% more heat transfer than white ones.

This casing improves appearance and increases heat transfer

Improving convection by increasing air circulation

Everyone knows that improving air circulation helps the room warm up faster. For these purposes, you can use a fan, which is installed in such a way as to achieve maximum flow of warm air towards the room.

Helpful information! If you have computer coolers at home that are not in use, you can install them under the radiator, directing the air flow upward. This will maximize convection, causing the room to become significantly warmer.

You can increase convection (if the radiator is recessed under the window sill) by cutting holes in the window sill and covering them with screens or decorative covers. Thus, warm air will not linger in the niche, which will improve circulation.

It's impossible to win this country! Self-installation of fans to improve convection:

Determination of heat transfer

To correctly select the size of registers for space heating in accordance with heat loss, it is necessary to know the heat transfer value of a 1 meter long pipe. This value depends on the diameter used and the temperature difference between the coolant and the environment. The temperature difference is determined by the formula:

∆t= 0.5·(t1 + t2) – tк,

where t1 and t2 are the temperatures at the inlet and outlet of the boiler, respectively;

tk – temperature in the heated room.

The heat transfer table for 1 m of steel pipe will help you quickly determine the approximate value of the amount of heat received from the register. Despite the fact that the result is very approximate, this method is the most convenient and does not require complex calculations.

For reference: 1 BTU/hour · ft2 ·oF = 5.678 W/m2K = 4.882 kcal/hour · m2 ·oC.

The table shows what the heat transfer of steel pipes in an air environment will be at certain temperature changes. For intermediate temperature differences, calculations are performed by interpolation.

To more accurately determine the amount of heat produced by a steel pipe, you should use the classic formula:

Q=K ·F · ∆t,

where: Q – heat transfer, W;

K – heat transfer coefficient, W/(m2 0С);

F – surface area, m2;

∆t – temperature difference, 0С.

The principle of determining ∆t was described above, and the value of F is found using a simple geometric formula for the surface of a cylinder: F = π d l,

where π = 3.14, and d and l are the diameter and length of the pipe, respectively, m.

When calculating a section 1 m long, the formula takes the form Q = 3.14·K·d·∆t.

Note: when determining the heat transfer of a single pipe, it is enough to substitute the reference value of the heat transfer coefficient for steel when transferring heat from water to air, which is 11.3 W/(m2 0C). For a heating device, the K value depends not only on the material from which the pipes are made, but also on their diameter and the number of threads, since they influence each other.

The average values ​​of heat transfer coefficients for the most popular types of heating devices are shown in the table.

Important! When substituting values ​​into formulas, you must carefully monitor the units of measurement. All quantities must have dimensions that are consistent with each other

Thus, the heat transfer coefficient found in kcal/(hour m2 0С) must be converted to W/(m2 0С), taking into account that 1 kcal/hour = 1.163 W.

Of course, the heat transfer table for steel pipes allows you to get results faster than calculations using formulas, but if accuracy is important, you will have to tinker a little.

To determine the required register size, the required thermal output must be divided by the heat output of 1 meter, rounded up to the nearest whole number. As a guide, you can take the average data for an insulated room up to 3 m high: 1 m of register with a diameter of 60 mm is capable of heating 1 m2 of room.

Note: As can be seen from the table, the K coefficient for steel pipes can vary from 8 to 12.5 kcal/(hour m2 0C). Increasing the diameters and number of threads leads to a decrease in the efficiency of heat transfer. In this regard, to increase the heat transfer of the register, preference should be given to increasing the length of the elements.

It is also necessary to take into account that large pipes require an increased volume of water in the system, which creates additional load on the boiler. The recommended distance between the threads is equal to the diameter of the pipes plus another 50 mm.

If the system is filled not with water, but with a non-freezing liquid, then this significantly affects the heat transfer of the register and requires an increase in its size after additional calculations. This is especially true when using devices with heating elements and oil as a coolant.

Steel pipeline is a fairly strong, durable product with good heat dissipation. Registers made of smooth pipes can have various configurations, are very easy to maintain and do not require periodic washing. This allows them to successfully compete with lightweight bimetallic and aluminum heating devices, as well as with traditional “indestructible” cast iron radiators.

Water and gas pipes are widely used in external heating networks when laid open due to their high rigidity and wear resistance. The feasibility of using steel pipes for space heating is determined by operating conditions, financial capabilities and aesthetic taste of the owners. The use of registers is most justified in production and technical premises, but in other cases they have their advantages.

Author (Site Expert): Irina Chernetskaya

Bimetallic heating radiators

Comparative characteristics with other types of batteries

The photo shows a tall narrow device.

First you need to understand what kind of heating radiators there are, and how they differ from each other.

We list the main types:

• Cast iron batteries are one of the most common types, found in most Soviet-era apartments. It is a system of connected cast iron sections with fairly thick walls and a large mass. It is characterized by high strength and durability, but has low efficiency and heat transfer, and one can also note high thermal inertia;
• Steel tubular registers are a system of pipes of sufficiently large diameter, or one pipe in the form of an S-shaped bend (for example, a heated towel rail). This type of device is usually installed in large premises - concert halls, cinemas, sports complexes, supermarkets. They are distinguished by high power and large volume of coolant;
• Steel heating panels. They are welded profiled steel plates, inside of which there are channels for coolant circulation. They have a fairly low resistance to water hammer and low strength, are susceptible to corrosion and are not very reliable;
• Aluminum radiators are a more modern type of battery, which is characterized by increased heat transfer and efficiency, low coolant volume and low weight of the device. Due to low thermal inertia, they lend themselves well to automatic and manual temperature control. They are demanding on the quality of the coolant and its acidity, have average strength and service life;
• Copper batteries are a system of tubes with plate fins. They are distinguished by the highest heat transfer and efficiency, high strength and resistance to water hammer, lack of corrosion and long service life. The only drawback of copper units is the high price;
• Bimetallic radiators resemble aluminum devices in appearance and design, with the difference that the inner walls of the channels are made of steel or copper. In this way, it is possible to increase the efficiency and heat transfer of the battery, but maintain its strength and durability.

A cast iron battery familiar to many.

To understand the main distinguishing feature of a bimetallic device, you should better understand its design. The main task of any liquid-cooled battery is to ensure maximum heat transfer from the coolant to the environment, while at the same time having a sufficient supply of mechanical and corrosion strength for long-term efficient operation.

The degree of heat transfer directly depends on the thermal conductivity of the metal and the thickness of the walls. The most thermally conductive materials are aluminum and copper, so the most efficient devices are made of non-ferrous metals.

The most efficient radiators are made from copper.

On the other hand, steel and ferrous metals demonstrate the highest strength. But they are susceptible to corrosion and have low thermal conductivity. At the same time, steel is much cheaper than copper and aluminum, which is also an advantage.

The design of the bimetallic radiator is distinguished by the fact that the internal walls of the channels are made of durable anti-corrosion steel or pure copper, and the external walls and fins are made of lightweight and heat-conducting aluminum. This solution made it possible to combine the advantages of steel and non-ferrous metals in one device.

The inner surface of the channels and manifold is made of steel.

Important! Bimetallic radiators combine the advantages of products made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, becoming the most progressive and modern type of heating devices

Advantages and disadvantages

The convector fits perfectly into a modern interior.

Let's consider the positive and negative aspects of using units with combined metals in their composition. Let's start with the advantages:

Registers

The simplest design is registers. These are medium- or large-diameter pipes welded at the ends, single or connected in sections by jumper tubes. They can be seen in entrances, at industrial facilities or in private houses with individual heating.

To increase their thermal power, they use a method of increasing the area - thin metal plates are welded. This improves the heat transfer of the battery by almost one and a half times. Compact radiators, the closest relatives of cast iron accordion batteries, have approximately the same heat transfer. Although they are, of course, far from panel bimetallic devices.

To ensure maximum heat transfer from heating radiators, a simple and inexpensive convection method is used. This method involves hanging the device correctly. It is installed as close to the floor as possible, where cold air accumulates, but the gaps necessary for circulation are left, including near the wall itself.

With this installation, the battery sections come into contact with a medium that has the lowest possible temperature under the given conditions, that is, the thermal pressure increases. And the air heated by the registers, thanks to the gaps left, rises freely, and the room is heated faster.

An excellent method is to increase the heat transfer surface area. They do this in different ways:

1. By increasing the total length of the heating pipes by forming them into U-shaped registers.
2. With fins - strictly speaking, this method increases not specifically the thermal conductivity of the steel pipe, but of the entire radiator, but the power increases by 50%.
3. Increasing the number of sections.

Black surfaces have the best heat transfer, but not every interior will fit such a dark battery, which is why this method has not found application. Registers traditionally continue to be painted white.

Experimental data.

First day of the experiment.

All graphs show temperature changes from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The coolant temperature is 42ºС.

The graph shows that the system worked more efficiently while the temperature difference between the air and the battery was large. When the difference decreased, the system stabilized.

The air temperature in the center of the room at a height of 65 cm from the floor rose from 15ºС to 20ºС in 9 hours.

Subsequently, the temperature rose another 0.5ºС.

The fan power consumption was 35.2 Watts.

When, during the experiment, I left my room into the corridor, I immediately felt the temperature difference, because by that time I had already taken off my warm clothes.

I went to the barn and brought out another fan. This fan was not equipped with a power switch, so I connected it through a homemade triac regulator, the design of which is described in detail here.

Well, life has become better, life has become more fun!

Second day of the experiment.

In the morning I again measured the coolant temperature, as well as the air temperature in the room. All values ​​remained unchanged, including the outside temperature.

No changes in temperature were noticed during the day.

Third day of the experiment.

The coolant temperature increased by one degree and amounted to 43ºС.

The temperature outside dropped and reached -15ºС.

At the same time, the temperature in the room increased by another 0.5ºС and reached 21.5ºС.

Fourth day of the experiment.

The coolant temperature is still 43ºС.

The temperature outside in the morning is -15ºС.

The temperature in the room in the morning was 21.5ºС.

Since no significant changes in temperature were noted over the past 24 hours, I decided to increase the air flow and installed a second fan at 10.00.

After 10-15 minutes, the air temperature immediately increased by one degree, and then by another half a degree and reached 23ºС.

Let's go for a walk, I thought, and at 19.00 I turned on both fans at full power. The temperature increased by another degree in two hours and reached 24ºС.

Heated towel rails

The bathroom heated towel rail itself is a clear example of how the heat transfer of a pipe can be improved. The “coil” of the device is nothing more than an artificially increased area of ​​thermal radiation. Since previously they were only part of the general heating branch, it was possible to change the diameter. Therefore, the heat transfer area was increased by simply increasing the length.

By the way, a stainless steel water heated towel rail would look good in black. Shiny and chrome-plated products, although they look beautiful, interfere with heat exchange between the pipe and the environment.

For vertically oriented systems, such as radiators, the method of connecting the inlet and outlet pipes matters. The heat transfer of one device with different installations can change significantly:

• 100% efficiency – diagonal connection (hot water inlet at the top, outlet at the back at the bottom);
• 97% – one-sided with top entrance;
• 88% – lower;
• 80% – reverse diagonal (with bottom entry);
• 78% – one-sided with bottom inlet and outlet of waste water.

Heat loss

No less often, the high thermal conductivity coefficient of a steel pipe must be considered as a negative factor. When heat needs to be delivered to the final point to the consumer with minimal losses, the conductivity of steel should be reduced. This need arises on main pipelines and heating mains laid on the surface.

To reduce it to an insulating shell made of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene, use foil thermal insulation that screens the infrared spectrum of radiation. You can also take steel pipes insulated with several layers of foamed polyethylene in production.

To determine the effectiveness of the insulation used, a standard calculation of the steel pipe is made using the heat transfer coefficient. But the result is multiplied by the efficiency of the insulating material. The difference between the two intermediate results will show how effectively the coolant temperature inside the pipe is maintained. If the figure turns out to be unsatisfactory, the thickness of the insulating shell should be increased or a material with lower thermal conductivity should be selected.

WATCH THE VIDEO

In everyday life, the use of decorative screens or hanging appliances, as is the case with a heated towel rail, leads to heat loss and a decrease in the efficiency of steel heating pipes. It is also undesirable to install such equipment in wall niches. The pipes themselves are not to blame for these losses, since they regularly heat the surrounding air and objects, but what this heat is spent on is a question for the owners.

Calculation of the heat transfer of a pipe is required when designing heating, and is needed to understand how much heat will be required to warm up the premises and how long it will take. If installation is not carried out according to standard designs, then such a calculation is necessary.

Placement of heating devices

It is of great importance not only how to connect heating radiators to each other, but also their correct location in relation to building structures. Traditionally, heating devices are installed along the walls of rooms and locally under windows to reduce the penetration of cold air flows in the most vulnerable place.

There are clear instructions for this in SNiP for installing heating equipment:

• The gap between the floor and the bottom of the battery should not be less than 120 mm. When the distance from the device to the floor decreases, the distribution of heat flow will be uneven;
• The distance from the back surface to the wall on which the radiator is mounted should be from 30 to 50 mm, otherwise its heat transfer will be impaired;
• The gap from the top edge of the heating device to the window sill is maintained within 100-120 mm (no less). Otherwise, the movement of thermal masses may be hampered, which will weaken the heating of the room.

Bimetallic heating devices

To understand how to connect bimetallic radiators to each other, you need to know that almost all of them are suitable for any type of connection:

• They have four possible connection points - two upper and two lower;
• Equipped with plugs and a Mayevsky valve, through which you can bleed the air collected in the heating system;

A diagonal connection is considered the most effective for bimetallic batteries, especially if we are talking about a large number of sections in the device. Although it is not advisable to use very wide batteries equipped with ten or more sections.

Advice! It is better to think about the question of how to properly connect two heating radiators of 7-8 sections instead of one device of 14 or 16 sections. It will be much easier to install and more convenient to maintain.

Another question - how to connect sections of a bimetallic radiator may arise when rearranging sections of a heating device in various situations:

The place where you plan to install the heating device is also important.

• In the process of creating new heating networks;
• If it is necessary to replace a failed radiator with a new one - bimetallic;
• In case of underheating, you can expand the battery by connecting additional sections.

Heat transfer from heating radiators table - Climate in the house

The main criteria for choosing devices for heating a home is its heat transfer.

This is a coefficient that determines the amount of heat generated by the device.

In other words, the higher the heat transfer, the faster and better the house will be heated.

How much heat is needed for heating?

To accurately calculate the required amount of heat for a room, many factors should be taken into account: the climatic features of the area, the cubic capacity of the building, possible heat loss from the housing (the number of windows and doors, building material, the presence of insulation, etc.). This calculation system is quite labor-intensive and is used in rare cases.

Basically, the calculation of heat is determined on the basis of established approximate coefficients: for a room with ceilings no higher than 3 meters, 1 kW of thermal energy is required per 10 m2. For the northern regions, the figure increases to 1.3 kW.

For example, a room with an area of ​​80 m2 requires 8 kW of power for optimal heating. For the northern regions, the amount of thermal energy will increase to 10.4 kW

Heat dissipation is a key performance indicator

The heat transfer coefficient of radiators is an indicator of its power. It determines the amount of heat generated over a certain period of time. The power of the convector is influenced by: the physical properties of the device, its type of connection, temperature and speed of the coolant.

The power of the convector, indicated in its data sheet, is determined by the physical properties of the material from which the device is made, and depends on its center distance. To calculate the required number of radiator sections for a room, you will need the area of ​​the home and the heat flow coefficient of the device.

Calculations are made using the formula:

Number of sections = S/ 10 * energy coefficient (K) / heat flow value (Q)

Calculation: 50 / 10 * 1 / 0.18 = 27.7. That is, to heat the room you will need 28 sections. For monolithic devices, instead of Q, we set the heat transfer coefficient of the radiator and as a result we obtain the required number of batteries.

If convectors are installed next to sources that affect heat loss (windows, doors), then the energy coefficient is taken from the calculation - 1.3.

Radiators are used for heating: steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, bimetallic (steel + aluminum), and they all have different heat flow values ​​due to the properties of the metal.

Comparison of indicators: analysis and table

In addition to the material from which the device is made, the power factor is affected by the center-to-center distance - the height between the axes of the upper and lower outlets. The thermal conductivity also has a significant impact on the efficiency.

Material of manufacture

Copper and aluminum convectors have the greatest heat transfer. The lowest power factor is observed in cast iron batteries, but this is compensated by their ability to retain heat for a long time.

The efficiency of the heater is affected by the correct installation of heating devices:

• The optimal distance between the floor and the battery is 70-120 mm, between the window sill - at least 80 mm.
• The installation of an air outlet (Maevsky tap) is required.
• Horizontal position of the heat device.

Radiators with better heat transfer:

What is efficiency and how to calculate it

The heat output of heating devices, which include batteries or radiators, consists of a quantitative indicator of the heat that is transferred by the battery over a certain period of time and is measured in Watts. The process of heat transfer from batteries occurs as a result of processes known as convection, radiation and heat exchange. Any radiator uses these three types of heat transfer. The percentage of these types of heat transfer may vary among different types of batteries.

What will be the efficiency of heaters, in the vast majority of cases depends on the material from which they are made. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of radiators made from different types of materials.

1. Cast iron has relatively low thermal conductivity, so batteries made from this material are not the best option. In addition, the small surface of these heating devices significantly reduces heat transfer and occurs due to radiation. Under normal apartment conditions, the power of a cast iron battery is no more than 60 W.

(See also: Which is the best heating radiator to choose)

Steel is slightly higher than cast iron. More active heat transfer occurs due to the presence of additional ribs, which increase the area of ​​heat radiation. Heat transfer occurs as a result of convection, the power is approximately 100 W.

Aluminum has the highest thermal conductivity of all previous options, their power is about 200 W.

In addition, for the most efficient heating, you need to consider how much power you may need. When calculating the power of heating devices required for a room, the number of walls facing the street and windows is used. For every 10 m2 of floor with 1 external wall and window, about 1 kW of thermal power of the battery is required. If there are 2 external walls, then the required power is already 1.3 kW. (See also: Water-heated stoves)

The bottom connection is used if the heat-conducting pipes are hidden under the floor screed and does not exclude heat loss of up to 10% of the original value. A single-pipe connection is considered the least effective, since the loss of power of the heating device with this method can reach 45%.

Warm floor

Not so long ago, a heated towel rail or room radiator became a continuation of the overall heating system in the apartment, significantly increasing the heating surface area. But water as a coolant in this situation can create many problems.

No matter how reliable steel pipes are, they do not last forever, and joints, especially threaded ones, can leak over time. Just imagine that this happened inside a concrete screed that cannot be easily removed. For this reason, water-based heated floors are practically not used.

If you do decide to implement this system, you will have to think about how to make it as efficient as possible. Power must be calculated with extreme precision. But if the numbers show that heat transfer is insufficient, you need to first take care of increasing the efficiency of steel pipes.

Since this design does not come into contact with the air in the room, but heats the floor materials, you can only play by increasing the length of the pipes. That’s why they are laid in a compact but long “snake”. Thanks to its large surface area, it transfers a lot of heat.

A caveat: when several linear meters of pipe are tightly laid, the heat transfer of the heated floor as a whole will increase, and for each individual segment, not critically, but will decrease.

The reason is that pipes located too close partially exchange heat with each other. A heated zone is created around each, which leads to a slight decrease in thermal pressure.

How to install any radiators

The coolant in central heating has special impurities that negatively affect many radiator models. That's why they are not installed in apartments. In fact, to solve this problem, we need to make sure that instead of the thermal power plant coolant, we use our ordinary water.

For these purposes, you need to install a heat exchanger at the entrance of the central heating risers into the apartment.

A heat exchanger is a device that removes heat from one source and transfers it to another source. Simply put, this is our intermediary who will simply take heat from the thermal power plant and transfer it to our own heating system inside the apartment.

What are the benefits of a heat exchanger?

1. Performs the function of a boiler by removing heat
2. Allows you to create your own heating system inside the apartment with your own coolant and pressure.
3. Allows you to implement any heating options

Using a heat exchanger also has its disadvantages:

• It gets clogged from time to time. Requires dismantling and washing
• In addition to the heat exchanger, it is necessary to install an expansion tank, pump and related fittings.

Having installed the heat exchanger, you can mount any radiator system: radiator, two-pipe and others. You can hide the pipes in a screed. You can use any pipe materials without worrying that they will become unusable. Any brand of radiator can be used.

Heat loss through pipes

In a city apartment, everything is simple: the risers, the supply lines to the heating devices, and the devices themselves are located in a heated room. What's the point of worrying about how much heat the riser dissipates if it serves the same purpose - heating?

However, already in the entrances of apartment buildings, in basements and in some warehouses, the situation is radically different. You need to heat one room and supply coolant to it through another. Hence the attempts to minimize the heat transfer of the pipes through which hot water enters the batteries.

Thermal insulation

The most obvious way to reduce the heat transfer of a steel pipe is to insulate the pipe. Twenty years ago there were two ways to do this: recommended by regulatory documentation (insulation with glass wool wrapped with non-flammable fabric; even earlier, external insulation was generally made solid using gypsum or cement mortar) and realistic: pipes were simply wrapped in rags.

Now there are a lot of quite adequate ways to limit heat loss: here are foam linings on pipes, and split shells made of foamed polyethylene, and mineral wool.

These materials are actively used in the construction of new houses; However, in the housing and communal services system, the limited budget, politely speaking, leads to the fact that pipes in basements are still simply wrapped with piss... um, torn rags.

How to choose the optimal heating type for your home

For a wooden house

Even in the recent past, warmth in a wooden house was provided by a brick stove. Nowadays, there are many more options to make your home warm. However, the vast majority of owners of wooden houses prefer gas heating. Its advantages are: low cost of fuel, the ability to create a completely autonomous heating system, high efficiency, ease of operation and durability (a high-quality gas boiler will last at least 15 years). The main disadvantage is the need to obtain permission to install it. If the house is small, then electric heating using convectors is also suitable. In the case when the house is more than 100 sq. m, the best option is water heating using gas.

For a brick house

To heat a brick house, water and gas equipment are most often used. It is the most common for all types of houses, but it is mainly loved by owners of brick houses. This is due to the optimal price-quality ratio. In addition to these types of heating, others can be used, for example, electric heating. “Warm floor” will create a comfortable environment for walking without shoes.

For a frame house

The main problem with heating frame houses is the large heat loss associated with the presence of cavities in the walls and racks made of cross-sectional timber. A lot of heat also escapes through the ceiling, which requires special work to insulate the house. After the house is well insulated, you can use combined heating systems, i.e. a combination, for example, of water and electric heating. Experts here also give priority to water and gas heating, however, in addition to them, “warm floors” and convectors can be used. Stove heating is not recommended as it greatly pollutes the room. This is a general drawback of this heating, characteristic of all types of houses, which is associated with the use of coal and firewood. In addition, the air around the house becomes smoky, and the chimney must be cleaned regularly.

Warm floor

Main and additional heating source

Expert advice

Vasily Tyutin, lawyer, inventor of the “ autonomous energy supply system for a floating house.”

I have been living in a private house for more than 15 years. He independently designed the heating system (diesel + electricity), then remodeled it after connecting it to the main gas pipeline.

All heating systems, except electric, in fact involve centralization and delivery of heat to the premises using a coolant. In a small old house with a stove, the coolant is air; in modern conditions, water is usually used as a coolant (for permanent residence) or various types of “anti-freeze” (in summer cottage mode). A boiler is used as a central device, which heats the coolant.

Heating with electricity allows you to create a decentralized system in which each heated room will have its own heating device with thermoregulation, which is turned on as needed. The electric heating system allows you to get maximum comfort and controllability, while it is also the most expensive option, several times higher in cost than other heating systems.

Heating systems can be divided into high temperature and low temperature . The former imply a coolant temperature of more than 60 degrees (normally 75-80) and a relatively small size of heating devices, the latter imply a coolant temperature of up to 55 degrees and relatively large sizes of heating devices, in particular a heated floor, which has a large heat transfer area.

Many people mistakenly design gas heating systems according to the principles of high-temperature systems. Although modern gas boilers are condensing, they can be effectively built as low-temperature boilers, providing a coolant supply range of 35-55 degrees. A low temperature heating system is more comfortable and economical.

Choosing a heating system is actually not a choice, but the use of available opportunities. If you have mains gas, you definitely need to make a heating system based on a gas boiler, and if we are talking about new construction, it makes sense to immediately design it as a low-temperature system, with a condensing boiler, heated floors and radiators of a relatively large area.

Changing the radiator connection method

Are you familiar with the situation when half the battery is hot and half is cold? Most often, the connection method is to blame in this case. Take a look at how the device works with a one-way radiator connection with coolant supply from above.

Notice how much worse the distant sections perform

Now let's take a look at the one-way connection diagram with coolant supply from below.

We see the same effect

But here is a two-way connection with supply from above and below.

We see the same effectWe see the same effect

If you find yourself with one of the schemes presented above, then you are out of luck. The most rational from the point of view of operational efficiency is a diagonal connection with a feed from above.

The entire heat exchange area of ​​the radiator is heated evenly, the radiator operates at full power

And what to do in the case when you don’t want to change the pipe layout or it’s impossible? In this case, we can advise purchasing radiators that have some cleverness in their design. This is a special partition between the first and second sections, changing the direction of movement of the coolant.

A special plug turns the bottom two-way connection into the diagonal connection we need with the top connection. And this option is suitable for the top two-way connection

In the case of a one-way connection, special flow extenders have shown their effectiveness.

Operating principle of the flow extender

There are devices for optimizing one-way bottom connections, but we think the general principle has now become clear to you.

Commentary Sergei Kharitonov Leading engineer for heating, ventilation and air conditioning LLC GC Spetsstroy Ask a question “The connection method is one of the most effective ways to increase the heat transfer of the battery or, more precisely, to make the radiator work the way it should. For obvious reasons, it is best to provide for such things at the design stage of the heating system, so as not to rack your brains later. After all, any alteration will require disconnecting the riser, the skills of a mechanic or financial costs, and in some cases, coordination with the housing office.”

Conclusion: 100% effective.

How to install heating in a private house with your own hands

Installation of water heating

To install water heating in a private house, you will need the following equipment: a stove or boiler running on gas or electricity, heating radiators, pipes of various diameters, shut-off valves, an expansion tank that compensates for excess pressure in the system, a circulation pump if a forced circulation heating system is used .

When heating a private home, an electric boiler is often used, in which the coolant liquid is heated. Electric boilers can be heating elements, induction or electrode (ion). Before installing the boiler, it is necessary to choose the right location so that it is easy to connect the heating system pipes and control its operation. The installation of an electric boiler itself is not particularly difficult and is similar to the installation of other types of boilers.

There are the following options for installing water heating: using one pipe, two pipes, using collectors. The easiest installation method is a single-pipe heating system. With this option, only one pipe is laid around the entire perimeter of the house. It comes out of the boiler supply pipe and enters the opposite one. Bends are made from this pipe for each radiator. This type of heating is not only the most convenient for installation, but also the cheapest.

Water heating is a method of heating premises using liquid coolant. Photo: globallookpress

With a two-pipe heating system, a pipe with hot water is supplied under each radiator, and the cooled water is discharged through the return line to the boiler.

Do-it-yourself water heating installation is as follows:

1. arrangement of the premises for the boiler and installation of the boiler;
2. connecting the pump (if needed) or installing the collector (if provided);
3. securing all measuring and control instruments near the boiler;
4. arrangement of main pipelines;
5. installation of heating radiators;
6. system check.

Installation of gas heating

The rules for installing gas heating in a private house are similar to installing water heating. Gas boilers can be single-circuit (intended only for heating) and double-circuit (also supplying hot water); floor and wall.

Installing gas heating with your own hands involves the following steps:

1. install the boiler and connect it to the chimney, through which gas combustion products are removed;
2. install pipes and secure them to the walls using special brackets;
3. in the case of using forced circulation of the coolant, a circulation pump is installed on the return pipe at the entrance to the boiler;
4. a coarse filter is installed in front of the pump;
5. an expansion tank is installed at a height of about two meters from the middle of the boiler;
6. Radiators are installed under the windows, no lower than ten centimeters from the floor;
7. connect the pipes to the boiler;
8. fill the system with coolant and start the boiler.

Installation of electric heating

To install electric heating using fan heaters, oil radiators, convectors or infrared heaters, it is necessary to install a separate power outlet and a residual current device (RCD) in each room using wiring (a cross-section of 2.5 mm is recommended for a power of no more than 5 kW). For operation of an electric boiler, a five-core cable is recommended.

The “warm floor” system is created by laying a single-core or double-core cable covered with a floor covering on top. The thermostat used can be programmable, overhead or built-in.

A device for heating a room using electricity. Photo: globallookpress

Types of heating systems and the principle of adjusting radiators

Handle with valve

In order to correctly adjust the temperature of radiators, you need to know the general structure of the heating system and the layout of the coolant pipes.

In the case of individual heating, adjustment is easier when:

1. The system is powered by a powerful boiler.
2. Each battery is equipped with a three-way valve.
3. Forced pumping of coolant has been installed.

At the stage of installation of individual heating, it is necessary to take into account the minimum number of bends in the system. This is necessary in order to reduce heat loss and not reduce the pressure of the coolant supplied to the radiators.

For uniform heating and rational use of heat, a valve is mounted on each battery. With it, you can reduce the water supply or disconnect it from the general heating system in an unused room.

• In the central heating system of multi-storey buildings, equipped with a vertical supply of coolant through a pipeline from top to bottom, it is impossible to adjust the radiators. In this situation, the upper floors open the windows due to the heat, and the rooms on the lower floors are cold, since the radiators there are barely warm.
• A more advanced one-pipe network. Here, the coolant is supplied to each battery and then returned to the central riser. Therefore, there is no noticeable temperature difference in the apartments on the upper and lower floors of these buildings. In this case, the supply pipe of each radiator is equipped with a control valve.
• A two-pipe system, where two risers are mounted, ensures the supply of coolant to the heating radiator and back. To increase or decrease the coolant flow, each battery is equipped with a separate valve with a manual or automatic thermostat.

Metal casing

By increasing the area of ​​the heating surface, we will automatically improve heat transfer. If it is impossible to mount the storage shield because the radiator is too close to the wall, put a casing made of steel or aluminum on it. Such devices are inexpensive, increase efficiency by 30-35%, look presentable and successfully disguise unsightly antediluvian batteries.

A high-quality decorative screen at the top and front has a through pattern, allowing warm air to spread unhindered throughout the room.

We make a calculation

The formula by which heat transfer is calculated is as follows:

Q = K*F*dT, where

• K – thermal conductivity coefficient of steel;
• Q – heat transfer coefficient, W;
• F is the area of ​​the pipe section for which the calculation is being made, m 2 dT is the value of the temperature pressure (the sum of the primary and final temperatures taking into account room temperature), ° C.

The thermal conductivity coefficient K is selected taking into account the area of ​​the product. Its size also depends on the number of threads laid in the premises. On average, the coefficient is in the range of 8-12.5.

dT is also called temperature difference. To calculate the parameter, you need to add the temperature that was at the outlet of the boiler with the temperature that was recorded at the entrance to the boiler. The resulting value is multiplied by 0.5 (or divided by 2). The room temperature is subtracted from this value.

dT = (0.5*(T 1 + T 2)) - T to

If the steel pipe is insulated, then the resulting value is multiplied by the efficiency of the insulating material. It reflects the percentage of heat that was given off during the passage of the coolant.

Develop good habits

A healthy lifestyle is one of the powerful resources for increasing personal effectiveness. In this case we are talking about several aspects of life

1. Switch to a healthy lifestyle: proper nutrition and regular exercise charge you with tremendous energy, increase endurance and make you stronger.
2. Master time management: competent planning can increase the efficiency of your work several times.
3. Come up with personal rituals that will set you up for a particular activity. For example, freshly brewed coffee and certain music can set you up for intellectual work.

Increased heat transfer.

To effectively increase the radiated heat rate, there are many ways:

• installation of a convector;
• painting pipes with black paint;
• register setting;
• additional battery sections.

The convector is a curved pipe with metal plates. You can make it yourself or buy a more modern analogue in the store.

The use of matte black paint to paint the surface of the coolant also gives a good result. Aesthetically, it doesn’t look very attractive, but when it comes to comfort, you have to choose.

Another inexpensive and fairly popular design is a register. These are several wide pipes connected to each other with welded sections. These also include heated towel rails, radiators, main lines and even an ordinary steel pipe fixed around the entire perimeter of the room.

System purging

Airing or clogging of radiators leads to a completely cold canvas or part of it. Purging the system will help. There are several methods, each of which will require additional equipment:

• hydraulic purging;
• pneumohydroimpulse;
• the use of chemical compounds or soda ash.

These types most often involve servicing the entire system. This seems to be the most effective, because central heating is a complex system of pipes and pipelines.

It is recommended to carry out a single collective cleaning, which will be much more effective than individual cleaning.

Step-by-step instructions for adjusting temperature

To ensure comfortable living conditions in the room, you need to perform some basic steps.

1. Initially, it is necessary to bleed the air on each battery until water flows from the tap in a trickle.
2. Then you need to adjust the pressure in the batteries.
3. To do this, in the first battery from the boiler you need to open the valve by two turns, on the second - by three, and then according to the same scheme, increasing the number of turns of the valve being opened on each radiator. Thus, the coolant pressure will be evenly distributed over all radiators. This will ensure its normal passage through the pipes and better heating of the batteries.
4. In a forced heating system, control valves will help to pump the coolant and control rational heat consumption.
5. In a flow-through system, the temperature is well regulated by thermostats built into each battery.
6. In a two-pipe heating system, you can control not only the temperature of the coolant, but also its quantity in the batteries using both manual and automatic control systems.

Choosing the right boiler

The further microclimate in the rooms will depend on the gas boiler in the house. Often, such systems are chosen based on the cost benefits (outcomes) of one of the energy carriers. This approach, surprisingly, is the most correct one. When choosing a coolant, you should be guided by the following factors:

Boiler and heated floor

1. The degree of complexity of the necessary installation work, which is aimed at installing complex equipment.
2. Further degree of ease of use. The cost of its subsequent maintenance plays an important role.
3. It is also worth considering the possibility of power outages and its complete shutdown in a particular region.
4. Maximum and minimum system power.
5. What is the most profitable energy source from an economic point of view?

The fact is that there is no company that produces heating boilers designed for heated floors. You can find models whose instructions contain information regarding its operation with heated water floor systems, but nothing more. The main distinguishing feature of floor circuits from radiator systems is the temperature of the main coolant. When using radiator systems, the coolant temperature can reach 80°C. The water floor pipes are only 55°C.

Boiler characteristics specification

In order to achieve an optimal indoor microclimate, the system must heat up to 40°C. The cooled coolant will have a temperature of 30°C. If radiators and heated floors are used for heating, which are supplied with heated coolant from the same boiler, then choosing a heat generator should not cause difficulties. Not every heat source can work to maintain the optimal temperature. To do this, you can additionally tie the unit.

Difficulties in connections may depend on the choice of one of the types of boiler and heated floor used:

• coal and automatic pellet;
• floor or wall gas;
• solid fuel;
• electric.

Boiler classification scheme

Simple ways to increase battery efficiency

To increase the heat transfer of radiators, it is recommended to improve air circulation in the heated room.

To do this, you need to empty the heating batteries as much as possible, that is, remove nearby furniture, remove protective screens and curtains.

This will increase air circulation, which in turn will increase the temperature inside the room.

If the above method does not bring the desired results, then you can speed up the air circulation using fans.

In this case, it should be said that the faster the air moves, the more heat it takes from the radiator and distributes throughout the room.

It turns out that to increase the heat transfer of the radiators, it is necessary to install a fan opposite them. This method is effective, but noisy.

To make such a system quieter and give it greater autonomy, it is recommended to install computer fans. In this case, fans must be installed directly under the batteries.

Using this method, it is possible to increase the temperature in the room from 5 to 10 degrees. It is also worth noting that using computer fans to increase heat transfer from radiators is considered a fairly cheap way.

Another simple way to increase the heat transfer of batteries is to install a heat-reflecting screen behind the radiator. This screen allows you to direct thermal energy directly into the room.

In this case, the ideal option is foil isolon, which is a foam base with foil. It is worth saying that the use of foil isolon will not only direct heat in the right direction, but will also insulate the wall.

To install a heat-reflecting screen, you can use almost any adhesive. It is worth knowing that the screen area should be slightly larger than the size of the radiator.

What to do if the batteries do not heat up

Number of sections

The first thing to do is to calculate whether there are enough radiator sections for your room. If there are not enough of them, then there is only one way out - select the necessary heating radiators and add several sections to the battery.

Standard method for calculating the number of heating radiators: 16 sq.m. x 100W / 200W = 8 where 16 is the area of ​​the room, 100W is the standard thermal power per 1 m², 200W is the approximate power of one radiator section (can be viewed from the passport), 8 is the required number of heating radiator sections

Regulator check

If your battery is equipped with a power regulator, then it is worth checking at what temperature it is turned on. In the spring, there is no need to heat the room very much and, perhaps, the regulator is set at an insufficient temperature now.

Airlock

Check the surface temperature of the battery itself; if it is very hot in one place and barely warm in another, then most likely an air lock is preventing good warming up.

Another symptom of an air lock is an incomprehensible noise, gurgling. Modern batteries have a special valve for bleeding air (Mayevsky tap), it is located at the top of the battery and is opened using a flat screwdriver. It is enough just to unscrew the tap a little until you hear air coming out, wait until all the air comes out and water comes out, and then tighten the tap. Don't forget to provide something to catch the water. If you don’t risk it yourself or haven’t found a similar valve on your battery, then call a plumber.

Radiator cleaning

Dust and dirt greatly interfere with the quality of the battery. You can clean it from the outside yourself. It is better to remove the old layer of paint, if there are several layers, then the procedure is mandatory, and paint it with a special heat-resistant paint, preferably a dark (black) color. Only a plumber using special equipment can clean the battery from the inside.

Decorative casing

The decorative screen (casing) will regulate and increase heat transfer. Moreover, at the moment there is a wide choice of screens; they will not easily fit, but will also decorate any interior. But you need to carefully consider the material from which it is made. A screen made of wood or plastic will not give the desired effect and, on the contrary, will not let some of the heat into the room. In order to make the room warmer, the screen must be made of aluminum; it will conduct heat perfectly.

Little tricks to increase the output temperature of heating batteries

The battery needs free access to air, remove everything that blocks it, including curtains, you can simply lift them onto the windowsill. An ordinary fan can help move air. Position it so that the flow goes past the battery. Thus, warm air will get deeper into the room faster, and cold air will get closer to the radiator.

Some of the heat is absorbed by the wall behind the radiator. To avoid this, you need to insulate this area. Corrugated cardboard and aluminum foil can serve as insulation. Attach this structure to the wall with cardboard and to the radiator with foil. The heat reflection will be simply excellent.

It is not necessary to use improvised means; there are better, more convenient solutions for thermal insulation. Modern materials, such as polyrex, penofol or isolon, are excellent insulators, and on one side have a self-adhesive surface, which, naturally, will facilitate their installation.

Note. After gluing the insulation, the distance between the radiator and the wall should not be less than two centimeters, otherwise the air will not circulate and will not become warmer

If the distance is insufficient, you can simply stick foil; it is better to maintain the distance and not take risks by gluing a thick layer of insulation.

The radiators may not heat well if they are installed so that the gap between them and the wall is initially less than two centimeters; in this case, it is worth thinking about reconstructing them, since half of the heat will go into the wall and will not be able to get inside the room.

The use of technical solutions can, in principle, eliminate the need to install new batteries. Thanks to these little tricks, you can simply raise the temperature by a few degrees; if this is not enough for you, then of course you should think about replacing the batteries and external thermal insulation. published econet.ru

Results and conclusions.

1. I managed to increase the air temperature in the room by as much as 6ºC, and in extreme fan operation mode even by 9ºC, which confirmed the assumption that it is possible to increase the heat transfer of a central heating battery, even at such a low coolant temperature.
2. When using a regular household fan without a speed controller, the room becomes too noisy. However, if you use the heat accumulated in the room, then, for example, you can turn off the fan in the bedroom at night, and, on the contrary, turn it on in the dining room. Then you can use the fan at full power.
3. If you are in that part of the room where the movement of air generated by the fan is most noticeable, then a false sensation of a decrease in temperature is created.
4. Those who are afraid that the fan will wind up a lot can calculate the monthly energy consumption.
   35(Watt) * 24(hours) * 30(days) ≈ 25(kW*hour)

Improving convection by increasing air circulation

The laws of physics say that increasing the speed of air flow in a room contributes to faster heating. For these purposes, a fan is suitable, which must be installed so that the air is directed from the heated sections to the center of the room.

Tip: It is not necessary to purchase special fans. If you have an old computer at home, a cooler from a block will do. It can be installed under a radiator so that the direction of warm air goes towards the center of the room. This will increase convection and the room will warm up much faster.

If the heating sections are mounted in such a way that they are located deep under the window sill (if it is large), additional holes can be made in it. This will help air circulation, it will not accumulate and stagnate in the niche. Of course, this applies to situations where the window sill is made of plastic or wood. It will be difficult to drill a concrete or granite product yourself. The hole can be closed with decorative plugs.

Tip: using even the most beautiful decorative curtains significantly reduces the heat transfer from the heating radiator, causing warm air to stagnate in the niche. It is recommended to curtain windows as little as possible.