How to properly install heating in a private domain

For the heating system to work as efficiently as possible, it is important not only to choose a boiler that is suitable in terms of power and other parameters, to properly connect the required number of radiators, but also to take care of the wiring. It can be done in different ways. It depends on the efficiency of heating and cost savings. How to properly install heating in a private house?

Selecting a scheme

How do I lay out the heating pipes? This can be done in different ways. When choosing the optimal wiring for a particular house, you need to familiarize yourself with their features.

Single-pipe wiring

The scheme of this type of wiring is the most primitive and is currently used extremely rarely. During the installation of the heating system, one pipe is installed. It is from it that the closed circuit will consist. Different heaters will be connected to it alternately.

How to install heating correctly? The most common system is the one where the lower wiring is carried out horizontally. In order for the coolant to circulate naturally in a closed loop, the pipes are laid under a certain slope.

If the heating system is being installed in a multi-storey building, some nuances of the work must be taken into account. A shut-off device is attached to the branch pipe leading to the very first heater. It is necessary to shut off the water supply if necessary and to generate pressure that will allow the coolant to move naturally to the upper floors of the building.

If you install a system with a vertical layout, all risers will be placed vertically to each other. For such a system, pipes with a larger diameter are selected.

The main advantage of the single-pipe connection type with bottom distribution is the ability to achieve high-quality natural water circulation without the need to install a pump.

Other positive aspects of this layout include the following:

1. An opportunity to save money. This is due to the fact that fewer materials and pipes are required.
2. Accessibility. This scheme is considered the simplest and most understandable for everyone.
3. Easy calculation of the hydraulic load on the system elements.

It is worth considering the main disadvantage of such a heating system. It is that the further the heater is from the boiler, the less it will heat up. This is due to heat loss at the entire stage of water movement in the system.

To eliminate this problem, it is enough to properly install heating in the house:

• increase the number of sections of heating devices that are located farthest from the boiler;
• install a pump to speed up the movement of the coolant and reduce heat loss;
• use thermostatic valves to adjust the water pressure in the radiator.

As practice shows, such a wiring system will be effective in a room with an area of no more than 100 m2.

Two-pipe wiring

Heating devices are connected to two pipes at the same time. One is the supply pipe and the other is the return pipe. This means that more material is required to install the heating system, which means higher financial costs. However, this scheme has its advantages. This is the ability to adjust the temperature on each radiator separately.

Collector wiring

This system is recognized as the most efficient. It involves the individual use of each heater in the system and connection to the collector group through the supply and return pipelines. If the heating system is installed correctly, there is no cooling of the liquid in it. The disadvantage of collector wiring is the high labor intensity and significant financial costs.

Vertical schemes

The installation scheme of the vertical with bottom distribution is as follows:

1. Pipes are being installed on the lower floor. The beginning of the pipeline is the boiler.
2. Vertical pipes are being installed. They will be used to supply coolant to radiators or other heating devices.
3. To remove the coolant, a drain pipe is mounted on each radiator.

When choosing this wiring option, it is important to think about how the air will be regularly removed from the system.

In a vertical system, where the coolant is supplied from above, water flows to the heating devices through the supply pipe. It moves back through the return pipes. To avoid air accumulation inside the system, an expansion tank is installed.

Horizontal scheme

This type of wiring is the most popular. It is carried out according to one of the schemes:

1. A dead-end option. This does not require the use of many pipes, which saves on material. At the same time, the circuit in such a system is very large. This can cause difficulties in adjusting the system.
2. The alongside movement of the coolant. It is carried out along contours with the same length. This facilitates the process of adjusting the heating system. The disadvantage of this option is the installation of a large number of pipes, which entails higher costs. In addition, it should be borne in mind that numerous pipes are not able to fit into every interior.
3. Collector (also called beam) wiring. This type involves connecting each device in the system to the main collector. A lot of material is required to install such a system. To prevent damage to the interior when using such a system, the pipeline is hidden in the wall.

When choosing a suitable wiring diagram, it is necessary to take into account the area of the room and the materials required for installation work.

Types of pipes for heating

Pipes can be made of metal (copper, stainless steel, galvanized and other types of steel), metal-plastic or polypropylene. Each material has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when deciding to install heating in a house.

Steel pipes

Steel can be either ordinary or stainless. This material has the advantage of increased strength and thermal conductivity, a long service life, and a minimum coefficient of thermal expansion.

The disadvantage of steel pipes is called:

• a significant specific gravity, which makes the installation process more labor-intensive;
• the need to purchase special bends for flexible connections;
• ordinary steel is subject to corrosion;
• stainless steel products are relatively expensive.

Copper pipes

Pipes made of this metal can be annealed and unannealed. Their difference lies in the fact that the unannealed ones are able to withstand heavy loads, but their flexibility is insignificant. After annealing, which involves heating the material to high temperatures and then rapid cooling, copper becomes more elastic and able to withstand temperature fluctuations. At the same time, the strength of the metal decreases.

The advantage of wiring with copper pipes is:

• low specific gravity (if we compare copper with steel);
• resistance to high temperatures;
• attractive appearance, which makes them ideal for outdoor installation;
• low coefficient of thermal expansion.

However, when choosing copper pipes, it must be remembered that this metal is capable of reacting with aluminum. Therefore, it is forbidden to use them together in one system. Other disadvantages of the material are the high cost of pipes and fittings, as well as increased sensitivity to the coolant (even small solid fractions can damage the pipe walls due to the softness of copper).

Polypropylene pipes

The material has a lot of advantages:

• low specific gravity, which makes wiring installation easy;
• resistance to corrosion and chemicals;
• affordable cost;
• can be used for open installation due to its neutral appearance.

Among the shortcomings are:

• minimum level of resistance to water hammer (especially if unreinforced polypropylene was used);
• low resistance to high coolant temperatures.

If polypropylene pipes are installed poorly, the system's tightness may be compromised. Therefore, it is not recommended to use them in places where there are many joints or to install them in a hidden way.

Metal-plastic pipes

The complexity of laying metal-plastic pipes is minimal, so everyone can cope with the work. Fittings are used for connection. The main advantage of this material is the absence of any deposits on the walls. However, when choosing metal-plastic, it is worth remembering that system leaks are possible.

To ensure that the heating system functions efficiently, it is better to entrust the installation work to specialists. This will help to avoid mistakes that can lead to additional costs.