Cottage heating: schemes and nuances of organizing an autonomous heating system

The construction of an autonomous heat supply system is a technically and technologically complex process, the implementation of which must be approached with all responsibility. In order to arrange a perfectly working circuit, many factors must be taken into account. In this case, it is necessary to observe construction standards and requirements.

We will tell you how, in what order and by what rules heating of the cottage should be organized. The article we presented describes the steps of system design and project implementation. Recommendations are given on making calculations, selecting equipment, putting the system into operation.

Heating system requirements

Regardless of whether the old system is being modernized or if it is designed “from scratch” in the newly built house, the first thing to start with is to familiarize yourself with the regulatory documentation. It describes in detail how the equipment is put into operation, and describes the subtleties and features of its further use.

Having spent some time on this, you can be sure that the heating system will last for many years. From year to year, the requirements are adjusted and updated. But there are some principles that every cottage owner should know. The first thing that must be ensured during the installation of the heating system is explosion and fire safety.

For safe operation during installation, care must be taken to ensure that the equipment is freely accessible for cleaning and regular checks.

The following aspects should be included in the list of rules that will help make a private house not only comfortable, but also safe for living:

1. The temperature of the open elements of the heating system should not be higher than recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Equipment and all devices should be properly isolated.This will avoid burns, eliminate moisture and reduce heat loss. In addition, hot cells can ignite dust, gas or aerosol in the room.
3. When using a coolant, the temperature of the latter should be below the temperature of its evaporation or self-ignition by 20 degrees Celsius. For example, if water is used in the system, then boiling should be prevented. An excellent solution would be to increase the pressure.

The heating system is also subject to operational requirements. After all, any equipment should be as strong as possible, durable, easy to operate, silent and convenient for repair.

It is better to order equipment from trusted manufacturers. Such companies produce really high-quality products, as they are responsible for it in their own name.

Choosing a boiler, radiators and pipes that best meet the above criteria, you can save yourself from many problems.

The main stages of installation

When it is planned to equip the heating system in a completely new house, then the best solution is to think over all the nuances at the design stage.

Project preparation

A well-composed scheme and calculations performed by a specialist will allow solving many problems “in the bud”. For example, this approach will allow you to find out if you need to allocate a separate room for the boiler room.

Before starting the finishing work, it is recommended to take care of where and how the pipes will be hidden. The best way out is installation of heating system before screeding.

Experts recommend starting designing and selecting equipment only after the thermal circuit of the house is closed. That is, you need to do this after the doors, windows and the roof have been installed.

To simplify the installation of the cottage heating system as much as possible, the work is divided into several main stages:

• choice of type of heating system;
• design and carrying out settlement work;
• equipment order;
• equipping a boiler room;
• installation of radiators;
• commissioning.

Each of the above steps has its own characteristics. Knowing all the subtleties in this area, any beginner will cope with the installation at the highest level, and the equipment will surely last for many years.

Particular attention should be paid to the season. It is better to engage in the installation of a heating system in the warm season. After all, the cold will negatively affect the quality of building materials. In addition, you need to calculate everything in such a way as to meet the harsh winter in warmth and comfort

The choice of type of coolant

Manufacturers offer a wide range of heating equipment. On the one hand, this allows you to choose everything you need to implement the most complex and uncomplicated system.

But due to such a large model range, any unprepared buyer will undoubtedly have a lot of problems. Therefore, before going to the store, you should deal with this issue in as much detail as possible.

There are several types of heating systems. So, depending on the coolant, it happens:

• aerial;
• water;
• steam.

Air equipment, as the name implies, uses air to transfer heat. It is taken outside the building, heated and fed directly to the desired area. The main advantage of such a system is its safety.

Its disadvantages are low heat transfer, high cost, and in order to carry out installation, you will have to delve deeply into the technical literature.

The easiest to use heating system is water. As coolant this equipment uses water, antifreeze, or a mixture thereof in a specific proportion. But for simplicity you have to pay (in the literal sense). After all, for the movement of fluid, it will be necessary to mount the pipeline, put radiators and a unit for heating it.

Steam plays a major role in installing steam heating, but steam pipelines and pipes to collect condensate will need to be built. And when using a heating furnace, hot gases transfer heat to the room through its walls, passing through the channels.

As for liquid systems, today they are most popular. This is due to the simplicity of their installation and high efficiency. Such equipment is divided into single and dual circuit

One of the options - electric heating, i.e. system without coolant. To get heat, you need electricity, and it is transmitted through a solid medium. Autonomous infrared or oil batteries, electric convectors, electric fireplaces or special fans are used.

But for simplicity you have to pay (in the literal sense). After all, such equipment uses a large amount of electricity. And its performance is quite low, which makes it a profitable solution only for rare use in small country houses.

How many contours to equip?

Main difference double boiler It consists in the fact that it heats the water both for heating the room and for the domestic hot water system. On the one hand, this is beneficial, since the purchase and maintenance of such equipment will cost less than the purchase of single-circuit devices and a separate arrangement of a hot water supply system.

It should be understood that in order to ensure a constant temperature of hot water, it is necessary to constantly expend energy or install additional equipment to save

And also with a double-circuit boiler, it is still necessary to choose the type of heater between flowing and storage. Given that the first option is convenient for a family of 2-3 people, and the second will allow you to save fuel, but you need a place for an additional tank for storing hot water.

As for the single-circuit system, today it is the best solution for many cottages. It is assembled faster and less components are needed.

Type of fuel for boiler

Boilers for heating systems are divided into categories depending on the type of energy source they use. There is gas, solid fuel and liquid fuel equipmentas well as appliances powered by electricity. Before making the final choice, it is recommended to evaluate which species will be most profitable.

It is also worth paying attention to whether there is a gas pipeline near the house, how much solid and liquid fuel is available in the region, and whether there are problems with the stability of electricity supply.

When installing equipment using solid or liquid fuels as an energy source, you need to figure out where coal, firewood and other supplies will be stored.

The most profitable solution will be the installation of a gas-fired boiler. But installing it will require some financial investment and time. After all, you will have to get the appropriate permission. And there will also be a problem in allocating space for the storage of fuel supplies, if any gas holder installed or instead of network gas, an analogue liquefied in cylinders will be used.

Design and calculation work

After you have resolved the issue related to the type of heating system, you can begin to develop a project. If the cottage has a fairly modest size, then you will be able to do all the calculations and draw up a diagram yourself.

But the best solution is to entrust this work to an experienced heating engineer. A professional will do all the calculations correctly, which will avoid many problems that may arise during the installation phase.

When developing heating system project the document should indicate:

• place of installation of radiators;
• a method of eliminating combustion products, if any;
• the place where the boiler will be installed;
• a detailed plan for piping, which accurately indicates the location of fittings, valves and other elements.

It is recommended to order design and settlement works only from trusted companies that have permission to provide such services. Often this is done by organizations that work in the field of installing heating systems or selling the equipment necessary for this.

Once spent, you can save more than one day that will be needed to study all the necessary technical documentation, and far from one hundred dollars that will have to be paid in the future for mistakes made at the design stage

All calculations can be done independently. To do this, you have to deal with drawings, diagrams and a detailed description in the reference literature. It will take a closer look at the information about the characteristics of the heat generator, the type of wiring, the general network configuration, the location and specification of equipment, and more.

Purchase of necessary equipment

When the type of boiler was selected, it is necessary to determine its capacity, given that the productivity of the equipment for the dual-circuit system should be greater, since in this case the heat loss will be much higher.

Correctly calculated boiler power means that the temperature in the combustion chamber will not exceed 90 degrees Celsius. Observing this rule, the equipment will last much longer. For example, for a cottage with an area of ​​100 m², the best solution would be equipment up to 15 kW.

The next thing you need to install the heating system is heat transfer devices. To correctly calculate radiators, you need to determine the number of these elements and the number of sections. Their characteristics are completely dependent on the size of the living rooms. As for the material, experts recommend staying on cast-iron products or bimetallic models.

The last detail that you need to pay attention to in the store is the pipes. More preferable polypropylene products. They are characterized by ease of soldering and low weight, which allows you to do the installation yourself, without the involvement of specialists.

Do not buy a large number of pipes and fittings. Follow the previously developed heating system diagram.

Furnishing a boiler room in the house

After all the necessary equipment has been ordered and delivered to the facility, you can proceed with the installation of the heating system. When engaged in the installation, it is important to strictly follow the design documentation, which will avoid problems and unplanned financial expenses.

The heating device is installed as described in the manufacturer's manual.

In the absence of manufacturer's instructions, the following basic rules should be followed:

• there must be at least 1 m of free space in front of the boiler, and about 70 cm in the back and sides;
• the device must not be installed closer than 70 cm in relation to other devices;
• if two or more boilers are installed, then a distance of about 2 m should be left between them.

If wall equipment was ordered, then more gentle requirements are imposed on it. For this kind of heating boiler, you only need to leave a place that will be enough for convenient access to the device.

Installation should begin with the main element of the system - the boiler. If a low power device (up to 60 kW) will be used, it can be installed directly in the kitchen, in the hallway or in the pantry. If the performance of the device exceeds the number indicated above, then a separate room will have to be allocated for the boiler

Chimney and exhaust gas

The next step in the installation of the cottage heating system is the organization of the chimney. If the chimney is improperly designed, there is a risk of a fire in the house or a chance of poisoning the residents with carbon monoxide.

It is recommended to build a structure for the removal of combustion products from metal, brick or ceramic. Ceramic chimney is the optimal solution in most cases.

Ceramics harmoniously combines low heat transfer and a modular design. The only drawback of such a chimney is its high cost. In addition, the design must have a strictly vertical configuration.

As for metal products, they will be an ideal solution for liquid and gas models of equipment. After all, such chimneys are resistant to mechanical and chemical effects. The list of advantages should also include ease of installation (the design is assembled from modules).

The main disadvantage of a metal chimney is a rather large heat loss

Brick chimneys are most often used with solid fuel boilers. Their main advantage is low heat transfer, but only a qualified specialist should deal with the construction.

When designing a chimney, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

• at the end of the construction, they put a visor. This element will provide protection against moisture and foreign objects;
• the shape of the chimney should be round. In this case, the products of combustion of fuel accumulate less;
• the number of turns of the chimney may not exceed three;
• the structure is installed above the flat roof by half a meter, and for the ridge this parameter is 0.5-1.5 m.

If it was decided to install an external chimney, then you need to adhere to a certain standard. Experts recommend that such a design be brought up at a distance of not less than half a meter from the roof surface.

Installation of radiators in the house

The installation of radiators requires compliance with certain rules. First of all, they should be installed exactly horizontally, without any distortions. If you are going to have a one-pipe heating system, then it is advisable to set the radiators on the same level.

To minimize heat loss, you need to fix the elements at a distance of 8-12 cm from the floor and window sill, as well as 3-5 cm from the wall. In addition, the size of the radiator should be at least 3/4 of the window dimensions. This will prevent condensation.

Brass adapters and fittings are the best choice. If we compare them with other products offered by modern manufacturers, their main features are versatility (the metal mentioned above interacts perfectly with absolutely any materials), good heat transfer and corrosion resistance

Three methods are used today. radiator connections: lateral, diagonal and lower. The first option, in turn, is divided into one-sided and diagonal. Also, sometimes experts prefer the saddle method.

Which way is better? When installing a heating system in a newly built cottage, the lower connection method is ideal. It allows you to mount the pipes in the floor, hiding them under the screed. This will save precious square meters, as well as make the interior of the room more harmonious and neat.

Check and configure the system

After all heating equipment has been connected, you should make sure that the work done is correct. For this, the system is filled with coolant, after which it is necessary to trace it and check for leaks.

Then the boiler starts up. Heating the liquid will allow you to finally make sure that the circuit is correctly collected and that there are no violations.

If the error was nevertheless made and a leak was found somewhere, then for this you need:

• drain the coolant;
• fix a defect;
• retest.

The final step is to seal the chambers where the pipes were laid. If the installation was carried out on the floor, the screed is the best solution. In the case when the pipeline is installed on the wall, putty or plaster is used.Further, you can do decorating.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video # 1. 300 m private house heating²:

Video # 2. Heating of a large house to which the gas pipeline is not connected:

Video # 3. The subtleties of arranging heating in a private house, whose area is 150 m²:

Design, selection and installation of a cottage heating system are those processes that require due attention and responsible attitude. If it was decided to do everything with your own hands, you will have to plunge into the work with your head and closely monitor all the details.

But even when the work was entrusted to professionals, you will have to control the entire process. Remember that only in this case it is possible to organize a high-quality heating system that will make a private house truly warm, cozy and, of course, safe.

Want to talk about the heating scheme that you preferred for your own home? Do you have useful information that is worth sharing with site visitors? Please write comments in the block below, ask questions, post a photo on the topic of the article.