Is it possible to use a water heater to heat a house

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So, in the house Jack built, there was wheat, a cat, a dog, a titmouse and a basement. Only nothing is known about the heating system, whether there was gas or electric heating in a private house. And to this day, many homeowners do not know what to choose. Of course, there are heating boilers, but this device is not suitable for everyone, because it is quite expensive. However, there is a cheap alternative - a boiler.

Of course, it also has drawbacks - it is not always possible to use an electric boiler, you need to create conditions for its operation. But often electric heating with a boiler is more efficient than using a boiler. Heating with a boiler is connected to several pipes. The two main ones go to the radiator through the collectors with water supply: one through the cold, the other through the hot.

Boiler features

If a person wants to install heating in his private house, operating with a boiler, then he must know what kind of design this device has, what are its features.

The main part of this device is the storage tank. It is in it that the heating medium is heated, i.e. water. To improve the performance of the system with the most suitable temperature regime, you should purchase a storage tank with a large volume.

In the tank itself, a heating element is installed for heating, which will heat the water to the temperature that is needed. Automation controls this device. When the water reaches a certain temperature threshold, the machine will turn off the heating element. Currently, storage tanks are placed in a housing that serves as additional protection. To ensure thermal insulation during the production of tanks, material is placed between the walls of the tank and the body. Therefore, the heat will not come out.

Boiler design

Unit manufacturing price

In case it is modified from an old boiler, the costs will be minimal. They include only the cost of additional insulation and the purchase of the necessary fittings: ball valves, check valve, pressure reducer. For a system with a minimum pipe diameter, they can cost several hundred rubles. The circulation pump will cost a little more, from 3000 rubles. depending on the brand and specifications.

You can buy a new boiler for heating an apartment or a private house with electricity in a wide range of prices, which depend on the brand of equipment, the volume of the tank, the power of the heating element, etc. The lower limit starts from 20,000 and can end with 200 thousand rubles. Buying too expensive units for servicing a small area is not always rational, but on the other hand, they can combine the functions of heating and preparing hot water.

Flow type heaters

A water heater powered by electricity is a separate category that differs in design from other devices that accumulate and heat water. Firstly, the device is smaller in size, because there is no drive in it. The inlet pipe serves to drain water into the apparatus, where it is heated.

Water heater

A copper flask is used for heating, which produces a powerful heating element. For flow-through devices, heating elements of various powers are used: 5-25 kW. After heating, the coolant will enter the electrical heating system. And special control valves control the level of water flow.

Instantaneous water heater

Boiler

The advantage of this device is that it heats up the water in a significantly short period of time.But many people say that this device consumes a lot of electrical energy. Therefore, these units are used when they install a heating system in houses with a small area, for example, for different types of summer cottages. Therefore, they calculate in advance what power the boiler should have. In accordance with these calculations, such wiring is installed so that it can withstand the necessary loads.

How to make a water heater for heating a private house

Both new and used units are suitable for this function. To increase energy efficiency, you can make it additional insulation with a layer of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene. These materials are moisture resistant and provide excellent thermal insulation. Really high-quality heating of premises is achieved only with continuous operation of the equipment. For this purpose, it is necessary to connect a relay to it that closes the circuit and prevents the heater from stopping.

Another necessary measure that will protect the electric boiler from water hammer for uninterrupted heating is the installation of a safety valve on the outlet pipe with a drain to the sewer. It will dump excess hot water if the pressure exceeds the permissible level. It is better to connect the device to the heat pipe through shut-off valves, for example, ball valves. If present, the heater will simply be cut off from the pipeline.

Make-up of equipment from the mains is carried out through a separate grounded line equipped with a residual current device. Also, for the organization of heating from the boiler, you will need

1. circulating pump that ensures the movement of water through the system
2. expansion tank for protection against pressure surges
3. radiators
4. check valves
5. pipes and fittings for wiring from the heat generator to consumers

How to choose a boiler

The device is chosen, as is known, so that it heats water. And also it must be suitable for electric heating of a private house. Therefore, they study all the functions and capabilities of such an apparatus. The first thing to consider is the power of the heating element installed in the heater. The more power, the more efficiently the device will provide heating.

Varieties of boilers

Capacities are different. The first category is parameters from 1.5 to 3 kW. These devices are used more for household needs. The second category is up to 12 kW. It includes professional devices. These boilers differ in that a low-power one works all the time, and devices with a higher power are automatically controlled, turned off when the water reaches the desired temperature.

It is imperative to study what volumes of tanks are. This is a very important nuance that cannot be ignored. After all, how long the storage tank will work depends on the volume of the tank. After all, the heating device will be able to stay in rest mode longer if the volume is larger. Thus, the consumption of electricity will become less, respectively, the expenses for its payment will also decrease.

It is best to choose a device with a tank volume of 300 liters. Of course, it is expensive, but it will pay off in subsequent operation.

However, the larger the volume of the tank, the longer it will take to heat up. For example, if the volume is 10 liters, then it will heat up within half an hour. But a 200-liter device will heat up for 6 hours. The water is heated on average up to 85 ° C, after which the automation will maintain the temperature at the set level. If the tank is made in the same way as a thermos, i.e. has thermal insulation, then the energy consumption will decrease. Basically, in cities there is a certain tariff, so if a larger boiler is used, then it is better to heat it at night.

Installation and selection of a heat carrier for a water heater

Before making heating from a water heater, it is necessary to calculate the optimal power. In this case, it is impossible to be guided by the nominal power of the installation. The main indicator is the time for heating the water to the desired temperature regime. In some models, it is limited to 20-30 minutes, but for most it is more than an hour.

When using a conventional electric water heater to heat your home, the following tips are recommended.

• The installation of the unit should be carried out in a warm and dry room. In this way, heat losses can be minimized;
• The wiring must be designed for the maximum load of the water heater from the home heating system;
• It is recommended to use plain distilled water as a heat carrier. Compared to antifreeze, it has a better heat capacity;
• It is best to purchase models with a closed heating element. This will prevent limescale build-up on the heating elements.

According to most experts, the best choice is electric type water heaters for heating, type VEO. It is important to choose the right model of a certain power. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the parameters of the main heating boiler. In total, they should form an optimal air heating system in the house.

The video material shows an example of self-installation of a conventional boiler as the main heating device.

For every residential building, whether it is a large multi-apartment building, or it is a private household of one or two-storey type, the organization of effective heating is of great importance. There are a lot of existing heating options today, however, due to technical capabilities, not every house can be connected to gas. It is not always possible to supply solid fuel or liquid fuel boilers with the required amount of fuel. In such situations, heating the house with electricity will become the most economical and affordable way.

Already at the design stage of an electric heating system, it can be concluded that this heating method will be much cheaper and more economical. Moreover, if we compare the speed of installation of electrical equipment with the laying and installation of other types of heating systems. In some cases, efficiency is a decisive factor when choosing a heating system. Despite the fact that today electricity is constantly becoming more expensive, new technologies allow the use of electric heating devices with high efficiency.

Installation of equipment

If earlier the choice of devices for organizing heating was not very large, now the range of offered devices is very diverse. The loads on the network are different, and you can pick up such a water heater so that it can cope with them. The size and volume of tanks varies.

Heating system diagram with a boiler

Various combinations are used for water inlet and outlet. It is best if the outlet of the coolant is from the top, and the inlet is from the bottom. The water will heat up, enter the heating system, and will not mix with cold water. There are outlet pipes in the boiler. Their diameter should be 2 inches so that you can connect the device to the pipes of the heating system without using adapters.

It is worth knowing that the inlet and outlet diameters of most of the devices on the market today are 3.54 inches. Therefore, it is difficult to attach radiators to them. And the calculation of power is simple: for 10m2 - 1kW.

If the area near the house is small, then household water heaters are used for the heating system. But at the same time, the power of the heating element should not be less than 10 kW. Low-power appliances (from 5 to 7 kW) are used for minor needs - for example, organizing a shower.

Pay attention to the instructions, which contain all the necessary tips for installing the heater.It is necessary to strictly follow them so that the installation is correct, and in further work there are no unforeseen disruptions.

Important! Pipes and heating radiators are taken into account, or rather, how many elbows, branches, where they are located.

The performance of electric heating of a private house depends on this. For optimal performance, the number of all these branches and elbows should be as small as possible.

It is clear that warm air will escape from the room. This can affect the load of heating elements. Therefore, before the design of the system and installation, the house is insulated. All installations must be looked after and do not forget about preventive maintenance. It is imperative to call a specialist for maintenance of the heating system before the onset of cold weather. Of course, the owner can inspect and service all the parts himself, but he must have at least minimal knowledge about the operation of boilers and heating elements.

Boiler piping example

How to install an electric heating water heater and batteries in the house

For the boiler, it is necessary to choose a dry room, preferably with a non-combustible finish. The wall for mounting its body must be strong enough, ideally, load-bearing. When installing the unit on the floor, it is important to level its position to ensure maximum stability.

A cold water supply is connected to the incoming branch, into which the return line of the heating system from the radiators is cut into. A ball shut-off valve, non-return and safety valves are additionally mounted at the docking point. The supply line is also connected to the outlet pipe through a shut-off valve. The water heated by the heating element will flow into it. The circulation pump and expansion tank are installed on the return line, where there is the least likelihood of water hammer and damage to this equipment.

It is recommended to lay the heating pipeline with the minimum possible number of branches and turns, each of which reduces the efficiency of the complex as a whole. In general, the installation of an electric water heater is carried out for several batteries, since it is not able to service a large number of devices. Radiators are placed around the perimeter of the rooms under the windows. If a circulation pump is used in the system, it is not required to additionally tilt towards the direction of movement of the coolant.

The composition of the device, its parameters

The boiler consists of the following elements:

• Tank.
• Heating element.
• Anode (needed to prevent corrosion).
• Thermal insulation (keeps water warm).
• Thermostat (use it to set the desired temperature).
• Outer casing (the type of device depends on it).
• Safety valve (needed to relieve excessive pressure).

The parameters of the device include:

• Material used for thermal insulation (mineral wool, polyurethane, polyurethane foam).
• Volume.
• Tank coating (enamel, steel, glass porcelain).
• Location option (vertically, horizontally, next to the sink).
• Heating element power.
• Is the coil built-in (if yes, the boiler can be connected to the boiler).
• Anode material (magnesium, titanium).

Accumulative electric boilers

Electric storage electric boilers are a tank in which water is heated directly from the water supply. Both horizontal and vertical models are produced. The temperature of the heated water is 55-85 degrees and is maintained at this level for a long time, since all water heaters of this type have powerful thermal insulation and a thermostat, it looks like a large thermos that maintains a given temperature. The power of the storage electric boiler ranges from 1.2 to 3 kW. A storage water heater can provide hot water to several taps at the same time, which is an indisputable plus.But there are also disadvantages in the need for periodic maintenance (washing the inner surface of the tank, replacing the magnesium anode and cleaning the heating elements from scale). The volume of heated water is also limited.

Accumulative electric boilers are available in open and closed types. Storage water heaters of an open type are connected to a non-pressure water supply system and can serve only one water point (kitchen sink, washbasin, etc.). Closed-type storage water heaters are installed in the same system with the cold water supply line and serve several water points (for example, a bathtub and a shower cabin). Usually, such bulk water heaters are equipped with a special safety group that does not allow the operating pressure to exceed the permissible values.

Considering all the features of electric boilers, you can choose the right model that will be durable in operation and easy to use.

You will learn about the technology of installing an electric boiler here.

Wood fired water heaters

It is also possible to install a wood-fired water heater for a private house, which will be located in one of the rooms. The main advantage of this system is efficiency at low cost, as well as the admissibility of using other combustible solid materials (coal, coal briquettes). Having the opportunity to buy coal or firewood at a low price, the installation of such a water heater will be the best solution.

The modern manufacturer of solid fuel boilers made sure that you do not have to deal with cleaning soot and constantly filling the firebox. Having filled the firebox once, the device itself, by means of sensors, will maintain the desired temperature regime, and the fuel will be consumed extremely economically.

Complex arrangement of a country house with hot water or heating

If a country residence serves most often for a weekend getaway, you can limit yourself to a small water heater. In the case of constant presence in the house, you need to seriously approach the complex provision of it with water and heat. A boiler room, equipped in a separate annex, is best suited for this.

For such a house, a heater that works with a diesel, solid-fuel or combined mechanism and connected in a two-circuit scheme is suitable. This option is the most profitable and convenient. It involves the installation of an indirect heating storage tank. After installing such a system, you will only need to monitor its operation and service it on time.

# 2. Heating element type

Heating elements are responsible for heating in boilers, spiral heating elements are less often used (they are more powerful, but if something happens, they are more difficult to repair).

Heating elements can be of two types:

• Wet;
• Dry.

The name makes it easy to understand who is who. "Wet" heating element - a copper heating element that is submerged in water and works like a boiler. Such heating elements are typical for many storage and almost all flow-through boilers. These are cheap devices, but due to the direct contact of the heating element with water, scale quickly forms on it, which has high thermal insulation properties, due to which the ability to heat water from the heating element decreases. You will have to constantly increase the temperature, and this will affect the service life of the boiler. It is noteworthy that the higher the heating temperature, the faster the scale forms. In addition, the "wet" heating element is subject to electrochemical corrosion. If a water filter is installed in the apartment, then, in principle, you can take a boiler of this type, it costs less. When working with hard water, prepare to clean the heating element every 3-4 months.

"Dry" (steatin) heating element protected by a special flask and does not come into contact with water, so scale cannot form here.The heat transfer of such a heating element is much higher, the service life is also much higher, but a boiler with a similar heating element will cost 1.5-2 times more.

Storage water heaters can be equipped with one or two heating elements... The second heating element is received by all large-volume boilers, as well as models with a fast heating function.