Tichelman's associated two-pipe heating scheme. Installation of a single-pipe heating system using polypropylene pipes - single-pipe system Go around the door with pipes

In this article we will consider the design of a heating system if Tichelman scheme(passing-overlapping), which was already mentioned in one of the previous articles. A separate article is devoted to this scheme because of its (the scheme, not the article) advantages.

Wiring device according to the Tichelman scheme

Let me remind you: Tichelman’s scheme looks something like this:

The main advantages of the Tichelman scheme: versatility, good adjustability (each radiator can be adjusted separately).

All radiators operate under almost the same conditions in terms of coolant flow and pressure drop; with equal surface areas, they also have equal heat transfer.

Despite the apparent complexity, this complexity is... just apparent. You just need a little practice drawing such diagrams on plans.

How to bypass the door when installing a heating system according to the Tichelman scheme?

What should you do if you encounter any obstacles during installation according to the Tichelman scheme? For example, a door:

And not only when installing a pipeline according to the Tichelman scheme, but also according to any other scheme.

There are several options.

Simplest:

Here the door is fitted with a pipe on top.

Important! An automatic air vent must be installed in the area above the door to prevent air from accumulating.

Minus: appearance there will be another room; especially if it's living room, not the hallway. Yes, the automatic air vent tends to leak from time to time, which is also not pleasant.

Another variant:

We pass under the door. That is, the pipe goes below the floor level. Is there such a possibility? Not always: maybe the floor is already done, or maybe there’s such a screed that you can’t go further...

“Normal heroes always take a detour...” So we can go around the room in the opposite direction:

Why not?

Tichelman scheme for piping radiators on two floors

This option is shown in the figure:

Moreover, here not each floor individually is connected according to the Tichelman scheme, but the entire system. The main pipes (supply and return) are metal-plastic with a diameter of 20 mm, the radiators are connected to them with a 16 mm pipe.

Tichelman scheme for piping radiators on three floors

Let's look at the picture:

Here, too, not each floor has its own piping, but one piping made according to Tichelman’s scheme for all three floors at the same time. The risers are made, for example, with a metal-plastic pipe with a diameter of 26 mm, the supply and return on the floors with a diameter of 20 mm, and the outlets to the radiators with a 16 mm pipe.

But still! If possible, it is better to connect each floor separately and with its own pump, otherwise, if there is only one pump for all floors, then if the pump fails, there will be no heating on all floors at once.

So, let's draw conclusions.

The Tichelman scheme has advantages over other radiator piping schemes: 1) versatility (suitable for any premises, layouts, etc., including large areas); 2) all radiators heat up evenly. Despite the external complexity, mastering the installation of heating using this scheme is quite accessible. Just read again about the diameters of the pipes for such wiring. And - use it. Good luck.

Tichelman scheme

IN country houses most common heating system. This is due to the lack of centralized or non-existence in most rural areas main gas pipelines. Boilers are used for heating small sizes operating on solid and liquid fuels, electrical energy And natural gas supplied in cylinders. The most commonly used heating system is water heating, which is characterized by its simplicity and reliability, compactness and hygiene. The main equipment for this method includes the following elements:

hot water boiler;
radiator batteries;
water pipes;
expansion tank;
shut-off and control valves.

Traditionally used heating schemes

Depending on the type of pipe laying route and the connection of pipes to heating devices, the following systems are distinguished:

Single-pipe. The coolant circulates through one pipe without the use of pumps. On the main line, radiator batteries are connected in series; from the very last, the cooled medium (“return”) is returned to the boiler through a pipe. The system is simple to implement and economical due to the need for fewer pipes. But the parallel movement of flows leads to a gradual cooling of the water; as a result, the media arrives at the radiators located at the end of the series chain significantly cooled. This effect increases with increasing number of radiator sections. Therefore, in rooms located near the boiler it will be excessively hot, and in remote ones it will be cold. To increase heat transfer, the number of sections in the batteries is increased, different pipe diameters are installed, additional control valves are installed, and each radiator is equipped with bypasses.
Two-pipe. Each radiator battery is connected in parallel to the direct supply of hot coolant and the “return” pipes. That is, each device is equipped with an individual return outlet. With the simultaneous discharge of cooled water into the common circuit, the coolant is returned to the boiler for heating. But at the same time, the heating of heating devices gradually decreases as they move away from the heat supply sources. The radiator, located first in the network, receives the hottest water and is the first to return the coolant to the “return” circuit, and the radiator located at the end receives the coolant last with a lower heating temperature and is also the last to return water to the return circuit. In practice, circulation in the first device hot water turns out to be the best, and in the latter the worst. It is worth noting the increased price of such systems compared to single-pipe ones.

Both schemes are justified for small areas, but are ineffective for extended networks.

An improved two-pipe heating scheme is the Tichelman heating scheme. When choosing a specific system, the determining factors are the availability of financial capabilities and the ability to provide the heating system with equipment that has the optimal required characteristics.

Tichelman heating feature

The idea of changing the operating principle of the “return” was substantiated in 1901 by the German engineer Albert Tichelman, in whose honor it received its name - the “Tichelman loop”. The second name is “reversible type return system”. Since the movement of the coolant in both circuits, supply and return, is carried out in the same direction, a third name is often used - “scheme with passing traffic thermal carriers.”

The essence of the idea is to have the same length of forward and return pipe sections connecting all radiator batteries with the boiler and pump, which creates the same hydraulic conditions in all heating devices. Circulation circuits of equal length create conditions for the hot coolant to travel the same path to the first and last radiator and receive the same thermal energy.

Tichelman loop diagram:

The procedure for performing installation work

The work consists of the following operations:

Boiler installation. Necessary minimum height the room for its placement is 2.5 m2, the permissible volume of the room is 8 cubic meters. m. The required power of the equipment is determined by calculation (examples are given in special reference publications). Approximately for heating 10 square meters. m requires a power of 1 kW.
Hangment of radiator sections. The use of biometric products in private homes is recommended. After selection required quantity radiators, their location is marked (usually under window openings) and fastening using special brackets.
Extension of the associated heating system line. It is optimal to use metal-plastic pipes that successfully withstand high temperature conditions, characterized by durability and ease of installation. The main pipelines (supply and return) are from 20 to 26 mm and 16 mm for connecting radiators.
Installation of a circulation pump. Mounted on the return pipe near the boiler. The insertion is carried out through a bypass with 3 taps. It is necessary to install a special filter in front of the pump, which will significantly increase the service life of the device.
Installation of an expansion tank and elements ensuring the safe operation of the equipment. For a heating system with a passing coolant movement, only membrane expansion tanks are selected. Safety group elements are supplied with the boiler.

To line doorways with a main line in utility rooms and utility rooms, it is allowed to install pipes directly above the door. In this place, to prevent air accumulation, automatic air vents must be installed. In residential areas, pipes can be laid under a door in the body of the floor or bypassing an obstacle using a third pipe.

Tichelman’s scheme for two-story houses provides for a certain technology. Pipe distribution is carried out with tying the entire building, and not each floor separately. It is recommended to install one circulation pump on each floor, maintaining equal lengths of return and supply pipelines for each radiator separately in accordance with the basic conditions of the associated two-pipe heating system. If you install one pump, which is quite acceptable, then if it fails, the heating system in the entire building will shut down.

Many experts consider it expedient to install a common riser on two floors with separate piping on each floor. This will make it possible to take into account the difference in heat loss on each floor with the selection of pipe diameters and the number of required sections in radiator batteries.

A separate associated heating circuit on the floors will greatly simplify the setup of the system and allow for optimal balancing of the heating of the entire building. But to get the desired effect, it is necessary to insert into the contour of the ride balancing valve for each of the two floors. The taps can be placed side by side directly next to the boiler.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Tichelman system

Main advantages:

versatility for indoor installation for various purposes, layout and size. Possibility of installation large number devices. Optimal heating country houses with uniform heating for short-term overnight stays in winter time;
there is no need for complex balancing with the installation of expensive adjustment equipment;
uniform heating of all rooms in the building with the ability to adjust the heat output of each radiator;
ease of installation and maintenance of the system;
long service life and rare breakdowns.

Available disadvantages:

high cost caused by the increased length of pipelines and the inability to use small diameters;
It is not always possible to lay the loop around the perimeter of the house due to interfering architectural features (high window and door openings, flights of stairs and other obstacles).

The emergence of modern circulation pumps with the ability to effectively pump coolants has made the associated heating system one of the most popular.

1 Design and features of a one-pipe system
1.1 Benefits
1.2 Disadvantages
2 Planning
3 Installation
4 Videos

Having built a house, many people begin to think about how to heat it. It’s worth noting right away that this approach is fundamentally wrong, since this should have been taken care of at the planning stage. This is due to the fact that if you want to install a single-pipe heating system polypropylene pipes, then it will no longer be so easy, and you may have to destroy what has already been done. This concerns not only making holes in the walls, but also gating the floor, since it is quite understandable to want to make the home not only warm, but also beautiful, by laying the pipes in such a way that they do not spoil the design of the heated room.

Design and features of a one-pipe system

Single pipe system

The peculiarity of a single-pipe heating system is that a pipe comes from the boiler, the second end of which again comes to the boiler. Heating radiators are connected to it without breaking the line.

Such heating systems can be:

horizontal (flow);
With top wiring(vertical).

Both systems can be either closed or open.

Radiator thermostat The classic (most often used) is horizontal wiring pipes To upgrade any battery you can purchase:

radiator regulator;

Ball Valves;

thermostatic valve, etc.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, one of the advantages of a single-pipe system is the ability to hide communications in the floor. This is an important factor, because now few people hide heating radiators behind curtains, and this is not practical, since air circulation near the radiators is disrupted, as a result of which it is necessary to raise the temperature on the boiler, and this leads to unnecessary expenses fuel.

If in assembled system There is no counter-slope or height differences, then it can work without a pump.

Read also Combined heating systems: building systems based on various types fuel

Advantages

Installation of a one-pipe system is carried out with a smaller number of pipes (30-40%).

A simple wiring diagram that can be installed by a non-specialist.

Compared to a two-pipe heating system, installation of a single-pipe heating system is faster.

The system can be installed both in a one-story house and in a house with several floors.

There are no problems with how to get around the doorway when installing pipes.

Flaws

Mayevsky crane installed

Having talked about the advantages, we need to mention the disadvantages.

Each battery must have a Mayevsky tap or automatic system bleeding air from the system.

Uneven distribution of coolant - more cooled water comes to each subsequent battery, so the efficiency of the last radiator will be low. The situation can be improved by installing a circulation pump in the system.

Planning

Not everyone can use computer programs to model a 3D projection of your home, which would undoubtedly be very convenient. Taking this nuance into account, let's look at how to make a plan manually by writing everything out on a piece of paper.

When drawing up a diagram, you need to take into account the peculiarity of installing a system made of polypropylene pipes - it is impossible to make smooth turns in it.

When making a drawing, you need to take into account that the pipeline must be laid with a slight slope - at least 0.5 cm per 1 linear meter of pipe, otherwise it will not work without a pump.
We decide on the installation location of the boiler.
If for some reason the pipes cannot be hidden in the floor, then you will have to outdoor installation or partially hide the pipes in the floor - in the place of greatest depression.
On the diagram we mark the installation locations of the batteries, noting what power they should be.

It is important to choose the height of the battery and the number of sections

When determining how many sections will be needed for a room, you need to take into account that each subsequent battery heats less efficiently, so you need to increase the number of sections of stacked batteries (or the area if the radiators are steel).

If taps, a heat regulator, etc. are installed, this should also be reflected in the diagram.
Having a complete picture, you can calculate how many pipes, fittings and those elements that are planned for completion will be required.

How to avoid or correct the most common heating system errors

Boiler room

Not enough air to support combustion

The boiler is equipped atmospheric burners, combustion-supporting air is taken directly from the boiler room.

The boiler will start to work poorly, with interruptions, fluctuations, go out, sometimes popping noises are heard (not always, sometimes the boiler “pops” if air gets into the gas pipeline for some reason), etc. if the air flow is insufficient.

This situation is not so rare - often calling the masters with the question “ Why does the boiler go out?“We forget about oxygen for combustion.

It is easy to correct the situation with your own hands - install ventilators or ventilation in the wall of the boiler room and in its door.

How to fix: Installation of ventilation in the boiler room, holes in the boiler room door.

The boiler was installed in a damp room.

If a boiler (either liquid fuel or gas) is installed in a room with high humidity, it will wear out and break down many times faster - this is an axiom. It is clear that this situation can only be corrected by installing a boiler room in a dry and ventilated place. Also take note of the fact that in a room where a solid fuel boiler and a gas or liquid fuel boiler are installed together, the latter will also break down faster due to dirt and work worse.

How to fix: Plan the installation of a boiler room in advance suitable premises. Don't edit solid fuel boiler and gas or liquid fuel.

If the chimney is made too low

The chimney must be made so that it has the so-called “effective height” (i.e., this is the distance from the outlet to the firebox) which allows the combustion products to be discharged unhindered.

For an oil-fuel boiler the effective height is 5 meters, for a gas boiler at least 4 meters.

If the chimney is shorter in length and height, then there will not be enough draft. If boilers of old designs work, even if only poorly, “refreshing” the air in the boiler room with fuel combustion products, then the boilers new design with draft sensors in the chimney they will simply turn off.

In lower chimneys, the chimney draft will be insufficient. Modern boilers equipped with chimney draft sensors, in this case they will turn off, and in old boilers, combustion products can penetrate from the firebox into the room.

How to fix: Make a chimney of the required height in advance; as a rule, it is provided for in the design of the house being built.

Installation of a shut-off valve in a heating system

Based on safety precautions, there should be no shut-off or shut-off valves in the heating system. Many people make them in order, for example, to turn on the heating in a “small circle” and not to warm up the whole house. This is dangerous because if you accidentally close the shut-off valve, it will not be able to get into expansion tank, and if so, it will have nowhere to expand, and as the temperature rises, the heating system can simply break, and no modern automation installed in the boiler cannot guarantee you the opposite.

How to fix: Don’t install taps at all...

If the boiler you bought is too powerful

“You can’t spoil porridge with oil” is not about heating...

Often we buy boilers with the expectation of a hypothetical “growth” of the house - extensions, attics, etc. Then we settle into the house and the desire to build an extension disappears.

You shouldn’t buy a boiler that exceeds the capacity included in the design of a new house - you’ll decide whether to add on to the house or not, but it’s not clear why you’ll spend money on a more powerful, and therefore more expensive, boiler now.

After all, the required thermal energy and the need for it is calculated based on the most unfavorable conditions, for a temperature of -6 to -25 degrees, and such days during heating season a little, and during them the boiler operates at full capacity. That is, roughly speaking, in the boiler calculated in the project there is already a certain reserve of power “for future use”.

How to fix it: Do not buy a more powerful boiler than is necessary in a given house, or buy and be absolutely sure that you will definitely build it after all - otherwise money will be wasted and heating bills will increase.

Heating system

Using heating system pipes that are not designed for this purpose (e.g. plastic pipes for installation of water supply).

If to install a central heating system you use pipes that, to put it mildly, are not intended for this purpose, then there are only 2 options for the development of events - either the service life of the heating system will be several times shorter, or constant accidents.

For installation of the heating system use

Welded steel pipes(usually for the most traditional, conventional systems with branches and installation of risers).
Copper pipes

Plastic anti-diffusion pipes

Any pipes that will be used for heating devices must have a certificate confirming this.

How to fix: Use pipes intended for heating, and nothing else.

The diameter of the heating system pipes does not match that described in the project.

If the pipes are smaller in diameter, the hydraulic resistance increases.

If the diameter is larger, then this will increase the inertia of the heating system, higher energy consumption (after all, the coolant needs to be heated), an imbalance occurs in the system, and they are more expensive.

Pipe cross-sections must always correspond to those specified in the project: pipes of a smaller cross-section increase the hydraulic resistance to flow, and larger ones:

How to fix: Make a heating system in advance from pipes with the diameter provided project documentation to your home - this is important.

Heating system made of pipes made of different materials

Each material has its own coefficient of thermal expansion. Not all pipes are compatible with each other not only in physical, but also in chemical indicators and properties.

For example: aluminum and copper are not compatible with each other, since a reaction occurs at their junction, which in turn causes accelerated corrosion of aluminum.

How to fix it: when installing heating at the junction of different materials, use dielectric gaskets and add corrosion inhibitors to the water as the main coolant, which will slow it down, but not completely eliminate it.

Advice: Also, when installing a heating system, use all components from the same manufacturer (both pipes and fittings) so as not to lose the warranty, which is only possible when using parts of the same production.

The heating wiring is done incorrectly.

High-quality materials for the installation and installation of a central heating system go without saying, because this is not wallpaper that you no longer like and you can paste others directly on the old ones. As a rule, the heating system usually breaks down during periods of intensive use - and therefore in winter. I don’t think it’s worth describing the consequences of this. Therefore, heating must be done seriously and for a long time, and therefore correctly and in accordance with the project.

Based on this:

Lay heating pipes in the chimney or ventilation duct or a mine.
Try to avoid laying pipes through expansion gaps, and if this cannot be avoided, lay them in protective sleeves.
If some of the heating pipes pass under the floor, then lay plastic ones inside special protective pipes, and therefore take into account their increased coefficient of thermal expansion.
The section of the system mounted under the floor (if it is plastic) must be made in one piece - from the radiator to the collector.
Plastic pipes are very sensitive to mechanical deformation and damage, and their fragments between the floor and the connection to the battery or radiator must also be protected with sleeves.

At the heating section passing through unheated room no thermal insulation

This can lead to increased home heating costs. After all, water passing through an unheated fragment of the system cools down (and quite decently depending on its length).

How to fix: Actually making thermal insulation, there are now a lot of materials for thermal insulation of pipes, they are inexpensive.

Installation, installation of air valves (Mayevsky taps) in the system

The heating system in the house must be equipped with air valves. For the best, effective removal air from the heating system, it is better to mount them on risers (at the highest points) or on heating radiators (they are often equipped with them at the factory)

There should always be access to them; traffic jams in the system are not such a rare thing. Therefore, do not overwhelm them with furniture, boxes, books, etc.

It is best to use automatic air valves. They have a special float which, depending on the presence of water or air, lowers, releasing air and eliminating the plug, or floats up, blocking the hole when water begins to flow.

There are also automatic air valves with a float that lowers when air is present (venting air) and floats up (blocking the hole) when water is present.

Convenient filling of the system with water.

If the system is made of pipes of small diameter, if it is large and complex (for example, in a two-story or multi-level house), then the longer it takes to fill it with water, while simultaneously removing air from it that forms plugs.

To prevent this from turning into a painful task, install a tap and a pipe at the lowest point of the heating system with the ability to attach a hose coming from the water supply. If you do this, it’s a couple of trifles to expel the air from the system, and you can fill the heating with water within 5-7 minutes (that’s how long my system in a 2-story building is filled. The signal for filling the system with water - water begins to pour out of the pipe facing the street (through wall) from the expansion tank on the second floor).

Should I drain the water from the system for the summer or not?

I’ll give you a short answer: don’t leak it. If there is a need to repair, maintain or upgrade the heating system, drain it, do the necessary work, and if everything is in order, fill it back.

I talk a lot about this topic with other craftsmen - they all say that the heating breaks down more often if the water is drained in the summer.

Installation room thermostat which controls the operation of the boiler in the wrong place

Such places may be a place that is too sunlit, a draft, or a “dead” room. In this case, it will not react correctly and will either be too hot or too cold.

Lack of required headroom when installing heated floors.

Incorrect installation of heated floors most often occurs when the decision to install them is made after the construction of the house, or, for example, after renovation.

All this happens because a layer of thermal insulation, for example on interfloor covering the thermal insulation layer is much smaller than a similar layer laid on the ground, and the required height reserve required for an underfloor heating system directly depends on this distance.

Photo 1: To implement a heated floor system, it is necessary to provide an appropriate thickness margin to accommodate all the layers provided for in the project

How to fix it: Decide in advance whether you will install heated floors or not, and calculate the required estimated height.

They did not check the underfloor heating system for leaks before covering it with the finishing floor covering (screed, laminate, tiles).

After installing the heated floor, be sure to check whether its installation is done correctly and airtight. It can easily turn out that you, installing the underfloor heating system with your own hands, are not to blame - but the manufacturer is to blame for releasing the defect and the system is “leaking” - it is better to check everything immediately after assembly rather than breaking the tiles or screed later.

They made a screed on a system of plastic pipes, but did not fill it with water.

Similar to the previous error, but not the same. The bottom line is that when installing a screed, tension occurs in the material in the pipes and often leads to damage to both individual components and the entire system. The situation is, of course, quite rare, but you shouldn’t write it off - since filling the system with water in advance is not much of a hassle. In addition, this way you will protect the screed from cracks.

Dilatation gaps are not made or made incorrectly.

Expansion gaps serve to prevent cracking, deformation and the possible appearance of cracks in the heated surface.

Thus, the installation of dilatation gaps is necessary:

If the room or other space is narrow and long (more than eight meters long, with one side of the room longer than the other by more than 100%)
Under the doors
In rooms with a large area
If the room, the room has a complex shape (“L” or “T” shaped).

Attention: The dilatation gap must be done through ALL (!) layers, up to the finishing. It is usually filled with special tapes.

We turned on the heated floors for heating when the screed had not yet dried out.

Since the vast majority of installations of “warm” floor systems take place under a screed, this mistake is often common. The owners turn on the heated floor immediately after pouring the concrete in the hope that the screed will “dry faster.” The result is cracking of the screed, which means you will have to break it and make a new one.

What to do: Don’t rush, but let the screed dry naturally.

Errors in connecting radiators and fittings

When installing heating, the “supply” and “return” in the radiators were confused.

The overwhelming number of radiators with bottom connection have a device in which the supply pipe of the heating system must be connected to the pipe that is located closer to the center (i.e., internal), and the return pipe, on the contrary, to the outermost one.

If the panel radiator is connected incorrectly and vice versa (supply to the outer one, and return to the inner one), then heat transfer can decrease by 50%, sometimes even more.

Connecting a panel radiator with a top connection to the system inside the floor.

This cannot be said to be a mistake - sometimes craftsmen resort to this connection method out of necessity, but in any case this is fraught with a decrease in power and the formation of an air plug in the panel radiator.

Installation of decorative screens on radiators

Also, in principle, by and large, this cannot be called a mistake, especially in houses with old batteries, which are easier to “paint over completely than to tear off”...

It's all about the circulation of hot air and heat transfer - it can decrease by up to 20% when installing a blank screen, especially if the gap between the battery and the floor below and the window sill and radiator above is small.

Exit: Do not install at all protective screens completely or install screens in the form of a lattice.

Installing a screen next to the thermostatic valve.

If you install the screen next to the thermostatic valve, it will respond incorrectly to the readings, since it will be in hotter air than the rest of the living space and will stubbornly turn off the heating in the radiator when the room is still cold.

How to fix: Output 2 – do not install screens nearby or install a thermostatic valve with remote sensor, installed in the desired part of the room, away from the radiator.

Installing the thermostatic head vertically

Warm air from the radiator or battery will rise vertically, upward, “enveloping” the head sensor, as a result of which the sensor head will not be in contact with the bulk of the air in the room, but with the heated air from the battery - the readings will be incorrect, and the thermostatic sensor will work incorrectly.

How does a thermostatic valve work?

Thermostatic valve (thermostat) consists of a valve and a thermostatic head. The principle of its operation is simple. Under the influence of temperature, the substance located in the bellows of the head increases its volume. This causes pressure on the stem and the valve closes. The flow of hot water through the radiator stops. Conversely, if the room temperature decreases, the bellows contracts and the valve opens the flow of hot water through the radiator. Using the rotary dial you can set the desired room temperature. It can usually be set in the range of 6-28°C. Minimum temperature– 6-8°C – is the so-called duty temperature. If the room temperature drops below this value, the valve opens automatically; This prevents the water in the system from freezing, as well as excessive cooling of the room.

Photo 2: Operating principle and drawing diagram of a thermostatic valve

In the drawing in numbers:

Tips for a DIY heating installer

A tap must not be installed on the pipe connecting the expansion tank to the boiler. Accidentally blocking it can lead to destruction of the system.
The chimney of a boiler installed in the attic may be too short. For installation in such a place, a boiler with a closed combustion chamber is more suitable; the air supply to it and the removal of combustion products will be carried out through a coaxial channel of the “pipe-in-pipe” type, led through the wall or roof.
One of the conditions proper operation boiler is the supply of sufficient air for combustion. To do this in outer foam you can make an inlet hole. From the boiler room side, this hole should be approximately 30 cm from the floor.
A gas boiler, especially a modern one, will only work well in a clean, dry and well-ventilated area.
It is desirable that the entire system be made of the same material. But some boiler manufacturers recommend that in plastic systems the area next to the boiler be mounted from copper or steel pipes.
Steel pipes, compared to plastic ones, have a significantly lower coefficient of thermal linear expansion.
Taking into account their high coefficient of thermal linear expansion, it is necessary to lay plastic pipes in the floor only in protective pipes.
When installing a central heating system, only pipes designed for this purpose should be used. The pipes must be marked accordingly.
To ensure that the system laid in the floor does not leak during operation, the connection from the collector to the radiator must be made in one piece and a pressure test must be carried out after installation.
The section of pipes between the floor and the radiator must be laid in the wall or covered with protective sleeves.
Manual air valves are standard equipment on new radiators. In addition, automatic air valves are used to remove air from the system.
Special brackets are used to secure the pipes to the floor. Where pipes pass through the expansion gap, they are laid in special sleeves (top photo), which protect them from possible damage.
If you really want to close the radiator, it is better to use an openwork screen for this. It is also necessary to leave the thermostatic valve head uncovered.
A vertically mounted head will reduce the flow of hot water into the radiator more than it would if it were installed correctly. As a result, less heat will enter the room than needed.
Head with remote (remote) temperature sensor. The length of the capillary connecting the sensor to the head is 2 m.
TO panel radiators with a bottom connection, the supply pipe must be connected to the inner (closer to the center) pipe, and the return pipe to the outer one. Reverse connection will reduce the radiator power by almost half.

Ensuring a comfortable stay in the premises of the house at any time of the year is one of the main concerns of the owners. But efforts to insulate walls and install an appropriate heating system may be in vain if heat escapes freely through windows or doors. This is especially true for those buildings in which, for one reason or another, they are opened very often or even long time remain in the open position.

A simple situation: the owners of the house open some kind of family business - a workshop, a store or office space. On the one hand, numerous clients are great, but at the same time, frequent opening of doors can quickly cool down even a well-heated room, and this means serious energy costs. Another option is that the specific nature of the activity of a private workshop, equipped in a garage or in a special extension, requires constant or very frequent opening of the gate (). To ensure acceptable conditions for effective productive work in winter, you will have to spend exorbitant efforts and resources to maintain normal temperatures. But there is a way out - in both cases, a thermal curtain on the front door should help.

Why do you need a thermal curtain?

To make it easier to understand the purpose of a thermal curtain, you should first understand how cold air enters the house through open doors. This process is due to several reasons - the difference in temperatures outside and inside the room, and the different pressure levels caused by this difference. And plus a very important reason for this is the movement of air masses along the street - the wind, the vortex flows created by passing vehicles, etc.

Fragment “A” shows the movement of flows of cold and more warm air through a doorway in “quiet” conditions. Cold air is always denser, and with its increased pressure it simply squeezes out the lighter warm air. At the same time, the cold flow is always located closer to the floor - everyone, in their everyday experience, has probably felt how the “cold pulls” down from under a door that is not tightly closed.

To this quite ordinary exchange a wind component is added (fragment “B”). It is, of course, a variable value, depending on the direction and speed of the wind, stability or periodic gusts, the size of the doorway and other parameters, but in general, most often such an application of the vector of movement of air masses is still present.

As a result, as a result of the addition of both factors, we get the picture shown in fragment “C” - the “channel” of cold air entry increases even more in area, occupying most doorway. In such conditions, if the door has to be kept wide open or opened frequently, no heating equipment will be able to cope with heating the room, which will “thresh” in vain. In addition, there are constant strong drafts moving through the rooms, sharply increasing the likelihood of colds, even if people are dressed “for the season.”

What if you apply a fairly narrow but dense directed air flow. So that its pressure exceeds even the theoretically possible values of external and internal pressures (fragment “D”). If the parameters of such a flow are correctly calculated, it will become an obstacle to the exchange shown above, fencing off the air masses outside and inside the room. Somewhat bending its configuration under the influence of external pressure on it, the flow still retains the necessary “collection” and is fragmented only upon reaching the floor surface, dividing into two directions. A certain part goes outside, but still a more significant part returns back into the room (fragment “E”).

How can this effect be used?

Picture “a” is winter time. The air receives the necessary heating, and the resulting curtain not only does not let cold masses in and does not allow heated ones to escape outside, but also, returning to the room, “provides assistance” to the heating system.
However, it is too “narrow” to consider the air curtain, only as a kind of heating device, would be a big mistake. Picture “b” shows her work in the warm season. The situation is reversed - the cool indoor air does not escape outside (although its density in the case under consideration is higher), and the outdoor air, heated by the summer heat, cannot penetrate into the room. Thus, the rooms are maintained at a comfortable temperature for people to stay.
But that's not all. Regardless of the time of year and operating mode, such a curtain performs another important function (picture “c”). There is always a lot of dust suspended in the street air, especially if there is a busy highway or even a railway line in the immediate vicinity. For the same reason, the air can be refilled with exhaust gases. Naturally, if all these “bonuses” get into the premises, the local microclimate will suffer significantly. But a thermal curtain can completely cope with this problem. This also applies to falling snow, light drizzle, and in the summer – hordes of small annoying insects.
And one more application. With the help of such air curtains, it becomes possible to zone rooms according to the type of microclimate created in them. For example, you can “fence off” a spacious hall at the entrance (where increased air temperature is not particularly needed, and an unreasonably large amount of energy will be spent on heating such a room) from internal living or working spaces, without even installing additional doors.

So, creating an air curtain helps to cope with a large number of problems. And all this can be achieved by installing a special device.

Despite the fact that the air curtain itself is a consumer of electricity, its use provides considerable benefits. Thus, practice shows that a correctly selected and installed device allows you to save up to 30% on energy spent on heating premises in winter and air conditioning in summer. And if the owner thinks more broadly, he will not be able to help but notice that the absence of cold drafts will sharply reduce the cost of medicine for household members or the payment of sick leaves for the staff working for him.

Another important advantage is that with such a rich range of capabilities, the device itself takes up virtually no space. useful place in the space of the room.

For clarity, here is a small animated video on the principle of operation of thermal curtains:

Video: how a thermal air curtain works

How does an air curtain work?

As a rule, an air heat curtain is an electrical device assembled in a housing with a pronounced elongated shape.

In the upper part of the housing there is a grille (item 1), through which air is taken from the room.

At the bottom there is an exit slit-like window (nozzle) (item 2), which can be equipped with movable curtains like blinds.

Control elements (item 3) can be located on the body itself, in a place accessible for visual control and manipulation. The control panel, in addition, can be remote and located on the wall of the room in a convenient place.

The case may have a terminal block for connecting to the power supply, but on household-class models most often there is a pre-connected cable with a plug for connecting to the outlet (item 4).

On many modern models In addition, it is also provided remote control using an infrared remote control (the same as in split system air conditioners).

The main task of a thermal curtain is to create a powerful air flow. This means that the main component of the device is the blower fan. Typically, these devices are not the usual blade type, but a turbine type, of two varieties - a more compact radial type (position “a”) or an elongated tangential type (position “b”).

Pos. “c” is a heat exchanger where the air flow, if necessary, receives the required heat. The vast majority of models have an electric heat exchanger, where the air is heated from coils or heating elements. However, there are stationary models of thermal curtains that are connected to existing water heating circuits.

Many modern thermal curtains have built-in filters, which simultaneously clean the air driven through the device from suspended dust.

The electronic circuits of modern curtains provide multi-level protection against short circuits, breakdowns to the housing, overheating, and have thermostatic control modules for the heat exchanger heating level and fan rotation speed.

Classification of thermal air curtains

There are several gradations of classification of thermal curtains.

By location relative to the doorway:

Classic design, most thermal air curtains are devices with horizontal installation above the doorway (gate, window, etc.)

Sometimes, due to certain technological or aesthetic reasons, installing a thermal curtain from above may be impossible or irrational. For such situations, vertical devices are provided, which are installed in “columns” on one or even both sides of the doorway.

Many models in this regard have increased versatility - their design allows, taking into account the specifics of the room, to be installed in both horizontal and vertical positions.

By installation type:

Most models have a metal case, the design of which involves mounting the device on a wall. However, if to interior design If the premises have any increased requirements in terms of design, then you can select a thermal air curtain that is built into the ceiling or wall along the height of the opening.

By the presence and type of heat exchanger:

All air curtains according to this criterion can be divided into three groups:

Curtains with electric heat exchanger. Usually in the classification they are marked with serial designations R.S., R.M. or RT.

Advantages - maximum simplicity of design and installation of the device, high efficiency indicators, the ability to smoothly adjust the heating temperature of the air flow.

Conventional spirals were used as heating elements on older models, but now this approach has been abandoned almost everywhere, since open heaters “burn through” oxygen and quickly dry out the air in the room. Currently, tubular heaters are used, similar to the familiar heating elements, or more modern semiconductor PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient), which have the ability to self-regulate heating and electricity consumption.

The disadvantages of electric heat exchangers are significant power consumption (not counting the costs of ensuring the operation of the fan), and some “inertia” at startup - the heat exchanger requires a certain time to reach operating mode.

Thermal curtains with a water heat exchanger (series RW).

In such models, electricity is consumed only to ensure the operation of the fan and control group. This, of course, makes water thermal curtains much more economical during continuous operation.

The housing (outside or hidden) contains pipes for connecting the device to the existing circuit of the water heating system (shown by arrows in the figure).

Pipes for connecting the supply and return of the home heating system

The disadvantages of this type of thermal curtains are obvious - there are a lot of difficulties during the installation process. It is necessary to provide for branches from the general contour in advance, and provided that the aesthetics of the interior are preserved, such an operation can be quite problematic. The heat exchanger of such a curtain has a small tubular structure (similar to a radiator in a car), which will quickly clog if a filter device is not provided. In addition, consumed thermal power such an installation must correspond to real possibilities autonomous system heating so that connecting the air curtain does not affect the heating level of radiators in other rooms.

Air curtains not equipped with a heat exchanger (serial designation – RV).

Such devices are used in conditions where additional air heating is not required. They protect well from the entry of street dust, gas pollution, insects, and from the leakage of conditioned air outside. They are widely used in production practice– for zoning spacious rooms, protecting against warm air entering freezers or storage, etc.

By power level (performance) and, accordingly, purpose:

To the series R.S. include mini-curtains with a limited scope of application. Their performance is sufficient to effectively “curtain” only small openings, for example, visitor reception windows facing a cold hall, or customer service windows in street kiosks, transport ticket offices, etc. Usually they are designed for openings no more than one and a half meters high and up to 800 mm wide.

The air flow rate and pumping volume per minute are low. In domestic terms, similar thermal curtains practical application don't get it.

Thermal curtains series RM- this is the most large group devices that are designed to fit into most existing standard doorways, approximately 2.5 to 3.5 meters in height. Including, they are suitable for or for the transition from a cold hallway to the residential sector of the house.

Mid-class thermal curtain - quite suitable for an entrance door

Such devices are the most popular. It is these series that are most often equipped with convenient remote units or remote control panels.

Powerful thermal curtains series RT are used to protect high openings, from 3.5 to 7 meters. This could be the gate of a car repair shop, warehouse or industrial premises, entrances to large shopping centers or buildings for cultural and social purposes.

Very often, powerful installations of the series are included in this category RW connected to central heating or hot water systems public buildings and industrial buildings. the cost of water thermal curtains is significantly higher than that of electric models comparable in performance and size.

There are also heavy-duty thermal curtains that can create an air barrier in openings and passages up to 12 meters high.

Prices for popular models of thermal curtains for the front door

How to choose the optimal thermal curtain

The choice of a thermal air curtain has its own characteristics, which you should definitely familiarize yourself with before going to the store.

In addition to the selection criteria already mentioned - according to the installation location (horizontally or vertically) and the operating principle of the heat exchanger, be sure to pay attention to the following characteristics:

The dimensions (mostly the length) of the device itself, that is, the width of the air curtain it creates.
Performance, that is, the ability to pump a certain amount of air per unit of time.
Power of the heat exchange unit.
Equipped with useful adjustment options.
The degree of protection, that is, the level of safety of operation of the device.
The appearance of the thermal curtain is also important for the interior design of the room.

Heat curtain dimensions

The determining parameter, of course, is the length of the device. It must provide the required air flow across the entire width of the doorway, without allowing free gaps for the penetration of cold or dusty masses from the outside. As a rule, the length of such devices lies in the range of 600 ÷ 2000 mm.

For standard doorways, curtains with a length of about 800 mm are usually purchased. With a competent approach, it should be taken into account that the width of the air flow should be at least equal to the clearance of the doors, but it is even better if it is slightly larger.

There is one more nuance. Production technology air blowers somewhat limits the length of the turbine (up to 800 mm), since when such dimensions are exceeded, vibration phenomena sharply increase, which requires a rather expensive “suspension”.

The turbine length is usually limited to 800 mm

Trying to minimize costs when producing “long” models, many manufacturers follow the path of simplification: they place the electric drive in the center of the device, and the turbines on the left and right, achieving the required length. Such an arrangement may have a serious drawback - a “dip” or an area of low pressure may form in the center of the created air flow, which can become a loophole for the penetration of air from outside.

If the width of the doorway is greater than the length of the model you like or commercially available devices in general, it makes sense to purchase two curtains (and sometimes more) and install them close to one another.

Heat curtain performance indicators

It is quite clear that the thermal curtain must create an air flow, the “density” of which, that is, the internal air pressure would exceed the external one at any point in the doorway, from the installation site to the floor (the opposite side of the doors).

Calculations have determined that such required parameters are maintained when the speed of the air layer at the point of meeting the obstacle is at least 2.5 m/s. Naturally, due to air resistance, the speed decreases as you move away from the device.

The speed and density of the air flow depend on the working diameter of the turbine, its rotation speed and, therefore, on the overall performance of the injection unit. For example, the table below clearly shows the dependence of the effective range of the thermal curtain depending on the diameter of the turbine - in some cases you can focus on the following indicators:

Distance from the thermal curtain outlet nozzle	Air flow speed depending on the fan installed in the thermal curtain
	Fan working diameter
	Ø 100 mm	Ø 110 mm	Ø 120 mm	Ø 130 mm	Ø 180 mm

0 m	9 m/s	10 m/s	12 m/s	14 m/s	-
1m	7 m/s	7 m/s	11 m/s	10 m/s	-
2 m	4 m/s	4m/s	8 m/s	7.5 m/s	-
3m	1.0 ÷ 2 m/s	1.5 ÷ 2 m/s	5 m/s	6 m/s	-
4 m	-	-	2 ÷ 3 m/s	5 m/s	-
5 m	-	-	-	3 m/s	-
6 m	-	-	-	1.0 ÷ 2 m/s	-

0 m	8.5 m/s	8.5 m/s	12 m/s	12 m/s	15 m/s
1m	6.5 m/s	6.5 m/s	10 m/s	9.5 m/s	13 m/s
2 m	3 m/s	3 m/s	7 m/s	9 m/s	11 m/s
3m	1.0 ÷ 2.0 m/s	2 m/s	4 m/s	5.5 m/s	9 m/s
4 m	-	-	1.0 – 2.0 m/s	4 m/s	7 m/s
5 m	-	-	-	3 m/s	5 m/s
6 m	-	-	-	1.0 ÷ 2.0 m/s	3 m/s
7 m	-	-	-	-	2 m/s
8 m	-	-	-	-	1.0 – 2.0 m/s

Most often in technical documentation The manufacturer directly indicates on the product what maximum dimensions a specific model has been developed for the opening. The system capacity must also be indicated there, usually in cubic meters per hour. It is believed that pumping 700 ÷ 900 m³/h is considered optimal for a standard doorway with dimensions of 0.8÷1.0 × 2.0÷2.2 m. However, if you look at equipment catalogs, you often find curtains with much more modest values. There is no unanimity of views among manufacturers on this issue.

There are special algorithms for calculating the parameters of thermal curtains, which take into account not only the linear indicators of the installation site, but also the location of the entrances to the building, average temperature differences for a particular region, the prevailing wind direction, etc. Such calculations are the domain of specialists, and if the characteristics declared by the manufacturer are not enough for someone to select a model, then they can contact the appropriate design organization.

Why is the issue of productivity so pressing? The efficiency of the air curtain directly depends on it.

Fragment No. 3 schematically shows the operation of a correctly selected thermal curtain model. The air flow retains its “density” to meet the obstacle, and then approximately ¾ is reflected back into the room.
Fragment No. 2 – a thermal curtain with excess capacity was installed. The speed at the floor surface is too high, and the flow is broken up in such a way that a significant part of it is carried out. Of course, this leads to completely unjustified losses of expended energy.
And fragment No. 3 shows what will happen if the capacity of the created flow is not enough. The external pressure of the air masses outweighs, and a wide “window” opens at the bottom of the doorway for cold street air. The point of installing such a thermal curtain is generally very questionable - it simply does not play any significant role.

Thermal power of the air curtain

Oddly enough, this indicator for a thermal curtain is not decisive - this is their fundamental difference from seemingly related devices - heat guns or floor-mounted or built-in heating convectors installed near doors and windows.

The operation of the air curtain heat exchanger is not aimed at maintaining the optimal temperature in the room, but only at partially compensating for heat losses through the door. It's clear. that part of the heated air, when operating in “winter” mode, is returned back to the room, but this circulation should only have an auxiliary effect on the heating system operating in the building, but not replace it in any way.

At high air pumping speeds, give it too much high temperature– the task is complex and very energy-consuming. Typically, in most models, the temperature increase is limited to 20 degrees at best, and on thermostatic control elements the maximum value, as a rule, does not exceed 30 ° C - more is not required from the thermal curtain.

But it’s worth paying attention to the total power consumption. The parameters of a dedicated power supply line, a circuit breaker in the distribution board at home, an RCD, etc. will depend on this indicator.

Control and protection systems

All electric heat curtains are equipped with two control levels: one is responsible for creating and maintaining a given air performance, and the second is for the operation of the heat exchange unit. At the same time, the protection system will never allow the heater to turn on when the turbine is not working, which protects the device from overheating.

The simplest ones inexpensive models have preset levels of performance and heating of the heating elements, which cannot be changed (the only exception is that you can completely turn off the heating when operating in “summer” mode. However, such low cost and simplified design are hardly justified for use in a private home - everyone wants to be able to optimally adjust the microclimate in room.

More complex models are equipped with stepwise adjustment, for example, they have 2 ÷ 3 turbine power levels and the same number of heat exchanger heating gradations.

However, in Lately However, the most popular are thermal curtains with electronic control, which gives owners the opportunity for smooth, precise adjustments.

The presence of a thermostatic sensor will allow you to significantly save on energy consumption - the automation will turn on or off the block of heating elements only as needed.

Thermal curtains can be equipped with remote control units, which are located on the wall. Models that have remote controls are convenient to use.

Like all modern electrical appliances, the thermal curtain must be equipped with several degrees of protection against short circuits, overheating, phase breakdown on the housing, voltage surges, etc.

Constructors and designers of manufacturing companies try to make thermal curtains externally so that they do not spoil the interior of the room with their appearance. Some models can even become a kind of decoration for the entrance group.

Installation of a thermal curtain

Self-installation of thermal air curtains, although not encouraged by manufacturers, is still quite possible, especially when it comes to the most common ones - completely electric models. In terms of complexity, it is much simpler than installing a household air conditioner.

Is it possible to install an air conditioner yourself?

Installing an air conditioner usually requires special skills, since when installing a split system you will need to correctly charge it with refrigerant. How it is produced is in a special publication on our portal.

The main thing is to provide a power line of the required power, the necessary safety and protective devices(automatic and RCD), device connection point.

The thermal curtain kit, as a rule, includes brackets (or a mounting panel) and fasteners for hanging it above the doorway. The entire installation will mainly consist of careful marking, securing the mounting parts to the wall plane and then hanging the device itself. It can be quite massive, so you should exercise reasonable caution, or even better, enlist a helper.

After installing the device, if it is equipped with adjustable blinds, they should be positioned at an angle of approximately 30° from the vertical towards the entrance. On many models, such a flow slope is provided for by the design of the air nozzle itself.

It may be necessary to lay a signal cable and mount the remote control unit on the wall. All these nuances are always described in detail in the installation manual for a specific model, and you should familiarize yourself with them in advance, even when choosing a curtain, in order to really assess your capabilities.

Installation of a curtain with a water heat exchanger is a much more complex undertaking, often requiring special thermal calculations and the installation of an additional collector or pumping equipment. It’s not worth taking on such activities without experience.

Find out, and also get professional advice, from our new article.