For many, a cottage is not just a garden plot located on a suburban plot: in most cases it is a full-fledged housing. Long gone are the days when there were small houses-booths on a piece of land, designed solely to wait out bad weather or hide garden tools. Currently, most country houses are capital buildings in which you can live all year round, or at least until the onset of a serious cold snap.
But for a comfortable stay during the onset of cold weather, a heating system is necessary. Progress does not stand still, and primitive metal furnaces are gradually becoming a thing of the past, giving way to more technologically advanced and safe solutions based on the boiler.
When designing a country house heating system, it is necessary to pay attention to the advantages and disadvantages of all types of boilers. The variety is great: these are electric, gas and solid fuel heating boilers.
Features of different types of boilers
Gas devices have a fairly high efficiency, but gas is required for their operation. They are unlikely to be suitable for cottages, because the gas pipeline is not carried out everywhere. Of course, you can do without it: there are alternatives in the form of gas cylinders. However, their use is a rather time-consuming and expensive process that requires frequent refueling, connecting and disconnecting the supply pipes and hoses, which can lead to gas leakage, and this is a certain risk.
Solid fuel boilers should be installed where it is not possible to use other types of heaters. And if you have free access to firewood or coal, then such a boiler will be a real find.
However, this requires a separate room, a good chimney and equipment maintenance. And not everyone is eager to become firefighters after a hard day’s work on the territory of the suburban area.
The main advantages of electric boilers include:
- low price (compared to gas and solid fuel),
- easy to install,
- high efficiency,
- there is no need to remove combustion products,
- fire safety,
- environmental compatibility.
Electricity is almost everywhere and always, unlike natural fuel. And in order for the heating system not to defrost when the power is turned off at the cottage in winter, a special antifreeze is poured into it instead of water, which is designed specifically for use in residential premises.
However, with all their advantages and demand, electric boilers have one significant drawback – large amounts of electricity bills. Although, if you calculate the power correctly, equip the device with automation that will maintain the required operating temperature range, and connect a two-tariff or multi-tariff plan from a local electricity supplier, the cost of electricity can be significantly reduced.
When using a two-tariff meter, it is rational to use an electric boiler at night. It is also possible to achieve significant savings through the use of weather-dependent boiler automation, which maintains an optimal temperature, while reducing electricity consumption by up to 30%.
Electric boiler Protherm “scat”
One of the most effective and inexpensive solutions will be a heating system assembled on the basis of an electric boiler Protherm “scat”. Electric wall-mounted single-circuit heating boilers have been manufactured in Slovakia under the Protherm trademark since 1992. This device is recommended for private use as the most economical, compact and safe heat source for residential premises.
Protherm “skat” boilers are presented in 8 power modifications from 6 to 28 kW for heating and hot water preparation in an additional storage boiler. They are ideal for installation in apartments, houses and country houses.
These boilers are excellent heating devices, easy to use and maintain. They have a number of advantages:
- easy to install,
- high efficiency throughout the entire service life,
- silent operation,
- environmental compatibility,
- fast and precise control,
- the ability to connect to a ~ 380 V network, and the 6K and 9K models can operate from a mains voltage of ~380 V and ~220 V.
The electric boiler “scat” is a proprietary development of the company Protherm. It has a very high efficiency (99.5%), which significantly reduces heating costs. In addition, the boiler is easy to install, does not require special skills for maintenance and does not need a separate room for installation.
Protherm boilers have the ability to install remote control. Regulation can be carried out automatically according to a pre-programmed algorithm or manually — remotely, via an Internet service and a mobile application. The control of the parameters of the heating system and the status of the connected equipment is available from the personal account of the Internet service, mobile applications and via voice communication.
Considering heating devices that can be installed in your own country house, it is necessary to approach the issue as practically and pragmatically as possible. If you intend to extend your holiday season to the coldest, and you also need to maintain a comfortable temperature in large areas, do not skimp on installing a powerful heating unit that will fully provide a country house with heat and hot water.
But if you only need a temporary shelter for one or two days of rest, or the heating area is not so large, then it is better to do with inexpensive, reliable and practical solutions, such as an electric boiler. Overpay and buy expensive equipment is not worth it, the main thing is that you can make an affordable, simple and reliable device in operation. It is important to take into account fire safety and the degree of control of the equipment.