How to choose a gas boiler for heating

Faced with the dilemma of which gas boiler to choose for heating a house in order to provide yourself with heat in severe frosts, you need to know a number of important nuances. When choosing equipment, you need to rely on the parameters of the device so that in the future you do not have to overpay 2 times more and have an incomplete boiler at your disposal. He will not cope with the task of heating a country house when the cold comes.

It is for this reason that we decided to devote an article to fully disclose the question of how to choose a gas boiler for heating a private house. It is proposed to weigh all the pros and cons so as not to face subsequent disappointment. We are ready to share with you information on the main criteria for choosing a boiler. Our recommendations are supplemented with photos, as well as advice from experienced specialists in the field.

Gas boiler purchase parameters

If the house does not have centralized heating and hot water supply, it becomes necessary to think about creating an autonomous system. The main element in this case will be the boiler, due to which fuel is burned and the coolant is heated for the heating system, water for domestic use. The choice in favor of gas equipment will be conditioned by the economical use of gas as fuel. The rest of the options for combustible fuel will cost more in terms of price or will give off much less heat. Along with this, modern heaters do not need constant supervision. You can make a connection to the installation of a main pipe or a cylinder so that it works as long as there is something to burn.

The use of natural gas is a cost-effective solution, both in terms of fuel and operating consumption. This option is really good for private sector equipment. But in order for the gas boiler to work correctly, performing the options in the optimal mode, it is worthwhile to tackle its selection as carefully as possible, taking into account the really important criteria. Along with this, you will be able to regularly service it without problems when there is already a perfect connection.

Today, many models of equipment are known, the main difference of which lies in the functionality and special modules located inside. The purchase of a heating unit that runs on gas should be approached as thoughtfully as possible. Do not expect that the first model that comes to your eyes will subsequently please you with its work and will not disappoint in practice.

The main criteria for buying a gas boiler

So, it is recommended to pay attention to the power indicator that the device gives out. The layout solution is also important. Those. how many circuits, what type of housing, as well as the material of the heat exchanger itself. Please note that the place for the installation of equipment is important, the presence of automation.This will allow you to safely operate the device.

Each of the presented questions has a close relationship with each other. If there is no place for installing a large-sized unit, but you want to mount a device with an aesthetic appearance in the kitchen, then choose wall-mounted options. Such models are characterized by lower power properties than floor-standing gas heating boilers. The need to heat hot water for the washbasin and shower forces you to pay attention to options equipped with 2 circuits.

When choosing a heater, remember that in the future you will still have to resort to repairs. For this reason, it is better if a workshop for service support of the model is located nearby. If this is not the case, then it is better to look for another option. Otherwise, there will be some kind of difficulties in the future.

Material and design features of the heat exchanger

The choice of an internal heat exchanger must be thought out to the smallest detail. Water will move along it inside, but heat energy acts from the outside, which has a very powerful temperature flow with high properties.

The material of production of the device must have strong properties, but at the same time not lose the properties of thermal conductivity. The more he manages to transfer heat, which is formed as a result of the combustion of gas to the coolant, the higher the efficiency of the installation will be.

Today modern manufacturers are engaged in the production of gas boilers with heat exchangers made of stainless steel, cast iron, copper. Due to the lack of susceptibility to corrosive deposits from contact with water, cast iron has the highest durability properties. But keep in mind that it has very large weight properties. If the application is incorrect, then it is possible that it will simply burst in the area of ​​the border of areas with different temperatures. To prevent this from happening, it is worth rinsing it as often as possible.

The steel heat exchanger is very common in our country. For the price, this is a cheaper option than copper or cast iron devices. Plus, the metal has good plastic properties, and therefore the likelihood of cracking will be much less. But steel in the heating circuit corrodes quickly enough. This cannot be attributed to copper. It is resistant to corrosion processes and has better thermal conductivity properties. The heat exchanger from it is not very heavy, differs in size of compactness. But keep in mind that this option costs a lot of money, and therefore the purchase will not be available to everyone who wants it.

In the first channel of the bithermal heat exchanger, water is heated for heating, while the second channel is for hot water supply. Inside the structure, the coil can be made both bithermal and conventional. The first circulates simultaneously along two circuits, and the second - only one.

Today, manufacturers equip 2-circuit boilers with a pair of conventional heat exchangers or one, but bithermal solution. At the expense of the price, it should be noted that the second option is cheaper.

Unit location

Installation of gas boilers involves installation on the floor or on the wall. If we talk about the first option, then such models are called floor-standing, they have large dimensions. Often, they have steel heat exchangers or are made of cast iron. The options perform well when considering the value for money of the equipment. Wall-mounted options are weaker in terms of power.

The main disadvantage of floor-standing options is that they weigh pretty well. If you need a unit with a high power, then you cannot do without installing equipment on the floor. Modifications of the hinged plan are weaker in terms of power properties. The choice must be made based on personal needs.If you equip heating in a private house, then you need to use a powerful boiler, but a less efficient device with compact dimensions is also suitable for a city apartment.

Wall mounted gas boilers are light weight, low power rating. Those. you can equip a cottage with a small area and heat it without problems. Unlike floor-standing models, which can function without being connected to electricity, mounted options are considered to be volatile. They are effective, in practice they are comfortable and please with their extended functionality as regards setting up equipment. In the event of a power outage, the devices will not be able to work, and therefore both light and heat will disappear. This is their main disadvantage.

We advise you nevertheless to pay attention to a non-volatile floor boiler equipped with a mechanical control. There will be no problems in installing and connecting with it, there are no displays, programmable thermostats. But the device is capable of generating heat, even if there is a complete disconnection of the cottage from electricity. The service life of such models is much longer than that of wall-mounted devices.

Choosing a boiler for hot water supply and heating a house: basic subtleties

Modern equipment has a stylish external solution, and also has a number of different sensors. He can do the job, even in different modes. But the promoted gas boiler, which is so widely advertised today, is not a guarantee that the model is the best and in the future will please with its uninterrupted operation. When choosing an option, it is worth not only studying the design, but also paying attention to the functionality.

All gas boilers have a combustion chamber with a heat exchanger and a burner inside the body. But keep in mind that there are options where modules of a different solution or a circulation pump are presented. Initially, the gas in the burner is to be ignited by an electronic system or a piezoelectric element. Due to this, the water in the firebox heats up during combustion, taking into account the heat exchanger. It will go to the heating circuit. It is in these properties that the functioning of single-circuit models of the classical type lies. To prepare hot sanitary water, choose 2-circuit boilers or connect the boiler.

Types of boilers

With an open combustion chamber

Used to support the fire, the air that comes out of the room. The outlet is in the form of natural draft using a chimney.

The device is capable of burning a lot of oxygen, and therefore its installation should be carried out in a room where there is a 3-fold air exchange. The device is not suitable for installation in an apartment, because ventilation wells are not allowed in multi-storey buildings.

With a closed combustion chamber

For devices where the firebox has a closed view, it is not required to carry out installation in a specially equipped room. The chamber is sealed and does not come into contact with the inner air space. Instead of the classic chimney device, a horizontal coaxial version is used. It is presented as a tube in a tube. When one end is attached at the top to the appliance, and the other is through the wall and goes out into the area outside. The chimney's operation is simple.

For units with a closed firebox, there is no need for a specially equipped room, since their chamber is sealed and does not come into direct contact with the inner air space. Air enters through the outer cavity of the 2-pipe product, and gas that has already been exhausted leaves through the inner hole due to the electric fan.

The device can be installed in a house, apartment, as well as in a room that is convenient for use.

Single-circuit

Here is a classic. This is a boiler with a local purpose - the preparation of a heat carrier for the heating system. Its main feature is the fact that the structure among the many elements is represented by only 2 tubes.One of them is needed for the inlet of cold water, the second for the outlet of hot liquid.

The design includes a heat exchanger, a burner and a pump that pumps the coolant. In the case of natural circulation, the pump may not be present in the device.

When installing DHW, an indirect heating boiler is installed to the CO system. Today you can find models that are successfully combined with the drive.

Double-circuit

This device is much more complex in design. He has 1 ring for heating, the second for hot water supply. The design can have 2 separate heat exchangers, 1 for each system, or 1 joint bithermal one, which consists of a metal body, an outer tube for CO and an inner one for installing DHW.

When the water is heated, it is supplied to the radiators. When you turn on the mixer, for example, a sink, the flow sensor will turn on. For this reason, the circulating pump will turn off, it will stop working, like the heating system. The hot water circuit will begin to function, but when the tap is closed, the previous mode will turn on.

The presence of contours

To organize heating in the house, it is recommended to pay attention to the single-circuit model.

It is also an appropriate solution if you need a heater to supply hot water to the tap above the sink. A gas heating unit and pipes of the heating system, underfloor heating, hot water supply, will need a boiler with several circuits.

When connecting a boiler with indirect heating, it is worth using a single-circuit boiler. In this case, it will be necessary to branch the pipe into the area of ​​the container with heated water. In technical terms, such schemes have received permission, but the heat exchanger, which is presented in a single value, will function at increased load. Water for hot water supply and heating can be heated in 2 separate single-circuit boilers or with 2 circular circuits (+).

Many 2-circuit units heat up hot water for domestic use by means of a flow-through method, and this is not a very economical solution.

The best option would be to install a boiler tank or give preference to a gas boiler, which has a built-in water heater with a large volume. Each of these options makes it possible to heat about 1 cubic meter of water and maintain the temperature at a high level for a sufficiently long time. Devices with 1 circuit can be used for apartments or the arrangement of summer cottages where people do not live on a permanent basis. It is also an appropriate option for a home where 2-3 family members live. For a plot of a private house with several floors, a heated pool or underfloor heating system, it is recommended to give preference to a 2-circuit boiler that runs on gas.

Determine the combustion chamber, burner and type of ignition

To maintain the combustion process of gas in the boiler device, oxygen is required. He can be in the firebox, both from the street and from the room. In the first case, the heater must be equipped with an atmospheric air inflow burner of a natural plan, but in the second case, it must be closed with forced pumping of it.

Combustion chambers

Today it is customary to distinguish between 2 types of combustion chambers. It is open and closed. In the first case, oxygen to support the flame will be taken directly from the room where the heating equipment is located, while the closed case provides for the ingress of air for burning gas into the furnace from the street through a coaxial chimney. It can also be accessed through an additional ventilation pipe.

In order to correctly determine which version of the gas boiler is the best with a closed chamber and a turbo burner or an open furnace model and an atmosphere burner, it is worth understanding that the second case needs to create a chimney, which will be 5-6 m in height.All this will allow provide natural traction.

But keep in mind that it is not always possible to bring such a pipe to the roof, this can be difficult.

Due to natural draft, in the open version of the chamber, an inflow of air and removal of combustible gases is formed. But in the case of a closed version, these processes will proceed with a built-in fan. To heat an apartment, you need to choose a gas boiler that is equipped with an air blower and a coaxial chimney. It will have high efficiency, and the device is much easier to install. This is a volatile option where the fan is running, but the lack of voltage in the electrical network will cause it to stop. We recommend that you do not be left without heat at some point, take care of an uninterruptible power supply or a backup-type electric generator.

An open chamber heater is best installed in rooms where no one lives on a permanent basis. Those. annex, boiler room in the basement. At the same time, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the ventilation device itself in the room. In some cases, forced ventilation may be required or there will not be enough oxygen to efficiently burn natural gas.

The closed version has a high efficiency, it is not capable of burning oxygen in the room, but this is only one side of the coin. Such boilers are much more expensive in price, and they depend on the operation of the electrical network. If there is no light, then the gas heater with ignition will turn off from electricity.

In the case when there are problems with the uninterrupted supply of electricity, it is better to prefer equipment endowed with a piezo ignition, which simply does not need electricity to function.

List of manufacturers of gas boilers: which brand to give preference to

The device of a heating system with effective properties should begin from the moment of purchase of the device. One of the nuances is that the unit is manufactured by a company with an excellent reputation, which has positively established itself in the market. We analyzed user reviews on the Web and comments from professionals before submitting this list. Manufacturing firms that were able to deservedly gain credibility: Protherm, Vaillant, Buderus, Bosch and Baxi.

These are the best brands that delight with their wide assortment. Users have resorted to buying their offers for the first year, remaining satisfied. Make a choice in favor of one of the models, taking into account all the information that you learned from the article.

Electronic filling

So that in the future there are no problems with using the boiler, pay attention to the filling when buying. Manufacturers delight with a lot of options, which greatly facilitate the process of using gas heating equipment.

The remote control with sensors makes it possible to track the temperature regime in the rooms and adjust the operation of the device. You can independently choose the mode that seems optimal to you.

The power is regulated, both smoothly with flame modulation, and one-stage, two-stage. As for prices, the cheapest option is one-stage. It is equipped with an on and off button. In this case, the power indicators of the boiler will not be regulated at all. The burner is either on or off.

If we talk about models with two-stage regulation, then they provide for the presence of a pair of operating modes that differ in terms of different power. The optimal gas boilers will be units with a modulator, if you rely on this parameter. Due to it, it is necessary to smoothly regulate the intensity of fuel combustion. Automation will depend on the water consumption, as well as the temperatures that are set by the owner. It independently turns on the required number of burners by adjusting the flame height.

To ensure safety, it is customary to equip heaters with such attributes as a pressure control sensor in the gas main, a circuit with pumping water, and an expansion tank. The flame attenuation is also monitored by sensors, there is a blocking system if an emergency occurs, for example, fire, power outage, smoke.Water purification filters, overheating thermostats, pressure relief valves are no exception.

The presented automation is necessary in order to secure the heating equipment and protect it from damage that is possible in case of emergency situations. This will also increase the efficiency of the boiler.

The presence of smart automation makes it possible not only to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room, but also to reduce gas consumption. You can configure the device so that, in the absence of people in the house, it does not waste a lot of resources, and half an hour before their arrival, it turns on the temperature regime to a comfortable level.

Boiler power indicators

If you turn to the technical documentation, then you will find out what rated power a gas boiler has. Before purchasing the device, calculate the heat demand of the room. Most often, the manufacturer indicates there the data of the quadrature of the room, which the boiler can heat.

In fact, all data is conditional. Without thermal calculations at home, which are carried out correctly, you should not choose a boiler. The calculation should take into account such indicators as the square of the building, configuration, type of heating system, climatic zone and other factors.

There is a special recommendation, which says that the average boiler capacity should be 1 kW per 10 sq. M. But in fact, if you turn to practice, you will understand that the indicator is not able to reflect reality.