Need a gas boiler to heat a private house - which one is better to choose and not regret?
Gas boilers are devices that operate on relatively inexpensive fuel. natural gas. They are installed in houses and apartments for heating and hot water supply.
The market offers a wide range of models, from budget to very expensive. The difference between them is power, size and control system.
According to the operating principle, boilers are divided into single-circuit, which are designed to supply heat, and dual-circuit, heating the room and supplying it with hot water. The dual-circuit option is the most versatile, as it solves several problems at once. The devices can also be energy-dependent and autonomous.
Content
Selecting gas equipment for heating a private home
When a person chooses a gas boiler, he should first of all be guided by power device. The parameters are specified in the technical specifications of the equipment.
The level of comfort in the house during the cold season depends on how powerful the unit is. The larger the house, the more powerful the boiler should be. But this is not the only characteristic that is paid attention to.
The location of the device installation plays an important role: in the house or in a separate room. in the first case Lightweight wall-mounted boilers are suitable, second — heavy floor options. Simple ones are mounted, for example, in the kitchen, and for complex ones, if they have an open firebox, a separate room with ventilation is allocated.
Important! It is necessary to calculate the boiler power before purchase and installation.
Then, if we are talking about a large device that will be located in a special room, it will be necessary to calculate ventilation design parameters. It is mandatory for boiler houses and requires the organization of air exchange according to standards. Both power and ventilation affect the operation of the system.
From first characteristic it depends on whether there is enough heat in the house, and on second - how well the unit copes with the load, because air is needed for effective combustion.
In addition, it is important to consider the reputation of the brand, which should provide technical support for the operation of the product.
It is worth avoiding buying gas boilers of little-known brands, because it will be difficult to purchase later components or repair the equipment under warranty at a service center.
Design Features
A suitable device for home use can be selected based on the general characteristics specified in the instructions or using the seller's recommendation. But if you pay attention to all the nuances of the unit's operation, you should highlight such important characteristics and elements as:
- required power;
- number of contours;
- heat exchanger material;
- availability of necessary options;
- fuel consumption;
- method of arrangement;
- burner type;
- type of flue;
- combustion chamber;
- type of circulation;
- manufacturer;
- price.
The parameters are taken into account depending on what the gas boiler is needed for, how and where it will be installed. And also whether the device will be used year-round or only in the cold season and what budget is allocated for its purchase.
How to determine the required power
The power of a gas boiler is measured in kilowatts and is calculated depending on the area of the room. 1 kW of energy is required for 10 square metersBut you need to take a device with a power reserve. in 20%. For a cottage with an area of 100 square meters a boiler would be better at 12 kW. This is due to the fact that it is not recommended to operate the device at maximum power, as it wears out quickly.
In addition, the quality of heating is also affected by factors such as the location of the room. If, for example, the area is open and cold winds constantly blow, then a more powerful device will be required. The best option would be two-stage a boiler that has two power levels: for very cold weather and for relatively warm weather.
Number of heating circuits
If we are talking only about heating cottage, then they are used single-circuit boilers. The coolant moves in a closed circle.
It enters the device warm, exits hot, passes through the heating system, cools down during the cycle, and enters the unit again to heat up.
But in most cases, in a private house it is necessary not only to have heat, but also hot water coming from the tap. Then it is used dual-circuit a boiler that is separate (second circuit) heats water in taps. The system of such devices is more complex and they are correspondingly more expensive.
Heat exchanger material
The element of a gas boiler responsible for transferring heat to the coolant is called a heat exchanger. This part is available in different materials from different manufacturers. The devices may have a heat exchanger made of copper, the main advantages of which are considered to be high heat transfer, corrosion resistance, durability, and light weight.
Photo 1. Wall-mounted double-circuit gas boiler model Turbo Fit VuW242, with a copper heat exchanger, manufacturer - "Vaillant", Germany.
However, it is expensive, so buyers often prefer steel options. They are considered the optimal solution because they are resistant to mechanical impact. However, steel is less resistant to corrosion than copper. Manufacturers also offer cast iron heat exchangers. They are characterized by high heat transfer and long service life, although they are heavy.
Availability of necessary options
Necessary options for gas boilers: power control and safety systemIf the device is intended for a private house where people live permanently, then the power must be adjusted depending on the weather.
From this point of view, it is profitable to buy two-stage boilers that operate at low power in cool weather and at maximum power in frosty weather.
Among the options of the units there are devices smooth regulation devices, as well as software blocks that activate the required power at the right moment.
Security is ensured thermostat, which switches off the device in case of overheating, valves that release excess pressure, as well as a blocking system in case of fire or blackout.
Fuel consumption
The operating power of a gas boiler depends on the fuel consumption: gas. The more powerful the device, the more gas is used. Fuel consumption is calculated by multiplying the unit's power (corresponds to the footage) for 24 hours, and then for 30 days.
The boiler has not been working in maximum mode all these days, so the result is divisible by 2. The resulting figure is multiplied for 7 months heating season and you will get the total power consumption per year.
Knowing the price 1 kW/hour, multiply it by the number of kW per year and you will get the gas costs in monetary terms. It is worth adding that for 1 kW boiler on average it consumes 0.112 cubic meters of gas.
Method of arrangement
Gas boilers can be wall-mounted or floor-mounted. Wall-mounted versions do not have much power, and therefore are not too overall housings.
Therefore, they can be located either in a separate room with a chimney, or directly inside the house, for example, in the kitchen.
According to existing standards, powerful boilers (over 30 kW) are installed in separate rooms equipped with ventilation. Moreover, these should not be basements or utility rooms, but only individual buildings. The boilers placed in them include floor-standing units. For some of them, it is sometimes even necessary to make a special foundation.
Burner type
The efficiency of a gas boiler depends on the type of burner installed. There are naturally aspirated and turbocharged gas burners. The first work thanks to the natural flow of oxygen into the combustion chamber. Second due to the air forced by the fan.
Atmospheric ones have an efficiency of about 90%, and almost silent operation. The turbocharged ones have an efficiency 95%, slight noise and higher price.
Burners are also divided into single-stage, two-stage and modeling. The first ones work on one power, the second - in two modes, A third automatically change power depending on the required temperature level.
Burners in boilers are ignited. In electrically dependent boilers, it occurs automatically, and in autonomous boilers, it occurs manually using a piezoelectric element.
Type of flue
For boilers with open combustion chambers are used vertical chimneys. The room where they operate must have a functioning ventilation system. Coaxial air ducts (pipe in pipe) are suitable for closed-type devices.
One by one oxygen enters inside, on the other combustion products are discharged outside. Devices with such a smoke exhaust are mounted on the external wall of the building, through which the air duct itself exits outside.
Combustion chamber
Combustion chamber:
- Atmospheric Burners require naturally occurring oxygen, so they operate with open combustion chambers.
- In supercharged - air is supplied by a fan, so they operate with closed fireboxes.
- Open The chambers require a separate room for the boiler room.
- Closed are located in the house.
Circulation
The movement of the coolant along the circuits is carried out due to natural and forced circulation. If a gas boiler is installed circulation pump, There is no need to install such a device on the structure itself.
For hydraulic heating systems do not require a circulation pump. The advantage of forced circulation is the stable movement of the coolant through the equipment. The disadvantage is that the pump depends on electricity.
Manufacturer
The reputation of the manufacturer plays an important role when choosing a gas boiler. And it's not just that well-known brands guarantee the quality of the system. It's just that popular companies a wide network of service centers.
It is not difficult to deliver spare parts for repairing the device, and they can be installed by qualified technicians who know the features of this brand of devices. The most popular are gas boilers of the following brands:
- Foreign
- Viessmann;
- Baxi and Mora;
- Buderus;
- Ferroli;
- Vaillant;
- Protherm;
- Western;
- Bosch;
- Ariston.
- Russian
- "Borinskoye";
- "Zhukovsky".
Price
The price of a gas boiler varies depending on the required power.
- From 7 thousand rubles — Russian low-power device (up to 30 kW).
- Up to 1,400,000 RUR - foreign high power (3000 kW).
The cost depends not only on the power, but also on the additional functions of the unit, for example, electronic filling. Therefore, the approximate price of a gas boiler for a cottage of 100-300 sq. meters may be within the range several tens of thousands of rubles.
Useful video
Watch the video to learn about the basic rules for choosing a gas boiler.
Which floor standing boiler is better to choose
A suitable option for a small private house would be dual-circuit a gas unit that will allow its operation to be adjusted to the weather will be distinguished by safe operation and a price that will suit the average buyer.
You can find such boilers from foreign manufacturers: Viessmann, Baxi and Mora, Vaillant, Protherm, Western, Bosch, Buderus, Ariston, Ferroli, as well as among Russians, for example, "Borinskoye" and "Zhukovsky". These brands are already not the first year have positive reviews on the market.
