A closed heating system is one of the two main types of systems in which the movement of the coolant is carried out using a special circulation pump, that is, forcibly. Another characteristic feature of this type of heating is the presence of a closed expansion tank, which is also called a membrane tank.
Device
One-pipe closed heating system in its design has several structural details:
- Heating boiler.
- Circulation pump.
- Heating radiators (batteries).
- Pipeline.
- Membrane expansion tank.
Operation principle
The closed heating system operates as follows. After one of the main devices (boiler) heats up the coolant, the volume of liquid in the system will increase, which will then go into the expansion tank. This tank has a special rubber membrane, and thethe container resembles a certain capsule in its shape. Conventionally, the expansion tank can be divided into two parts, among which one is a water chamber (which receives excess water formed), and the second is air (it is filled with nitrogen, while this entire system is under a certain pressure).
It is worth noting that a closed heating system (a diagram of its principle of operation is shown in the second photo) tends to return the water that got into the tank when the device was heated. It enters the radiators with the help of a circulation pump. And only when there is not enough liquid in the pipes. In order to exclude the possibility of gas formation, water is returned from the expansion tank to the boiler and its subsequent elements. At the same time, the device supports both antifreeze and ordinary water as a coolant.
Advantages and disadvantages
One of the main features of a closed heating system is its complete isolation from the external environment. Thus, the penetration of any air into the device is completely excluded. And this prolongs the life of the entire heating system (the pump does not suffer like that, “swallowing” air into itself, there is no corrosion that could be caused by the formation of bubbles inside the pipeline). In addition, due to the presence of an expansion tank, you can not monitor the level of remaining water in the radiators. When the boiler heats up, the tank absorbs water, and then returns it back when it cools.
Thanks to this, neither the formation of gases nor the evaporation of water occurs inside the system. Also, this type of heating is useful in that it has the ability to control and adjust the temperature in different rooms of the room. However, this is only realistic when there is a circulation pump in the system. It is best to work with a room thermostat, so that you can fully control the level of the set temperature. Among the shortcomings, perhaps the only negative is the dependence of this system on electrical energy. However, this can hardly be called a minus.
