Scheme of steam heating of a private house. We make steam heating with our own hands. Features of low pressure systems
Steam heating in a private home will help achieve a comfortable indoor atmosphere at low cost.
This type of heating is considered more dangerous than water heating, so it is recommended for use in technical rooms.
It is perfect for a garage, utility room, and would also be appropriate in a country house. If certain safety precautions are followed, there should be no problems with it.
Steam heating is relatively inexpensive and fairly easy to install. With certain skills, you can assemble a heating system with your own hands.
Features of steam heating
Today, there are different approaches and methods for heating rooms. Steam heating, due to its simplicity, efficiency and low cost, still remains relevant. This method has its pros and cons.
In a steam heating system, quite simple diagram, which you can install even with your own hands.
The main element of the system is the steam boiler. The steam entering the pipes and radiators is taken from the boiler by a steam turbine or a specialized reduction-cooling unit.
When heating using gas, the steam gradually cools and passes through the pipes. Once cooled, it transforms into condensate and flows back to the center of the system.
Thus a vicious circle is formed. When an open-loop system is used, the flow of condensate droplets is controlled by a pump.
For steam heating, small diameter pipes are used. Since steam is hotter than water (more than 100 degrees), the material of the parts must be of high quality and resistant to thermal influences.
Therefore, pipes made of alloys cannot be used with plastic.
The quality of the materials used affects the heating efficiency. In addition, as mentioned above, steam heating in a private home is considered more dangerous than water heating.
Radiators and pipes will be hotter, so there is a greater chance of burns.
When heating your home with gas, you should remember about safety. It is necessary to minimize the occurrence of dangerous situations. It is better to hide radiators behind wooden panels.
Other materials can be used for panels and frames, but wood is best suited due to its properties - you cannot get burned on it, and it will not interfere with the spread of heat throughout the room.
The heating system can be configured in two ways.
For heating it is used:
- single-circuit circuit;
- double-circuit circuit.
A single-circuit circuit will help raise the temperature in the room, and a double-circuit circuit will also heat the water.
Heating with gas requires special boilers and radiators. Pipelines can be used both vertical and horizontal.
Strengths and weaknesses of steam heating
Heating a room using gas means that the water in the boiler is first brought to a boil, transforming into gas, which then flows through the pipeline into the radiators.
The batteries heat up and transfer heat to the room. Cooling, the steam is converted into condensate, then in the form of water it flows through pipes into a special tank, from which it returns to the boiler.
Compared to water heating, gas heating releases more heat, warming up rooms several times faster.
The equipment for such a system will be small-sized and cheaper than any other.
Gas use is suitable for country house the fact that the batteries do not require special maintenance and will not freeze during the cold season in an empty building.
After turning off the heating system, you only need to check that the fuel has completely burned out. If necessary, the heating is just as easy to turn on.
In a private house, not only a boiler, but also a stove is used for heating with gas. If you have a stove, you can install the pipelines yourself and install a heating system.
In this case, you can use both circuits - single-circuit and double-circuit.
The obvious disadvantages of the system include the fact that the pipes and radiators become very hot, presenting a danger (especially for a child or animal).
In addition, gas heating systems are often noisy and temperature control is difficult.
In this case, it will be impossible to install warm water floors, but infrared film floors can be used instead.
Protecting batteries and radiators with screens will avoid the risk of burns. Panels and screens for radiators can be purchased or made by yourself.
It is unlikely that noise will be completely eliminated, but if you use an anti-noise bracket, the sound of the operating system will become much less.
The bracket is installed during the installation of radiators. It is better to place the steam generator itself in a separate room.
Heating equipment
To install a steam heating system with your own hands, you must first select the necessary equipment.
The main part of the structure is the boiler. You can choose the right unit based on the area of the house that needs to be heated, the number and size of windows and the thermal insulation of the premises.
A heating steam boiler can operate on different fuels. It is possible to use natural gas (mainline or liquefied), coal, peat, gasoline, diesel fuel and even waste oil as fuel.
Another important indicator is pressure. It can be about 6 atmospheres, a little more or less.
The design of a steam boiler is quite simple: the boiler consists of a firebox, an ash pan, a burner and a drum, to which fuses, pipelines and additional equipment are attached.
If you plan to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room using gas, then you need to carefully consider the pipes and radiators.
All elements are usually small-sized and durable. As already mentioned, you should not use alloy equipment with plastic - it may not withstand high temperatures.
Stainless galvanized or steel equipment may be considered as other options.
Steel parts are just as strong as copper parts, but they corrode more quickly. To make them last longer, the manufacturer carries out special metal processing.
In addition, you may need special outlet pipes, a pump and an additional tank where the condensate will drain.
Steam heating in private houses
In a private home, you can convert a stove into a steam generator with your own hands.
But then you should not combine several functions in the oven (for example, heating and water heating or heating and cooking), because then it will be difficult to use all functions together in the warm season.
This is only possible if you have a summer version of the stove - outdoors.
Before you begin installing the system, you need to decide in advance which circulation method will be used for heating: forced or natural.
With natural circulation of steam, the heat exchanger should be located below other elements of the heating system - so that the pipes are at an angle relative to it.
A forced system involves the use of a pump that will ensure uninterrupted operation of the heat exchanger.
Both a single-pipe and a two-pipe scheme can be used.
A single-pipe system works by connecting radiators in series. The steam passes through the pipe through all sections and connections.
Thus, it turns out that the radiators first in line from the boiler are the hottest, and the last ones are the coldest. Because of this, this scheme is only suitable for small rooms.
The two-pipe scheme will allow you to heat a large area. Its difference is that it uses two pipes (outlet and inlet) to connect several radiators in parallel.
This scheme takes into account the supply of steam at the same temperature throughout the entire system.
To make a two-pipe heating system with your own hands, you need to install a radiator under each window, prepare a steam generator and pipes that would conduct steam and remove condensate.
Installation requires connectors, pipe clamps, a hydraulic valve, elbows, brackets, and shut-off valves.
Valves and a tap are used as shut-off valves, which can release excess air.
As additional equipment, a pump, a tank for condensate drainage, a pressure reducing valve and a reducing-cooling system are required.
When installing steam heating with your own hands in wooden house It is necessary to protect wooden surfaces from overheating.
If done correctly, steam heating can be a convenient option for a private home. It is easy to use and will create a cozy and comfortable living atmosphere in the room.
In remote villages, many, after weighing all the pros and cons, prefer stove heating. Autonomy has a lot of advantages, but it’s difficult to heat a house of more than 50 m2 efficiently and evenly using a stove. Unless you install a heat exchanger in it and connect batteries to it. If water circulates as a coolant in such a system, then it will be called water heating, if steam - steam heating.
Sometimes these two types of heating are confused. However, they have their differences, advantages and disadvantages. In addition, steam heating has long been prohibited in residential buildings due to unsafe operation. But it costs much less than water and, in addition, there are protective measures. True, it cannot be said about the ease of installation; on the contrary, in order to install steam heating in a private house, and even from a brick stove, it is necessary to put in a lot of effort and time. But first things first.
Differences between steam and water heating
Steam heating works on the principle:
- First, water is heated in a container to a boil and converted into steam;
- steam passes through pipes to radiators, giving off heat;
- in batteries, steam condenses, turning back into water;
- water flows through the outlets into the expansion tank and returns to the heat exchanger.
Unlike water heating, steam heating provides greater heat transfer, warms the room three times faster, and is ergonomic. It requires small-sized equipment, which, in fact, reduces the cost of the system as a whole. Another plus: in an abandoned house, the pipes do not freeze during the cold season. Therefore, it is easy to start steam heating when arriving at the dacha in winter, and when leaving, make sure that the fuel has completely burned out.
By the way, not only furnaces, but also boilers operating on waste oil can be used as a generator for steam heating. But usually such a system is installed in garages and utility rooms for environmental reasons.
Design of a boiler operating on waste oil
Disadvantages of steam heating and ways to eliminate them
System imperfections:
- radiators from steam heat up above 100°C, which is why they pose a danger, especially for children and animals;
- The steam heating system is noisy;
- temperature control is difficult;
- impossibility of installing water heated floors.
The first drawback can be eliminated by protecting radiators and supply pipes with screens. There is a huge selection of these decorative interior elements made of wood and plastic.
A wooden screen will protect against accidental contact with hot radiators
The noise effect in the system can be significantly reduced if you use anti-noise brackets for radiators during their installation, and the steam generator itself is installed in a separate room.
The third point is difficult to eliminate. But for fourth decision yes - water heated floors can be replaced with infrared film floors if desired.
Attention! It is not advisable to plan a brick oven with a steam generator for heating and cooking at the same time, since in the summer it will still be impossible to use it. Or, you will have to come up with an alternative option for the warm period. For example, make a summer stove outdoors.
Also cannot be used on the system plastic pipes, they will not withstand the temperature conditions.
Installation diagram for steam heating from a furnace
- Natural and forced circulation system
A system operating on the principle of natural circulation requires the location of the heat exchanger below the level of the radiators and all pipes at an angle. A forced system requires a pump to ensure uninterrupted circulation of the heat exchanger.
Schemes also come in one- and two-pipe.
- Single-pipe steam heating circuit for a private house
This circuit works on the principle of connecting radiators in series. The coolant moves through the pipe, moving from one battery to another. As a result, the first radiator turns out to be the hottest, and the last one is almost cooled down. Therefore, it is recommended to use this scheme for rooms with a small area - from 40 to 80 m2.
Single-pipe heating circuit
This system is more suitable for houses with large areas and two-story cottages. It differs in that the radiators in it are connected in parallel using two pipes: inlet and outlet (condenser). In this scheme, the coolant is supplied to all radiators at the same temperature, since it does not have time to cool down.
Two-pipe heating scheme
How to arrange steam heating from a stove with your own hands
Equipment and materials
For a steam heating device you will need:
- radiators (under each window);
- heat exchanger - essentially a water tube boiler or steam generator;
- pipes for steam and condensate drainage - it is better to give preference to materials resistant to high temperatures: galvanized steel or copper;
- elbows, connectors, pipe clamps, brackets for radiators, shut-off valves: valves, air release valves;
- a hydraulic valve used to allow drying of the steam pipeline;
- pressure reducing valve to reduce pressure in the system;
- reduction-cooling unit;
- welding machine;
- container for collecting condensate;
- pump.
Pressure reducing valve to reduce pressure in the system
It is better to rent expensive equipment.
You will have to make a heat exchanger for a brick oven yourself or order it. To do this, you will need metal pipes with a wall thickness of 2.5 mm and a welding machine. You can connect them as in the picture or make them in the form of a coil. The main thing is to monitor the quality of the welds. The calculation is done approximately like this: 1 m 2 of the coil surface delivers up to 9 kW.
After the design is made, it is necessary to check it. To do this, pour water into it and make sure there are no leaks. However, this method is not very informative, since welds may have slag inclusions, which will not be detected in the absence of excess pressure.
It is best to check the quality of seams using the “kerosene on chalk” method. To do this, you need to chalk all the welds and pour kerosene inside the structure. If there is a tiny pore, the chalk will darken as kerosene seeps into it.
Brick kiln circuit
Another option for a heat exchanger for a furnace
Sequence of work
The heat exchanger is built into the furnace at the stage of its laying directly into the firebox
It must be taken into account that if you plan to make a cooking stove, then there should be no pipes in the upper part, otherwise they will interfere. Then it is better to make a heat exchanger according to this principle
Next, according to the diagram, radiators are installed under the windows. Inlet and outlet pipes are connected to them. For natural circulation - with a slight slope of 3 mm per meter. Each convector should be equipped with an air release valve.
For safety reasons, it is advisable to install shut-off valves in front of each radiator and one in front of the entire system. At the beginning of it, a pressure reducing valve and a cooling unit should also be installed.
At the end of the system, a tank is installed to collect condensate, from which water also flows downhill back into the heat exchanger. It is not advisable to use a membrane expander for this purpose, since it is designed for temperatures up to 85 ° C.
In system forced circulation, in the return pipeline, a pump is installed in front of the furnace.
Nuances when using steam heating from a stove
Brick stoves with a heat exchanger produce more soot in the chimney than usual and have to be cleaned more often.
With a gravity system, the furnace will have to be built in the basement so that the condensate flows freely to the lowest point.
The installation of valves should not be neglected - they are necessary for safety and accident prevention. Since the pump requires electricity, it must be taken into account that if the mains is disconnected, it will not be possible to stop the furnace.
Steam heating in a wooden house is installed according to the same principle as in a brick one. It is only necessary to observe fire safety measures - protect wooden surfaces from overheating.
Video: combined heating system for a private house
Owners of private houses are certainly faced with the issue of heating their homes. Everyone tries to choose an option that allows them to heat the room efficiently while consuming a minimum amount of fuel.
Many owners of country real estate and country houses are attracted by the steam heating scheme, in which steam can heat the room in a matter of minutes. Before deciding to set up such a system, it is necessary to study the features of its operation and compare the pros and cons.
We will help you understand these issues. We will also describe different steam heating schemes, provide a calculation method and rules for designing the system.
Without a heating system, life in a country house in the autumn, spring and, especially, winter months is impossible. Often, for dachas and cottages that are periodically visited by the owners, a steam heating option is selected.
It can provide very fast heating of the entire house, which will pleasantly please the owner and his guests who decide to spend the weekend at the dacha.
Image gallery
Fundamental features of steam heating
Steam heating is convenient to install in houses that are rarely visited by the owners. All thanks to the characteristics of the coolant circulating through the pipes. We are talking about steam that appears only when the heating boiler is operating.
After all, when no one is at the dacha, and the frost outside is -15°C or more, then you don’t have to worry that the pipes will burst, as is the case in .
Residential buildings lose a certain amount of heat. Moreover, to replenish it you will need different quantities energy. This indicator depends on the region of residence (+)
Steam heating has its advantages:
- a large amount of heat released during condensation;
- a smaller area of heat emitters into the room will be required;
- quick start and stop of the system;
- saving money on heating;
- frost resistance.
As for the amount of heat released during the process of steam condensation, it is many times greater than the heat given off by heated water circulating in the heating system.
1 kg of steam at a temperature of 130°C during condensation releases energy equal to 2300 kJ/kg. As for volume, condensate takes up 400-1500 times less space than the same mass of steam.
For steam heating, you can use copper pipes if the family budget can bear their high cost
This feature allows the use of smaller diameter pipes. In small rooms you can do without radiators - the heat emitted by the pipe will be enough to heat them.
Another feature is the rapid heating of the room. It’s convenient when, having gone out of town for a few hours, you don’t have to deal with the heating issue for a long time. The saved time can be used for more pleasant chores, for example, barbecue and chat longer with friends.
Due to the specific nature of the coolant, you can use pipes of a special design - finned or ribbed
When leaving the dacha in the cold season, there is no need to waste time on preserving the heating system, draining water and other measures designed to protect the system from failure.
If there is no fuel in the steam boiler, steam does not enter the steam line. Accordingly, there is no water in the condensate line. Therefore, there will be no problems with the system freezing.
Finned tubes can be made in the form of a register, which is used instead of radiators
Disadvantages of a steam heating system
Steam heating, in addition to its advantages, also has disadvantages.
Firstly, high degree of danger. This is due to the specifics of the coolant.
When steam under pressure flows through a pipe, then:
- if a steam line breaks, it can seriously injure a person;
- if you accidentally touch the surface of a pipe or battery, it is easy to get burned;
- If heavy-duty equipment is used incorrectly, it may explode.
Secondly, baking of dust falling on the surface of the steam line. Under influence high temperature dust particles decompose. The products of their decay negatively affect the residents of the house, especially if among them there are allergy sufferers.
It is convenient to use copper pipes for the steam pipeline. But working with them is difficult - you will need soldering skills or a specialist in this field
Third, dry air that all inhabitants of the home are forced to breathe. To improve the indoor microclimate, it is necessary. This is an additional expense item that should be provided for at the design stage of the heating system.
Fourth, the temperature of the coolant is simply impossible to regulate and reduce at will. This drawback creates many difficulties when using a steam heating system in houses with permanent residence.
The way out of this situation is to lay several branches of the steam pipeline and then put them into operation as needed.
Touching steam heating pipes is dangerous - you can easily get burned
Fifthly, it is necessary to use special steam fittings designed to work with steam. The same applies to the material of pipes and heating radiators.
It must be taken into account that the service life of the condensate pipeline will be significantly shorter when compared with water heating, where return pipes made of the same material are installed. This is especially true for dry condensate pipelines.
At sixth, care should be taken to properly finish the walls. After all paper wallpaper do not have the required level of heat resistance. Cement plaster painted with appropriate paint is suitable here.
One of the heat-resistant materials is asbestos sheet. They can be used to cover walls to protect flammable material from the high temperature of the steam line.
Another interesting option is loft style finishing. To do this, the inner surface of the wall along which the steam pipeline will pass can be laid out of heat-resistant brick. This will not only create a unique atmosphere, but will also protect residents when the wall material is exposed to a hot pipe.
Loft style involves the use of industrial attributes together with luxurious pieces of furniture
Seventh, need in . It is unacceptable to place a steam boiler in a living room. It is very dangerous. The location of the boiler must be equipped with heat-resistant materials and well ventilated.
Among heat-resistant materials, manufacturers offer a wide variety of bricks. You can choose the required color and shade that fits perfectly into the interior
Steam heating schemes
The heating option using steam as a coolant has a variety of schemes.
They can be classified according to the following parameters:
- pressure in the system;
- method of communication with the atmosphere;
- pipe connection diagram;
- method of condensate return.
The pressure in a functioning steam heating system (SHS) can be high or lower.
Depending on its absolute value, systems are distinguished:
- low pressure– less than 0.7 kgf/cm2;
- high pressure– more than 0.7 kgf/cm2;
- vacuum-steam e – less than 1 kgf/cm2.
The first option is recommended for household use. Special boilers designed for steam heating make it possible to implement a low pressure system in. They can work for various types fuel - coal, wood, gas, fuel oil.
It is important to equip a separate room for a steam boiler room in order to protect all family members from possible dangers
The second option is dangerous for use at home. Working with high pressure systems requires appropriate knowledge and specialization. If an unprepared craftsman decides to assemble high-pressure steam heating in his dacha, then he risks being left, at best, without a dacha.
The high pressure boiler is large and very high cost. This option is used in industry. But many home craftsmen are experimentally trying to implement such an installation with their own hands. This option is extremely dangerous to use in a heating system.
For houses and cottages, domestic boilers are used that produce steam. These are low pressure units (+)
The vacuum-steam system differs from the first two in the presence of an air collector and an additional device that ensures vacuumization of the entire internal space.
Depending on the method of connection with the atmosphere, open and closed steam heating circuits are distinguished. In the first case, the system has a connection with the atmosphere - it is open. In the second, it is completely isolated from the effects of atmospheric pressure and air from the environment.
The single-pipe scheme for steam heating is no different from the water system, except for the diameter of the pipelines for steam and condensate
According to the method of routing pipelines, software diagrams are:
- horizontal single-pipe;
- vertical two-pipe.
The first are used, as a rule, in one- and two-story houses and buildings with ceiling heights of up to 2.7 m and an area of up to 80 m 2, where there is no need to regulate the temperature. The latter are more suitable for implementing a steam heating system in buildings with 3 or more floors.
The two-pipe scheme is effective in houses with big amount floors and large heated area
Moreover, software systems can be mounted:
- with top, middle or bottom wiring;
- with wet or dry pipeline for condensate movement;
- with dead-end or associated movement of both steam and condensate.
The condensate return method allows you to distinguish between a closed and an open circuit. In the first case, the water formed during the condensation process is directed by gravity to the boiler. In this case, it is imperative to maintain the recommended slope of steam and condensate pipelines - from 1.0 to 0.5 cm of slope per 1 linear meter.
Moreover, it is correct to make the slope in the direction of steam movement for the steam line and in the direction of condensate movement for the return pipe. With this scheme, the boiler itself must necessarily be located below the level of the return pipeline.
The design of a steam boiler house with open networks involves the use of water make-up using pumps. Explanations: 1 – network pump, 2 – make-up pump, 3 – water tank, 4 – pressure regulator, 5 – source water pump, 6 – cooler, 7 – water heater, 8 – filter, 9 – condensate tank, 10 – condensate pump, 11 – purified water heater, 12 – deaerator, 13 – steam separator, 14 – feed pump, 15 – steam boiler, 16 – reduction-cooling unit, 17 – network water heater, 18 – condensate cooler for network water heaters (+)
In the circuit of an open-loop steam heating system, there is a special container for collecting condensate - a tank. From it, using a pump, the liquid can be directed to the boiler or removed from the heating system. In the second case, the boiler must be constantly fed with fresh water for continuous steam generation.
For a country house, it is preferable to choose a closed steam heating scheme with top wiring and a wet condensate pipeline, i.e. the entire volume of the channel filled with water. For open-loop circuits, a dry pipeline option is used for the movement of condensate, partially filled with condensate.
The diameters of the pipeline for collecting and moving condensate can be selected using background information for designers (+)
How to correctly calculate a steam system
Having chosen a steam system, you will need to draw up a design for its location in the building and perform preliminary calculations.
There are two options:
- calculate the main components of steam heating on your own;
- seek help from a professional designer.
The second way to solve this issue is the most preferable. After all, only a specialist, having behind him more than one successfully implemented heating system installation project, is able to take into account all the owner’s wishes, without forgetting the regulatory requirements.
If there is no opportunity or desire to contact a designer, you can begin to independently calculate the steam heating system. You can use the standards and useful recommendations from specialized literature, for example, from the designer's reference book.
To calculate, you need to take the plan of your house and calculate the area that needs to be heated. Then mark the locations of the heating radiators.
For steam heating, registers made of galvanized or finned pipes are often used instead of a battery. They can be designed
Radiators are selected depending on the required power. Moreover, it is important to consider specifications the device you like - it must withstand the load when working with steam.
It is better not to use cast iron radiators in a steam heating device for a rarely visited summer house. Standing cold long time, they may not cope with sudden heating and burst
A comparative review of different heating radiators and recommendations for their selection are given in.
It is best to calculate the length of the steam and condensate pipeline while in the room itself. This makes it more convenient to plan the height of their installation and the installation location of radiators, if they are needed.
Can be used for steam heating metal pipes made of galvanized steel or copper
Having calculated the required number of linear meters of pipe, do not forget about the steam fittings - valves, tees, and, if necessary, condensate traps, a pump.
To determine the power of a steam boiler, you will need to calculate the volume of all heated rooms and multiply this figure by the required amount of energy to heat 1 m3. This indicator depends on the region of residence. So, for the European part the figure is 40 W.
First you need to calculate the area of individual rooms:
- 1st room: 5*2.95=14.75 m2;
- 2nd room: 3*2.45=7.35 m2;
- 3rd room: 2*5.4=10.8 m2.
Then you have to calculate the volume of the entire house: 14.75*2.6+7.35*2.6+10.8*2.6= 38.09+19.11+28.08= 57.02 m3.
Now the resulting volume must be multiplied by the heat requirements: 57.02 * 40 W = 2288 W. To the obtained value you must add a power reserve of at least 20%: 2288 * 1.2 = 2745.6 W or about 3 kW.
The second option for determining power is by area. It is conventionally accepted that heating every 10 m2 requires 1 kW of boiler power + 30% reserve if the ceiling height does not exceed the permissible level of up to 2.7 m.
Moreover, you need to buy a unit that is 20-30% larger than the calculated power size. In practice, experts advise taking a boiler that is at least 30% more powerful so that it does not work to the limit of its strength.
Only a certified unit can be used for steam heating. Taking a homemade boiler is very dangerous - you can be seriously injured if it explodes
You should choose a steam boiler from a trusted manufacturer. The unit must have a quality certificate and a guarantee from the plant that produced it. The steam boiler must be equipped. Also, you will need temperature and pressure monitoring devices and a pressure reducer to normalize the pressure, if necessary.
Errors when installing steam heating
Tackling the device individual heating, you will have to carefully familiarize yourself with the existing options.
It’s worth choosing the most for your home suitable option to later get:
- economical fuel consumption;
- efficient heating;
- ease of system maintenance;
- long service life of the equipment.
Having chosen steam heating among all the heating options, it is important to try to avoid mistakes made when installing it.
Firstly, most often home owners believe that water serves as the coolant in the system. This is wrong. When heating with steam, it is steam that will circulate through the pipes and radiators.
Based on this, you should correctly select the material of the fittings with which the steam and water obtained during condensation will come into contact.
To avoid burns when operating steam heating, it is better to provide protection for radiators
Secondly, even at the design stage of the heating system they forget to provide protection for radiators and pipes. Steam moving through a steam pipeline has a temperature of 100°C. It heats up all structural elements quite strongly, which poses a danger to the residents of the house/cottage.
Third, when installing a steam pipeline and a condensate pipeline, novice craftsmen forget to provide for a slope towards the movement of steam and water, respectively.
Fourth, some home craftsmen incorrectly select the boiler power. As a result, instead of the desired temperature in the room, +13-15°C is obtained. For daily comfortable living, this temperature regime is clearly not enough.
Fifthly, inexperienced welders can make mistakes when welding a steam pipeline. As a result, at any time the pipe can burst and a stream of steam moving under pressure through it will rush directly towards the person nearby. This is an extremely dangerous situation, the possibility of which should not be forgotten.
When developing the layout of the heating system, we must not forget about the correct lining of doorways (+)
All these errors are possible when heating. Wanting to save money and choosing the option with steam, the owners decide to cope on their own, deciding not to contact a professional designer, welder and other specialists.
Lack of personal practical experience and a frivolous attitude towards the process can interfere with the correct installation of steam heating. Some of the mistakes made during installation can not only disrupt the usual way of life, but also seriously harm the health of those living in the house.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Detailed video about the operation of a steam boiler:
After familiarizing yourself with the positive and negative aspects of steam heating, you can decide whether this option is suitable to meet the needs of a particular household.
If you decide to use steam heating, you will need to choose the most optimal scheme for your home. To calculate the heating system, it is better to contact specialists to protect yourself and your household.
If you have experience heating your home with a steam heating system, please share the information with our readers. Leave comments on the article and ask questions in the form below.
A quick, economical and effective solution for heating private homes is to install steam heating. And although there are many alternative options, it remains one of the most popular heating systems today. If you have a strong desire and basic knowledge, you can do it yourself, especially if the house has a stove.
Types of steam systems
Having definitely decided to install steam heating throughout the house, you must first decide on its type, and based on this, carry out a heating project.A prerequisite for creating such a scheme is the presence of heat sources from which the pipes will be separated; this can be a boiler or furnace.
There are three wiring diagrams for steam heating:
- Single-circuit . It is easy to set up and requires minimal financial costs. It is used only for heating premises, more often used for warehouses and production facilities;
- Dual-circuit . A more complex system in which steam is used to heat radiators and hot water. It is productive, therefore it is most often used for residential buildings;
- Manifold pipe placement . They are connected into one system using distribution manifolds. All batteries are controlled from the distribution cabinet.
What do you need for DIY steam heating?
Whatever connection scheme is chosen, you should prepare in advance all the tools necessary for its installation and purchase the required materials:- Pipes. They can be steel, stainless steel, galvanized or copper. The last option is the most reliable and environmentally friendly, because they never clog, but it is also the most expensive. Plastic products for this heating are prohibited;
- Steam generator;
- Shut-off valves;
- Equipment that heats the coolant;
- Control and measuring devices;
- Radiators are based on the idea that they need to be installed under each window (more details about calculating the number of radiators -);
- Connecting elbows and clamps;
- Pressure reducing valve.
Step-by-step creation of a steam system from a boiler
Installation work for installing such heating is carried out in several stages:- Drawing up a plan and drawing of the exact placement of pipes . The plan will need to be approved by the relevant authorities. It should indicate the position of each radiator, the location of the boiler and the inlet valve;
- Installation of radiators . Most often, they are located under the windows, which protects their glass from fogging and displaces the freezing of the window sill to the outside of the building;
- Making a foundation for the boiler . It is necessary to cover the walls around the place chosen for it with non-combustible material and prepare a concrete foundation;
- Boiler installation . Its bottom should be located below the installed pipelines and radiators. It is necessary to provide for the installation of pressure sensors; be sure to include a pressure gauge;
- Fastening the expansion tank . It should be located at the highest point of the heating system between the boiler and the radiator closest to it. The tank can be chosen as open or closed, with or without overflow;
- Pipe connection . First, the selected pipe is taken from the boiler to the first radiator, it is cut to the required length and inputs and outputs are made. Then, using the same pipes, subsequent radiators are connected to each other;
- Closing a loop . The pipes return to the heat generator and form a complete loop system.
The main thing in this whole scheme is to maintain the tightness of all joints so that when heating is started there are no coolant leaks. The heating boiler can be installed in a building adjacent to the house, for example a garage.
How to make steam heating from a stove?
If the house has a stove, its owners are doubly lucky: such an attribute is a real decoration of the interior of the room, and it can also be used in a steam system and heat the entire house.
Such heating can be performed in only one circuit. The pipeline leaving the furnace is located higher than the pipes going to the boiler. This way you can ensure normal operation of the coolant.
If the stove is brick, then you need to place a heat exchanger in it, which is made individually for each stove. It is a coil consisting of pipes of the same diameter connected by welding.
The installation process of the heating system is similar to the previous option. His short description is as follows:
- Install radiators, provide air release valves on each of them;
- Connect pipes with a slope of 3 mm along the length of the wall;
- Install a cooling unit and a pressure reducing valve at the beginning of the circuit, and at the end, place a tank for condensate that will drain into it;
- Place a pump in front of the stove.
If for some reason you are not satisfied with steam heating, you can do it. It is also a very economical method.
Simplified steam heating system (video)
This is a simple option for heating a room, which is based on the principle of operation of the famous Grover heat pipe, only on a large scale. The video shows a patented use of this action.The operating principle is based on a special heat transfer process:
- One part of the tube is heated, and the liquid in it turns into steam;
- As soon as the steam leaves the heated liquid, it hits the cold surface, there it becomes a liquid again and flows to its original place;
- The process is accompanied by the release of thermal energy through the walls of the vessel;
- The cooled liquid obtained from the steam is heated again and the heat exchange is repeated.
During the operation of such a heating system, the heating elements were changed only once, and so it has been working properly all these years.
Steam heating has been used for many years; it is in demand due to its simple installation and efficient heating of the room. This is an economical option for those who want to heat their own home. Having thought through all the possible installation nuances and providing for the optimal placement of radiators, you can create comfortable conditions at home in the winter.
Residential premises, whether in high-rise buildings or cottages, are most often heated using central heating. Usually in such cases it is watery. There is one center from which the hot coolant comes, even if it is a boiler standing in the kitchen, and passing through a system of radiators, it heats the air in the room. However, not only water can act as a heat carrier. Air or steam does this job well. With the help of the latter, steam heating is obtained.
Some information about this heating method
When using steam as a coolant, the heat source is the latent energy of vaporization. This is the part of the energy (heat) that went into the formation of steam. It enters the radiators, where it cools and condenses, and the previously expended heat is released and heats the surface of the radiators, which serve to heat the room. The resulting condensate is returned through the pipe to the boiler. This main principle operation of steam heating, and it provides some advantages to this method of heating. These include:
- the use of smaller radiators due to the high temperature of the coolant;
- small diameter pipes for condensate return;
- low probability of freezing of the heating system;
- ensuring rapid heating of rooms.
However, steam heating also has some serious disadvantages:
- heating the surface of radiators to a high temperature (usually more than 100°C);
- inability to regulate the operation of the system;
- significant level of heat loss in steam pipelines.
The noted disadvantages quite significantly limit the use of this heating method in residential premises, because because of them, sanitary and hygienic standards that heating must comply with are violated. This primarily concerns the temperature of the radiators. A steam heating system can cause burns if you touch the radiators, as well as burning, caking and decomposition of dust particles that fall on their surface.
Therefore, the usual scope of application of steam heating is industrial enterprises where there are existing sources of steam involved in the technological process and additionally used to organize steam heating.
Steam heating device
In its implementation, the steam heating device is similar to a conventional single-pipe water heating system with natural circulation. True, this is not the only possible option for constructing such a heating system. The figure below can give you a general idea of it:
In such a system, a special boiler serves as a source of steam. To transport it, a steam line is used, through which it is supplied to the radiators. The condensate formed during cooling returns water to the boiler through the condensate line for reheating. However, this rather simplified description of steam heating hides various options for its construction. There are several different approaches, and among them the following types of steam heating should be mentioned: 1. Based on the pressure in the system, they are:
- (0.1-0.12 MPa) – low;
- (0.12-0.17 MPa) – increased;
- (over 0.17 MPa) – high.
2. Due to the way the condensate is returned to the boiler, the systems are divided:
- closed;
- open
Closed circulation is usually used in low pressure systems. In them, the return of condensate to the boiler occurs by gravity, under the weight of the condensate column exceeding the steam pressure present in the boiler. To ensure this, the boiler has to be buried relative to the lower level of the radiators, which ensures the required size of the condensate column.
When the system is open, the condensate is collected in a special tank and from there it is pumped into the boiler. This allows you to create steam heating in cases where it is impossible to ensure the required depth of the heating boiler and return the condensate by gravity. 3. The system may or may not have a connection with the atmosphere. Based on this feature, it is divided into two types:
- open;
- closed.
As a rule, low-pressure systems are open; communication with the atmosphere is made through air valves or a tank into which condensate flows. According to the method of wiring the system there are:
- two-pipe vertical with parallel connection of radiators;
- single-pipe, horizontal and vertical, in which steam passes sequentially through all radiators.
It is possible to determine other classification characteristics and divide the heating system based on them. However, the data already presented make it possible to evaluate the variety of options for implementing such heating and choose the optimal one for the prevailing conditions.
About boilers
This is a complex device in which various, quite complex technical solutions are implemented, but without going into their features, we will only touch upon individual species, differing in the fuel used. It can be very different:
- liquid:
- hard;
- gaseous.
As an example, let's look at a few various types boilers
On used oil
In such a boiler, the fuel is used automobile oil (waste oil). At the same time, several different problems are solved at once - the product, which is pure waste, is disposed of, and the room is heated. Waste oil steam heating can be considered as one of the possible options heating individual service stations or garages.
Such premises are not residential, and they are not subject to the restrictions in force in such cases, and the oil remaining after replacing it in the car is used to heat the room, and at the same time is disposed of.
Exist various designs Such boilers, both domestic and imported, their diversity allows you to choose the one suitable for specific conditions. The operation of such a boiler is carried out as follows - the waste is fed into a special chamber, where it evaporates under the influence of high temperature. Its vapors enter the combustion chamber, where additional air is supplied, and the resulting mixture burns, heating the coolant.
Solid fuel
In this case, firewood, peat, coal, etc. can be used as fuel. There are special boilers that allow you to create steam heating using wood. It works in the same way as the usual version, only in this case the source of steam is a wood-burning boiler. This heating option is suitable for separately located buildings, for heating of which it is not possible to use other fuels. In addition, you can get steam heating from the stove. This option can be used, for example, in the country. In this case, a heat exchanger must be installed in the combustion chamber of the furnace and connected to steam heating. And then you will have steam stove heating in your dacha, as for example shown in the figure below.
Regardless of the type of fuel, the principle used in this case is the same - heating water and evaporating it, followed by supplying steam to the heating system. What will act as a source of steam - a special boiler or stove - is essentially determined by your capabilities and desires. Heating with steam is a rather specific type of heating, based on the processes of its condensation and the release of heat. It is used most often on industrial enterprises, where it is possible to produce steam, and there are no regulatory restrictions on the use of this type of space heating.
