It is difficult to imagine a modern home without a heating system. There are various ways to create such systems. The difference usually lies in the fuel used - gas, coal, pellets, firewood. Heating boilers are divided into gas, solid fuel, pellet and electric. For any craftsman, drawing a diagram and assembling a heating system for his home is a completely solvable task. It’s no secret that most heating schemes were invented by ordinary people, practitioners, not burdened with scientific titles and regalia.

The benefit of making your own heating circuit is a significant reduction in financial costs. Of course, when choosing gas heating, you will have to pay for the development of the project and the work of licensed specialists for the installation and initial startup of the boiler. If you plan to install a solid fuel boiler, then all stages from the sketch to the launch of the system can be carried out independently. Undoubtedly, creating a heating system for a private home is a complex engineering task.

Of course, specialists with experience in design and installation will solve this problem faster and better. If a decision is made to involve them, then it is necessary to clearly determine the degree of their participation in the creation and installation of the system circuit. Possible options:


Private houses are heated by heating systems. They use a convenient and universal method of delivering heat using a coolant. You can heat the coolant in various ways. Often, owners use several water heating devices.

Any heating scheme in a private house consists of the following components:

If you want to create heating for a private house with your own hands, the schemes are selected based on the possibilities. There are few options, there are only two:

Determining which heating scheme for a private home is optimal is difficult, especially for a non-specialist, so you should definitely consult a professional. Most heating circuit specialists are convinced that a two-pipe heating circuit for a private home is optimal. There is a misconception that a single-pipe system costs less.

The opinion of many experts is the opposite - it is more expensive and more difficult to set up and adjust. The principle of its operation is the sequential movement of liquid through the radiators, which means that the temperature drops from battery to battery, so it is necessary to increase the power of the system. The main pipe is selected with a larger diameter. In addition, the mutual influence of heating devices on each other is very strong. This influence makes automatic control difficult.

Where is a single-pipe heating scheme used?

Heating of small houses is successfully provided by the Leningradka heating scheme, which has as many as four varieties. Among them are two types of one-pipe/two-pipe open systems and two one-pipe/two-pipe closed systems.

For a small house, a do-it-yourself heating system for a private house is chosen to be a single-pipe scheme, but if the number of batteries is no more than 5, if there are more of them, then the last radiators do not warm up well. When starting the heating of a two-story house, the Leningradka circuit also works successfully, but the number of batteries is no more than six.

Single-pipe vertical heating systems work better.

Heated coolant of the same temperature is supplied to all vertical risers, and the batteries of the upper and lower floors are connected in series.

Features of two-pipe circuit wiring

The two-pipe system comes in several varieties. They have a different connection diagram for heating radiators in a private house, and a different vector of coolant movement.

In small private houses, the following types of two-pipe heating systems are used:

  1. dead end;
  2. passing;
  3. collector (radial).

Brief characteristics of two-pipe systems

Dead-end system - the entire pipeline network consists of two arms (branches), one for supply and the other arm for coolant return. The movement of water occurs in counter directions.

Associated two-pipe system - the return arm serves as a continuation of the supply arm (branch), i.e. the system is looped. This heating connection scheme in a private house is deservedly popular.

Collector is the most expensive heating distribution scheme for a private house due to the need to lay pipes to each battery, and their installation is hidden.

Open "gravity" two-pipe system

Let's consider the heating system installed in a private house with our own hands; a two-pipe open circuit was chosen and an open tank was installed at the top point of the circuit. The pressure that determines the speed of fluid movement in the “gravity” system depends on the height of the tank. The main advantage of a two-pipe system is that water flows to the radiators at the same temperature, and a clear separation of pipelines into supply and return makes it easier to automate control.

For successful operation of the “gravity” system, a slope of 3-5 mm/m is ensured during installation. Due to gravity, any type of heating system can operate if the necessary conditions are created - the slope of the coolant supply lines for natural circulation. It must be taken into account that the “gravity” system can only work with an open expansion tank.

Closed two-pipe system

When installed in a private house, the circuit chosen is closed, and its appearance depends on the number of floors of the building. If the house is one-story, then two pipeline branches are laid - supply and return, and heating devices are connected to them in parallel.

And in order to install the heating of a two-story private house with your own hands, the wiring diagrams must contain the required number of liquid supply branches. One branch of the collector should power the batteries on the upper floor, the second branch should power the batteries on the lower floor. The water that has given up its heat returns to the boiler through the “return”. A closed system must have a circulation pump to create pressure.

Warm floor - uniform and comfortable heating

Schemes of heating systems for a private home are becoming popular - comfortable heated floors. The practical implementation of such a project involves laying hundreds of meters of pipes, usually made of polypropylene, under the screed to assemble the heating circuit. The ends of the pipes go to the distribution manifold. The liquid in the heated floor line moves separately.

Heating system installation

It is possible to positively resolve the problem - how to install heating in a private house (the diagram is given above) if you follow certain rules and the sequence of work. Installation work begins with the installation and subsequent piping of the boiler. Gas boilers with a power of up to 60 kW are installed in the kitchen. All rules for installing boilers are described in detail in the instructions for them.

Piping a heating boiler is the process of connecting the necessary equipment.

There are two ways to install a heating circuit from gas and water (metal) pipes - welding and using threaded connections. Of course, you can quickly create a system using the welding method, but it will turn out to be non-separable. By connecting the system pipes with threaded connections, you can easily change the configuration or replace any section of the pipeline at any time. For any installation method, the connection diagram for heating radiators in a private house requires special attention, and it must be drawn and calculated in advance.

Double-circuit heating system

DHW (hot water supply) is created by a double-circuit heating system of a private house; its wiring diagram is drawn before installation begins, and then installed to the selected hot water supply point. Gas consumption when using a dual-circuit system increases slightly. With intensive hot water extraction, consumption is 25% higher.

Features of the use of polypropylene pipes

Implementing a heating scheme in a private house made of polypropylene has many advantages. Polypropylene pipes are cheaper and lighter than metal pipes, they do not rust. Plastic pipes do not need painting, they look good and do not deteriorate the interior of the room. The procedure for creating a heating system from polypropylene pipes is reminiscent of assembling it from a construction set. Pipes are quickly and efficiently connected using a welding unit.

The following equipment, tools and materials are used for installation of polypropylene pipes:


Note: the amount of necessary materials, tools and components is determined before installation, after drawing the heating circuit diagram. Couplings, ball valves and fittings are purchased depending on the type of boiler, the selected design and the size of the polypropylene pipe.

Water electric heating

If you use electric heating of a private house with your own hands, the circuit connection diagrams are described above. An electric boiler can be designated as the main source of heat or as a backup if the house already has a heating source, for example a gas boiler. An electric boiler consumes significant power, so the wiring cross-section must correspond to the current consumed.

It is not at all necessary to make reinforced wiring throughout the house; it is enough to lay a suitable cable from the meter to the boiler. Since an electric boiler is a device that heats water, a closed system or a gravity heating system for a private house will work with it, using a standard scheme. Pipeline diagrams are no different from the diagrams described above.

To create electric heating, three types of electric boilers are used:

  1. electrode;
  2. induction;
  3. boiler using heating elements.

It is believed that a heating element boiler that has stood the test of time is more reliable. It is advisable to fill the system with softened water so that there is less scale on the heating elements. Electric boilers have high efficiency, but the main obstacle to their widespread use is the rising price of electricity.

Taking into account the peculiarities of the climate of central Russia, insulation alone is not always enough to efficiently heat your home. For this reason, it is possible to provide water heating in a private house, which is very efficient and economical. However, we must not forget that to arrange it you will need to purchase a lot of materials and spend money on installation.

Key Features

A water heating system works simply: the heated coolant will rise, and the cooled coolant will fall.

If there is a large difference in the temperature of the outlet and inlet of the coolant into the boiler, optimal circulation of the liquid will be ensured.

To create such a system, you need to place the boiler about 3 m below the level of the radiators and pipes, at the lowest point of the heating circuit. If necessary, you will need to insulate the riser through which liquid rises into the room. When natural circulation of the coolant occurs, the pipes must have a length of less than 30 m. For a one-story house with natural movement of the coolant, a return with a slope is needed, and if it has two floors or more, then pumping equipment must be installed.

The solution has its disadvantages and advantages. Among the disadvantages:

  • you will need to purchase a large number of materials - pipes, fittings, shut-off valves, circulation pumps and a boiler;
  • Leaks may occur during use of the equipment. They are especially noticeable in places where pipes join other materials;
  • The water inside the system may freeze if it is not drained in advance of cold weather.


But the system also has advantages. Among them:

  • heat will be distributed evenly throughout the house;
  • low energy consumption;
  • you can control the heating process from one place where the boiler is installed;
  • piping and all other equipment, with the exception of radiators, can be made hidden.

It is also important to choose the right coolant. With water heating, the batteries will not heat up as much as regular ones, and you cannot get burned on them.

heating a private house

What elements does the system consist of?

To install water heating for your home, you need to know what elements such a system includes. In this case, in addition to the main components, it will be necessary to install shut-off and control elements, safety groups and much more. One of the main elements is a water boiler for heating a private house. It is he who is responsible for the efficiency of the entire system. As the coolant passes through the heating circuit, it heats it up, streams of hot air move through the pipes and heat the entire room.

There are several types of boilers. They differ by type of fuel:


The next element without which the system cannot work is pipes. They can be copper, plastic, metal or metal-plastic. Depending on this, they have different characteristics.

For example, metal products will not work for a long time; they are susceptible to corrosion. Polymer models will be more reliable, they are easy to install and are inexpensive.

Metal-plastic structures can crack due to sudden temperature changes. The most expensive and high-quality pipes are copper. Also for installation you will need radiators that transfer heat. They can be selected correctly based on the results of the corresponding calculations. The area of ​​the radiators must be sufficient so that the room can warm up well.

To make the heating system work more efficiently, it is recommended to install additional water pumps. Thanks to them, the liquid will pass through the pipes at a certain speed, and the boiler will not overheat. In this case, you can install two pumps at once; if one fails, the second will maintain the heating mode of the house.

A metal expansion tank connected to the heating system is needed to create additional volume of liquid. If a leak occurs and the pressure in the coolant network drops below acceptable levels, liquid is drawn from the tank and the system will not fail. To prevent the pipes from bursting and the boiler from overheating, the coolant first enters the tank, and from there it is transferred to the system through a safety valve. Also, heating efficiency is created due to the thermal circuit. This is a closed space in which heat accumulates and heat loss is minimized.

SINGLE-PIPE HEATING IN A PRIVATE HOUSE THE BEST SOLUTION

Before you start work, you need to correctly select the main elements, perform all the calculations and decide on the type of system. The radiator variety is predominantly used, but underfloor heating or baseboard systems are also gaining popularity.

Water heating of a country house by installing heated floors is a worthy option, since it ensures uniform heating of the room.

But you need to take into account that such floors will have to be washed frequently, since dust will constantly rise. However, the floors are still convenient, including in terms of operation and installation. But you need to choose the right pipe laying scheme, the circuit will be long, and the coolant may cool down over time. For this reason, the pipes will need to be doubled. Before installing the system, you will need to insulate the base. If this is not done, the heat will go into the concrete and the efficiency will be low.

This is a cross between heated floors and a radiator system. Externally and structurally it resembles a small radiator, and in terms of connection it resembles a warm floor. Copper or aluminum plates are placed on the copper pipe, which will act as heat reflectors. The structure will be closed from above with a metal casing.

The devices themselves are placed along the perimeter along the wall or along external walls, they are connected in series to the boilers. Plastic pipes with a small diameter are used for connection. The key part of the energy is spent on heating the walls, which will themselves be sources of heat, and the rest of the heat will work according to the convection principle.

The system that is more familiar to many is the radiator system. Radiators may vary in design and cost. They are produced on the basis of the following materials:

  • aluminum;
  • cast iron;
  • steel.

Coolant circulation can be natural or forced. The first option is only suitable for one-story buildings. The liquid itself, being heated or cooled, has different densities, and at the difference the flows begin to move. Installing this option is very simple; it does not require a special pump to operate. But the pipes will need to be installed at a slope, an expansion tank will need to be installed on the roof or attic, and the design parameters must also be strictly observed.

Systems with forced circulation of coolant operate using pumping equipment. It is more efficient because the heated liquid will reach even remote parts of the house, which is good if the house has two floors or more. Pipes can be installed without a slope, making installation easier. There will also be no need to install expansion tanks; pumped storage tanks will be required instead. But the pipes will need to be fitted with fittings that will protect them from accidents. And you will need to install safety valves on the circulation pump.

Heating of a private house 1/1 / Heating of a private house from A to Z

If you decide to install the equipment yourself, you need to study all the intricacies of its design. Installation of water heating depends on what type of system was chosen, how many floors there are in the house, what its area is, and other nuances.

If the house has one floor, then the pipes are laid out over the entire area from the boiler; the batteries must be connected in series. Rooms located far from the boiler will be heated worse. At the same time, it is impossible to provide liquid supply to only one device, and if the radiator needs to be repaired, then the heat should be turned off throughout the house. A single-pipe heating system is easy to install and can be easily done with your own hands.

Contents of the article

Go shopping

What does it take to install a working water heating system?

  • Boiler. It should provide minimal operating costs and, if possible, require minimal attention from the owner;
  • Boiler piping - safety group (air vent, pressure gauge and safety valve), circulation pump and expansion tank, compensating for the increase in coolant volume during heating;

Security group.

I deliberately excluded from consideration open gravity systems, in which the functions of the entire piping are performed by an open expansion tank. They are extremely simple in design, but differ from closed systems with forced circulation in that they take a long time to heat up, a large temperature spread between heating devices and the formation of scale in the boiler heat exchanger.

Open gravity system: simple, but not very practical.

  • Pipes - bottling, connections to radiators and (optional) heating risers;
  • The actual heating devices and their piping are taps for shutting off or throttles for separate adjustment.

Boiler

How to choose a boiler for water heating?

If you have gas in your house or area, great. A cheaper source of heat cannot be found: the thermal energy obtained by burning natural gas costs only 50-70 kopecks per kilowatt-hour.

The most economical type of gas boilers are condensing boilers with electric ignition.

What are the savings?

  • The absence of a pilot burner saves up to 25% of the gas that burns when the boiler is idle, when the coolant is heated to a sufficiently high temperature;
  • Another 10 - 12% savings are provided by the utilization of the heat of condensation of water vapor, which in traditional boilers leaves the house along with the rest of the combustion products.

In the absence of gas, a wood boiler becomes the source of the cheapest heat.

A few nuances:

  • To light a solid fuel boiler using coal, firewood is needed, which will further increase operating costs and time;
  • Gas, diesel and electric boilers can operate without maintenance as long as electricity, gas or oil is supplied. A pellet boiler with a hopper and a pellet feeding mechanism is capable of autonomous operation for a week. The solid fuel boiler will have to be melted and cleaned of ash several times a day;
  • Replacing diesel fuel with waste fuel will reduce operating costs by 5-6 times. However, waste boilers are not very popular, since only car service workers have a permanent supply channel for used motor oil.

Some types of boilers are designed for longer autonomous operation. For example, pyrolysis (smoldering of wood with limited access of air followed by afterburning of combustion products in a separate chamber) increases autonomy to 10-12 hours. Top combustion boilers with a telescopic air duct are even capable of operating on one burner for up to a day.

Top combustion allows you to increase the volume of one load of fuel with a constant thermal power.

Another source of cheap heat is an exhaust boiler.

For a private house with high-quality insulation of walls and ceilings, located in the central regions of the country, the boiler power is selected at the rate of 100 watts per square meter of area.

For houses in the northern or southern regions, buildings with poor quality or, conversely, very effective insulation and with high ceiling heights, it is better to use the formula Q=V*Dt*k/860.

Variables in this formula (from left to right):

  • Heat demand of the room in kilowatts;
  • Its volume in cubic meters;
  • The temperature difference between the street and the house (it is usually taken equal to the difference between the sanitary norm -18 - 22 degrees - and the temperature of the coldest five-day period in your locality);
  • Insulation coefficient. It can be selected from the table.

Insulating the facade can halve heating costs.

For example, for a house measuring 10x10x6 meters with brick walls 50 cm thick and double-glazed windows, located in Surgut (the temperature of the coldest five days of winter is -43), the heat requirement will be (10*10*6)*(22 - -43) *1.9/860=86 kilowatts.

Is there an inexpensive alternative to solid fuel boilers in the absence of gas?

Heat pumps operate on electricity, but do not use it to directly heat the air in the house, but to pump heat from a low-potential source - soil, water or air.

Since electricity is consumed only by the compressor, for every kilowatt-hour of electricity the owner receives from three to six kilowatt-hours of heat, which reduces heating costs to comparable with solid fuel heating and even gas.

Many potential buyers are put off by the high cost of heat pumps and the expensive installation of a heating system. Suffice it to say that installing a geothermal pump requires drilling wells several tens of meters deep or laying a horizontal collector in a pit with an area three times the size of the house.

However, in warm regions, an air-to-air heating scheme can be implemented: a heat pump takes energy from the air outside the house and heats it without the mediation of a coolant, simply by blowing on the internal heat exchanger.

Doesn't remind you of anything? That's right, this is exactly how any household air conditioner works in heating mode.

A household split system is a special case of a heat pump.

I use air conditioners as the main source of heat for my home.

Here is a brief report on their operation:

  • The heated area of ​​the house is 154 m2. It maintains a temperature of 20-22 degrees;
  • Air conditioners continue to operate for heating even during the rare frosts in Sevastopol (the minimum temperature with which the heating system was tested was -21 degrees);
  • Electricity consumption for heating in the winter months is approximately 1500 kWh. The reader can calculate how much this is in money using local tariffs.

The photo shows external units of air conditioners heating the bedroom and children's room on the first floor.

Boiler piping

How to choose a boiler piping?

When choosing a circulation pump, look first at its performance. A minimum pressure of 2 meters (0.2 kgf/cm2) is quite enough to make the heating system of an apartment building work.

At 4 kgf/cm2 on the return side, the pressure of the mixture after the elevator is 4.2 kgf/cm2.

The pump capacity is selected using the formula Q=0.86R/Dt.

  • Q is the desired value in cubic meters per hour;
  • R - power of the boiler or circuit served by a pump with forced circulation of coolant;
  • Dt is the temperature difference between supply and return (usually it is approximately 20 degrees).

The safety valve must be set to the maximum permissible pressure for the heating system (usually 2.5 kgf/cm2).

The volume of the membrane expansion tank is usually taken with a small margin equal to 1/10 of the volume of coolant in the circuit. To find out the last parameter with maximum accuracy, just fill the circuit with water and pour it into a container of known volume.

In a balanced heating system with aluminum or bimetallic radiators, the volume of coolant is approximately 15 liters per kilowatt of boiler power.

The standard charging pressure for the expansion tank is 1.5 kgf/cm2. Approximately the same operating pressure should be maintained in the heating system during operation. It can be increased using a tap connecting the heating circuit to the cold water system, or by simply pumping air into the expansion tank through the spool.

Pipes

What pipes should be used for heating in the house?

In my opinion, the best material for an autonomous water heating system is polypropylene reinforced with aluminum foil.

Why him?

  • Their connections are maintenance-free and are as durable as a solid pipe. The fitting can be hidden in a groove or screed;
  • The strength and heat resistance of polypropylene is quite sufficient for the modest operating parameters of an autonomous system (up to +75C at a pressure of no more than 2.5 atmospheres).

Why do I recommend reinforced pipes and specifically aluminum?

The point is not in resistance to hydrostatic pressure - it is already excessive. The key words are “elongation when heated.” In this parameter, polypropylene without reinforcement is ahead of the rest: a meter-long pipe heated by 50 degrees becomes 6.5 mm longer. Reinforcement with glass fiber reduces elongation to 3.1 mm, and with aluminum to 1.5 mm/meter.

For comparison, a steel pipe under the same conditions will lengthen by 0.5 mm.

When installing long straight bottling sections, the pipes are opened with expansion joints - ring or U-shaped bends, which avoid deformation of the pipeline.

Polypropylene filling without reinforcement and expansion joints after heating the coolant.

What should the diameter of the pipes be?

The internal diameter is selected depending on the thermal load on the corresponding section of the circuit. For bottling, the heat load is equal to the power of the boiler, for connections - the power of the heating device, for the riser - the total heat transfer of all devices connected to it.

The internal diameter values ​​are selected from another table.

The diameter can be reduced by increasing the coolant speed (read: pump performance). However, a trap awaits us here: as the flow speed increases, hydraulic noise will appear - first at the throttling valves, and then at all fitting connections. Therefore, it is better to select the speed from the range 0.4 - 0.6 m/s (blue columns in the table).

In a natural circulation system, the filling diameter increases by at least one step. The instruction is related to the minimum hydraulic pressure that ensures the movement of the coolant: as the diameter increases, the hydraulic resistance of the pipeline decreases.

Heating devices

What batteries are best to buy?

Our choice is aluminum sectional radiators. Cheap and cheerful: maximum heat transfer (with a standard battery size - approximately 200 watts per section).

How to choose the number of sections?

The power of a heating device for a separate room is calculated according to the same scheme as the heat demand of the house. To convert the power into the number of sections, it is enough to divide it by the heat flow from one section. It is always indicated by the manufacturer in the technical documentation for the device.

There is one subtlety here. As a rule, the manufacturer indicates the heat flow for a very specific temperature difference between the coolant and the air in the room - 70 degrees (90C/20C).

As the coolant cools or the air heats up, the power of the section will drop in proportion to the temperature delta: say, at 60C in the battery and 25C in the room, the section will deliver half the rated power.

Heating appliances

What fittings are needed to disconnect and adjust batteries?

If you only plan to turn off the radiators (if there is excess heat or for repairs), install ball valves on both connections to the battery. They are durable, fail-safe and always seal in the closed position.

For throttling (adjusting the flow rate) it is customary to use needle throttles, or valves for radiators. The inside is a typical screw valve with a metal valve.

Throttling of the connections allows you to independently regulate the heat transfer of each individual device.

If you want the passage of the connections to be adjusted automatically, your choice is valves with thermal heads. After rough adjustment, they will change their capacity depending on the air temperature in the room.

Wiring

How to turn on the heating in the house?

The simplest and most fault-tolerant scheme is a single-pipe Leningrad, a filling ring around the perimeter of the house with heating devices connected parallel to it. Its main drawback is the large temperature difference between the first and last radiators.

If the house has several heated floors, a two-pipe heating system is usually installed. It can be dead-end (when the coolant, when flowing from supply to return, turns 180 degrees) and passing (the direction of movement of the coolant is maintained).

A dead-end circuit requires mandatory balancing - limiting the passage of the radiators closest to the boiler with chokes. Without balancing, the main volume of the coolant circulates through these radiators, and distant devices practically do not heat. In my memory, this at least once led to a serious accident - defrosting of the circuit in extreme cold.

The associated circuit (Tichelman loop) forms several parallel circuits of the same length. In it, the temperature of the radiators is always approximately the same without balancing.

Dead-end and passing schemes.

A dead-end two-pipe scheme is used in cases where some obstacle (high opening, load-bearing wall, etc.) prevents the Tichelman loop from looping.

Installation

How to solder polypropylene pipes yourself?

For this you will need:

  • Shaver (stripping) to remove reinforcement from the soldering area;
  • Scissors - pipe cutter;
  • Soldering iron with nozzles of the appropriate diameter and operating temperature of 260 degrees.

The shaver also removes the outer chamfer on the pipe, simplifying installation of the fitting.

The connection is installed as follows:

  • The shaver is placed on the pipe and made several turns, removing the aluminum foil;

Stripping reinforcement.

If left, the foil in contact with water will gradually deteriorate. This will lead to delamination of the pipe and a decrease in the strength of the connection.

  • The pipe is inserted into the socket of the nozzle heated to operating temperature. At the same time, a fitting is put on the second side of the nozzle;
  • the melted parts are combined in a translational (without rotation) motion and held motionless for several seconds. After the melted plastic has set, you can proceed to installing the next connection.

Where to install the security group?

At the outlet of the boiler. This is where the pressure begins to increase when the filling capacity is insufficient or the circulation rate is low.

Where is the expansion tank installed?

At any point in the circuit, but no closer than two filling diameters from the pump when installed in front of it and no closer than ten filling diameters when installed after the pump. Otherwise, the turbulence that occurs during rotation of the impeller will sharply reduce the life of the tank membrane.

It is better to mount the tank with the hose facing up. Then air will not be retained in it.

Can a gravity heating system be converted to forced circulation?

Quite: the pump can be installed in both a closed and an open circuit.

Typically, installation of heating with the ability to work with both natural and forced circulation is performed as follows:

  • The diameter and configuration of the filling (slope, accelerating manifold, height difference between the boiler and heating devices) are made typical for a gravity system;
  • In front of the boiler, two outlets are welded parallel to the filling, between which a pump is connected;
  • A ball check valve is installed between the taps.

When the pump is running, the valve is activated and closes the bypass. The coolant circulates at high speed forcibly. As soon as the pump turns off due to a power outage, the system automatically switches to natural circulation mode: the valve opens and water moves freely through the filling.

Instead of a check valve, a regular valve or ball valve is sometimes installed. In this case, the system must be switched to natural circulation mode with your own hands.

The bottling is opened with a ball valve. The operating modes of the heating system are switched manually.

The task of creating home heating with your own hands, although difficult, is completely solvable. There can be many reasons why you have to choose such a heating arrangement option, ranging from the high cost of performing work by third parties to the habit of doing everything yourself. But regardless of the motives that forced you to choose this option, to successfully create heating you need to know how it works.

About home heating in general

Water heating of any private home consists of at least the following elements:

  • heating boiler;
  • expansion tank;
  • heating radiators;
  • pipelines;
  • control valves.

And here the first feature appears - the circulation pump is not mentioned among the equipment. The fact is that for some options for creating home heating, whether you do it yourself or not, a pump is not required. But in this case there are other requirements that will be discussed a little later.

Components of water heating

Therefore, when deciding on a future water heating system, you need to start work with the main points - decide what the heating scheme will be and choose the power of the heating boiler.

Which boiler should I use?

This is a rather complex task, in solving which it is necessary to take into account many different points.

1. Selecting the type of fuel. You need to focus on affordable and cheap energy resources; main gas is considered the best. If it is not available, use other types of fuel:

  • solid (coal, firewood, peat, pellets, etc.);
  • liquid (diesel);
  • electrical or any other energy. You need to choose the cheapest and most affordable fuel, given that these costs will determine your future home heating costs.

2. How will the boiler be used - only as an element of the heating system or also as a source of hot water. Depending on the purpose, you can choose a double-circuit or single-circuit boiler.

3. What area needs to be heated by creating home heating on your own, and the characteristics of the heated premises. In such a calculation, almost everything must be taken into account:

  • geographical location of the house;
  • number of floors;
  • the material from which the house is made, the thickness of the walls, the use of insulation in its construction, etc.;
  • frequency of operation of the boiler, the possibility of its operation in automatic mode;
  • location, dimensions, possibility and need for routine maintenance and maintenance;
  • the presence or possibility of creating the necessary ventilation to remove combustion products.

The above questions represent only a small part of those that you must answer before you create a home heating system with your own hands.

About choosing a heating scheme

Heating can be carried out according to a variety of schemes. In this case, for each specific case, the most suitable option can be used. When choosing it, it is necessary to take into account the features inherent in various heating systems.

1. They come with natural (gravitational) and forced circulation. A feature of gravitational circulation is the ability to heat a house without the use of additional equipment, such as a circulation pump, and the ability to operate system elements at atmospheric pressure.

This approach makes it possible to reduce costs when creating heating, however, for this it is necessary to fulfill a number of additional requirements:

  • the heating boiler should be located below the radiators, and the expansion tank above;
  • the pipelines must have a slope that creates a gravity flow of the coolant towards the radiators when hot water moves, and towards the boiler when returning;
  • pipelines must be secured to prevent the formation of backflow;
  • Pipes for supplying hot water must be larger in cross-section than for return.

A heating system with forced circulation is the most versatile, and its creation does not require so many requirements.

2. Heating installation can be carried out using a single-pipe or two-pipe method. The features of these heating schemes are shown in the photo

With a one-pipe system, water passes through the radiators one after another and then returns to the heating boiler, and with a two-pipe system, water enters each radiator separately from the main line and then returns there.

It is traditionally believed that a two-pipe heating scheme is the most effective, but a single-pipe heating scheme also has its advantages, among which it must be admitted that this is the simplest and most affordable option for heating a house, and also the cheapest.

As for the disadvantages inherent in the single-pipe circuit, its most popular type, called “Leningrad”, thanks to the efforts of numerous heating specialists, has been largely eliminated from them.

If you look at the self-made heating system being created in the house from this point of view - the simplicity and reasonable price of the entire system, then the "Leningradka" can probably be considered one of the most suitable options.

You can learn more about the intricacies and features of this system using the video

How to connect a heating radiator

An important factor ensuring the normal operation of the heating system is the radiators used. There are many varieties of such products; they are made in different shapes and from different materials, achieving maximum heat transfer from them, but other factors play the main role in heating the room:

1. Number of radiator sections. Established practice recommends using one section to heat three square meters. area, while the coolant temperature should be seventy degrees.

However, the number of sections cannot be unlimited; do not forget that each element in the system creates resistance to the passage of water, and if it is too large, then the heating simply will not work.

2. How is the radiator connected to the heating system? The figure below will allow you to evaluate how the heating efficiency differs for different methods of connecting batteries:

3. Where and how the radiator is installed.

These data should force you to take a more careful approach to the task of determining where to install the radiator. And if the battery is usually placed under the window opening (in the center), and this is a completely correct decision, then the installation of any decorative screens or other decorative items (curtains, drapes) worsens heat transfer and heating efficiency.

Although creating heating for a private home must be considered a rather complex task, it can nevertheless be solved on your own.

The existing variety of options for implementing a heating system allows anyone to choose the one that best suits their own strengths, skills and means.

The heating system must be economical and efficient. It should be designed and installed correctly. Otherwise, in winter you will have to suffer from the cold not only outside, but also inside your home. There are several ways to heat a private house with your own hands. The classic version of its design is an electric or gas boiler plus one-pipe or two-pipe wiring. But other combinations are also possible. In order to correctly choose the most suitable scheme, you should thoroughly understand all their features.

Single-pipe schemes

The easiest way to calculate and assemble a heating system is with a single-pipe piping scheme for the coolant. The heated water in it sequentially passes from the boiler through all the radiators in the house, starting with the first and ending with the last in the chain. At the same time, each subsequent radiator receives less and less heat.

There are four main advantages of such a heating installation in a private house:

    Ease of implementation;

    Small cubic capacity of coolant;

    Hydraulic stability of the system;

    Low consumption of materials.

Installing a pipeline according to this scheme and connecting it to the boiler with your own hands, even if you have minimal skills, can be completed in two to three days. Plus, the costs of creating a water heating system in a house for single-pipe wiring are minimal compared to other options.

Few fittings, fittings and pipes are required here. The savings on materials are significant. And it doesn’t matter whether laminated timber or brick is chosen for the construction of the cottage. If the home is well insulated, then even a simple one-pipe system for heating it will be more than enough.

Among the weak points of this heating scheme are:

    Inability to accurately regulate the heat supply in each room;

    Limitation on the total length of the pipeline throughout the house (no more than 30 m);

    Small amount of thermal energy in the battery furthest from the boiler;

    Vulnerability to defrosting and gusts.

To mitigate the shortcomings, a circulation pump has to be built into a single-pipe system. But these are additional costs and potential equipment breakdowns. Plus, if there are any problems in any section of the pipe, heating of the entire cottage stops.

Single-pipe horizontal

If a private house is small and one-story, then a single-pipe heating system is best done in a horizontal design. To do this, a ring of one pipe is laid in the rooms around the perimeter of the cottage, which is connected to the inlet and outlet of the boiler. Radiators cut into the pipeline under the windows.

Single-pipe horizontal design - ideal for small spaces

The batteries are connected here using a bottom or cross connection. In the first case, heat losses will be at the level of 12–13%, and in the second they are reduced to 1–2%. It is the cross installation method that should be preferred. Moreover, the coolant supply to the radiator should be done from above, and the outlet from below. So the heat transfer from it will be maximum, and losses will be minimal.

Single-pipe vertical distribution

For a two-story cottage, a single-pipe vertical heating system is more suitable. In it, the pipe from the water heating equipment goes up to the attic or second floor, and from there it goes back down to the boiler room. In this case, the batteries are also connected in series one after the other, but with a side connection. The pipeline for the coolant is usually laid in the form of a single ring, first along the second and then along the first floor, in such a heating distribution in a low-rise building.

Single-pipe vertical design - saving on materials

But an example with vertical branches from a common horizontal pipe at the top is also possible. That is, first a circular circuit is made from the boiler up, along the second floor, down and along the first floor back to the water heater. And between the horizontal sections, vertical risers are laid with radiators connected to them.

The coldest battery in such a heating system for a private house will again be the last one in the chain - at the bottom of the boiler. In this case, there will be an excess of heat on the upper floor. It is necessary to somehow limit the volume of heat transfer at the top and increase it at the bottom. To do this, it is recommended to install bypass jumpers with control valves on the radiators.

Leningradka

Both schemes described above have one common disadvantage - the temperature of the water in the last radiator turns out to be very low, and it gives off very little heat to the room. To compensate for this cooling, it is recommended to improve the single-pipe horizontal heating option for a private house by installing bypasses at the bottom of the battery.

Leningradka - improved single-pipe system

This wiring was called “Leningradka”. In it, the radiator is connected from above to a pipeline running along the floor. Plus, taps are placed on the outlets to the batteries, which can be used to regulate the volume of incoming coolant. All this contributes to a more even distribution of energy across individual rooms in the house.

Two-pipe heating systems

In a two-pipe heating system, the batteries are no longer connected to one common line, but to two - supply and return. This way the heat distribution throughout the building occurs more evenly. The water reaches each heat exchanger at approximately the same temperature. It is not for nothing that such a scheme is usually used in high-rise buildings with a large number of heated rooms. But it is also often installed in cottages, especially if they are large and have several floors.

The two-pipe heating system has the following advantages:

    Possibility of precise adjustment of room temperature;

    Uniformity of heat distribution in individual rooms;

    High operational reliability;

    It is permissible to repair one battery while continuing to operate the entire system.

The two-pipe heating scheme for private houses has only one serious drawback - price. Its high cost is often mentioned in comparison with its single-pipe analogue. However, pipes in this case require a smaller diameter. Their length doubles here. At the same time, due to the reduction in cross-section, the final estimate turns out to be not as inflated as it might seem at first glance.

By analyzing the types of foundations, we can immediately say unequivocally that a monolith will be more expensive than a strip foundation. When arranging heating for private houses, everything is not so simple and easy. When installing it, pipes of different diameters, various fittings and thermostats are used. The total cost of each variety must be calculated individually for the actual structure and for the specific parameters of the required temperature regime.

With bottom wiring

With the bottom scheme, both pipes are laid above or in the floor. And a pair of taps are connected to the batteries from below. This type of connection is often used to hide heating pipelines behind finishing. This is more of a design decision; it does not provide any special advantages in terms of heat transfer.

Two-pipe with bottom wiring

On the contrary, the lower method of connecting radiators involves the highest heat loss. It is generally not recommended for use in heating systems with natural (gravity) circulation. If this wiring is chosen, you will have to take care of the availability of special equipment for pumping the coolant, and choose a battery with more power. A boiler without a circulation pump cannot supply heat throughout the house alone.

With top wiring

In the upper heating distribution, the connection of radiators to the pipes can be diagonal or lateral. This is not the most important thing here. The main distinguishing feature of this type of water heating is the presence of an expansion tank.

Two-pipe with top wiring

The expansion tank is placed in the attic. The water heated in the boiler actually first enters this storage tank. The coolant flows into the supply pipe naturally from top to bottom. And then the water, after releasing heat in the radiator, is sent through the return line back to the heater.

Beam system

The collector (radiant) heating scheme is the most advanced and modern in terms of thermal efficiency. In it, each of the radiators is connected to a pair of pipes from two common collectors for the floor, which are themselves connected to the boiler equipment. Temperature control with this wiring is more flexible. Plus, it is permissible to connect not only batteries to the collectors, but also a “warm floor”.

Among the advantages of such a heating system for a private house, the following should be noted:

    Convenient and flexible adjustment;

    High efficiency of thermal energy distribution;

    Possibility of replacing individual elements without turning off the heating as a whole.

In this case, the pipelines can be laid as desired. Often they are simply laid under the poured floor. The main disadvantage of the beam scheme is the high cost of the system as a whole and the long length of the pipes. Plus, it will be difficult to lay the latter in large quantities in an already finished cottage. Their installation should be planned in advance at the stage of designing a home.

Radial design - ideal heat distribution

This slate, if necessary, can be relatively easily replaced with another roofing material. The layout of the heating pipes is more complicated; changing it later is not so easy. Even the rigid dimensions of the ondulin sheet are not so scary; there are a lot of scraps, but this is only a slight increase in the roof estimate. With heating pipelines, especially for radial distribution, everything is much more complicated.

Natural and forced heating circulation

It doesn’t matter whether gas, wood, coal or electric heating is planned to be installed in a private house. In any case, there is a boiler (furnace or water heater) for heating the coolant, as well as pipes for its movement along the circuit. In this case, water in pipelines can flow naturally under the influence of gravity and convection or forcibly using a pump.

The first example is cheaper and quieter than the second. However, forced circulation can greatly improve the performance of the entire heating system. Often, heating a private home cannot be done without a booster pump. Due to the large number of radiators, pipe turns and fittings, the hydraulic resistance in the pipeline is too high. And this can only be compensated for by the operation of pumping equipment.

Which home heating system to choose

There are several types of heating systems. They differ in pipe layout, methods of connecting radiators and how the coolant moves through them. Competently choosing the most effective option is possible only if you have knowledge of heating engineering. It is necessary to make complex calculations and prepare a project. For a small cottage, a simple one-pipe scheme is quite suitable. In other cases, it is better to delegate the design to a professional. But the installation work can be done independently.