Heating a small private house requires a competent approach. It is not necessary to mount an expensive circuit and introduce the latest innovative technologies. To achieve a comfortable temperature in the room will allow the Leningradka heating system, the effectiveness of which was confirmed back in the days of the Soviet Union.
The choice in its favor is made at the present time because of the economy and simple design. A person who does not have a specialized education can cope with installation work. The main thing is to understand the order of operation, get acquainted with the basic schemes and the order of actions performed.
What is the Leningradka heating system
In the most general case, the Leningrad heating system is a single-pipe system with a sequential arrangement of the main heating elements interconnected by a pipeline. A coolant circulates inside the heating circuit. Use of distilled water and antifreeze is acceptable. Heating of the coolant is provided by the boiler. The air in the room is heated by radiators.
Overview of the main technological schemes
Installation heating systems "Leningradka" according to the scheme is performed in different ways. It all depends on the chosen option. Each has its own features and benefits.
Horizontal schemes
Suitable for one-story buildings with small spaces. All heating elements are located at the same level along the walls. The composition includes a heating boiler. Radiators allow top, bottom and diagonal connection. In the first case, the coolant is fed into the battery and goes beyond it, respectively, in the upper and lower parts of the radiator. With a diagonal arrangement, the coolant is supplied from above, and the exit is from below.
Vertical schemes
Relevant if there is more than one floor in the house. There are open and closed types. They allow the circulation of the coolant by gravity and by means of forced circulation. The scheme assumes vertical arrangement pipeline. Water is supplied from the boiler through the expansion tank from top to bottom, and then distributed to the radiators. For continuous fluid movement, the pipes are placed at a predetermined angle.
Comparison of gravity and pumping systems
The circulation of the coolant is natural and forced. In the first case, the movement of the fluid occurs under the action of gravity. In the second case, a circulation pump is introduced into the composition, which creates sufficient pressure for the continuous movement of the coolant. Due to this, the radiators are heated evenly, regardless of their location relative to the boiler.
The specifics of the installation of the heating system
To eliminate difficulties during the installation process, you need to correctly perform the calculations and prepare the main elements. In addition to the heating boiler, radiators and pipelines, the system includes tees, as well as:
- expansion tank if a closed system is mounted;
- tank with valve when installing an open circuit.
To ensure the forced movement of the coolant, a circulation pump is required. To improve the parameters of the heating circuit, an additional two ball valves for each radiator and bypasses with a needle valve are required.
Preparatory work
If it is planned to lay the pipeline inside the building structure, during the preparation, the places for the pipes are shredded according to the previously applied markings. To ensure a sufficient level of thermal insulation of the surface, to exclude the appearance of unwanted condensate, the prepared pipes are insulated. For this purpose, a heat-insulating material of sufficient density is used.
Selection of radiators and pipes
For the installation of the pipeline, pipes from different materials are used:
- polypropylene. They are easy to install, but their operation is difficult if the house is located in a region with a low temperature in the winter season. The melting point of polypropylene is + 95 ° C, therefore, a rupture of the heating circuit is possible with significant heating of the coolant.
- Metal. Such pipelines are more reliable in operation. They are not afraid of high temperatures, but the connection of individual elements is carried out by welding.
The transverse dimension of the pipe should be selected taking into account the number of installed radiators. For 4 or 5, a diameter of 25 mm and a bypass of 20 mm are sufficient. Increasing the number of radiators to 6-8 implies an increase in the transverse size of the line up to 32 mm, and the bypass up to 25 mm. With natural circulation of the coolant, a diameter of 40 mm or more is optimal.
The number of sections is chosen in such a way as to achieve sufficient heat transfer. It should be remembered that, on average, after the first battery, the temperature of the circulating liquid decreases by 20 ° C. To compensate for this phenomenon, each subsequent radiator should have 10% more power than the previous one.
When choosing radiators, the required heat transfer and the stylistic design of the room should be taken into account. Products made of aluminum and steel give off the maximum amount of heat. For this reason, they are most often preferred. One is allowed to install cast iron and bimetallic batteries.
Connection of heating elements and pipes
The bypass is built into the line separately with taps, the distance between which is calculated with an error of 2 mm. This is necessary to accommodate the radiator when welding the American and the corner valve. The allowable backlash is 1-2 mm for pulling up an American. Otherwise, there is a risk of distortion and subsequent leakage.
To obtain the exact dimensions in Leningradka, when connecting heating radiators, angle valves are turned out and the distance between the centers of the couplings is measured. The connection of the tees to the outlets is carried out so that there is one hole for the bypass. The second tee is selected by measurement, taking into account the size of the bypass landing on the tee.
Carrying out welding work
When welding metal elements, it is necessary to carefully control the quality of the connection being made. The appearance of an internal influx is unacceptable. Reducing the transverse size of the pipes will not allow sufficient heating of the radiators. The main and bypass are combined after a thorough check of the quality of the connection. Violation of the sequence will not allow high-quality welding work.
After welding, the radiators are connected to the system by means of angle valves and combined couplings. The bypass is laid in strobes, adjusting the taps to size. Combined couplings are removed and then connected to the outlets by welding.
The final stage
Before starting the system, air is bled from the heating circuit using the Mayevsky crane. Further, by adjusting the needle valve, balancing is performed, achieving equalization of the degree of heating of all radiators. In a vertical system, the location of the expansion tank is controlled. It should be above the level of the radiators.
Advantages and disadvantages of the system
The advantages of the heating system, because of which many decide to choose Leningradka, include:
- low material consumption, allowing a 30-35% reduction in the number of pipes used;
- high efficiency at low cost;
- simplicity and minimum installation time;
- versatility, allowing use in houses with one and two levels;
- ease of operation;
- the possibility of doing the work on their own.
No matter how high-quality the installation is, the Leningradka heating system has some disadvantages. The main ones include:
- the inability to ensure uniform heating of all rooms due to uneven heating of radiators in different rooms;
- the complexity of the installation work due to the difficulties in creating a sufficient slope of the pipeline with natural circulation of the coolant inside the circuit;
- complexity of calculations.
Conclusion
Heating "Leningradka" in a private house deserves special attention. This is the best option if not relevant two-pipe circuitand the building is not a multi-story building. However, before starting calculations and subsequent installation, it is worth comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the system.
