The choice and installation of a heating system are important stages in the arrangement of a residential building or apartment. The required number of radiators depends on the power of the equipment and the area of the room. Today, aluminum radiators are considered the most popular. Technical characteristics, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of these heaters will be discussed in this article.
Description
The main elements of this heating equipment are sections that are filled with water. Water is characterized by a high heat capacity, which allows it to retain thermal energy for a long time, regularly transferring it to the surrounding space.
Varieties
Aluminum radiators (technical specifications are discussed below) according to the type of production, there are two types:
- Extrusion.
- Leafy.
The last type consists of separate sections, their number can be reduced or increased whennecessary at any time. The extrusion heater has a specific combined number of sections, their number ranges from 6 to 12. The consumer himself chooses, focusing on the technical features of the house or apartment, which type of product suits him best.
Heat exchange process
Through the pipeline, hot water flows to the bottom of the section, then, due to convection, it moves up, thereby heating the surrounding air through the aluminum casing. The coolant passes through all sections, after which it continues its way through the heating system through the return pipeline.
Aluminum Radiators Specifications
The section of the heater is made by pressing aluminum with the addition of a small amount of silicon. Each section has a lower and upper collector, which are connected by a vertical channel and metal fins that increase heat transfer by expanding the surface area. The sections are interconnected by means of threaded elements sealed with paronite gaskets.
Heat carrier filling the sections, heating up, simultaneously accumulates and releases thermal energy into the room. Due to the good thermal conductivity of aluminum, this device has a high inertia and efficiency, unlike bimetallic and cast iron counterparts.
The more sections, the higher the heat transfer of aluminum radiators. However, it is not worthget carried away, as an excessive number of sections will cause some of them to become unused ballast. In this regard, the number of sections must be calculated based on the physical characteristics of the building.
There are also reinforced aluminum radiators. The technical characteristics of these devices allow you to set an arbitrary number of sections, since they independently control the fluid pressure.
Heater section has standard dimensions:
- Height - 350-1000 mm.
- Depth - 110-140 mm.
- Wall thickness - 2-3 mm.
- Heating area - 0.4-0.6 m2.
- The volume of the aluminum radiator is 0.35-0.5 liters.
The heat transfer of the heating device is 50-60% radiation, convection - 40-50%.
Dignity
- Low thermal inertia.
- Small mass.
- High heat dissipation.
- These heaters are practical, and most importantly - resistant to the chemical effects of the coolant.
- Quite affordable price, which is especially beneficial given the high quality of these devices.
- The light weight of the structure makes it easy to mount aluminum heating radiators. The technical characteristics of this equipment are at a high level.
- They are very easy to care for - clean and wash.
- The devices are covered with a special heat-resistant coating that does not peel off.
- The design is thought out in such a way that the maximum amount of air is used with a relatively small surface.
- If desired, on aluminum radiators (the characteristics will become much better), you can install a thermal head that will allow you to control the temperature in the room.
- The room warms up very quickly, which is very important in winter.
Flaws
In addition to the obvious advantages, aluminum heating radiators, the technical characteristics of which were discussed above, also have certain disadvantages. One of them is the low resistance of the walls to sudden pressure drops in the heating system. The choice of a radiator model must be approached carefully. If, for example, they were produced for conditions in Italy, then for Russian realities their strength will be insufficient. Since here the pressure "jumps" stronger and more often. And sometimes it is several times higher than the standard value.
Another disadvantage is the high sensitivity to impurities contained in hot water. The quality of the coolant entering our heating systems leaves much to be desired. In the water, you can find mechanical impurities in the form of rust, sand, small stones. Contact with the inner walls of all this is the cause of corrosion. Increased acidity of the coolant can lead to rapid oxidation. This should be taken into account and timely change old devices to new aluminum radiators (characteristics are indicated above).
Causes of failure
It is known that in heating plants water undergoes alkaline preparation, and upon contactaluminum radiators with an alkaline environment, there is an active release of free hydrogen. In the absence of automatic degassing equipment, hydrogen accumulating inside aluminum radiators causes them to collapse.
Chemical reduction of hydrogen from the coolant occurs in all heating systems without exception. However, the air vents installed in the system cope with the discharge of the released gas without any problems. The aluminum alloy, from which heating devices are made, plays the role of a catalyst in such a reaction, as a result, the amount of hydrogen, as well as the reaction rate, increase many times.
Thus, even a slight violation in the operation of the heating system (the air vent is not open or clogged) can provoke an explosion of an aluminum radiator, both cast and extruded. In this regard, in some situations, the use of aluminum heating devices is impractical.
Calculate the number of sections
If you chose to purchase an aluminum radiator, then you will be able to independently calculate how many sections you need to heat a particular room. It does not require any special math skills at all.
To calculate, you will need to know the power of the aluminum radiator (P), which, as a rule, is indicated in the technical data sheet, and you will also need to calculate the area of the heatedterritory (S). The calculation is made according to the following formula:
S × 100 / P=N, where N is the number of sections.
For example, the area of the room is 36 m2, for an aluminum radiator, the standard P value is 190 W. This way:
N=36 × 100 / 190=18, 95.
Thus, 19 sections will be required to heat our room.
