Boilers for heating a private house: types, features + how to choose the best

Properly choose boilers for heating a private house is necessary for the installation of an autonomous system. It is heating equipment that will provide housing with heat and hot water. It will create the necessary microclimate for human habitation. In addition, it will work flawlessly. It is so?

We will tell you how to buy a boiler that will meet your requirements and wishes. We have analyzed all the criteria that you should pay attention to when browsing the catalogs of online stores or an assortment of specialized retail outlets. Lists issues you may encounter before and after your purchase.

Basic boiler selection criteria

Hundreds of foreign and domestic manufacturers offer thousands of models of heating equipment. An unprepared buyer is not easy to navigate in all this variety of goods. I want it cheaper and that the quality was at its best.

All heating boilers differ in fuel type and are divided into the following categories:

• solid fuel (processing firewood, peat, pellets, coal);
• liquid fuel (units operating on diesel fuel);
• gas (ordinary and condensation);
• electric (requiring the supply of electricity);
• universal (using either gas or electricity).

Before choosing an option, it will not be superfluous to conduct a small analysis and find out which energy carrier is profitable to use in your region. After that, it should be decided how much the boiler should be safe, reliable and comfortable in operation, in terms of each penny invested in it.

You need to choose one or another type of heating equipment after first familiarizing yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

In order not to make a mistake and not waste your hard-earned money in vain, you need to carefully consider the process of choosing equipment. For this, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances that significantly affect the final result.

When choosing a boiler, you should:

• to understand in detail the advantages and disadvantages of each type of boiler;
• calculate the optimal power of heating equipment for your home;
• determine the number of contours;
• choose a place where the equipment will subsequently be placed.

The maximum permissible dimensions and weight depend on the future location of the boiler. Indeed, for a small room it is inexpedient to choose a heavy cast-iron unit.

The choice of heating equipment must be approached responsibly. This is the only way to buy high-quality equipment that will last for many years.

Rules for calculating equipment power

Immediately it is worth “chopping on the nose” that the desire to save on the design of the heating system and the implementation of thermal calculations in most cases comes sideways to the customer. If everything is carefully thought out and trusted by a highly qualified specialist, then the cost of the boiler, radiators and other equipment will be much cheaper.

The capacity of the heating boiler is selected with a calculation of the distribution of approximately 0.1 kW per m2 of living space

For an approximate calculation of the power of the heating equipment needed to heat the building and provide hot water, you can use special design standards.

Also, you must take into account:

• the number of people who will live in the house;
• building materials used for housing;
• climate zone;
• number of windows and doors;
• number of storeys and other factors.

The opinion that the boiler power is selected with the calculation of 0.1 kW per square meter is quite common. But thanks to modern building materials and innovative engineering equipment, heat loss can be significantly lower and, accordingly, the productivity of heating equipment can be higher.

Description of the main types of boilers

All boiler models on the market differ not only in appearance and cost, but also in the fuel used to operate it. They can be divided into separate categories depending on the type of fuel material.

In addition, a large role belongs to the energy carrier, which will be used to heat water in the heating system. It directly affects the efficiency of the boiler, energy efficiency and ease of operation.

1. Useful qualities of solid fuel boilers

In the CIS countries, solid fuel is considered the most affordable and cheapest. This explains the popularity of equipment that uses this type of energy carrier in the process of its operation.

It should be remembered that in solid fuel boiler you cannot burn everything that burns. It is only necessary to use the energy carrier for which the equipment has been sharpened.

In boilers designed for solid fuels, you can load only firewood, lump peat and coal, but not tires or garbage

The list of advantages of solid fuel heating equipment should include:

• autonomy;
• good energy efficiency. The efficiency of such boilers is close to the performance of devices operating on fossil fuels (gas, diesel, etc.);
• low price of energy.

When buying solid fuel aggregates, you need to understand that from time to time you will have to lay firewood in the boiler. That is, every 6-18 hours it is necessary to fill the boiler with wood fuel or waste from woodworking production structures.

Although today there are systems that can boast of automated laying of logs or wood chips, this kind of equipment is mainly intended for enterprises working in the woodworking industry, and not for private houses and cottages.

Solid fuel boilers - although this is an outdated design, but today many manufacturers offer decent equipment, the design of which was carried out using modern materials

2. The principle of operation of pellet boilers

Pellet or wood pellet is wood waste compacted into a small cylinder. For example, it can be shavings or sawdust of coniferous wood.

The product is formed without any additional additives or glue, only a pressure of about 300 atmospheres is applied. The diameter of the granules is usually 6-10 mm, and the length is 10-30 mm.

Main advantage pellet boilers lies in their offline mode. Now you can easily find equipment with a small hopper, where there is a screw feed of pellets. On average, stocks last for several days.

Often, in order to increase the battery life of the equipment, another small bunker for a couple of cubic meters is organized in the basement or in some outdoor room. From such rooms, fuel granules are delivered to the hopper, and then directly to the boiler.

The life of such a system can reach one month. As for the efficiency, pellet boilers can boast much greater efficiency than conventional and even pyrolysis devices.

Pellet boiler is characterized by high enough efficiency and low consumption of wood pellets. Moreover, this technique is also environmentally friendly.

The disadvantage of such heating equipment is the structural complexity of the equipment. Because of this, the pellet boiler is sensitive to fuel quality. In order for the unit to last for a long time and there are no problems during its operation, it is necessary to use fuel granules A or B class, which were manufactured by foreign manufacturers.

Another disadvantage of pellet boilers, which prevents their popularization in the domestic market, is their high cost. On average, the price of such devices starts at $ 2,200.

The installation of a pellet boiler must be carried out taking into account the following requirements:

3. Pros and cons of liquid fuel boilers

Liquid fuel boilers are considered a simple and reliable technique that, with proper care, will last for decades. They are bought for installation in cottages and in private homes.

The main advantages of this category of boilers:

• lack of dependence of the equipment on the gas main;
• ease of installation of equipment;
• lack of need for any permissions to install the boiler;
• sufficiently high energy efficiency indicators;
• Some models of diesel boilers can be adapted to work on gas.

In addition to such obvious advantages, the equipment has certain disadvantages, one of which is the need to heat the fuel line in winter so that the energy temperature does not drop below +5 degrees Celsius.

A liquid fuel boiler is the best solution after gas heating equipment, if it is not planned to connect to centralized pipelines yet, and there is no place to install a gas tank. No approvals are required for installation and operation of the unit with liquid fuel

Also disadvantages of liquid fuel heating equipment include:

• Mandatory availability of a compartment for storing fuel:
• due to the constantly working burner, the equipment creates a lot of noise;
• the need to periodically deliver high-quality liquid fuel;
• unpleasant odor from the fuel tank;
• quite large operating costs.

Even despite a large list of disadvantages, liquid fuel equipment is in demand among owners of summer cottages. Especially if in the area access to other energy resources is limited.

4. The feasibility of buying electric boilers

Electric power boilers are often installed when the village under construction is not yet equipped with a full gas network. But subsequently, such units are replaced by gas. This use of heating technology accounts for about a quarter of all sales electric boilers.

The most common models, whose power is 5-10 kW, can maintain a temperature of about 6 degrees Celsius, when outside the window -20.This is enough to continue the finishing work in the newly built house.

An electric boiler is worth buying only as a last resort. Due to the high cost of electricity, this type of heating equipment is disadvantageous

Distinctive features of electric boilers are the low cost of equipment, the simplicity of its installation, small dimensions, lightness, the absence of an open flame, the unpretentiousness of care and the absence of the need to organize a separate room for the unit.

When buying such heating equipment, you need to remember about the high cost of electricity, the need to connect high-power devices to a three-phase network and the sensitivity of the device to power outages.

5. Characteristics of gas equipment

If we compare gas-fired boilers with all other types of heating equipment, this type is the best choice for most consumers.

After all, gas units are more economical and easy to operate. Such equipment does not require special care, and the process of their work is fully automated. And fuel does not need to be stocked.

Going to put down or wall mounted gas boiler, you need to know that before installing such equipment you need to get an appropriate permit document. The certificate is issued by the state regulatory authority.

A gas boiler is the most efficient and economical type of heating equipment when connected to a centralized blue fuel supply system. In the case of gas or balloon gas, the economic efficiency is lower

The disadvantages of this type of heating outdoor equipment should include the need for the installation of automation, which will block the gas pipeline in case of energy leakage or with insufficient ventilation. Also, due to seasonal pressure surges, the equipment may fail and require repair.

Although the cost of gas is not too high right now, energy is fossil fuel. This means that over time, its value is likely to increase. Therefore, manufacturers are trying to adapt the gas type of boilers to operate on biogas fuel.

For example, models of equipment are presented on the modern market that work without problems on mixtures, where biogas occupies about 15%.

6. How efficient are universal boilers

The main advantage of universal heating systems is their convenience. Most often they are installed in those cottage villages where there is no stationary gas supply. People are forced to somehow get out, so they use the gas holder method, the essence of which is to heat the house with liquefied gas.

After the settlement is equipped with a sufficient amount of this energy source, the boilers switch to its use.

Combined units are not practical in areas with a characteristic periodic blackout or interruptions in gas supply

The heating equipment market offers a wide variety of boiler modelsusing several types of fuel in their work. A vivid example is a system that can burn both gas and liquid fuel.

Its plus lies in the fact that regardless of the type of energy carrier currently used, the thermal power of the boiler will practically not change.

Features of single and double circuit boilers

Thinking about how to choose the right heating boiler for your home, special attention should be paid to such a characteristic as the number of circuits. The single-circuit technique is designed exclusively for heating the coolant circulating through the heating pipes.

A single-circuit boiler is designed to service only one system: either a hot water supply or heating.If it is not possible to install a dual-circuit unit, it is permissible to use no more than two boilers in one boiler room, regardless of their floor or wall design

In this case, to heat the tap water, you will have to install an additional boiler. Yes, a single-circuit boiler is convenient, but the disadvantage of this solution is its high cost - you will have to buy not only heating equipment, but also a boiler. Moreover, both devices will take up a lot of space.

Concerning double boiler, here heating equipment and a water heater are assembled in a single design. Thanks to this structure, two problems can be solved at once, while buying only one unit.

In addition, in the absence of hot water, the heat carrier can be redirected to the second circuit and used interchangeably - to heat the house and to provide hot water.

The principle of operation of single-circuit equipment

Single-circuit heating equipment is most often used by owners of luxury country houses. In fact, a single-circuit boiler is the same water heater, but it supplies water to the heating system.

The principle of operation of this type of equipment is based on burning fuel in a special compartment and heating the liquid. The heat main is connected to the outlet where the hot coolant enters. Further, water begins to circulate through the pipes and heat the premises.

The final stage of circulation is the receipt of spent coolant back to the boiler through the inlet pipe.

If you do not need to provide hot water, it is better to give preference to single-circuit boilers

The cost of a single-circuit boiler can be more than a double-circuit system. Even with less functionality, this type of equipment is less costly to install, easier to operate and more energy efficient.

Single-circuit equipment is suitable for those buyers who want to spend money once and buy reliable equipment that does not require special care. This type of boiler will be the ideal and the only right choice when there is no need for hot water in the house.

The design specifics of the dual-circuit unit

The double-circuit boiler is a system where, in addition to the primary heat exchanger, there is an additional one designed for heating water and its further supply to the water supply system. The movement of the heat carrier is controlled by a three-way valve. It directs heated water either to the DHW circuit or to the heating system.

It should be noted that in the first case, the coolant will be supplied only if the hot water tap has been opened. The peculiarity of such heating equipment is that while the faucet responsible for supplying hot water is open, the system does not work.

If you have a large family and some of its members like to take a long shower, then the rooms can become cool. Manufacturers solve this problem by installing a storage water heater in their boilers.

The disadvantages of the design of a double-circuit boiler include the need for thorough and careful maintenance. This is due to the fact that the secondary heat exchanger can overgrow due to the use of water containing organic and mineral particles suspended in it, and the small diameter of the pipes.

If you plan an active consumption of hot water, then installing a dual-circuit boiler is not the best solution. After all, then the house will be poorly heated. The installation of this system should be considered only in a small house or apartment, where there is not enough space for the organization of a full boiler room.

Selection of a place for heating equipment

All types of heating boilers are produced mainly in the floor version, electric in the wall version, and gas both in the wall and floor form. The last variation is best installed in a spacious separate room.Such heating equipment is very powerful and massive.

A wall-mounted boiler will be an ideal solution for small houses, where every square meter counts

And due to the fact that the weight of floor boilers is not limited by anything, manufacturers install a cast-iron heat exchanger in it, which is much more reliable than steel.

Wall-mounted heating equipment is compact and light enough. But this type of boiler is limited in power. This minus is especially relevant for dual-circuit systems - the performance in heating circuits will be quite low.

Choosing wall-mounted boilers is only if the heated area does not exceed 200 m², and the consumption of hot water is not more than 14 l / min. If there is more need, then it is better to give preference to outdoor variations of heating equipment.

It should be noted that many buyers, regardless of the size of the living space, prefer floor-standing systems that are equipped with a cast-iron heat exchanger. After all, such devices are less demanding on the quality of power supply.

Subtleties of using boilers

For the normal functioning of the vast majority of boiler models, electricity is required. An exception is only solid fuel heating equipment that burns coal or firewood. Such devices can work autonomously.

Why do we need electricity? Current is required for the automation of the boiler system and its pumps. Therefore, a good solution would be to order an electric generator together with heating equipment. This solution is especially relevant for those regions where the lights are often turned off.

When organizing a boiler room, special attention should be paid to the chimney to ensure the correct operation of the equipment and safety when using it

Regardless of the type of boiler used, the manufacturer does everything possible to ensure that the operation of his equipment is as safe as possible.

Therefore, almost any modern model of heating equipment is equipped with the following protection systems:

• a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a flame;
• traction control sensor;
• a device that will stop the operation of the boiler in case of pressure drop in the gas pipeline below the permissible mark;
• a device that turns off the boiler in the absence of electricity;
• system that protects equipment from overheating;
• a sensor that stops the operation of heating equipment in the event of a decrease in the volume of heat carrier.

All the above details are the necessary minimum that will protect the boiler from breakdowns, and the housing itself from a fire.

As for the location of the equipment, certain boiler models, the boiler power does not exceed 100 kW, can be installed directly in the kitchen.

Other types of heating equipment must be placed in specially equipped room a certain cubic capacity, with a well-thought out and competently designed ventilation system, with fire safety devices, etc.

It is necessary to approach the organization of the boiler house with all responsibility and comply with all the recommendations of specialists, as well as fire safety standards

The most used boilers in the territory of the CIS countries at present are gas. This demand is explained by the low cost of this energy carrier, as well as the reliability and durability of this type of boiler. But due to regional features, gas heating equipment is not always the most optimal and profitable solution.

Choosing heating equipment is necessary depending on personal wishes and needs, the size of the living space and the availability of energy

Economical fuel consumption and reduction of equipment maintenance costs are an important component of choosing the optimal unit for an independent heating system. Organization Rules energy saving heating are given in our recommended article.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Features of the choice of boilers are discussed in the video clip:

The most common mistakes in choosing boilers for heating are given in the video:

A video clip tells about long burning furnaces:

To decide which boiler is best to choose for a private house, you need to consider in detail all the positive and negative sides of each type of heating equipment.

If you spend a little time, conduct a simple analysis of the availability of fuel, correctly calculate the power and responsibly approach the installation of the system, then you can not only make your house warm, but also save on heating it.

Want to tell interesting facts about choosing boilers for an autonomous heating device? Do you have any questions about our proposed information? Please write comments in the block below and post thematic photographs.