Radiators for home and apartment: what to choose and how to install

Today almost every big construction store sells heaters. It seems that to choose them is not difficult at all, and if any difficulties arise, you can always ask for advice from a consultant. But in reality it is much more complicated. A salesperson in the store can tell you about the merits of this or that model, but in order to give an exhaustive answer, he needs information about the technical conditions for connecting the radiators. In practice, they can be very different, so the purchase should be carefully prepared.

Every owner of his own house

If you need to choose heaters for a private home, you should start with determining their number and power, so that even in the harshest frosts no one room was cold. This is done by the method “from the opposite”: the heat losses of the room are calculated, and the radiator power is chosen so that it covers them completely.

Ideally, the calculations are performed by a designer who prepares the heat balance of the room, taking into consideration all heat sources persons, appliances, etc. , the heat losses through the perimeter windows, windows, façade, etc. and the heat insulation of the room.p.The calculation of heat losses through the building envelope walls and windows and ventilation. Special formulas are used that take into account local climatic conditions, wall construction, etc.

But in reality, it is often the homeowner himself who has to do the calculations. In order not to miss the mark, in most cases one should take into consideration that a room with one outer wall and one standard window per square meter of floor should have not less than 100 W of heat. Add another 15% “reserve” to the obtained figure. This method gives an approximate, averaged result and does not replace a professional engineering calculation by drawing up a heat balance, but it can be used if there is no other solution.

On the basis of the results, you choose a heater in each room. In large rooms, it is advisable to install not one powerful radiator, but several radiators giving the total required amount of heat. In this case, the room will be heated more evenly.

Heating devices are chosen for the coldest period and it is recommended to equip each of them with a radiator thermo regulator. These devices allow you to limit the temperature in the room to a comfortable value, changing it if necessary, and thereby maintain a comfortable microclimate, avoid overheating and save money. Temperature controllers are particularly useful if a simplified method was used to calculate the capacity of the heating system as described above.

Choice of radiator

There are a great many of them, literally for every taste. But outwardly such dissimilar radiators differ in power, material of which they are made, and the nature of heat transfer.

Heat is transmitted in two ways: by convection and radiant heat. The convective component of the heat transfer consists of the transfer of heat with the heated air that rises up to take the place of the colder layers.

These and other features have been taken into account in the design of Viessmann panel radiators. Their difference is the universal connection node that allows the use of radiators for any type of connection and installation. Depending on the configuration of the heating system, radiators can be connected to it with a bottom right or bottom left connection, as well as with a right or left side connection: both unilateral and multilateral. Both radiator panels are frontal, so they can be turned to the wall on either side, and the grille on top is easily removable, allowing you to clean the radiators of dust.

Another feature of the design – a large radiating surface area for maximum rapid and even heating of the room.

Viessmann radiators are available in depths of 76, 106 and 161 mm, their installation height varies between 300 and 900 mm and their length is 400 to 3,000 mm. In addition to geometric parameters, models differ in power. A wide range of gradations makes it possible to select the optimal solution for any room with pinpoint accuracy.

Why radiators are installed under windows

This requirement is not mandatory. For example, in a corner room with two outside walls, radiators are mounted in both, even if only one of them has a window. In general the radiator can be installed in any place, but under a window – necessarily.

This is done in order to evenly distribute heat in the room and avoid drafts. The second reason is condensation and frost on the windows. Contrary to popular belief, their appearance is not natural, but an indication that mistakes were made during installation of radiators.

The most common is to install narrow radiators under the wide window sills that block the warm air coming from the radiator. This causes condensation, and also prevents the spread of warm air flow coming from the radiator. For the same reason it is not advisable to hide radiators behind furniture or decorative elements.

There is another requirement that is often forgotten when installing window sills and many builders simply do not know . According to the current GOST, the window sill must not overlap the radiator installed under it by more than half. Ventilation holes are made in wide window sills, so that the warm air could rise unhindered from the radiator, creating a curtain. Sometimes even cut openings into which ventilation grilles are inserted.

Radiator for urban apartments

The choice of heater for the city will be different. The point is that in an apartment house, a certain heat capacity is allocated to each apartment by the project and heating devices are chosen according to this capacity. If you arbitrarily change the capacity, for example, by choosing “bigger” radiators or by changing their number, it can lead to imbalance of the system. As a result, other apartments, and sometimes the one where the radiators are replaced, will become cold.

That is why it is not possible to choose radiators for a city apartment arbitrarily. Such actions belong to the alterations and require the mandatory approval of the regulatory authorities.

However, most often the replacement of heaters is not caused by a desire to increase their power, but the need for a more compact, efficient and aesthetic solution. For example, in the past the standard for a city apartment were massive cast iron radiators. Their disadvantage is a high thermal inertia: the heater takes a long time to heat up and a long time to cool down. As a result, you get more heat, and it is more difficult to achieve thermal comfort. Replacing cast iron “monsters” with panel radiators eliminates this problem. The main thing is not to forget to ask the management company for the technical specifications for each room beforehand, and only after that can you go to the store.

Today the market offers a large number of different radiators for every taste and purse. All that remains is to choose the best option. Efficient panel radiators with a large radiant surface are a good choice for a private house or a city apartment. The most important thing is to comply with the technical requirements and, if possible, ask for advice from professionals.