The most common way to heat a country house is to connect a gas boiler. Gas is the most readily available and cheapest fuel. But there are areas where it is impossible to connect to the gas pipeline, and then you have to look for other options. Heating a country house with a gas boiler without connecting to the mains is theoretically possible if you install a gas tank or use cylinders with liquefied gas. This method is expensive and inconvenient. There is an alternative. To decide which heating of a country house without gas is worth choosing, you need to figure out the availability and cost of other types of fuel.
Our ancestors have long used wood stoves to heat their homes. Traditions are still alive today
Options for heating a country house without gas
A private house can be heated with solid fuels - wood, coal, pellets. Stoves, fireplaces, solid fuel boilers are used as heating devices. This is the oldest method of heating a home, and for some regions it is still the cheapest and most affordable.
Liquid fuel boilers are installed to heat the house. This heating option is suitable for people who, for objective reasons, cannot equip gas heating of a country house, but have access to liquid fuel and are ready to equip storage tanks for it.
Electricity is a very expensive source of heat. It makes sense to install electric heating if the area of the room is relatively small and other heating options are unacceptable.
Technologies do not stand still, and more and more often you can find installations for generating electricity from alternative sources - sun and wind. Heat pumps are used to heat houses. This is a relatively new and not yet the most popular way of heating, but gradually it is gaining the trust of residents of some European countries. Our compatriots are already adopting their experience.
Further in the article we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of the listed heating options.
To install a floor-standing liquid fuel boiler, it is advisable to allocate a separate room. The photo shows a variant of the boiler room equipment in the basement
Heating a house without gas using solid fuel boilers
In recent years, heating houses using solid fuel boilers have undergone modernization. This heating method has become especially popular in European countries. The option with a solid fuel unit, shown in the photo, is able to provide economical heating without gas, for this reason, manufacturers began to produce more solid fuel boilers.
They work not only on wood, you can also use coal, peat, pellets, etc.
Heating a country house with solid fuel
Solid fuel heating has been and remains popular in non-gasified areas. Russian stoves are still being built in private houses. Many people install industrial heating stoves. Manufacturers offer multifunctional models that allow you to heat your home with high quality, cook food, and heat water. Particularly popular are boilers and long-burning stoves that use fuel as efficiently as possible. Economical and convenient, these models can be a worthy alternative to gas boilers.
The wood-burning fireplaces should be mentioned separately. They perform a heating function and serve as an interior decoration.There are designs with hobs, ovens, while the firebox door is transparent, through it you can watch the play of the flame. Fireplaces equipped with vertical opening doors make it possible to instantly transform efficient closed-hearth stoves into fireplaces with cozy crackling woods.
Solid fuel boilers and stoves also have disadvantages. They need to be cleaned regularly, put firewood on, and take care of replenishing fuel supplies on their own. Bulky Russian stoves have many advantages, but they take up a lot of space and are difficult to build. Industrial models are compact, safe to operate, have high efficiency, but many of them are demanding on fuel quality. When choosing a design, the decision should be carefully weighed.
Modern solid fuel boilers are efficient, compact and look good in the interior
Alternative heating without gas and wood
Each method that allows you to create heating systems for a private house without gas has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Before purchasing equipment for arranging a heating structure, you must carefully analyze all possible options.
You want to solve:
- what is the alternative to gas in a private house in this particular case (in more detail: "Alternative heating of a private house - the choice is quite large");
- what equipment should be purchased;
- what type of fuel is more profitable to use.
Heating systems, especially for heating suburban real estate, are often mounted in a combined version. This allows them to optimize their functioning in the event of extreme situations and makes it possible to use fuel in an economical mode, especially if heating is carried out without gas and firewood (about
Oil fired boilers: advantages and disadvantages
Liquid fuel boilers are almost as good as gas boilers in terms of performance. A 10 kW model can heat a room up to 100 sq. M. Diesel fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, rapeseed oil, etc. are used as fuel. This heating equipment is easy to install and does not take up much space. However, there are numerous disadvantages as well.
A separate room is required to install the boiler. Equipment of this type can hardly be called environmentally friendly: the combustion of diesel fuel generates a large amount of harmful emissions. There is also a safety issue: storage and use of diesel fuel requires strict adherence to safety regulations and manufacturer's recommendations. Another unpleasant nuance is the high cost of diesel fuel.
Liquid fuel boiler device
How to heat a house using a heat pump
A heat pump is an alternative to heating the house if there is no gas or firewood. This method is deservedly considered the best for heating a country cottage or country house. The installation allows you to get heat using natural resources: seas, lakes, underground sources, land and even air (read: "Air heating unit - a good option for heating"). Heat pumps are in little demand among consumers, since they have a high cost, and installation is quite expensive.
Electricity is expensive, but convenient and efficient
Of all types of heating boilers, electric ones are the most convenient to use and easy to install. For their operation, no smoke exhaust systems are needed, there is no burning and soot, no need to clean the firebox and monitor the equipment. Reliable automation regulates the temperature, in modern models, overheating protection systems are installed. The level of security is high. Of the minuses - the high cost of electricity, the need for special control over the condition of the electrical wiring.For the installation of powerful models, coordination with the competent authorities is required.
Underfloor heating systems and ceilings
Underfloor heating works well as primary heating in mild climates and can be a good additional heat source in harsh climates. The advantage of underfloor heating is that the room warms up well at the level of human height. This creates a comfortable indoor climate. The novelty of the heating equipment market is infrared warm floors. They are economical, do not overheat, and are easy to install.
Infrared heaters or special films on the ceiling also help create a cozy atmosphere in the home. The peculiarity of infrared heating devices is the ability to warm objects and people. The air is heated indirectly - from objects. Radiation from the ceiling heats furniture, floors, and interior items. A person feels a soft warmth, reminiscent of the sun. Infrared heating not only creates comfort in the home, but also has a therapeutic function.
Underfloor heating is ideal for heating children's rooms, living rooms, bedrooms
How to heat a house without gas using electricity
One of the options for heating a house without gas is heat supply using electricity. The homeowner, depending on his financial capabilities, can choose from a wide range of equipment and installations that provide heating, what suits him best.
Electric heaters are produced in the following types:
- underfloor heating system;
- fireplaces;
- infrared heating;
- fan heaters;
- convectors.
Currently popular "warm floors" are often used for heating residential premises on an ongoing basis, if heating of a country house without gas is required. They can be installed not only in the base of the floor, but also in special panel walls. But such systems are installed exclusively during the construction of buildings.
As for fan heaters and fireplaces, such devices are used when it is necessary to provide the house with additional heat.
Alternative energy - sustainable heat
Hydrocarbon reserves are not endless, and their combustion causes significant damage to the environment. Green energy is developing, and it is already possible to install installations that allow you to refuse the services of gas and electricity suppliers. The most widespread are solar collectors and batteries.
The principle of operation of solar systems is to convert the energy of the sun into heat. Wind generators are successfully used for the same purpose. The main disadvantage of environmentally friendly energy sources is complete dependence on external factors. They are not applicable in many localities. The installations themselves are still too expensive for the average citizen.
Heat pumps - a promising novelty
More and more attention is paid to heat pumps. These are more reliable devices than solar panels. The principle of their operation is based on the transfer of heat from low-potential sources to high-potential ones. There are these types of pumps:
- soil-water;
- water-water;
- air-water;
- air to air.
Ground-water systems can be used in almost any climatic conditions, so they are no longer considered something exotic, and they can be seen in the private households of our compatriots. The cost of installing a heat pump is decreasing every year, so it is likely that soon environmentally friendly heating systems will be available to everyone.
Heat pump operation diagram
If there is no connection to the gas pipeline, the problem of heating the house can be solved. The main thing is to determine the needs and decide how much you are willing to spend on the purchase and installation of equipment, how much you are willing to pay when operating the system.If the “money issue” is fundamentally important, it is worth taking a closer look at solid and liquid fuel boilers, and if you are ready to overpay for convenience, safety and environmental preservation, then choose electricity or eco-installations.
Thermal energy from alternative sources
Can natural sources of thermal energy provide an alternative to gas heating in a private house? Despite the development of this direction of energy, mankind will not give up burning fossil and biological fuels soon. Alternative heating today is used only as an auxiliary option.
Using a heat pump
The principle of operation of a heat pump is that the equipment helps to extract heat energy from a natural source and move it inside the room to heat it. When deciding how to heat a house with a heat pump, pay attention to the features of the options available
:
- Air-to-air - the equipment functions as a split system in heating mode.
- "Air-water" - the principle of operation is the same as in the first version, but the thermal energy of the outside air enters the water circuit and heating equipment.
- "Water-water" - thermal energy is extracted from a reservoir or groundwater and used to heat the coolant;
- "Earth-water" - to extract thermal energy from the ground and heat the coolant, a geothermal circuit is mounted from pipes.
The system of work of a heat pump for heating a house
To make the house warm using these technologies, you will need to use electricity. To obtain 3-4 kW of heat, 1 kW of electricity is consumed. In conditions of limited power consumption, the heat pump is able to cope with the heat supply of a house with an area of up to 150 m2, provided that the climate is not characterized by prolonged frosts.
The installation of a heat pump for an autonomous heating system will cost a significant amount, and it is difficult to expect that these costs will pay off in the coming years of operation.
Using a solar collector
The groups of glass tubes through which the coolant circulates are designed for heating by the sun's rays, more precisely, by radiation of the infrared spectrum. Heating a summer house without gas using only solar collectors is impossible
:
- effective heating is possible only in clear sunny weather during the warm season - in winter and on gloomy days the sun is not enough for the full functioning of the heating system;
- before and after sunset, the collector does not receive thermal energy;
- volatile design - in order for the coolant to circulate well, an electric motor is needed.
Heating system based on a solar collector of a vacuum type
Among the best solutions for the use of alternative energy is the installation of a heat accumulator to accumulate thermal energy transmitted by the collector. This will help to save energy, which is used by the main heat source (usually a solid fuel boiler).
Renewable heat sources
A DIY windmill can provide energy to a small house
Renewable energy sources that cost nothing by themselves have long been used on an industrial scale. This trend is especially widespread in developed countries.
For heating a private house, you can use the following options:
- Windmill. With the correct design, the blades rotate even in light winds. The rotation is transmitted to the motor, which generates electricity. The stabilizer brings it to the required parameters and feeds it into the house network. Excess energy accumulates in high-capacity batteries. The disadvantage of such a solution is the high cost and complete dependence on the weather.
- Solar panels. There are ready-made panels on sale. They only need to be installed, connected and configured.The luminary will do the rest. The batteries run silently and generate up to 10 kWh. The downside is that it is advisable to use such devices only in areas where clear weather prevails.
- Water turbines. They can be used if there is a river or a deep stream with a strong current near the house. This technology is complex, expensive, and not yet perfected. Its advantages are that the equipment does not depend on the weather, time of day and external supplies.
- Heat boiler for geothermal energy. It is a system of pipes buried in the ground in a vertical or horizontal orientation. The external circuit is connected to a heat boiler, which heats the medium and supplies it to the internal circuit. Installation of the system is a laborious and costly business, but productivity allows you to achieve a payback in 10 years.
We offer you to familiarize yourself with Varieties of mice: photos and names
