The heating system in any building should ensure uniform heating of all its premises. If the hydraulic balance is disturbed, it may happen that, for example, in a private house in some rooms the air temperature will be too high, and in others - low. This will lead to a large overspending of electricity. It will also cause significant heat loss.
In stuffy rooms in this case you will have to open windows and doors to ventilate them. In poorly heated rooms, it will be necessary to additionally include electric radiators. That is why in many cases it becomes necessary to balance the heating system.
In what cases may be required?
First of all, the balancing of the heating system is carried out immediately after its installation. Also, such a procedure may be required:
after repair and reconstruction of the old system;
in old networks, accumulation of scale and rust in pipes;
when replacing or connecting new consumers.
The main factors indicating the need for such an operation are:
In addition to excessive energy consumption and significant heat loss, the imbalance of the heating system causes a rapid failure of the heating equipment. After all, the boiler in this case begins to work in enhanced mode. Also in homes with such a problem in dwellings, drafts usually occur.
Inappropriate Methods
Sometimes, in order to balance the heating system and equalize the temperature of the radiators, the owners of, for example, private houses try to take the following measures:
Unfortunately, the problem of uneven heating of the batteries cannot be solved either way. With an increase in boiler power, the temperature of the water in the pipes will, of course, be higher. However, this will lead to the fact that the radiators in the rooms closest to the heating unit will begin to heat up even more. The batteries in the far rooms will still remain cold. An increase in the power of the circulation pump will cause faster circulation of the coolant through the pipes. This also does not solve the problem. The nearby radiators will still warm up much stronger than the distant ones.
Basic balancing methods
Setting up a heating network in buildings, including suburban low-rise buildings, can be done in two main ways:
In this case, the first technique is considered the most accurate. In terms of water consumption, balancing the system can be done as efficiently as possible. However, such a technique requires a heating network project in the hands of the owners of the house. In this document, among other things, the flow rate of the coolant in each circuit in the building should be indicated.
Temperature adjustment is a less accurate method, but more simple. Such a tuning technology is used when the owners of the house do not have design documentation for the heating network on hand. This is not a rare case. In this situation, do-it-yourself balancing of the heating system is usually done.
Ball Valves
To regulate the movement of the coolant through the pipes, among other things, various kinds of plumbing fixtures are used. Sometimes the owners of country houses for the purpose of balancing and use just ball valves. However, this decision is erroneous. Ball valves, unlike special valves, are designed only to shut off the flow of coolant.
Experts advise using completely different fittings when balancing the heating system. If the setting is supposed to be done by consumption, you will need to purchase:
special Y-shaped valves;
electronic flow meter.
Special equipment
Y-shaped valves are called so because they have a housing of a special configuration. After tapping into the system, it is located at an optimal angle to the highway. This minimizes the effect of fluid flow on the valve and improves balancing accuracy. The structural elements of such a valve are:
control knob;
external stem seal;
brass drain valve;
storage device settings;
measuring nipple etc.
Such equipment for balancing a two-pipe heating system maintains a constant pressure difference between flow and return. In single-pipe communications, valves of this type “monitor” the constant flow rate of the coolant. There are also universal models that can be installed on any network.
To measure the temperature of the radiators using the second balancing technology of the heating system at home, you should use a special contact thermometer. Without such equipment, the setup procedure in this case may be ineffective. Tactilely precisely align the temperature of the radiators, of course, will not work. A contact thermometer is very inexpensive, and it is extremely simple to use. Such a device is simply applied to surfaces, and it immediately determines the temperature of its heating.
Flow balancing technology
According to this technique, in most cases, the heating network is set up by specialists. But sometimes, with this technology, the owners of the houses adjust the heating of the radiators themselves.
In this case, Y-valves are used to balance the heating system. Also used are devices of a special design - flow meters. When using this technique, a balancing valve with fittings is mounted on the return branch. Next, the operation is carried out as follows:
take a diagram with indications of coolant flow to each of the branches;
connect the electronic unit to the valve fittings;
by turning the spindle to regulate the flow rate in the branches.
Thus, they usually balance the heating system in multi-storey buildings. Very often they use it to configure the network in private buildings.
Simplified technology
In low-rise residential buildings, in some cases, a slightly different technology for balancing consumption can be used. Unfortunately, electronic flow meters are quite expensive. Therefore, owners of not too large private cottages sometimes use a special type of balancing valves to adjust the heating network - with a special flask. The latter is equipped with a flow rate scale. This allows you to perform the necessary work without the use of expensive electrical equipment. But the setting in this case can only be made relatively rough.
The balancing of the risers of the heating system and branches using this technology allows you to achieve very good results. But it is still not customary to configure each radiator in this way. At the final stage, using this technique, the pump is switched to the calculated velocity of the coolant.
Radiator balancing technology
The setting of heating systems by temperature is usually used only in small one-story private houses and cottages. For example, it is in this way that the dead end heating system is most often balanced. Two-pipe networks of this design in small one-story houses, as you know, are mounted quite often.
In this case, balancing is performed for each specific radiator. To do this, a special valve is installed on the batteries. The heating system is balanced in a private house using this technique as follows:
Temperature balancing example
Suppose there are 6 batteries in a house, and the valves are unscrewed five turns. In this case, one revolution is made on the first radiator, two, on the second, etc. After this procedure, the temperature of the valve body is measured. If it is too high, the faucet is slightly covered; if it is low, it is slightly opened. All subsequent measurements using this technology are done no earlier than after 10 minutes. after the previous ones. This is necessary in order for the temperature of the metal valve body to stabilize.
The valves themselves are mounted on radiators at the outlet. Such shutoff valves differ from ordinary ball valves in that it opens or closes several millimeters at each revolution.
What other equipment can be used?
Sometimes, instead of shut-off and balancing valves, when adjusting for temperature, special thermostatic valves with preset can be used. They are installed on the pitch.
The balancing valves at the outlet are not mounted in this case. The fact is that a preset thermal valve is at the same time an ordinary and balancing valve at the same time. In the presence of such shutoff valves, a simple ball valve can be installed on the return. You can also embed a shut-off valve here. Then the battery will look more aesthetically pleasing. For reasons of economy, in the presence of a thermal fan, it is also possible and nothing to put on the return line.
Stop valves of this type can be manual or automatic. In the latter case, the valve is supplemented with a thermal head. It is believed that the first type of shutoff valves is more suitable for two-pipe heating systems. Manual devices are usually mounted in single-pipe networks.
Sometimes, when balancing, the heating system also includes much cheaper thermal vents without presetting. In this case, throttle washers are additionally mounted on the feed or return. Their resistance is calculated in such a way as to obtain a mass design flow rate of the coolant. Washers, which you can do with your own hands, for example, from coins, in this case will serve as presets.
What recommendations should be followed during installation?
Properly performed hydraulic balancing of the heating system allows you to make living in the house as comfortable as possible. To ensure that such communications subsequently function effectively, their design and installation should follow these recommendations:
The length of the heating circuits in the network should be approximately equal. To do this, the area of each room makes the separation of the pipeline.
If there are a large number of circuits in the house, it is advisable to mount the collector. The advantage of such systems is that, if available, it becomes possible to use additional equipment designed to limit the flow of coolant in automatic mode.
Basic principles of adjustment
It is impossible to create significant closures when balancing the heating system in a private house or an apartment building. One of the main goals of this procedure is to ensure the maximum free movement of the coolant. Closing during balancing is a necessary measure.
It is not worthwhile to achieve absolutely the same radiator temperature in the house due to a significant delay in the coolant current. If the difference in battery warm-up is 3-4 degrees at a water temperature, for example, at 80 ° C, then nothing terrible will most likely happen.
Before you begin balancing a one-pipe heating system or a two-pipe heating system, it is necessary to perform a network check. In no case should there be air traffic jams. You also need to check the operational status of the coarse filters. The pressure difference in the supply and return should be high enough.