In our country, the average outdoor temperature in the cold season does not exceed 8 ° C. Consequently, all residential premises in private and multi-apartment buildings must be heated. In most regions, the heating season lasts about 150 days or more. Therefore, the heating system must be reliable and not create a threat of a possible accident during frosts on the street.
The most important element of the heat supply to the premises is the heating devices, which according to the type of material are divided into:
- steel;
- cast iron;
- bimetallic;
- aluminum.
In addition, you can sometimes find heating convectors made of finned copper pipes, which are most often used for concealed installation in floors.
Bimetallic Battery Device
As the practice of recent years has shown, of the listed series of radiators, the most effective and reliable are bimetal models. They have a clear advantage over other materials, which are:
- high resistance to corrosion;
- wide range of operating temperatures and pressure;
- the simple possibility of changing the heat transfer of the device by changing the number of sections collected;
- low inertia during heating and cooling;
- a small amount of coolant needed to fill;
- light weight that facilitates installation;
- affordable to most people.
It should also be noted the ease of installation of bimetallic radiators. Due to the presence of standard fixtures, this process will not entail structural damage and ensure high-quality fixing of heating equipment.
The design of bimetallic batteries consists of a set of sections. When assembled, such a package consists of two horizontal pipes connected by vertical hollow ribs through which the coolant circulates.
To increase the heat transfer of the heater, the outer surface of the ribs and pipes is increased due to additional planes. The sections are connected to each other by means of hollow nipples with double-threaded threads, provided that a gasket is installed.
To protect against corrosion, the inner surface of the sections is covered with a protective layer of aluminum alloy. The outer metal surface is painted using the technology of thermal application of powder polymer paints. This gives the products a beautiful appearance and ensures their durability.
Before you install a bimetallic heating radiator with your own hands, you must purchase a set of 4 special plugs. Two of them have a ½ inch internal thread, the third should be without a hole, and another has an air exhaust device. When buying a kit, you should pay attention to the direction of the thread - there should be two right and two left.
Calculation of the required number of sections
The number of sections of heating appliances is determined depending on heat loss through the building envelope. An accurate calculation can only be performed by a specialist with the appropriate education.
But long-established standard indicators for typical buildings that take the necessary heat consumption from the calculation 1 kW of thermal energy per 10 m2 premises. This figure provides a margin of guaranteed power reserve of the device by 10-15%.
The heat dissipation of sections of bimetallic radiators in watts is indicated in the passport for the product that is enclosed in each package. Therefore, to determine the number of sections necessary for heating a room, it is necessary area in m2 multiply by 100 and divide by the heat transfer of one section in watts.
The result is rounded up to an integer up. A rough check is carried out on the condition that, on average, one section heats 1.2-1.4 m2. Performing calculations allows you to abandon the purchase of excess items and save money.
Choosing a Battery Installation Location
When installing heating systems, at the first stage, heating appliances are installed, equipped with shut-off and control valves, and after that pipe laying begins. Any battery can be installed temporarily and removed from the mounts at the time of cutting the strobe or performing other work.
Therefore, it is recommended to connect bimetal heating radiators without removing the packaging plastic film, or by wrapping it yourself to protect it from dust, dirt and possible damage. Film can only be removed during thermal tests of the heating system.
The basic requirements for the installation of sectional batteries are given by the manufacturer in the technical data sheet of each model. However, there are general mandatory conditions for installing bimetal heating radiators:
- the middle of the radiator should coincide with the center of the window under which it is installed;
- the top plane of the device should be strictly horizontal;
- all batteries in the room should be at the same height;
- the distance from the rear wall of the sections to the wall is not less than 30 mm and not more than 50 mm;
- the distance from the floor and the windowsill to the heater must not be less than 100 mm.
The last condition does not determine the high setting correctly. If you raise the bottom of the radiator to a height of more than 150 mm, then the possibility of insufficient heating of the lower space of the room is likely.
Self-assembly of sectional heating batteries
Before installing the radiator, the wall surface, which will be located behind it, must be plastered and puttyed. After that, it is recommended to stick a foil-insol sheet corresponding to the dimensions of the heater.
During the finish, the reflective surface can be pasted over with wallpaper, painted or laid with tiles - the foil will still provide heat reflection to the living room.
Necessary tool and additional materials
To perform installation work on the installation of sectional bimetal heating radiators, it is necessary to prepare:
- adjustable wrench;
- hammer drill or hammer drill;
- Popov's pipe wrench (ass);
- building level;
- tape measure and pencil;
- radiator key with end blade 24 mm;
- a set of end caps with a plug and a Mayevsky crane;
- ½ inch ball valve with detachable connection, external and internal thread;
- thermal regulator tap;
- radiator gaskets;
- combed linen (tow);
- plumbing silicone or investment paste.
Depending on the installation method, the fastener elements can be mounted or floor. In the first case, they need 4, in the second - 2.
Repacking radiator sections
Before installing the battery in place, it is necessary to assemble the device with the estimated number of sections. Factory equipment includes sets of 10 elements. Therefore, in most cases, you will have to separate or add a few pieces. This is done using a special radiator key, the length of which is at least 8 sections, and the width of the end blade is 24 mm.
Look at the direction of the thread on one of the end holes of the radiator. Insert the key inward so that the key blade is in the junction area between the disconnectable sections. Turn the key in the opposite direction from the direction of the thread. The moment of separation of elements is usually accompanied by a click.
Adding shot sections to another set is done in the reverse order.
Options for connecting the heater to the piping
After repacking, plugs, stop valves and a valve for air discharge are installed on the battery. The way how to connect a bimetallic heating radiator in an apartment is determined by the version of the pipe wiring system, which can be:
- saddle;
- diagonal
- one-sided.
In the first case, shut-off valves are installed on both sides of the device, in the openings of the lower plugs, and the Mayevsky crane is installed in the upper distant along the coolant. The name of the second strapping option determines the installation of fittings in the upper and lower plugs located on the diagonal of the radiator.
A one-way connection scheme is used for single-pipe vertical risers of multi-storey buildings. In this case, the taps are mounted on top and bottom on one side of the battery.
Mounting a bimetallic radiator on a wall
After repackaging the sections and installing shut-off and control valves, you can proceed with the installation of the heater in its intended place. In this case, the do-it-yourself procedure is as follows:
- measure the distance from the lower edge of the section to the center of the upper nipple joint and add 100-120 millimeters to this value;
- mark the wall by the height of the measurement taken;
- draw a horizontal line passing through the previously made mark;
- on this line draw the position of the middle of the window;
- make a measurement between the nipples of the penultimate ones at the edges of the radiator sections, divide the result by two and set it aside in a horizontal line on both sides of the center of the battery;
- measure the distance;
- from the obtained marks, vertically down, postpone the distance corresponding to the measurement between the centers of the section nipples (usually 500 or 300 mm);
- drill 4 holes according to the marks obtained, insert plastic plugs into them and tighten the hinged fasteners along the thread;
- hang the radiator on the installed supports.
After that, it is necessary to measure the distance from the battery to the wall and check the level of the horizontal position of the upper plane of the device. If necessary, the fasteners should be unscrewed or twisted, and the horizontal installation should be adjusted by folding up or down the installed supports.
Floor mounting of radiators
This type of radiator installation is used in the absence of a strong supporting wall. This happens when constructing window openings to floor level, window rails or covering the surface with plasterboard with a significant distance (more than 200 mm) from the main walls.
Floor mounts are a metal supporting structure in the form of the letter "H" with a lower transverse bar for screwing to the surface. They are made in two versions:
- from a steel corner;
- from bent profile pipes.
The easiest way to install the heater without fixing it to the wall is as follows:
- take 2 mounts and just put them on the bottom of the radiator;
- put the device together with the fasteners in the place of its installation;
- ask the assistant to hold the battery and make marks on the floor through the holes in the lower bar;
- remove the fasteners, drill holes and screw the support to the floor on the dowels.
It is recognized that floor-mounted radiators are less reliable than mounted ones. But there are options that this will be the only possible solution to provide space heating. An alternative is only underfloor heating.