How good it is to be the happy owner of a gasified suburban plot and use a gas boiler for heating the house and hot water! But how can you be sure that you are 100% insured against the troubles associated with failures in the gas supply system? If you constantly come or even live in a country house, you should think in advance about possible force majeure situations so that you do not end up with a burst heating pipe in the -25°C (-13°F) frost.
The question of the expediency of installing a backup boiler when designing heating systems in private homes often arises. Some say that they do not see much sense in this, others, on the contrary, consider such a step mandatory. We will try to understand this issue by weighing all the pros and cons. First you need to understand what can happen to the heating system. Let’s highlight the most likely situations:
- emergency stop of gas supply;
- insufficient power (the main heating is not designed to operate at extremely low temperatures);
- technical problems of the main heating boiler.
And these are not all possible options for not the most pleasant development of events. The risks are quite high. Even when installing expensive European equipment, there is a chance to remain without heat for reasons beyond your control. Of course, help will come from the service, but time will be spent on identifying and eliminating the problem, during which the heat supply system may cool down and completely fail.
Owners of private houses suffer great financial losses during urgent repairs due to the complete freezing of the entire heating system. This can lead to serious damage to all equipment related to water supply: sewerage, water supply, heating radiators may suffer, heating pipes may burst.
At low negative outdoor temperatures, the walls are able to prevent heat loss. However, in severe cold weather, hydraulic pipes located inside the walls, radiators, a wall-mounted gas boiler and other components can freeze through. Inside walls without the necessary thermal insulation, heating and water supply pipes are subject to freezing to a much greater extent than pipes of an open heating system.
Why do we need a protection system
Let’s look at possible options for creating backup heating systems. The most reliable and progressive option is a modular protection system that can warn the user about the failure of the main heating equipment.
In the event of an emergency with the main boiler, the sensors immediately signal a decrease in temperature, and the backup boiler starts automatically. Thus, leaving your home in winter for a long time, you will be sure that you are insured against an accident and subsequent troubles associated with hypothermia of the heating system.
Automation will immediately notify you of malfunctions. If the gas pressure drops below the specified level, the main boiler will not fail due to the presence of a flame, after eliminating the cause of the failure, a restart will not be required and the presence of a service specialist will not be required.
Creation of a modular protection system based on Protherm products
As an example, consider the connection of a simplified backup system based on the heating equipment program, which provides for the use of two room thermostats and an electric boiler Protherm “Scat”. In case of installation of a modular backup heating system based on Protherm, in case of an emergency situation accompanied by a decrease in room temperature, the thermostatic controller automatically starts the backup electric boiler.
Security system elements
- Room wired two-stage membrane regulator Exo basic (2 pieces) with indoor air temperature sensor.
Thanks to an affordable price, an extended range of adjustable temperatures (from +8 °C to + 30 °C/46.4-86°F) and boiler power, this device is the best solution for a budget backup heating system. The system provides for the use of two exabase regulators, one of which is connected to the main gas boiler, and the other is responsible for starting the backup electric boiler, activating it when the room temperature drops below the specified +15 °C (59°F). - Electric boiler Protherm “Skat” is designed for use in apartments, residential and country houses, easy to operate and maintain.
The Protherm “Scat” boiler can operate from ~380 V mains, and the 6K (6 kW) and 9K (9 kW) models can operate from a mains voltage of ~380 V and ~220 V. The installation of the Protherm “Scat” electric boiler is ideal for use as a backup heating boiler. It is easy to install and operate, has high efficiency throughout its service life, works almost silently and is environmentally friendly.
In conclusion, we will try to give some tips on how to avoid undesirable consequences in case of possible freezing of the water of the autonomous heating system of a residential building. The first thing to start with is the optimization of the heating system as a whole. It is necessary to achieve ideal conditions for all hydraulics and automation without leaks and frequent water supply.
The second thing you should definitely do is to minimize heat loss in the house. Sometimes an emergency shutdown may not occur, but the water in the heating system and in the boiler itself may freeze due to the fact that the walls and the communications themselves are insufficiently insulated.
Are you sure that the installed windows are really sealed? How well are the walls and roof insulated? A professional will help you identify problem areas in the house, and if you are only at the construction stage, he will advise you what should be done to keep the house warm for as long as possible, even when the heating is turned off.
When designing or optimizing a heating system, you have to make a difficult decision, since the installation of additional backup equipment entails an increase in costs. But the economic expediency of the act can be justified by the fact that the backup electric boiler will become an insurance of the house in case of unforeseen circumstances, it will save time, nerves and the health of its owners.
Weigh the pros and cons. If the service center is located at a distance of a hundred kilometers or more from home, gas supply interruptions occur regularly in the area, gas pressure is unstable, and climatic conditions are such, then a positive answer to the question of installing a backup boiler suggests itself. In our opinion, the connection of a backup heating system in harsh realities is a recognized necessity.
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