Heating elements for heating: types, principle of operation, rules for selecting equipment

Heating elements for heating radiators: comfortable heating

What is a heater for heating

Electric heating elements for heating are heating elements that heat the liquid coolant circulating inside the radiator. They are installed on electric radiators made of different materials and alloys - cast iron, aluminum, etc.

Scope of application of heating elements

Use Heating element for heating radiator (shown in the photo) is possible when arranging autonomous heaters simultaneously with a centralized heating system in order to provide additional heating of the coolant.

Most often, the decision to install a heating element in a battery is made by property owners if the heating in an apartment or house is unstable or is often turned off. This heater is a good alternative to keep the building from getting cold and the batteries from defrosting.

Advantages of heating elements

Heating elements (heating elements) have many positive characteristics:

• economy and efficiency - when converting electricity into heat, there is practically no energy loss;
• simple installation - you can even install a heating element for a heating battery yourself and for this you do not need to issue a special permit in various instances. Each device is accompanied by detailed manufacturer's instructions explaining the connection procedure and operating rules;
• durability - it is achieved through chrome and nickel plating;
• compactness;
• safety;
• electric heater with a thermostat for capillary heating allows you to control the temperature with a high degree of accuracy;
• save electricity consumption allow the device to work with impulses;
• affordable cost;
• availability of additional functions.

In addition to the positive qualities, such a device as a heating element for radiators has several disadvantages:

• high cost of electric heating of residential premises due to electricity prices;
• not in all settlements on the territory of the country, the electric power from the substation allows the use of these devices.

The right choice of heating element model

Going to buy a heating element, the buyer needs to know a number of technical characteristics:

• the required power of the device;
• length, diameter and shape of the tube;
• length of the insulator cap;
• overall length;
• connection type;
• fastening method.

To calculate the power of a heating element designed to heat water of a certain volume, use the formula:

Solid fuel heating boilers with heating element

Currently, solid fuel boilers are rarely used. Instead, the domestic market offers a wide range of combined and universal heat units that operate not only on solid fuels, but additionally on other types of energy carriers. In a large assortment, consumers are offered electric solid fuel heating boilers for heating.

The solid fuel boiler has the following advantages:

Some models have additional elements:

• TEN for a heating boiler with a power of 2 kW, equipped with a thermostat and a temperature limiter;
• draft regulator, which allows you to automatically regulate the flow of air into the combustion chamber of the device.

In the event of a breakdown, heating elements for heating boilers can be replaced with new products.

Types of heating elements in heating systems

As a rule, a heating element for heating a house is used in systems where water or antifreeze becomes the temperature carrier.But there are also air systems with these elements. There are several types of them:

Tubular. The most common. The principle of operation is to exchange temperatures in a convective way - the replacement of warm masses with cold ones. It is used in electric boilers, water heaters, oil heaters and other units.

Not a single household heating device can do without this element - kettles, all kinds of double boilers or washing machines. For clarity, you can see what it is.

Rib or needle ten. The element has additional edges along the entire length perpendicular to the axis. Such elements are used in thermal curtains.

As a central heating of a residential building, it is too energy-intensive. In addition, such elements are fragile compared to tubular options. In case of breakage, they can only be replaced.

Block and ring view. Their feature is the regulation of the power of the entire element. Designed for large industrial loads and are inappropriate for a private facility.

You can assemble tubular heating elements yourself. The cost of such a product will be low compared to elements integrated into a factory-type system.

How to choose a heater for installation in a homemade boiler

For independent work, it is better not to reinvent the wheel, but to buy a finished product right away - the price does not bite them

So, what to look for when buying:

1. Power. Immediately you need to apply the formula - for 10 m², you need 1 kW of energy. Therefore, having made simple calculations, you need to purchase an element of such a marking - 10, 20% of the total figure. You should not purchase an element more than the calculated power. Firstly, it is economically unprofitable, and secondly, such power is unlikely to be needed.
2. The design is not essential. The main thing is that the element enters the heating tank freely, without contact with the walls.

Length is important - short heating elements will not cope well with large amounts of water. It is better if the element parameter does not reach the length of the radiator by 10 cm maximum.

On sale there are heating elements for heating with a thermostat or a control unit. If the owners are satisfied with the price, then, naturally, such elements are preferable - they will optimize heating costs. You can set the specified parameters and the temperature will not have to be raised sharply at the peak of cold weather - the room will be sufficiently warmed up at low values.
The manufacturer is not so important, unless the product came to us from China. As a rule, individual elements are produced by Turkey, Poland, Ukraine. European countries do not produce heaters regardless of boilers, so if sellers try to sell a German or Italian heater to a buyer, this is just a hoax.

However, our manufacturers make good options, the service life of which is calculated in tens of years. In the production of a handicraft installation, you should contact the domestic manufacturer

In general, going to the store unprepared is not the point. You should take as an assistant a person who understands the essence of the problem. As well as for work on the design of a handicraft boiler as a whole.

What are heating elements and their features

A heating element is a tubular electric heater that can be installed in any container filled with liquid. Many people are probably well aware of the heating element for an oil cooler, which effectively heats up this heating device. In fact, such a device is an electric water heater.

Electric heaters for radiators are special devices that can be installed in any heating battery as the main or additional heat source. As a rule, they are mounted with thermostats that allow you to automate the heating process.

Scheme of using an electric heater as an additional heater

Advice! Heating elements can serve as an emergency source of heating in the event of a central heating shutdown. In such situations, you can turn off the taps and connect the heater to electricity.

The installation process of these devices is very simple - you just need to unscrew the plug and screw the heater in its place. The radiator can then be filled with both water and low viscosity oil. The latter is best used for those cases when the heating is turned on from time to time, for example, in a garage, so that the coolant does not freeze.

The heating element is screwed into the radiator instead of a plug

Advantages

Among the advantages of the considered device are:

• Low cost. however, the price of the thermostat, which is supplied separately, is usually added to the price of the heating element itself.
• Ease of installation - every home master can install the heater with his own hands, spending only a few minutes of free time on it.
• With a high-quality thermostat, you can fully automate the heating process.
• Electric heaters are quite reliable, durable and absolutely safe. But for this, the connection instructions and safety regulations must be observed.

In the photo - a heating element isolated in a safe case

Flaws

Along with the advantages, heaters for radiators have some disadvantages:

• High energy costs, especially if the heaters are used as the main heater.
• Low heat transfer efficiency. The fact is that the battery heats up unevenly, as it is designed for constant circulation of the coolant at high speed.
• A heating element for a radiator with a thermostat and other electronics is more expensive than an oil heater.

Thus, before installing this device, you should estimate all its advantages and disadvantages. The fact is that in many cases it is more expedient to use other sources of electrical heating.

Note! The heating efficiency largely depends on the type of heating batteries themselves. For example, cast-iron radiators with heating elements are less efficient than, for example, bimetallic or aluminum ones.

The main functions and device of the heating element

The main functions of the heating element built into the battery are: heating the coolant and, in the case of the heating element being equipped with a thermostat, temperature control.

The heater itself for radiators is so simple that even a schoolboy can understand its design. An insulated conductive thread is inserted into the metal tube. Most often it is a nichrome spiral. During the galvanization process, the metal tube is coated with chromium or nickel, which gives the metal special protection against the aggressive effects of water and ensures that a person does not come into contact with electricity. In addition, the body of the heating element is equipped with control sensors that do not allow the device to overheat.

As for the function of heating the coolant, here, except for one, there are no other options: the device is connected to the network and the water (or other coolant) is heated. The principle is the same for all electrical heating devices.

The functions of the thermostat are carried out by a heating element equipped with a thermostat. This allows you to set the heating element for radiators to a certain temperature. In addition, there are regulation modes that are simply necessary under certain conditions:

1. "Anti-freezing" - maintains a constant coolant temperature of + 10 ° C, which does not allow the heating system to freeze.
2. "Turbo" - is necessary for instant heating of the coolant in an autonomous heating system at maximum power. After reaching the required temperature, the mode is automatically turned off, and the device operates in accordance with the parameters set by the thermostat.

As for the coolant itself, there is an opinion that transformer oil is the most suitable for batteries equipped with heating elements. It heats up in a short time and gives off heat for a long time.

Types of heating elements with thermostat

It must be understood that when current is applied to the spiral inside the tube, it immediately begins to heat up and cannot turn off on its own. The thermostat monitors the parameters of the media, turning off the power when the required temperature is reached.

This saves electricity costs and prolongs the life of the heating element. At the same time, there is no connection between the type of heating element and the manufacturer of the thermostat, these two components are completed together based on economic feasibility.

Three types of heaters are used for heating.

Tubular Electric Heater

The most common type, which is found almost everywhere where you need to heat a liquid or the surrounding space.

Peculiarities

The outer tube can be coated with a special composition to resist corrosion, have a bizarre shape. It is possible to choose a heating element for any request.

Specifications:

• tube diameter from 6 to 20 millimeters;
• length is from 0.2 meters to 6;
• fabrication metal:
  • steel;
  • stainless steel;
  • titanium;
• almost any configuration, power and performance is selected by the buyer individually.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages include:

• high efficiency (about 98%);
• use without additional projects and permits;
• affordable price.

There were also some negatives:

• high cost of heating when using a heating element as the main heater;
• relatively short lifespan
• the formation of an electromagnetic field that adversely affects human health.

Tenovye electric heaters finned

Another type that is used to heat air or gas.

Peculiarities

Metal ribs are attached to a smooth tube, which are located perpendicular to the surface of the heating element. The easiest way to make such a design feature is from a metal tape, which is attached to the base with special nuts.

A heating tube of this shape allows more heat to be removed from the surface, often used with a fan that blows air through the heaters.

Advantages and disadvantages

The pros and cons of the device are the same as in the previous version, except that the price is slightly higher.But the efficiency of the fins in heating the air pays for the costs.

Block of heating elements

It is considered an industrial option, but is often used at home. Such a solution will be especially effective when using several heating elements of low power.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

The main positive quality of the design is that when one of the elements burns out, the heating of the coolant continues with a slightly lower efficiency.

Therefore, emergency replacement is not required, which is especially important at the height of the heating season with frost outside the window;

The second feature is an increase in power without increasing the length, which is vital for some configurations of radiators .. Problems with heating elements are standard for this type

To them is added weak efficiency when heating air, it is designed for liquids and bulk solids.

The problems with the heaters are standard for this type. To them is added weak efficiency when heating air, it is designed for liquids and bulk solids.

The choice of heating element

When choosing a heating element, it is necessary to pay attention to some details. Only in this case, you can count on a successful purchase, high-quality heating, service life and compatibility of the selected model with a tank for heating water. boiler or radiator

boiler or radiator.

Shape and size

Dozens of models of heating elements are presented at the choice of buyers. They have a different shape - straight, round, in the form of "eight" or "ears", double, triple and many others. When buying, you should focus on the use of a heater. Narrow and straight models are used for embedding in sections of radiators, since there is not enough space inside

When assembling a storage water heater, you should pay attention to the volume and shape of the tank, and on the basis of this, choose a suitable heating element. In principle, almost any model will fit here. If you need to replace a heating element in an existing water heater, you must purchase an identical model - only in this case you can count on it to fit in the tank itself

If you need to replace the heating element in an existing water heater, you must purchase an identical model - only in this case you can count on the fact that it will fit in the tank itself.

Power

If not everything, then a lot depends on power. For example, it could be the heating rate. If you are assembling a small volume water heater, then the recommended power is 1.5 kW. The same heating element can also heat disproportionately large volumes, only it will do this for a very long time - with a power of 2 kW, it can take 3.5 - 4 hours to heat 100-150 liters of water (not to boil, but on average by 40 degrees).

If you equip a water heater or water tank with a powerful heating element of 5-7 kW, then the water will heat up very quickly. But another problem will arise - the house electrical network will not withstand. When the power of the connected equipment is higher than 2 kW must be laid from electric shield a separate line.

Protection against corrosion and scale

Choosing heating elements for heating water with thermostat, we recommend paying attention to modern models equipped with anti-scale protection. Recently, models with enamel coating have begun to appear on the market. It is she who protects the heaters from salt deposits.

The guarantee for such heating elements is 15 years.If there are no similar models in the store, then we recommend stainless steel electric heaters for purchase - they are more durable and reliable.

It is she who protects the heaters from salt deposits. The guarantee for such heating elements is 15 years. If there are no similar models in the store, then we recommend buying stainless steel electric heaters - they are more durable and reliable.

The presence of a thermostat

If you assemble or repair a boiler or want to equip a heating battery with a heating element, choose a model with a built-in thermostat. It will allow you to save on electricity, turning on only when the water temperature drops below a predetermined mark. If there is no regulator, you will have to monitor the temperature yourself, turning the heating on or off - this is inconvenient, uneconomical and unsafe.

Block heaters

Block options are several tubular-type heaters, which are combined into one block and, as a rule, have one fastening element

When choosing one or another block heater, one should pay attention to the power indicators and the ability of the boiler equipment and pump to provide efficient heat removal

It is recommended to give preference to these types if:

• you need to use a device with high power and speed of heating the environment;
• it is not possible to quickly transfer heat energy from the working coil to the medium due to the small area of ​​the outer shell of the heating element.

The advantage of the block solution lies in the possibility of reducing the load on each tube, which at the same time increases the uniformity of the heating of the medium and wears out little the heating elements located inside these tubes.

View products

As for power, models can provide from 5 to 10 kilowatts. So, during the installation of equipment with block heating elements, you will have to take care of laying an additional electrical cable.

How not to make a mistake in choosing

Radiators for heating elements are quite simple to choose, since they do not imply a special variety of performance and technical characteristics. Before buying, please consider the following points.

Calculation of the power of the electric heater

In order to correctly determine the required power of the device, it is desirable to know the heat engineering standards in force in the area. As a last resort, you can use the average indicator, which can be used in central Russia and make some adjustments if necessary.

Based on this, for 10 sq. meters of heated area, provided that the heater will be used as the main heating, 1 kW of its power is needed.

If heating elements for radiators are chosen as the main heating for the house, it is highly desirable to purchase models with a thermostat. Thus, it will be possible to regulate the power of the device and thereby reduce energy costs.

If the device is used as additional heating, the required power will be 3-4 times lower. In addition, when choosing a device, one should take into account the specifics of the radiator heating element.

Due to its design features, it will be able to work smoothly only with 75% heat transfer from the radiator. With more power, the device will overheat, and it will constantly turn off.

Based on this, the power of the device is calculated. The exact values ​​​​of heat transfer of a particular radiator can be found in its technical documentation.However, on average, one section of an aluminum battery has a heat dissipation of 180 watts, a cast-iron battery - 140 watts.

For example, let's calculate which heating element is suitable for a 10-section radiator. We multiply the data by 10 and we get that for an aluminum battery it is worth taking a heating element with a power of up to 1.35 kW, for a cast iron battery - up to 1 kW.

Design features of the device

For each radiator, it is necessary to select the heating element suitable for it in size and direction of thread. The equipment has a different length of the rod, which may affect the efficiency of its operation.

With an insufficient length of the heating element, the equipment is not able to provide a sufficiently high circulation rate of the coolant, as a result of which the heating of the radiator will be uneven and insufficient.

The length of the device, perhaps, is one of its most important characteristics, which directly affects the efficiency of work. Before buying, you should measure the radiator and calculate the required length of the built-in heating element

The optimal option is when the heating element rod does not reach the inner wall of the opposite edge of the radiator by 60-100 mm

It is also important to choose the right shape of the case and the diameter of the device.

Different models may have different plug material. For the right choice, you should study the manufacturer's recommendations, where he describes the types of heaters suitable for use with a particular heating element.

Availability of automatic control

Devices with built-in automatic control or without it go on sale. The first variation is the most convenient and does not require the cost of purchasing additional equipment. In this case, a thermostat with a sensor that measures the temperature of the coolant is built into the lower part of the heating element housing.

If there is no built-in automation, the appliance does not have a thermostat. In this case, it is advisable to connect using a detector that measures the air temperature in the room.

It must be admitted that this equipment is not so popular and in demand that large European companies are engaged in its production.

In stores you can find radiator heating elements made by Turkish, Polish and Ukrainian brands. In terms of quality and functionality, they are approximately the same.

It is difficult to say which company's products should be preferred. But you need to be wary of Chinese heating elements, as it is often possible to get a poor quality product.

How to choose a heating element for heating equipment?

When choosing a heating element for replacement in a water heater or in a radiator, it is necessary to pay attention to its power, design, tube length and the availability of additional features. Therefore, before buying, you need to find out as much as possible about all its characteristics.

Calculation of the power of the device

The high power of the heating element is not always a positive quality.

When choosing, it is important to consider several factors that are associated with the level of energy consumption:

• limiting heat transfer power of the heater as a whole;
• electrical wiring possibilities;
• room volume.

You can not buy a device with a power that is more than 75% of the maximum heat transfer level of heating equipment.

For example, there is a radiator with 10 sections, each of which gives off 150 W of heat to the air, a total of 1.5 kW. When an electric heater with a power of 2 kW is installed in it, the surface of the battery will not be able to quickly give up all the generated energy.As a result, the heating element will constantly turn off due to overheating.

The reason for the rapid failure of the heating element may be the wrong choice of the power of the device. As a result of systemic overheating of the coil, it eventually burns out

In apartments with worn out wiring, the constant load on the outlet should not exceed 1.5-2 kW, otherwise it can catch fire and lead to sad consequences. Therefore, before buying a heating element, you need to check the condition of the wiring and, if necessary, dismantle the old one and lay a new electrical network.

When the issue with the electrician and the capabilities of the equipment is resolved, you can begin to calculate the required power to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room.

In well-insulated houses and apartments, a level of 40 W/m3 will suffice. And if there are gaps in the windows, the heating power should be increased to 60-80 W/m3. You can buy a specific model only after taking into account all the above energy factors.

Accounting for design features

Most heating elements have an alloy steel sheath, which provides strength and resistance to corrosion. Copper devices are used primarily in water heaters, although there are no restrictions on their use in homemade radiators.

In cast iron and steel radiators, the use of heating elements made of non-ferrous metals is undesirable. This can lead to accelerated wear of materials and connections.

Also, when choosing, it is necessary to take into account the direction of the thread of the plug, which can be right or left. Different models of electric heaters also differ in the diameter of the flanges. They can range in size from 0.5 to 1.25 inches.

Usually, a short instruction is attached to the heating element of a good manufacturer, which describes its design parameters.Studying them will help you buy a device that will definitely fit the existing heating equipment.

Heating tube length

The length of the tube is one of the main characteristics that determine the efficiency of the device.

Its greater length with equal power leads to an increase in the surface area of ​​the electric heater and an acceleration of heat exchange with the working medium. This has a positive effect on the durability of the heating element and the circulation rate of the coolant.

Heating elements with a long tube are ideal for installation in makeshift registers, which are convenient for heating large rooms and outbuildings

It is desirable that the tube runs along the entire length of the working area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heater, not reaching the opposite wall by 6-10 cm. This recommendation will allow you to quickly and evenly heat the coolant.

Availability of additional functionality

It is not always necessary to overpay for additional features of heating elements. If the heater is used as an auxiliary and does not have its own built-in automation, then buying a model with a thermostat makes sense.

But if the radiator or electric convector has its own temperature sensors and temperature control mechanisms, additional functions will remain unclaimed.

The electronics built into the plug of the heating element must have safety mechanisms so that in the event of a breakdown of the control board, a fire does not occur

Therefore, it is recommended to purchase expensive electric heaters with built-in automation only if there is a clear need for such equipment. If you need an individual selection of the temperature background, it is better to buy a thermostat in the socket, which can be used periodically.

As for the manufacturers of heating elements, their choice is not fundamental. The main suppliers are firms from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and Italy. The quality of their products is about the same, so it makes no sense to overpay for the brand.

Comparison of an induction and heating element boiler

1: Induction boiler - manufacturers claim more than 30 years without much maintenance (100,000 hours).

The question arises, where does the data come from if this is a novelty that has only recently appeared on the market?

2: A heating element boiler loses 40% of its power over 4 years of operation, and an induction boiler does not lose at all.

This is what happens - from a 9-kilowatt boiler after 4 years only 3.6 kW remains?

For example, I installed one electric boiler - I have not observed any loss of power for more than 7 years, I have not changed the heaters and generally forgot about them, it heats up perfectly.

3: The heating temperature of the heating element coil is 750°C, which characterizes its fire hazard.

How can a heating element located inside an iron pipe threaten a fire?

Yes, I agree, it gets very hot. But how this affects the fire hazard, I have no idea ...

Is it possible to pull out the heating element, put it on a wooden floor and apply voltage - it won’t work anymore.

4: A large number of sealing connections (heaters, flanges), the need for constant monitoring. What connections and flanges?

For a long time already, people have not learned how to make electric boilers themselves in the normal way - simply and reliably.

In the design that I use, there is only one large nut, where a single / three-phase heating element is screwed - ALL.

No more flanges and seals. There are only suitable heating pipes in the same way as in the case of an induction boiler.

5: A large number of electrical contacts (terminals of heating elements) located in the zone of action of high temperature, constant maintenance of good electrical contact (pull-up, etc.) is required, which complicates the design.

Very interesting ... But what about fewer wires for a three-phase induction boiler? No, just the same.

Three phases - three coils in an induction boiler, each coil has two leads, for a total of six contact connections. And it also requires “maintaining good electrical contact…”

From my experience, by the way, there are no problems with this. Use the main copper wire of the correct section and when connecting, stretch the contact well.

6: “due to the high watt load on the surface of the heating element, intensive scale deposits and clogging of the boiler and the system with sludge falling from the heating elements occur.”

Whoever does not understand what a high watt load is, look at how water is heated in an electric kettle, this is it.

Only the electric boiler must be chosen correctly.

The elementary inclusion of two heating elements in series at 380 - and there is no watt load.

In addition, now almost always an electric boiler is made with a circulation pump and the water has enough time to remove heat from the heating element.

In addition, this problem is relevant only for very powerful and short heating elements. If the heating element is chosen correctly, there will be no problem with the watt load.

Regarding clogging of the boiler and scale deposits, not everything is so scary. This is not a flowing water heater and heating is a closed system. Of course, during the period of operation, a small coating on the heating element is formed, but it is a small coating, and not a scale crust.

And this almost does not affect the efficiency of the heating element.