Homeowners wishing to improve the coziness and efficiency of their living areas frequently opt for collector heating systems. These systems enable accurate heating control throughout a private home by utilizing a central distribution point known as a manifold or collector. This technique provides a customized approach to heating that takes into account each home’s particular layout and requirements.
The versatility of collector heating is one of its main benefits. Whether you choose to use radiators, underfloor heating, or a mix of heating techniques, the system can be customized to meet the unique needs of every room. This helps to optimize energy consumption, which may result in lower utility bills, in addition to guaranteeing a steady and comfortable temperature.
Although installing a collector heating system may seem difficult at first, it’s actually quite simple once you know the fundamentals. The tubes or pipes that connect the collector to different areas of the house make up the majority of the system. They are in charge of uniformly dispersing heat by transporting heated water or another medium. The home’s temperature can be easily adjusted and fine-tuned thanks to the centralized control.
The advantages of selecting a collector-based configuration, when taking into account the cost of a heating system, include increased comfort and energy efficiency. This system is also suitable with renewable energy sources, like solar panels, which makes it a green choice for the homeowner who cares about the environment. Consulting a professional when planning your heating setup can offer insights and guarantee that your heating system is installed to the highest standards, precisely tailored to the needs of your home.
Manifold heating, another name for collector heating systems, is a flexible and effective method of controlling the heat distribution in a private home. By controlling and directing the flow of hot water to different zones or rooms using a central manifold, this method enables the adjustment of the temperature in each space independently. This system’s adaptability makes it particularly well-suited for contemporary homes with differing heating requirements. It gives homeowners precise control over their heating, which enhances comfort and may result in lower energy expenses. Collector heating systems offer a smart, customized solution for complete home heating by adjusting heat distribution based on individual room usage and preferences.
- Constructive features
- Features of the device of collectors
- Types of connections
- Heating "Warm Paul"
- Radiator heating
- Solar heating
- Assembly of a collector unit
- Let"s start with the distribution of contours
- We go to the assembly
- Advantages and disadvantages of collector heating of the house
- Advantages
- Flaws
- The main components of the system
- Collector heating of a two -story house
- Basic principles
- Choosing pipes
- Do -it -yourself collector heating system (diagram)
- The pluses of the system
- The disadvantages of the device
- Basic design rules
- System installation in a private house
- How to make a choice of pipes?
- Pipes for a private house
- Pipes in multi -storey buildings
- Pipes for cottages
- The main stages when installing a system with your own hands
Constructive features
There are several benefits to the collector heating system. In addition to providing the room with uniform heating, this equipment allows the amount of thermal energy supplied in a single room to be adjusted. Consequently, this lowers the price of obtaining energy resources. Furthermore, the temperature regulation equipment for radiator heating allows for temperature control and adjustment, resulting in more efficient and better heating.
Prior to beginning the process of assembling a private home’s collector heating system by hand, you should educate yourself on all the details pertaining to this block’s design and installation characteristics.
Features of the device of collectors
- Each of the bouncers of the comb (that’s what builders call it) is equipped with a ball valve, which allows you to cut off the heating devices without impact on the overall heating system.
- The camshaft of heating, made with your own hands, is tied with a single or double-circuit highway.
- Wiring the heat circuit from the collector installation is carried out either in the floor surface or in the wall overlap, after which heat exchangers are connected.
- In the event that the thermal circuit is located in a concrete screed, then the radiators must be equipped with Maevsky taps or special valves for air removal from the system.
Both the upper and lower connections of the heat pipeline can be bound using a gas or electric boiler; however, only the lateral connections can be bound for solid fuel heaters.
Video: Installing the collector heating system’s radiators
Types of connections
Numerous kinds of heating nodes can be utilized with a DIY heating camshaft.
Heating "Warm Paul"
You can do without wall radiators if you take the calculation of the heating system very seriously. How? Putting a thermal line straight into the floor surface is all that is needed. The actual contours are arranged in three different ways: like a snake, snail, and double snake. No matter the location of the property, this option can peacefully take over as the primary heating source for the home, even though many people are used to centralized heating.
Radiator heating
This heating option is connected to the distribution blocks diagonally (entry from above, exit on the opposite end of the battery from below), from the side, from below, and from above. The lower connection is used most of the time. First of all, the pipeline is not visible because it is buried under the floor; secondly, the floor surface itself was heated for the same reason as the heat exchangers.
In order to avoid warming the floor, some homeowners are wiring the thermal circuit beneath their skirting boards.
Solar heating
A novel and uncommon method for establishing cozy indoor temperature conditions. It’s true that specific equipment is needed. However, once more, if you can perform computations with competence, you can operate the solar-powered heating system device. Indeed, this approach is not ideal as the primary source of thermal energy, but as a bonus feature—please use this.
Assembly of a collector unit
You must choose the type of pipeline that will be used to strain the heating circuit before you build a collector by hand.
To heat both private homes and apartments, there are various primary types of pipes that can be utilized:
- Stainless or galvanized pipes. They have a lot of advantages compared to other models, but at the same time their cost is extremely high, so not all homeowners can afford such an expensive pleasure.
- Pipe from stitched polyethylene. The cheapest option and the most not reliable. Of course, it can be used to bind the heating nodes, but its service life is extremely low.
- Polypropylene. Relatively inexpensive and very high -quality material from which pipes are produced. And with the correct installation, the life of such pipes reaches half a century.
- Metal -plastic. More expensive material, which is also widely used as an element of strapping thermal systems.
Think about creating a polypropylene collector by hand. Furthermore, the comb’s functionality is unaffected by the kind of material.
Let"s start with the distribution of contours
Skilled professionals recommend showing distinct highways to these types of heaters:
- The “warm floor” installations using hot water as a coolant – for each room along one separate line;
- Heating of rooms, the temperature conditions in which differ from other rooms, regardless of which direction;
- warming up a single floor or wing of the house.
Regarding the comb’s geometric dimensions, it should be light and adjustable at a reasonable price, with enough flexibility to fit into a wall floor niche. The ideal spacing between the forces is between 100 and 150 mm, and between the feed and reverse collector blocks, it is between 200 and 300 mm. Of course, each situation is unique, and these measurements are modifiable. But keep in mind that using this device should be convenient for you.
The ½-inch diameter pipeline is used to connect heat exchangers. A 1-1/2-inch pipe is used for the comb itself, in accordance with the heater nozzles’ diameter.
We go to the assembly
A special soldering tool is required if you want to build a polypropylene heating collector by hand. If no one is using your tools, they can be rented from a specialist retailer.
How-to video: Warm floor and radiator heating collector installation instructions
The comb is constructed from leftover pieces of pipe and strapped with fittings. Trigemic compounds 32/32/16 mm and an Ø32 mm pipeline, soldered through the apparatus, are used for the supply and return of the collector installation.
A 32/32/32 tee is fitted to one end of the pipe, to which the air valve for air descent is attached to the upper end and the drain valve to the lower end. A feed or return pipe is connected to the introductory valve on the opposite end of the comb, which detects heat from a heating element.
16 mm defects at the feed have locking valves installed, and a costume is present on the return. The camshaft is housed in a unique nook that has a collector cabinet installed for heating.
Your home will have comfortable temperatures if the collector unit’s wiring is done correctly.
Video: Heating up collectively
Advantages and disadvantages of collector heating of the house
Radiator management is severely restricted by the heating system’s sequential connection, despite the fact that it is thought to be more cost-effective during installation. A private home’s collector heating system offers a greater range of options in this regard because each battery is connected to a single source. This enables you to completely turn off or set the desired temperature on any radiator. The foundation is the collector, or comb, a tiny section of the pipe with outputs for every heating element.
Advantages
The simplicity of use is this sissy’s primary benefit. Heating devices are used in the most comfortable way possible:
- The temperature of each element is adjustable in a single place. Being next to the central node, a person can reduce heat supply to the desired register or completely block it. This makes it possible to control the heating of any separate room.
- Each branch extending from the center nourishes only the only heating device. Therefore, for the connection, small diameter pipes are used. Most often they fit into the concrete screed of the floor, which allows you to additionally heat the room.
- If necessary, it can become a node with which several outlines of the contours are formed at once, characterized by the heating temperature. For this, a special collector (hydraulic shotgun) has a large pipe diameter is used.
- The installation of this option is slightly different from the usual. It involves the laying of small circuits between the supply of heat and the reverse line.
Flaws
Consider the following fundamental drawbacks before installing a system of that kind in your home:
- To connect all the components, a much larger pipe is used than with a sequential connection. The larger the area of the house, the more difficult the wiring plan. This increases the difference in costs.
- Ordinary one- or two-pipe heating is usually mounted on the walls. In the same case, such mounting will not be aesthetic.
- The location of the carts in the screed has one important factor – there should be no seams or connections. After all, this is a potential leakage place. And opening a concrete floor is an unpleasant venture.
- The water circuit in total has great resistance, especially when heating a two -story house. Especially when mounting narrow pipes. You can forget about natural circulation right away, because a small difference is definitely not enough. The output is obvious – a powerful pump.
- Using several contours at once, usually forces you to install the same number of pressure systems. All this increases the consumable part not only at the time of installation, but also during use.
- Connecting compulsory circulation automatically makes the system dependent on electricity. Any problems with this type of energy can lead to failure of heating with an absolutely working boiler.
The main components of the system
The collector heating system is made up of the following main components:
Collector heating of a two -story house
It’s critical to realize that a one- or two-story building is essentially unchanged by a collector heating scheme. Radiators, pipes, an expansion tank, and a boiler are also present. Naturally, there will be more of the last two in a two-story building.
The coolant’s fluidity and pressure are crucial. A two-story building’s heating system cannot rely on the liquid’s autonomous movement. The system needs to be set up within the system. And not in one project, but in some.
Water is thus supplied to the heater by the pump that is mounted on the return pipe, and from there it is sent to the collector. All the locations that require coolant are supplied with it from this location. The appropriate collector is reached by going through the reverse pipes further. The cycle is then carried out again.
Basic principles
Every individual project calls for a unique strategy for the design and implementation of a private home heating system. In this instance, experts continue to abide by distinct points of agreement. Thus, for instance, it is highly discouraged to use this system in apartments as the project is nearly impossible to execute in such small spaces.
Typically, two or more risers enter a separate room in multi-story buildings. Each has multiple heating devices connected to it. It is necessary to connect each radiator to a single riser in order to execute the parallel plan. Put another way, all of the heat supply channels overlap, with the exception of the one that is used to hang radiators. Making such a choice may result in the neighbors above simply freezing because they won’t get enough heat.
Only the owners of the private home will have an impact on a comparable location. The most important thing is to consider the following features:
- Automatic air valve is placed directly on the reception collector and filing. It is they who allow all the air from the system.
- The expansion tank is always mounted in the circuit. Its capacity should not be less than 10% of the total fluid in the system. The price of these devices is relatively small to save. And an increase in the volume of the fluid in the system during heating is mandatory.
- The optimal area for installing an expansion tank is a reverse supply highway without reaching the pump. This is due to the structure of the structure of these devices. They do not tolerate turbulence in the stream. At the indicated place, such phenomena are just the least expected.
- The installation of circulation pumps is an unprincipled issue. But in the case of use, experts recommend choosing a reverse line for installation. In this place, the fluid temperature is minimal, which favorably affects the duration of the mechanism service.
Crucial! You must ensure that the shaft is in a horizontal position when installing the pump. If not, there might be some issues with the work.
Choosing pipes
I should talk separately about the choice of pipes when it comes to collector heating in any private home. You must comprehend the wiring’s specifics in order to make a decision. The primary factors influencing the decision are:
- It is better to give preference to pipes in bays. This allows you to lay wiring in the screed without any compounds.
- They should in no case be afraid of corrosion. In addition, so that these elements have a long service life. And the reason is one: an unplanned replacement of pipes and major repairs will not like the owner of the house in the future.
- The strength is selected depending on the heating parameters. Typically, in a private house, a temperature of 50 to 75 degrees and pressure up to 2 atmospheres is considered optimal. But for warm floors there may be less: from 30 to 40.
Efficiency and safety when operating the system are ensured by properly installed collector heating wiring. The minimal amount of connections results in a minimal percentage of leakage. Furthermore, the option of hidden wiring seems appealing and won’t go against the overall aesthetics. It is also undeniable that controlling the temperature in each room is far more convenient in this manner. People who value their personal comfort will be highly valued by such a system.
Do -it -yourself collector heating system (diagram)
An alternate kind of wiring can be used in addition to a collector or consistent scheme. The collector, which is self-governing, is connected to several small circuits, but the heating components within the contour are wired in a particular order.
The pluses of the system
Convenient use is a system’s main benefit.
- You can carry out centralized adjustment of a separate contour. The collector provides the supply of the desired temperature to each register separately. You can also completely stop supplying heat to the radiator. Thus, the desired temperature will be set in each room.
- Each branch extending from the collector produces a feeding of one radiator. Therefore, when laying the highway, pipes with a small diameter are used. As a rule, the highway fits into the base of concrete. In this case, the floor is heating.
- Using the collector, you can easily create a number of independent contours with various temperature rates. For this purpose, a hydraulic shotgun is used (a variety of a collector). The inner diameter of her pipe is large.
- The collector heating system is installed extraordinary. Short contours are created between the supply of hot water and the highways with the opposite direction. The water heated in the boiler constantly circulates the contours. In this case, the selection of hot coolant at various distances from the collector is possible, thereby ensures the temperature difference even in a separate room. This option is applicable with a complex heating of the room using generally accepted systems and warm floors.
The disadvantages of the device
The collector-ray heating system has not been widely utilized, despite the scheme’s wide range of management opportunities. This can be attributed to several factors.
- Increased consumption of main pipes. The more complicated the design of the dwelling, the more pipes you need. Increased installation costs are also the causes of the infrequent use of the system.
- Traditional heating configurations are subject to installation both in open and closed version. Many highways are laid only under the floor. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting an ugly interior in which pipes will prevail. The consumption of material during installation on the walls also increases significantly.
- A prerequisite for installing an eyeliner in concrete screed is the lack of joints. Each place of connection provokes a breakthrough in the pipe. The further prospect of destruction of the floor for the repair of the pipe is not pleasing to anyone. In addition, the cost of restoration will be large.
- The hydraulic resistance of the system with a large number of pipelines increases significantly. Especially with a small indicator of the diameter of the highways. Therefore, gravitational heating models in this case are not used. Only forced diagram of hot water circulation is suitable.
- When using several independent heating circuits for each separately, a pump for circulation is mounted. Otherwise, the scheme will not function. Hence the additional costs of cash flow.
- In any case, the system is powered by electricity, since it cannot work without a heating pump. If the supply of electricity is stopped, then you will have to provide additional autonomous supply.
Every shortcoming, in one form or another, is translated into extra expenses. It is safe to say that the majority of affordable options do not apply to the collector heating system.
Basic design rules
There are general guidelines that all experts agree upon regarding the collector heating system, the design of which is not submitted by specific standards of planning and installation. For instance, a system like this is in no way capable of heating apartments. This is a result of the project’s complexity.
In a multi-story building, risers—two or more—are usually brought up to the apartment. Each of them has one or two heating devices attached to it. All of the radiators in an apartment must be connected to a single riser in order to execute the plan. This means that every other channel of heat supply is brewing. The entire weight should be carried by one riser.
This kind of solution will result in an inadequate supply of heat for the above-mentioned heating devices. The plan will need to be redone because residents will start to freeze, making it easy for them to identify the cause of this phenomenon.
System installation in a private house
Private homes are best suited for the collector heating system. In this instance, several noteworthy professional recommendations are considered:
- Automated valve, which serves as an air withdrawal, is always installed on the retracts. All air flows pass through them.
- The contour implies the installation of an expansion tank. The indicator of its volume should be not lower than 10 % of the total amount of water in the system. A larger indicator is also possible. The cost of such devices is high.
- The choice of a suitable place for installing a tank for expansion. It is mounted on the highway with a reverse supply before a circulating pump. The reason for such a strict requirement is the design features of expansion devices based on membranes. They cannot stand turbulence in water flows.
- The location of the pumps for water circulation in such systems is not a fundamental. However, the best choice will be the highway with the reverse filing. This is due to the fact that the temperature of the coolant is low. This ensures prolonged operation of the device.
- When installing the pump, it is important that the shaft is in a horizontal position. Otherwise, malfunctions in the operation of the system will be observed.
How to make a choice of pipes?
What pipes should be used for the collector heating system is a question that many have. They also follow several guidelines when selecting them.
Give up selecting from pipes that are offered in bays. By doing this, wiring that is installed beneath the screed will not need to be connected.
So that you don’t have to replace the pipes too soon, the pipes should be resistant to rust.
The pipes’ strength is chosen based on the heating system’s operational parameters.
Pipes for a private house
The following specifications work well for radiators in private homes: 1.5 atm of pressure and 50–75 °C of water. With the same pressure indicator, 30–40 °C will be adequate for warm floors.
Pipes in multi -storey buildings
When installing a collector system in apartment buildings (this option is very rare), the working pressure indicator should be 10-15 atm. At the permissible temperature of the water carrier 110–120 ° C. Taking into account these parameters, pipes are selected. In an apartment building, a corrugated stainless steel pipe becomes an obvious champion. For example, a pipe from the Korean manufacturer Kofulso is able to function with an indicator of 110 ° C and a working pressure up to 15 atm. The pipe is distinguished by flexibility. The assembly of the connection is simple: the pipe is inserted into the fitting, where it is fixed with a nut that clamps the corrugated surface with silicone sealing.
Pipes for cottages
For cottages, the use of their stainless steel pipes is not the most economical option. In this case, the stitched PE-X polyethylene was popular material for radiation wiring in this case. Pipes are sold in bays 200 m. They are capable of working at a temperature of 95 ° C with a short increase to 110 ° C and at an atmospheric pressure of 10 kgf/cm2. Fitings are made from brass. Sometimes they are plastic fittings with a stop ring dressing. Sewed polyethylene has a mechanical memory: when stretching the material with a special extender and inserting into the lumen of the fitting after a while, a tight compression of the pipe occurs. Stop ring will provide additional connection. The pipe can be laid in the screed, but the connections are better to arrange above the floor.
The main stages when installing a system with your own hands
A lot of people are curious about how to build a collector heating system by hand.
Take into consideration, for instance, the installation of a floor boiler in a private home that was done in the basement. A private home’s collector heating system is constructed with your hands on a 5 cm-thick concrete screed.
The boiler’s supply and return are connected to metal pipes with a 32 mm diameter.
On the feed pipe is an expansion tank with a closed structure.
The feed pipe then has a collector installed on it. The return pipe has a circulation pump installed on it.
The pump has cranes mounted on both sides. When the pump fails, they offer a fast replacement. You can avoid using the coolant drain in this situation.
On the return pipe, a crane is fixed to guarantee the system’s functionality. The reverse pipe is joined by the collector.
Installing a special cabinet in the basement is not required. On a metal corner, collectors can be noted.
There are built-in taps on every collector discharge that let you turn off the radiators individually.
It is possible to install radiant wiring on the ceiling in the basement. Here, metal pipes are employed. An aluminum-plastic pipe was used to connect the heating rays to the collectors.
The pipes that connect the heating device to the floor slabs are drilled with holes in them. Another tool used to connect radiators to heating rays is a metal-plastic pipe.
For homeowners wishing to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their individual homes, collector heating systems are a wise investment. These systems, which use a network of pipes to distribute heat evenly throughout a house, are renowned for their capacity to maintain constant temperatures and lessen hot or cold spots in different rooms. This improves living conditions and is especially helpful in places where winters are severe.
Compatibility with a variety of energy sources, such as solar and geothermal, is one of collector heating’s most notable benefits. This can result in large utility bill savings. By incorporating these renewable energy sources, homeowners lower their household’s carbon footprint while simultaneously saving money and protecting the environment. With more people looking for sustainable living options, this component of collector heating is becoming more and more significant.
Additionally, the system’s adaptable design enables customization to meet the unique requirements of a home. Collector heating can be customized to fit the space without requiring extensive or intrusive installation work, whether it is a new build or a retrofit. Collector heating is a desirable option for future-proofing a home because of its adaptability, efficiency, and potential for integrating smart home technologies.
To sum up, installing a collector heating system can have long-term advantages such as improved comfort, lower energy bills, and higher property value. It is a solid option that fits with both current requirements and upcoming trends in home heating for homeowners who place a high value on efficiency and sustainability.