Each apartment building has a balcony. Many owners are trying to insulate and glaze it. This is a great opportunity to organize your small office. But no matter how well the balcony is insulated, it will not be comfortable to be in it in winter. Therefore, many resort to installing batteries on the balcony. This is a great way to create a favorable indoor climate. But how to do it right? Consider in our today's article.
What to look out for?
First of all, when choosing the right type of radiator, you should pay attention to the technical specifications. An important factor is the working pressure. What should it be? The working pressure must comply with the limits of differentials in the heating system of the whole house. Typically, in five-story buildings, this figure is from 6 to 8 atmospheres. In houses on 10-14 floors, the working pressure reaches 15 atmospheres.
Another indicator is resistance to water hammer. The quality of heating and the service life of the radiator as a whole will depend on this characteristic. It is impossible to avoid water hammer in an apartment building. In addition, the selection takes into account the ease of installation and design of the battery.
Battery removal and law
Before you install, you need to take into account the fact that, according to the law, the installation of a radiator on a balcony is prohibited. Each region has its own document for this, but the fundamental basis for the ban is the same everywhere. For the removal of the battery to the loggia, a fine is due. In addition, you may be forced to return the structure to its original form. According to the decrees of November 15, 2005, it is not allowed to reorganize the premises, in which radiators are transferred to glazed balconies.
That is, if you prove that the balcony is not a summer room, you can get permission to move the radiator. But at the same time, it is necessary to insulate the loggia in accordance with the requirements of SNiP.
Choosing the right battery
Today there are several options:
- Cast iron radiator. Differs in high service life (more than 30 years). But at the same time, it heats up and cools down for a long time.
- Panel steel. Service life - 15 years. They have high heat dissipation and low cost.
- Tubular steel. They have the same characteristics, but are available in different colors. The cost is slightly higher than the panel ones.
- Aluminum. They have a long period of operation - about 20 years. Light weight and high thermal conductivity. The disadvantages of the reviews include sensitivity to the pH of the filler. Therefore, many do not dare to use aluminum radiators in apartment buildings.
- Bimetallic. This option is undemanding to the quality and composition of water, as in the previous case. At the same time, the radiator is resistant to water hammer and has good heat dissipation. It is this option that many choose for loggias.
How to calculate sections? Tips from the masters
According to the requirements specified in SNiPs, the battery must be at least half the length of the window. Thus, we will exclude freezing of the heating system. You also need to correctly perform the calculation in order to determine the required number of sections. There is a certain heat transfer standard:
- Bimetallic - 1.5 sq. m for each section in the radiator.
- Aluminum - 2 sq. m per section.
Connection Methods
You can install the battery on the balcony in different ways. There are three connection options:
- Side. This is a popular way. So, the outlet and inlet pipes are installed on one side of the radiator. The main requirement is to maintain the distance between the fittings. Otherwise, the radiator on the balcony will not warm up normally.
- Lower. In this case, two pipes are installed at the bottom of the battery. But this method is not used often. This is due to low heat transfer.
- Diagonal. From point of viewphysics, this method is the most rational, since in this case the heat loss is minimal. It is this removal of the battery to the balcony that experts recommend. On one side of the radiator, an inlet pipe is mounted (on top), and on the other - the outlet. The latter is already installed at the bottom.
Pipe selection
Before you bring the battery to the balcony, you need to decide on the choice of pipes. The most popular option is reinforced polypropylene. Among the benefits worth noting:
- Ease of installation. Such pipes are easily bent by hand.
- Strength. The design is not deformed during operation.
- No need for welding. So, flux is applied to the joints and then soldering is performed.
- High heat dissipation.
Also, some use copper pipes. But this is a more difficult and expensive option to install. As for conventional polypropylene, these should not be chosen. They quickly deform and lose their appearance.
Preparing tools
To transfer the battery to the balcony, we need to prepare:
- Punch.
- Bulgarian.
- Metal plates.
- File.
- Mounting foam.
- Cement mortar (prepared by mixing three parts sand and one part cement).
What's next?
After that, the fixing system is installed into the wall. For this, experts recommend using a steel plate 2 mm thick. Widthplates - 30 millimeters, length - 300. Using a perforator, holes are made in the wall, up to 5 centimeters deep. Next, the area is cleared. Steel plates are mounted on this place. Then everything is covered with cement mortar. Further along the contours of the battery, with the help of a grinder, a small recess is made in the wall. This is where the radiator will be installed. It is advisable to smooth out all sharp corners in the wall with a file.
Further, two places are made in the main pipe, where the output and input for an additional radiator will be connected, which is installed on the balcony. Opposite these sections, a through chasing of the bearing wall is made using a perforator. Since the load-bearing wall is thick, a drill of the required length is selected for through gating. After installing the pipes on an additional battery, the holes are filled with foam. You can use any other filler that is resistant to temperature changes.
Basic radiator installation work
To perform the operation of taking the battery to the balcony, you need to prepare:
- Sealant.
- Bulgarian.
- Pipes with fittings.
- Die with tape measure and vise.
So, first we connect to the main heating pipe. According to the size of the punched holes, the main pipe is cut with a grinder. Further, at the cut points, threading is done. After that, the fittings are screwed in. It is important not to forget about waterproofing. This can be done with fum tape or tow.
Then, a pipe is led into the prepared holes in the wall to the installedfitting. The length of the pipes should be such that they go out from the side of the loggia by 8-9 centimeters. Fittings are screwed onto their ends. Then the battery is set as accurately as possible. Pipes come out of it. The length of the latter should be from 20 to 30 centimeters. The ends must also have threaded connections. Then both ends of the pipes are wound onto the finished fittings.
How to connect
There are several schemes for connecting the battery on the balcony:
- Battery with tap but no jumper. In this case, it will be impossible to dismantle the radiator for the season.
- Battery without a tap, but with a jumper. Thanks to the latter, you can shut off the radiator at any time of the year.
- Battery with jumper and installed tap. Thanks to the tap, the heat will pass without loss through the radiator installed on the balcony.
After the radiator has been moved to the balcony, you need to check the quality of the connections and the tightness of the holes in the wall again. All holes must be sealed as high as possible so that there is no heat loss. As a result, we will get several square meters of additional space, which can be converted into a study or a compact bedroom.
Installation rules
The battery installed on the balcony must meet certain requirements. So, during installation, the following conditions and distances are taken into account:
- From the window sill to the top of the radiator - at least 10 centimeters.
- From the floor to the bottom of the battery - 12 centimeters or more.
- From the wall - 2 centimeters.
- Windowsill notmust cover the radiator.
- The allowable slope of the supply pipes is from 5 to 10 millimeters per meter.
In this case, the radiator must be strictly in the vertical and horizontal plane. This characteristic must be checked by the building level. It is important to avoid severe pipe bends during installation. Otherwise, this will lead to the formation of an air lock. This will definitely reduce the efficiency of the heating system. Also, experts recommend installing a jumper with a tap to control the heat supply and the overall temperature in the room.
Solar panels on the balcony
Recently, many owners have begun to practice the installation of solar panels. If the balcony faces the east side, you can get electricity almost for free. All you need is a solar panel on the balcony. You don't need permission to install it. As a rule, use 65-watt batteries on the balcony. They accumulate six amps per hour. Energy is stored in the battery, from which you can further charge your laptop or phone.
But you need to understand that this battery does not tolerate low temperatures, and therefore the balcony must be glazed. It also provides for the possibility of switching all consumers to power from a conventional network (this is done in case of bad weather). Panels are mounted on a special frame from a corner with a shelf width of 5 centimeters. This frame securely attaches to slabs or wallsbuilding. By the way, the system has the greatest efficiency if the beam falls at a right angle. In winter, the angle of the beams deviates by 12 degrees, so the structure must rotate to this angle.
