Which heating battery is better to buy for an apartment building?

Table. Comparison of working pressure and applications of different radiators

Steel panel	Steel tubular	Aluminum	Bimetallic	Cast iron
Working pressure, Atm.	6 — 10	8 — 15	6 — 25	20 — 30	6 — 9
For a private house
For an apartment
Price	Low	Very high for decorative models	Medium	high	On the MC model - low, on decorative models - high

So we examined all the common heating radiators, which ones are better to decide in a private house yourself, using this article as a hint, and not a guide to action.As you can see, any radiators for heating a private house require certain operating conditions, and you need to choose them taking into account the general technical condition and capabilities of the heating system itself, as a whole. Much depends on the budget, when choosing any type of battery, you can find a middle ground in terms of technical characteristics and price range.

In my opinion, in this case, it is most expedient to consider 2 types of radiators - steel panel radiators or aluminum ones. But still, if we compare them with each other, then probably steel ones are still more practical, more reliable, more efficient and cheaper.

How to choose a bimetallic heater

When buying a device, it is important to consider a number of nuances. Going to the store, you need to know exactly how much power the radiator should give out, what dimensions it should have, and to what conditions it should be adapted.

Therefore, we will help you figure out which bimetallic radiator is best for your home.

Calculation of the number of sections

Such a calculation is made based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room and the energy efficiency of the section of a particular device. It is believed that for every 10 m2 of space, ideally, there should be 1 kW of power. To calculate, you need to divide the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entire room by 10, and then divide the result by the power of one section. Then the whole value must be increased by 10% and rounded up to a whole number. This is how heat losses associated with external factors are taken into account. The result is the optimal number of radiator segments for a particular room.

Sectional bimetallic radiator can be adapted to a specific room

If, due to some features of the area or the house, the sectional heater does not provide the required temperature level, additional segments can be added to it. With a monolithic radiator, this will not work.

What to Consider

There are several points that you should pay attention to in order to understand which heating radiator is better in a particular case:

It is better when the size of the heater is maximum, because in this case the energy efficiency of the device is the highest.

But it is important that the distance to the floor is at least 12 cm, and to the windowsill - at least 10 cm.

Ideally positioned bimetal heating radiator

• Capacity is one of the most important parameters. The larger it is, the better the radiator heats. Therefore, for devices with a small volume of sections, the highest quality coolant without impurities is required.
• More suitable for apartments monolithic radiators, because they are able to withstand sudden pressure surges, while at the same time, cheaper sectional models can be used for autonomous heating systems.

Video description

An interesting video clip on how to choose a bimetallic radiator for an apartment:

Briefly about the main

Bimetallic radiators are superior to semi-bimetallic models in terms of durability and unpretentiousness, and they are also more affordable.

Bimetal radiators are more durable than aluminum ones, but they are more expensive and take up more space.

According to the structure, there are two types of bimetal radiators: sectional and monolithic.

The most popular models of bimetallic radiators are Global Style Plus 500, Rifar Monolit 500, Sira RS Bimetal and Royal Thermo Revolution Bimetall 500.

In order to choose the right bimetallic radiator, it is worth considering its capacity, dimensions, and it is also necessary to calculate the number of sections for a particular room.

Aluminum radiators

The main advantage of this type of battery is its high heat dissipation. One section of a high-quality aluminum radiator gives off 185-195 W of heat. This is achieved due to the high thermal conductivity of aluminum and the design of the device itself. On the sides of each section there are additional "ribs" that increase the area of ​​​​the battery, because it gives off more heat to the room.

Another plus of this type of radiators is the full heating of rooms. The upper part of the device sections is curved so that warm air is evenly distributed deep into the room, warming even the farthest corners.

The third plus is high working pressure. Of course, now in Russian heating systems, strong pressure surges rarely occur. On average, it lasts up to 10 atmospheres, but during periods of start-up and maintenance of the heating system, jumps can occur much higher. Just for such cases, the high working pressure of aluminum radiators up to 50 atmospheres will be very useful.

The only disadvantage of aluminum radiators is the susceptibility to low-quality coolant in the heating system. If the house is connected to the central heating system, the pipes have not been repaired for a long time, and the level of water treatment in the boiler room is low, it is likely that the water supplied to the batteries is highly acidic. In houses with their own boiler room and individual heating point, and these are almost all new buildings, this is such a rarity, but in the old housing stock, for example, in Khrushchev and Stalin, it can be found. You can find out for sure from the management company of the house.If the water in the system has a high pH, ​​aluminum batteries can fail over time.

Features of heating in the apartment

Radiators for an apartment must withstand high pressure

Radiators are part of the heating system. They are responsible for the temperature in the room. The choice of appliances for houses with central heating has its own characteristics. Homeowners need to take into account the negative factors that accompany the supply of heat:

• Increased pressure - in multi-storey buildings it reaches 15 atmospheres, in five-story buildings - 5-8 atmospheres.
• Water hammer - sudden changes in pressure in the system that can cause pipes to burst and leak.
• Preventive seasonal draining of the liquid - many metal structures corrode under the influence of air, so manufacturers do not recommend leaving them without water.
• Low quality of the coolant - water circulates in the system with a different amount of impurities. Substances change the acid-base reaction of the liquid. It can be dangerous for the metal, provoking corrosive processes. Suspensions of sand and other impurities clog pipes, impair heat transfer.
• Fluctuating water temperature - the liquid is very hot or its temperature is below normal.

These features lead to accelerated equipment wear and breakdowns. When choosing batteries, their resistance to negative factors is taken into account.

What batteries are better to put in the apartment

We already know what threatens heating batteries in centralized heating systems. These are high pressure and water hammer - the rest can be neglected (to some extent). How is it anyway choose radiators for an apartment and what are the requirements for them? Everything is easy and simple here, which will be described below.

Resistant to high pressure and water hammer

The best heating batteries for an apartment are those that can withstand high pressure. The higher the house, the higher the maximum possible pressure in the battery should be. You also need to remember about possible water hammer, so this figure is doubled. Considering that the pressure in the heating systems of high-rise buildings reaches 15-16 atmospheres, then the batteries must withstand a maximum pressure of up to 32 atmospheres.

For five-story houses, models with more modest indicators are suitable, since the pressure here is not so high - you need to navigate 16-20 atmospheres, taking into account possible water hammer.

Corrosion resistance

Many models of radiators are subject to corrosion. Especially dangerous is electrical corrosion, which can occur at the junction of different metals.

Not clean water flows in the pipes of heating systems. There are also quite aggressive components used to clean pipes and radiators from corrosion. Together with rust and scale, aggressive components eat through the metal. And if the same cast iron can still boast of resistance, then aluminum under such influence is subject to destruction. Mechanical impurities do require the use of thick-walled metal that is resistant to mechanical stress.

Design and brand

What heating batteries better for an apartment, and what is better for the house? In private houses, we are free to use any heating batteries, since there we are independently responsible for the absence of water hammer and for the quality of the coolant.Therefore, there we often use fairly cheap radiators, which do not require much endurance (especially if an open-type heating system is installed in the house).

When it comes to apartment buildings, look out for the most durable batteries from leading brands. For example, it can be heating radiators from Kermi, Global or Fondital

Products from German manufacturers have the best quality, but here you need to be prepared for high costs. But such radiators can be used in heating batteries of any type - they are the most reliable and durable.

As for Chinese batteries, there is always a chance of running into trouble. For example, some manufacturers frankly "hack" by reducing the thickness of the metal. As a result, the batteries are thin and flimsy. Therefore, it is best to rely on European brands.

Modern models of antique cast iron radiators.

Battery design is of the utmost importance. Recently, thin panel and sectional radiators have become the most popular. They have an attractive appearance and good efficiency - manufacturers are doing everything possible to combine high build quality, excellent design and high heat dissipation. An interesting fact is that cast iron batteries have begun to appear on the market again, but now they have a rather interesting retro design.

It is cast iron batteries that can withstand almost any trouble that heating systems can create. But this comes at the cost of bulkiness and low efficiency.

High heat dissipation

Since we are talking about efficiency, when choosing radiators, you need to pay attention to heat transfer. The higher this parameter, the warmer it will be in your apartment at the same coolant temperature.

Some Models aluminum and bimetal radiators heating systems have a heat output of up to 200 W and more per section. For old cast-iron batteries, this figure is about one and a half times higher, but they are more reliable and durable.

As a conclusion

Comparison of different heating appliances

It should be noted that any of the described types of batteries can be used for residential heating systems. Although the purchase of bimetallic devices is often impractical, because their advantages are almost the same as those of aluminum, and the cost is several times higher. Therefore, it is better that they continue to remain in industrial and public facilities.

Calculation of heating power

It is undesirable to install aluminum appliances in apartments due to pressure drops in the system that negatively affect the metal. The optimal and proven option for apartments for years is cast-iron batteries. One way or another, you need to focus on financial capabilities and personal wishes.

Standard calculation of heating radiators

For those who do not want to dive into independent calculations, we recommend using a special calculator for calculations, which takes into account almost all the nuances that affect the efficiency of space heating:

Heating radiators

Steel panel radiators

Such radiators are often installed in office and commercial premises.The main advantage of these devices is that they are completely made of steel, which means that they are resistant to low-quality coolant, like bimetallic batteries.

Another plus is good heat dissipation. Steel itself gives off heat worse than aluminum, but due to the design, panel radiators heat almost the same as aluminum ones. The fact is that in the battery between the two plates there is an additional corrugated layer of metal, due to which the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe device and, accordingly, heat transfer increases.

However, this type of device has a number of disadvantages.

Firstly, the design is strictly vertical, warm air is directed only upwards, so the far corners of the premises can be heated worse.

Secondly, the working pressure of steel panel radiators is 10 atmospheres, that is, they are not recommended to be installed in apartments on the upper floors in houses with a standing heating system.

Thirdly, the steel thickness of such devices is slightly more than 1 mm, so they usually last no longer than 10 years. Whereas aluminum and bimetallic batteries can work properly for 20 years or more.

Plastic radiators

At the moment, heating radiators are made entirely of plastic, a kind of know-how. Russian engineers in Skolkovo are also working on this type of heater. Contrary to popular belief, in terms of reliability, plastic radiators are close to metal products, and in terms of such an indicator as corrosion resistance, they are completely unmatched. Thermoplastic products have high mechanical strength, good thermal conductivity and wear resistance.Plastic radiators are not very heavy, so they are easy to transport and install.

Diagram of a plastic radiator

Ease of manufacture and, as a result, low cost make thermoplastic batteries an excellent proposition for those who have set themselves the task of saving money. A significant disadvantage of plastic heat exchangers is that they can only be used in systems with a stable pressure of up to 3 atm and a coolant temperature not higher than 80 ° C. For this reason, the promotion of plastic batteries in our market is difficult.

Manufacturers

Here, the advantage of domestic companies is clear: the products adapt to Russian realities. These products have a margin of safety, are not sensitive to low-quality coolant and are cheaper than foreign ones. There are four popular manufacturers:

• Rifar;
• "Thermal";
• Royal Thermo;
• Oasis.

Worthy of praise are goods from neighboring Belarus, the brands "Lideya" and "MZOO".

The leading brand among European companies is the Italian brand Global. There are other manufacturers from Italy who supply quality products: SIRA, Fondital.

Finnish Purmo, German Kermi and Buderus have positive reviews. Smart Chinese products performed well.

Features of different designs

The functionality of heating radiators is influenced not only by the material from which they are made, but also by their design.

So, structurally, batteries are:

• sectional (block);
• columnar (tubular);
• panel.

The first two options are a set of several elements assembled into a single heater, and the third is a monolithic block.

The sectional water heating devices are now widely used aluminum radiators. A classic example of a columnar counterpart is an old cast iron battery.

Column radiators require exclusively lateral connection, while sectional and panel options can be connected from the side and from below, you just need to choose the appropriate model

The sectional radiator consists of two collectors interconnected by metal plate blocks. Water in it does not move along these jumpers. The heat carrier first gives energy to a pair of pipes, and they already heat the sections with fins.

In a columnar heater, jumper blocks, on the contrary, have internal cavities for water circulation. And the panel is generally a completely hollow single block.

So what to buy?

In principle, from all of the above, everyone will already be able to conclude which type of radiator is most suitable for specific conditions. So, if for centralized heating, a cast-iron radiator is still the best option, which does not care about high temperatures, or a sharply rising pressure, or a coolant composition that is dangerous for other types of materials. Yes, and it warms up the room relatively quickly, but it is inexpensive, so it is available to everyone. Of course, it won’t work to connect a thermostat to it, but you can do without it, and beat the unsightly appearance of the “accordion” using the hidden resources of your imagination. You can use aluminum radiators in an apartment building only at your own peril and risk, and the only alternative to a cast-iron battery is a bimetallic radiator, which wins both in weight and in appearance, but due to its high cost remains inaccessible to many users.

In private houses, everything is much simpler - you can use any radiators that suit you in appearance and price. As a rule, autonomous heating systems are distinguished by more or less stable systems of operation, and the water is additionally processed, so temperature and pressure jumps are not observed here, as well as the supply of hard alkaline water with dirt particles. That is why the best option in this case is an aluminum radiator, which is easy to install, lightweight, beautiful, has good heat dissipation, and at the same time is inexpensive. Steel radiators also, in terms of the combination of their characteristics, fit perfectly into individual heating systems, and they can also be installed in multi-storey buildings, but there is some risk here. But copper ones are great in both cases, but they do not differ in an affordable price.

What are the dangers of centralized heating?

On the one hand, heat supply from the outside is more convenient than autonomous heating - no need to bother with installing the boiler and setting it up. Autumn will come, and hot water will merrily run through your batteries, warming the apartment.

But not everything is so smooth in the central heating system:

• Water that has come a long way contains many chemically active impurities that can cause corrosion of pipes and radiators.
• And small particles of sludge, which inevitably get into the coolant, scratch the batteries from the inside, wiping them to holes after a few years.
• And the water temperature is not always stable - then the batteries are at room temperature, otherwise it is impossible to touch them.
• And the main danger is a sudden huge pressure surge in the heating system, the so-called water hammer.It happens, for example, for the reason that the locksmith closed the valve of the pumping station too abruptly.

This is interesting: Laying a warm floor under a tile - system installation technology

Features of heating in a private house

Not only the comfort of living in it in the winter period, but also the amount of material costs associated with heating and maintaining the house depends on how efficiently and competently the calculation is made, the selection and installation of heating devices is made. Therefore, first you need to choose the type of heating system that will be installed in it. She may be:

In the first case, space heating is carried out by means of furnace heaters or special electrical devices. including infrared heaters.

Stove heating is the cheapest and easiest way to heat, however, it has many disadvantages, such as:

• Long warm-up period.
• Low heat transfer coefficient compared to other energy sources.
• A high percentage of heat loss (most of the heat with such heating goes into the chimney).

Electric and infrared devices are a more advanced way of heating private houses, but their biggest drawback is the high cost and inaccessibility to a larger number of consumers, as well as the high costs associated with their operation.

A more popular and common option for heating a private house are water-type heating systems. in which space heating is carried out by heating water moving through radiators and pipes.

Their advantages in a private house compared to a centralized system include:

• Low pressure in the network;
• No likelihood of water hammer;
• Limited and adjustable coolant temperature;
• Ability to control the acid-base balance of the coolant.

In addition, they differ in ease of use, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Calculation of the number of radiator sections

The thermal power of the radiator section depends on its overall dimensions. With a distance between the vertical axes of 350 mm, the parameter fluctuates in the range of 0.12-0.14 kW, with a distance of 500 mm - in the range of 0.16-0.19 kW. According to the requirements of SNiP for the middle band per 1 sq. meters of area, a thermal power of at least 0.1 kW is required.

Given this requirement, a formula is used to calculate the number of sections:

where S is the area of ​​the heated room, Q is the thermal power of the 1st section and N is the required number of sections.

For example, in a room with an area of ​​15 m 2, it is planned to install radiators with sections of thermal power of 140 W. Substituting the values ​​into the formula, we get:

N \u003d 15 m 2 * 100/140 W \u003d 10.71.

Rounding is done up. Given the standard forms, it is necessary to install a bimetallic 12-section radiator.

Important: when calculating bimetallic radiators, factors that affect heat loss inside the room are taken into account. The result obtained is increased by 10% in cases where the apartment is located on the first or last floor, in corner rooms, in rooms with large windows, with a small wall thickness (no more than 250 mm). A more accurate calculation is obtained by determining the number of sections not for the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, but for its volume

According to the requirements of SNiP, a thermal power of 41 W is required to heat one cubic meter of a room.Given these rules, get:

A more accurate calculation is obtained by determining the number of sections not for the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, but for its volume. According to the requirements of SNiP, a thermal power of 41 W is required to heat one cubic meter of a room. Given these rules, get:

where V is the volume of the heated room, Q is the thermal power of the 1st section, N is the required number of sections.

For example, a calculation for a room with the same area of ​​​​15 m 2 and a ceiling height of 2.4 meters. Substituting the values ​​into the formula, we get:

N \u003d 36 m 3 * 41 / 140 W \u003d 10.54.

The increase is again carried out in the big direction. a 12-section radiator is required.

The choice of the width of the bimetallic radiator for a private house is different from the apartment. The calculation takes into account the coefficients of thermal conductivity of each material used in the construction of the roof, walls and floor.

When choosing sizes, the requirements of SNiP for battery installation should be taken into account:

• the distance from the top edge to the window sill must be at least 10 cm;
• the distance from the bottom edge to the floor should be 8-12 cm.

For high-quality space heating, it is necessary to pay attention to the choice of sizes of bimetallic radiators. The dimensions of the batteries of each manufacturer have minor differences, which are taken into account when buying. Correct calculation will avoid mistakes

Correct calculation will avoid mistakes.

Find out what the correct dimensions of bimetallic heating radiators should be from the video:

Cast iron radiators

Cast iron batteries heat up for a long time, but cool down for a long time. The residual heat retention number is twice that of other types and is 30%.

This makes it possible to reduce the cost of gas for home heating.

Advantages of cast iron radiators:

• Very high resistance to corrosion;
• Durability and reliability that have been tested over the years;
• Low heat transfer;
• Cast iron is not afraid of exposure to chemicals;
• The radiator can be assembled from a different number of sections.

Cast iron radiators have only one drawback - they are very heavy.

The modern market offers cast-iron radiators with decorative design.

Results

Choosing the right radiators is not as easy as it seems at first glance. The type of heating system, the technical characteristics of the products and the need for the premises should be taken into account.

For apartments with central heating, cast-iron batteries will be the best choice, only they and their bimetallic counterparts are able to withstand possible water hammer

For stand-alone systems, aluminum appliances are an excellent choice, light and elegant

Steel is not the best choice, but if you decide to buy steel radiators, look for products from reputable manufacturers.

Watch this video on YouTube

In conclusion, we offer you a short video on the topic. Don't forget to share your comments and tips!

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