Gas convector with their own hands

Comparable electric equipment is far more popular than gas convectors. First of all, because installing this equipment necessitates having a cylinder of gas or a centralized gas supply. Electric equipment is also safer. A gas convector is a great way to keep a regular microclimate in a country or dacha house, though, because gas devices operate more affordably. The installation and usage of a gas convector that you can install yourself is the subject of today’s article.

What is a gas convector?

This is not a boiler in the traditional sense of the word, it should be stated up front. Instead of heating the heating medium, the appliance heats the air in the space. Furthermore, gas convectors are used in a slightly different field. These are employed to provide heating for small spaces where it is not always necessary. Put another way, a gas convector that you assemble yourself can only provide warmth for the space in which it is placed.

General device

A gas convector’s constituent parts are:

Heat exchanger, which heats the air in the room.
Programmer – a device for maintaining and controlling the air temperature.
Control panel with indicators.
Gas valve, which allows controlling the gas supply.
Fan – to supply air to the heat exchanger and valve.
Fan – for forced supply of heated air into the room.

Crucial! The working principle is very straightforward. Convection is a physical phenomenon that serves as the basis for the device. Cooled air falls downward and heated air rises upward. The devices can operate using forced convection (in which case a special fan is included) or natural convection.

Advantages

The advantages of this type of heater are as follows:

Economical, fast heating of the room.
Easy installation, the gas convector can be installed with your own hands.
No need for water heating.
Reasonable price.
Unlike an electric appliance, gas – does not burn oxygen.
Autonomous operation mode.
No connection to the power grid.
Ability to connect the device to a gas cylinder.

Are there any disadvantages?

Minuses can also be obtained:

The need to obtain a permit to install the device.
The need to punch a through hole in the wall where the device is fixed.
Large size.

Crucial! If you choose to purchase multiple convectors, you will require a gas supply for each device, which is difficult to do.

Classification

There are two main categories of gas convectors: design and power. The capacity is fairly obvious. Selecting the appliance that can heat the space is essential.

Differentiating these heaters based on their design

Floor-mounted – installed on the floor. No special skills are needed to install the floor device. The appliance can heat fairly large rooms.

Crucial! The weight and requirement for a base are among the drawbacks.

Wall-mounted. This is a more compact variant. The appliance fits perfectly into the home interior. Most often it is mounted above a window to create a thermal curtain against cold air. The power of the devices is small. They are suitable for use in houses with an area of up to 100 "squares".

Crucial! There are built-in devices in addition to those that are mounted on the wall or the floor. They not only don’t ruin the interior, but they also have a lovely design. Convectors are identical to the wall-mounted version in terms of their specifications. A disadvantage is that installation can be challenging (you have to manually clear a space before installing a gas convector).

When selecting a convector, be sure to consider the heat exchanger’s material of construction. Cast iron, copper, or steel can be used.

Crucial! Steel is the most popular material, but a cast-iron heat exchanger is more robust and offers higher efficiency. Although copper heat exchangers are strong and efficient, they are expensive.

What you need to install the convector with your own hands?

Drill and drill bits.
Pipe cutter.
Allen wrench, wrenches.
Perforator.
Spatula.
Gas tap.
Silicone (high-temperature, sanitary).
Screwdriver.
Self-tapping screws, dowels.

Crucial! Selecting the location of the convector is the first step. Study the GOST thoroughly; it will tell you where the heater is supposed to be—under the window. Don’t be lazy. Given that the work at hand involves a lot of "dust," textiles should be used to cover all surfaces and furniture.

How to make a convector with your own hands: installation algorithm:

Determine the location of the gas pipe inlet hole.
According to the diameter of the exhaust pipe, drill a hole through the wall. A hammer drill is ideal for this.

It’s crucial! The most labor-intensive phase of the job is this one. There will be more dust than you would like and the hole will be fairly big.

Drill holes for fixing the heater, insert dowels into them.
Connect the exhaust pipe to the convector, seal the joint with silicone.
Fix the heater on the wall with self-tapping screws.

Crucial! You will need assistance at this point because the device is heavy.

Connection to the gas supply

Since this is the most important stage, it needs to be handled carefully. It is best to leave the work to the experts if you lack the necessary expertise. Hand-operated gas convector repair is also superfluous. This is a job for professionals.

An association is established based on the subsequent algorithm:

Making a diverter on the gas pipe. If a special diverter is available, you just need to screw a tap on the pipe.
Gas pipe connection to the convector. It is necessary to make sure that the fitting connection is flawless.
When laying the pipe, it must be fixed on clips at an interval of 1.0 m.
Call a gas service technician to check the connections.

Crucial! The following steps are involved in determining the quality of joints:

Open the gas faucet, check all joints for gas leaks. In this case, you can use a special device or an ordinary soap solution.
Start the convector. After ignition of the burner, adjust the parameters of the appliance.

The gas air heater more than makes up for its lack of popularity by covering the entire cost of installation and purchase. The only real drawback is that, unlike a traditional heating system with a boiler, it only heats one room—not the entire house.

You want the coziest, warmest atmosphere possible in your house at all times, right? To save costs and outfit the house with safe equipment, learn how to install a gas convector yourself. This article contains step-by-step instructions for installing a gas convector.

Installing a gas convector on your own

You will discover here:

Convectors that run on gas are not as common as those that run on electricity. Gas-powered devices are less safe and need a cylinder or a centralized gas supply. However, gas models are less expensive to operate, making them a great choice for a dacha or country home where continuous heating maintenance is not required.

What is a gas convector

It should be noted right away that a convector is not the same as a boiler. It operates on a different principle (heating the air in a particular room instead of the coolant) and has a slightly different range of applications. Gas heaters are typically found in small homes, where continuous heating is not required. Only the space in which they are installed can be heated by them.

What makes up a convector

The appliance’s design is simple and comprises the following features:

Diagram showing the forced convection mechanism in a typical gas convector with a fan.

A heat exchanger, which heats the air;
programmer – a device for controlling and maintaining the temperature in the room;
a control panel with various indicators;
gas valve for gas supply control;
a fan supplying air to the valve and heat exchanger;
a fan that provides forced supply of warm air into the room.

The working principle of a gas convector

The scheme makes it clear that everything is fairly easy to understand. The convector functions as a gas burner; cold air enters from the bottom, heats up, and then escapes through the top opening.

The gadget operates pretty simply: The phenomenon of convection, which causes heated air to rise and cold air to fall, underlies the operation’s basic idea. Both forced and natural convection can be used in gas model operation. In the latter scenario, air is supplied using a specialized fan.

Benefits and drawbacks

The cost of the device affects both its functionality and overall quality. If you choose an inexpensive model, you won’t save money because the gadget won’t last more than a year. In this case, repair will not be profitable. Thus, we will evaluate the benefits and drawbacks solely based on high-quality devices. Thus, advantages:

economical and fast heating of the room
simple installation of a gas convector with your own hands;
no need to make a heating system (water);
low price;
unlike their electric counterparts, gas models do not burn oxygen;
fully autonomous mode of operation;
not tied to electricity (except for convectors with forced circulation);
it is possible to connect the heater to a gas cylinder.

However, gas convectors do have some drawbacks:

If gas from the centralized system is used, it is mandatory to obtain permission to connect the device;
it is necessary to punch holes in the wall outward where the heater will be attached;
considerable dimensions;
if you decide to install several convectors, gas will have to be supplied to each of them, and only outside the building.

Both a device’s design and power level can be used to classify it. Selecting the one that can heat the room is obvious if everything else is clear. However, things get a little trickier when it comes to the different execution methods.

Two categories of heaters exist:

Models that are wall-mounted can blend in perfectly with any interior decor.

Floor – the devices are installed on the floor, do not require special skills and abilities in installation. Such a convector can heat a fairly large room (even an industrial one), but it has a heavy weight and requires a special foundation.
Wall-mounted – more compact models that fit well into the interior of the house. Often the devices are mounted under the window to create a thermal curtain from the cold air passing through the glass. Convectors of this type have a small capacity, so they are suitable only for heating rooms in houses up to 100 squares.

It’s important to consider the heat exchanger’s material when selecting a convector. The latter can be composed of copper, cast iron, or steel. Steel heat exchanger models are now more popular, but cast-iron heat exchangers are more efficient because of the alloy’s characteristics and can withstand more wear and tear. Their hefty weight is the only drawback. Analogs made of copper are costly but strong and efficient.

How to install a gas convector

Once you’ve selected and purchased a heater, you can move on to installing it. Make sure you have the following supplies and tools on hand:

The instruments needed to install a gas convector.

drill and drill bit set;
pipe cutter;
a set of wrenches and an adjustable wrench;
spatula;
perforator;
screwdrivers;
plumbing and high-temperature silicone;
dowels and self-tapping screws;
gas tap.

Once everything is prepared, you must decide where to put the convector. To ensure proper selection, use GOST. For the final one, installing a heater beneath the window is a must. Don’t be indolent when it comes to trying the device on at the designated location and marking it afterwards. The room has to be ready for the next step. Because there will be a lot of dust generated during the work process, the room needs to be covered.

Technical specifications for gas convector installation.

The following plan is followed during installation:

Determine the opening for the gas pipe inlet. Don"t forget to leave a distance for this very pipe and fitting to be brought in.
According to the diameter of the exhaust pipe it is necessary to drill a through hole in the wall with a perforator. This is the most difficult stage, as the hole is large, so the work will take a long time (depending on the wall and perforator), and there will be a lot of dust.
The next step is to drill holes for fixing the heater itself and hammer dowels into them.
Now connect the exhaust pipe to the convector and make the joint with silicone (capable of withstanding high temperatures).
The heater itself is fixed to the wall with self-tapping screws. Here you will need help from others, as the weight of the device is not insignificant.

Linkage to the gas supply

Pay close attention to this stage. It is best to leave the connection in the hands of experts if you are unsure of your abilities.

Installation needs to be done in line with the following plan:

The pipe must inevitably be conducted from the street in compliance with GOST.

If there is a special threaded outlet on the gas pipe, it will make life easier. You just need to screw the gas tap on the pipe. But if there is no outlet, it must be made by all means.
Next, connect the pipe to the convector. It is better to use metal plastic. The connection of the fittings must be perfect.
During the laying of the pipe every meter it must be fixed with special clips. This also requires drilling holes.
You should call a gas service employee to check the connections.

Make sure to contact the gas service to have the connections checked for leaks of gas before you turn on the appliance.

Following installation, the following should be tested:

First of all, open the gas tap, listen to all joints for possible leaks (you can use soapy water or a special device). If leaks are detected, close the tap and fix them.
After checking all the joints, start the convector. During the start-up, press the button for a minute to allow the gas to penetrate into the combustion chamber.
After the burner is lit, adjust the operation of the appliance.

One last thing

It is safe to say that the gas convector justifies its cost and the effort required for installation, even though it is not a very popular method of heating. This kind of gadget would be ideal for a country house where you go on winter vacations. The heater can power from a gas cylinder and warms the air in the room quickly. It is also more cost-effective than its electric counterpart. The fact that the device only heats one room—rather than all rooms, as the boiler with a heating system does—may be its lone serious drawback.

Everything there is to know about gas convectors, including how they work, their types, benefits and drawbacks, the tools needed to assemble one by hand, how to connect a gas source, and how to perform a test run.

What is important to know about gas convectors

Posted in Do-it-yourself repairs by admin August 26, 2017 0 87 Views

Principle of operation of gas convectors
What else is important to know?
Recommendations for installation
How to turn on a gas convector
Conclusion

There are frequently times when arranging heating is required for a country home or summer cottage that the owner occasionally visits. Simultaneously, affordable natural gas or bottled gas is accessible and ideal for use as an energy carrier.

It is costly and inconvenient to set up a traditional heating system with a gas boiler. Here, it makes sense to think about more straightforward heaters, like the gas convectors we’ll discuss in this article for liquefied gas and methane.

Principle of operation of gas convectors

These units are made for direct heat transfer to the room’s air, depending on the heating method. Propane from cylinders or regular natural gas is burned by the heater. The heated air masses that flow through the openings at the top and bottom of the enclosure allow air to circulate throughout the room. Convection is the term for the phenomenon that results from the difference in densities of the hot and cold media.

The air is driven outside through the upper slots by the heavier cold air flow as it heats up inside the unit casing from contact with the heat exchanger. This is how gas convectors work: an air heat exchanger heated by a gas burner serves as the heat source.

Typically, the device consists of a rectangular housing with a closed combustion chamber composed of cast iron or steel inside. It also functions as a heat exchanger.

The chamber is equipped with a burner that has a piezo ignition electrode and a separate igniter. A safety automation valve regulates the gas supply. In such situations, it either entirely shuts off the gas flow or adjusts the flow rate based on the temperature of the surrounding air:

lack of draught in the chimney;
burner extinction;
gas pressure drop in the mains.

As a point of reference. Italian EUROSIT or American HONEYWELL valves are fitted in homes with convectors that run on propane or natural gas.

Double-walled coaxial branch pipes are used to organize the air supply for combustion and remove flue gas from the street. The air from outside flows towards the combustion products between the pipe walls as they travel along the internal cross-section. As a result, flue gases stay outside of the room. Finally, a crucial point to remember is that most gas convectors can operate without a power grid connection.

What else is important to know?

Two types of these heating units can be distinguished based on their design:

wall-mounted;
floor convectors of fireplace type.

The installation technique is the sole distinction between these types; there are no underlying differences. Gas convection heaters are typically large, especially the floor-standing models. They will therefore protrude more than standard radiators when placed beneath windows.

The units’ comparatively low efficiency is another crucial point. A gas heater’s efficiency is limited to 87%, while condensing boilers can achieve up to 97% efficiency and conventional gas boilers can reach approximately 90%. This indicator serves as a cost of the design’s simplicity and lack of developed gas ducts.

Note: There are currently some slightly better convectors with a fan available for purchase. However, whenever one indicator improves, another immediately deteriorates: the room is filled with an incessant, bothersome noise caused by the blowing process.

Gas pipes from the main line must be distributed to the locations where the units are installed in order to supply fuel for convectors. There will inevitably be challenges when working with cylinder gas, particularly when there are multiple convectors.

Then, a gas ramp and cabinet must be built for them, where air heating will be available in the event of extreme cold. If not, there can be issues with the burner’s fuel supply.

Recommendations for installation

It is common knowledge that professionals from businesses with the necessary licenses are required to install gas convectors that use mainline methane. It is important to make this somewhat vague requirement clear: connecting to the gas supply network is the problem, not the installation.

Here, things are easier if you still choose to use cylinder gas as an energy carrier. Permits are not needed for the connection of propane heaters. However, it is highly advised that a specialist be involved in these projects, if only as a consultant. It will be useful to perform the unit’s initial startup and to verify that the connections are accurate and of good quality.

Advice: When purchasing a heater, confirm that the coaxial channel’s length will be sufficient for it to fit through your wall.

A round hole in the wall with the proper diameter must be made before the gas convector is installed. The device is then fixed to the wall or the floor in accordance with the operating manual. The external temperature sensor with capillary tube needs to be moved from the transport position to the operating position in certain heater models. All that’s left to do is attach the fuel supply line to the device’s inlet.

Vital. Gas supply for floor and wall convectors must meet a specified pressure, as detailed in the product data sheet. As a result, a pressure reducer adjusted to this pressure should organize the fuel supply from the cylinders.

How to turn on a gas convector

Once more, it is advised that a specialist handle the unit’s initial startup. You are able to use the equipment safely on your own after he completes the commissioning work. Here is the algorithm for turning on the convector:

Check the presence of a draught, after which open the gas tap at the inlet to the heater;
Press and hold the adjusting knob on the valve;
Use the piezo ignition button to light the igniter;
hold the handle for 10-15 seconds, then release it;
If the wick is not extinguished, slowly turn the knob and set the desired temperature. The main burner will ignite automatically.

Your convector will turn on automatically if it has a blower fan, blower, and battery-operated electric ignition. To operate the appliance, simply plug it in, turn on the gas supply, and push the corresponding button on the front panel.

Conclusion

Gas convection heaters have a wide range of applications, as one can easily assume. This is a reasonably easy and affordable solution for any kind of building, commercial, residential, or industrial. The convector is aesthetically pleasing and easy to install; the only known difficulty is connecting the natural gas supply.

Contents: The fundamentals of gas convector operation What else should I be aware of? Guidelines for Installation How the gas convector is turned on In summary There is frequently a scenario,

Constructing a DIY gas convector heater for your house can be a gratifying endeavor that offers comfort and happiness. You can design an efficient heating system that meets your needs by taking the proper precautions and adhering to the correct procedures.

The affordability of a do-it-yourself gas convector is one of its main benefits. Buying the components and putting the unit together yourself can work out cheaper than purchasing a prefabricated heater. You also have the option to alter the design to suit your interior and personal style.

Nonetheless, it is imperative that safety be given top priority during the building process. Because gas appliances are inherently dangerous, building codes and safety regulations must be strictly followed. Maintaining your home’s safety requires regular maintenance checks, installing appropriate ventilation and gas detection systems, and more.

Building your own gas convector also enables you to add energy-saving features, which lowers your utility costs and environmental impact. Long-term sustainability of your heating solution can be achieved by maximizing heat output and minimizing fuel consumption through the optimization of insulation and combustion efficiency.

To sum up, building a gas convector for your house can be a rewarding project that provides warmth and energy savings. Custom heating solutions that meet your needs and improve the comfort of your living space can be yours with careful planning, attention to safety, and a dedication to energy efficiency.