When an alternative to gas heating is needed, private house owners are among the first to consider the option of installing an electric boiler. And, by the way, it is often stopped on it, because if it is right to use the advantages and disadvantages of electric heat generators, it will be possible to create very convenient and efficient heating. Electric boilers are easy to integrate into any heating system, so they are often additional or backup devices, whereas it is also possible to select an electric heating boiler as the main source of heat. It is not a problem to buy equipment of the required capacity, but with the help of heat accumulators and multi-tariff meters it is possible to significantly reduce the cost of consumed electricity.
Features of using an electric boiler in a private house
All electric boilers are designed to heat the coolant, which by means of pumping equipment (sometimes naturally) circulates through pipes, giving heat to radiators or convectors. This is a classic water heating with characteristic ways of wiring, with its pluses and minuses. The system can include a water floor circuit or an indirect heating boiler for hot water.
One of the circuits for connecting an electric boiler
Disadvantages of electric boilers:
- The high cost of each kilowatt of heat.
- The system is demanding for the quality of the network power supply, in case of interruptions the heating is switched off.
- The allocated capacities are not enough, often a special permit is required from the supplier company.
- To connect powerful units, it is necessary to provide three-phase power supply with a voltage of 380 V.
- Careful cleaning of water is required.
The main advantages include:
- Reliability of the system and simplicity of the device of electric boilers. Even for an unprepared person, the choice of a heating boiler for a home is not a problem.
- Low capital costs for equipment, inexpensive and simple installation.
- Heating does not require much care during operation, the system is easily amenable to automation.
- Safety of electric boilers (no fire, no products of combustion, no room oxygen is consumed).
- The equipment is compact, does not need a separate furnace, does not require ventilation, there are no restrictions on its location.
All the working elements of this wall-mounted boiler are inside the case with a modern design
Types of electric boilers according to the principle of operation
- Rheostat devices (indirect action) have a tank-heat exchanger, inside which are installed heating elements - heating elements. These boilers are somewhat larger than electrode models, but they are less sensitive to the quality of the coolant.
Note! Scum on TENs significantly worsens the level of heat transfer of the heating element, which causes the helix inside to overheat and their service life is shortened. The use of softened water as a coolant minimizes the formation of scale.
- Electrode steam boilers (direct acting) work by passing an electric current through the coolant. Water in this case acts as a conductor with its resistance, due to the movement of ions from the anode to the cathode, its heating occurs. Electrode equipment has a longer service life and is smaller in size. Scum in such boilers is not formed, but they are more demanding on the properties of the coolant.
For the heating of large areas, electric boilers of direct action are combined into a modular unit
Note! The electrode boiler can not be connected via an RCD, since large leakage currents will cause permanent protection trips. In this case, a high-quality grounding will play a crucial role in ensuring safety.
How to calculate the required boiler output
The requirements for the heat of the building and, accordingly, the capacity of the boiler depends on the heat loss of the structure through the enclosing structures and the climatic conditions of the region. For example, in the central regions of Russia for heating 10 m2 of area in the average private residential house will have to apply about 1 kW of thermal energy. Since the efficiency of all types of electric heaters is close to 100%, the need for thermal energy at home is almost equal to the boiler's power. Depending on the mode of use of hot water, another 5-25% should be added. The better the house is insulated, the less energy it takes to heat it. And vice versa. It should also be noted that when the voltage drops, the power of the electric boiler will decrease, so it is recommended to provide a certain margin of performance.
In this table, the manufacturer indicates the heated area for each boiler model, we can correlate this data with the nominal capacity. It is indicative that a heat generator of 5.1 kW can be connected to a conventional network, and for other boilers a three-phase electrical supply is required (7 kilowatts is universal for connection)
In boilers for indirect heating of heating elements can be several, then the maximum capacity of the unit is composed of the capacities of all heating elements. Often the performance of the heaters is different, therefore, when each of them is switched on separately (or all at the same time), stepwise power regulation is realized. The power of the electrode boiler is regulated by the change in the working area of the surface of the electrodes, mobile fluoroplastic plates are used for this.
Note! The greater the water resistance, the more power the direct heating boiler is required. Devices up to 400 watts will normally work with a coolant, which has good thermal conductivity. For hard water with increased resistance, aggregates of 6 kW or more are used.
Features of electric boiler control
Obviously, the choice of a heating boiler largely depends on its functionality. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the possibility to regulate the temperature regime. Rough settings can be made by changing the capacity of the heating device. More convenient and economical will be models that allow the user to make smooth adjustments. To do this, rheostats are used, which can be supplemented with microprocessor automation. Some inexpensive boilers sometimes do not have power adjustments at all, or they are designed to set the characteristics manually.
Using such a panel, it is possible to control the key parameters of the system operation either manually or automatically. The LCD displays all the necessary information, including error codes
Advanced electric boilers can react to changes in air temperature in rooms and in automatic mode to maintain user-defined indicators.
Thermoregulators are of two types:
- Electronic automatic devices. They are sensitive, they allow you to fine-tune the system, take into account other sources of heat, work silently.
- Mechanical automation (relays, contactors, bimetallic thermostats) is cheaper, but it periodically clicks when triggered and is not designed for precise adjustment.
Note! Compared to gas-filled thermostats, liquid models are more expensive, but their accuracy is higher, and the service life is longer.
Choice of configuration and complete set of the heat generator
There are electric boilers that are designed for installation on the floor. Typically, this design is used in heating with a large volume of coolant. Wall-mounted heating devices are certainly more ergonomic, since they do not occupy a useful area.
The most compact are aggregates of direct action
On sale there are inexpensive electric boilers that have only a heating unit and basic controls. Meanwhile, some heating devices of a higher price segment for the consumer are often more profitable, since they do not need to purchase additional components, and their functionality and reliability are an order of magnitude higher.
The boiler is equipped with a circulation pump, filters, expansion tank, vent valve, relay against dry running and other safety elements
In how to choose an electric boiler for heating, it is not difficult to understand, the main task is to accurately determine the necessary performance characteristics of the equipment. Installation of water heating, where the heat source is an electric heat generator, is usually easier (than, for example, installing a gas boiler), but, often, even here without the help of specialists can not do.
Video: overview of electric boilers
In one of our previous articles, we shared with you our recommendations on . Today we are talking about electric heating boilers: how to choose and what the choice should be based on, what is worth paying attention to. After all, there are many models that work quite differently. The category of electric boilers is represented by units with various methods of converting electrical energy into thermal energy. Not all liquids can be used as a heat carrier, some models are very demanding for the quality and chemical composition of the coolant.
What is the basis for choosing an electric boiler
The electric boiler can be installed in any room
Before choosing an electric boiler for heating a private house, you need to build important characteristics into one hierarchy. What is really key for you, and what is not so fundamentally. The market offers us many models of heaters, which differ both in their power and in the principle of operation. The best electric heating boiler is one that meets all your requirements and capabilities. In such a variety, the choice of the boiler should be based on:
- principle of work;
- power;
- the price of the unit;
- convenience of operation.
For starters, it's worth forgetting about economical electric heating boilers. How to choose an economical unit? - No way, there are none. In any case, he will pull a lot of electricity. By the law of energy conservation, it passes from one state to another without loss. That is, a certain amount of electricity heats up some amount of water. How this happens, does not matter, the ratio will still be maintained. The current conversion method for heating water in the heating system can not affect the efficiency of the boiler. In any case, it practically reaches 100%.
Therefore, the question of how to choose an electric boiler for heating a private house is more concerned with its method of operation, design, and power. The latter is given great importance. In order to calculate how powerful the heater should be, the following indicators will be needed:
- quadrature of the heated room;
- the region in which the house stands;
- heat loss.
We'll figure out how powerful an electric boiler should be for heating a house. Since you need to select it correctly.
To heat one square meter of space you need to spend 40 watts of electricity.
This value is multiplied by the entire area of the room. Then the result is multiplied by the coefficient of the region in which the house stands, as well as the coefficient of its heat loss. In the southern regions the coefficient is 0.7, and in the northern reaches to 2. For the middle band, it is customary to take the value of the coefficient equal to 1.5. Also, due to the fact that heat flows through floors and floors, the average heat loss of 1.5 is taken into account in calculating the power.
The choice of an electric boiler for heating a house depends largely on its price. In this case it is necessary to take into account not only the price of the unit itself, but also the cost of its further maintenance. It is important that any element can be replaced in the shortest possible time and as cheap as possible. It's not a machine when you can order a part and wait a couple of days. If the boiler has stopped, then urgent measures must be taken within a few hours if the matter occurs in the winter.
Methods of heating the coolant
How to choose an electric boiler for heating a house among such a multitude of offers? At your choice, manufacturers offer all new and new technologies, only pay. Some of them serve a lifetime, and the latter save a third of the electricity. And every technology is the best. How to be? Whom to believe? How to find the best electric boiler for heating?
The design of a simple electric boilers
About the fact that profitability is just a marketing move, we already said. Now let's look at where we are not told and how this can affect the work of the whole system in the future. So, there are three methods of heating the coolant:
- ten's;
- vortex inductive flows;
- ion resistance.
Accordingly, the design of boilers of different types is different. Let's consider more in detail each of them.
Tone electric boiler
The Tone boiler heats the heat carrier by means of metal tubes, in which there is a tungsten spiral filament. It is covered with sand. The thread heats up and transfers its heat through the sand to the metal tube, and the latter, in turn, heats the coolant. The tans are directly in contact with the liquid.
Before choosing an electric heating boiler with a TEN, we note that they are very popular, since the simplest in performance, the replacement of the ten is carried out very quickly. To find a heating element on sale is not difficult. The price of such boilers is lower than that of inductive and electrode ones. During operation, you may encounter the following problems:
- burnout of the ten;
- the formation of scale;
- mechanical damage.
To ensure that the heating element does not burn out, it must be completely immersed in the liquid.
If there is no contact with the coolant, then the tungsten filament overheats, as nothing cools the surface of the ten. Therefore, it is worth choosing an electric boiler for heating, in which the fans are screwed from below. In case of breakage, a complete replacement is made. Settling of scale on the heating element on the assurances of "experts" affects the efficiency of the heater. I wonder how? The fact that due to the scale layer increases the time of energy transfer from the rod to water - this is undoubtedly, but the energy as transmitted in full, and transmitted.
Therefore, when you are told that the scum on the belt reduces its efficiency, just ask, where does the unused energy go? She has no other way than to heat the coolant and go nowhere, because in the heating system with an electric boiler there is not even a chimney, there is no combustion process, which means there is no smoke. If the hull of the tan is damaged, its further operation is impossible.
It is worth noting that only heaters can be two-circuit heaters. Therefore, the selection of an electric boiler for heating, which will heat the room and simultaneously supply you with hot water, will be limited only by floor and wall-mounted fan units.
Induction electric boiler
Heat carrier and induction coil do not contact
Induction is the heating by a magnetic field. In the induction boiler, the heat carrier is heated by a coil, which creates a magnetic field - this is a reducer. In the heater housing there is a labyrinth along which the coolant passes. A labyrinth is needed to increase the residence time of the liquid in the heater, thereby enabling the eddy currents to heat it up. The reducer does not come in contact with the coolant, it is completely isolated.
Electrode electric boiler
This is what an electrode boiler looks like, quite a baby
The electrode boiler heats the coolant with alternating current, while certain requirements are imposed on the fluid, otherwise there will be no reaction. How does the heating process go:
- the anode and the cathode are immersed in the coolant;
- streams of ions pass between them;
- the resistance of the coolant creates friction of the ions;
- due to the allocated energy, water is heated.
The reaction is accompanied by an increase in the pressure in the unit, which causes the fluid to move. Thus, the circulation can pass without a pump. Electrode heaters are the most compact among all electric boilers. The phase is fed to the electrode that is inside. Zero and earth are fed to the hull. The water circulates between the body and the electrode, which then heats up. Such units require periodic cleaning. The electrode is subject to destruction, it is corroded by the coolant itself.
Antifreeze and electric boilers
On what to choose an electric boiler for heating the house has a determining effect, than you will use as a coolant. Usually it is, of course, water, but there are cases when non-freezing liquids are pouring into the system. poured into country houses. Water is suitable for all types of heaters, but there is no antifreeze.
Antifreeze does not fit:
- for boilers;
- for electrode boilers.
When the antifreeze liquid contacts very hot heaters, a small part of the coolant overheats. The reaction occurs just in the layer that is directly in contact with the TENs. When overheating, antifreeze changes its characteristics and stops working in the desired mode.
Although the volume of the superheated coolant is insignificant, after a certain time of the contour operation, the amount of unsuitable composition will increase. The use of antifreeze in tandem with tenovyh electric boilers significantly reduces the life of the coolant, and its replacement will not be required through the manufacturer's established five years, but much earlier.
The principle of operation of the electrode boiler implies the use of water as a coolant, the salt content of which corresponds to GOST 2874-72. The salt preparation of the coolant is carried out after the starting current has been measured. In the heater's passport, the starting and maximum current limits for the units of different power are indicated. If the current is less than necessary after salt preparation, then water should be poured even more if diluted with distilled water. The more salt in the coolant, the lower its resistivity. Antifreeze in its properties and composition is not suitable for such purposes.
As a result, we can conclude what kind of electric boiler to choose for heating the house. It is better and cheaper to buy an ordinary electric electric boiler. There are many single-circuit and two-circuit models. They are put on the floor or suspended from the wall, they operate from 220 and 380 volts. These are time-tested units. Their service is simple and inexpensive, which is important. The new tan is easy to find on sale, there are many universal models.
In the case when the country house is considered as the place of permanent residence of the family, there is no way to do without efficient heating. Well, if the owners are serious about this issue, then most likely they will decide on a full-fledged heating system with a water circuit. Properly planned and mounted distribution of pipes, rationally placed in the required quantity in the rooms, radiators provide an optimal uniform transfer of heat to all rooms, open the possibility of fine adjustment of the heating level, which has a positive effect on the created microclimate in the house, and on saving consumed energy resources. But what kind of boiler is used for heating the coolant circulating along the contour?
If there is an opportunity to connect to the gas main in the place of residence, then, of course, the choice will be made in favor of the gas boiler - it is by far the cheapest source of energy. And what should the owners do that do not have that opportunity? There are several solutions, and one of them is the electric heating boilers as which will be selected and will be considered in this publication.
General advantages and disadvantages of electric heating boilers
To begin with, before turning to the consideration of the types of electric heating boilers, it makes sense to dwell on their common merits and, alas, drawbacks. And the advantages of such devices are particularly noticeable at the stage of creating a heating system
If a water heating system is created, its design and installation, in principle, does not depend on the type of the future boiler. In any case, this will be a sufficiently large-scale and very time-consuming exercise, requiring significant material costs, which, one way or another, will not be avoided. But when installing the electric boiler itself, the advantages of such equipment immediately manifest themselves. You can make a brief comparison.
1. Gas is certainly the most economical type of energy source to date. However, it is no secret that the gas main to the house immediately turns into very sensitive costs. Very often it is possible to meet not gasified houses, the owners of which simply can not afford to pay even the laying of the branch from the main line.
The next aspect - even if the gas in the house is wound up, still no one will ever allow the equipment to be installed independently. The owners have to go through a difficult path of bureaucratic procedures, from drafting up to concluding it in a variety of different supervisory instances. And this is all - considerable expenditure is still only at the stage of preparation for the conduct, in fact, of installation works.
Do not forget about the obligatory conditions for installing a gas boiler - well thought-out ventilation systems and combustion products. This, too, will entail additional costs.
And, finally, the installation and launching of gas equipment itself is the right to be carried out exclusively by masters of specialized organizations, which, as a rule, are monopolists in such a matter, which, of course, is reflected in the price level.
Thus, the future savings in energy resources translates into very significant initial expenditure, even without taking into account the cost of the gas boiler itself.
2. And what about solid or liquid fuel equipment? Here too many difficulties.
First of all, such a boiler will necessarily require a separate room, equipped in accordance with existing rules. A chimney is required, and if in the case of a gas boiler it is possible in some cases to manage a short coaxial with forced withdrawal of combustion products, then solid fuel or a solar oil equipment is necessary.
There is no way to avoid coordination procedures with controlling organizations - boilers on solid or liquid fuel, whatever one may say, are the most dangerous in terms of fire safety.
In any case, it will be necessary to prepare any storage for fuel stocks - it takes up a lot of space, and requires a special approach to storage organization. Solid-fuel boiler equipment will be appropriate in the case if the owners really have access to cheap fuel.
Such boilers require very frequent intervention in their work - loading fuel and controlling its combustion. Even the installation of long-term combustion equipment solves the issue only partially - loading, one way or another, will have to be done manually. Well, automated systems with the supply of granulated fuel (pellets) are very expensive, and pellets are also not cheap.
And, finally, another drawback is that such equipment is less susceptible to fine tuning, automation, programming, and so on.
3. Well, now we are talking about electric boilers. What are their undeniable advantages?
- The work of such equipment is in no way connected with combustion and an open flame - here completely different physical principles are used. Electric boilers in terms of fire safety can be called the most reliable, if, of course, they are laid quality electrical wiring and installed the necessary safety devices.
- Hence, it follows that the functioning of the boiler is not associated with the release of combustion products. Completely excluded is even the slightest chance of carbon monoxide poisoning. There will not be any costly measures to install a combustion system and additional ventilation.
- Such advantages entail one more advantage: an electric boiler does not require a separate boiler house at all. In principle, it can be installed in any room in the residential area of the house. His work is not associated with the release of any gases or even unpleasant odors.
Modern compact electric boilers of wall design perfectly fit into the interior, become almost invisible when installing them, for example, in the kitchen, in the corridor or a small utility room.
Moreover, if heating is required for several rooms in a small house, miniature electric boilers are often installed, placing them near radiators, where they are even difficult to notice.
The only thing that can impose certain restrictions on the placement of equipment in a residential area is the noise from the operation of the automation units of some models, or the slight vibrational hum inherent in induction installations.
- In most cases, if the total capacity of the boiler does not exceed 8 ÷ 10 kW, there will be no need for coordination with the monitoring organizations. And this means that the installation can be done on its own, well, possibly with the help of a qualified electrician.
In accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation, the launch of facilities owned by individuals does not require the approval of state technical supervision if they are used for domestic needs and have a total capacity of not more than 15 kW. That is, to connect the boiler, whose power lies in the above range, it is enough for a standard power line, conducted to the apartment building.
"Trekking through the instances" will be necessary in the event that more powerful equipment is required, and it is advisable to carry a three-phase power line for it.
By the way, many electric boilers are able to connect to both single-phase and three-phase networks. Their nominal power in technical documentation is shown in two digits, through a fraction, for example, 7.8 / 14.0 kW.
- Electric boilers are extremely easy to operate and operate, do not require constant monitoring or user intervention in the work. Many modern models have very convenient control panels, which allow you to make fine adjustments to the operation of the heating system.
Moreover, electric boilers perfectly fit in the system of "smart houses" that is gaining popularity in our time. If you purchase the appropriate set of equipment, you can use preferential tariffs (nightly or holiday) to the maximum degree, program the equipment for minimum consumption during the day, when there is still no one at home and take it to the desired level by the time the residents arrive in the evening, manage boiler by means of signal transmission via mobile communication or by IP-protocol.
- It is clear that the use of electricity for heating the house does not require any additional costs for creating storage facilities for fuel.
- Electric boilers, as a rule, are much simpler in design, which predetermines their price - modern gas or solid fuel installations will cost much more.
All of the above would sound very nice, if not for the significant shortcomings of electric boilers, which, alas, can not escape, and which stop many potential owners from such an acquisition:
- In the first place, of course, is the high cost of electrical energy. Before buying similar equipment, it will be necessary to carefully calculate the "bookkeeping" of future monthly costs.
It is clear that at such a cost of energy carriers will have to take great care to insulate the entire house (apartment), since it is completely unreasonable to throw money at unnecessary heat loss. In addition, the importance of fine-tuning the heating system, for the use of all energy-saving reserves, is increasing.
- The use of an electric boiler will impose certain limitations on the structure of the heating system itself. For example, it will be necessary to abandon an open system, especially since natural circulation coolant - it is uneconomical in this respect.
In addition, not all radiators will fit. Two extremes immediately disappear: the lungs steel radiators and heavy cast-iron batteries - both of them will lead to unnecessary energy losses with insufficient efficiency of work.
Optimal options are bimetal radiators or, with some reservations, which will be discussed below - aluminum.
- Some electric boilers are very demanding on the quality and chemical composition of the used coolant.
Such a heating system becomes completely dependent on the power supply. If there are frequent power outages in the village, you should not even think about purchasing such equipment. No, even the most powerful uninterruptible power systems here will not come to the rescue. True, there is a variant of using combined boilers, for example, "firewood-electricity", but here we need an entirely different approach to the construction of a heating system.
Combined firewood-electricity boiler
- Some electric boilers "do not like" the voltage drops in the network. A similar question, of course, is simply solved by installing a power regulator, but this again will entail new costs.
What general parameters should be used when choosing a boiler?
In this section of the article we will only consider the general selection criteria that apply to all electric boilers without exception. Below, when it comes. Actually, about the types of equipment, this information will be supplemented by specific features peculiar to specific varieties.
Boiler output
You should always start with this parameter - most other criteria will depend on it. Well, the power of the boiler itself, in turn, depends on a number of characteristics of the building or apartment where it is planned to create a heating system.
There is a common opinion that for high-quality heating and replenishment of heat losses, 1 kW per 10 m² of heated space is sufficient. For an approximate estimate - perhaps this is so. But still this approach does not take into account a lot of nuances that can affect the efficiency of heating the house. This includes the height of the ceilings, the number, type and size of windows, the availability of entrance doors or exits to the unheated balcony, the degree of insulation of the walls, the neighborhood with the premises along the vertical (attics, cellars, unheated rooms, etc.), the climate in the region of residence . Moreover, even the location of the premises on the sides of the world is important (the northern side will always need more heat). And if it is a question of expensive electric power, then even the way of connecting radiators of heating becomes important - it can also give a certain saving of money.
The formulas for calculating the required power are very complicated and cumbersome. Therefore, let us take the liberty of offering the reader a convenient method of calculation using the calculator below. It already takes into account the most basic parameters that affect the consumption of thermal energy. The method involves calculating the power for each of the rooms, followed by the summation of the values and laying the necessary reserve.
To begin with, you should refer to the plan of your possessions that is available to each master. There, for certain, the sizes and the area are put down. The remaining parameters will be easy to determine, just by making a small round of rooms.
To make it easier to understand, let's give an example:
The figure shows a completely arbitrary plan of the house, for which it is necessary to calculate the boiler's thermal output.
For calculations it is advisable to compose a small plate in which to place the individual characteristics of each room. In the considered variant it will turn out approximately so:
| The room, its area, ceiling height. Warmth of the floor | The number of external walls and their basic location relative to the sides of the world. Degree of wall insulation | Number, type and size of windows | The presence of entrance doors (on the street or on the balcony) | The required heat output (including 10% of the reserve) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 42.1 m² | 7.8 kW | |||
| 1. Anteroom. 1.24 m². Ceiling 2.8 m. Weakly insulated field | No | No | One | 0.5 kW |
| 2. Hall. 3 m². Ceiling 2.9 m. Insulated floor | No | No | No | 0,4 kW |
| 3. Living room. 14.1 m². Ceiling 2.9 m. Well insulated floor | Two. East - South. Average degree of insulation. | Two, single-pane windows. | No | 2.1 kW |
| 4. Utility room. 2 m². Ceiling 2.8 m. Well insulated floor | No | No | 0.2 kW | |
| 5. Kitchen. 5.3 m². Ceiling 2.8 m. Well insulated floor | Two, North, East. Average degree of insulation | Two, the usual wooden frames. 1000 × 900 mm. | No | 1.3 kW |
| 6. The bathroom is combined. 2.4 m². Ceiling 2.8 m. Well insulated floor | One, North. Average degree of insulation | No | No | 0.3 kW |
| 7. Bedroom. 14 m². Ceiling 2.8 m. Well insulated floor. | Three, mostly - the South and the West. Average degree of insulation. | Three. Single-glazed windows. 1200 × 900 mm | One | 3 kW |
| TOTAL: |
For an example of a calculation, let's take a region with an average minimum air temperature in the coldest decade of the year - in the range from -25 to -35 ° C. The house has an average degree of wall insulation ( brickwork without a quality external thermal insulation), on top of the premises is an unheated attic.
Pay attention - the last two items in the calculator, placed below, are the features of the location of the radiators. They are shown in order from the most effective ways connection, with the least loss of thermal energy, and further - in process of decrease in efficiency of their heating. For electric heating, this can be very important in terms of saving power consumption.
Now it remains to consistently enter the values for each of the rooms - and determine the necessary amount of thermal energy for high-quality heating and replenishment of heat loss. In the calculations, a 10% power reserve is immediately introduced - so that under the most unfavorable conditions the equipment does not work at the limit of its capabilities. The sum of the values of the right column gives the required power of the electric boiler.
Calculator for calculating the required power of an electric boiler
To heat a private house, an electric boiler is increasingly being chosen. Of course, if in your area you can heat your homes with natural gas, then electrical equipment can act as an auxiliary, in case of a breakdown with fuel. But where it is not possible to use gas, the electric boiler will become a real wand.
Benefits
The electric boiler is very popular among consumers for several reasons:
- compact size and low weight of equipment;
- good automation, no need for a chimney;
- safety (such equipment does not need frequent maintenance);
- economy (no need for a hinged burner);
- simplicity of installation;
- acceptable cost (much lower than gas and diesel equipment);
- do not need a separate room to install the device.
Electric boilers have a fairly simple device. This is a tank, inside of which there are electric heaters, heat exchanger, control unit. Such equipment is completely environmentally safe: there are no emissions of toxic substances into the atmosphere, besides it does not burn oxygen in the room.
Unlike gas-fired boilers, electrical heating appliances have a low noise level.
The area of application of an electric heating boiler is extensive: they are mounted in dachas, in private houses, garages, warehouses.
Electric boiler - the best option for those settlements where there is no possibility to connect to the central gas supply system. Therefore, you can buy models that work on electricity and solid fuels.
Minuses
The disadvantages of an electric boiler include the regularly rising cost of energy resources and a shortage of capacity (a certain number of kilowatts are allocated for each specific section).
Electric boilers come in two types: single-phase (voltage 220 V) and three-phase (380 V). The latter should have a separate automation. Therefore, before choosing an electric boiler for your home, find out the power supply features in your area and only after that purchase equipment.
When buying a device for heating, it is necessary to take into account its power. It is calculated depending on the size of the dwelling. For a house in which the ceiling height is 3 m, for every 10 m2 you need 1 kW of electricity. In this way, the power of the electric boiler can be calculated. Experts recommend that, due to severe winter weather in our country, add 10% to the result. For example, for heating a house with an area of 150 m2, it is enough to buy a 16 kW boiler.
This type of heating equipment converts electrical energy into thermal energy, so when buying you need to choose the most economical heating device.
Acquire boilers whose power can be adjusted based on weather conditions. When it's warm outside, you can reduce the power of the device in half, this will save you money.
Buy boilers with a built-in thermostat or those with this function can be additionally connected. In this case, the operation of the device will be automatically adjusted.
Kinds
There are three types: electrode, induction and TEN. Before deciding which type of appliance to choose for heating your home, you need to study the features, advantages and disadvantages of each.
Electrode boilers
The principle of operation of devices of this type is as follows: the heat carrier is heated by the action of an electric current due to ionization, as a result of which heat is generated.
They are used exclusively in gravity heating systems. Only water can act as a coolant. In heating low-temperature systems, they are not used.
These boilers will last for a long time: the electrodes that are included in their equipment do not burn out, so there is nothing to break in the instruments, even the lack of water in the included equipment will not allow them to fail. Simplicity of installation, ease of maintenance, low cost, small dimensions of equipment, lack of scale - the main advantages of electrodes.
Such a boiler has a variable power and depends on the temperature in the coolant system, which during the initial start-up quickly heats up. Accordingly, the electricity consumption is small.
By the minus electrode boilers for heating the house can be attributed the risk of electric shock, passing through the coolant. Equipment of this kind can have an electrolysis of liquid, this will eventually change its composition and affect the thermal conductivity. Isolation of electrolysis gases leads to the air-blasting of the entire structure. In addition, these substances are very toxic, so the coolant must be prepared carefully in terms of electrical conductivity.
In an electrode type boiler, you can not use ordinary antifreeze, tosol, distilled water. A coolant, which does not freeze, is quite expensive and is not available to everyone.
Use a boiler of this type on a single-circuit scheme to provide the house with hot water can not.
TEN Instruments
Boilers of this type work at the expense of the TEN (a tubular electric heater) immersed in the coolant, it is heated by the electric current and, accordingly, heats the heat carrier itself.
The main advantage of this equipment is the possibility of application in any heating systems and various heat carriers. The heater has no electrical connection to the coolant, therefore in terms of electric shock it is completely safe. It has a constant power. From the temperature and type of coolant, this boiler does not depend. Adjust its power is simple enough.
Heat carrier can become antifreeze, antifreeze, water. If one heater fails, the boiler will continue to function. This device can be used on a single-circuit scheme to provide hot water to the residents of the house.
But as a result of the formation of scale, the efficiency of the system decreases, the heater burns out. When working without water, the electric heater will quickly fail, leading to a fire hazard. Boilers of this type are much more expensive than electrode home heating appliances.
The principle of operation of induction-type devices is to heat the core located in a magnetic alternating field, thereby heating the coolant. To increase the heat-transfer area, the equipment is made in the form of a labyrinth having thick walls. Moving along it, the coolant (water or other liquid substance) is heated.
The design of the boiler is very reliable, which makes it possible to talk about the long life of the device. In addition, it does not form scum, and therefore it serves longer. But working without fluid in the system will disable this device in a few minutes, so a prerequisite for work is the availability of control of the level of the coolant and automation to shut off when there is a lack of liquid.
Induction-type boilers take up little space: they are pieces of a pipe from a few tens of centimeters to one meter in length. You can arrange this construction anywhere.
Induction heating devices do not require frequent maintenance: in fact, there is nothing to break there as well as in an electrode device. In the inspection and repair need radiators, pipes.
Have the same advantages as TEN heating devices. They have high-quality automation and low inertia of the system (does not allow wasting energy), which saves on electricity. The main disadvantage is the high cost.
Proposed to consumers today household heating devices have an efficiency of 97%, and each kilowatt, spent for their work, turns into 0.97 kW of thermal energy. Therefore, it is not worth mentioning that any of the types of boilers described above are more economical.
Manufacturers
If you need a boiler for heating the house, it is better to choose the device of the famous brand. Manufacturers such as Eleco, Protherm (Slovakia), Dakon (Czech Republic), Wespe Heizung, Bosch (Germany), ACV (Belgium), Roca (Spain), Kospel (Poland), Evan, RusNIT (Russia) - guarantee reliability and durability of its equipment.
Their models differ not only in their low noise generation, but also in their high level of performance.
Quality appliances used to heat the house will allow you to enjoy the warmth even in the harshest winters.
The construction of a heating system in a private homeowner depends largely on the financial component of the project, since a wide range of heating boilers and other necessary equipment is available in the retail network. First of all, the owner of the house needs to determine the type of fuel, thanks to which the structure will function.
In most cases, the consumer makes a choice in favor of electrical equipment, although devices for heating the coolant are also gas and solid fuel. Many buyers are interested in how to choose an electric boiler for heating and not make a mistake.
Advantages and disadvantages of electric boilers
To determine which electric boiler is best, the owner of the house should be aware of the advantages or disadvantages of this or that model of this device.At the same time, all modern electric boilers are distinguished:
- compact size;
- light weight;
- simplicity of installation;
- easy connection to the heating system;
- there is no need to additionally install a chimney;
- operational safety;
- the ability to work in automatic mode;
- more affordable cost compared to other devices (gas or solid fuel).
In areas where there is no gasification, the choice of electric boiler is often the only way to solve the problem of heating residential a country house.
The electric device for heating the coolant has only two disadvantages:
- high price for consumed electricity;
- insufficient capacity - lack of the number of kilowatts allocated for a particular home ownership.
Rules for selecting electric boilers
Among the huge range of equipment presented in the domestic market, it is not easy to determine which electric boiler to choose for the house - it should approach the heating system in all parameters, which it was decided to use for heating the premises.When buying, pay attention to a number of the most important characteristics:
Device power . When calculating this indicator, when the choice is made of an electric boiler for heating, it is necessary to know exactly the area of the building. To heat 10 "squares" of a room that has a three-meter height of ceilings, it will take 1 kW of electricity. Based on this rule, it is easy to do. To the result obtained add 10%. For example, to heat a house that has a heated area of 100 "squares", there will be enough electric boiler with a capacity of 11 kW.Economical device . Since its work is based on the conversion of electricity into heat, the selection of the electric boiler should be done taking into account the economics of the equipment. It is necessary that the power of the device can be adjusted depending on the temperature in the street. In case of warming, such a boiler will consume much less electricity.
Experts advise before choosing an electric boiler, pay attention to the presence of a thermostat or the ability to connect it to the device, so that the adjustment of the equipment and heating of the coolant is automatic.
Complete the device . It can be completely different. It is advisable to choose an electric boiler for heating the house with a full list of auxiliary devices. Of course, the complete set is more expensive, but it will be easier to mount and operate it.
The complete set of electric boiler must include:
Structural features of the device . Experts, advising how to choose an electric boiler, pay attention that the case near the device should be completely closed (see photo). This requirement is especially important for families where children grow up. For small rooms the best choice - flat models.
Also, the electric boiler requires a voltage regulator, which, when the light is suddenly turned off, prevents the device from breaking. If the emergency shutdown is not uncommon and can be prolonged, the house can cool down. To prevent undesirable situations, you should have a battery and an inverter.
In inexpensive boilers electric boilers manufacturers replace metal components with plastic products. But in the process of operation, they quickly become unusable and require replacement.
European products will be an excellent option for apartments, as they are:
- consume less electricity;
- have clear management;
- have a high efficiency.