Contents
Any heating equipment has its own lifespan. Therefore, when choosing equipment, we pay attention to the quality of materials, strength and place of production. Every customer wants their heater to last as long as possible. To do this, it is important to understand what the standard service life of gas boilers depends on. On average, he works 7–12 years.
What factors negatively affect performance and contribute to wear? How to prevent breakage? This article will help you understand how to choose and operate a gas boiler correctly in order to avoid rapid wear and tear.
What affects the life of a gas boiler
It is believed that the duration of the unit depends on its class. So, economy-class models serve on average from 7 to 12 years. In this case, the device is repaired as needed. Models of the middle class (middle price category), as the manufacturers promise, will work for 10-15 years.
Why is class taken into account? Because cheap devices use lower quality materials, mechanical control, often there is no display. They are not as efficient in operation and are not equipped with the latest features.
Boilers of the middle and highest price category are supplied with units made of quality materials. They have built-in sensors, automation, self-diagnosis and useful functionality. Electronic control and the presence of the display make the use comfortable. But at the same time, the price of these devices is often “wound up” on the name of the manufacturer.
For example, such well-known brands as Ariston, Bosch, Vaillant are much more expensive than less well-known ones. This is used by dishonest firms that, instead of expensive components, use lower quality Chinese ones. As a result, you overpay, and the life of the premium boiler is the same as in the economy segment.
What factors should be considered
In addition to the class and price segment, other aspects also affect the duration of operation of gas equipment.
Heat exchanger material
Why is the service life of a wall-mounted appliance shorter than a floor-standing appliance? Perhaps the type of placement matters? No, just floor units are equipped with cast-iron or steel heat exchangers. For the same period of operation, their percentage of wear is significantly lower than that of copper radiators, which are installed in mounted boilers.
Copper is thinner than steel, and during operation it lends itself to oxidation and corrosion. Backlash in the heat exchanger can be soldered, but the unit will not last long. The average term of work is from 5 to 10 years maximum. Practice shows that copper radiators serve no more than 7 years, after which they must be repaired or replaced. They are more sensitive to the quality of tap water.
Wall-mounted appliances are less powerful than floor-mounted ones. This leads to constant operation at maximum power and rapid wear.
The type of heat exchanger also matters. An ordinary coil can be descaled on its own, and the boiler will continue to work. Bithermic radiators are not subject to cleaning, and the replacement of the node is almost equal to the cost of a new device.
Burner type
Gas appliances have two types of burners:
- Atmospheric – take air from the room to maintain the flame. Combustion products are discharged naturally with the help of traction.
- Supercharged or forced (turbo chambers) – clean air is taken from the street through a coaxial chimney. The power of the flame can be adjusted, the smoke is removed by a fan.
What about operating time? Forced removal of combustion products is more efficient. The boiler works with greater efficiency, which increases the efficiency and reduces the load on its units.
In devices with an atmospheric combustion chamber, a lot of soot accumulates in the holes and on the elements. As a result, the equipment spends more power to maintain operation, heating temperature, so the nodes fail faster.
Electronics and automation
Electronic models are equipped with control sensors, self-diagnostics and require connection to the network. Instability in the network, power surges lead to damage to the elements. We recommend installing a voltage stabilizer.
Features of operation
The service life of heating equipment initially depends on the right choice. To do this, it is necessary to select the boiler, taking into account the characteristics of the room in which it will work, and the planned peak loads. It is recommended to choose a boiler with a power reserve of 15–20%.
Choose a room for the installation of equipment in accordance with the regulations. It shouldn’t be damp inside. Corrosion quickly destroys the heat exchanger, so install an air vent to bleed excess air.
Install magnetic filters to prevent scale formation. They soften water by attracting heavy salts.
Also, the pressure affects the life span of the unit. To keep the performance stable, include an expansion tank in the piping.
Recommendations for choosing heating equipment:
- Devices with steel and cast iron radiators have the maximum service life.
- Devices with forced draft burner are more efficient.
- With a voltage stabilizer, the equipment will last a longer time.
It does not depend on the manufacturer’s forecasts how many years the boiler will work. Its maintainability is of great importance. Therefore, it is better to choose brands of domestic production, so that if necessary it would be easier to find service centers and spare parts.