A simple way out of a difficult situation: how to make heating from a water heater with your own hands?
Not all private homes have centralized hot water supply, especially when it comes to summer cottages.
Apartment buildings sometimes too suffer from lack of hot water, if there is an accident on the line and for other reasons.
There is a simple way out of this situation - installation of an indirect heating boilerIt is distinguished by its economy, since it operates during the heating season not from the power grid.
What is an indirect heating boiler?
It is impossible to understand what an indirect heating boiler is without analyzing the definition "classic boiler". This device is a large-volume tank in which a heating element.
When the device is connected to the power grid, the water is heated. When the liquid reaches a certain temperature, the power supply stops.
After this, the unit does not turn off, but goes into "sleep" mode. At the same time, the device continues to monitor the temperature of the liquid.
After turning on the tap, the water from the water supply will displace hot water from the boiler. Hot water is supplied to such a device from above, and cold water is poured from below. As a result, the water temperature in the boiler will drop. After this, the unit will turn on and begin heating the liquid again to set temperature.
Attention! If there is no pressure in the water supply, then water will not enter the boiler.
The classic device is functioning 24 hours a day all year round. The indirect unit has a different design. The design is a tank made of a material that is resistant to rust. Water is supplied to the device from the water supply pipes and is heated by a heat carrier.
Benefits for heating
Advantages of using an indirect water heating boiler:
- Water heating is carried out from the heating system coolant.
- Significantly reduced energy costs during the heating season by eliminating the need for a traditional boiler.
- Simplicity in manufacturing, installation and operation.
- Opportunity Use hot water constantly.
Photo 1. Indirect heating boiler model Comfort 100 made of stainless steel, manufacturer - "ACV".
Flaws
Disadvantages of an indirect heating boiler:
- The unit takes up lots of space, therefore its installation is possible only in a room with a large area or in a separate room.
- Device takes a long time to heat a large amount of liquid.
- While the device is operating the coolant temperature decreases in the heating system and because of this the temperature inside the room drops.
- Cannot be used in spring and summer without a heating element, and if you install this element, the power consumption will increase.
- Operation impossible without a thermostat, which causes additional expenses.
- The coil quickly appears scale.
Important! The indirect heating boiler from the heating system is functioning only during the heating season. For year-round operation, a heating element is installed in the device, which leads to increased energy consumption.
Water heater operation diagram
Inside the boiler there is coil. The heat carrier is supplied through it from the heating system, which circulates through a spiral tube, providing heating of the liquid.
Thermostat controls the water temperature inside the unit. The device turns the coolant supply on or off. The system is closed insulationIt prevents heat loss.
Water is supplied into the device through water supply pipes. The unit is connected to the coolant supply source through the pipes. After passing through serpentine, it returns back to the heating system, but through the outlet pipe.
How to make a boiler with your own hands?
To make the device yourself you will need: tank, coil and insulation.
Tank
The capacity of the container depends on the number of consumers. Each family member consumes 50-80 liters of water per wash. These figures are used as a starting point when choosing the tank volume.
As a material for the tank, professionals recommend using metals that are not prone to corrosion: stainless steel, aluminum alloy, etc. They are used as a container gas cylinderTo get rid of the smell, the walls are washed and covered with primer.
They make it in a container 4 holes: 2 on the side, to install a coil in them, up liquid inlet hole, one down for the water drain tap and one from below for the heating element. A locking device is fixed on each hole.
Coil
To make a coil, use a tube made of copper or brass. Its dimensions depend on the dimensions of the tank.
The tube is fixed in a spiral on a mandrel made in the form of a cylinder. A large tube or a round wooden block is used as such a mandrel.
The tube is wound so that the turns were at a distance from each other. The number of such turns depends on the volume of the container and its height.
Thermal insulation recommendations
To retain heat and increase efficiency, the outside of the tank is coated insulation. They use polystyrene foam, polyurethane, polyurethane foam, etc.. The material is fixed with wire, strip ties or glue. To improve the appearance of the boiler, the device is covered with foil and a thin sheet of metal.
A tank larger than the boiler is also used. The device is placed in a container, and the space between them is filled with insulation.
Installation
When all the parts for the boiler are ready, you can begin its installation:
- secure the coil to side holes;
- weld pipes to the inlet and outlet;
- If you plan to hang the device on the wall, then weld it loops, and if you put it on the floor, then weld it to the bottom legs;
- install heating element into the corresponding hole;
- fix it cover on the tank;
- connect to the device tpipes for water inlet and outlet;
- do it piping to places where water will be collected.
Useful video
Check out the video that shows how to assemble an indirect heating boiler yourself.
Conditions of correct use
For the purpose of maintenance of the device:
- once a month check the integrity of the insulation;
- once every six months Clean the coil from scale.
Ready indirect heating boiler is sold in specialized retail outlets. A significant drawback of such a device is its high price. It is much cheaper to make the device yourself. The main thing is to know the rules for making a boiler and have a minimum skill in working with materials and tools that are necessary to create the unit.
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