Distribution manifold for home heating

Independent independent heating of a private house is a useful thing, but only if it is well regulated. Sometimes it happens that they took a high-quality boiler, and the wiring was soldered correctly, and there was not enough heat in the house.

Often the cause of this annoying misunderstanding is the lack of a distribution manifold, which can be bought or made by hand, but it is impossible to rationally distribute heating in medium and large cottages.

Why install a collector

Having an elementary technical education, it is easy to compare simple things. The diameter of the nozzle coming out of the boiler is often much smaller than the sum of the diameters of the pipes extending to each point. Some try to compensate for this by installing a powerful circulating pump, but any system has its maximum and if you ignore it, the system will fail or the fuel consumption will increase dramatically.

To make it clearer, let's look at an example. The outlet of the majority of wall-mounted household gas heating boilers is?

Suppose that it feeds 3 points:

1. wall radiator system;
2. indirect heating boiler;
3. contour warm floor.

The feed pipe for each point has a cross section of 1 inch. Obviously, the pipe in? will not be able to fully provide 3 inch pipes, there simply is not enough coolant.

There are cases when radiator wiring works normally, but only until the moment when the warm floor is turned on. After that, the radiators are slightly warm and the floor does not heat. A more powerful boiler is not an option; in most cases it is enough to install a distribution manifold of the heating system.

Device and principle of operation

You may have already noticed that the price of distributors may fluctuate quite strongly. It depends on many factors, but the principle of operation and the general device of the unit are the same in all models.

How does the heating collector

In fact, the distributor is an intermediate tank in which the coolant is collected before being released into the system. If you explain it on your fingers, then imagine a barrel in which several holes are made, and a tap is installed on each hole. Now you can regulate the flow of fluid from the taps.

Of course, we told exaggerated, in reality, the distribution comb unit is much more complex. In order for the system to work clearly one maternal capacity with embedded inlets is not enough.

Adjusting valves, shut-off valves for air bleeding, thermometers for coolant control, and pressure gauges are also installed here. In serious systems, in addition to the general circulation pump, a separate pump can be installed on each branch.

In addition, a full-fledged collector consists of at least 2 tanks. One comb is responsible for the flow of coolant, the other has the function of controlling the return. As a result, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the coolant for each branch, plus, if necessary, the branch can be turned off altogether.

Two types of valves

Modern distributors are conventionally divided into 2 main types, they differ primarily in purpose and also in size.

The first category of units is designed for the installation of powerful heating systems in fairly large buildings. Such a distribution manifold of the heating system is installed in the boiler room and has 2 volumetric combs, the cross section of which can start from 100 mm and more.

An additional circulation pump for the heating system is installed on each nozzle of the supplying comb, in addition to the shut-off valve. The return pipe, as a rule, is completed only with stop valves. A distinctive feature of such systems is the presence of the so-called hydraulic arrows.

Hydroarrow allows more smoothly, without sudden drops, distribute the coolant between different heating circuits. It is simple, it is a large-diameter pipe with several leads. The installation manual also does not cause difficulties, in fact, a short circuit is arranged between the supply and return combs.

The second type is a local system designed for heating a small space, a single room or a block. Fundamentally, the circuit equipment is not different. As well as in the first case, 2 combs, feed and reverse are installed.

But if the distributors for the boiler room are designed to completely replace the cold liquid with a hot one, then the local devices only mix warm and cool water and run it into the system.

The function of the hydraulic arrows here is often performed by an additional circulation pump. Which due to the difference in temperatures, at work captures warm water and, mixing it with cool water, launches it into the system. At first glance, the whole structure may seem unnecessarily complicated, but it is this design that allows optimal distribution of heat in the house.

Important: The above design is designed for large systems. For a small cottage, these difficulties are unnecessary, there is only one local system for 3 - 5 branches.

Self-assembly tips

Distribution manifold heating their own hands to collect easy. As you already understood, the design itself is fairly simple and straightforward.

The whole question is how many additional functions you want to build into your system.

• If we talk about the distributor intended for installation in the boiler room, then these structures should be designed for a constant, sufficiently high temperature and pressure.. Withstand such tests can only metal. Therefore, for the design of such systems will need electric welding and the ability to cook naturally.
• The configuration of the mother tube itself, on which the outputs to the system will be based, does not matter much. But from experience we can recommend the use of pipes of square or rectangular section. Round can also be used, but they are more difficult to mark and cook.
• The local system does not have such stringent requirements, so it can be assembled from more affordable materials.. At the moment, polypropylene pipes and fittings are best suited for self-assembly in artisanal conditions. A soldering iron can be rented, scissors can be bought, and the installation instructions are available to everyone.

• It should start with the manufacture of hydraulic arrows. As mentioned earlier, an ordinary pipe is suitable for this, the diameter of which exceeds 3 times the diameter of the working pipe, plugged on both sides. 5 points are made in the hydraulic needle, the first from above for air bleeding, the next two are for connecting the boiler. The remaining pair serves to connect the dies.
• Distributive output and return combs are made absolutely identical.. The only difference may be in the location of the nozzles. If in both combs the pipes go up or down, then it is better to arrange them in a checkerboard pattern. Simply put, the pins of the upper comb must be displaced by half the span relative to the lower structure. So it will be more convenient to connect the pipes.

Tip: if you have a good set of tools, a great desire and golden hands, then soldering the distribution manifold of heating with your own hands is not difficult. But it is often much more profitable and faster to buy all the details of the construction separately and assemble them on site, it will be much cheaper than taking the assembly as an assembly.

On the video you can find more complete information on the topic of heating collectors.

Conclusion

Before buying or designing the unit with your own hands, you should calculate the characteristics of the system for your specific room. The collector, made with a reserve, will not cause harm, but if you make a mistake in a smaller direction, then all the work will be done in vain. Therefore, if you yourself are far from heat engineering, it is better to order the calculation to a professional, the price of such services is not great, but the error can cost more.