Which radiator is better to choose for the house or apartment

Which heating radiators are best placed in an apartment, and which ones are better for a private house? Not everyone knows that the difference between central and autonomous water supply is huge! That is why, in the last decade, many who have recently replaced the old batteries have regretted this very much, since the new ones have served for some five to eight years and had to be thrown away. Agree, this is not the time for such devices. But the problem was that people were not very knowledgeable and acquired something that is absolutely not suitable for apartments.

In this article you will learn how to choose the right heating radiators, so that they serve not a year, but decades.

Why do you need to choose radiators more carefully for housing with centralized heating?

It would seem that there could be threats in the central heating system, except for dirty water and old pipes, on which rust settles? But everything is not so simple. The biggest threat is a water hammer. It occurs in the event that the water supply valve in the boiler room is taken and abruptly shut off, whereas, according to the rules, it is necessary to tighten it slowly and gradually. But, you know, for a drunk utility worker - the rules are not written! And as a result of such negligence - burst brand new and modern batteries in very many apartments.

It is interesting that before the appearance of ball valves, boilers were equipped with special smooth-flow valves, eliminating any human error. And then these comfortable and safe valves were taken and replaced. What for? Not very clear. But you should know about this before you decide to buy new radiators.

In addition, air can get into the heating system, which can also trigger a water hammer. And as a result: burst pipes of cheap radiators, damaged property, floor flooded with boiling water and compensation for flood damage to neighbors. ..

You should also understand that centralized water is very oversaturated with chemicals that, over time, are capable of eating to the walls of too thin radiators.

We think now you understand how important it is to choose the right radiator for your home. But let's take a closer look at what is on the market today.

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What materials do radiators make now and what are their features?

Consumer batteries are now offered from such types of metal:

• Cast iron
• Steel
• Aluminum
• Bimetal
• Copper

Now let's go through each of them and consider their advantages and disadvantages.

Cast Iron

We knowingly put this old and kind metal in the first place. Cast iron batteries are used to heat a private house and apartment for more than a century, and in some houses of the old building you can still find old radiators that function perfectly. It is not even about all the famous Soviet harmonicas, although there is no demolition either.

A is often thrown away solely due to its outdated and rough appearance. But, to our happiness, today the buyer has a large selection of various designs of cast iron batteries, from modern to classic, with monograms, vintage taps and valves. For example, devices from Demir Dokum, Konner and many others, produce such beautiful batteries that they become an additional element of the interior in a classic or eclectic style.

So why is cast iron so good? And even if it is absolutely passive to the chemical reaction that centralized water, saturated with chemistry, causes in other types of metals.

Then, such radiators do not rust from the inside in summer, when water is drained from them. Also, the cast-iron radiator, due to its characteristics, with all the desire can not be cast as thin as steel or aluminum. This means that the particles of sludge, constantly circulating in the pipes, will not wipe it to the holes with time.

But, this is only one aspect regarding durability. What about functionality? Cast iron is slowly heated and this is a minus. But, it also cools slowly, and this is already a plus. If the apartment suddenly turned off the heating, which is not uncommon in our time, the cast iron will give off heat for a long time, while the rest of the radiators will instantly become icy. And to the touch, they are much hotter than the rest, at the same temperature of water poured into the pipes, as they accumulate heat.

Also, cast iron is not afraid of surges in atmospheric pressure and water hammer, which in itself is fat plus without any comments.

Well, the last advantage is the price. If you take a domestic cast iron batteries, they will be much cheaper bimetallic, for example, while the design will be quite modern. But for the retro-style will have to overpay, but they will delight the eyes of your whole life.

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Steel

Many, preferring steel batteries of modern production, compare them with the Soviet radiators, which were equipped with all the high-rise buildings of our vast country. Say, they stood for twenty years and nothing happened to them, which means that the metal is reliable.

But, do not rush to conclusions. Steel became discord. And the Soviet quality and the current - two big differences. Chinese manufacturers, for example, offer the consumer well, very nice radiators, only their thickness is slightly thicker than the thickness of a good-quality foil. You understand that this is not a battery, but some kind of disposable props that will burst from the first water hammer. So, choosing such a radiator, pay attention to the weight of the product.

But even thicker models are not insured against water hammer, alas. And they are afraid of water with chemical impurities like fire. Rusting, thinning and rubbing from sludge. .. In general, the option unreliable for those who use centralized water.

Aluminum

Aluminum heating radiators are almost the same as steel heating radiators. All the minuses of the first are present here. The only thing they do not rust. But then they are so soft that they wipe much faster than the first ones. However, as a rule, the matter simply does not reach thinning, since they are godlessly bursting with water hammer.

But aluminum has one definite plus: fast warming up. But is it a plus, considering that they cool down as quickly?

Yes, this is an inexpensive option. Yes, the design is modern. But taking such radiators into an apartment is the height of levity.

Bimetal

These radiators are made from two types of metals. The top is aluminum, but the inner part is made of copper or steel. Aluminum protects against external rust, because it is put as a protective cover.

As you understand, the concept of "bimetal" in itself does not guarantee high quality. The crucial role is played by the internal metal. If there is steel inside, then be prepared for the fact that the radiator from the inside will corrode corrosion, and much faster than you think when it comes to centralized heating. But the copper filler is good, you will not say anything. But the price bites. ..

And yet there is one big minus in these radiators. Heat transfer from them is not as good as that of mono-batteries, since at the junction of metals resistance is formed, which significantly reduces heat transfer.

Frankly speaking, we do not share the enthusiasm about this particular type of radiator and it is not very clear what this price is for.

Important:

In addition, it is a sin not to mention the fact that changing batteries - you do not change the boiler room itself! That is, the water supply there is designed for appliances, a section which holds 3-5 liters of water. Project passes are wide enough and there can be no filling problems. But in the case of European radiators, which are designed for 1 cup of water in the section( they save water and their boilers supply water under great pressure), the situation is very bad. Often, very often, the flow of water tuned to other sources, just bypassing the microscopic holes and quietly runs around the battery without getting into it. In general, nobody canceled physics, you understand.

Copper

Good batteries, durable. They are not afraid of water hammer, they are not subject to corrosion. But they are very expensive and the design of pure copper radiators leaves much to be desired. They are similar not to batteries, but to some spare part from the factory, albeit of a nice copper color. By the way, if copper gets salt or acid. Then you have a green spot, which is very difficult to scour. Anyway, inconvenient to wash them.

Which radiators are suitable for apartments in high-rise buildings?

So, what have we come to? Ideal for apartments:

• Cast iron
• Copper
• Bimetal with copper inside

Other radiators are a temporary pleasure. And not just temporary, but short-term.

Which radiators are only suitable for private homes?

But in the case of independent heating things are much more fun. In a private house, you can put all kinds of batteries and they will serve for a very long time. There are no water hammer, sludge, sand, caustic chemicals in the water. But, again. .. If brackish water comes from your well, which is rare, but it happens, then you should not take steel radiators, since salt will “eat” them for three years.

What parameters to pay attention to when buying in the first place?

The most important thing is metal. But that's not all. You need to know what kind of atmospheric pressure your boiler room provides. For example, in Khrushchev and Stalin built in the 50s-60s, the pressure is only 5-6 atmospheres, which means that modern batteries that hold only 200 grams of water in the section will not fit there, a weak stream of water will simply ignore these holes. But in high-rise pressure there is much more, about 15-20 atmospheres and you can easily install a bimetal( only with copper inside, remember?).

Also, when choosing a battery, count on the possibility of water hammer. This means that their resistance should be at least twice as high as the initial atmospheric pressure in the system. That is, if you have a supply of 15-20 atmospheres, then take batteries with a resistance of at least 40 atmospheres.

About the appearance of the battery, we will not talk. In this case, the most important thing is functionality. Therefore, it is better to take a cast-iron battery is not the most presentable form than to take the beauty, and then change it after some five years.

Conclusion

Here, in general, and that we wanted to tell you. We are sure that having armed with this knowledge, you will be able to choose good batteries. And what better radiators in the apartment you already know for sure and will not repeat the sad experience of ignorant people.