Individual heating in the apartment - gas or electric?

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Many residents of high-rise buildings are thinking about individual heating in their apartments. But not everyone turns their ideas into actions, because refurbishment of an apartment requires patience and perseverance when going through various authorities and collecting special documents.

An autonomous heating system can guarantee you stable heating of your home during the cold season. You will not depend on scheduled / unscheduled inspections of the heating system with warm water turned off. In addition, you will have the opportunity to rationally use energy and save a little.

If you believe statistical data, installing individual heating in an apartment saves the owner’s money by 2 times, and when heating liquids, by 3 times compared to the usual expenses for centralized services.

Advantages

Frequent reasons why people decide to install an autonomous heating system are:

1. Heating quality. Not all residents of an apartment building may be satisfied with the temperature level in the premises and discomfort in the off-season.
2. I would like to independently control the supply of thermal energy.
3. There is an opportunity to save on utility bills.

How to make individual heating in an apartment? You will have to dismantle the old pipes and batteries, install new ones and connect them to the heating boiler.

Boiler equipment will heat the water and drive it through all the pipes. Thus, the apartment will be filled with warmth. Hot water can also be connected to the boiler.

Individual gas heating in an apartment with a turbocharged boiler

Gas or electric heating?

When planning an autonomous heating system, it is worth deciding on the type of equipment: gas or electric. We are talking about the system of the boiler itself, because the heating of the apartment is still carried out by the liquid that circulates through the pipes. The unit only heats the water using gas or electricity.

Of course, gas heating units are more popular.

They are chosen because:

1. They are economical, because gas is the cheapest type of energy carrier.
2. Available in floor-mounted and wall-mounted versions. All models are quite compact.
3. Individual does not require connection to the power supply network. If the electricity goes out, the apartment will still remain warm.
4. Such units are highly efficient; one boiler can handle the heating of a large apartment.

The selection and installation of gas equipment requires a responsible approach. Gas is dangerous, so to avoid possible troubles, it is better to seek help from professionals; they will install all the equipment correctly.

If your house basically does not have the possibility of supplying gas, then it is worth considering individual electric heating in the apartment. It has the following advantages:

• low cost of the boiler itself;
• safety;
• simple maintenance;
• environmental friendliness, because the equipment does not emit foreign odors and does not make noise during operation.

The only downside is that when installing such a unit, electricity charges logically increase. In addition, the apartment needs good wiring that can withstand high voltages. Power outages deprive homes of quality heating.

These are the main pros and cons of an apartment with individual heating. Before making the final decision to convert your heating system, read reviews on the Internet and consider all the pros and cons.

Single-circuit or double-circuit boiler?

Heating units are divided into single- and double-circuit. The first ones are intended only for heating, but if desired, you can connect a boiler and heat water for the kitchen and bathroom.

The latter, in addition to heating, also heat water for domestic needs. This function is performed by a built-in heat exchanger. New units can have either one or two heat exchangers.

If there is only one exchanger, but when the liquid heats up, the heating is turned off. This is not always convenient, namely in the cold season. At the same time, the two exchangers operate separately and do not depend on each other. At the same time, both water and the apartment can be heated.

Documents for collection

In order to find out whether it is possible to install individual heating in an apartment, you need to contact the interdepartmental commission, which is responsible for the use of the housing stock, and collect installation permits.

You will have to collect the following documents:

1. Write a request to install autonomous heating.
2. Get approval from all apartment owners.
3. Minutes of the meeting of all residents of the apartment building with consent to installation.
4. Title documents for housing.
5. Apartment registration certificate with a copy.
6. In the case where the house is considered an architectural monument, it is necessary to obtain an opinion from the relevant authority on the legality and possible refurbishment.

An individual heating system in an apartment involves collecting various technical documentation, including a project for apartment redevelopment and copies of documentation for the purchase of a boiler.

To collect all the necessary papers, you will have to show perseverance and perseverance, visit many services and organizations. When a decision is made to purchase an electric boiler, an application for permission should be written to the city electrical networks. Installation of gas equipment is coordinated with the city gas service. The technicians will check the apartment, as well as the serviceability of the smoke exhaust ducts.

Only the city heating network can allow turning off central heating. The new project for organizing the apartment will be handled by a design organization. In addition, project documents are coordinated with the sanitary-epidemiological service and fire protection authorities.

After collecting all the permitting papers, you can begin purchasing equipment and concluding contracts with specialists who will quickly and reliably organize individual heating in the apartment. But this is not the end. After all installation work, you will need to obtain an acceptance certificate.

Which radiators to choose?

Sectional radiators are best suited for organizing autonomous heating. The length of the radiator depends on the quality of the heat output of one section.

Heat transfer, in turn, depends on the material from which it is made. One section of, say, produces 110 Watts of heat - 85 Watts, a design of - 175-199 Watts. In this case it is 199 watts.

To calculate the area that is heated by one section with a ceiling height of 2.7 m, divide the section’s thermal output by 100. Let’s say a cast iron battery section heats 1.1 m².

Depending on the size of the room, you can calculate the number of sections for radiators.

Installation of an autonomous system

Have you decided to organize individual heating in your apartment yourself?

Then, after you have collected all the necessary documents and decided on the energy source, you need to select a boiler based on power.

How is heating consumption calculated? This is done at the rate of 100 W per 1 m² of area. Usually this is quite enough. After all, even a corner apartment has many common walls with its neighbors, through which heat does not escape.

The wiring diagram may be different depending on the size of the apartment. For small areas, a single-pipe “Leningrad” may be enough; for larger ones, a classic two-pipe system with bottom wiring.

Remember that in apartment conditions, only mounted gas or electric boilers, which already have a circulation pump and, in some cases, an expansion tank, may be suitable for you. Therefore, the system will be closed with forced circulation.

In addition to developing a new project, the documents should have a section showing the dismantling of the old system.

It is necessary to disassemble and dispose of radiators and connections to them. The risers that pass through the apartment are prohibited from being touched. Instead of the cut one, a straight section of pipe must be welded. The risers require thermal insulation.

The new autonomous heating scheme should include the installation of thermostatic batteries at the input.

The type of gas boiler depends on the presence of smoke exhaust ducts. If they are present, then you can purchase a regular boiler with an open combustion chamber.

It is prohibited to connect the boiler to exhaust ventilation shafts. In the absence of smoke ducts, only a turbocharged heat generator with a closed firebox and for exhausting gases through the wall is suitable.

Autonomous heating has its own characteristics. It takes a lot of time and effort to collect documents and various permits, and there is no guarantee that you will be able to get everything. At the same time, such heating, done by yourself, will significantly reduce utility costs.

The price for installing an autonomous heating system depends on the size of the housing, the choice of materials, boiler equipment, pipes, as well as the heating circuit (one- or two-pipe). The complexity and volume of work plays a role. However, remember that your efforts will not be in vain.

Creating a heating system in an apartment cannot be called a very difficult task, requiring special experience, but there are still certain nuances in this work. Thus, the entire process of arranging heating can be divided into two large stages - preparatory work and direct installation of structural elements. All stages need to be considered in more detail, so this article will discuss how to properly install heating in an apartment.

Selection of radiators and pipes

Any heating system has its own characteristic features that must be taken into account in order to know exactly how best to heat the apartment. What makes the choice of heating devices special in all this is that where some batteries are ideal, others will not be efficient or reliable enough.

The simplest and most painless solution related to the choice of heating components is to contact specialized specialists who will conduct a full analysis of specific conditions and select the most suitable elements for them. However, with a competent approach to the matter, you can carry out this work yourself - it will be enough to consider the features of all possible components and figure out under what conditions a certain type of element should be used.

Cast iron radiators

Heating appliances made of cast iron have a long service life and fairly high heat transfer. In addition, a very important feature of cast iron batteries is their inertia - cast iron takes a very long time to gain heat, so it takes a lot of time to warm up the system, but if the coolant supply is stopped, the accumulated heat will flow into the apartment for several hours.

A noticeable disadvantage of this type of battery is its heavy weight. This factor, firstly, significantly complicates transportation, and secondly, it places special demands on installation technology. You won’t be able to install cast iron radiators yourself, and they can only be mounted on solid walls that can withstand high loads, since the weight of a cast iron radiator is considerable..

The internal volume of cast iron batteries is quite large, so heating them requires a large amount of coolant. From this we can conclude that using such radiators in combination with an electric boiler is extremely unprofitable. For centralized and gas heating, cast iron heating devices are ideally suited.

Aluminum and bimetallic batteries

These types of batteries are excellent for apartments with centralized heating. The fact is that the coolant in such systems has a lot of contaminants and negative features, such as high rigidity. Bimetal perfectly withstands such influences and does not rust due to exposure to moisture and air. Another advantage worth noting is the ability to vary the number of sections, unless these are monolithic batteries.

The main and most obvious disadvantage is the high cost of products made of aluminum or bimetal. The second point, which can partly be attributed to disadvantages, is the weak ability to accumulate heat, i.e. Radiators cool down quickly when the system is stopped. However, if there are no problems with heat supplies, then this factor can be safely discounted.

Steel panel batteries

Heating appliances made of steel are, perhaps, the optimal combination of price and quality. The efficiency of steel radiators is quite high, the service life is quite long, and the price is not so high that it can be considered unjustified. In addition, it is also worth noting the relatively light weight of such devices and, as a result, simple installation.

A characteristic disadvantage of standard steel appliances is their susceptibility to corrosion, which can significantly shorten the life of radiators in the heating system. In order for devices to work properly, they need high-quality and regular maintenance. In addition, to prevent corrosive effects, you should try not to drain the coolant for a period longer than a week - moisture combined with air can seriously damage the internal parts of the radiators.

Selection of heating pipes

Only a few types of pipes are used for heating systems, so there will not be any particular difficulties in choosing them:

1. Steel pipes. This material has very high mechanical strength, so it is not afraid of various external damages. Another thing is that steel is susceptible to corrosion, so it can be damaged from the inside. Steel pipes accumulate heat well and partially influence the intensity of convection in the room. Installing heating in an apartment using steel pipes requires welding, so this work requires relevant experience or a good specialist.
2. Metal-plastic pipes. One of the most inexpensive and easy-to-install pipe options for a heating system. The disadvantage is the large number of connections, which greatly increases the likelihood of circuit leaks. To reduce the likelihood of leaks to a minimum, you need competent heating wiring in the apartment and careful monitoring of it during operation.
3. Plastic pipes. Another relatively inexpensive option that has a lot of positive qualities. Among the advantages are resistance to rotting and corrosion, as well as the highest reliability of the connections - they are processed using soldering, and if the work is done correctly, the seams will never leak. This material has no particular disadvantages, but you need to pay close attention to the characteristics of specific products when purchasing them.

When trying to decide which pipes to use for heating in an apartment, we can conclude that the best option, other things being equal, would be plastic pipes, which are excellent for self-installation. Radiators can be selected individually - they are connected in exactly the same way, and the whole difference lies in the individual compatibility of the heating system and the specific type of radiator.

Tools and materials for installation

In addition to pipes and batteries, the choice of which was discussed above, installing a heating system in an apartment requires tools, the set of which is as follows:

• Fittings and taps;
• Silicone sealant or tow;
• Fastening elements for system elements;
• Set of screws and dowels;
• Soldering iron for pipes;
• Pipe shears;
• Set of wrenches;
• Screwdriver;
• Hammer;
• Construction and water level;
• Tape measure and pencil.

This set of tools is sufficient for arranging a heating system. If you are planning a one-time job, then it is advisable to rent specialized tools (like a soldering iron for pipes) rather than buy them - the cost of such devices, especially professional ones, is quite high.

Installation of a heating system in an apartment

Do-it-yourself heating installation in an apartment includes the following steps:

1. Before turning on the heating in the apartment, you need to mark the places where the elements of the heating system will be located. Radiators are most often mounted at the same level, for which it is enough to move the first mark to all other installation points of heating devices.
2. Next, you can install radiators. This work is not particularly difficult - all you need to do is prepare holes in the walls, secure the fasteners with dowels and hang radiators on them.
3. The next step is preparing the pipes. At this stage, you need to determine the distances between the radiators, where the pipes will be located, and also solder these pipes in a suitable way. If the work is not carried out alone, then an assistant can be sent to screw fittings into the radiators.
4. System assembly usually begins from the point at which heated coolant is supplied to the circuit, as well as from the point at which the coolant returns. A special feature of these sections is that there is no need for soldering - the steel pipes of the boiler usually have a thread cut into them, the connection to which is carried out using adapters. Subsequently, these adapters are soldered to plastic pipes.
5. Further work consists of laying all other sections of the supply and return pipes. The last stage is the installation of bends to the radiators, installation of corner valves and connection of radiators with pipes.

Conclusion

Installing a heating system is a relatively simple job, in which it is not so much experience that is important as accuracy and careful attention to detail. If you constantly keep in mind a diagram of how to properly heat your apartment, then no problems will arise during the work.

Installing heating pipes with your own hands, if you know how to do at least a little tinkering, is certainly justified:

• The cost of replacing the heating system by hired craftsmen is no less than 12,000 rubles, of which no more than 5,000 is for materials.
• The work requires a reasonable approach, but is not technically or technologically difficult.
• If the radiators remain in place, no special permits or paperwork are required.

Note: a meticulous inspector may find fault with hidden wiring. In this case, you need to refer to the list of signs of apartment redevelopment, see, for example, the article about. It only talks about moving RADIATORS, and not a word about pipes. In general, “What guys? Who saw them?

Related works

Replacing the heating system in an apartment with your own hands is often combined with measures to insulate the apartment and repair the floor with additional insulation. At the same time, hidden pipe routing is achieved in the most natural way, the total repair costs are reduced by 7-10% (at current prices the value is more than noticeable), and if the apartment has heat meters and HMS installed (see below), then heating costs for season they fall by 15-20 percent (!). In a private home, too, but you don’t need to spend money on heat meters.

About HMS

HMS (hydromagnetic system, magnetic anti-scale apparatus) has nothing to do with “living” and “dead” water and other esoteric wonders. The principle of its operation is simple: an insert with strong magnets is mounted into the pipe; The pipe material doesn't matter.

Water is a conductor of electricity, and it moves and flows in the pipe. An electromotive force, EMF, is induced in a conductor moving in a magnetic field. In the lumen of the HMS, it is only a few volts or fractions of a volt, depending on the flow speed, but this is enough so that the impurities contained in the water (they are either in the form of ions or their molecules are polarized) do not settle on the walls of the pipes, but stick together and form a thin the suspension, which at the heating unit will precipitate in the settling tank, and the sludge will be removed.

There is nothing to be afraid of when using HMS: electrically neutral and therefore the most persistent components of impurities form a thin dense layer of sediment on the inner surface of the pipe, its properties reminiscent of corundum. After a growth of approximately 20-60 μm, the layering stops: surface polarization increases and pushes the next “candidates” back into suspension.

HMS has long been widely and successfully used in industry; most often to prepare water for purification and filtration. In recent years, household HMSs have appeared on sale for installation on water supply and heating pipes. At home, HMS provides, in addition to heating reliability and savings, another important advantage: a warm floor in a system with HMS almost never requires a bulkhead, and an additional circulation pump is most often not needed for it.

HMS should be installed on the supply pipe at the very beginning of the system, before wiring. If there are several risers, then for each riser. The HMS does not break down, does not require maintenance, and its validity period is unlimited.

Stop heating up the street!

Whether the radiators will be changed during the heating reconstruction process or not, but since they will still have to be removed for some time, it is highly advisable to cut off the outflow of heat to the outside. To do this, you need to cover the wall behind the batteries with heat-insulating mats aluminized on both sides. How such a bedding works in terms of heat can be read in the article on floor insulation; here it is enough to note that in a block Khrushchev house with radiators in niches, double heat shields behind the radiators are equivalent to covering the walls with 20 mm plywood.

In an alternative option for insulating the wall behind the radiator, heat-insulating material (1) and aluminum foil (2) are used separately.

Installing the shielding mat is simple: we cut holes in it for the hooks of the battery suspension, apply thin “sausages” of construction silicone or mounting adhesive using an “envelope” to the side adjacent to the wall, put it on the hooks and press it to the wall.

An indispensable condition: the mat must be organic, made of synthetic or natural fibers. The use of open mineral wool mats in residential premises is unacceptable - it is harmful to health.

Floor insulation for hidden wiring

Removing heating pipes out of sight is tempting from an aesthetic point of view. To prevent hidden heating wiring from subsequently causing the righteous anger of heating engineers with accompanying sanctions, it is advisable to prepare the floor accordingly. If the decorative flooring is laid on joists and additional floor insulation is not required, then the pipes are simply laid between the joists, and removable access hatches are installed above their connections.

Otherwise, the pipes must be laid in the floor. About methods of floor insulation, and for this case we can recommend the following:

• We lay pipes.
• We form an additional warm screed from foam concrete. We fence the pipe connections until the concrete hardens with boards according to the required dimensions (see at the end).
• Directly on a warm screed 12-18 mm with gluing the joints with liquid nails or assembly adhesive. We cut out openings in the plywood above the pipe joints.
• We restore the finished flooring. We cut out the hatches for access to the pipes larger than the openings in the plywood - they will simply be removed.

Note: It is advisable to use sheets of tongue-and-groove plywood. But if there are no wild parties in the apartment, you can also install a simple one - it is much cheaper.

The second method is somewhat more expensive, but it is easier to work with and provides access to the pipes along their entire length. To do this, we use foam concrete or aerated concrete slabs with cement-sand mortar as a warm screed. The rest is the same.

Pipe type selection

The next, and very important, stage of preparation for work is deciding which pipes to use for heating. Costs, complexity of work, and reliability of heating with its durability depend on this.

Steel

There is nothing bad to say about steel as a material for heating systems, and in combination with HMS, steel pipes become truly eternal. In addition, steel pipes are cheaper than all others. There are only two small “buts”:

1. Firstly, steel is difficult to work with and welding will most likely be required. That is, to independently install heating with steel pipes, you need to have the working skills of a mechanic and pipe welder, or hire a specialist temporarily. And you will have to buy or rent steel equipment: a pipe bending machine, pipe dies with a knob, etc.
2. Secondly, if cast iron “accordions” are replaced with aluminum, it is necessary to insert at least 10 cm of propylene in both the supply and return pipes and radiators, otherwise in a conductive medium two different metals will form a galvanic couple and electrocorrosion may begin.

Propylene

Polyisopropylene pipes for heating systems (trade designation - PPR) are the main competitor of steel, equal or superior to it in everything except price. In an apartment building, a valuable advantage is that propylene pipes are “blind”: the blow to the pipe does not reverberate across all floors. They practically do not transfer heat to the ceiling.

The main advantage of propylene is reflected in the collective transition to them. Currently, most houses are equipped with house heat meters, and a complete transition to house-to-house heat meters is inevitable. Heating payments are “scattered” across apartments by area, and replacing steel with propylene throughout the entire house reduces heat leakage by three to four times.

In some regions, because of this, there is an increase in the fuss of thermal power plants: with a massive transition to propylene, planned “Soviet” losses on highways become very noticeable for them, which forces them to find means and methods for their reconstruction. One heating engineer put it this way: “For us, switching to propylene is like discovering antibiotics for doctors.”

A separate section below will be devoted to the specifics of installing polypropylene heating systems.

Other plastics

Installation of heating with plastic pipes made of other polymer materials attracts many due to its relative cheapness. Pipes made of modified polyethylene, specially designed for heating systems, are actively advertised; trade designation – PER. Unfortunately, they have a fundamental drawback: the softening temperature of the starting material is 65 degrees Celsius versus 130 for polyisopropylene.

No modification of fundamental defects can, in principle, eliminate it, therefore PER or PVC heating wiring can be recommended only in warm regions with predominantly low-intensity heating. In the middle zone, you should not expect a service life of simple plastic of more than 10 years, and in the north it may not survive until the end of the heating season without leaking.

There are two more nuances: if Chinese propylene is practically not inferior in quality to the “cool company,” then “alternative” polyethylene is worthless. And metal fittings (see below) on any PER often leak - this is due to the high “slipperiness” of polyethylene.

Note: R - means reinforced for direct flow of hot water. Both “cold” and “hot” water pipes are not suitable for heating. Conflicting user reviews are explained precisely by ignorance of this circumstance.

Metal-plastic

Metal-plastic heating pipes are somewhat more expensive than propylene ones, and installation requires quite expensive additional equipment: a pipe cutter, a press for flaring the ends, a special pipe bender. And the heat outflow through the thin wall is quite high. There are also technical disadvantages: gaskets in connectors often leak even in the most “company”, thin pipes are afraid of shocks and direct sunlight.

Nevertheless, it is beneficial to distribute heat throughout the apartment using metal-plastic pipes:

1. Equipment rental is compensated by a smaller number of rather expensive fittings: metal-plastic pipes can be bent.
2. The high cost of the pipes themselves is compensated by the reduction in the length of the pipelines: flexible pipes can be routed along the shortest route.
3. You can also do without a pipe bender if you firmly remember that the bending radius must be at least 5 clearance diameters: metal-plastic bends easily by hand.
4. The design of the connectors allows the use of additional low-cost sealing, see below.
5. Heat loss in the apartment is not terrible, since it will still go into the room.
6. With hidden wiring, the thickness of the floor does not need to be tied to the pipes and connectors: the pipes are thin, and there are no intermediate fittings.

Copper

They speak sharply but fairly about the installation of heating with copper pipes on construction forums: “Let sellers of copper pipes install copper for heating. If they counted crows in school chemistry lessons.”

And the point here is not that technical additives to the coolant water can corrode copper. And it’s not that copper pipes perfectly heat walls and ceilings from the inside at the expense of their “lucky” owner. And not in the price of copper itself.

Copper pipes are connected by soldering. The main part of solder is tin. Tin exists in two chemically identical but physically distinct forms: a white soft metal (white tin) and a gray semiconductor powder (gray tin). Chemically speaking, tin is known in the form of two allotropic modifications.

White tin is an unstable allotrope; over time it turns into gray tin. Any radio amateur knows: old solderings are prone to crumbling, they need to be soldered again. Under water pressure from the inside, the slightest microcrack will leak, and always in winter, when the system is full. And heating is not running water; you can’t bring a bucket of heat from another entrance, from a water heater or from an ice hole.

Let's not remember the horrors of unfrozen houses, which are reported from time to time in the media. But the neighbors in the riser will have a compelling and undeniable reason to demand compensation from you for the costs of electric heating during your repairs. Which will cost a pretty penny anyway.

In general, the conclusion about copper is that its advertising can be explained solely by the tricks of marketing specialists armed with modern brainwashing technologies. There are no physical, technical, or objective economic justifications for heat supply with copper pipes.

Conclusions on the section:

1. In apartment buildings, the optimal option for heating wiring - from the entrance to the house to the risers inclusive - is propylene; in apartments - metal-plastic with additional sealing with tow.

1. For compact private houses, the best heating system is steel.

1. For houses with 2-3 floors with 1-2 entrances, households with attics, heated garages and outbuildings, polypropylene has no alternative.

Radiators

There is only one note here: if hidden wiring is planned, then replacement radiators should be selected with supply and return connections from below. If you are interested in a description of the radiator installation process, then about it.

Seal

We have already found out that all connections, even complete ones on metal-plastic, need to be sealed. Fumka (FUM tape), which has proven itself well on water pipes, is unsuitable for heating: it creeps from constant heating.

The sealing of heat pipe joints remains traditional to this day: oiled flax tow. So far, no high-tech tricks have come up with a replacement for it.

Wiring diagram

Developing, drawing, designing and approving a heating scheme for a new building or at least moving a radiator to another location is the subject of a separate article, not even several articles. Therefore, we believe that we are only talking about the reconstruction of heating in a city apartment and all the batteries remain in their places.

In this case, the general heating scheme of the house remains as is, and we only need to choose the method of connecting the radiators to the riser. There are four options, see fig. Bottom connection – for hidden wiring. It is important not to forget about TWO ball shut-off valves for each radiator, for supply and return; they are highlighted in color in the left picture. In the event of a leak, this will allow you to disconnect one battery without affecting the entire system.

For steel and metal-plastic with aluminum radiators, do not forget about propylene inserts to avoid electrocorrosion. They are also highlighted and labeled on the left.

Installation of metal-plastic heating pipes

The technology is no different from tap water:

• We cut the pipe to size, always with a pipe cutter.
• Use a scraper (reamer) to remove the burr. Do not scrape with a knife!
• We put on the fitting and move it further along the pipe.
• Flare (press) the end of the pipe.
• We wind flax around the mating fitting.
• Insert the gasket, screw it on, tighten it.

Installation of propylene heating

Heating with polypropylene pipes is not installed “plumbing”: it is carried out mainly with fittings; Soldering is only permissible for connecting straight pipe sections to size. Both soldering and fittings for heating pipes also require special ones, more on that below.

Such requirements are explained by reliability considerations: any malfunction will be revealed, at best, during pressure testing of the system before the start of the heating season, or even at its height in severe cold.

It is very difficult to live without household gas in the modern world, because it is used not only for cooking, but also for heating your home.

However, it should be noted that not all apartments have a gas boiler installed, and many citizens are forced to pay for centralized heating.

Let's figure out whether it is worth installing such equipment in your home and how it can be done.

Individual gas heating in an apartment has a number of advantages, because the primary task of any gas installation for heating residential premises is the possibility of saving. Thus, when using such heating equipment, there are no heat losses (passing from the point of generation to the consumer, part of the transferred heat enters the external environment), which are typical for centralized heating, energy efficiency increases, and, as a result, gas is saved.

In addition, by ensuring the desired air temperature in each individual room, an increased level of comfort is created and independence from the general heating schedule is ensured. With a gas boiler, you have a real opportunity to reduce heat consumption during the heating period by 10-20% through manual or automatic control of heat flows. You will no longer have to overpay, and everything you use will be displayed on the gas meter.

An apartment heating system using a gas boiler is beneficial not only to home owners, but also to developers, since in new houses it becomes possible to carry out construction, repair and other types of work (for example, replacing pipes, valves and heating devices) without disconnecting other residents from the system apartment building. Also, if necessary, you can safely carry out boiler maintenance by special technical services, because at one facility often from 100 to 200 similar, relatively simple installations are installed. The installation and maintenance costs of boilers are quite low and are included in the bills of apartment owners.

Basic requirements for installing gas heating

Despite your desire to have your own heating, this is not enough, because only a gas service can authorize the connection of a gas boiler to the mains. Specialists take into account all the features of your apartment and only after that give permission to install a gas boiler. To avoid unnecessary problems and not delay in obtaining the appropriate permit, it is better to familiarize yourself with the requirements in advance, which include the following:

• The size of the room where the boiler will be placed must be at least 4 m² with a ceiling height of no more than 2.5 m.
• The width of the door to enter the room must be at least 80 cm.
• According to the standards, lighting of the boiler must be natural (performed through a window opening), that is, for every 10 m² of room a minimum of 0.3 m² of window is required.
• Good ventilation is also a prerequisite, since gas combustion in the boiler is ensured by an influx of oxygen (the opening area for this influx should be 8 cm² per 1 kW of equipment power). Each boiler must be equipped with a gas meter and ventilation in the upper part of the room.
• All gas pipeline pipes must be made of metal, and flexible hoses are allowed to be used only for connecting consumers.
• The power supply system of a gas boiler must have a special automatic circuit breaker with adjusted current and thermal protection.
• In the room where the boiler is planned to be installed, a gas analyzer must also be installed, which can warn of a gas leak, and a special electric valve that stops the gas supply if necessary.
• Gas equipment can be placed in the basement only if we are talking about heating a single-apartment house, but if we are talking about multi-storey buildings, then installation in the basement is strictly prohibited.

If in the case of a house you have more options for choosing a place to install an individual gas boiler, then in an apartment it can only be placed in the kitchen, and it must be wall-mounted (preferably with a closed combustion chamber and a coaxial chimney). If the volume of the kitchen in the apartment is more than 7.5 m³, then two heating elements cannot be installed.

Important! The requirements for installing gas boilers in a private house and in an apartment are almost the same, only in the first case you will have to organize a separate boiler room, and in the second you will have to combine it with one of the rooms.

Choosing a boiler for an apartment

So, the answer to the question “Is it possible to have gas heating in an apartment?” positive, and now all that remains is to purchase the appropriate boiler and obtain the necessary permission from the gas service. However, it is still necessary to find out which type of equipment to give preference to, because on the modern market you can find many suitable models.

Types of boilers: by placement method, by number of circuits, by type of gas burner, by type of combustion products removal

There are two main types of domestic gas boilers - single-circuit And double-circuit, although they can also be divided by the method of placement in space, by the type of gas burner and by the type of removal of combustion products.

Single-circuit equipment can provide only one function, for example heating. A dual-circuit device already has more possibilities, because, in addition to heating the room, it is also capable of heating water, which is enough to meet basic household needs. The device automatically switches to heating water as soon as you open the tap in the bathroom. When the taps are closed, the water in the system cools down.

Important! The rate of water heating depends on the distance between the boiler and the water intake point, as well as on the diameter of the pipe connecting them: the larger it is, the longer the cold water will drain, which means the consumption will be greater.

Based on the possibility of placement in space, gas boilers in an apartment (as an option instead of central heating) can only be placed on the wall or on the floor. Wall-mounted models appeared relatively recently, but have already gained universal popularity. Such a device can be called a kind of mini-boiler room, since the small housing houses not only a heat exchanger, a burner and a device responsible for the operation of the boiler, but also circulation pumps, an expansion tank, a protection system, a pressure gauge and many other useful elements. The compactness of the device allows you to seamlessly fit the gas boiler into the interior of the kitchen, which is another advantage of this option.

A more traditional version of such equipment, the design of which has not changed for many years. Floor-standing gas boilers can be equipped with forced-air (replaceable) fans and atmospheric burners. In the first case, the efficiency of the device, as well as its cost, will be higher. The second option is somewhat cheaper and works quieter.

Did you know? The atmospheric burner is an integral part of the boiler, which means it is included in its price, but the forced-air burner will have to be purchased separately. The power of boilers with replaceable forced-air burners exceeds the power of atmospheric options tens of times, which allows each apartment owner to choose the most suitable heating option for themselves.

Taking into account the method of removing exhaust gases from boilers, such installations can be divided into systems with forced and natural draft. In the first case, decomposition products are removed from the system using a built-in fan, and in the second, thanks to the draft of the chimney. While gas boilers with natural draft are familiar to many, the forced exhaust option is a new product on the modern market, as it appeared relatively recently. It must be said that the latter option is more suitable for apartments, since a coaxial chimney with a hole made in the wall is sufficient to remove the waste. Gas boilers with forced draft do not require a supply of fresh air for combustion, they do not burn oxygen in the room and make it possible to save on installation.

In turn, all wall-mounted boilers are divided into subtypes depending on the type of ignition (electric and with piezo ignition) and the type of burner. Electric models are more economical because there is no igniter with a constantly burning flame, which saves more gas. In addition, the electric ignition type automatically restarts the boiler in case of power failures. Based on the type of burner installed, all boilers can be divided into conventional ones and those equipped with a modulating burner (provides an economical mode of operation of the boiler, since the heating power changes depending on the temperature in the room).

Important! The modulating burner provides very comfortable conditions in hot water supply mode, as it maintains the water temperature at the set level.

Most often, wall-mounted boilers are equipped with additional devices that ensure their complete safety during operation. For example, a fire presence sensor excludes the supply of fuel when a flame hits, and a blocking thermostat turns off the boiler if the temperature rises sharply. Also, the design of wall-mounted boilers includes a special device that blocks the gas installation in the event of a power failure.

How to correctly calculate boiler power

Most often, gas boilers with a capacity of 24 kW are installed in apartments, although for standard apartments this value is quite large. A boiler installed in a multi-storey building does not operate continuously, and the design load for heating an average-sized apartment (for example, a two-room apartment) is at least 10 kW per 1 m², but the hot water supply load must be at least 24 kW, in particular for apartments with a smaller area. It turns out that the specific operation of the heat source for each individual apartment determines the requirements for selecting its power based on the peak load. Most manufacturers provide a power adjustment range for wall-mounted boilers at 40-100%, which determines the operation of the thermoblock in the “on/off” mode and at minimum power (about 10 kW).

Did you know? It is not entirely correct to talk today about the generally accepted norm of 10 kW of boiler power per 1 m² of living space, since these standards were drawn up back in the days of the USSR and do not take into account the features of modern construction technologies.

It would be more correct to independently calculate the required power of gas equipment for heating the apartment.

So, for example, if the height of the ceilings in the room does not exceed three meters, then to obtain the required value you can use the following formula: MK = S*UMK/10 (MK is the estimated power of the gas boiler, which is calculated in kW, S is the total area of ​​the room, calculated in m², and UMC is the specific power of the boiler, which ideally should be per 10 m²). As for the last indicator, the required value is determined depending on the climate zone and can be:

• from 0.7 to 0.9 kW for southern regions;
• from 1.0 to 1.2 kW - in the middle zone;
• from 1.2 to 1.5 kW - for the Moscow region;
• 2.0 - for northern territories.

This video describes in detail the calculation formula for determining the boiler power.

Based on this formula, it turns out that an apartment or house with an area of ​​100 m², located in the middle zone, will require 11 kW for heating (100x1.1/10 = 11 kW). However, this formula allows you to obtain information about the power of a gas boiler, which will be used only for heating the living space, but if it is planned to install a double-circuit system that should heat water for domestic needs, then the power indicator of the equipment should be increased by 25%.

Important! The average UMC indicator is based on many years of experience in operating various heating equipment systems in a particular region. By multiplying this value by the area of ​​the room, we get an average figure for the boiler power, which should be adjusted taking into account the above specific features.

Having performed the appropriate calculations, it becomes unclear why an apartment with an area of ​​50-100 m² needs a boiler, which can easily heat much larger areas. The thing is that the power of a gas boiler used in apartment heating is determined not only based on the size of the heated area, but also taking into account the requirements for comfortable hot water supply, and for normal hot water supply less than 24 kW of power is required. One cannot ignore the possibility of organizing a heated floor. In this case, it is better to purchase a gas boiler with a capacity of 28 kW.

Installation of autonomous gas heating in an apartment

If you decide to turn off the central heating, then you should know how to install individual heating in the apartment, and what elements are needed for this. It would be better to entrust this procedure to professionals.

Autonomous heating installation diagram

The installation of a gas boiler is carried out in compliance with certain requirements for its placement. So, it should not be closer than 20 cm from other household appliances or flammable materials (this distance can be greater (30-50 cm), which depends on the boiler model). Also, you should not place the heating device between walls or near a window, although the power source, on the contrary, should be as close as possible.

Important! As soon as you select a suitable location, be sure to check the purchased gas boiler for the presence of all fastening and additional elements: mounting templates, fixtures and brackets, because if they are absent, it will be problematic to make autonomous heating in the apartment using the same gas boiler.

In addition, be sure to compare the technical characteristics declared by the manufacturer (indicated on the packaging) with the values ​​​​indicated on the identification plate located on the inside of the front cover of the boiler.

Before you proceed to installing the equipment, be sure to flush all the boiler pipes and the system as a whole, which will help remove foreign particles that often get inside the system during factory assembly.

The strips for mounting the boiler (included in the kit and fixed to the wall with anchors) are placed at a distance of 1.0-1.6 m from the floor. The wall must be level and strong enough, otherwise it will not be able to support the weight of the boiler and all related devices.

To prevent clogging of the heat exchanger, it is better to install an angle-type mesh filter at the water outlet. Ball valves are located on both sides of it, which will facilitate the maintenance and repair of the boiler in the future. After this, you also need to check the evenness of the equipment, because skew in any direction can cause extremely undesirable consequences.

At the next stage, as soon as the boiler takes its place on the wall, it is necessary to connect the heating and water supply system pipelines to it (before connecting the boiler to the water pipes, be sure to remove all plugs installed on the pipes). The connection between the boiler and the pipeline is made using polypropylene couplings, at one end of which there is a thread with union nuts, and the second part is soldered to the pipe.

Wall-mounted double-circuit gas boilers have 5 outputs:

• 1 – treatment, used to return cooled coolant from the heating system back to the boiler;
• 2 – supplies cold water from the water supply;
• 3 – gas tube;
• 4 – is responsible for the output of hot water for the water supply system;
• 5 – supply tube through which the hot coolant is directed into the heating system.

Important! For different boiler models, these tubes may have different locations, so to avoid mistakes, always study the technical documentation that comes with the boiler.

Single-circuit boilers have only 3 outputs: gas, supply and treatment.

Ball valves are installed on all boiler pipes, and they are present even where at first glance it seems that there are none.

The process of installing a wall-mounted boiler is described in great detail in its passport, so you can find answers to almost all the questions that you will have during the installation process in this manual.

But do not forget that only a specialist from the gas service can connect the boiler to the gas pipe. A gas tap or ball valve (certified only), a gas meter, a thermal shut-off valve and a gas alarm are installed in front of the boiler. It is necessary to ensure constant open access to the gas tap.

Remember! Connecting on your own is a very dangerous activity.

A gas heating project in an apartment is the first step towards installing a boiler. In this matter, it is worth considering a number of recommendations from experts. For example, it is very important to fix the mounting bracket clearly parallel to the floor so that the boiler is positioned without distortions (you can use a level or plumb line to check the evenness). Although there are no serious requirements for wall-mounted boilers, when placing them it is worth maintaining a minimum distance from the boiler to the nearest walls or cabinets: on the side - 25 mm, on top - 20 cm, on the bottom - 25 cm, on the front side - 100 mm (if you plan to hide the equipment behind the door).
If the gas boiler is attached to a partition made of flammable materials, then a protective sheet of metal (at least 3 mm thick) should act as a kind of gasket, and the boiler itself will be fixed at a distance of 5 cm from the wall. We also must not forget about the load-bearing capacity of the partition itself - it must support the weight of the unit and additional equipment.

Gas boiler and safety

As soon as you decide to switch your apartment to autonomous heating, you need to carefully study all the nuances of this possibility, strictly adhering to safety rules. Remember: water and hot gases must pass countercurrently in the boiler heat exchanger, otherwise the device may explode with any automation. Therefore, during installation it is so important not to confuse cold and hot pipes.

After hydropiping the system, carefully inspect it again. If antifreeze was poured into the heating system, be sure to drain it and rinse the pipes twice with clean water. Antifreeze in water is also very explosive.

Install filters for rough purification of passing water, which are placed at the lowest points of the system. Otherwise, there is a danger of dirt deposits accumulating between the fins of the heat exchanger, not to mention high gas consumption.

Sludge is drained through mud traps at the beginning and end of the heating season, simultaneously checking the condition of the entire system.

If your boiler has a built-in expansion tank and a deaeration system, then the previous expansion tank must be removed by tightly closing the air valve. Before performing the procedure, be sure to check its condition: air leaks can also create a dangerous situation.

Autonomous gas heating in an apartment: advantages and disadvantages

Individual heating in your apartment will have a number of advantages, although possible disadvantages should not be excluded either. The main advantage of such a system is its independence. To the benefits of autonomy also include:

• the ability to independently install and adjust the heat supply mode (you can extend or shorten the heating season, as well as set a comfortable temperature in your apartment);
• efficiency - heating your home will cost you much less, even taking into account how much autonomous heating in an apartment costs, the benefits will be more than noticeable;
• the possibility of organizing a constant hot water supply when installing a double-circuit gas boiler.

As for the disadvantages of organizing autonomous gas heating in an apartment, they are all associated with the relative complexity of its installation and the need for further independent maintenance. Before installation, you need to purchase all the necessary elements and install them in place (by yourself or with the help of a specialist). It is also worth considering the fact that the installation of a gas boiler and other parts is often associated with partial destruction of walls, floors, etc., which means that after completing the procedure you will have to make at least minimal repairs.

This video describes the pros and cons of installing autonomous gas heating in an apartment.

Gas boiler servicing is performed only by specialists from service centers under various conditions, but payment for such services is always the problem of the apartment owner himself.

The disadvantages of installing autonomous gas heating include the need for an appropriate permit. This requirement cannot be ignored, since independent intervention is dangerous not only for you, but also for your neighbors.

As you can see, you can safely disconnect your home from centralized heating, but whether it will be easy to install gas heating in an apartment depends on many factors: layout, area size, pipe structure, etc. Therefore, to make it easier to resolve any issues that arise, it is better immediately contact the appropriate specialists.

Anton Tsugunov

Reading time: 5 minutes

Many people do not even suspect that it is possible to install individual heating in an apartment, as well as in a private house. However, for some apartment owners, the heating issue is so acute that they are seriously considering this option. Let's find out how realistic this is, what permits will be required and which autonomous heating system to prefer.

What makes residents of high-rise buildings think about abandoning central heating and connecting to an autonomous heating system? There are many reasons for this:

• unreasonable cost of utility bills;
• poor-quality heating, which cannot cope with maintaining a comfortable temperature in the home during the cold season without the use of additional heat sources;
• unfavorable location of the apartment, requiring more heat - corner room, first floor;
• dependence on the established dates for the beginning and end of the heating season, causing one to freeze in the fall and suffer from the heat in the spring;
• the need to maintain the desired temperature at any time, paying money only for actual heat consumption.

Advantages and disadvantages of independent heating

To understand whether it makes sense to abandon the central heating supply in favor of an autonomous one, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons of a separate option.

Advantages:

• Significant savings. According to reviews from owners who have switched to autonomous gas heating, the cost of heating an apartment is reduced by 6–7 times.
• Complete independence from the start and end of the heating season.
• The ability to adjust the temperature at your discretion. Some systems allow you to set the desired mode, in which the heating intensity changes at specified intervals. For example, when all family members are at work or school, the temperature drops by several degrees, and in the evening it rises again. This allows you to further increase your savings.
• Uninterrupted supply of hot water.
• Free choice of radiators. Any batteries are suitable for an individual system, since there is no possibility of water hammer.

Flaws:

• High cost of equipment.
• Dependence of modern boiler models on power supply.
• The need to install a new heating circuit.
• In many cases, there is a need to install a suitable exhaust duct.

You can learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of autonomous heating in an apartment in a multi-storey building from the owners’ words by watching the video.

What is autonomous heating?

The transition to individual heating of an apartment involves abandoning the use of a common building heating system and dismantling the radiators and pipes associated with it. Instead, new lines and batteries are installed, which are connected to the heater. Two types of installations are traditionally used in apartments - gas and electric boilers. The principle of operation of the device is simple: it increases the temperature of the water and forces it to circulate through the system, heating the room in the desired mode.

Boiler types

All devices can also be divided into two types:

• single-circuit – working exclusively for heating;
• double-circuit – additionally providing hot water supply.

Depending on the installation method, heating boilers can be wall-mounted (as in the next photo) or floor-mounted. The former are more popular due to their compactness and lower price. The latter have greater power and a long service life.

Electric boilers

Installations powered by electricity are affordable and have a high level of safety. They can be installed anywhere in the apartment. Unfortunately, such a unit is not suitable for a house with old wiring due to the risk of constantly knocking out plugs.

Gas boilers

Gas appliances are more expensive, but they last a long time and quickly pay for themselves during operation, since they use a cheaper source of energy. A gas-powered heater has a special combustion chamber and a smoke exhaust system to avoid any inconvenience to the residents of the apartment.

The choice of boiler depends on many conditions, including the size of the home, so its choice must be approached very responsibly.

Advice. It is believed that to heat a standard room with a three-meter high ceiling and an area of ​​10 m2, 1 kW of heating boiler power is needed. To calculate the required resource of a heating device, divide the area of ​​the room by 10.

Heating scheme

District heating uses a single-pipe scheme, which is inferior in efficiency. The single-pipe system is used only for a small number of radiators in situations where savings are needed.

The optimal choice for individual heating is a two-pipe scheme. It has the following advantages:

• use of pipes and fittings of smaller diameter;
• high pressure stability in the system;
• the possibility of installing automatic flow regulators on all batteries, which will operate without compromising the heating of others;
• independent connection of each heating section, allowing it to be removed for maintenance or gaining access to the niche during repairs.

Is it legal to install an individual heating system?

There are many disputes and lawsuits on the legality of autonomous heat supply equipment in a separate apartment. It all started with the fact that in 2010 the Government of the Russian Federation banned the disconnection from the general heat supply and the transfer to individual heating systems, forcing many people to give up. However, already in 2012, a new resolution was adopted regarding the procedure for connecting heating systems. It contains a list of heat sources that are prohibited for use in apartments. This list does not include modern certified heating boilers. Consequently, the legislation does not prohibit the installation of your own heating, and all restrictions relate only to the technical characteristics of heating devices.

This does not mean that the owner of the premises can freely install individual heating. Before refurbishing, you must obtain permission from the local government. If the administration refuses to issue it on the basis of Art. 14 of the Federal Law “On Heat Supply”, you can safely go to court, since such a refusal is illegal.

How to get permission

For permission to install autonomous heating, they contact the district administration, or rather, the interdepartmental commission responsible for the use of the housing stock. No later than a month and a half later, officials give an official response. From the administration you can get a list of papers that need to be provided to obtain permission.

Sample list of documents

Since installing your own heating system refers to the refurbishment of a residential premises, the list will include:

• an application drawn up in a special form;
• documents establishing the right to own housing: state registration certificate, deed of transfer of ownership, gift agreement, document confirming the right of inheritance (originals or copies certified by a notary);
• certified copies for each owner and a statement signed by all owners (if the apartment is in shared ownership);
• a copy of the technical passport of the premises;
• consent of family members of the tenant and residents of the apartment building, documented in the form of minutes of the meeting of apartment owners (if the area is municipal);
• conclusion of the body responsible for the protection of architectural monuments, historical or cultural heritage on the possibility of redevelopment (if the house is an architectural, cultural or historical value).

The most difficult thing will be to prepare and provide technical documentation. These include:

• redevelopment project for the installation of a gas boiler, including gasification of the premises and changes to the central heating system;
• a copy of the passport for the electric boiler, technical conditions, agreement confirming the permission of the maximum power, which exceeds the capabilities of the boiler (when choosing an electric heating device);
• Specifications for disconnecting the wiring in the apartment from the communal heating system;
• Specifications for ventilation;
• Specifications for supplying gas networks.

Where to get the necessary documents

Collecting the required papers can take a lot of time and effort, because you will have to contact many services and organizations.

1. For permission to disconnect your apartment from the communal heating system, go to the city heating network. A refusal can be obtained only in one case: if the removal of radiators leads to disruption of the operation of equipment in neighboring apartments.
2. Specifications for installation of a gas installation are provided by the gas service. To receive them, you need to go to the district housing office, from where a letter with the request is sent to the department.
3. The refurbishment plan is handled by the design organization. This document should contain all information about the future system, technical solutions and calculations.
4. A completed redevelopment project requires approval from the authorities from which the specifications were received, as well as the fire service and SES authorities.

What to do when permission is received

If everything was done correctly and you managed to get a positive response, the next step will be to purchase equipment and conclude an agreement with an organization that will install autonomous heating.