Gas boiler power consumption: how much electricity is needed to operate standard equipment

It may be news to someone that the gas boiler equipment needs not only gas, but also electricity. And along with the gas flow rate, the power consumption of the gas boiler, which is the heart of your heating system, should be taken into account.

Now there is surely a reader who will object and be right. And its correctness is that there are still gas boilers without connecting to the mains. These are classic outdoor units with an open combustion chamber; they require a separate room and strict adherence to strict fire safety rules in it.

Non-volatile boilers are currently used in villages remote from cities, in summer cottages where interruptions in the supply of electricity occur. Or if you want to save on the purchase of equipment. We’ll talk about modern gas heating equipment, and it works only with reliable reliable power supply.

Why is the gas boiler supplied with power?

With the advent of closed combustion chambers, gas units became dependent on electrical networks. Electricity consumption in such boilers is determined by the composition and amount of electronics in its insides.

And they can already be installed not only in an isolated boiler room, but also in kitchens and bathrooms. In terms of security, they have a high level of protection.

The arrows indicate the main electrical consumers of the wall-mounted gas boiler - the air discharge fan and the built-in circulation pump. In systems with a floor boiler, the pump is installed separately, and in general in the heating system, you can use not one but several pumps, and all of them will consume electricity

We list what specifically requires energy consumption:

• electric ignition;
• circulation pump;
• a fan in a closed combustion chamber;
• automation (gas flow adjustment, as well as traction sensors, gas pressure, water, etc.).

A gas boiler on electric ignition ignites automatically from an electric spark. There is no ignition wick that constantly burns in other ignition systems; gas is not wasted on burning it in vain.

At the time of the appearance of an electric spark, some electricity is wasted, but the moment itself lasts a fraction of a second. At the same time, electricity is consumed minuscule, saving gas due to the absence of an igniter covers these costs. The only negative - in the absence of electricity, the boiler equipment does not start.

If the power supply in the network disappears suddenly, then the gas cutoff will work. When power is supplied, electric ignition will restart the heating system without human intervention.

The circulation pump - here it raises power consumption dramatically! But it is realistic to minimize costs during the operation of a gas boiler if you use thermostats in all rooms by integrating them into the overall pump power supply and boiler operation.

Another economic result significantly increases the programmer. The thermostat only helps to maintain a stable set temperature, and the programmer is able to set the day / night mode, changes by day of the week, etc.

The modern automation of a gas boiler needs electricity and is a complex electronic device that, without human intervention, regulates the fuel supply and flame power of gas burners, controls the temperature, and diagnoses breakdowns

A fan (turbine) in a closed combustion chamber also consumes electricity, but less than a circular pump. Costs are justified by improved smoke removal. Boiler with coaxial chimney Does not burn oxygen in the room, does not let carbon monoxide out and makes less noise.

Automation in a gas boiler increases its final cost, but with it the control of the heating system is reduced to setting the desired temperature and pressing just one button.

Electricity is needed for the operation of the controller that regulates the gas supply, and many sensors. Its consumption depends on how complex automation is, but in general it is a matter of low-cost power consumption.

Gas boiler electricity consumption in figures

Usually, everyone is primarily interested in gas consumption. And the question of how much electricity a typical gas boiler consumes, as it were, goes by the wayside. Let's deal with him.

The volatile gas boiler is connected to an AC network with standard characteristics: 220 V and 50 Hz. For stable operation of the unit, it is important that the voltage beyond the 195 V mark does not drop. At lower voltages, the electrical components will become clogged up and will turn off.

Minimum power consumption

The need for electricity at different stages of work is different. The minimum electrical consumption of a gas boiler is 65 watts. This is in the phase of operation of the circular pump, and at the time of electric ignition - 120 W, i.e. almost twice as high. If the fan is on, then it consumes electricity - another 30-35 watts.

The convenience of starting the boiler, saving gas and safety due to the absence of a constantly burning igniter are the main advantages of a gas boiler with electric ignition, despite the fact that electric ignition requires energy consumption

We draw conclusions. For electric ignition, 120 W is required, then with the pump and fan running, the energy consumption will be:

65 + 30 (35) = 105 (110) W

This is the minimum daily energy consumption. It does not take into account the consumption of electricity by other elements of the heating unit - the same automation. Let slightly, but the final result will increase.

And it should also be noted that the numbers are calculated per single-circuit device, i.e. only heating without hot water was taken into account. If you take the same heat output, but double-circuit boiler, power consumption will be higher.

What does the gas boiler data sheet say?

In the characteristics of any gas boiler there is information about power consumption. Having studied the technical documentation for the products of Bosch, Baxi, Vaillant, Ariston and others, we see that the electric power of floor units is in the range from 100 to 200 W, and floor - from 15 to 160 watts.

But since in heating systems with floor boilers, separately installed circulation pumps are often used. It is important not to forget about them and take into account additional power consumption.

And here is a clear comparison of power consumption in the presence of a hot water supply (double-circuit boiler) and without a hot water supply (single-circuit boiler): a single-circuit floor power of 30 kW consumes 15 watts, a double-circuit also with a power of 30 kW - already 150 watts.

From the technical data it can be seen that the greater the thermal power of a gas boiler, the higher its need for electric energy

Different manufacturers ambiguously describe their power consumption in the characteristics of gas boilers.

This can be one common line or in detail:

• electricity consumption by the pump;
• electric power without pump;
• loss during shutdown;
• standby consumption.

Consumption for all items is indicated in watts.

Calculation of power consumption by example

To calculate the kilowatts of electricity consumed by a gas boiler, we make a classic calculation of energy consumption - such as for other electrical appliances. We are based on the electric power of the boiler indicated in the technical passport. The manufacturer sets this parameter with a maximum value that in reality exceeds the average actual indicator.

Example.

Suppose we have a single-circuit gas boiler Baxi Luna 31.310 Fi, its net thermal power is 31 kW, and its power consumption is 165 W.

We expect the daily consumption of electric energy to prepare coolant. We multiply the power consumption by the number of hours the boiler operates.

Suppose the heating does not turn off around the clock:

165 W × 24 hours = 3960 W × h or 3.96 kW × h - this is the maximum daily energy consumption

Now we calculate how much electricity in kilowatt hours a gas heating boiler consumes per month. Multiply the number of kilowatts consumed per day by the number of days in a month (30 days):

3.96 kWh × 30 days = 118.8 kWh is the maximum monthly electricity consumption.

A volatile boiler does not need a natural air flow, as forced ventilation works. Its control system is fully automated, and frost protection is included in the energy saving mode - the boiler is periodically turned on for heating, and the circulation pump drives the water in the system

And finally, you need to get electricity consumption for a year or for the heating season. Since we are talking about a single-circuit boiler and, accordingly, heating without hot water, we take the duration of the heating season equal to 7 months.

Then: 118.8 kW × h × 7 = 831.6 kW × h - the maximum energy consumption for the entire heating season.

For a double-circuit boiler, it is necessary to lay 12 months in the calculation - although in an economical mode, the boiler also works in the summer months.

How to reduce energy costs?

We will proceed from the fact that, firstly, the energy consumption directly depends on the thermal power of the heating boiler. And, secondly, the circulating pump takes itself a large part of the consumed electricity, which drives the coolant in the pipes so that the pipes and heating radiators are warmed up measuredly.

The boiler, as a rule, always works at night from 23:00 to 06:00. Use a multi-tariff electricity meter, lower prices apply at night

We’ll name a number of specific proposals for those who would still like to reduce energy costs:

1. Stop the choice on a non-volatile unit. Most likely, it will be an outdoor option.In terms of functionality and comfort, alas, he is not able to compete with his volatile analogue models.
2. Buy a volatile device, but low power. Here, of course, there is a significant limitation - we cannot ignore the number of heated square meters. If, for example, it is necessary to heat 180-200 m² of a private house, then a gas boiler is needed with a power of 20-24 kW. And no less.
3. Carefully study the assortment lines of different brands. Each model has its own nuances, and perhaps for some of them you will see in the technical specifications the most attractive figures for power consumption.
4. Analyze what the sum of the total cost of electricity is made up of. Perhaps the proportion of these costs attributable to the gas boiler is negligible, and we must turn our attention to other objects that really consume excessively electricity.
5. And how do you use alternative energy - for example, solar panels or collectors on the roof of a house?

And yet, in the pursuit of saving electricity, do not bring your own actions to the point of absurdity. Do not forget that gas units consume little electricity, since their main fuel resource is not electricity, but natural or liquefied gas.

UPS for gas boiler and its power consumption

With the loss of electricity in the network, the gas unit will switch to the emergency worker, which threatens to break down expensive components. And the UPS (uninterruptible) will come to the rescue in such situations.

How long a gas boiler can work in the absence of electricity in the network depends on the capacity of the battery pack. Choose either a UPS with a built-in battery, or a UPS with the ability to connect the desired number of battery sections to it

Type "line-interactive" - the most in demand UPS, according to numerous customer reviews. They include a voltage stabilizer, which is able to respond to voltage drops in the network within 10%, when this value is exceeded, a transition to battery power follows.

Off-line type - They are uninterruptible without a voltage regulator. They help out during a sudden power outage, but they do not protect against fluctuations in the mains voltage.

Type "on-line" - The most advanced UPS. They smoothly switch from mains power to battery power and vice versa. The only drawback is that not everyone can afford their price.

At the time of starting the gas boiler, electricity consumption increases by at least two, or even three or four times. Let it be a short moment, lasting a second or two, we still take UPS for gas boiler heating to the maximum and with a power reserve. For a gas boiler with an electric power of 100 W, a UPS with a power of at least 300 W is needed (with a margin of up to 450-500 W).

As for the battery capacity, then, for example, a single battery with a capacity of 50 Ah is enough for a power consumption of 100 W for 4-5 hours of operation. To ensure 9-10 hours of operation, you need to have two such batteries, etc.

This table shows the battery life of the gas boiler in hours, depending on the power consumption of the gas boiler (electrical power in watts), the battery capacity (capacity, Ah) and the number of simultaneously connected batteries (one, two, three or four)

And finally, will the UPS consume electricity for its needs? It all depends on the efficiency. If we take the efficiency = 80%, then for our 300 W UPS, the consumption together with the load will be:

300 W / 0.8 = 375 W, where 300 W is the load, the remaining 75 W is the consumption by the UPS itself.

The given calculation example is conditional and applicable for simple uninterruptible power supply units, namely, for the moment when the voltage surges become higher than a certain level - more than 10%. When the network is standard 220 V, the UPS does not consume almost anything.

Detailed calculations for calculating the power of the UPS, the capacity of the batteries and the additional costs of electricity in connection with installing the UPS in the heating network are best left to an electrician.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

How to choose a gas boiler (in the video there is information about volatile boilers and their components that require electricity to work):

How much electricity does a gas boiler consume (the author of the video does a meter with a wattmeter):

Autonomous power supply for a gas boiler (the experience of a home craftsman):

When buying a gas boiler, set the task of reducing energy consumption to one of the last places. The cost of electricity is incomparably lower than the obvious plus - saving up to 30% of gas consumed.

The main thing is that in your area there should be no problems with a sudden blackout for a long time. Well, and, of course, the automation of boilers gives more options for setting up and monitoring the unit during its operation.

Please leave comments in the block below, ask questions, publish photos on the topic of the article. Share how much energy your gas unit consumes during operation. It is possible that your tips on saving and boiler operating rules will be useful to site visitors.