For a favorable indoor climate, choosing the right heating equipment is crucial. The HVAC market offers a wide variety of equipment, varying in fuel type and power. To avoid buying a unit that won't meet your needs, know what criteria to consider.
Criteria for selecting a device
When purchasing, please consider:
- If the equipment is not connected to the power grid, it will be necessary to select autonomous models with ejector burners;
- If your home frequently experiences power outages, check when purchasing the device to see if it integrates with secondary devices, such as a stabilizer or other uninterruptible power supply;
- clarify the exact purpose: only for heating or with a heat exchanger that heats water;
- calculate the required power of the device, which should correspond to the area of the house or apartment;
- estimate the cost of the heating unit, taking into account that the more expensive the equipment, the more intensively it will work;
- When purchasing heating boilers, choose those manufacturers for whom you can find reviews. If your boiler breaks down, you can find the necessary spare parts from trusted brands at service centers. Such manufacturers include Intoys, Teplodar, Vaillant, Bosch, Ariston, and Electrolux.
Before purchasing a heating boiler, you should consult a heating specialist.
Types
Before choosing equipment, determine which energy source is most efficient for the space. Once you're confident it's safe, reliable, and comfortable, make the purchase.
Solid fuel units
Devices that process timber, fossil fuels, peat pellets, and coal. Heating machines differ in their operating principle:
- A classic system consisting of a combustion chamber, an ash pan, a water jacket tank, and a chimney. Suitable fuels include sunflower husks, peat briquettes, coal, and coarse wood chips. They operate without a pump and rely on natural circulation.
- Pyrolysis devices have two combustion chambers. Fuel is loaded into the lower chamber, where it smolders under the influence of high temperatures and the absence of oxygen. Carbon dioxide then enters the upper chamber and is burned, while the heat exchanger heats up.
Biofuel units
Machines heated by wood chips, peat, and agricultural waste. The advantages of these machines include high performance, adjustable temperature, and an extended period of up to a week between refills.
Long-burning devices
Equipment with a three-way thermostatic valve that maximizes energy extraction from the hot, volatile combustion products. They retain heat without adding combustion products for up to three to five days and can be loaded with petroleum and coal coke.
Liquid fuel vehicles
Machines that achieve the maximum amount of heat released during fuel combustion during operation. Their service life reaches 25 years, and the isolated nature of this type of heating requires neither gas nor electricity. Automation of the liquid fuel unit is always top-notch, and integration requires no approval or documentation from the relevant authorities. Documented installation of a gas unit will cost several thousand rubles. A liquid fuel boiler, however, is installed free of charge.
Gas appliances
These are the most popular devices among consumers. They are simple and economical to operate, requiring little maintenance. They operate automatically, and there's no need to store fuel. They are classified as:
- standard gas;
- condensing individual devices operating on liquefied gas.
Units requiring electrical power supply
If natural gas isn't available to your home, an electric unit is the best solution. Natural gas is, of course, half the price, but modern electric heating models are very energy efficient. Depending on their design, electric boilers can be equipped with:
- devices that perform the function of forced circulation;
- elements of a liquid system designed to receive excess water;
- Automatic devices for regulating the temperature regime of a heating device.
Universal machines
To adapt to their living conditions and reduce utility costs, many homeowners purchase combination units. These units are classified as:
- hot water heating devices operating on steam or fuel;
- Units with a transitional design that switch between two fuel sources during operation. One fuel type will always be the primary fuel, and the other will be the auxiliary fuel.
Connecting heating systems to premises is a crucial task, affecting the comfort of residents for years to come. Therefore, it's important to approach the selection of equipment with the utmost care.