Ventilation
How to properly heat a dacha. Do-it-yourself heating in the country: stove, water and electric systems

How to properly heat a dacha. Do-it-yourself heating in the country: stove, water and electric systems

Relaxing in the countryside is a key aspect of the summer for many of us. However, today a dacha is no longer just a place for seasonal recreation, but in most cases, a solid capital structure that can accommodate residents at any time of the year. Even at the design stage of a country house, many of the owners of suburban areas try to provide for possible options for organizing the heating of a residential building. In a dacha cooperative, which is usually located within reach of the city's transport infrastructure, most summer residents try to find an acceptable way to provide heating for their dacha.

Today, the problem of heating a country house remains relevant, so it’s time to consider options for organizing the system at the country house on your own.

Selecting a heating system. What should you focus on?

The heating season is an important component of city life. It’s another matter when we try to spend more time in the countryside, despite the changing seasons. Making heating for a country house means turning your own country house into a cozy home, designed for year-round living and frequent visits. The complexity of the issue lies elsewhere. Which heating system to choose? How realistic will it be to organize heating for a dacha with your own hands?

The first step on which your choice depends is assessing the technical condition of the country house. Here it is important to take into account every detail, without losing sight of the smallest details and nuances, namely:

what building material was used to build the dacha;
assessment of the distance of a country house from the nearest engineering and technical communications;
Availability of available energy resources.

The listed factors will allow you to make the right choice on which autonomous heating system to choose.

The choice of heating option is largely influenced by the size of the dacha. The larger your home, the more energy resources you need to fully heat the interior spaces and, accordingly, the more significant your heating costs look.

Efficient heating of a summer cottage with your own hands at minimal cost can be done if the house is small in size and your visits to the summer cottage mainly occur in spring, summer and autumn. The best option in this situation would be. Rare inclusions and small internal volumes will allow you to effectively use electricity for heating. The costs in this case will be negligible.

For a country house, convectors and fan heaters are usually used. Many summer cottage dwellers actively use oil radiators during the cold season. All of the listed devices are local heat sources and can be easily transferred from one room to another. The best option with electricity is infrared heaters. With a minimum of energy consumption, a high thermal effect is achieved.

As an alternative to electricity, convection ovens are perfect for a small country house. Such heating units are efficient and economical. One load of solid fuel can be enough for the entire period of your stay in the house, especially since such heating is absolutely independent of the energy supply.

Important! If you want to equip your dacha with electric heating devices, you must take into account the power of the electrical wiring in the house. It is advisable to have a distribution board and a power cable rated for 380V. Convection ovens require a specially equipped place, equidistant from the walls and with non-flammable linings underneath.

Trying to maintain the aesthetics of the interior, many of us prefer fireplaces and stoves. These heating options are suitable for short-term heating of a small house. From a purely aesthetic point of view, briquettes are convenient, but this heating option is short-term and solves a local problem. It is necessary to constantly add fuel to maintain a comfortable temperature. In addition, the quality of heating may be affected by the insufficient thermal efficiency of the building itself.

An option with a fireplace or stove can be considered if there are no power lines in the neighborhood and there is no problem with firewood or other solid fuel.

Worth paying attention! If your main fuel for a fireplace or stove is wood or coal, there is a high probability that a large amount of combustion products, soot, soot and CO 2 will enter the interior, which can affect the level of comfort. Proper hood and chimney equipment can solve the problem.

For example, here are the two most common types of fireplace stoves:

a fireplace whose pipe has a cross-section of 100x125 mm;
fireplace with a rectangular chimney, dimensions 150x50 mm.

To achieve the desired effect when operating a fireplace with a closed combustion chamber, you will need 8 cubic meters to burn 1 kg of wood. meters of air. The combustion process and the quality of heating in this case directly depends on the condition of the air duct.

For owners of large country houses, which are designed for a large number of inhabitants and can be suitable for year-round living with the appropriate equipment, it will be much more difficult to do heating in the country house with their own hands. Here you have to think about other options for heating a country house.

If the dacha is large, what solutions to the problem exist?

Your dacha is a second home for you, you spend a lot of time in it, the level of domestic comfort requires constant maintenance of an acceptable temperature, hot water supply and constant operation of household appliances.

In this situation, it is the best option, especially if the gas main runs close to your site. If there is no gas, you can limit yourself to autonomous heating using solid fuel and electric boilers. Today, there are boiler models that are effective when working in such conditions and provide warmth and comfort to fairly large suburban residential buildings.

Installation of a summer cottage heating system begins with the development of a project. In each individual case, it is necessary to calculate the most acceptable power of the heating unit that can cope with the assigned tasks. By submitting an application to the gas industry, you will receive the necessary specifications, which are already the basis for developing a project and drawing up estimate documentation.

The first priority is to establish a source of energy supply. It’s up to you to decide for yourself how to heat your home, use either electricity or give preference to gas. You can choose solid fuel boilers. The main task is to make with your own hands the most autonomous heating system, independent of external factors.

On a note: Liquid fuel boilers for heating private residential buildings are ineffective due to excessive household pollution of the surrounding space.

Installing a gas boiler, installing heating for your dacha, including laying a pipeline and connecting heating radiators, you will have to solve these issues yourself. The gas pipe connection to the boundaries of your site is carried out at the expense of the energy company. In accordance with the new rules and procedures for connecting gas to private households, the connection procedure itself has been significantly simplified. No more than 3 months must pass from the date of submission of the application for connection.

The new procedure applies to the category of summer residents who spend no more than 5 m 3 of gas per day on heating and household needs. According to preliminary calculations, this volume is quite enough to heat a house with an area of 200 m2, including hot water supply and the use of a household gas stove.

Do-it-yourself heating of a country house using gas from a central gas pipeline is a convenient, practical and economically sound solution. As a win-win option, you should opt for an open-type heating system. For a small country house, even a two-story one, this option is very convenient, since the coolant circulates naturally. You can lay the pipes yourself at a slope, and the difference of two floors will ensure the normal functionality of the heating system. The diagram allows you to roughly imagine what the heating system in your dacha will look like.

Forced circulation is more practical, however, in this situation, electricity is required to operate the pump. In winter, especially in bad weather outside the city, power outages are common. When connecting the system yourself, you must strictly adhere to the instructions and design, otherwise the heating may be ineffective and excessive fuel consumption will increase significantly. The best option is to invite gas specialists to install heating equipment at your dacha.

The power of the heating boiler is determined approximately at the rate of 1 kW of heat per 10 m 2 of area of a residential building. The resulting number is multiplied by a coefficient that is approved for each region of our country. So for the southern districts the coefficient is from 0.7 to 1.0, for the regions of Central Russia the coefficient is 1.5. For northern regions from 1.5 units to 2.

An alternative source of centralized gas supply, when your dacha is located far from infrastructure, is a gas cylinder installation.

How to make heating in a dacha, if you have the means and the technical capabilities of the dacha satisfy the technical conditions of the heating system, the answer is simple and clear. You can always find the best option if you approach the solution of the task competently and economically. Electricity, wood or coal, gas, in any case you get a source of heat for your dacha. Another question is how well the chosen option will satisfy your needs and whether an economic effect will be achieved.

To get a more complete picture, you should familiarize yourself with the economic parameters of using various types of fuel for heating. The data is shown in the table below:

If the owners plan to use the dacha in winter, then they will have to think about how it will be heated. In order to wisely choose heating options for your dacha, options for which you can spy on the Internet, you need to consider some of them and determine which one is most suitable for a particular home.

If previously there were only two options available for use in suburban conditions - a wood-burning stove or electric heaters, provided that electricity was supplied to the dacha, today the choice of ways to heat a dacha house is much wider.

In addition, every owner of a country house, who has a little imagination and certain knowledge, can independently figure out how to economically and efficiently heat a home using one or more methods, combining them with each other. Perhaps a consideration of the heating systems below will help someone make a choice from ready-made solutions or even design their own innovative option.

Heating selection criteria

First, you need to decide what functions heating devices should perform, since sometimes simply heating rooms in a summer cottage is not enough.

The main criterion, naturally, should be efficient heating of the house, maintaining a comfortable temperature in the premises in any weather.
For comfortable living, it is advisable to consider heating the bathhouse (if there is one) or heating water for the shower.
Cooking and boiling water for food needs - brewing coffee, tea, etc.
Drying wet clothes and shoes, which is especially important in inclement autumn or winter weather.
Drying vegetables and fruits for the winter.

Having highlighted those functions that you would like to have in combination with, you can move on to considering its various options.

Heating system powered by a boiler

It is advisable to install a heating system that uses a coolant heated in a boiler and supplied to radiators for heat exchange in a dacha if it is used for housing all year round. At the same time, you need to remember that very often you will have to go through all the authorities to obtain permission, draw up and approve a system installation plan, so you immediately need to estimate the cost of not only purchasing all the necessary equipment for installation, but also completing the documentation.

From a convenience point of view, the best option is heating using a boiler

Selecting a heating boiler

The choice of heating device depends on several factors:

Availability of the necessary source of fuel or energy carrier on the site. For example, if gas supply is connected to the dacha, then the most optimal will choose a gas-powered unit. In addition, boilers are produced that can operate on electricity or on solid or liquid fuel, as well as mixed-type heating devices in which, if necessary, the energy carrier can be replaced by one another.
The area of the heated premises, that is, it is necessary to determine the required power of the unit. To do this, calculate the amount of thermal energy required to heat 10 m² of a house. This parameter, of course, largely depends on how insulated the building that is planned to be heated is, and with high-quality thermal insulation, you can start from the proportion of 1 kW of energy per 10 m², with an average ceiling height of up to 3 m.

If the country house has thin walls without thermal insulation, then heat will not linger in the house for a long time which type of heating and not with Which boiler power. The funds spent on the purchase and installation of all elements of the system, as well as on energy resources, will simply be thrown away.

Availability of space for installation of equipment, since some boilers necessarily require a separate room or a reliable base due to their technical characteristics.

In specialized stores you can find for sale not only floor-standing heating boilers, but also wall-mounted ones, which are small in size.

As a rule, compact wall-mounted options do not have excessively high power, but if the country house is small and well insulated, then it is possible to choose such a boiler with suitable parameters.

Floor-standing boilers have massive shapes and are quite heavy. For them, it is necessary to prepare a special solid platform or even make an extension to the house in which the boiler room will be located.

Any boiler (except electric) requires a chimney. Its specific structure and parameters will depend on what fuel the unit runs on and what its power is.
Its price will largely depend on the type and power of the heating installation.

It is worth considering in more detail the positive and negative aspects of units operating from different energy sources. First - about the obvious merits :

A boiler running on natural gas is quite economical, has high power and is reliable in operation.
Solid fuel boilers do not require additional connection to the gas mains or to the power supply system (if they are not equipped with electronic automation). Solid fuel is much more accessible in many regions of the country by price, compared with electricity and gas. In addition, such boilers can often use various types of fuel - coal, firewood, peat briquettes, pellets.
They have a relatively low cost, are compact in size, and are also easy to install and do not require special intervention during operation. (more details about the features of electric boilers can be found in the hotel publication of the portal).

Now let's walk through shortcomings various units:

The obvious “disadvantages” of installing a gas heating system include the expensive procedure for drawing up a plan and directly connecting the gas supply, which requires numerous approvals. In addition, not every dacha village has a gas pipeline yet.
A boiler running on diesel fuel requires a large volume of it. And although diesel fuel has a relatively affordable price, a problem can be created by the lack of capacity to store at least a minimum reserve. In addition, the fuel itself has a specific odor, which intensifies when it burns. Another big disadvantage of such units is the loud noise during operation, so you cannot do without an additional separate room for an oil-fuel boiler.

A modern diesel boiler cannot operate without electricity consumption (albeit minimal), which means that if there are frequent interruptions, then you need to think about a backup uninterruptible power supply.

A solid fuel boiler needs to be loaded fairly frequently, and fuel reserves require an appropriate location and conditions.
An electric boiler (with the exception of induction ones) is not very durable, and, naturally, is completely dependent on the availability of electricity. Unfortunately, in holiday villages, complete power outages or surges with large voltage amplitudes are not at all uncommon. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to have an alternative, not electric heating option, which will inevitably entail additional costs.

For ease of perception, a table is provided that summarizes some distinctive features various types of heating installations:

Characteristics	Room heating method
	A gas boiler	Liquid fuel boiler	Electric boiler	Geothermal heat pump
Equipment cost (price)	average	average	low	high
Boiler room area for installation of equipment in sq. m	6	6	3	6
Energy source	Natural gas	Diesel fuel	Electricity	Electric current and heat of earth, water, air
Energy costs	average	big	very big	The heat of the earth is unlimited and free, electricity costs for equipment operation are minimal
Lifetime	15-20 years	15-20 years	5-8 years	Up to 50 years old
Fire hazard of the boiler during its operation	dangerous (constant fire)	dangerous (constant fire)	dangerous due to the possibility of shorting the wiring	safe
Explosion hazard	dangerous	dangerous	safe	safe
Level of environmental hazard during operation	harmful, emits CO and NOx	harmful, emits CO and NOx	harmless	harmless
Ventilation	necessary	necessary	need not	need not
Service	regular inspection	regular inspection	inspection if necessary	inspection if necessary
Reliability	high	high	high	very high
Autonomy in the absence of energy supply		backup power supply required	does not work	works with a backup electric generator of 6 kW
Possibility of room cooling	does not provide	does not provide	does not provide	provides

Combination boiler

It is worth saying a few words about the combined type of boiler that can, if necessary, switch from one fuel to another.

The options here can be different: “wood - gas”, “wood - electricity”, “liquid fuel - electricity” and others. This can be very convenient - if, for example, the power goes out, then the boiler can be continued to be heated, say, with wood or peat briquettes, or switched to diesel fuel. Sometimes combination boilers have special replaceable or built-in burners and are equipped with a hob, which can be simply irreplaceable in country conditions. Therefore, it is often the combination boiler that becomes the best option for a country house, provided that the place for it is properly prepared.

Any of the modern combined boilers has an automatic system that monitors the health of the unit, the fuel supply and controls its operation. For example, if it burns out and the temperature in the heating circuit drops below the set value, electric heating is activated.

Hot water supply

At the dacha, you also cannot do without hot water - if you live there permanently, then it is simply necessary for daily hygienic needs. Of course, in the summer you can use a summer shower, where the water is completely heated by the sun’s heat, but in the winter this option is not suitable. If you don’t want to heat water on a hob the old fashioned way, then it is best to install a double-circuit boiler when installing heating, which will not only heat the premises, but also supply hot water for a variety of needs.

You can use another option - this is a single-circuit boiler with an indirect heating boiler attached to it. In this case, a pump is built into the system, since the force of natural circulation of the coolant will not be enough. This option requires quite a lot of space to install all the necessary elements, so it will be necessary to allocate a room for this purpose or make a small one.

In any case, if you decide to use a boiler for heating, you need to carefully consider all the nuances, and when purchasing it, carefully study the characteristics and clarify unclear information from the sales consultant.

Prices for the range of heating boilers

Heating boilers

Video: recommendations for using boilers in the country

Geothermal heat pump

In the comparison table above, the rightmost column is occupied by the characteristics of the heat pump. There is currently a lot of talk about it as an alternative source of thermal energy. Since this heating method is not as popular and well-known as heating from a boiler, it is worth devoting a few lines to it.

A geothermal heat pump is a system for creating a microclimate in a house, which operates from the heat of the earth.

At its core, it is a kind of air conditioner with two circuits - an evaporator and a condenser. In winter it works as a source of heat, and in summer it produces coolness. The process occurs due to the difference in soil temperature at different depths, and to increase the efficiency or reduce the costs of the cooling and heating system, a geothermal pump can be used in conjunction with heating a house using solar energy.

The operation of geothermal heat pumps is based on thermal inertia, since the temperature of the earth at a depth below 6 m is approximately the same as the average annual air temperature in the region, and it practically does not change regardless of the season.

In addition, there are similar systems that can use the thermal energy of air or water.

"Earth-Water" - the most common type of heat pump that extracts heat from the ground using a coolant circulating through pipes buried in the ground, and then, after conversion, transfers it to heating devices .

"Water-to-water" - this type of pump receives heat from water, in which case the primary heat exchanger is immersed in a natural body of water, or a deep well is drilled for the probe, reaching groundwater .

“Air-to-air” - a heat pump operating on this principle receives energy from the air. This option does not require excavation, drilling wells or the presence of a nearby body of water. The energy is obtained using a probe block that uses the temperature amplitude of the surrounding air. All the main elements of such a system are located inside the building, which eliminates the risk of damage. .

Heat pump prices

Heat pumps

Cost-effectiveness of a geothermal heating system

A home heating system with help will justify the cost of its installation only after a few decades. It cannot operate on its own and will require electrical energy to keep it functioning. So, for production of 10 kW T heat energy, the heat pump will need to consume 2.5 ÷ 3 kW of electricity, that is, the net gain will be in the region of 7 ÷ 7.5 kW, which, in principle, is not so small. However, if you look at this issue from the point of view of payment, then it turns out to be not much cheaper than when operating a conventional electric boiler, but the material costs of installing these devices are simply incomparable. In addition, to install a heat pump system, you need do a tremendous job, and the electric boiler is connected quickly and easily.

If in the village where the country house is located there are frequent power outages, to operate the geothermal heating system it is necessary to provide a backup power source - a generator running on a different type of fuel with a power of about 6 kW. The purchase and permanent installation of such a power unit will also lead to considerable costs.

To sum it up, we can say that this way of heating the house is without a doubt environmentally friendly, and it has a very bright future. But its current economy must still be questioned. Therefore, before taking on such a business, it is worth making careful calculations and soberly assessing the profitability of such an undertaking.

Infrared heating of the cottage

This type of space heating is based on the use of special infrared emitters or infrared film as a heat generator. This method of heating a house can be used both as the main and as an auxiliary one, in combination with other types of heating.

The principle of operation is that the heater transmits radiation thermal energy in the infrared range (similar to thermal energy the sun) to all surrounding interior elements, as well as the floor and walls, and they, in turn, heating up, conduct extensive heat exchange with the air.

It should be immediately noted that this type of heating of a country house will be effective only if all elements of the building - the ceiling, walls, floor, windows and doors - are well insulated. If this condition is met, then heating using infrared radiation will achieve the following results:

Create a comfortable microclimate, that is, temperature and humidity in the premises corresponding to the normal well-being of residents.
Ensure the most favorable temperature distribution across the height of the room.
Preserve clean air, since with this method there is no intense air circulation, horizontal convection currents, especially along the floor, which always carry a lot of dust with them.

Infrared heaters

This type of heaters is fixed on the ceiling, high up 2.3 ÷ 3.5 m, usually in the center of the room. The main thing to consider is that the residents of the house are not constantly located directly under them, that is, they should not be hung above a bed, dining or desk, children's play area, etc.

Infrared film

In addition to heaters with infrared radiation, special film elements can be used to heat a country house, which are placed both on the ceiling and on the walls and floors.

Another option is film IR emitters

The film can be placed under various decorative coatings. So, on the floor it can be parquet or linoleum, carpet or laminate, on the walls - ceramic tiles or wooden lining, on the ceiling - plasterboard or the same lining.

However, there are some limitations. For example, you cannot install infrared film on the ceiling; you plan to decorate it with fabric. It is incompatible with suspended ceilings, PVC panels or materials containing metal (for example, foil).

Advantages and disadvantages of infrared heating

This type of home heating has its positive and negative sides. You need to know about them before choosing this particular option for installation in your dacha.

Advantages of IR heating

The “advantages” of using infrared heating include the following:

Providing heating of the room in a short time after turning on the system, since surfaces quickly heat up and give off heat to the air.
The heat obtained in this way does not dry out the air at all, so the rooms maintain the required level of humidity.
The system does not make any noise when operating.
The temperature in the room can be maintained at the desired level by very accurately setting the desired temperature using a thermostat.
The infrared system is not afraid of voltage surges, which often happens in holiday villages.
Installing the film is quite simple and quick, so you can easily handle this work yourself.

The system does not require preservation for the winter - it only needs to be turned off from the network. When you arrive at your dacha in winter or early spring, you can be sure that the house will not be cold at night. All you have to do is plug in the system and literally within half an hour the house will have an acceptable temperature.
In addition, if such a need arises, the film can be easily dismantled and moved for installation in another room or building.
The system is easy to operate and does not require service.
Durability operation - manufacturers guarantee that with proper installation, such elements will last for several decades.

Negative qualities

It would seem that after so many advantages, you can not even pay attention to the negative aspects, since they should be completely insignificant. However, unfortunately, this is not entirely true.

The “disadvantages” of infrared heating include:

If electricity is often cut off in a holiday village, then an infrared heating system alone will not be enough. In this case, it is necessary to additionally have an option that operates on a different type of energy.
This type of heating is not as economical as manufacturers advertise it. For example, for 1 m² of area, depending on the quality of insulation and the height of the ceilings of the room, you may need from 5 to 20 W, and for a house with an area of 100 m², at least 700 kW will be required per month. Therefore, before purchasing and installing film, you need to make careful calculations of your real capabilities.

If the reader would like to find out more detailed information about calculations and installation, this can be done by following the recommended link to a special publication on this topic.

Stove heating

Stove heating can be called the most reliable. It is widely used both as the main type of heating at home and as an auxiliary one. The stove does not require connecting mains for energy - the owner of the home must take care of the fuel in advance. If a supply of firewood or coal is prepared on time, warmth in the house will be ensured. If there is no electricity supply at the dacha, the stove will not only heat the house, but also “feed” the whole family, as it often allows you to cook lunch or dinner, heat water and even bake bread.

The traditional way of heating a dacha is a stove

Depending on the from Given the area specified for the stove, you can select the appropriate model, size of the stove and the material of its manufacture.

You can build a traditional brick stove - it may well have compact dimensions and an aesthetic design. Or you can purchase a ready-made version made of cast iron with or without stone trim.

In addition, both brick and can have several options for their functionality:

A heating system that will only warm the house.
A heating and cooking option that has a hob, oven and even a hot water tank, allowing not only to cook food, but also to satisfy the need for hot water.
A fireplace stove, which can be either simply heating or have a stove and oven, and at the same time create a very special coziness in the room.

"Pros" and "cons" of stove heating

If you decide to choose this particular option for heating a country house, you need to familiarize yourself with the negative and positive aspects of using stoves

Advantages of stove heating:

Complete autonomy and independence of the system from external factors.
Affordable fuel price. If there is a forest or forest plantation in the area of your summer cottage, then during the summer you can make a supply of firewood from fallen trees and dry branches - in this case, you will get fuel for nothing.
The profitability of this type of heating is undeniable, since it will cost several times less than a boiler running on gas, electricity, or diesel fuel.
If the oven is well maintained, it is always ready for use. In the case where the cottage is mainly used only in the summer, there will be no problems with freezing of the equipment, since the stove will not be affected by low winter temperatures.
The ability to cook food and heat water are functions that are always necessary in suburban conditions, and which are not inherent in all heating systems.
If you choose a cast iron unit, it will not take up much space, and the site itself is not will require T ore-intensive preparation, since this version of the furnace is not as massive as one built from brick.

It is quite possible to install a cast iron stove yourself.

Negative points in using stove heating:

Stove heating requires constant monitoring during its operation, as well as periodic, fairly frequent loading of fuel.
A cast iron stove without a water circuit will not be able to heat more than one room.
The efficiency of stove heating is significantly lower than when heating a house with a boiler. If the average efficiency of even not the most “sophisticated” devices reaches 80%, then for stoves it is only 50 ÷ 60%.
Any stove requires periodic maintenance, more frequent than a boiler, since to create good draft, on which the efficiency of its operation depends, annual monitoring of the chimney and its regular cleaning are needed.
There is no need to build a separate room for the stove, but if you choose a brick stove, it will take up quite a lot of space. Although you can get out of this situation by placing it between rooms, by building it into the wall.
It will be quite difficult to build a brick oven yourself, since this requires special knowledge, skills and dexterity in work.

You can learn more about it from a special article on the portal.

Prices for fireplaces and stoves

Fireplaces and stoves

Video: a very original option for heating a dacha from one stove

If the publication helped the reader at least preliminary decide on the choice of heating system for the dacha, then that’s great. But don’t rush to leave the pages of our portal! Go to the section - there are detailed explanations and practical guides for calculations and installation for each type. Without a doubt, everyone will be able to find the best option for themselves.

Do you think that such work can only be entrusted to professionals?

Of course, installing a wood-burning stove in the house or setting up a fireplace in the countryside seems much easier.
However, spend a few evenings studying the theoretical part, and you will be surprised to notice that making such heating yourself is quite possible.
An additional bonus for you will be that literally every centimeter will be familiar to you inside the water heating system, and if necessary, you can easily replace failed parts with your own hands.
Heating using liquid circulating in the system is recognized as the most beneficial for low-rise buildings.
Let's look at how to make water heating, what materials and equipment will be needed, and how to install it correctly.

What is required for installation?

We will need:

boiler or oven;
pipes;
radiators;
expansion tank;
standard set of installation tools.

Before purchasing all this, it is worth understanding how water heating works and developing a plan for heating your home or cottage.
The diagram looks like this: the coolant heated by the boiler (it can be water or a special mixture) enters the radiators, in which it cools, giving off heat to the room.
Schematic diagram of water heating

The cool coolant returns to the boiler, where it heats up again. Due to such continuous cycles, your room is heated.
Water heating systems are divided into natural and forced. By choosing the first option, you will be independent of electricity to operate the pump.
The movement of liquid through the system occurs due to the laws of physics - the hot coolant expands and rushes upward, and, having lowered the temperature, it decreases in volume and falls down.
With natural circulation, it is necessary to maintain a slope of all pipes of at least 2 degrees (ideally 3-5), avoid pipes of small cross-section (40 mm pipes are suitable for the riser, pipes with a cross-section of 22-24 mm can be used for supplying the heating sections).

Natural circulation has serious disadvantages: internal wiring is not allowed - when the water level in the expansion tank decreases, the movement of liquid is difficult.
It is also applicable only in cases where the distance along the pipes between the boiler and the farthest radiator does not exceed 20 meters, and the area of the heated room is less than 150 sq.m.

As you can see, natural circulation with its limitations is not always applicable. In a forced system, the flow of coolant is regulated by a circulation pump.
Of course, purchasing a pump is an additional financial expense upon purchase and an addition to monthly electricity bills, but look at the advantages - you are spared the need to clearly check the angle of inclination, there is no need to observe a wide cross-section of risers, it is possible to make internal pipe routing and connect , for example, “warm floor”.

Two-pipe heating system

There are two water heating systems - single-circuit and double-circuit. Installation of the first option involves heating only.
The second option, in addition to heating, provides the room with hot water and is very convenient in the country, in cases where it is not planned to install a separate source of warm water.

Selecting a heating device

Water heating can be carried out using a gas, electric or solid fuel boiler.
If gas is supplied in your area, heating with a gas boiler will be convenient and least expensive.
In the absence of gas, electricity and traditional fuels - wood, coal, pellets - can be considered as a heating source.
The advantage of a solid fuel stove over an electric boiler is obvious - the cost of operation.
The use of electric heating in a dacha is fully justified if you are not there every day in cold weather and, accordingly, do not have the opportunity to control daily fuel or gas loads.

Water heating is not practical for a small private house, since it is more practical to simply hang electric radiators.

And for a large house, using electricity to heat the coolant may be incompatible with the simultaneous operation of other electrical appliances.

Therefore, your choice for water heating of a private house or heating supply in a country house will almost certainly be between a gas and solid fuel boiler (stove).
If connecting and operating a gas boiler requires calling a specialist, then you can actually handle the installation of the stove on your own.
Some stoves come with a cooking range, so when choosing a stove, consider whether it will be convenient for you to heat and cook at the same time.

When calculating the power of a heating device, you can be guided by the following rule - per 10 sq.m. the premises account for 1 kW of boiler power.
It is worth considering even those rooms that do not have a radiator (for example, storage rooms). The power of the heating device is equal to or slightly less than the sum of the powers of all sections.

Installing heating: diagram and procedure

Do-it-yourself water heating is carried out according to a clear action plan.
So, you have drawn a diagram of a private house, future batteries are marked on it, the length of the pipes has been calculated, you have already decided on the heating system of the house, you have studied the video and are ready to begin construction work with your own hands.
If possible, the system of sections should be wider than the window unit.
However, in practice this is not always followed. If the windows of a private house do not allow cold air to enter the room, then the total length of all sections may be less than the window.
Installation of radiators is carried out precisely at the level and always below the window opening. Beauty is, of course, important, but not paramount.
An accidental slope, even a small one, will create the effect of an underground river - the murmur of liquid will be heard from the side of the raised edge. Therefore, check the installation with a level.
It is important to maintain distances from the floor and from the walls. The ideal distance from the battery to the wall is 3-5 m, and to the floor - no more than 10 cm.
To remove accidentally trapped air, it is worth installing a valve or Mayevsky tap.
A groove is connected to the hung radiators. Calculate so that there is a groove 4-6 mm deep from the fitting to the edge - when heated, the pipe may expand.
Use lengths less than 10 meters or weld in bends to accommodate thermal expansion.
There are options for using copper or stainless steel pipes, but reinforced polypropylene pipes have proven themselves most well in the price-quality combination.
They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.
There are different models for connecting radiators that conduct water heat supply.
The lower scheme (inlet and outlet are connected to the lower branch pipes of the sections), it is fraught with heat loss of 12-15% and uneven heating of the batteries.
It should be taken into account when there is a risk of sand and suspended matter getting into the system - they will be carried into the mud filter.

With a one-way connection, the inlet is mounted to the top of the section, and the return is mounted to the bottom of the same section. With this connection, all sections are heated evenly.
If the number of sections is significant, then it is optimal to use a diagonal connection. It differs from one-sided in that the outlet is mounted to the bottom of the opposite section.
When the connection diagram for the heating radiator sections is clear, we proceed to installing the pipe system.
Of course, it’s worth watching the installation video and practicing on the scraps left after the installation of the pipe in the groove is completed.
We melt the pipe and fitting with a soldering iron heated to 260 degrees. The alignment must be done by pressing the smaller section into the larger one.

When combining, rotation should be avoided; this will negatively affect the strength of the connection. After completing installation of the system, you can test its performance.
Do not forget that for the first start-up of a gas heating boiler you need a specialist, and it is quite acceptable to start the furnace yourself.
Before closing the internal heating wiring, you should make sure that the drawn diagram is fully implemented, the seams are not leaking, expansion from heating does not create additional pressure on the walls of the groove, and no murmur is heard in the system.

You can try raising and lowering the heating temperature, checking for leaks, bends or noises.

The installation of the heating system is now complete. Now is the time to start decorating the interior of the room.
It is important to remember that heating should be designed at the stage of building a house. During operation, all fire safety standards must be observed.
High-quality heating of the house to comfortable levels is only possible when heat loss through windows and walls is minimized.
The above installation diagram for water heating will allow you to carry out work in the house even without experience. It is quite possible for any owner to create water heating in a house or country house with his own hands.

For many modern inhabitants of the concrete jungle, the dacha serves as a refuge from the bustle of the city, both in summer and winter. But in order to relax comfortably in a country house on rainy autumn days and in winter frosts, you need to provide warmth and comfort there. In this article we will describe various types of heating systems for suburban buildings.

Methods of heating a country house

Of course, in the case of detached housing construction, especially at a considerable distance from large populated areas, exclusively autonomous heating options are used. Each homeowner solves this problem in his own way, but there are, of course, indisputable rules that must be taken into account.

Autonomous country heating with your own hands directly depends on several conventions:

Building scale.
The nature of the materials from which the country house is built.
Fire safety level of the building.
Is it possible to connect to a centralized source of energy supply or gas mains?.
Availability of other energy resources.

For your information!
During construction work on a summer cottage, where there is no possibility of connecting to a constant source of electricity, it is advisable to rent a diesel generator for the summer cottage.
Its power will be quite enough to operate construction tools and simple household appliances.

In principle, heating systems, depending on the heat source, can be divided into:

Stoves.
Electrical.
Mermen.

We will describe the above options in more detail in the following sections.

Stove heating

A stove can be a classic option, but not everyone can arrange such heating for their dacha with their own hands; they will need the skills and abilities of a mason, which, unfortunately, most owners of suburban areas cannot boast of.

Attention!
The installation of stove heating in a wooden house is undesirable from a fire safety point of view.
Electric or water heating is better suited for a wooden log house.

Another thing is installing a steel or cast iron stove at the dacha.

The modern market for these products offers us a huge selection of products, where everyone can choose what they need according to any of the criteria:

Price.
Possibility of using various fuels.
Design decision.
Unit power.

In the absence of a central gas supply, this is perhaps the most economical way to heat a country house.

In addition, factory-made cast iron and steel stoves have a number of other advantages:

Such fireplaces are easy and simple to install.
They are able to heat a small house in 40-50 minutes. until a comfortable temperature is achieved.
The service life of these units with proper operation, as the instructions say, is practically unlimited.
You can use raw materials available in the region as fuel.

Interesting!
Now many people are assembling country houses from block containers.
For these mobile and prefabricated buildings, heating with the help of heaters, which are both quickly installed and dismantled for moving to another place, is perfect.

The only disadvantages of this type of heating include the need to periodically add fuel and clean the ash pan from burnt-out residues. And also control draft for high-quality combustion and timely removal of combustion products.

Water heating

Modern materials and technologies for creating water heating systems make it possible to have almost urban comfort and convenience far beyond its borders. A similar do-it-yourself heating scheme in a dacha, in which a radiator is installed in each room, will allow you to achieve uniform heating of all rooms.

In addition, when thinking about how to make the most optimal heating option for a country house, one should not forget the economic side of the issue. This is especially true for large houses (from 100 m2 and more), where stove heating is not entirely effective, and electric heating is very expensive.

What does a DIY dacha heating scheme look like?

Fundamental components:

The boiler is the main source of heat.
It can run on:
- Electricity. Such a boiler makes the owner energy dependent, which is impossible in some areas where electricity is supplied to summer cottages seasonally.
- Gaza. The most optimal option for trouble-free and uninterrupted heating.
- Solid fuel.
Heating devices - radiators. According to the rules, radiators should be installed under windows and next to the front door, so it’s easy to independently calculate how many products you will need. For cast iron radiators, the number of sections is calculated based on the heated area (one per 1.5-2 m2). The radiator should be positioned in relation to other structures as follows:

- No closer than 7 cm from the windowsill.
- 10 cm from the floor (at least).
- At a distance of 3-5 cm from the wall.
A system of pipelines that supplies coolant (hot water) and returns it (in cooled form) back to the boiler.
Shut-off valves. By not skimping on installing shut-off valves on each heating device, you will be able to repair or replace the radiator without shutting down the entire system.
The circulation pump is installed directly in front of the boiler.
Expansion tank.

Important!
When the heating is turned off in cold weather, the water-filled system may fail due to rupture of pipes and damage to radiators.
If it is necessary to turn off the boiler in winter, it is better to empty the heating system by draining the water or initially add an anti-freeze agent to the coolant.

Electric heating

As for the last type of heating of a living space, it can be called one of the most expensive, since it directly depends on electricity, which, in turn, is considered an expensive fuel. On the other hand, the arrangement of such a system does not require initial planning and design - electric radiators are simply mounted on the wall and connected to the network. (See also article

The climatic conditions of central and northern Eurasia require thermal insulation of houses, but insulation alone is not enough. Heat losses must be compensated using a heating system. Water heating in a private home is a common and most effective method.

The quality of operation of the heating circuit directly depends on the design features, choice of heating device and type of wiring. You will learn how to decide on the equipment and the most suitable scheme by reading the article we propose. The information presented is based on the requirements of building regulations.

We described in detail the design principle of a water heating system and examined typical device options. To optimize the perception of a difficult topic, we included diagrams, photo selections and videos.

Heating structures with liquid coolant have a similar set of component parts, these are:

heating equipment– boiler (gas, liquid or solid fuel), stove, fireplace.
Closed loop in the form of a pipeline, ensuring continuous circulation of heated and cooled coolant (antifreeze).
Heating devices– metal finned, panel or smooth-tube radiators, convectors, pipelines for water-heated floors.
Shut-off valves necessary to disconnect individual devices or lines of the system for repair and maintenance;
devices for adjusting and monitoring the operation of the system (expansion tank, pressure gauge, relief valves, etc.).
Circulation pumps, used to create a forced supply of coolant, sometimes a booster pump is installed to ensure stable pressure in the system.

If there is a centralized gas main nearby, the most economical solution is to install a gas boiler.

In the absence of central networks for an independent gas supply system, a gas holder will have to be installed. However, this option is applicable only in the case of arranging an estate of a sufficiently large area.

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open, used for both pumping and natural forced systems, should be installed above the main riser;
closed membrane devices, used exclusively in forced systems, are installed on the return line in front of the boiler.

Expansion tanks are designed to compensate for the thermal expansion of the liquid when heated. They are needed to dump excess into the sewer or simply onto the street, as is the case with the simplest open options. Closed capsules are more practical because they do not require human participation in adjusting the pressure of the system, but they are more expensive.