Installing a heating boiler is an important stage in home improvement. If the equipment is selected correctly, then regardless of weather conditions, a comfortable temperature regime will be maintained in the rooms.
Electric heating boilers are often installed in private homes. The devices are safe, easy to use, and their performance depends on the choice of model.
In this material, we will understand the operating features of these devices, outline the criteria for choosing heating equipment, and announce the TOP 12 best manufacturers according to users.
Features of the electric boiler
The main design elements of an electric heating boiler are a tank and a heating element. The devices are equipped with monitoring and automatic control systems.
Various models may also include expansion tanks and circulation pumps.
When purchasing a boiler, you should pay attention to the type of electric heating element. Over time, lime particles settle on the heating elements, which affects the power of the device
Electric boilers have several advantages:
- Fire safety . Thanks to automatic control systems and the absence of open flames, the devices are safe. They do not emit toxic substances or combustion products and are not capable of exploding.
- Ease of installation. Electrical equipment requires no flue or ventilation, making installation easy.
- High efficiency . Regardless of the type of heating device, all electric boilers are highly efficient.
- Compactness . Electrical appliances, especially wall-mounted ones, take up little space.
- Nice design . Most modern models are stylistically versatile and look good in the interior.
Electric boilers are almost ideal - easy to use and safe. Their only serious drawback is the high cost of electricity. One more nuance: for residents of regions where there are frequent interruptions in the power grid, it is better to choose boilers that operate from other energy sources, or take care of purchasing additional heating devices.
What is the difference between a single-circuit and double-circuit boiler
When equipping your home with a heating system, it is important to decide what functions it will perform. The choice of a single- or double-circuit energy-saving electric boiler for your home will depend on this.
Its dimensions and appearance depend on the functional load of the unit.
Single-circuit units are used only for heating rooms. Double-circuit boilers are capable of heating a house and providing hot water supply. At the same time, no additional electricity is spent on heating water. The water is heated by a coolant coil located in the water heating tank. Equipping your home with heat and hot water using one boiler is convenient, but has a number of disadvantages. The double-circuit design is complex and large, therefore, it requires additional maintenance and more often fails. In addition, such systems are much more expensive than single-circuit models.
The double-circuit device is a mini-boiler room
For these reasons, owners of country houses in non-gasified areas prefer to purchase single-circuit boilers. They are compact and easy to use. And to provide the house with hot water, an additional boiler is installed. A single-circuit electric boiler is suitable for heating a house of 100 square meters or more.
Single-circuit heater takes up little space
The nuances of choosing the right model
Electricity is an expensive energy resource. If the boiler is selected incorrectly, you will have to pay huge electricity bills.
Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to some nuances:
- functions . It is necessary to decide what functions the boiler should perform - only heat the house or additionally supply it with hot water.
- Technical parameters of the boiler. Be sure to take into account not only the heated area, but also the degree of its thermal insulation.
- Price . In many ways, the cost of heating devices depends on power, but that’s not all. Additional features can lead to a significant increase in the price of the model. Therefore, you need to clearly understand whether your budget allows you to overpay for convenience.
Even before you start looking for a boiler, you should find out how powerful it should be.
You can calculate the power based on average indicators: 1 kW of electricity is enough to heat a room of 10 square meters. with a ceiling height of up to 3 m. It turns out that a device with a power of 6 kW or more is suitable for heating a small house with an area of 60 m2.
When purchasing an electric boiler, energy consumption is of fundamental importance. It’s better to overpay for a more expensive model, but save on its operation
It is advisable to take into account the degree of thermal insulation and buy a boiler with a small power reserve (20%). If the house is poorly insulated, it is better to choose a gas or solid fuel model, since heating with electricity will be too expensive.
How to choose an economical electric boiler
Having decided on the type of electric boiler, it is worth considering all models based on other criteria that affect efficiency.
Single-phase or three-phase power type
This is what a compact and economical full-fledged heating system with an inexpensive electrode boiler looks like.
Low-power models up to 5-6 kW inclusive can operate from a single-phase network (220-230 V). For higher power models, a single-phase network will simply not be enough. This means that the coolant will take longer to heat up to operating temperature, the heating elements will be active for a much longer time, and the economical operating mode of the automation will be disrupted.
Conversely, for low-power electric heating boilers, a single-phase network is quite sufficient; there is no need to specially re-equip the wiring to provide three-phase power.
It is also worth remembering that the installation of models with a power of over 10 kW requires approval from the Energy Supervision Services.
Automation functionality
Compact wall-mounted model Evan Comfort Class Warmos (380 V) with 3-stage power adjustment.
Simpler, less expensive models must have at least a three-stage power switch. Accordingly, more expensive models should have power smoothly modulated by a temperature sensor. Some models have factory-installed economical modes and the ability to program boiler operation by day and hour, which allows you to focus on maximum heating of the coolant at night at reduced electricity rates.
By the way, when using night tariffs, a buffer tank will be especially effective, which will allow you to use the heat accumulated during the night during the day, without turning on the boiler at all during peak and half-peak tariff periods.
The most economical and comfortable operating mode is using a room thermostat. Even the simplest models of room thermostats have many fine settings, and the boiler automation is guided not by the temperature of the coolant, but by the air temperature in the room, which is more correct.
Instructions for selecting and connecting an external thermostat to an electric boiler
Calculation of the minimum required power
To use an energy-saving electric boiler as an auxiliary heat source in houses up to 120-150 m2, models with a power of 3-6 kW are sufficient. For constant use of an electric boiler, the minimum required power must be calculated based on the heat loss of the house.
To put it simply, for an average house with 2 bricks and a ceiling height of up to 2.7 m in the climatic zone of the Moscow region, heat loss is 1 kW per hour. It is also advisable to provide a power reserve of 10-15%, and for electric boilers with heating elements - 20-30% due to scale formation and reduced efficiency.
Total, for example, for a private house with an area of 80 m2, the minimum required electric boiler power is: 8 kW + 20% = 9.6 or 10 kW.
How to calculate the required boiler power Individual calculation, formula and correction factors
Other selection criteria
- Availability of a circulation pump . Normal natural circulation of the coolant is impossible in heating circuits 30 m long or more, so it is necessary to ensure it forcibly. This is done using a circulation pump. Wall-mounted models in rectangular steel cases already come with a pump; for other models it must be purchased separately. In any case, it is important to understand that it consumes an additional 60-150 watts per hour, depending on its power.
- Single or double circuit . Electricity consumption in dual-circuit models is practically the same, since they operate on the principle of DHW priority: as soon as the hot water tap opens, it is heated from the heating circuit (without mixing). Additional power of heating elements for heating DHW is not required.
- Overheat protection . A mandatory and important criterion that ensures the safety of the boiler in case of emergency situations (leakage, automation error, circulation pump failure, etc.).
What will help you save on heating?
There are several devices that help reduce energy consumption and reduce the cost of heating a home:
- Thermostats . Heating boilers equipped with thermostats do not overheat the rooms, but at the same time maintain the set temperature.
- Programmers . “Smart” boilers regulate the room temperature according to a specific schedule. Although the boiler itself is constantly running, the heating element consumes electricity only 34% of the time. Read more about installing a heating system in a smart home here.
- Multi-stage power regulators . Thanks to automatic regulators, energy resources can be used extremely rationally.
- Microprocessors . The devices smoothly regulate the power of boilers, and some devices can even be controlled remotely - from smartphones or other gadgets. Such models are expensive, but worth the money spent.
The energy consumption of an electric boiler is significantly affected by the presence or absence of a circulation pump.
If it is not included in the model, it is advisable to purchase it separately and connect it to the heating system.
If there is a possibility that the house will be left for some time during the cold season, it is better to choose a model with a coolant freeze protection system
When purchasing a boiler for a country house or cottage, you should pay attention to antifreeze protection systems for the coolant.
The operating principle of energy-saving electric heating boilers
The essence of the operation of a traditional electric boiler is the passage of coolant fluid through a heat exchanger in which a heating element is installed. The coolant (water or antifreeze), circulating in a closed circuit, heats up as it passes through the heat exchanger and transfers heat to the radiators. Circulation is achieved in two ways. The coolant moves through the pipes naturally due to the difference in pressure between the cold and warm liquid. Forced circulation is carried out through the use of a circulation pump.
The heating element is an indispensable attribute of a traditional electric boiler
GOOD TO KNOW!
The main distinctive feature, thanks to which energy savings are achieved in energy-saving units, is the absence of heating elements.
The role of a heater is played by electrodes or an inductor. The presence of these elements and some other features help solve the problem of how to inexpensively heat a house with electricity. Energy savings are also achieved due to a smooth start, the ability to select the optimal operating mode and the use of high-quality materials.
A warm home is fundamental to a comfortable life
