The operation of any heating system must be designed for a specific temperature regime. However, it is not a constant value, since external factors change - the temperature in the street, the required level of heating of the house or separate room. For the timely control of these processes, automation is required for heating by gas and electric boilers, pumps. What requirements should be considered during her choice?
Purpose of automatic heating systems
Ideally, the heating system should maintain the optimum temperature in the house or apartment. To do this, in modern boilers (electric or gas), controllers are provided for the degree of heating of the coolant and its pressure in the system. In addition to it, automation is installed for gas heating boilers or electric models.
Despite the fact that manufacturers are trying to take into account all the nuances in the design of heating equipment - there is a certain area of control over its work, which can be done using additional devices. Depending on the purpose, the automation for heating boilers can be of the following types:
- Security. These include burner operation sensors, protection of electronics against voltage surges;
- Additional ways to control the heating mode. By installing an automatic control unit, it is possible to achieve optimal system operation by changing the degree of heating of the coolant. However, many models provide the ability to connect external temperature sensors;
- Cost optimization for heating water in pipes. For this, mixing blocks of heated and cooled coolant with various degrees of automatic operation are installed.
To select the optimal model of heating control systems, you need to familiarize yourself with their varieties. Each of them must have certain operational characteristics. Correctly selected automation for the heating system should simplify the control of the system, as well as reduce current energy costs.
Before purchasing an automation complex for a specific heating boiler, you need to find out the possibility of connecting devices to each other. This is indicated in the operating instructions.
Automation for heating boilers
The operation of any type of boiler must be efficient and safe. The latter quality is mandatory and for this it is necessary to provide for a number of protective measures. First of all, this applies to gas models of heating appliances. However, for the user, all two parameters are equally important. Therefore, automation for electric heating boilers or gas models is done combined. One module has functions for optimizing energy costs, checking the safety of the device and changing modes depending on external factors.
Manufacturers offer two types of automation for gas and electric heating boilers: remote and direct connection. The former are convenient to use when equipping the control unit directly in the living room.
Gas heating boilers
In the vast majority of cases, modern models of gas equipment are already equipped with all the necessary elements of safety, control and automatic regulation of work. However, for older boilers, it is recommended to periodically upgrade.First of all - to make the installation of new automation for gas heating boilers.
Installing a new gas burner control unit will help to improve the following boiler parameters:
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- The ability to adjust the temperature of the water in the system. Installation of new automation for gas heating boilers in conjunction with connected room temperature sensors will allow you to configure the heating mode of the air in the house;
- Gas flow control - from maximum to minimum;
- Automatic shutdown when reducing gas pressure or the occurrence of reverse thrust;
- Energy saving up to 20% - depends on the automation model for heating boilers;
- Shutdown of equipment in case of emergency - lack of gas, electricity or rupture of pipes.
The average cost of such blocks can be from 3400 to 6700 rubles. However, these functions are not enough for the user. Therefore, you need another type of automation for the heating system - programmers. These are high-tech devices that can be connected to almost all types of modern boilers. Programmers are designed to set the operating modes of heating when changing external factors - air temperature in the street, time of day, etc. As additional modules, the installation of temperature sensors is required. Such weather-dependent automation of heating systems provides the following advantages:
- Adjustment of water temperature in increments of 2 ° C;
- Daily automatic switching of heating modes - from 3 to 8;
- Prevent system freezing. Maintaining a minimum level of heating of the coolant during the absence of tenants;
- For some models, a remote GPS control of the heating operation is provided.
For the correct operation of automatic systems for gas boilers, you need to make the correct connection. To do this, the equipment manual contains a detailed description of which contacts of the boiler you need to connect certain modules to.
The cost of programmers depends on their functionality and performance. On average, it ranges from 7000 to 14000 rubles.
To increase the efficiency of automation in the heating system, it is recommended that thermostats be mounted on radiators. This will make it possible to regulate the thermal regime in a particular heating section.
Electric heating boilers
Do I need automation for electric heating boilers? The specifics of their work involves the installation of sensors for water temperature, its pressure, as well as automatic shutdown when the voltage in the network is exceeded.
For them, installation of almost the entire weather-dependent automation of heating systems is possible. However, when installing electric boilers, there are special requirements for their connection to the mains. For this, another type of device is used - RCD (residual current device). This element is optional when installing gas equipment.
Optimization of energy costs is possible when installing automation for electric heating boilers. It is designed to control power depending on the selected parameters. The main difference from gas models is the less inertia of the system - switching mode occurs quickly. In this case, the functions will be the same as for the automation of gas heating boilers.
For old electric boilers there is a special automation, which is adapted to their design. An example of such devices is Terneo RK and Auratron 2005TXPlus. Their average cost is 5-7 thousand rubles.
Automation for heating pump
In large heating circuits, the installation of several pumps is often provided. During their operation, it is difficult to achieve complete power synchronization.Even a slight deviation can lead to the creation of excessive hydraulic pressure in a certain section of the pipeline. The way out of this situation is automation for the heating circulation pump.
Such devices are necessary not only to synchronize the operation of the system, but are also intended to control the pump in the mixing unit of the water heated floor. The advantages of using automation for a heating circulation pump are as follows:
- Stabilization of equipment operating modes leads to an increase in the time of their maintenance-free operation;
- Reduced power consumption
- Noise reduction. This is especially true for mixing units installed in the room.
Despite a number of advantages, the use of automatic systems in private heating can be relevant only if there are 2 or more pumps. Often, the installation of such devices is carried out for heat-conducting communal or industrial networks.
How to choose the right automation for heating gas and electric boilers, pumps? First of all, you need to know the required parameters - the thermal mode of operation, the required degree of adjustment of heating of the coolant, the expected economic effect. To do this, you should calculate all the characteristics of heating, including the energy costs. Such calculations can be done using special programs.
As an example, you can read the review of automation for heating Galan:
