If you choose the right flooring and type of underfloor heating, you can implement a combined system. And regardless of what purpose the buildings have and how many floors they have. The combined system option is ideal for private residential buildings with two floors or more. In this case, an underfloor heating system is installed on the ground floor.
Warm air rises. Moreover, it warms up not only the air, but also the ceiling, which is the floor of the second floor. Radiators are installed directly on the second floor. In the article we will consider the principle of operation of a combined heating system, its components. And we will pay special attention to the "heart", that is, boilers and their types.
Design Features
On the ground floor, it is best to use tiles as flooring. As for the rooms on the second floor, absolutely any floor covering can be used for them. ThereinIf you decide to install thermostats, you can easily maintain the necessary microclimate in the house, regardless of the time of year and day. For example, you can set a low temperature during the day and increase it at night.
The article shows an approximate diagram of the heating system. It assumes that underfloor heating is installed only on the first floor of the house. The second floor, according to the scheme, is heated only by radiators. But you can make changes to the circuit to get rid of any shortcomings that are characteristic of it. For example, equip a floor heating system on the second floor as well.
Ideally, if the combined design is initially laid in the project. But, as you know, nothing is perfect. Therefore, you need to focus on what you have, take into account all the restrictions. Please note that in apartment buildings it will not be possible to make a liquid underfloor heating. And is it needed at all if you do not live on the ground floor? But in apartment buildings, heating systems with heat exchangers can be installed.
A little about flooring
In order to make a water heated floor in your apartment, you will have to draw up a project and coordinate it with the relevant services. As you can imagine, this is a waste of money and time. In advance, you need to decide what type of coating will be laid on top of the warm floor. Many builders recommend tile or laminate. It is impossible to use carpet and parquet, as they have a highdegree of thermal insulation. Therefore, the efficiency of the entire heating system is significantly reduced.
Linoleum can be used, but it is not recommended to purchase cheap types. It is recommended to pay a little more, but buy really high-quality and reliable material that will last for many years. Please note that some types of linoleum can release harmful substances when heated. And they are very dangerous for people.
Quite often, electric heated floors are installed in apartments, which complement the centralized radiator system. But if you decide to make such a system, you need to make sure that the wiring can withstand the load.
Which heating appliances to use?
If you live in a gasified house, then this question in itself does not exist. After all, gas is by far the cheapest type of fuel. By installing a good condensing type boiler, all heating problems will be solved. But if there is no gas pipeline nearby, you have to choose liquid or solid fuel. Installing gas tanks is not always a solution, since the cost of liquefied gas is very high, but it lasts for a short time. Especially if the "appetite" of the boiler is decent.
You can convert boilers - for this you install nozzles that will work on the desired fuel. But not every model of the boiler allows you to perform such a refinement. If you have the opportunity to purchase diesel fuel at a low cost, then it is most reasonable to install a boiler,which runs on liquid fuel. This is just perfect for homes that have a large area. But not everyone has the opportunity to purchase cheap diesel fuel, so most homeowners opt for long-burning solid fuel boilers.
If you are designing a heating system with radiators and underfloor heating, you should definitely take into account one nuance. Namely, that floor heating is more economical. But this does not mean that the need for radiators disappears completely. Their first and main mission is to create a curtain of heat near the windows and prevent the entire house from cooling. If you choose the right elements of the system and carefully consider its control, then you can make heating efficient and cheap.
The most efficient devices are condensing boilers, which have a very high efficiency. They are non-volatile, have an electronic ignition system. The connection of the combined heating system is carried out in different ways, depending on which scheme is selected.
Liquid or electric underfloor heating - which one to choose?
If all installation work is carried out without errors, then the efficiency of both electric and liquid is almost the same. There is only one question - the cost of installation and operation of both systems. Immediately you need to highlight such points:
- The cost of manufacturing a liquid underfloor heating is more than an electric one.
- But the cost of operating a liquid is much lower.
Thereforeyou need to look at all the pros and cons, evaluate them reasonably. You mount and buy all the equipment only once, but you pay for heating at least 6 months a year. That is why most home owners prefer liquid heating systems. Together with it, it is more reasonable to install a condensing boiler and radiators with high efficiency. It is desirable to include a pump for circulation in the design. The combined heating system in this case will work much more efficiently.
It is possible to make a liquid floor heating in an apartment building, but it is more difficult to do. Especially if you have central heating. Much more often, apartment owners connect electric underfloor heating - electric cable, carbon mats, films. According to the pipe scheme, it is possible to perform a combined heating system with natural circulation. But it's better to install a pump - it will increase efficiency.
Two-pipe heating systems will require significant costs - you will have to purchase specific components and materials. Much cheaper is the installation of a single-pipe system, which copes well with its main task. But if you do not have a very large house, then you should not save on the heating system.
Options for the combined heating system
Sometimes it becomes necessary to manufacture a combined system in which there will be two or more sources of heat generation. There are many advantages of manufacturing heating according to this scheme. You will be able to increase the efficiency of the centralized system, increase the comfort in the houseetc. The main options for arranging heating systems:
- Gas, solid fuel or electric boiler and air pump.
- Infrared heaters and heating radiators.
- Infrared ceiling system, floor heating and solar panels.
The last option will be very expensive, as the cost of solar panels, equipment and batteries for storing electricity is very high. But other options also have many disadvantages. To be fair, the benefits still outweigh.
The cost of manufacturing a heating system is very high, but in the future, if, of course, everything is done correctly, it will pay off. Due to the high efficiency of radiators, underfloor heating, boiler, you can spend less fuel and get more heat.
Varieties of heating boilers
There are several types of boilers depending on the fuel they use:
- Gas.
- Electrical.
- Solid fuel.
- Liquid fuel.
- Combined.
Next, consider the features of all these boilers.
Gas heating boilers
These are the most popular heating devices, if there is a main line near the house, then it is most reasonable to use gas. Boilers have the following advantages:
- Quite low fuel cost.
- The efficiency of the units is high - from 92%.
- Ease of operation due to design automation. You only needset the desired temperature and observe the process is not necessary.
- Highly economical.
- Variety of designs. There are single-circuit ones that allow you to heat the house. But there are double-circuit ones that can provide residents with hot water.
- There are both floor and wall types of boilers.
But there are also disadvantages:
- Need to bring a gas pipeline to the house. If it is not there, then you will have to pay a tidy sum for it.
- You need to get documentation from the gas service.
Oil-fired boilers
As a rule, such constructions run on diesel fuel. Typically, such boilers are chosen if it is not possible to connect to the gas main. It is also reasonable to use the boiler if there are problems with the power supply in the area. The advantages of liquid fuel boilers include:
- High efficiency.
- Easy control - as a rule, all models have an automatic control system.
- In order to use natural gas, it is enough to install an appropriate burner.
But there are also disadvantages that outweigh the pros:
- The cost of the boiler itself is very high - gas ones are cheaper. Burners are also expensive.
- Diesel fuel today has a high cost.
- The unit makes a lot of noise during operation.
- It is necessary to ensure the constant availability of diesel fuel in the tank. Moreover, the tank mustbe mounted in a specially designated place.
- The boiler is very dirty when burning fuel, it has to be cleaned often.
- Sometimes fuel has to be cleaned of impurities - sand, water, tar.
- If there is sulfur in diesel fuel, then the destruction of the metal elements of the boiler will occur much faster.
Electric heating boilers
Such designs are also found in private homes, they have both advantages and disadvantages. It is worth highlighting two types of boilers:
- With direct heating (heaters installed).
- With electrodes. The coolant is liquid, a discharge is supplied to it, which, in fact, heats it.
The advantages of these designs include:
- No need to build a chimney.
- Safety and environmental friendliness at a high level.
- Operates silently.
- The cost is quite low.
- Devices are compact.
- Auto control available.
- Huge selection of models - you can find one that fits perfectly into the interior.
But the flaws sometimes cover everything:
- The power is high, so the unit consumes a lot of electricity.
- If the power is very large, then you will have to obtain permission to install the boiler.
- If you plan to use the boiler as the main source of heat, then get ready to spend large amounts on a communal apartment.
Solid fuel structures
It is possible to make a combined heating system with your own hands based on such a boiler, buthave to stock up on firewood. The advantages of using such units include:
- Affordable cost.
- Ability to use any fuel - coal, firewood, wood waste, etc.
- Highly economical.
- Low fuel cost.
- There are models with automatic control systems that will simplify operation.
The disadvantages are as follows:
- A large amount of carbon monoxide is released into the atmosphere.
- Have to manually load fuel.
- The firebox and chimney need to be cleaned.
- You always need to look for and buy fuel.
- If there is no automation, then it will not be possible to regulate the temperature.
Combination heating boilers
These are designs that have taken the pros (and cons) of all the boilers listed above. You can select the most popular variations of boilers in combined heating systems:
- Gas-wood.
- Gas/Diesel - can provide more heating power in large homes.
- Gas-diesel-wood - very high functionality, but low efficiency, as well as power.
- Gas-diesel-electric models are capable of heating large houses.
- Various designs of heat generators operating on diesel, gas, electricity, wood can provide complete independence from external factors (for example, if there are frequent power outages).
When buying, you must take into account all the points that are associated with heating the house.
The most common scheme is underfloor heating and radiators
This scheme has gained popularity because of its high efficiency. A combined heating system with radiators and underfloor heating is expensive to manufacture, but during operation it will not be necessary to invest in it. First, the walls are heated by radiators. Secondly, heat rises from the floor up to the ceiling. This is very convenient, especially if there are children in the house. And it’s not very pleasant to go out on a cold floor after a shower. As a rule, even if all rooms have underfloor heating, the owners do not refuse radiators.
Approximately 70% of all heat comes from the floor, the remaining 30% from radiators. For this to happen, the coolant entering the floor must have a temperature of 60 degrees. And the one that goes to the radiators is 75 degrees. By the way, you can use electric underfloor heating and the same batteries. True, electricity consumption will increase many times over.
Typical equipment scheme for a private house combined heating system:
Warm walls - nonsense?
Not a bad combination that will increase the efficiency of the heating system. By analogy with the floor, pipes are mounted in the walls, which are connected to the heating system. It should be noted that you will not be able to observe excessive heating during operation, but the temperature in the room will be as comfortable as possible. Combined heating system for a private housethis type is perfect. Especially if you live in cold regions. But it is not necessary to put pipes in all walls - only the outer ones are enough.
True, warm walls impose certain requirements. Of course, you need to be extremely careful when hammering nails or drilling walls, as you can damage the tube. It is advisable to somehow outline the location of the tubes at the manufacturing stage - this will subsequently protect you and avoid trouble. It is also worth noting that such a design can be used in summer for cooling - it is enough to supply cold water inside the tubes. But the temperature must be adjusted, since a very cold one will have a negative effect - perspiration will appear on the surface, which will gradually destroy the concrete.
