How to install a circulation pump in the system

Owners of private houses sometimes have problems with heating. The fact is that at the moment there are two principles of its installation: self-flowing and forced. The first works due to the natural temperature difference between flow and return. Warm water tends to displace the cold, so it moves in a given direction without additional effort. The second principle is based on the forced acceleration of the coolant movement by means of a pump.

When problems arise with a gravity heating system, people begin to think about how these problems can be corrected. Why are we talking about a gravity system? Yes, because the pump is already included in the forced heating system. And if the radiators began to warm badly, then the old pump should just be changed to a new one. We will understand how to install a circulating pump in the heating system.

Why is it necessary to install

One of the main problems of the self-flowing heating system is weak heating of the latter on a branch of radiators or poor circulation of coolant through it, and, as a result, poor heating of all radiators included in the system. To fix the situation can be installed in the heating system of the circulation pump. The speed of water movement increases, circulation improves and it is better to warm not only long-range batteries.

Pump selection

Since the circulating pump must effectively push the water coolant through the system, its power should not be either underestimated or overestimated. It should be optimal. There are very specific criteria for its calculation. It depends on the performance of the heater, the volume and length of the heating network, the flow of coolant. All the necessary calculated data can be obtained from the documentation for the instruments and radiators, and the volume of water in the pipes is calculated using mathematical formulas (cylinder volume). The coolant flow rate is equal to the power of the boiler. For example, the power of the heating system equipment is 30 kW, which means that the flow rate is the same, only in liters per minute. In order to push the coolant through a ten-meter pipeline, a pump head of 0.5 atm is required.

When the pump capacity is determined, it is necessary to select the manufacturer. In the current market, the main producers are China, Germany, Poland. They differ in their quality. The most reliable and durable - German, and China and Poland will last from one to three years. But prices differ significantly: a German pump costs much more.

Installation

Naturally, it is essential to install a circulating pump in the system in such a way that its work brings the maximum benefit. With enough experience in owning tools and an idea of ​​the work being done, you can do it yourself. To begin with, we will determine the installation site. Here every specialist has his own clear position.

Some believe that the pump should stand after the boiler on the flow, others - that before the boiler on the return line. This is only part of the truth. From the point of view of the physics of the processes taking place, it is possible to install the pump both at the flow and at the return - without a difference, but only in the case of forced heating. If the owners want to insure themselves and leave the gravitational heating system as an alternative to the forced one for the time the lights are turned off, then the circulation pump is placed only in the supply.

When installing the pump you should know how to connect it correctly. To do this, you must follow certain rules:

1. Since most household circulating pumps work only with a heating system filled with water (they simply burn out without water), they must be installed horizontally or vertically, observing the direction of water movement (indicated by the arrow on the body), the rotor must be placed horizontally. If the pump is in a different position when water leaks, its electric part may be flooded, or there will be an insufficient water level inside and the device will burn.
2. For the convenience of servicing the device, valves are installed in front of it and behind it, and the pump itself is mounted on collapsible connections. If necessary, it can be removed without draining water from the heating system. Before the pump after the valve, a coarse filter is installed to delay scale, sand and other insoluble debris (especially important if the radiators are old and the pipes are metal). It is also necessary to bring electricity to the pump installation site.
3. If the circulation pump is installed while maintaining the gravity heating system, then it must be installed on the bypass line. The scheme is this: bypass pipes are welded to the direct supply pipe with a diameter less than the main pipe. Between the tie-in points, they install either a valve or a valve for gravity heating operation (bypass). If there is electricity, the valve on the main pipeline closes the valve, and the pump is opened, the pump is turned on and the system is forced to work. When the power is turned off, the valves on the pump are closed, and on the direct pipeline they are opened, and the system works by gravity. If a valve is installed, the transition to a gravity system occurs automatically.
4. Before starting to install the pump, it is necessary to cool and drain the coolant. The level of discharge depends on the installation site of the pump.
5. First start: fill the system with water, unscrew the outer nut on the rotor and use a screwdriver to rotate the shaft several times to avoid sticking, tighten the nut and turn on the pump in the network.

As you can see, the installation of the circulating pump in the heating system is not so difficult (at first glance), but an inexperienced person, even with detailed installation instructions, can make significant mistakes. It is better to entrust these works to a specialist, especially since the cost of such an improvement in the quality of your heating system is much cheaper than completely reworking it with replacing pipes and radiators, even if you pay not only for materials and equipment, but also for work.

Video

This video shows how to assemble a system with a circulating pump for heating:

This video is about installing a circulating pump in a heating system: