Inexpensive Russian solid fuel furnace with a water circuit. Wood-burning stove with a water circuit utopia or reality
A classic stove for summer cottages with wood-fired water heating is an effective solution to the issue of heating a living space with a small and medium area. Furnace equipment is equipped with a built-in heat exchanger, connected to a new or existing heating system, used as a main or additional source of heating.
How country stoves with a water circuit are arranged
According to its design, a wood-burning stove with a water circuit resembles. The design provides a capacious combustion chamber. There is a built-in heat exchanger that does not come into contact with the flame.The heat carrier is heated by heated flue gases. A heat exchanger made of steel, copper or aluminum accumulates heat and transfers it to the liquid circulating inside.
Types of furnaces are classified according to the design features and internal structure:
- Type of heat exchanger - stoves are equipped with a built-in coil or water jacket. The last design solution is less common, although it has a high heat transfer.
- Furnace material - the body and the combustion chamber are made of steel and cast iron. There are combined models. So, from the company Termofor, it is made of steel, except for the hinged cast-iron door, which prevents deformation when the combustion chamber overheats.
- Firebox door - stoves are equipped with blind doors. At the request of the buyer, some companies offer to complete the door with a heat-resistant glass insert. So that the glass is not covered with soot, an anti-smoke system is provided.
Full cast iron wood stoves for summer cottages with a water circuit, they are more powerful, better suited for heated rooms with an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 80 m². Cast iron stoves are more expensive, due to the peculiarities of production and the high cost of metal. Cast iron does not burn out over time, remains hot for a long time, continuing to heat the coolant for 1-2 hours after the end of the furnace.
- metal heating furnaces for summer cottages with a water circuit are more in demand than cast-iron counterparts for several reasons: low cost, low weight, resistance to mechanical damage. Steel withstands sudden changes in temperature.
- Cast iron, with a sharp cooling, simply cracks. After burning through or the appearance of defects, cracks and holes in the combustion chamber, steel can be welded using a welding machine. A damaged cast iron firebox cannot be repaired.
Which stove to choose for water heating cottages
In order not to make a mistake when choosing, pay attention to several important criteria:- Purpose - the stove can be used as a main or additional backup heat source, exclusively for heating or as an element of building decor.
- Productivity - the power should be enough to fully warm up the heated building, avoiding situations in which the furnace operates at its limit. The calculation is performed according to the formula 1 kW = 10 m². 10-15% of the stock is added to the result obtained.
- Brand - in the Russian market there are stoves in the budget and premium segments, produced by domestic and foreign companies. The following models are especially popular with buyers: Vesuvius PK-01, MBS Vulkan, Termofor Student Gidravlik, Ermak-Thermo Aqua, Vesuvius AOGT Aqua, EFEL Harmony III, Berezka-Aqua, BliST B MAX, Stoker Garden.
- Type of heating system - not all stoves are designed to be connected to closed-type radiator systems.
Before buying a stove you like, you should consult a specialist.
How to make water heating in the country from the stove
As already noted, furnaces with a built-in water circuit are in many ways reminiscent of a hot water boiler. Connection to the heating system is done according to the rules common to all solid fuel equipment using liquid as a coolant.When installing a furnace with water heating for heating country house take into account several working and operational parameters:
- Measures aimed at preserving heat after burning firewood.
- The choice of the heating system according to the type of circulation of the coolant.
- Features of connecting underfloor heating or radiators.
Preservation of heat after burning firewood
The main disadvantage of all solid fuel equipment is the rapid decrease in heat transfer after the combustion of firewood. Steel ovens cool down in 15-20 minutes, cast iron ones remain warm for 1-2 hours. The owner is faced with the task of ensuring the preservation of heat after the firewood burns out.The goal is achieved in several ways:
- Installing a heating element - often, furnaces with a thermal circuit are already equipped, or their design provides a place for installing an electric heating element. After the temperature drops due to the absence of fire in the furnace to the minimum value, the heating element turns on offline, continuing to maintain the required heating of the coolant.
- Connecting a storage tank - a heat accumulator tank takes away excess heat during intensive combustion of fuel. After the firewood burns out, the container continues to maintain the temperature of the coolant for some more time.
- Connecting several heaters in one bundle. A wood-burning stove with a water boiler operating on an alternative type of fuel is being installed: electricity, gas, diesel fuel, etc. The wood stove acts as the main source of heat. The boiler provides a backup.
Gravity or pumping
Heating stoves for a country house with the ability to connect water heating in most cases are universal and are designed to be connected to heating systems of any type. But there are exceptions, which the manufacturer clearly indicates in the technical documentation.Installation circulation pump, is justified for houses with a large area, where the pipeline of the heating system is long or made with violations (non-observance of slopes and angles).
Pumping equipment is installed on the return line in front of the furnace. After installing the pump, the system becomes volatile and cannot work without electricity. The problem is solved by installing a bypass.
Radiators or underfloor heating
Solid fuel stoves are high-temperature heating equipment. Heating of the heat carrier fluctuates within 65-90 °C. The outlet temperature of underfloor heating should not exceed 25°C. The maximum heating of the heat carrier is up to 30-35°C.Water heating of the cottage from a wood-burning stove is better than radiator heating. If you need to connect water floors, you will need to make some changes to the heating system. Be sure to mount the mixing unit,. Only after that, a stove for giving with water heating circuit can be connected to underfloor heating.
The pipes of the heating system are connected directly to the body. In both cases, you will need to install a security group.
Pros and cons of heating a summer house from a furnace with a coolant
A short review of furnaces and the features of their operation will help to identify the disadvantages and advantages of this type of heating devices.There are several reasons in favor of installing furnace equipment:
- Low cost.
- Thermal efficiency, almost identical to a solid fuel boiler.
- Ease of installation and operation of the furnace.
- Beautiful appearance.
- Possibility of connection to heating systems of any type.
There are also disadvantages:
- Relatively short service life.
- Deformation of the firebox doors, observed in some models.
Furnace equipment in the country will not be used as intensively as when heating a residential building, respectively, the thermal and operational load will be less. Given all these factors, a stove with a water circuit will be a good option for solving the heating issue.
Maintaining heat in homes can be done in a variety of ways. In this regard, stoves or fireplaces with a water circuit are not only a reliable guarantee of uniform heating of the entire volume of the dwelling, but also a sign of the prestige and comfort of its owners. In addition, they are successfully used in auxiliary buildings, optimizing and saving combustible material.
Types and principle of operation
All modern furnaces that have a built-in water circuit are conventionally divided into systems with and without an additional foundation. The latter design is mobile and the most popular among modern consumers. It is more compact and successfully copes with all the functions of a similar stationary installation.
The version of the furnace with a water circuit is an ordinary furnace with walls made of metal sheets 4-6 mm thick. Heat exchanger tubes are located in the walls of the furnace. They constantly circulate up to 40 liters of water, which is heated by the energy of combustion of solid fuel.
The removal of warm water from the furnace for domestic needs or into the heating system is carried out through a block of connecting pipes. Temperature and pressure are controlled visually on a panel with appropriate sensors. All combustion plants, where there is a water circuit, have a convection grate for the exit of warm air and a chimney for removing combustion products.
Advantages of the installation
In order for the stove to become a source of effective heating for your home, it is better to purchase products from reliable, trusted brands. This will give you the following benefits:
- confidence in the long-term failure-free operation of the heating system;
- a sense of independence from energy sources such as gas and electricity, because the main fuel of the stove is wood and pellets;
- obtaining aesthetic pleasure from the design of the installation and the play of a living flame in the furnace.
Furnaces that use a water circuit have a low level of automation. But they are not as expensive as heating boilers, which is a significant compensation for this single drawback.
Serie Edilkamin AQUA
A heating furnace with no difficulty can immediately solve all the problems associated with providing country house warmth and hot water. Wood stoves are in demand, as before, especially in those regions where gasification has not yet been completed. Wood-burning stoves provide heat in the house and at the same time do not require unnecessary material costs.
Although stove heating- this is a classic option for cold Russia, in last years there were many modifications of wood-burning stoves. Today, the traditional Dutch woman is increasingly giving way to cast-iron industrial models. Their popularity is explained by their “omnivorous nature” and the ability to work not only on wood, but also on pellets, peat, etc. In addition, they allow you to connect a water heating system.
From the past to the present
Do not think that such designs are a modern invention. Their prototype was the Swedes, in which a metal tank was built. Before the firebox, it was poured into it cold water, which was heated and remained warm for a long time due to the operation of the furnace. Of course, such designs were far from modern modifications, but the idea of making the oven more practical is far from new.
The main difference modern ovens is the presence of a heat exchanger, built-in, as a rule, in the furnace. This provides heating of an unlimited amount of water. At the same time, the dimensions of the tank and its shape can be very different depending on the capacity of the combustion chamber. This design, of course, is not without drawbacks, but it is it that provides the house not only with heat, but also with hot water. The same stoves became the prototype of solid fuel pellet boilers. long burning, which are the basis for building a complete autonomous system heating in country house.
Of course, the efficiency of such heating devices much lower than modern boilers, but in the absence of the latter, wood-burning stoves have a number of positive properties:
- Firewood can be purchased almost anywhere or collected on your site.
- The oven can function in the absence of electricity if the system is arranged with natural circulation coolant.
- Long-term operation if a cast-iron coil is used as a heat exchanger.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of a stove with a built-in water heating circuit are obvious:
- It is easily integrated into the general engineering network of the house.
- Provides heat and hot water.
- Differs in high efficiency.
- Has many modifications.
Model Thermo Vesta
In this barrel of honey there are several fly in the ointment at once:
- Water circuit ovens are very complex designs. Therefore, you should not experiment and build them yourself, although you can find drawings and diagrams in the public domain.
- Wood stoves and boilers, to which the water circuit is connected, are completely different heating devices. Combining them, making a single whole, is almost impossible. As a result, there are restrictions on the use of heating devices in the summer.
- Ready-made industrial models are safe and reliable, but they are distinguished by a high cost.
- Installing the finished model will require project development.
Pellet or wood - which is better?
What is the best way to heat a solid fuel stove with a water circuit? Most industrial models are absolutely "omnivorous", unlike, for example, the classic brick oven. The answer is obvious. It is better to use a fuel that makes heating cheaper and minimizes the physical cost of burning a stove.
Pellets are most suitable for this purpose. Pellet stoves are easy to use. There are special tanks for supplying fuel to them. As the pellets burn out, they are fed from the tank into the furnace without human intervention. The only thing the owner needs to do is to monitor the fullness of the bunker and fill it with pellets in a timely manner.
Pellet with heat exchanger
automated modern models pellet stoves allow you to absolutely not interfere with the combustion process. Fuel is supplied automatically by means of a special conveyor, and the combustion force is regulated by automatics. All that is required from the owner of such a furnace is to set the desired operating mode. Everything else will be done by automatic systems.
Such furnaces initially provide for the possibility of connecting a water circuit. Unlike wood-fired models, pellet stoves are more functional and have fewer restrictions on use.
Fireplace or stove?
A fireplace in a country house gives a special comfort. A classic fireplace is a complex design. It can only be erected by a qualified stove-maker. Embedding a water heating circuit in a brick fireplace is generally an impossible task. Again came to the aid of suburban residents modern technologies. An excellent solution was heating fireplaces, for example, Bavaria.
They are made of steel, and the inside of the firebox is laid out of fireclay bricks. This design allows you to increase the efficiency of the furnace and the efficiency of its use. Similar models work on any solid fuel according to the principle of long burning. The model may differ not only in power, but also in functionality. It can be installed hob or an oven, which is important, for example, for country houses. The external design of finished fireplace stoves is diverse.
Fireplace Nordica
Ready-made fireplace stoves with a built-in heat exchanger are great for heating large houses. Bavaria can also be used without a water circuit. Both water and antifreeze are used as a coolant. As a rule, such furnaces are installed in closed systems heating, but they can also be mounted in open systems. The most important thing is to correctly calculate the system, otherwise there is a risk of the coolant boiling during the operation of the furnace.
It should be noted that a water fireplace cannot always be operated as heater prolonged burning. In this mode, condensate is formed, gradually clogging the chimney, which affects the quality of the device.
Conclusion
Wood and pellet stoves with water circuit - good decision to improve the efficiency of autonomous heating system country house. They are distinguished by a complex design, so it is better to opt not for classic ones. brick ovens with a built-in heat exchanger, and on ready-made industrial models.
Such models allow you to create a complete heating network without wasting time, labor and material resources. Similar products of an industrial design have additional power that houses of a large area.