Batteries are usually installed in the house for the purpose of space heating. At the moment, there are many different types of these products. It's hard to make a choice. Which one is better to choose? Consider in our today's article.
Differences
Types of heating batteries may differ in their price, quality and even external characteristics. Therefore, each of the types must be considered separately.
Aluminum
What are the features of such products? Aluminum heating battery is durable, attractive appearance and high thermal conductivity. Like any other type of radiator, this design has its pros and cons.
The advantages include the following characteristics:
- Low weight construction.
- Affordable price.
- High heat dissipation.
- High working pressure.
Aluminum radiators also have disadvantages:
- The structure is corroded.
- Needsbleed air from manifold.
- Threaded connections are quite vulnerable.
Bimetallic
The bimetal heating battery has a double design. It is made of aluminum on the inside and steel on the outside. This gives it an advantage over other types of radiators, because it is resistant to corrosion and can withstand even high pressure.
The advantages of this type of heating batteries include:
- High service life. The lifetime of this radiator can be up to 50 years.
- Resistant to water hammer.
- Corrosion resistant.
- Easy installation. It lies in the fact that additional sections can be installed at any time, even in winter.
Disadvantages include the following factors:
- High price that exceeds the cost of aluminum radiators by a quarter.
- Inter-manifold tubes have a relatively small cross-sectional area.
- Due to the presence of high hydraulic resistance, this design is more energy-intensive.
This heating battery for an apartment will perfectly fit into the interior because of its elegant design. You can also easily install them yourself.
Steel
Such a heating battery is considered the most economical option, because it instantly reacts to any change in temperature, quickly heats up and cools down.
The advantages include the following parameters:
- High heat dissipation.
- Economy.
It's worth the disadvantagesinclude moments like this:
- Oxygen entering the system does not accept.
- Design fails hydraulic test.
- The product is prone to corrosion.
- Low operating pressure.
Steel radiators can also be divided into panel and tubular. The first designs are characterized by high heat transfer with minimal use of raw materials. Tubular, in turn, have a fairly low number of useful properties. Sections cannot be added to or removed from such structures.
In general, it is customary to use steel radiators for a private house. This design can withstand a large load, sufficient for such premises. But it is categorically not recommended to use them in a humid environment. Otherwise corrosion will be inevitable.
Cast iron
These radiators can be found in most houses of the post-Soviet space, and some still consciously prefer to use this material. Its inherent advantage is high corrosion resistance, as well as the ability to withstand even high pressure.
Cast iron batteries are not afraid of hard alkaline water and air locks. They easily withstand them, unlike any other materials.
The service life of cast iron radiators is up to 50 years.
The advantages of this design include:
- Wear resistance.
- Ability to keep stored heat for a long periodtime.
- Low cost.
- Immunity to various changes in the system.
There are also a number of disadvantages:
- The need to constantly update the radiator cover.
- Heavy weight (higher than even metal counterparts).
- Low heating intensity. The design reacts rather slowly to changes in temperature.
- Uneven room heating.
The cast-iron central heating battery is still actively used. However, experts strongly recommend abandoning the idea of installing such structures in houses with autonomous heating.
Copper
This design is a curved pipe, which is often sheathed with a wooden casing. Positive properties include:
- The need to use only a small amount of coolant.
- Corrosion resistance.
- Resistant to deformation when exposed to adverse factors.
- Quick heating of the room.
Disadvantages include:
- High cost.
- The tendency of a structure to react with various building mixtures.
How to calculate heating batteries
After you have already settled on one of the above radiators, you need to make calculations. They are necessary in order to find out the required power, and thus determine the number of required sections in the radiator.
When calculating, the following factors should be taken into account:
- The area of the room to be heated.
- Number and location of various openings and windows.
- Material and window type.
The material from which the building was made also has a great influence. Detailed information regarding the correct calculation of the number of sections can also be found in the physical characteristics of a particular radiator.
There are some general recommendations regarding the calculation of radiators. So, for one square meter of the room, the battery power should be 110 watts. If there are two simple windows in the room, the coefficient increases to 1.7. If there are double-glazed windows in the room, this figure should be reduced to 0.8 (that is, 88 W per square meter is enough). It is necessary to take into account the height of the ceilings. If this parameter is up to three meters, the coefficient will be equal to one. If more (for example, 3.3 meters), then this figure will be 1.1.
Painting
It is important to pay due attention not only to the radiator itself, but also to its painting. What paint to paint radiators? Care should be taken in choosing the right enamel.
Paint must have the following properties:
- Be heat resistant.
- Do not be exposed to abrasive environments.
- Be resistant to abrasion.
- Not be toxic.
The last point is especially important, because it will depend on this whether the paint will not have to be washed off after a short periodtime and whether it can adversely affect the he alth of those living in the house.
It is important to note that before applying paint to the pipes, be sure to turn off the hot water yourself or contact the Housing Office with this request. Of course, this should be done only if the batteries need to be urgently painted during the heating season.
It is important to remember that painting should start from the very top of the battery and gradually move down. In this case, the use of exclusively soft brushes is strongly recommended. It is better that there are two of them - one thin, and the second thick. The first should be used for less accessible areas of the radiator.
Decorative screens for the heating battery
Screens for radiators perform not only a decorative function, but also a protective one, especially when it comes to rooms where children are often present. Radiators often have angular designs that can be quite dangerous to the he alth and life of children, especially if they are accidentally dropped or stumbled on.
These designs help to give a more finished look to the interior. In addition, they reduce the level of infrared rays and significantly increase the heat transfer of the structure.
In all public buildings, such screens are a must, while in residential areas their function can be called rather aesthetic.
Battery installation process
The installation of different types of radiators is generally the same. The general process requirements are as follows:
- In order for the air to circulate normally, it is necessary to leave a gap of ten centimeters between the window sill and the upper grille.
- There must be a gap of 12 centimeters between the bottom grate and the floor.
- The standard distance between the radiator and the wall is up to five centimeters. However, if additional installation of reflective thermal insulation is planned, this parameter is increased using special hooks.
Compliance with these requirements will help you get maximum heat output and fully enjoy all the positive properties of any type of radiator.
An important process is also the overlap of the heating circuit. Then you need to drain the water from the system and make sure that all of it has definitely come out. It is recommended to use a pump for this. Further, it is necessary to unscrew all the plugs from the structure and connect the battery to the heating system using threaded rods.
Until the very end of the installation, it is strongly not recommended to remove the packaging shell from the structure. After the installation is completed, pressure testing will also be required, which cannot be done without the help of a plumber. In this case, not only the master himself will come in handy, but also the device, which does not make any sense to buy in order to install the battery just once.
Recommendations
Heating radiators can be of various types, however, the overall heating of the room, and many others, will also depend on the selected batterycharacteristics. Do not neglect the full range of radiators and immediately dwell on the old-fashioned cast iron solution. It is better to consider all options, study their advantages and disadvantages, and only then draw final conclusions about the required design.
It will also be useful to study new models that appear on the market, because they often have a fairly low cost with high efficiency.
It is important to note that special attention should be paid not only to the properties or even the appearance of a particular type of radiators, but also to the means of painting that are used in the process of coating radiators. They can not only effectively decorate any interior, but also help to make it brighter, focusing on a graceful design.
During the installation of the product, attention should be paid not only to the characteristics, but also to the appearance of the structure. In particular, it is recommended to add a protective shield to the heatsink. This will help not only hide a rather unattractive design, but also protect young family members from possible injuries. In addition, such screens help to heat the room faster, and therefore you should seriously think about using them when decorating your own interior.
The choice of this or that radiator or even the type of coating depends only on you, as well as what properties the future design will have.
