Where and how are temperature controllers used? What are they like? Let's look at some of the most popular schemes for the operation of these devices. We are interested in solutions for a city apartment, and for a private house, and for multi-apartment buildings.
One of the domestic thermostats. In the photo, only its main element is a digital block.
Why regulators are needed
The purposes of their application, in general, are clear and obvious:
- Maintaining a comfortable temperature in the room.
- Heat saving.
The first problem in urban apartments is traditionally solved in two ways: an excessively hot battery is covered with a blanket or windows are opened. uncivilized, right? An advanced solution would be to adjust the flow of coolant through the heater, carried out manually or automatically.
Important: for ANY adjustment of the patency of a radiator or convector, a prerequisite is the presence of a jumper in front of the heater. Without it, you will begin to regulate the flow of water not through your battery, but through the entire riser. It is unlikely that the neighbors will meet the innovation with applause.
The simplest temperature controller is three valves. If the battery is covered, be sure to open the valve on the jumper.
Savings are more relevant for owners of autonomous heating systems and representatives of housing and communal services, who have to pay for heat to its producers using metering devices.
Regulators for apartment buildings
What does heat metering look like in an apartment building?
- On the supply and return pipelines are retaining washers. Before each washer and after it, pressure sensors are mounted along the water flow. The pressure difference across each washer, with its known diameter, makes it possible to calculate the water flow through it. The difference between the flow rate on the direct and return pipelines is the amount of hot water used by the residents.
- The temperature at the inlet and outlet of the elevator unit is controlled by heating temperature sensors. Knowing water consumption on both pipelines and the temperature difference, it is easy to calculate the total amount of heat remaining in the house.
To control the heating parameters, you need constant monitoring of at least one parameter - the temperature of the house return, the coolant leaving the heating system. But there are two main ways to adjust this temperature.
Stop valve
A simple solenoid valve at a return temperature above the set value simply partially closes the pipeline. The circulation slows down, the temperature drops. This solution is applicable for houses with relatively simple heating systems that have a small amount of coolant.
Three-way valve
And there is a valve that regulates the flow of water. But it works differently: at an overestimated temperature of the coolant, a larger amount of water from the return is sent through the opened valve to the supply pipeline. By mixing in cooled water, we will lower the supply temperature while maintaining the circulation rate.
The technical implementation details can vary greatly. The circuit may contain several temperature sensors, one or two circulation pumps; there are mechanical valves that allow you to adjust the heating parameters without power supply.
By the way: mechanical regulators do not require complex calculations and settings. They are easy to assemble with your own hands - you just need to attach the device to the flanges in the elevator assembly. In addition, their price is much lower than that of electronic systems.
In the photo - a mechanical regulator of the Ural company Coral. Installation instructions are extremely simple: you just need to bolt the device to three flanges with paronite gaskets.
Regulators for private houses
In the case of autonomous heating systems, devices for monitoring the temperature of the coolant are, as a rule, part of the boiler. The temperature sensor for heating can be remote and measure the air temperature in the room; in inexpensive boilers, water temperature control in the heating system is more often used.
In electric boilers, electronic heating controllers are used that control the number of operating heating elements or the voltage on the electrodes or the winding of the induction boiler.
For gas and pyrolysis boilers, mechanical regulators are often used, the great advantage of which is energy independence. However, in this case, remote air temperature sensors, of course, are not applicable.
How to choose and install the Leningradka heating system for a private house - read here.
Heating regulators
There can be several heating batteries per radiator temperature controller. It all depends on the scheme of their connection. However, most often, each heater has its own regulator, since it is inexpensive and easy to install.
A typical scheme for connecting heating appliances with thermostats in private homes is the so-called Leningradka (or barrack-type heating system). It is a pipe of decent diameter (usually not less than 1 1/4 inches) encircling the house or one of its floors around the perimeter, parallel to which, without breaking it, radiators or convectors are embedded.
Temperature regulators for radiators are placed in series with them and allow not to disturb the circulation in the ring, changing only the water flow through the heater.
Strictly speaking, not only specialized devices can be used for adjustment. Let's look at all the options.
- thermostatic head is a full-fledged automatic heating battery temperature controller. It dynamically changes the position of the valve blocking the water depending on its own temperature.
The principle of its operation is based on the fact that when heated, gases and liquids expand: a substance locked in the so-called bellows with a high coefficient of thermal expansion squeezes out the rod during heating, blocking the passage of the coolant.
When the temperature falls below the required temperature, the return spring opens the valve. A simple screw mechanism allows you to set the target temperature - of course, very approximately.
- At a minimum, at least thermal heads are used for adjustment chokes - screw valves, which regulate the patency manually. They are noticeably cheaper; in addition to the actual limitation of heating, they perform balancing of two-pipe heating systems.
The fact is that if radiators crash between the supply and return pipelines, most of the coolant goes through those heating devices that are closer to the elevator or circulation pump. After all, pipes offer resistance to water moving through them.
But it is worth reducing the patency of near radiators with a throttle - and water willy-nilly begin to circulate through the distant ones.
- Finally, the cheapest and easiest temperature control device is conventional valve. Of course, we are not talking about old screw valves: in the half-open position, the valves often come off, and the seals begin to leak.
But ball valves from decent manufacturers work happily ever after in the half-open position.
Conclusion
You will find additional information on methods for adjusting the temperature of heaters in the video at the end of the article. Warm winters!