The duration of the heating season in our latitudes is close to 2/3 of the year. The indicator depends on the region, but on average it is about 250 days. For us, all issues concerning the efficiency of the heating system are extremely important, which largely depends on the correct choice of its devices.
We will figure out which heating radiators are better than the varieties differ. The article submitted for consideration describes in detail the criteria for choosing heating appliances. For independent home masters, we have provided tips from experienced plumbers.
Key Features of a Typical Radiator
Regardless of the complexity of the heating system, the main task is to maintain a given temperature in the house or apartment. The heating radiator plays a key role in this, by exchanging heat between the indoor air and the coolant.
Uniform heating, effective heat dissipation, maintaining a microclimate, stable operation are the main requirements for a heating battery.
In residential premises, single, panel or sectional twin radiators are installed that do not emit toxins when heated
The main parameters that affect the choice of a particular model:
- System operating pressure. Depending on whether the device is included in an autonomous or centralized network. It is arranged by gravity or forced principle. On average, varies from 3 to 10 bar or in a similar range of atmospheres.
- Thermal power. The characteristic required for calculating the heat output necessary for heating a room. It is also needed for the selection of individual components of sectional batteries. For processing 10 m² rounded 1 kW is required.
- Modularity. The quality inherent in prefabricated radiators, which makes it possible to assemble-disassemble the device to individual requirements.
- Reaction rate at tº. More precisely, the ability to respond to changes in coolant temperature. period of time for cooling and warming up.
- Possibility of equipping with automation. Devices that monitor weather conditions and independently eliminate air jams.
Presented for sale devices now provide free circulation of liquid coolant through the system. They are distinguished by corrosion resistance and attractive appearance.
Sectional radiators differ in the shape and size of the sections, providing the supply of the required amount of thermal energy
The thermal efficiency of the radiator depends on the surface area of energy dissipation. A flat metal convector has a much smaller area, compared with sectional aluminum, of the same geometric size. Because the latter radiates heat over the entire area of the ribs.
Types of modern heating radiators
In Soviet times, the question of which heating battery is better to choose was never asked for a simple reason. The industry produced only two of their types - steel and cast iron. We live in a happy time of diversity, technological and environmental excellence.
World and domestic industry offer a choice of a fairly wide range. There are several signs by which it is advisable to separate the heating batteries.
Radiators can be divided according to the materials of manufacture:
- steel panel convectors;
- cast iron batteries;
- aluminum radiators;
- bimetal radiators.
By design features:
- sectional;
- panel.
Each of these types is best suited for its operating conditions, and therefore has its own nuances. A separate type of heating radiators is highly specialized.These are devices designed to solve one problem, often at the expense of overall functionality.
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Classic Cast Iron Batteries
Aluminum appliances for heating systems
Bimetal Battery Options
Low cost steel panel radiators
Specialized types include floor convectors; in recent years, they are gaining more and more popularity. Mounted in the floor, used for a large area of glazing.
Their disadvantages of floor convectors note limited efficiency, which is justified by the small height, and therefore, the insignificant heat transfer area. However, they allow not only heating the room, but also form a thermal curtain against drafts, and also prevent fogging of windows.
There are skirting convectors that are mounted in long metal boxes installed instead of skirting boards. All eyeliners and adjustments are also covered with a skirting board. Convenient in that they do not violate the overall design of the room.
Panel radiators are supplied factory-assembled, which guarantees tightness and resistance to water hammer
Designer radiators come in all sizes and configurations. They are made of various materials: cast iron, steel, aluminum. The main drawback is the high price.
For bathrooms and showers, special radiators are used - heated towel rails. They are distinguished by simplicity of design and protection from high humidity. Made of stainless steel or chrome plated steel.
Heating radiators for bathrooms are selected taking into account the corrosion resistance of the materials of which the device is made
Let's talk more about classic radiators and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each material separately.
Type # 1 - Steel Panel Convectors
The steel radiator has a solid monolithic design. Heat transfer plates are housed in a casing.
The steel radiator has a solid monolithic design. Heat transfer plates placed in a casing
The design of the steel convector consists of steel tubes and plates. To give an aesthetic appearance, everything is placed in a steel casing. Due to the flat and smooth surface of the casing, dust settles on it less, and the device is easier to care for.
Steel convectors are popular due to their low price. They are lightweight, do not require reinforced brackets during installation. Design features provide active circulation of air masses. The outer casing is not very warm, it is difficult to burn.
They come from the manufacturer in finished form and do not provide for changes. Due to the non-separable design, they guarantee no leaks. They have medium inertia. Steel heating appliances are suitable for all types of circuits.
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Compact radiators - a kind of panel
The method of increasing heat transfer
The advantages of compact steel appliances
Scope of compact radiators
Among the disadvantages of steel batteries:
- Low corrosion resistance. Corrosion sensitive material is used in the manufacture.
- Quick cooling. In the event of an emergency shutdown of the system, the device will almost instantly lose its operating temperature.
- Low heat dissipation. It is associated with a small total radiation area.
- Limited service life, especially with poor-quality coolant.
Water hammer is also possible - it occurs when two streams meet: liquid and air not removed from the system. The fluid is incompressible, the excess pressure at the point where the flows meet is transferred to the pipe walls. Especially dangerous for high-rise buildings.
Type # 2 - Classic Cast Iron Batteries
Traditional cast iron radiators have a bulky and simple look. The modern design of cast-iron batteries may well compete with advanced models. Pleased with a simple and smooth surface, which is easy to clean.
Structurally made of individual ribs, which can be assembled individually, directly on the object. A separate section has high power. Due to the thick cast iron they have a large weight and high inertia.
Conventional cast-iron radiators are bulky and simple in appearance, but retain heat for the longest
Cast iron radiators heat up for a long time and cool down for a long time. Massive devices have the longest life, attract at an affordable price. Virtually insensitive to the quality of the coolant.
Cast iron batteries are used mainly in facilities with centralized heating. They are suitable for stand-alone systems with natural coolant circulation. In other schemes, individual heating is not recommended.
It's all about the inertia of cast-iron appliances that slowly respond to changes in the temperature background. In homes with climate control, they are not compatible: both will function differently. In addition, most models cannot be equipped with automation.
The disadvantages include:
- Impressive mass. Installation requires the use of reinforced brackets.
- Restrictions on use. Installation in most autonomous systems is impractical.
- Slow heating. Considerable time is required to heat the device and the medium being treated - the inertia of such radiators is very high.
- Sensitivity to water hammer. Before buying, you must definitely see what pressure a device made of brittle cast iron can withstand and take into account the likelihood of water hammer in the system.
- Small heat transfer area. The simple design of the ribs cannot provide good air convection.
The capacity of the cast-iron sections is from 2.5 to 3 liters. They work calmly under a pressure of 6 bar. There are cast-iron models designed for installation in systems with a pressure of 9 bar, briefly withstanding a rise of up to 16 bar.
Inertia is the rate of heat transfer from the radiator to the surrounding air. The greater the inertia, the longer the radiator takes time to heat and cool. For example, imagine a brick oven. It remains hot, even after the fire goes out, but requires a lot of time to heat up.
Type # 3 - Aluminum Radiators
Aluminum radiators attract an interesting design. The complex profile of the panel provides high heat dissipation efficiency, which indicates high performance with small dimensions. True, cleaning such radiators is difficult due to the developed and ornate surface of the sections.
Aluminum batteries are divided into sectional collapsible and solid. Designed for medium coolant pressure. The power of an individual rib is less than that of cast iron.
They have low inertial properties: they quickly heat up and cool down. Aluminum radiators are excellent for individual independent heating.
The mechanical properties of the source material make it possible to produce radiators from aluminum with a very developed surface
The scope of such radiators is limited due to the inherent disadvantages of aluminum:
- Sensitive to coolant quality. The light weight and dimensions of the devices allow reducing the diameter of the pipelines. Narrow pipes can quickly become clogged with scale and sand.
- Relatively high price. The cost of aluminum devices makes us wish for a greater manifestation of humanity on the part of manufacturers.
- Weak resistance to water hammer.Aluminum is essentially a ductile material, unable to withstand high mechanical and hydraulic pressures.
The best representatives of "aluminum" recognized products from AI-Si, capable of working in systems with a pressure of 6 bar. volume of sections 0.5 l. Strongly recommended for installation in private homes, especially with climate systems.
Aluminum is a chemically active element.It easily reacts with alkaline additives, often used in the coolant, with central heating. Does not allow the use of copper fittings.
Type # 4 - Bimetal Radiators
Bimetallic radiators are a variant of modernized aluminum counterparts reinforced with steel elements to increase pressure resistance. In bimetallic models, only channels can be made of steel that combine the radiator headers or the entire internal component - i.e. both channels and collectors.
In the latter embodiment, the contact of aluminum with the coolant is completely eliminated. This extends the service life and reduces the frequency of system maintenance. The union of two metals is characterized by good convection, suitable for installation in private and individual dwellings.
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Advantages of bimetal heating radiators
The use of steel to strengthen radiators
Temperature adjustment of a bimetallic battery
Sectional assembly principle
The list of shortcomings includes:
- High price. Devices are not too pleasing at an affordable cost.
- Compound surface. They are not easy to clean and you need to constantly monitor that dusty deposits do not accumulate on the surface.
The volume of sections depends on the manufacturer, is in the range from about 0.17 to 0.3 liters. Withstand pressure 16 - 40 bar. Depending on the model, they can briefly resist a pressure of 24-60 bar.
* Bimetallic is not an alloy, but rather the conjugation of two metals. Therefore, the energy of the coolant is transferred, first to the steel pipe, then to the aluminum or copper heat exchanger.
Selection of a radiator for your heating system
It depends on the heating circuit in many ways which heating batteries are better suited in each particular case. One-pipe heating scheme involves the supply and removal of the coolant to the radiator through one pipe. With such a system, each battery is connected in series, in a chain, to a common riser.
It is less and less used because it has a number of disadvantages: the complexity of the system settings, since changes in one radiator affect all the others, the presence of a common riser of large diameter.
With a two-pipe heating circuit, radiators are connected in parallel: one pipe delivers the coolant, the second - tap. This system requires much more piping, but does not have the disadvantages of a single pipe system. Adjustment of one radiator has practically no effect on the rest.
Which heating batteries are best suited in each case depends on the heating circuit (click to enlarge)
According to the signs of the coolant communicating with the atmosphere, the heating circuits are divided into open and closed. With an open system, at the highest point there is an expansion tank that directly communicates with atmospheric air. Circulation in such a system is carried out naturally, due to the slope of the pipelines and the pressure difference between the hot and cold coolant.
The closed system has a special, expansion tank with a diaphragm. The coolant does not come in contact with atmospheric air. In such a system, forced circulation, which is much more reliable, and does not require biases. Most modern systems are closed.
In open-tank designs, water in the winter can cool quickly. Therefore, it is customary to select cast iron batteries - inertial devices (click to enlarge)
With an open heating system, overpressure pushes the coolant into an expansion tank that is directly connected to the atmosphere. In such a coolant, a large percentage of oxygen, which causes corrosion.
In a single-pipe heating circuit, all devices are connected in parallel, the coolant flows from one to another and cools. For these schemes, cast-iron appliances that retain the heat received for a long time are also preferred (click)
With a two-pipe system, radiators are connected in parallel, and the coolant has no contact with atmospheric air.
The specifics of central heating
With central heating, the coolant is under high pressure. Circulation may not occur continuously. Therefore, it is desirable to use radiators with high inertial properties.
Able to store heat during intense circulation, avoiding overheating of the room. Conversely, do not cool down so quickly when the circulation stops.
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Cast iron radiators in centralized networks
High thermal inertia batteries
The difficulty of using automatic temperature controllers
Primary use of cast iron batteries
The higher the inertia of the radiator, the more even the temperature will be maintained in the room. In central heating, ordinary process water acts as a coolant.
However, due to the long and complex system, it sometimes has severe pollution and gas contamination. As a result, the coolant causes increased corrosion. The sediment accompanying it will clog narrow channels of the radiators, significantly reducing the effective heat transfer.
Features of autonomous heating
The basis of an individual heating system is most often gas boilers or similar equipment that runs on liquid fuel or pellets. Particularly effective with a two-pipe system.
Such a system is closed, the coolant circulation is constant and is carried out using a circulation pump. The boiler equipment turns on automatically, depending on the temperature of the coolant.
When properly configured, it allows you to achieve a very effective work. Using low inertia radiators and a comb system, it actually delivers the coolant, only to the desired heating radiator. This happens due to the constant circulation.
The heating system with collectors - combs allows you to install any radiator, because distributes the coolant to all devices
In such a radiator, the outflow occurs the faster, the lower the temperature of the coolant. The hot heat carrier will go immediately to the coldest radiator, due to the largest pressure difference.
Since the automation of the heating equipment constantly maintains the set temperature of the heat carrier: the less the inertia of the radiator, the more accurately the room temperature will be maintained. It is characterized by high quality coolant and the absence of gas contamination, low pressure.
Individual solid fuel heating is based on manually loaded boilers. In particular, this leads to significant changes in the temperature of the coolant during the day. To reduce the cost of the entire system, very often, an open-type single-tube system is used (communicates with atmospheric air).
With a single-tube gravity design, the pressure in the system is minimal, the coolant is contaminated with corrosion products and gas-polluted. High inertia and corrosion resistant radiators are preferred.
You can read about the principles of the two-pipe system and the options for connecting radiators to it in the article that we recommended for review.
Individual heating of a summer residence, a hunting lodge is distinguished by the possibility of lowering the temperature of the coolant to negative temperatures. As a heat carrier, special antifreezes are used, among other advantages, they have anticorrosive properties.
The system is characterized by low pressure. For quick heating of all rooms, the use of radiators with minimal inertia will be a reasonable choice.
Additional installation tips
The effective, reliable operation of the heating system is affected not only by the correct choice of the type of heating radiator.
There are some simple installation rules:
- Distance to the wall, at least 4 cm.
- The distance to the floor and windowsill is at least 10 cm.
- The size is not more than 75% of the width of the equipped opening.
Distances affect the correct distribution of air flows, ensuring uniform and quick heating of the room. In addition, distances are important for fire safety if the floor consists of combustible materials (parquet, boards, linoleum).
The radiator is located in window niches, in places accessible for inspection, care, repair. Standard radiator width 75% narrower
The use of a decorative screen will reduce efficiency by 15-20%. Incorrect connection to the feed and return pipes will reduce productivity by up to 20%. The most effective solution is to connect the supply pipe to the top of the radiator, and the outlet to the bottom of the radiator.
Information on how to connect heating appliances, taking into account the requirements of building codes, is given here.
Useful tips from experts will help you figure out the choice of a heating device:
The best choice of a heating radiator can be considered one in which the greatest comfort and coziness is achieved. The radiator can be invisible or vice versa - be part of the overall design. But most importantly - reliability and no hassle.
You can talk about how you chose a radiator to replace old batteries in the apartment or to equip a new house in the block below. Please write comments, ask questions, share useful tips and photos on the topic of the article. We are interested in your opinion.