The choice of voltage regulator for gas heating boiler

When installing the heating system, a voltage regulator for a gas boiler (CH) is necessarily installed. It warns of damage to the electronic board in case of unexpected problems in the electrical network. To correctly select this device, you need to understand not only the characteristics, but also the principles of operation. Do you agree?

You will learn all about the types of stabilizers, their design and action, after reading the article proposed by us. We pointed to the reference points necessary for the right choice, listed the leading manufacturers in the segment. Taking into account our advice, you properly equip the gas boiler with the device necessary for operation.

The relevance of the voltage parameters on the boilers

Even an inexpensive gas boiler has 15-25 sensors, information about which is processed around the clock by the built-in electronic card. From her work depends on heating the house, and the safety of residents in case of failure of individual items of equipment.

The cost of the new original electronic board for gas boiler is about 40-50% of its value, so the safety of this element should be monitored with special attention. For normal operation of the gas equipment board, service centers strongly recommend using a voltage stabilizer.

Without stabilizer free warranty service will not. This is especially true for country houses, where the voltage can drop in the evenings up to 170-180 V or briefly exceed 250 V with a break in the wires.

In addition to the electronic board, the water pump can also burn out due to changes in the electrical network parameters, the replacement of which will also cost a lot. Therefore, it is better to purchase CH immediately when buying a gas boiler to avoid problems in the future.

The principle of operation of stabilizers

The fundamental internal device of the voltage regulator is similar in all its types.

The following components are usually hidden under the body:

1. An autotransformer with several windings, responsible for matching the output voltage with the set parameters.
2. A control device that detects changes in input voltage.
3. Circuit breakers. They turn off the stabilizer when the power supply parameters are out of the working range.
4. Control automation that changes the current path through the transformer windings, depending on the difference between the input and output voltages.

Additionally, the SN can be equipped with rechargeable batteries, which allow powering the connected devices after the power supply voltage disappears.

The principle of operation of the stabilizer is simple. When the input voltage deviates from the norm, the automatics changes the current path through the transformer windings so that the output produces a constant 220 V. Technically, the stabilization effect is achieved in several ways, depending on the type of device.

Types of household models

Not all types of CH are recommended for domestic gas boilers. Some categories of these devices are intended for industrial purposes and their use at home is impractical.

Therefore, the following will be considered only types of stabilizerssuitable for the arrangement of a country house. We offer to get acquainted with models that are suitable for heating and are sold in most specialized equipment.

Servo or electromechanical

The principle of operation of voltage stabilizers for servo-driven heating boilers is the movement of the current collector along the transformer windings by means of an electric drive. The movement is controlled by automatics.

Voltage regulation by the stabilizer is achieved by changing the number of turns of the secondary winding of the autotransformer, which are involved in the transmission. This principle allows the device to increase or decrease the output voltage of the network, depending on its input value.

Advantages of servo-driven CH:

1. Resistance to overload.
2. The accuracy and smoothness of setting the output voltage values ​​is 3-5%.
3. Long service life with regular service.

Cons electromechanical devices:

1. Sensitivity to negative temperatures at which the device is disturbed.
2. With active use, the collector brush requires replacement every 3-4 years.
3. Low rate of change of voltage - 10-40 V / sec.
4. Noise servo.
5. The appearance of sparks during the movement of the current collector, which eliminates the installation of SN in rooms with a high probability of gas leakage.

The cost of servo-driven devices is 3 times more expensive than relay and 2 times cheaper than thyristor. It is not recommended to turn on such SN in one branch with a refrigerator, because constant voltage drops when turning on the compressor will quickly lead to erasure of the collector brush.

Thyristor or Triac

CH with thyristors are most preferred for gas boilers. The principle of their operation is to form a set of electrical outlets from the secondary winding of a transformer.

The scheme of electronic CH operation is somewhat similar to servo-driven models. Only here the non-electric drive is responsible for regulating the number of turns on the secondary winding. current collector, and individual outputs, the inclusion of which is regulated by thyristor devices and processor.

When the voltage drops, the outputs of some thyristors are turned off and the outputs of others turn on, which provide coverage of a larger number of winding turns.

The number of electrical outlets from a transformer directly affects the smoothness and accuracy of voltage regulation. Their number can reach 20-25 pieces. Sometimes used two-level stabilizers, providing even greater accuracy of the output voltage.

The described principle of operation of thyristor SN leads to a number of advantages of such equipment:

1. The service life of 10-15 years.
2. High speed response - 10-20 ms.
3. The accuracy of setting the output voltage from 1-3%.
4. Operational resistance to frequent voltage changes.
5. Ability to work at sub-zero temperatures.
6. Resistance to electrical disturbances.
7. Noiselessness due to the absence of moving parts.
8. Safety of the board of the boiler even with a winding short circuit in the transformer.
9. Smooth sine wave when switching.

Thyristor SN Disadvantages:

1. High price. The cost of thyristor stabilizers is 2–3 times higher than servo drives, and 6–8 times higher than relay ones.
2. The possibility of burnout expensive control board or the failure of one of the thyristors during overload.
3. The need for active cooling at high loads.

Most thyristor SN have a power of 5 kW and are designed to regulate the voltage throughout the house or apartment. But about 10% of models have a working capacity of up to 1.5 kW, which is enough to connect almost any domestic heating boiler.

Electronic or relay

Relay type SN are the cheapest devices for voltage regulation. Their working "core" are from 4 to 20 inductors with different windings.

Depending on the difference in voltage between the input and the output of the device, the automatics connects these or other elements. As a result, a coarse stepwise adjustment of the output parameters of the power grid occurs.

Regulation of switching between coils occurs with the help of relays, which emit characteristic clicks.

The advantages of relay CH are:

1. Compact and light weight.
2. Low price.
3. The response rate is within 0.1 seconds.
4. Operational resistance to frequent alarms.

Disadvantages of relay devices:

1. Blinking light when switching coils.
2. Lack of synchronization of the sine wave.
3. Loud clicking when the relay is triggered.
4. Low tuning accuracy for most models is 5-8%.

Cheap relays are unlikely to be recommended in a gas boiler shop. But in the absence of money for more advanced models, this type of equipment will also be suitable.

Dual conversion stabilizers

This type of HF is a symbiosis with an uninterruptible power supply. The scheme of his work is a two-stage conversion of incoming electricity.

First, the aligned DC current with reduced voltage is supplied to the battery. Then the electricity is removed from the terminals of the same battery, the voltage increases to 220V, the current is inverted into alternating, and the converted energy is supplied to the stabilizer outputs.

Such a scheme, even with a minimum battery capacity, ensures complete autonomy of the output voltage parameters.

The advantages of double conversion CH are:

1. Independence of output voltage parameters from the home network.
2. Full protection of the boiler against sudden voltage surges, short circuits.
3. Lack of switching elements and delays.
4. Always the correct sine wave.
5. Immunity
6. The term of work is more than 10 years.
7. The possibility of autonomous operation of a gas boiler without external electricity.

Disadvantages of double conversion voltage regulators:

1. High price. The price of appliances with a power of 1 kW starts from $ 200.
2. Low efficiency (90%) due to the cooling fan.

Dual power conversion stabilizers are great for equipment in the equipped boiler house of a private house. But their price can reach half the cost of the heating system. Therefore, the final choice of a voltage regulator for a gas boiler often depends on the amount of money allocated for it.

Selection criteria when buying a device

Not every boiler can be connected to a cheap voltage regulator. When choosing voltage regulator It is necessary to take into account the parameters of the connected equipment, because sometimes it may not even turn on due to the operation of the built-in protective fuses.

All important technical parameters of the stabilizer will be discussed below.

Maximum load power

The instructions to the SN usually indicate the performance of the equipment in Volt-Amperes (VA). This indicator is often confused with watts. The indicator on the device in 500 VA does not mean that this stabilizer can normally ensure the operation of equipment with a power of 0.5 kW.

Household boilers in apartments usually consume up to 150 watts in operating mode.

But at the moment of their inclusion, two processes start, sharply increasing the current:

• charging capacitors of the electronic board;
• start of the electric motor of the heating pump.

As a result of these two phenomena, the load on the stabilizer increases 3-5 times to 450-750VA during the first 0.1-0.4 sec. The resulting inrush currents can be perceived as a short circuit, as a result of which the device will be disconnected due to triggered protection.

The best CH option for gas boiler there will be a model whose full capacity in VA will be 5 times greater than the working needs of the boiler.

If this recommendation is not followed, the situation can develop in two ways:

1. The boiler will not turn on and you will have to exchange the stabilizer for a more powerful one.
2. CH will regularly work in overload mode, which will lead to its emergency breakdown.

Therefore, buy Voltage regulator for the heating system should be with a margin of power in 3-5 times. Taking into account the power consumption of most boilers, this will not be a costly investment, but will save you from many problems.

Voltage stabilization rate

In stabilizers, voltage equalization does not occur immediately. The main thing is that the delay time does not negatively affect the operation of the boiler, because a short-term impulse with a value of 260-270V can already lead to a burnout of the electronics.

Servomotor HFs (10-40 V / s) have the lowest speed, so they cannot guarantee the electronic board to be protected from critical voltage drops.

Relay stabilizers are faster and equalize the voltage in 0.1-0.2 seconds. This time is enough to protect the boiler from problems.

Thyristor CH provide a voltage correction rate of 10-20 msec. Electronics will not even notice such an interruption. That is what stabilizers are the best.

Working voltage range

Most even budget stabilizers have a working range from 140-160 to 250-260 volts. If the voltage in the network is even lower, then this is a reason to contact the organization serving the electrical network. When the input parameters deviate beyond the specified ranges, the protection is triggered, and the SN is simply turned off.

In the evening, the voltage can fall in the private sector to 170-180 V, so buy stabilizers for heating systems Country houses with working parameters below are not recommended.

Ambient temperature

Servo drive stabilizers tolerate very low temperatures. This is due to the icing of the transformer windings along which the current collector moves. As a result, under load, strong currents can occur which can melt the copper wire and cause a short circuit.

When installing CH in the cold, be sure to find out in the instructions the temperature range at which the equipment can be operated. Some stabilizers even have a warmed or waterproof housing.

Other non-critical parameters

When buying a voltage stabilizer, it is desirable to take into account other non-critical characteristics of the equipment:

• voltage stabilization accuracy:
• the possibility of mounting CH on the wall;
• the presence of grounding;
• the number of built-in protection systems.

Even the worst accuracy of voltage stabilization of 10% will not interfere with the stable operation of the gas boiler. In addition, its electronic cards have their own low-power HF.

For the rest of the equipment indicators in 200 or 240 V is enough for stable operation. But the optimal value is still 220 V with minimal deviations.

The device can always be installed on the wall, having built a small shelf, but specialized fixtures fit better. Therefore, if necessary, wall placement of CH is better to purchase the appropriate models for this.

In addition to protection against voltage surges, the connected equipment must be protected from the dangers of the stabilizer itself.

Therefore, CH must have safety mechanisms against such factors:

• overheat;
• overload;
• output voltage deviation beyond the permissible values;
• short circuit.

The more protection provided by the design, the less chance of damage to the connected equipment. The last characteristic worthy of attention is the price of the device, but this parameter depends on many factors.

Voltage stabilizer manufacturers

Only a few manufacturers produce voltage regulators of all types at once. Most companies focus on manufacturing products for a specific niche. Domestic manufacturers in recent years have adjusted the release of their own SNs better than their foreign counterparts.

So, the best manufacturers of household relay SN are:

• Resanta;
• Lider;
• Luxeon;
• Energy;
• Sven.

Good electromechanical devices produce:

• LogicPower;
• Luxeon;
• RUCELF;
• Resanta;
• Solby.

Production of thyristor stabilizers involved in the company:

• Volter;
• Luxeon;
• Lider;
• Calm;
• Progress.

There are dozens of other manufacturers of voltage regulators, which are also worthy of attention. Their products can also be purchased in the store if there are no suitable models of the above companies in it.

The best models for gas boilers

The choice of stabilizer for the heating boiler is largely determined by the parameters of the local power grid and the power of the connected equipment. But you can make a “portrait” of a decent CH for heating systems of apartments and small houses.

It looks like this:

1. Total power at least 1000VA.
2. Built-in protection against overheating, accidental short circuit, overload.
3. The correct sine wave output.
4. The lower operating voltage threshold is higher than the standard value in the local power grid.
5. Autostart with a delay after the operation of the protection.
6. The presence of grounding terminals.
7. The voltage adjustment speed is no more than 20 ms, and the tuning accuracy is 2-3%.
8. The ability to work in the cold and fixing on the wall.

A low-cost clause would also be desirable, but with the parameters described above this is not possible.

Next will be presented the most popular models of SN in three categories: relay, servo and thyristor. When compiling the list, the considered ideal “portrait” of the stabilizer will be taken into account.

Best Relay SN:

1. LogicPower LPT-1000RV;
2. Luxeon LDR-1000;
3. Powercom TCA-1200;
4. SVEN Neo R1000;
5. BASTION Teplocom ST1300.

Top Servo Stabilizers:

1. Resanta ACH1000 / 1-EM;
2. Luxeon LDS1500 Servo;
3. RUCELF SDW-1000;
4. Energy CHBT-1000/1;
5. Elitech ACH 1500E.

The best thyristor devices:

1. Calm R 1200SPT;
2. Luxeon EDR-2000;
3. Progress 1000T;
4. Lider PS 1200W-30;
5. Awattom SNOPT-1.0.

These models are designed for trouble-free operation of boilers with a maximum power consumption of 200 watts.

They are far from ideal, but are the best in their class. This SN is reliable, and in case of a breakdown, their manufacturers provide warranty service.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The presented videos will help determine the choice of a good CH for a gas boiler.

Video # 1. Choosing a voltage regulator for boiler equipment - useful tips:

Video # 2. Work and the internal device of the stabilizer:

Video # 3. Testing five different voltage stabilizers:

For buyers of voltage stabilizers, the main criterion for selection is the cost of the device. But for one price you can also purchase a SN, which is generally not suitable for a gas boiler, and a device that will reliably protect connected equipment for years.

In order not to regret the money spent, when buying a stabilizer you should always take into account all the above described parameters of the equipment.

Please write comments in the block below. Tell us about how you selected a stabilizer for your own gas boiler. Share useful information that will be useful to site visitors, ask questions, post pictures on the topic of the article.