Impartial statistics say that more than half of the boilers for heating in the world are gas. And this is no accident, because it is gas that is considered the most economical of the most popular types of fuel.
Choosing a heating device for their home, the owners want to find the most effective and practical option. Often just such are wall-mounted gas boilers for heating. Let's talk about how to choose the best model.
The content of the article:
- Features of mounted boilers
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Types of heating devices
- Type of gas burner
- The number of contours of the device
- Use of condensate heat
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Criteria for selecting a mounted boiler
- Working power of the device
- Material for the manufacture of heat exchanger
- Boiler control system
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Manufacturers with a solid reputation
- German company Vaillant
- Brand Buderus from Germany
- Italian brand Baxi
- Zhukovsky Machine-Building Plant
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Features of mounted boilers
Wall-mounted boilers appeared as a kind of heaters later than their
floor analogues. This is due to the fact that it was necessary to minimize the main drawback of floor structures - considerable size and weight.After extensive research and development, engineers suggested a compact hinged version. As it becomes clear from the name, this design is hung on the wall. Consequently, compact and has a small weight.
It really is. The main advantage of wall models - weight up to 50 kg and comfortable dimensions. Due to this, they can be placed in any non-residential premises, to equip the furnace is not required.
This is the advantage of mounted boilers, but also a significant drawback. Compact models can not be powerful. On average, they can be used to heat a building with an area of no more than 100 square meters. Therefore, devices are especially popular among apartment owners.
Another distinctive feature of mounted models is the complexity of the design. As a rule, the unit accommodates the pressurization system, the expansion tank, the circulation pump, control automation, etc.
All this equipment constitutes a single system and is enclosed under the boiler body. On the one hand, this is very convenient, since it allows you not to think about problems with the arrangement of the circuit and its further operation.
The main feature of mounted boilers is compactness and light weight with sufficient power. Thanks to this, they can be mounted on the wall
The device just needs to be turned on and configured, then it will work itself. However, in the event of a breakdown, which may well happen, a qualified and often expensive repair will be required. What will be an additional expenditure item of the family budget.
It must be admitted that because of the complexity of the design and the presence of a large number of parts that can fail, the service life of the mounted models is less than that of the outdoor ones.
The hinged gas boiler requires proper strapping. Do it better specialists
Types of heating devices
Shopping variety is a little scary and disorienting. It is difficult to immediately determine the desired model. To make it easier to do, let's get acquainted with the main features of the devices that determine their performance characteristics.
Type of gas burner
Two types of burners can be installed in an implement. The simplest is the so-called atmospheric. The principle of its operation is very simple: gas fuel burns inside the unit. This requires air that enters the device from the room where the boiler stands. To ensure a continuous flow of air masses and at the same time get rid of toxic flue gases, it is necessary to equip the chimney.
In this case, only traditional vertical can be used. high chimney, correctly calculated and correctly mounted. Traction is provided by the temperature difference between the room and the street. As a rule, with proper calculation it is quite enough for the normal operation of the boiler. Atmospheric burner has significant advantages.
The boiler with a closed burner is more efficient and economical, but the equipment with an atmospheric burner can operate in the absence of electricity
First of all, for its use does not need electricity. The boiler can be operated in the absence of energy supply, which is very important for places where electricity is not always. In addition, the cost of boilers equipped with such a burner is much lower than analogues. However, it must be understood that for the safe use of such equipment it will be necessary to equip effective ventilation in the room where it is installed.
It is desirable that such devices be mounted in a separate room. A mandatory condition for the operation of the device is the presence of a chimney. And one more minus is relatively low efficiency.
The presence of a closed burner implies that air is forced into it. For this, an additional system is installed, equipped with a pump. It takes outside air and feeds it into the combustion chamber and simultaneously removes flue gases.
Such equipment is equipped with a chimney. coaxial type. These are compact structures consisting of tubes nested in each other. Smoke is discharged through the internal part, and air is drawn in from the outside.
This chimney is very effective, takes up little space and is quite simple to install. It can be installed not only vertically, but also at a small angle horizontally. In the latter case, the passage to the street is carried out directly in the wall.
The boiler with a closed burner has a higher efficiency, which allows its owner to save fuel
The advantages of closed burners include high efficiency, complete safety during operation. They do not take air from the room, so they can be installed in bathrooms or kitchens. However, their work requires electricity, otherwise the boiler will simply stop. The cost of instruments with closed burners is much higher than that of equipment with atmospheric ones.
The number of contours of the device
Mounted boilers may have one or two thermal circuits. In the first embodiment, the equipment is equipped with a single heat exchanger, which is used only to heat the heat-transfer fluid. Thus, the appliance is designed exclusively for heating. If you also need hot water, additional equipment is mounted, which, of course, takes a certain amount of free space.
The main advantage of single-circuit models is simplicity of design, which simplifies their installation and operation, as well as greater power compared to dual-circuit counterparts. The latter have two integrated thermal circuits. In one the heat carrier is warmed up, in the second - water for hot water supply. This makes their design more complex and vulnerable. Available boilers with a so-called bithermic heat exchanger.
Single-hinged boiler provides only heating the coolant. The number of serviced radiators is determined by the power device
It is divided into two segments, one for the coolant, the second for hot water. Thus, the dual circuit device works with only one heat exchanger. As practice shows, bithermic devices are not reliable enough and are not very convenient to use.
Optimal if necessary to purchase a unit with two separate heat exchangers. Boilers dual circuit type they spend their power not only on heating, but also on the DHW, so it is somewhat lower.
Such devices are ideal for small apartments or houses. It should be understood that double-circuit equipment is often not able to provide a large amount of hot water. If the demand for hot water exceeds 15 liters per minute, you should purchase a single-circuit model and additional heating equipment.
Similarly, it is worth doing in the presence of too hard water. In this case, the secondary heat exchanger will very quickly become covered with sediments and break down.
Use of condensate heat
Condensation units appeared on the domestic market not very long ago, whereas they are used very widely all over the world. Their distinctive feature is the possibility of using heat from the water vapor mixture formed during the combustion process. The latter in the form of condensate is collected in an additional heat exchanger. Here he gives his heat to the liquid coolant.
Gas boiler condensing type has an efficiency greater than 100% due to the use of heat produced from the exhaust flue gases
Thus, it is possible to obtain additional thermal energy, which makes the use of a condensing boiler as efficient as possible. According to experts, the efficiency of such devices is above 100%, which may seem fantastic. However, this is a reality. Additional 9-11% to the efficiency of the device receives through the use of heat exhaust flue gases. The average efficiency of such boilers reaches 105-111%.
The advantages of condensing equipment include economical fuel consumption. Compared with traditional convection devices, it is less by about a third. The gases removed from the boiler have a low temperature, which makes it possible to install cheaper and easier to install plastic chimneys. The amount of toxic emissions from the condensing boiler is minimal, the noise level during operation is also low.
The disadvantages of such equipment include a small temperature difference between the return and flow. For traditional convection devices, it averages 55 ° to 75 °, while for condensation devices it is 35 ° to 55 °. Thus, for heating the room, you will need to install additional radiators or install floor heating systems. In addition, the condensate generated in the boiler must be disposed of.
Externally condensing boilers do not differ from convection counterparts. They are only slightly larger due to the fact that an additional heat exchanger is installed in the casing.
This is quite problematic, since it contains acid. It is unacceptable that he fell, for example, in a septic tank. To collect condensate, it is desirable to equip a special system. However, for low-capacity boilers standing in houses with centralized sewerage, this is not necessary.
Another significant disadvantage of condensing equipment is its high cost. Compared with traditional counterparts, it is higher by 20-35%.
Criteria for selecting a mounted boiler
Having decided on the required type of heater, you can proceed to the choice of a specific model. In this case, it is worth considering the main criteria.
Working power of the device
Determine the required power of the mounted gas boiler can be based on the volume of heated space and the required amount of heated water, if you intend to buy a two-circuit model.
It is very good if all the calculations are carried out by an expert who can take into account all the heat losses of the building, its volumes and many other factors. The calculated power in this case will be as accurate as possible. If this is not possible, the device is selected on the basis of 1 kW of generated power per 10 kV. m square.
Since these are very approximate figures, it is recommended to add 15-20% to the obtained value as a “stock”. It should not be too large, otherwise the boiler will work inefficiently and will quickly fail.
A good choice is equipment with a modulation or at least a two-stage burner. They allow you to adjust the power of the device, which makes it possible to significantly save fuel.
Material for the manufacture of heat exchanger
In terms of performance, the best material for heat exchangers is copper. It is not subject to corrosion, excellent conducts heat, has a small weight. Copper units can fail quite quickly when working in powerful boilers, but they serve well in wall models. Stainless steel is another material from which heat exchangers are made.
Stainless steel heat exchanger is the most popular solution for mounted boilers. It quickly fails, but if necessary, the node can be replaced
Such parts have low cost, low weight and good thermal conductivity. But at the same time they are prone to corrosion and can burn out. By virtue of which they serve for a relatively short time. Cast iron parts in wall-mounted boilers are practically not used, because they weigh a lot. Although it would be a good choice. Considering the corrosion resistance and durability of the material.
Boiler control system
The most convenient in operation equipment with automatic control. Such devices require initial setup, after which they do not need to be monitored by a person. Automation independently monitors all possible changes in the environment and makes adjustments to the process of the boiler operation. Very good, if the device will have a higher degree of protection.
Gas equipment is potentially dangerous, so it will not be superfluous. Automatic control is only possible for volatile boilers. For appliances not connected to electricity, only manual control remains. If so, it is important to understand the scheme of the boiler and determine in which case and what kind of human intervention will be necessary. It is better to clarify this before purchasing.
To use the boiler as efficiently as possible, it is worth buying a model with a modulating burner. It allows you to adjust the power of the heater
In addition, it is worth paying attention to the method of igniting the boiler. More common and inexpensive piezo ignition has a significant drawback. Its presence leads to excessive fuel consumption, since the pilot burner must be constantly burning. Electronic ignition is more economical, but depends on the availability of electricity.
Manufacturers with a solid reputation
Among the multitude of manufacturers, users and specialists distinguish several brands that can really be trusted.
German company Vaillant
Represents high-quality heating equipment in a variety of versions. This one and two-circuit equipment of condensation and convection type.
Power of the units varies in the range from 4 to 280 kW. The advantages of the Vaillant include high-tech equipment, which makes its operation extremely simple and comfortable. The manufacturer takes care of the highest level of safety of its products.
Units are equipped with gas monitoring systems, autodiagnostics and a variety of types of protection. The equipment has high efficiency. For condensation models, it is about 109%, for convection models - 94%. Vaillant boilers can work on different types of gas, are environmentally friendly and very economical. For the convenience of consumers, the company has deployed a wide service network.
Gas boilers from Vaillant are equipped with the most modern protection systems.
The common disadvantages of the equipment include the absence of the necessary voltage regulators in the instrument configuration and rather expensive service. In some cases, it may not be very fast. Users appreciate the Vaillant brand equipment and find it excellent.
Brand Buderus from Germany
Represents several lines of heating devices. Wall-mounted Logamax plus - condensing units with capacity from 14 to 100 kW, Logamax - convection devices from 7.8 to 35 kW. Outdoor equipment is available in two lines. Logano plus - condensing units with capacity from 16 to 1200 kW, convection Logano from 20 to 1200 kW. The range of equipment is very wide, includes all known modifications.
Boderus boilers are distinguished by high energy efficiency, high-quality automatic control, facilitating operation. They can be built into the UD system, they can be controlled remotely. The devices combine well with other proprietary equipment, are equipped with effective sound and heat insulation, are distinguished by high environmental friendliness and cost effectiveness, attractive appearance.
Gas boilers Buderus are easily integrated into the intelligent system “Smart Home”. They can also be controlled remotely using a mobile device.
Buderus equipment is reliable, high quality, economical, versatile and unpretentious. It rarely fails. Among the drawbacks, it is worth noting the fully plastic make-up valves and the lack of protection against possible surges in the mains voltage.
Italian brand Baxi
It produces a wide range of heating equipment. A distinctive feature of this equipment is the presence of a total system of protection against various threats: freezing and overheating of the coolant, lack of pressure, etc.
The devices are equipped with manual and electronic systems of adjustment and control, the most informative LCD displays, built-in automation capable of responding to weather changes.
Baxi boilers are economical, equipped with modulating burners. They can operate in two temperature ranges. The units are easy to install and easy to operate. Of the significant drawbacks, it is worth noting some capriciousness of electronics and the possibility of incorrect operation of thermal sensors.
Zhukovsky Machine-Building Plant
The largest domestic manufacturer of high-quality gas heating equipment. Three main lines, Comfort, Beetle and Universal, are produced, in which more than 30 models of boilers for various purposes are produced. Their advantages include advanced automation, which led to an increase in efficiency up to 89% and a reduction in the toxicity of flue gases.
Mounted boilers from Baksi fit perfectly into any interior. They are economical and safe to use.
The equipment is capable of working with two types of gas, has a non-volatile ignition, is equipped with overheating protection and pressure control of the gas mixture. The boilers are of low cost, there are no problems with spare parts for them. The disadvantages include a slight noise during the operation of the equipment and the low quality of manual welding carried out at the plant. Whereas there are no complaints about the automatic.
Important recommendation. Do not save on quality. It is better to overpay a little and buy a device from a brand with a good reputation. It will last much longer than a fake of unknown quality, attractive only for its low cost.
We also recommend reading our article on how to conduct wall boiler installation.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Hinged gas boiler: features of models:
One circuit or two: what to prefer:
Top mounted boilers:
Mounted gas boilers - a great choice for small houses and apartments. Compact and at the same time sufficiently powerful devices will heat the rooms and, if necessary, will provide hot water. When choosing equipment, it is worth considering all the relevant criteria and choosing the boiler most suitable for the existing operating conditions.
Please write comments in the box below the article. Did you manage to purchase a new model of a mounted gas boiler? Share your impressions of its use, tell us about the nuances of using the device, are you satisfied with its work?