Connecting an electric boiler to the heating system. Installation of electric heating boilers: we understand the nuances
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Owners of private houses often have a problem with heating it and getting hot water for domestic needs. One of the best options in this case is the installation of an electric heating boiler. How it looks, you can see in the photo.
Choosing an electric boiler
One of the main characteristics is power. Usually the manufacturer indicates it in kilowatts. It is difficult to determine the required boiler power on your own - this is done by a heating engineer who, using certain calculation methods and a special tool, can calculate the exact indicator. If it is not possible to call such a specialist at home, then you can make approximate calculations, on the basis of which you can choose a heater.The easiest way is to calculate the power of the device for a well-insulated building. If the height of the ceilings in it is no more than 3 meters, then for every 10 "squares" of the area, about 1 kW will be required. Thus, if the area of \u200b\u200bthe house is 80 "squares", then a boiler with a capacity of 8-10 kW will be required. This calculation cannot be called accurate, since experts take into account the material and thickness of the walls, the quality of the insulation, window features and other factors.
A heating system with an electric boiler usually also has an additional source of heat - a solid fuel or gas boiler, which is used when the electricity is turned off. Also, gas and solid fuel appliances can also be used to save electricity - for example, first the room is heated with the help of them, and then a comfortable temperature is maintained electrical equipment(read also: "").
You can additionally buy a special programmer for an electric boiler - this device allows you to save electricity using the built-in program. The user only needs to set temperature regime and the device will take care of the rest. The cost of such a device is on average 100 euros - given that electricity will be consumed in a significantly smaller amount, the amount spent on the programmer will quickly pay off.
Advantages and disadvantages of electric boilers
Electric boilers are not very suitable as a source of main heating, as they have a significant drawback - significant energy consumption.The principle of operation of an electric heating boiler is to heat the internal coolant, as a result of which electrical energy is converted into heat. Reliable power supply is required for constant and uninterrupted operation of the equipment. For example, to heat a house with an area of 200 "squares" you will need a boiler with a capacity of about 20 kW. In addition, other household appliances also create a load on the power grid. Not every home has a reliable electrical network that can withstand such a large load. Power outages should also be taken into account - this problem is especially relevant in small towns. It is for this reason that the use of electric boilers has not become widespread. In addition, heating the house will have to spend a lot of money for electricity every month.
If we do not take into account the high energy consumption and high load on the network, then the electric boiler is an ideal heating equipment.
It has a lot of advantages:
- low cost of the device;
- safety in operation (unlike other types of boilers, there is no open fire in electrical units);
- environmental friendliness, as there are no combustion products;
- silent operation;
- no need to regularly maintain the device (clean the combustion chamber, burners, etc.);
- simple installation of an electric heating boiler;
- it is not required to allocate a separate room for the heater - it can be installed in the kitchen, in the bathroom.
Electric boiler device
Inside the device, the coolant is heated by electric heaters (heaters). The device of an electric heating boiler is as follows.Main elements:
- heat exchanger with heating elements;
- Control block;
- adjustment block.
- safety valve;
- circulation pump;
- expansion tank;
- programmer (remote unit for temperature control and equipment operation control);
- pressure meter;
- air vent and filter.
Currently, on the market you can find electric boilers of both European and domestic production. In terms of quality, domestic equipment is in no way inferior to foreign ones, but it is much cheaper. When buying a boiler, it will not be superfluous to ask the seller for a quality certificate for the product - this will help to avoid fakes and the purchase of low-quality goods.
How to install a heating boiler yourself, look at the video:
Electric boiler installation
The heating scheme with an electric boiler will help to deal with the installation of the system. In addition to the correct plumbing connection of the boiler, you also need to bring power to it. It is better to entrust this work to specialists, but if you have knowledge in electrics, you can handle this yourself. As for connecting the boiler to, it is very important to do everything right, otherwise the heating efficiency will be much lower.To connect the boiler, it is necessary to allocate a separate power supply line, usually it is diverted from the input distribution panel. The power supply line must be equipped with a circuit breaker with a rated operating current - this is necessary in order to prevent fire in the event of a short circuit.
The body of the electric boiler must be grounded - this is done by the third power supply wire (in case of connection to a two-phase network). When grounding, separate wires must not be used. See also: "".
- phase wires L1, L2, L3 are connected to a three-phase circuit breaker. The machine must be separate;
- the neutral wire (with the designation N) is connected to the neutral bus (terminal block) of the shield;
- grounding is connected to a separate special bus marked "ground".
You should be especially careful when connecting the ground and neutral wires - errors are not allowed in this work. If there is any doubt about own forces, it is better to entrust the installation of an electric boiler to specialists. It often happens that a high-power device was bought, but for some reason the quality of heating leaves much to be desired. Of course, the problem may lie in the poor insulation of the house, but most often this is due to improper connection of the boiler to the heating system.
With how an electric heating boiler works, its many advantages are associated. It is environmentally friendly and safe in operation - there is no open flame during operation, no combustion products are emitted. For its installation it is not required to allocate a separate room. But, before you buy an electric boiler, you need to make sure that the power grid can withstand a large load.
The modern construction market offers a potential consumer an impressive variety of heating boilers. Accordingly, the resolution of heating issues in private country house or an ordinary city apartment ceases to be the "problem of the century." Is this or that type of fuel missing “at your side”? No problem! You will always be able to find worthy alternatives, one of which may be electric boilers heating.
Electric heating is undoubtedly one of the most environmentally friendly ways to “warm up” your home and not pollute the environment with harmful “work offs”. Double-circuit electric heating boilers are like a personal mini-boiler room, because they not only heat the room, but also “give out” hot water for household needs.
An electric boiler can become both the main source of heat in your abode, and a "partner" for other boilers - gas, diesel, solid fuel. The presence in the system of another standby unit capable of operating on liquid or cheap solid fuel is one of the ways to save electricity.
How is the heating process carried out in this case?
- the heated premises of the building are initially heated using a backup boiler;
- electric boiler (automatic mode) maintains the required temperature.
This equipment is produced in wall and floor versions. The power of the first ranges from 5 to 60 kW. Devices with a power of more than 60 kW can only be floor standing.
They “feed” from a single-phase or three-phase electrical network (220 V and 380 V, respectively). For the operation of equipment consuming more than 12 kW, only a three-phase network is used.
Wall-mounted electric boiler: a harmonious addition to the interior, you can install it in any room
The coolant in electric boilers is water or non-freezing liquids - antifreezes (of course, allowed for heating systems).
Note! The instruction manual for the equipment is an extremely useful thing. Reading it in time will help you avoid embarrassing misunderstandings.
Classification of electric boilers
Electric boilers differ from each other in the way of heating the coolant. Their main types are:
- indirect heating: heating element - rheostatic cartridge (heater). It is installed in the heat exchanger tank;
- direct heating - electrode water-heating boilers are electric. The current, passing through the water and releasing heat, heats it;
- induction.
TENovye electric boilers
The principle of operation of this equipment is based on the "transformation" of electricity into heat with the help of heating elements (tubular heaters) mounted in a tank (steel) of the heat exchanger. The heater heats the coolant, which circulates in the heating system and heats the premises.
Control over the well-established operation of the apparatus is carried out by the control unit. Heating is controlled by the room temperature controller: it reacts to a decrease in temperature by signaling the need to turn on the heating mode. The necessary working pressure of the heat carrier is achieved by means of a circulation pump. The internal temperature sensor maintains the temperature of the coolant. Upon reaching the required temperature values in the premises, the heating mode is turned off, and then, after some time, the circulation pump is also turned off, due to which the coolant "moves" is carried out.
The use of room regulators allows you to save from 20% to 30% of electricity.
The main advantage of this type of boilers is the absence of electrical contact between the fuel element and the coolant, respectively, there is practically no leakage current, which means that emergency automation can be used along with them, for example, RCDs (residual current devices), etc.
The device and principle of operation of a heating element electric boiler
Their power does not depend on the nature of the coolant, its temperature - it changes only within the fluctuations in the voltage of the supply network. Here it is easy to implement stepwise (electronic control system) or smooth regulation (microprocessor control unit).
These generating sets, of course, also have their drawbacks: the resource of heating elements is limited, and even their premature burnout is not excluded. When buying, be sure to pay attention to the possibility of replacing them.
In addition, the heating element is a “great place” for scale, eager to disable the device as soon as possible.
Measures must be taken to reduce the hardness of the water!
Heating units are electrical double-circuit boilers and single-circuit devices. A double-circuit electric boiler is both heating and hot water.
Usually, due to their low weight and modest dimensions, they are wall-mounted, but there are also powerful floor models.
This is the most common type of electric boilers.
Electrode type equipment
Electrode hot water electric boilers are much less common than heating elements.
The heating of water in them occurs due to the release of heat generated when the current passes "through" the coolant (conductor) directly, without the participation of "intermediaries" like a heating element. Electrolysis does not occur: the cathode and anode continuously change places (frequency 50 Hz). Ion vibrations occur with the release of energy, which the coolant successfully absorbs.
An electric heating boiler operating according to this principle saves up to 40% of electricity.
Dry running cannot disable the equipment; Scale deposits do not provoke the destruction of the electrodes: only a decrease in boiler power is possible.
The dimensions of the chamber for ionization are compact - the coolant heats up almost instantly; the pressure increases, reaching the required value without such auxiliary mechanisms as a circulation pump.
The electrode type of boilers has a high efficiency (up to 96%), is reliable and durable.
Equipment disadvantages:
- inability to connect to the network through the RCD;
- only special antifreezes indicated by the manufacturer can act as a coolant;
Electric boilers on resistive and induction elements
Such boilers are some exotic. Resistive heating is somewhat reminiscent of electrode heating, but at the same time it has a number of advantages, in particular, it allows you to work with any coolants. There is no thermal barrier (heating layer - base), therefore, it becomes possible to optimize the capabilities of the model and at the same time reduce its power consumption.
In resistive boilers, the fuel element is evenly distributed over the surface of the heater - it does not come into contact with the coolant. It is made in the form metal pipe with an insulating layer, on which a spiral-shaped resistive layer (mainly tungsten) is applied. Electric current, heating the flow tank (pipe), also heats the coolant.
Installing an electric boiler is much easier than installing other heating equipment.
Boilers in which the principle of electromagnetic induction is implemented are also worthy of consumer attention. Such an installation has a design similar to a transformer consisting of two circuits. The primary circuit is a magnetic system, and the secondary circuit is a heat exchanger. In it, under the influence of an alternating field, currents are induced, causing heating, which is subsequently transferred to the coolant. The main advantages of induction boilers are electrical safety, work with almost all heat carriers.
Among the shortcomings - a rather high price, high weight, impressive dimensions.
How to calculate the required boiler power?
To do this, you can use the elementary ratio: for every 10 m² of the room (with a ceiling height of about 3 m), approximately 1 kW is required. Although, it is worth noting that this formula is indicative, because in addition to the height of the ceilings and the area, a lot of related factors affect the determination of the required power: the materials used in the construction of the house; How is the building insulated? the number of windows, their sizes; region of residence.
Purchase and operation: everything is known in comparison
Consider step by step all the costs that the purchase, installation and operation will “cause” you electrical unit and compare this type of heating equipment with other offers on the construction market.
Electricity or gas?
The fact that gas is cheaper than electricity, as they say, is a no-brainer. If there is a gas main nearby the building (house), the choice becomes obvious. But remember that in addition to the cost of the energy carrier, there are many more aspects that need to be considered:
- equipment cost - an “average” electric boiler is cheaper than a gas counterpart;
- installation cost - installation of electrical equipment will also be much cheaper;
- an electric device is structurally simpler and does not need, unlike a gas one, constant maintenance;
Electricity or liquid fuel?
The cost of electrics, of course, is slightly higher than the cost of liquid fuel. In the case of an electric boiler, you only need the boiler itself, while for liquid fuel you will also have to purchase additional “accessories”. As for installation, maintenance and design features, everything is the same with gas appliance.
Electricity or solid fuel?
Operation in automatic mode, ease of maintaining the temperatures necessary for comfort are the main advantages of electric boilers over solid fuel counterparts.
Sharing electrical and solid fuel boiler- a fairly common "union".
Electric boilers - reviews
Most people ditch electric boilers for obvious reasons. First, cosmic electricity bills. Secondly, network outages.
But at the same time, users note a lot of undeniable advantages of this equipment:
- low price;
- ease;
- compactness;
- ease of installation;
- saving space in the room;
- ease of operation;
- no need to install a chimney;
- do not require special care, cleaning;
- silent;
- do not create extraneous odors;
- no harmful emissions.
After weighing all the pros and cons, you will definitely be able to find a type of heating suitable for your native abode, which would fully satisfy all your needs, and most importantly, your financial capabilities.
If the house or apartment is not connected to the gas main, and it is not possible to use modern fully automated gas boilers, then the only reasonable solution would be to install an electric boiler. After all, the principle of operation of an electric boiler is based on the conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy: it only needs a power line. Certainly, there are also solid fuel boilers, and oil-fired boilers, but they require constant refueling (difficult to operate), and they cannot be installed in an apartment.
Scheme of operation of a simple electric boilerTypes of modern electric boilers
Depending on the method of heating water modern boilers divided into three types:
- electrode;
- heating elements;
- induction.
Tenovye electric boilers
Such boilers are a traditional solution. To heat the coolant, they use a heating element of a spiral type - a heating element. When current passes, the heating element heats up. Circulating in the circuit, the water takes heat and reports it to the radiators of the heating system (batteries).
During operation, lime is deposited on the heating element, which impairs heat transfer between it and the coolant. Therefore, from time to time it is necessary to use special tools that remove lime deposits from the surface of the heating element. But this can only become a problem if the water is very hard.
If, for any reason, the coolant leaks from the circuit, the heating element may heat up above the permissible temperature. This can lead to its failure and even a fire. Modern models boilers are equipped with special protection that allows you to de-energize the device in the event of a leak. But before buying a boiler, you must make sure that a particular model is equipped with such a safety device.
Induction electric boilers
These are new devices that have appeared on sale relatively recently. To understand how an induction-type electric boiler works, it is enough to consider such a well-known kitchen appliance as an induction stove. It is known that it does not burn the hand at all, even if it is touched. The thing is that it emits an electromagnetic field that interacts only with metal.
Inside the induction boiler there is also an emitter and an emitter receiver - a pipeline through which the coolant circulates. The surface of such a receiver-coolant is large enough. If lime is deposited on it, then a lot of time will pass before the moment when this begins to affect the efficiency of the heating installation.
In the event of a violation of the integrity of the circuit, the heater may also fail due to a dangerous temperature increase. Therefore, as in the case of a heating element boiler, when buying, you must make sure that the device is equipped with protection that turns off the power to the heater when the circuit is dehydrated.
Electrode boilers
These heating appliances also appeared on sale relatively recently. Their distinctive feature is that they heat the coolant directly, without using any heating element. A feature of the operation scheme of an electrode-type electric boiler is the presence of a special converter that acts on free ions in water. When entering a variable electric field ions begin to oscillate, collide with other particles, as a result of which heat is released, the coolant begins to heat up.
A unique feature of such boilers is that they are completely immune to possible leakage of the coolant. If there is no water in the ion chamber, the device will simply stop working and will not be able to dangerously overheat. This design provides increased safety of the device.
But there is also a disadvantage of such boilers. During operation, the ions, interacting with the electrodes, gradually destroy them. Therefore, over time, the electrodes have to be changed. But in the flow circuit of such devices, lime is practically not deposited.
General features of electric boilers
All modern electric boilers have a high efficiency (from 98%), are compact, allow full automation heating system. These heating appliances completely silent. When connected to them, remote sensors allow you to control the air temperature in each individual room.
It should be noted that such boilers are quite powerful (from 3 kW), so care should be taken that the electrical input is designed for the required power. Failure to do so could result in a severe power line failure requiring costly repairs. As a rule, devices with a power of 3-6 kW require a single-phase power supply, and models of 6 kW or more are already powered by a three-phase network.
The main advantages of electric boilers:
- high efficiency;
- noiselessness;
- compactness;
- high automation;
- ease of connection.
Flaws:
- high cost of electricity;
- high requirements for the power supply line;
In some cases, electric heating is the only way out. A large selection of electric boilers in the retail network allows you to choose the equipment that best suits the needs of the buyer, both in terms of the design of the device and in terms of its required calorific value.
Decided to buy an electric boiler? Then our article will be very useful to you. Agree, in order to successfully use such a very complex and expensive equipment, you must know its internal structure well. That is, what, where, how and what follows. Not only will this help you manage your purchase as efficiently as possible, but it can also help you avoid breakdowns or emergencies due to lack of knowledge. In addition, boilers for this type of fuel are available in several modifications. And each has its own characteristics of the internal structure. Go?
DesignHeating element of electric boiler
TENovy electric boiler
First, we list the main components of the equipment:
- Container with heating elements
- control block
- Block of protection and control
- circulation pump
- Expansion tank
- safety valve
- water filter
- Valve
- Pressure meter
The principle of operation of the heating element is almost identical to the principle of operation of a conventional electric kettle.
So, water is supplied to the tank where the heating elements (heaters) are located. The surface of the heating elements heats up and thus transfers heat to the water. This happens very quickly, then the liquid enters the heating system and hot water supply.
What is TEN, how does it work? This is a curved hollow tube made of metal, can be made in the form of a spiral (most often made of copper). Inside it is filled with quartz sand, as well as a tungsten filament. She is responsible for the operation of the entire heating element.
This happens as follows: When the boiler is turned on, current flows to the tungsten filament. She begins to get very hot, while heating the sand surrounding her. The sand heats up, giving off heat to the walls of the spiral. And the walls of the spiral tube, in turn, give off heat to the coolant.
Despite the 2 combined "elements": water and electricity, the voltage does not get into the water. If this happens, then there is a problem in the grounding of the device or the heating elements are out of order and need to be replaced.
Readers take note!
Has everyone seen the coil of an electric kettle after quite a long time of use? The same thing will happen with the heating elements of the boiler: they will gradually become overgrown with scale deposits and deposits of salt and minerals.
How to avoid it? Use distilled water. There are several ways to get it:
- Buy– of course, this is the easiest option. If you do not want to bother with the frequent replacement of heating elements, and spending on the purchase of water does not really scare you, then this is your option.
- Collect rain water- if you have such an opportunity, then you should not miss it.
- Bring chopped ice from a river or freshwater body- as one of the options.
- Let plain water stand- after some time, all the turbidity from salts and particles of suspension will settle to the bottom of the container with water. You will only have to drain 2/3 of the water from the top, so as not to raise all the dregs from the bottom.
If you do not have ways to extract distilled water, then you should not be upset either. Heating elements for the boiler do not cost fabulous money (from 400 rubles for 1 piece), and you can afford their regular replacement.
The electronic part of the boiler is responsible for heating the water to the desired temperature (the user only needs to turn the thermostat knob or set these values on the electronic panel). In addition, the thermostat will prevent the boiler from heating the water too much. high temperature (automatic system safety will immediately stop heating).
The pressure sensor will not allow the boiler to turn on if the water pressure in the system is too low. Operation at such a low value of this parameter may lead to damage to the unit.
The design of the induction boiler
Induction boiler: inside viewFirst, we learn the main components of the equipment:
- Capacity (tank);
- Coil;
- Core - fluid moves through it
- insulation
Induction boilers have a completely different principle of operation than heating elements.
The heating of the circulating fluid occurs due to the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction. Let us briefly recall the very essence of the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction: if current is applied to the coil winding, then a magnetic field forms around it (and inside it too). BUT
In the center of the coil is a metal core. What do we end up with? Eddy currents are formed in this core, which heat its walls.
Let's summarize the information: when the boiler is connected to the network, an electromagnetic field arises that heats the walls of the core. And the walls of the core, in turn, give off heat to the liquid.
The main feature of induction boilers: you can use not only water (unlike heating elements), but also any other liquid: oil, antifreeze, etc. And this is already a huge plus for places with a harsh climate, when water is not suitable as a heat carrier.
The liquid is supplied through the return pipe. Inside the water container, she goes through a “thorny” path through a real maze, making several turns through 180˚. Due to changes in the temperature of the liquid, it begins to move through the system. If you need to speed up this process, then an elementary circulation pump will do.
The insulation on top of the liquid tank, as you may have guessed, does not allow the liquid to cool quickly, significantly increasing the efficiency of the device.
The main advantage of induction models is high reliability. In fact, in such a design there is simply nothing to break, which makes an induction boiler an excellent choice. Of course, the cost of such a device is very high.
How is the electrode boiler
Electrode boiler: external viewIts other name is the ion boiler. The principle of operation is also fundamentally different from both heating elements and induction. The bottom line is that electrical energy is converted into heat. The dimensions of the device are very small: no more than 50 cm in length. It is mounted directly on the heating pipe and fixed by "American women". This is elementary and will take a minimum of time compared to the usual type.
The electrode boiler is a cylindrical container, on one side of which there is a metal rod, and the other side is sealed or there is a pipe for supplying and draining water.
2 options for the location of nozzles:
- One branch pipe is located at one end. The second branch pipe is located perpendicular to the main body in another part.
- Both branch pipes are located perpendicular to the main tank and parallel to each other.
The principle of operation is: a positively charged metal rod acts as a cathode (a phase is connected to it). The anode is the body itself, a negatively charged element, zero.
There is no direct contact between cathode and anode. They contact exclusively through the coolant.
As you know from the basic physics course, each rod attracts particles with the opposite charge (positive to negative and vice versa).
During the operation of the boiler, the ions change their charge about 50 times per minute, becoming either positively charged or negatively charged. Accordingly, each time they are forced to be attracted to the rod with different sign. Imagine this fast and chaotic movement of particles: in fact, it causes the liquid in the tank to heat up. The speed of movement and the heating temperature are so high that even such compact dimensions of the boiler help to efficiently heat water for heating and hot water supply.
One of the serious disadvantages of this method of heating water is the stringent requirements for the density of the coolant. Otherwise, the reaction will not be effective. GOST 2874-72 clearly defines the amount of salt in water. And for each boiler, the instructions indicate the initial and maximum values \u200b\u200bof the current strength. To maintain the amount of salt in the water, add ordinary table salt.
Features of electric boiler control
It is impossible to constantly control the boiler manually, controlling the change of each parameter in the system. It's too tiring - you probably won't be able to sleep. That is why close attention should be paid to the automation unit.
The number of different bells and whistles in the design of the boiler depends directly on the model of the boiler and the brand of the manufacturer. More expensive units have an extensive list of different options. And the cheapest devices may have the necessary minimum capabilities.
In any case, we will consider the optimal configuration and tell you about the most necessary and useful additions.
- temperature sensor– monitors the air temperature in the room, but not the temperature of the water in the boiler. Why is it convenient? The fact that you do not have to run and set the temperature again every time it gets warmer or colder outside the window. The sensor will expose desired value on your own - you only need to set the initial one, for example, so that the rooms always have 25 ° C.
- Load relay– prevents the boiler from operating during an excessive load on the electrical network. For example, if several computers or a washing machine work at once. This will help keep the equipment working.
- Time relay- this device keeps a record of all the electricity consumed by the boiler, depending on the time of day. In addition, it is the time relay that ensures that the boiler turns on mainly at night, when electricity tariffs are almost halved. Agree it's vital required function, because it helps to reduce energy costs by almost 40%.
Video: electric boilers