Combined heating system: the benefits of the optimal

Combined heating systems that involve the use of various sources of energy are now actively used in arranging the heating of private houses. The benefit of using such engineering solutions is obvious: this is how we get the opportunity to choose which fuel to use in a given situation. And the reliability of the entire system increases many times.

Below we describe the main advantages of such heating, as well as describe its main varieties.

Benefits of Combined Systems

The use of various heating technologies within the same house is an excess only at first glance. Yes, the price of the equipment upon purchase will be quite rather big, but if we calculate everything correctly and assemble it, the design will have a number of advantages.

Namely:

• The first plus is quite obvious and is in the financial plane.. Depending on the situation, we can choose a more or less expensive source of heating, adjusting our costs. This is especially pronounced when one of the sources is a solar panel or a wind turbine: while they work, there is no need to waste fuel for a diesel or gasoline generator.

• Secondly, the combination of various technologies allows to periodically increase the amount of heat generated.. For example, in the autumn we use electrical heating, and with the onset of winter we activate the gas boiler, using heating convectors only where they are needed.
• Finally, the installation of the backup circuit is an insurance against the failure of the main system.. And if gas or electricity interruptions in your village are not uncommon, then installation of a stove or solid fuel boiler is definitely worth it.

As you can see, there are enough arguments in favor of improving the home heating system. Below we describe the most frequently implemented schemes, most of which you can do with your own hands.

Main varieties

Gas and diesel

The scheme of combined heating using gas and diesel fuel is one of the most common.

The reason is quite simple:

• First, both gas and diesel are burned in the same combustion chamber, which makes it possible to use the same boiler for heating.
• Secondly, the transition from one type of fuel is made simple (relatively, of course, but having learned once, you can do it “on the machine”) by replacing the burner.

Note! For many products of this type, two burners are supplied at once - one for gas, the other for diesel. So, most likely, it is not necessary to search for compatible parts in stores.

• Finally, given the choice of a model with a reliable heat exchanger, the boiler operation will be no less than when using one type of fuel.

Gas and solid fuel

The second most common option is the improvement of a wood or pellet heating boiler for working with gas.

However, be careful here:

• First of all, no matter how detailed the alteration instruction may be, it can only be implemented in practice if you have sufficient skills. The use of gas is associated with increased danger, because saving on components is not worth it.
• Secondly, after the improvement of such a multi-fuel boiler must be registered in the gas sector. As a matter of fact, one cannot do without it anyway, since for its operation it will be necessary to connect to the highway.

Note! In principle, the system can work from liquefied gas in cylinders, but then the economic efficiency will be close to zero.

• However, you can immediately purchase a multi-fuel boiler: it will, of course, be quite expensive, but its design, originally designed to work with different fuels, will provide the necessary safety margin.

Electricity and solid fuel boiler

Sometimes a solid fuel boiler is combined with an electric one.

This combination turns out quite profitable:

• When occasionally turned on or used in the hot water heater mode, a system of several heating elements is in operation.
• When we need to warm up the house qualitatively and maintain the optimum temperature in it for a long time - we put firewood in the furnace and start the solid fuel system. Heaters at the same time, of course, are disabled.

• Combined heating with the use of electric energy is often used in country houses and in suburban settlements, i.e. where heat is needed not all year round, but periodically for a relatively short period.
• In addition to this option, you can add to the system and several convectors, working directly from the mains. On the one hand, using them simultaneously with wall-mounted water heaters can be considered rather inconvenient, but on the other hand, this solution is optimal from the point of view of risk distribution during a power outage or sudden shortage of coal / wood / fuel pellets on the market.

Naturally, only the most common schemes are listed here. Also, for example, practicing the installation of compact electrode boilers as water heaters and powerful gas or pyrolysis plants for the main heating.

In addition, the implementation of the scheme already mentioned in the article will be a worthy decision: the main source of energy is a solar collector, a windmill or a geothermal pump, and an additional one is an electric generator or a compact boiler.

Conclusion

Combined heating of a country house allows you to solve a number of tasks, ranging from saving money and ending with ensuring guaranteed maintenance of the microclimate in the house. That is why such engineering solutions are becoming increasingly popular. You can get acquainted with them in more detail by watching the video presented on this page.