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In order for the house to be warm, it is important to correctly develop a heating scheme. One of the components of its effectiveness is the connection of heating radiators. It doesn’t matter if you are going to install cast iron, aluminum, bimetallic or steel radiators, it is important to choose the right way to connect them.
Types of heating systems
The amount of heat that a heating radiator will radiate depends not least on the type of heating system and the type of connection chosen. To choose the best option, you must first understand what kind of heating systems are and how they differ.
Single pipe
A single-pipe heating system is the most economical option in terms of installation costs. Therefore, this type of wiring is preferred in multi-storey buildings, although in private such a system is far from uncommon. With this scheme, the radiators are connected in series to the line and the coolant first passes through one heating duct, then enters the second one, and so on. The output of the last radiator is connected to the input of the heating boiler or to the riser in high-rise buildings.
The disadvantage of this wiring method is the impossibility of adjusting the heat transfer of radiators. By installing a regulator on any of the radiators, you will regulate the rest of the system. The second significant drawback is the different temperature of the coolant on different radiators. Those that are closer to the boiler heat up very well, those that are further away become colder. This is a consequence of the series connection of heating radiators.
Two-pipe wiring
A two-pipe heating system is distinguished by the fact that it has two pipelines – supply and return. Each radiator is connected to both, that is, it turns out that all radiators are connected to the system in parallel. This is good in that a coolant of the same temperature enters the inlet of each of them. The second positive point is that you can install a thermostat on each of the radiators and use it to change the amount of heat that it emits.
The disadvantage of such a system is that the number of pipes when distributing the system is almost twice as large. But the system can be easily balanced.
Read more about home heating systems here.
Where to put radiators
Traditionally, heating radiators are placed under the windows and this is no coincidence. The upward flow of warm air cuts off the cold air that comes from the windows. In addition, warm air heats the windows, preventing condensation from forming on them. Only for this it is necessary that the radiator occupies at least 70% of the width of the window opening. Only in this way the window will not fog up. Therefore, when choosing the power of radiators, select it so that the width of the entire heating battery is not less than the specified value.
In addition, it is necessary to correctly choose the height of the radiator and the place for its placement under the window. It must be placed so that the distance to the floor is in the region of 8-12 cm. If lowered, it will be inconvenient to clean, if raised higher, the feet will be cold. The distance to the window sill is also regulated – it should be 10-12 cm. In this case, warm air will freely go around the barrier – the window sill – and rise along the window glass.
And the last distance that must be maintained when connecting heating radiators is the distance to the wall. It should be 3-5 cm. In this case, ascending currents of warm air will rise along the rear wall of the radiator, the heating rate of the room will improve.
How to mount and connect heating radiators with your own hands, read here.
Radiator connection diagrams
How well the radiators will heat up depends on how the coolant is supplied to them. There are more and less effective options.
Radiators with bottom connection
All heating radiators have two types of connection – side and bottom. There can be no discrepancies with the lower connection. There are only two pipes – inlet and outlet. Accordingly, on the one hand, a coolant is supplied to the radiator, on the other hand it is removed.
Specifically, where to connect the supply, and where the return is written in the installation instructions, which must be available.
Radiators with side connection
With a side connection, there are much more options: here the supply and return pipelines can be connected to two pipes, respectively, there are four options.
Option number 1. Diagonal connection
Such a connection of heating radiators is considered the most effective, it is taken as a standard, and this is how manufacturers test their heaters and the data in the passport for thermal power – for such an eyeliner. All other connection types are less efficient at dissipating heat.
This is because when the batteries are connected diagonally, the hot coolant is supplied to the upper inlet on one side, passes through the entire radiator and exits from the opposite, lower side.
Option number 2. Unilateral
As the name implies, pipelines are connected on one side – supply from above, return – from below. This option is convenient when the riser passes to the side of the heater, which is often the case in apartments, because this type of connection usually prevails. When the coolant is supplied from below, such a scheme is used infrequently – it is not very convenient to arrange pipes.
With this connection of radiators, the heating efficiency is only slightly lower – by 2%. But this is only if there are few sections in the radiators – no more than 10. With a longer battery, its farthest edge will not heat up well or even remain cold. In panel radiators, to solve the problem, flow extensions are installed – tubes that bring the coolant a little further than the middle. The same devices can be installed in aluminum or bimetallic radiators, while improving heat transfer.
Option number 3. Bottom or saddle connection
Of all the options, the saddle connection of heating radiators is the most inefficient. Losses are approximately 12-14%. But this option is the most inconspicuous – the pipes are usually laid on the floor or under it, and this method is the most optimal in terms of aesthetics. And so that the losses do not affect the temperature in the room, you can take a radiator a little more powerful than required.
In systems with natural circulation, this type of connection should not be done, but if there is a pump, it works well. In some cases, even worse than the side. It’s just that at some speed of movement of the coolant, vortex flows arise, the entire surface heats up, and heat transfer increases. These phenomena have not yet been fully studied, therefore it is not yet possible to predict the behavior of the coolant.