Starting the construction of a house, a good owner provides for the costs not only for the construction itself, but also for communications. The costs can be somewhat reduced if you make some of the heating equipment yourself, fortunately, the necessary materials can be found not only in hardware stores, but even in your own shed or in a landfill. Do-it-yourself heating radiators are a labor-intensive business, but quite affordable, which you will learn about from our article.
Where will he stand?
Before you make a heating radiator with your own hands, think about where it will be located. Such a unit can heat a room very well, but it is rather difficult to make it an interior decoration. However, it all depends on the style, and it is possible that you can install your creation even in the living room.
However, most often such products can be seen in workshops or warehouses, that is, where a particularly spectacular design is not needed.
Important! If you are going to make several batteries, start with those that will heat the basement or hallway, see what you get, and only then decide if they are needed in other rooms.
Pros of homemade radiators
The main advantage of a home-made battery is the extremely low price despite the fact that it is a complete and very efficient unit. They are made from wide pipes. They can:
- connect with jumpers;
- made of bent pipes.
If we talk about other advantages, then they are as follows:
- you can use pipes that have already been in use;
- the design allows such devices to work in systems with both natural and forced circulation;
- if you put a heating element and a thermostat, the unit will be able to work autonomously.
disadvantages
Before deciding to do something, you need to find out as much as possible about the shortcomings of your future creation:
- To make such a thing, you need to have a welding machine and be able to work with it.
- Need to be given special attention the quality of the welds - they must be very reliable, because the coolant is supplied to the radiator under high pressure.
- Compared to radiators manufactured industrially, the heat transfer from homemade ones is quite low.
- Homemade radiators can only be used in a private house; they cannot be installed in apartments.
Therefore, it makes sense to start such a business only if the owners of the future house are severely limited in funds. A good reason to go into battery making is when you can get the materials for free or at an extremely low cost.
Important! Self-made batteries do not meet the safety requirements that heating devices in urban high-rise buildings must meet.
Heating register
The simplest version of a homemade battery is a heating register. The unit is made of several pipes welded together. The radiator works in the same way as the most common central heating battery:
- The pipes are filled with a coolant.
- The coolant heats the metal.
- From the heated metal, heat spreads throughout the room.
Heating registers can be:
- one-pipe;
- from several pipes.
By the method of installation, they are divided into two types:
- wall-mounted;
- floor.
Important! Similar designs were installed in the bathrooms of old houses - towel warmers once looked like this.
Curved and sectional
Do-it-yourself heating registers are of two types:
- bent, or serpentine;
- sectional.
Sectional radiators
From the name it follows that the unit consists of several sections. It is made of wide pipes that are parallel. Plugs are placed on the ends. The sections are connected by thinner tubes. The coolant enters and exits through the pipes - they should be at the edges.
To prevent the structure from falling apart from the slightest touch, the pipes are connected with jumpers. They are also needed for another purpose - to increase the area of \u200b\u200bthe heated metal, and, accordingly, to increase heat transfer. First, the coolant enters the pipe located at the top, then through the branch pipe it enters the compartment, which is at a lower level, then fills all the pipes and goes to the next section.
Important! The system must withstand a pressure of 13 atmospheres.
Serpentines
Curved structures are somewhat simpler than sectional ones. You have seen them many times - these are the very modern heated towel rails that are mostly installed in the bathrooms of new homes.
Serpentine radiators have many advantages over sectional ones:
- simplicity and strength of the structure;
- comparative ease of installation, if it is possible to get bent pipes;
- greater efficiency, since there is practically no hydraulic resistance.
Important! The coil is made of straight and curved pipes of the same diameter. Hot water flows through them without any obstacles. To increase the strength of the structure, reinforcement jumpers are installed.
We calculate the radiator
What size will your sectional radiator heating? It depends, first of all, on the size of the room, as well as the length of the sections. In many industrial premises, you can see pipes along the entire length of the wall - there can be only two of them. If you want the battery to take up less space, you can make it out of more short pipes.
Jumpers are placed next to the ends so that there is no hindrance to the free movement of the coolant.
Important! You should not use pipes of different diameters for sections - hydraulic resistance will arise, which will certainly affect the strength of the structure.
Making a radiator
Have you already decided on the design and weighed all the pros and cons? Sumptuously! With the coil, everything is quite simple, so let's try to make a sectional heating radiator with our own hands for large room... For example, you can build a 3 m wide battery in a four-tube design.
You will need:
- pipe 110-120 mm - 12 m (4 pieces of 3 m each);
- sheet stainless steel for plugs;
- metal water pipe - jumpers will be made from it;
- construction fittings;
- threaded fittings.
Of course, such a structure cannot be assembled with bare hands - you need tools. The set is small but serious:
- bulgarian;
- angle grinder;
- welding machine (it will be gas or electric - it does not matter).
If everything is ready, you can start assembling a heating radiator with your own hands:
- Cut pieces of pipe to the desired length.
- Grind the ends with a grinder so that the cuts are even.
- Cut the water pipe into pieces 5-10 mm longer than the diameter of the section for the lintels, also process.
- Cut out round plugs from sheet stainless steel - there should be 8 of them.
- Mark places for jumpers on wide pipes - the more there are, the stronger and more efficient the radiator will be, however, only on condition that the seams are of high quality.
- Cut the holes.
- Weld the jumpers.
- Weld some more reinforcement straps to make the structure more reliable.
- When the main body of the battery is assembled, weld on the plugs.
- Trim the plugs by cutting off excess metal.
Fitting installation
Fittings must be inserted into the two end caps:
- Determine how the coolant will enter your battery.
- Select a fitting layout.
Depending on how your system will move hot water, you can choose one of the following schemes:
- lateral;
- diagonal;
- bottom.
In the first case, the fittings are cut from one side into the upper and lower plugs, in the second - from one side to the topmost, on the other - into the lowest. With the lower type of connection, the nodes are cut into two plugs of the section located below.
Appearance
After all the nodes are in place, clean up your creation to make it look decent. It is very useful to paint - this way you will kill three birds with one stone:
- give your product a spectacular look;
- improve the quality of heat transfer;
- protect from corrosion.
Important! It is best to use white paint.
Heating radiators from pipes can be made by hand.
In building goods stores there is big choice heating equipment. Its use in some cases is not justified due to high cost... Hand-made heating radiators from pipes are used in garages, technical buildings and other office and industrial premises.
Such batteries are usually manufactured from used materials. Such radiators are relatively inexpensive and quite functional. In enterprises, they are used quite widely due to their simplicity and sufficient efficiency. In closed-loop heating systems, it is beneficial to use this type of device for several reasons:
- the ability to manufacture from available materials without the use of complex and special tools;
- manufacturability of installation;
- high reliability and ease of operation and maintenance.
The costs for the production of such heating equipment for an enterprise or a garage owner will only consist of time and labor.
Features of calculating the required number of batteries for heating
Cast iron or steel radiators have the same coefficient of thermal conductivity, in fact, these are types of iron. In the approved calculation methods, we proceed from the volume of the coolant in standard batteries. For one section of a cast-iron heating device, this value is one and a half liters. The heat dissipation of this element is between 150 and 170 W.
One section cast iron radiator can be replaced with a two-meter homemade device.
Through simple calculations, it was established that 1 section will correspond to an approximately two-meter home-made heating device.
The standard cast-iron battery will be replaced by cylindrical radiators with a total length of 20 meters.
The compactness of such a large structure can be achieved if several segments are connected in parallel.
This scheme provides for the installation of pipes horizontally, which makes it possible to use convective processes to heat the air in the room.
Steel pipe radiators have a rather low efficiency. The cylinder for a given volume has smallest area outer surface, which limits its heat transfer. This disadvantage is compensated for in only one way: by increasing the length of the registers. Such build-up is possible only up to certain limits and limited by the size of the room.
Advice! An increase in the usable area of \u200b\u200bheating devices made of pipes is possible due to their parallel arrangement in several tiers.
The individual registers are combined into a daisy chain battery. The coolant passes through the first element of the system and enters the second through the bypass channel, changing the direction to the opposite.
Required materials and equipment
Tubular heating radiators are made in the overwhelming majority of cases from steel rolled out of service. A preliminary assessment of the degree of its wear, especially the thickness of the walls. In heating systems, the pressure can reach three or more atmospheres. A wall damaged by corrosion may not withstand and burst, which will lead to coolant leaks. When selecting pipes, it is recommended to carry out flaw detection and condition monitoring.
Before starting work, it is worth checking the fault detection and monitoring of the condition of the pipes.
The most used standard sizes of rolled steel for making registers are 100 and 120 mm. Radiators made of such materials have optimal characteristics in terms of heat transfer and layout. The ends of heating devices must be drowned, for which a steel sheet of the desired shape is used. In such heating systems, the registers are connected in sequential order.
By-pass channels and connection nipples are made of water pipes smaller diameter. In the vast majority of cases, in order to reduce costs, these materials are also taken from scrap metal collection points. Threads are cut on the fittings to connect them to the heating circuits using couplings and couplings.
The technological cycle begins with the preparation of materials and cutting of workpieces of the required length. Radiators in different heating schemes have a certain configuration, therefore, when performing this operation, a sufficiently high accuracy is required. Cutting is performed in a plane perpendicular to the register axis.
Advice! A sheet of paper wrapped around a cylinder in alignment gives a precise line for metalworking.
It is better to entrust welding work to a professional.
The ends of the heating registers made of steel pipes of large diameter must be closed.
A plug is cut from a metal sheet with a thickness of at least 3.5 mm round shape with a diameter of 105 or 125 mm, respectively. This part must be welded to the end of the section. The seam is gas-welded with tightness control.
At some distance from the edge, a hole is cut out on the side surface of the register for the bypass channel.
Radiators made of large enough water pipes are connected in sections.
Important! Welding work must be carried out by a highly qualified specialist who is able to ensure the quality and reliability of the seams.
The bypass channel provides free flow of the coolant from one part of the battery to another.
Radiators welded from metal pipes are connected to the space heating system.
Registers of large diameter pipes are installed in heating systems using pre-threaded couplings and squeegees. The inlet and outlet nozzles are cut into the plugs and fixed in them with a weld. Assembled radiators must ensure free passage of water from the supply point to the return manifold. Practice shows that it is not difficult to achieve this at sufficiently large cross-sections.
Radiators welded from metal pipes are installed in the designated places and connected to the space heating system. Commissioning consists in filling the circuits with water or antifreeze and turning on the pumps. During the operation of the equipment under pressure, joints and seams are checked for leaks. Steel registers from waste materials ready to go.
Industrial tubular radiators
The industry also produces products of this kind. Steel tubular radiators are a heat engineering device consisting of lower and upper collectors. They are connected to each other by tubes arranged vertically in two or three rows. Fins to increase the usable area are not installed on such devices. For collectors, a pipe with a diameter of 50 mm is used, for heat exchangers - 25 mm.
The heating device is able to withstand a maximum pressure of up to 12 atm, and the use of tubes with a galvanized surface provides high stability to corrosion. The thickness of the rolled steel used is 1.5 mm. There are two basic layouts of such equipment with parallel and perpendicular to the collectors arrangement of heat exchangers.
Taking into account the technical characteristics, tubular batteries are recommended for use in multi-apartment residential buildings and public buildings... The design of these devices fits well with the decor of the premises. for different purposes and stylistics. The absence of sharp corners makes it possible to use them in preschool, educational and medical institutions. Due to the absence of fins, they are easily cleaned of dust and dirt.
When standard designs for space heating do not meet the requirements, they make a heating radiator. Its dimensions and heat dissipation exceed the parameters conventional battery... Mostly used in back rooms, garage, where design requirements are low. They are also installed in an apartment, a private house, paying appearance increased attention.
Making appliances for heating a room with your own hands is profitable from a financial point of view. If the owner has a welding machine, knows how to use, the costs often translate into the purchase of electrodes and payment of electricity. For homemade batteries, pipes and sheet metalthat have already been used. Many of them can be found on the farm, and if not, they can be bought inexpensively at the scrap metal collection point.
Features of homemade batteries and scope
In a well-insulated room, standard radiators are sufficient for heating. Errors with thermal insulation or its absence are corrected by installing additional batteries. Since the cost is quite high, do homemade registers, especially if there is no individual metering of consumption. This is not permitted, but in the pursuit of one's own well-being, the prohibition is violated. The area of \u200b\u200bthe heat exchanger is increased and the required temperature is reached.
Homemade radiators are installed mainly in utility and utility rooms. This is a complete heating device. If you use it to heat a garage, the car is always warm, not as susceptible to corrosion as in a wet box. Little attention is paid to beauty, often making registers from pipes along the entire length of the wall. Good efficiency is provided.
Assembling a heating radiator with your own hands is a task that is not very difficult for a person who owns welding and a grinder. A homemade heating device has its advantages over a purchased one:
- it costs the owner less - for manufacturing, you can reuse metal from disassembled structures;
- installation is simple, does not require special knowledge and skills;
- high-quality assembly guarantees reliability and long service life;
- works equally well in a system with and without forced pumps.
In installation, some difficulties are possible, high-quality work of a welder will be required. If someone does not have such skills, the material is going to buy a new one at full cost, it is better to leave thoughts of homemade radiators. They will cost no less than purchased ones. Factory battery is more efficient, don't worry about design.
The installation of hand-made radiators in an apartment is prohibited not only due to excessive consumption of energy resources, but also for safety reasons. There is no guarantee that the seams will not part under pressure. Then hot water will flood not only its own premises, but also neighbors.
Constructive differences between radiators and calculation
Heating devices, for the manufacture of which smooth-walled pipes, welded together, are used, are more correctly called registers. The elements are arranged mainly horizontally, connected by jumpers for continuous circulation of the coolant. Radiators have a similar design, only the arrangement of the sections is vertical.
Spreading homemade heating appliances due to more than one cost savings. They hold much more coolant compared to industrial batteries. It is more difficult to heat, but it takes a long time to cool.
Materials - what is appropriate to use?
The leader is undoubtedly considered to be seamless steel pipes with a diameter of 32–150 mm and a wall thickness of at least 2.5 mm. In terms of heat transfer, they are inferior to factory aluminum products, suffer from corrosion, and require constant maintenance. Disadvantages in the background when it comes to price - ferrous metal is incomparably cheaper than non-ferrous. Plus, it's much easier to work with.
Stainless steel for homemade structures is rarely used. It is almost impossible to buy it at a low price at purchase, in a store or in a warehouse it is expensive. Cost isn't the only barrier to widespread adoption. It will serve for a long time, but not every welder can work with it, a special apparatus is required - on argon.
Aluminum radiator - the ideal heating device in all respects:
- light weight;
- good heat dissipation;
- increased resistance to corrosion;
- long-term operation.
You can buy pipes from this metal and try to make a homemade register. Here the craftsman will face an incredible problem: it is very difficult to solder aluminum. Despite all the attractiveness of the material, it is better to refuse this venture.
Cast iron pipes are easy to install. They have a flange, for connection there must be a mating one, both are bolted through a gasket. For self-made rarely used due to massiveness. In the combustion chamber - perfect material... The factory battery should be disassembled, leaving the required number of sections, then connected with steel pipes through couplings.
Dimensions - what to consider?
Self-production is not very difficult. But without correct calculations parameters will not provide proper heat transfer. The use of special formulas is complex and many factors are taken into account. In practice, a simplified version is used. You need to know the area of \u200b\u200bthe room - 1 kW of heat energy is needed for 10 m2. The second indicator is a height of no more than 2.8 m.In order to correctly assemble a homemade radiator, it is compared with the factory one.
Each element of a standard cast iron battery gives off 160 watts (0.16 kW) of heat, holding 1.45 liters of water. Knowing these characteristics, they determine how many sections are needed for an industrial radiator. Materials do not play a role here - the properties of steel and cast iron are almost the same. Knowing the number of elements, they determine the volume of the coolant in the battery. Next, the length of the pipe is calculated, into which the same amount of water will enter.
Calculation example for a garage with an area of \u200b\u200b24 m2, material with a diameter of 80 mm (8 cm):
- required heat transfer from the factory battery: 24 m2: 10 m2 \u003d 2.4 kW;
- number of sections of a cast iron radiator: 2.4 kW: 0.16 kW \u003d 15;
- the volume of water in the battery: 15 × 1.45 l \u003d 21.75 l (21750 cm3);
- cross-sectional area of \u200b\u200bthe pipe according to the formula S \u003d πR2, where π \u003d 3.14, R is the radius: 3.14 × 42 \u003d 50.24 cm3;
- required total register length: 21750 cm3: 50.24 cm3 \u003d 432 cm.
Round in big side, we get 4.5 m. For installation in a room, the pipe is cut into three separate sections of 1.5 m, placed in parallel, connected in series.
Register execution methods
Products differ mainly in appearance, all options are reduced to two. Sectional or lattice is the most common. The main pipes are connected with a smaller diameter. Getting into the first section, the coolant passes through the bypass channel into the second, changing the direction of movement. This continues through all the elements. To provide increased rigidity, pieces of reinforcement are welded on.
Any number of sections, limited by the size of the room. If it is large, two pipes are often used along the entire length of the wall. For compactness, cut into shorter ones. Jumpers for connection are welded closer to the ends in order to create fewer obstacles to the passage of the coolant.
Sectional structures are simple in design, but they use pipes of different diameters. This contributes to a high hydraulic resistance, the normal passage of the coolant becomes difficult. As an alternative, serpentine radiators, more complicated to manufacture, are used. Welding works several times less, but it is required to make curved elements, and this is not easy at home.
They have certain advantages over grill radiators. Due to the low resistance, they heat up more efficiently, the structure is stronger and more reliable. The coil consists of straight and bent pipes, which ensure the smooth movement of the coolant and the strength of the product. Bathrooms apartment buildingsbuilt during the Soviet Union were equipped with such heaters for drying towels.
Manufacturing of all coils is practically the same, and section registers are created according to different schemes... They differ in the connection of pipes: from one side or from opposite ends. The arrangement of individual elements is selected parallel or sequential.
For the manufacture of lattice and serpentine options, a profile pipe is also used. This is a slightly specific material, the assembly takes place using a slightly different technology. But the advantage of such structures is greater compactness, which is important.
The register does not need to be connected to a heating boiler. If you take large-diameter pipes, insert the heating element, fill in the mining, you get an oil cooler. it good device for a garage that quickly warms up the room. It does not require a high temperature, a small positive temperature is enough. If you install a thermostat, an optimal microclimate will always be maintained.
Instructions for the manufacture of heating devices of different types
The do-it-yourself register is done after preliminary calculations according to the above method. Pick up the material. Homemade construction made of steel pipes and necessary accessories - an economical choice. In addition to them, you will need:
- elbows suitable in diameter;
- fittings or corners;
- sheet steel;
- branch pipes.
Taps are required to release air that accumulates due to imperfect design.
Preparation of grid register elements and welding
Workpieces for sections are cut to size from pipes. Convenient to use circular saw, in its absence, a grinder is used. It is difficult to make 90 ° ends with this tool, but you should strive. They beat off the line in a circle, slowly and carefully lead a circle along it, if necessary, clean it up to level it.
Caps are marked on a sheet of metal. They use an oxygen cutter, and if this is not possible, a proven home tool is a grinder. It is more convenient to work with a small one, with an almost worn out circle. It allows you to make a part even with a small diameter. Some pancakes require a hole for inlet and outlet fittings (counts). It is easier to buy ready-made register plugs in the store - the choice is large.
They step back quite a bit from the end edges and cut holes to connect the register elements. Each pipe will need one or two - the number depends on the chosen design. Then, slag and scale are removed from the inner surface. Pancakes are placed on the ends and scalded. The first and last pipe has plugs with holes on one side.
The finished sections are combined into a battery. The configuration of the grille-shaped heating radiator was decided long ago, even at the stage of calculations. Bridges are made of pipes of small diameter (25 or 32 mm). They will also serve for the manufacture of fittings with a length of 150-200 mm. They are welded into plugs with holes.
The sections are laid out on a flat area, placing the ends on one line. The first upper and last elements are placed depending on the connection method - one-sided or versatile scheme. Install the pass-through jumpers in the prepared pipe holes and scald. With a large length of elements, to give additional rigidity, reinforcement or corner pieces are added between the sections.
This completes the assembly of the trellis register. It has a fairly large mass, you will need help to install it. Together they lift the device and hang it on the prepared hooks in the wall. It remains to connect to the wiring through threaded couplings, and there is a heating system.
Assembling the serpentine radiator
The main difficulty in making such a structure is that it is not easy to bend pipes at home. A special machine is used, but this possibility is not always available. It remains to resort to welding. Get knees. Sometimes there are tips to use connections at right angles, but there is little sense in this method - the hydraulic resistance increases. Better to make a grille - less worries and easier.
Manufacturing sequence:
- parts of the same size are cut;
- laid on a flat surface;
- knees are welded into the ends;
- connected with pipes;
- install plugs with holes and fittings for connection to the heating system.
It is difficult to maintain the minimum annular distance during such assembly, the design is large-sized. In this respect, the coil loses to the lattice register, but the advantage is in less resistance to the coolant, which increases efficiency. Another plus is the absence of air congestion. Despite all the advantages, such radiators are rarely made.
Profile tube battery
First, sections of the required length are cut from material with sidewalls from 30 to 80 mm and bridges of 10 cm each. For the latter, a similar material of the same or slightly smaller size is used, as well as pipes of circular cross section. We need threaded fittings, Mayevsky cocks for air bleeding. Plugs are required that fit freely into the end to hide the seam in the gap.
The sections are placed on a flat surface or bars are placed. The placement is parallel with the distance between the elements 10 cm and the edges in one line. Places for holes are marked 5 cm from the ends, cut out according to the diameter and configuration of the jumpers - square or round. Set and tack, then finally weld. First, a thin seam is made with a low current, then the power is increased and re-passed with an electrode.
Connections are connected to the plugs with holes. Placement depends on the connection diagram. A fitting is installed on the upper element, a Mayevsky tap is screwed in. The seams are cleaned with a grinder, degreased, covered with heat-resistant enamel.
How to decorate a heater?
A homemade heating radiator is not very elegant. If it is located in a living room, it will have to be closed. In this case, it is taken into account that the power decreases.
The room warms up the worse, the more area is occupied by a surface without holes. It is required to leave access to the device, for this decorative element make it removable.
The easiest way to mask a radiator is to install a box that covers the register from all sides. He is able to decorate a room if top part made in the form of a stand or a small table. There are vases, figurines, paintings. In order not to move the structure every time if necessary, a door is made in it that opens access to the tap.
Beautiful decor obtained using decoupage technique. Plain paper surprisingly fits dull and boring heating appliances into the interior of any room.
For work you will need:
- napkins with a pattern or wallpaper;
- pVA joiner's glue;
- white and acrylic paint;
- brushes;
- heat-resistant varnish.
The surface is thoroughly washed, cleaned with sandpaper, painted with white enamel. Cut out patterns from napkins, try them on at the location. Paste over, starting from the top. Then, if necessary and the presence of artistic abilities, the drawing is corrected. acrylic paints, covered after drying with a colorless heat-resistant varnish.
Watch the video about decoupage technique applied to heating batteries.
Now the radiator will not only heat the room, but also become its decoration. It took quite a bit of money and effort to make an effective and beautiful heating unit.
An assortment of various appliances for space heating on modern market striking in its variety, now you can easily find products for almost every taste and wallet. Nevertheless, do-it-yourself heating radiators from a pipe are made to this day. These structures can be welded or prefabricated, different metals are used for such production, as for the forms, everything here depends on the imagination of the master. We will talk about all these subtleties further.
Which metal is better
To begin with, we note that structures of this kind can be intended both for heat transfer, performing the function of radiators, and for taking heat, when the tubular register is mounted directly in the combustion chamber of a boiler or furnace.
Plus, in some models, heated gas is used instead, for example, a radiator chimney.
- Steel pipes for heating radiators are deservedly considered the leaders in this market sector.... Of course, the heat transfer of steel is not as high as that of aluminum or copper, it corrodes and requires regular maintenance. But these shortcomings are more than compensated for by the affordable price, as well as a wide range of types and sizes. Besides, it is much easier to cook ordinary black metal than non-ferrous metal.
- Stainless steel is rarely used for such structures.... Apart from the fact that its cost, to put it mildly, is far from the budget, argon welding is used to solder stainless steel, and not every professional welder can work with it.
Important: in this case, there is simply no point in using galvanized iron.
A thin zinc coating simply burns out during welding.
As a result, an already weak weld seam is additionally affected by corrosion.
- The use of copper tubular registers is justified only in the case of copper wiring around the house... The heat transfer of copper is four times higher than that of ferrous metals, so here we can talk about heating with pipes without radiators, more precisely with a minimum number of radiators.
But, firstly, the price of copper is fabulously high, and secondly, this metal is very demanding on operating conditions.
- Copper systems require a finely cleaned coolant that does not have hard abrasive inclusions.
- In such systems, the hardware must be copper or compatible metals such as bronze, nickel, chrome or brass. Moreover, it is strictly forbidden to combine aluminum with copper.
- Copper pipelines necessarily require high-quality grounding, since there is a risk of electrochemical corrosion.
- Copper material is soft, so the system needs additional protectionnaturally, shields and shields also cost money.
- Cast iron radiator heating pipes shown in the photo, in industrial buildings and technical rooms are still in use. But the weight of such a structure is much higher than that of a household cast-iron battery. Considering not aesthetic appearance and rather low efficiency, they are not popular.
Tip: cast iron tubular registers are the best fit for installation in a combustion chamber.
Optimal heat capacity, low price and unpretentiousness in relation to the coolant make them the leaders in this area.
Types and characteristics of tubular radiators
From all of the above, it becomes clear that, in this case, practically not. Although the appearance of do-it-yourself structures is very mediocre, they are quite suitable for a garage, greenhouse or summer cottage, plus instructions for self-assembly here it is not difficult.
Types of homemade tubular radiators
Self-made structures of this kind are often made serpentine or register. The configuration of the former is in the name. The metal pipe is bent in the form of a snake, after which the docking pipes and, in some cases, fastening strips are welded to it.
The one-piece bent radiator naturally has significant advantages over welded structures. But to bend a steel pipe, you need a special pipe bender or at least gas-burner... Plus, the pipe diameter usually does not exceed 50 mm. Therefore, for more powerful systems, it is customary to use register structures.
There are no restrictions on the diameter of the radiator tube in the register system. Most often, smooth round pipes from 32 to 150 mm in diameter.
The sections can be connected in two ways - in a string or in the form of a column. A thread connection, in fact, differs from a coil only in the presence of connecting pipes. Otherwise, this is the same consistent snake.
The pipes in the column are connected in parallel. That is, horizontally mounted sections of a larger diameter are interconnected by vertical stubs on both sides. This is kind of like a standard factory radiator, only turned upside down.
Such self-made registers can be connected to both one-pipe and two-pipe system... The type of system is not reflected in the technical characteristics. Such registers, due to their large diameter and minimal hydraulic resistance, work best in heating systems with a natural heat carrier current.
But don't forget that natural systems mounted with a slope towards the water flow, about 5 mm per 1 running meter.
Important: if available welding machine, grinders and other auxiliary tools, heating radiators from shaped pipe do it yourself as easy to assemble as from a round one.
Of course, the hydraulic resistance here will be slightly higher, but for pipes with a cross section of more than 50 mm, this error is not significant.
In both homemade and factory designs, products with ribbing or "plumage" are widely used. In this case, we are talking about the fact that metal strips or plates are welded onto a smooth pipe. By increasing the area of \u200b\u200bthe metal, heat transfer increases significantly. In particular, the radiator pipe for fireplaces, shown in the photo, works exactly on this principle.
Calculation of a homemade tubular radiator
Compared to the internal volume of the coolant, the contact area of \u200b\u200bthe radiator with air is small, so you should not expect high efficiency from such structures.
The problem can be partially solved by inserting into the system circulation pump... But you should be careful here, an increase in pump power will inevitably lead to the appearance of extraneous noise.
As already mentioned, the pipe diameters are in the range of 32 - 150 mm, this leads to a large volume of the coolant. On the one hand, the boiler will operate in a softer, more gentle mode. But at the same time, the acceleration energy will require many times more and temperature control with a large volume is very difficult.
Despite the ease of assembling homemade tubular radiators, there are still limitations here. In particular, pipes must not be placed too close for efficient system operation. According to the rules, the distance between sections should not be less than one and a half radii of the main pipe.
In fact, such structures are a very long pipe, bent in a certain way in order to make the system more compact. To calculate the number of homemade steel radiators the same parameters are used as for conventional steel pipe. The table shows the averaged data, focused on middle lane our homeland.
But if the necessary tables were not at hand, you can go the other way. For rough calculations, experts, as a rule, use a simple formula. The only thing you will need to take from the tables is the heat transfer coefficient of the material. All other data can be obtained locally.
Pros and cons of steel homemade structures
- Probably the most important advantage is the low cost of such a battery. But this is true only if welding is not a problem for you and everything will really be done independently. If you pay for the work of a welder, then the price of such a radiator can be equal to the cost of an inexpensive aluminum product from China.
- These batteries, for the most part, emit radiant thermal energyso that oxygen is not burned out.
- Bulky smooth surfaces are much easier to care for than modern corrugated batteries.
- Steel easily withstands any operating pressure and is not afraid of water hammer.
- Steel homemade batteries work equally well in both forced and natural circulation coolant.
We have partly outlined the disadvantages of such designs above. In particular, steel is susceptible to corrosion, such batteries need to be painted with heat-resistant paints, the design is very mediocre and, finally, the heat transfer leaves much to be desired.
The video in this article provides materials on this topic.
Output
Deciding what is best for heating pipes or radiators should depend on the specific conditions and type of room. After all, expensive iron casting will also look ridiculous in a summer cottage, like a homemade steel coil in a luxurious bathroom.
The device or reconstruction of the heating system implies the installation or replacement of heating devices. The good news is that if you wish, you can do it yourself without involving specialists. How the installation of heating radiators should take place, where and how to place them, what is needed to carry out the work - all this is in the article.
What is needed for installation
The installation of heating radiators of any type requires devices and supplies... The set of necessary materials is almost the same, but for cast iron batteriese.g. stubs go big size, and the Mayevsky valve is not installed, but, somewhere at the highest point of the system, an automatic air vent is installed. But the installation of aluminum and bimetallic radiators is absolutely the same.
Steel panel ones also have some differences, but only in terms of hanging - they come with brackets, and on the back panel there are special bows cast from metal, with which the heater clings to the hooks of the brackets.
Mayevsky crane or automatic air vent
it small device to vent air that may accumulate in the radiator. Placed on a free top outlet (collector). Must be on every heating device when installing aluminum and bimetallic radiators... The size of this device is much smaller than the diameter of the collector, so an adapter is also required, but Mayevsky taps usually come complete with adapters, you just need to know the diameter of the collector (connecting dimensions).
In addition to the Mayevsky crane, there are also automatic air vents. They can also be placed on radiators, but they have a little big sizes and for some reason they are produced only in a brass or nickel-plated case. Not in white enamel. In general, the picture turns out to be unattractive and, although they deflate automatically, they are rarely placed.
Plug
The radiator has four outputs with side connection. Two of them are occupied by the supply and return pipelines, on the third, a Mayevsky crane is installed. The fourth entrance is closed with a plug. She, like most modern batteries, is most often painted with white enamel and does not spoil the appearance at all.
Shut-off valves
You will need two more ball valves or shut-off valves with the ability to adjust. They are placed on each input and output battery. If these are ordinary ball valves, they are needed so that, if necessary, you can turn off the radiator and remove it (emergency repair, replacement during heating season). In this case, even if something happened to the radiator, you cut it off, and the rest of the system will work. The plus of this solution is the low price of ball valves, minus the impossibility of adjusting the heat transfer.
Almost the same tasks, but with the ability to change the flow rate of the coolant, are performed by shut-off control valves. They are more expensive, but they also allow you to adjust the heat transfer (make it less), and they look better outwardly, they are available in a straight and angular design, so the strapping itself is more accurate.
If desired, you can put a thermostat on the coolant supply after the ball valve. This is a relatively small device that allows you to change the heat transfer of the heater. If the radiator heats up poorly, they cannot be installed - it will be even worse, since they can only make less flow. There are different thermostats for batteries - automatic electronic, but more often they use the simplest - mechanical.
Related materials and tools
You will also need hooks or brackets for hanging on walls. Their number depends on the size of the batteries:
- if the sections are no more than 8 or the length of the radiator is no more than 1.2 m, two attachment points at the top and one at the bottom are sufficient;
- for every next 50 cm or 5-6 sections add one fastener at the top and bottom.
So you need fum tape or linen roll, plumbing paste to seal the joints. You will also need a drill with drills, a level (a level is better, but a regular bubble level is also suitable), a certain number of dowels. You will also need equipment for connecting pipes and fittings, but it depends on the type of pipes. That's all.
Where and how to place
Traditionally, heating radiators are installed under the window. This is necessary in order for the rising warm air cut off the cold from the window. To prevent the glass from sweating, the width of the heater must be at least 70-75% of the window width. It must be installed:
How to install correctly
Now about how to hang a radiator. It is highly desirable that the wall behind the radiator is level - it is easier to work this way. The middle of the opening is marked on the wall, a horizontal line is drawn 10-12 cm below the window sill line. This is the line along which the upper edge of the heater is aligned. The brackets must be installed so that the top edge coincides with the drawn line, that is, it is horizontal. This arrangement is suitable for forced circulation heating systems (with a pump) or for apartments. For systems with natural circulation, a slight slope is made - 1-1.5% - along the flow of the coolant. You can't do more - there will be stagnation.
Wall mount
This must be taken into account when installing hooks or brackets for heating radiators. Hooks are installed like dowels - a hole of a suitable diameter is drilled in the wall, a plastic dowel is installed in it, and the hook is screwed into it. The distance from the wall to the heater can be easily adjusted by twisting and unscrewing the hook body.
The hooks for cast iron batteries are thicker. This is a fastener for aluminum and bimetallic
When installing hooks under heating radiators, keep in mind that the main load falls on the upper fasteners. The lower one serves only for fixing in a given position relative to the wall and is installed 1-1.5 cm lower than the lower collector. Otherwise, you simply cannot hang the radiator.
When installing the brackets, they are applied to the wall in the place where they will be mounted. To do this, first attach the battery to the installation site, look where the bracket will "fit", mark the place on the wall. With the battery down, you can attach the bracket to the wall and mark the location of the fasteners on it. In these places, holes are drilled, dowels are inserted, the bracket is screwed onto the screws. Having installed all the fasteners, the heater is hung on them.
Fixing to the floor
Not all walls can hold even light ones aluminum batteries... If the walls are made of or sheathed with plasterboard, a floor installation... Some types of cast iron and steel radiators come immediately on legs, but they do not suit everyone in appearance or characteristics.
Possibility of floor installation of aluminum and bimetallic radiators. There are special brackets for them. They are fixed to the floor, then the heating device is installed, the lower collector is fixed with an arc on the installed legs. There are similar legs with adjustable height, there are fixed ones. The method of fastening to the floor is standard - on nails or dowels, depending on the material.
Options for piping heating radiators
The installation of heating radiators implies their connection to pipelines. There are three main ways to connect:
- saddle;
- unilateral;
- diagonal.
If you install radiators and bottom connection, you have no choice. Each manufacturer rigidly binds the supply and return, and its recommendations must be strictly followed, since otherwise you simply will not get heat. There are more options with side connection ().
Strapping with one-way connection
One-way connection is most often used in apartments. It can be two-pipe or one-pipe (the most common option). In apartments, metal pipes are still used, therefore we will consider the option of tying the radiator with steel pipes on the squeegees. In addition to pipes of a suitable diameter, two ball valves, two tees and two bends are needed - parts with external threads at both ends.
All this connects as shown in the photo. When one-pipe system a bypass is required - it allows you to turn off the radiator without stopping or lowering the system. You cannot put a crane on the bypass - you will block the movement of the coolant along the riser with it, which is unlikely to please your neighbors and, most likely, will be fined.
All threaded connections are sealed with fum-tape or linen tape, on top of which packing paste is applied. When screwing the tap into the radiator manifold, a lot of winding is not required. Too much of it can lead to the appearance of microcracks and subsequent destruction. This is true for almost all types of heating devices, except for cast iron. When installing all the others, please, no fanaticism.
If you have the skills / ability to use welding, you can weld the bypass. This is how the piping of radiators in apartments usually looks.
With a two-pipe system, a bypass is not required. The supply is connected to the upper input, the return is connected to the lower one, taps, of course, are needed.
With lower wiring (pipes are laid on the floor), this type of connection is done very rarely - it turns out to be inconvenient and ugly, it is much better in this case to use a diagonal connection.
Strapping for diagonal connection
Installation of heating radiators with diagonal connection - most the best option in terms of heat transfer. She is the highest in this case. With the lower wiring, this type of connection is easy to implement (example in the photo) - supply from this side at the top, return from the other at the bottom.
A single pipe system with vertical risers (in apartments) doesn't look so good, but people put up with the higher efficiency.
Note that with a one-pipe system, a bypass is again required.
Saddle piping
With lower wiring or hidden piping, installing heating radiators in this way is the most convenient and most inconspicuous.
With saddle connection and bottom one-pipe wiring, there are two options - with and without bypass. Without a bypass, the taps are still installed, if necessary, you can remove the radiator, and install a temporary jumper between the taps - a squeeze (a piece of pipe of the required length with threads at the ends).
With vertical wiring (risers in high-rise buildings), this type of connection can be seen infrequently - too high heat losses (12-15%).