One of the most expensive items in utility bills is heating. You can regulate electricity yourself by purchasing devices with low energy consumption. But it is unlikely that it will be possible to reduce heating costs. In new buildings, individual heating is installed, but in old apartment buildings, a central system is predominant. In the first case, the calculation is made using meters for actual heat consumption. With central heating, payments must be made according to the established standard.
Calculation of the cost of 1 Gcal of heat.
Now comes the most interesting moment in calculating heating costs.
We divide the heat between apartments and convert it into money. It is in these calculations that the tricks of management companies are hidden when calculating payments for heat in apartments.
To calculate heating costs we need to know:
the cost of 1 Gcal of thermal energy - heat (included in the contract for the current year), the specialists of the organization who take your readings can also tell you.
- total area of your house or apartment
- living area of your home (for example, 6000 square meters)
- living area of your apartment (for example, 60 square meters)
- an area that is in the common possession of the residents of the house, the HOA or the management company (if it is located in your house).
There are many ways to calculate heating costs, but one that provides data with an accuracy of 5-7% is enough for you.
We multiply the heat from the TOTAL line (94.25 Gcal) by the cost of 1 Gcal.
For example, let’s take the cost of 1 Gcal to be 1,500 rubles including VAT. The cost of thermal energy – heat – differs from one heat supply company to the next, what it depends on, read here (the full article is under development).
94.25 x 1500 = 141375 rub.
This is the amount that the HOA or management company must pay for heat to the thermal energy supplier.
We will divide the resulting amount by the total area of your home and multiply it by the area of the apartment and a coefficient of 1.12. The coefficient 1.12 is an average coefficient that takes into account the area of public places - corridors, stairs, etc.
We get 141375 / 6000 x 60 x 1.12 = 1583.4 rubles. This is payment for the apartment.
Accordingly, 1583.4 / 60 = 26.39 rubles is the cost of heating 1 square meter of the total area of your apartment. Now look at your receipt and if the amount to pay for heat is within 1500 - 1650 rubles, you have not been deceived.
And lastly
When comparing the cost of paying for heat on the meter per 1 square meter with neighbors from other houses, pay attention to what area they were charged for - residential or general
These amounts can vary greatly; if you don’t figure it out, you can seriously spoil the nerves of yourself and others.
For example, if you recalculated the amount of payment for heat according to the meter for living space, you would get 1583.4 / 38 = 41.65 rubles in old houses, and in modern houses in general 1583.4 / 30 = 52.76 rubles.
I can imagine your shock at such a difference. Therefore, be careful when talking “on a bench.”
Let me also remind you that we made calculations for a house that does not have centralized hot water. Read about how to calculate payment for heat in a house with hot water in the following article.
All about how weather-dependent automation works. principles of its selection, diagrams, varieties, price and most importantly, how weather-compensated automation saves heat. and also - “Who has the right to change the settings of the heat meter.”
What else to read on the topic:
- Apartment heat metering, apartment…
- Does a frequency pump save heat...
- How to pay for heat using a heat meter...
Heating charges: how to check whether the charges are correct?
17.01.2022
Heat / Heating, heat supply - payment
Mikhail Kozyrev
With the beginning of each heating season, residents of apartment buildings again and again have a question: on what basis do we pay “for heat?”, “Is it too much?” and “how to check the correctness of heating charges?”
Also, heating fees are the most incomprehensible part of utility bills for citizens. The receipts we receive have the line “Heating”. It contains a meaningless unit of measurement - “gigacalories”. And the figure in the column “volume of services provided” is even less meaningful to us.
What services? How are they counted? What do calories have to do with it? And where does the number of them come from, which for some reason is attributed to your apartment? Let's figure it out.
But let’s say right away that the calculation of the amount you have to pay for heat follows rather complex rules. They involve a lot of formulas and take some time to figure out.
Therefore, we suggest you act this way: first, let’s look at the logic of the calculations as a whole, you will be able to understand which option applies to your home. And then we’ll go through the formulas used to calculate the heating fee in each specific option.
How are heating charges calculated? General logic
So, let's start with “calories”, or rather Gigacalories (Gcal). These are units of measurement of thermal energy. It, thermal energy, is supplied to your apartments through a coolant - i.e. water heated to the required temperature.
Passing through the heating system of the house, the coolant gives up some of its energy and makes the radiators and risers in your apartment hot. Therefore, it is natural that the volume of heat that enters our house is measured in Gcal.
Let's move on... How do we know how many Gcal are in our apartment?
If you have a heat meter in your apartment, then answering this question is relatively simple. The amount the meter counted is the amount consumed. Plus, we need to add that part of the heat that goes to heating stairwells, elevator lobbies, etc. This is called heat for general house needs. We will indicate below how its volume is calculated.
In general, we can say that using an apartment heat meter, calculating the volume of your consumption is, of course, easier than that. The problem, however, is that heat meters began to be installed in apartments in high-rise buildings quite recently and few people have them installed now. However, there are such people, and the current legislation clearly describes how they can calculate their payment. We will look at this in detail.
A much more common case is when the heat meter is located at the “entrance” to an apartment building. Such a meter is called a common or collective meter. Its readings make it possible to understand how much heat has entered the house. Then you can calculate what part of this energy falls on each apartment.
The distribution in this case occurs in proportion to the area of the apartments. This calculation seems quite logical. We provide all the necessary formulas below.
Well, what happens if there is no communal heat meter? We answer: the calculation is carried out according to heating standards. The standard in this case is the calculated amount of thermal energy that is needed to heat one square meter of housing for a month. They are measured in Gcal per square meter. meter.
Since our temperature regime in winter in different parts of the country is very different, heating standards are determined by regional authorities and differ in different regions of the federation. In addition, different standards may be established for different types of housing. Which is quite logical - the heat loss in an old barracks and a relatively modern 11-story building built in the 80s is, of course, different.
The algorithm for calculating heating fees according to standards is quite simple. The area of your apartment is multiplied by the current standard, the result is the amount of thermal energy that (theoretically) is needed to keep you warm. Naturally, all these calculations are somewhat speculative and often do not correspond to the actual consumption of thermal energy.
Our government has been stubbornly struggling with heating fees according to standards for some time now. The installation of communal heat meters is recognized as mandatory. And if there is no common house meter (although there is a technical possibility for installing one), then the heating fee will be charged with “penalty” coefficients. From January 1, 2017 it is 1.5. Details of the calculation according to the standard are also given below.
For now, let's summarize. The figure that describes the amount of heat consumed on your bill may appear in one of three ways:
- based on the readings of your apartment heat meter (plus your share of heat consumption for general house needs)
- based on your share of the common house heat consumption (calculated using the common house meter)
- based on heating standards, if your house does not have a communal meter.
Another important clarification: according to current legislation, heating fees can be calculated:
- during the heating season only
- throughout the year
Which of these options to follow is up to the regional authorities to decide. If a decision is made to charge heating fees throughout the year, then special correction factors are used in the formulas for calculating heating fees. We will talk about them below, in the section where formulas are discussed.
Here we note one important thing regarding payments for heat throughout the year: if you pay for heat in the summer months, and your house has a communal heat meter, then you must make an annual adjustment payment for heating.
Just make a note of this, we will return to this in more detail below.
Now that we have generally figured out how the heat payment is calculated, let’s move on to the formulas that describe exactly what your payment should be.
How is the heating fee calculated if payments are received only during the heating season?
Currently, the cost of heating services is calculated on the basis of the “Rules for the provision of utility services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings”, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of May 6, 2011. The current version of this document can be viewed here.
To avoid confusion in the future, we will simply call this document “Rules”.
Let us clarify once again that if you are charged for heat only during the period October - May, then everything written in this section applies specifically to you. If, in your case, payments for heat come monthly, including in the summer, then immediately go here.
Let's move on directly to calculating heat charges. Their algorithm, as we wrote above, depends on the following factors:
- presence of a common house meter in the house
- availability of apartment (individual) heat meters in all apartments and non-residential premises of the house
- and also (we didn’t write about this above, but now we’ll bring you up to date) from the presence of so-called “distributors” in at least 50% of the residential (and non-residential) premises of an apartment building
Let's look at each of these points.
Option 1. A communal heat meter is not installed in your house.
In this case, the heating fee is calculated based on three parameters:
- the heating standard approved in your region, how many gigacalories (Gcal) are needed to heat one square meter for a month
- heating tariff approved for your heat supplier, i.e. how much does one Gcal cost?
- area of your apartment (we remind you that the heated area does not include the area of the loggia or balcony).
The formula that describes the calculation of heating fees in the absence of an individual (apartment) and communal meter looks like this:
Pi=Si x Nt x Tt |
Where:
Si is the total area of i residential or non-residential premises.
Nt is the consumption standard for the heating utility service.
Tt is the tariff for thermal energy established in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation
In other words, the area of your apartment is taken, multiplied by the heating standard (how many gigacalories are considered necessary to heat one square meter of area) and multiplied by the heat tariff in force in your region (the cost of one gigacalorie).
It is also worth considering that if you do not have a common building heating meter in an apartment building, although there is a technical possibility for installing one, then when calculating the heating fee, a multiplying factor is applied. Thus, the government encourages building management organizations and residents to install communal metering devices.
The value of this increasing coefficient for 2016 is assumed to be 1.4. And from January 1, 2022 - 1.5.
The coefficient does not apply if there is a House Inspection Report, during which it was recognized that it was not technically possible to install a collective (house-wide) heat energy meter.
Option 2. There is a general building heat meter, but heating meters are not installed in the apartments
It is worth noting that the formula below only applies if none of the apartments in the building are equipped with an individual heat meter. If so, then the calculation is as follows:
Pi = Vd x Si / Sob x Tt |
Where:
V d - volume (quantity) of thermal energy consumed during the billing period, determined according to the readings of the collective (common house) thermal energy meter with which the apartment building is equipped.
Si - total area of the i-th residential or non-residential premises
S o b - the total area of all residential and non-residential premises of an apartment building
Tt - tariffs for thermal energy established in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
To simplify, we take the total volume of heat consumed in an apartment building.
It determines the share attributable to your apartment (based on the ratio of the total area of the house and the area of the apartment).
The resulting amount of heat in gigacalories is multiplied by the tariff in force in your region.
Option 3. The general building meter is installed; all apartments (non-residential premises) are equipped with individual heat meters.
“all ” (100%) apartments and non-residential premises are equipped with heat meters
In this case, the following formula applies:
Pi = (Vin+ Viodn x Si / Sob) x TT |
Where:
Vi n - volume (quantity) of a communal resource consumed during the billing period in the i-th residential or non-residential premises, determined according to the readings of an individual or general (apartment) meter in the i-th residential or non-residential premises.
Vi one - the volume (quantity) of thermal energy provided during the billing period for common building needs in an apartment building equipped with a collective (common building) heat energy meter.
This volume of heat for general house needs is calculated, in turn, using the following formula:
Viodn = Vd — ∑iVin
Si is the total area of the i-th room of an apartment building
Sob - the total area of all residential premises (apartments) and non-residential premises in an apartment building
TT is the tariff (price) for a utility resource (in this case, for thermal energy), established in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
The point is that the amount of heat consumed in the apartment is taken (based on the readings of the apartment meter) and the part of the general building heat consumption that passes through this apartment is added to it.
The resulting figure is multiplied by the current heating tariff.
Option 4. The communal meter is installed; at least one, but not all, apartments are equipped with individual heat meters
In this case, payment for heating is carried out in the following form:
Pi = (Vi+Si x (Vd-∑Vi)/Sob) x TT |
Where
Si is the area of the apartment,
VD – volume of consumption in the house, calculated using a common house heat meter,
Sob – the total area of all residential and non-residential premises in an apartment building,
TT – heat tariff,
Vi is the heat consumption in the apartment in question. If a heat meter is installed in it, then the volume of consumption according to the meter is meant.
If we are talking about an apartment that is not equipped with a heat meter, then its consumption is calculated using a separate formula:
Vi = Si x ∑VIPU/∑SiIPU,
In other words, to calculate the volume of heat, the average volume of heat consumption per square meter in apartments equipped with heat meters is taken and this average reading is multiplied by the area of the apartment in question. Those. the average heat consumption, which was calculated for apartments with meters, is extrapolated to apartments without meters.
In general, Option 4 assumes that the share of heat consumption for general house needs per room is added to the heat consumption in the apartment. This volume is proportional to the ratio of the area of a given apartment and the sum of the areas of all residential and non-residential premises.
As you can see, the principle is the same as when calculating heating fees in houses where all apartments are equipped with individual heat meters.
Option 5. Payment for heat in an apartment building where more than 50% of apartments are equipped with distributors
The distributor is a sensor that is installed on the heating battery (outside) and takes into account the amount of heat that the battery releases into the environment. In other words, it is an analogue of a heat meter, operating on different principles.
The rules require utility companies to take readings from distributors to calculate heating fees. It is only necessary that two conditions be met:
- a high-rise building must be equipped with a common building (collective) heat meter
- distributors must be installed in apartments that collectively occupy an area of more than 50% of all residential and non-residential premises of the house
If these conditions are met, then once a year (and more often by decision of the meeting of residents), the payment for heating apartments with distributors is adjusted based on the readings of these devices.
The formula in this case is as follows:
Where:
Pi - the amount of payment for the provided heating utility service in the i-th residential premises (apartment) equipped with distributors or non-residential premises in an apartment building for the period for which the adjustment is made,
k is the number of residential premises (apartments) and non-residential premises in an apartment building equipped with distributors, p is the number of distributors installed in the i-th residential premises (apartment) or non-residential premises in an apartment building;
mqi - the share of the volume of consumption of the heating utility service attributable to the qth distributor installed in the i-th residential premises (apartment) or non-residential premises in an apartment building, in the volume of consumption of the heating utility service in all residential premises (apartments) equipped with distributors and non-residential premises in an apartment building.
The meaning of this formula is:
- the entire heating fee is taken, which (based on the standards, according to the formula of Option 2) was paid by the apartments where the distributors are installed
- the share of each of your distributors in the volume of heat that was taken into account by the distributors in all apartments is calculated
- then these shares are summed up and thus your share in heat consumption among all apartments equipped with distributors is calculated
- We multiply the total amount of payment for heat by all apartments with distributors by your share in this consumption (judging by the readings of the distributors).
- the resulting figure will be your payment for heat for the adjusted period.
If it turns out to be more than you have already paid, future heat payments will be counted towards you. If it is less, an additional adjustment payment will be issued.
How is the heating fee calculated if payments are received throughout the year?
In this case, heating fees are charged throughout the year in equal installments. The algorithm for calculating payments here will also depend on
presence/absence of a common house heat meter
presence/absence of individual heat meters in apartments.
At the same time, if the house has a common metering device, then the residents must make annual adjustments to the heating charges.
So, let's look at possible options for charging heating fees.
Option 1. The house has neither communal nor individual heat meters
In this case, the payment for heating in the i-th room (apartment) is calculated according to the standards. The calculation formula is:
Pi = Si x (NT x K) x TT |
Where:
Si is the total area of the i-th room (apartment) in an apartment building or the total area of a residential building (sq. m);
NT - standard heat energy consumption for heating (Gcal/sq. m);
K is the coefficient of frequency of payments by consumers for heating utilities, determined by dividing the number of full months of the heating period in a year by the number of calendar months in a year.
TT is the tariff for thermal energy established in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation (RUB/Gcal);
At the same time, if you do not have a common building heating meter in your apartment building, but you have the technical ability to install it, then an increasing factor will be applied when calculating the heating fee.
The value of this coefficient for 2016 is assumed to be 1.4. And from January 1, 2022 - 1.5.
The coefficient does not apply if there is a House Inspection Report, during which it was recognized that it was not technically possible to install a collective (house-wide) heat energy meter.
Option 2. A general house heat meter is installed in the house; apartment heat meters are not installed in all apartments and non-residential premises
In this case, the heating fee is calculated using the following formula:
Pi = Si x VT x TT |
Where:
Si is the total area of the i-th room (apartment) in an apartment building or the total area of a residential building (sq. m);
VT is the average monthly volume of thermal energy consumption for heating for the previous year (Gcal/sq. m) based on the readings of the collective heat meter;
T T is the tariff for thermal energy established in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation (RUB/Gcal).
In the absence of information on the volume of heat consumption for the past year, the size of the heating payment is determined by the formula for calculating the payment for heat according to the standard.
Once a year, the amount of payment for heating in the i-th residential premises of an apartment building must be adjusted according to the formula:
Pi = Pk.pr x Si / Sob - Pfn.i |
Where:
Pk.pr - the amount of payment for thermal energy, determined based on the readings of collective (community) metering devices installed in an apartment building (rub.)
Si is the total area of the i-th premises (apartment, non-residential premises) in an apartment building or the total area of a residential building (sq. m);
Sob - the total area of all premises in an apartment building or residential building (sq. m);
Pfn.i is the total amount of payment for heating in the i-th residential premises of an apartment building over the past year (rubles).
In other words, payment for heat is calculated based on the average monthly volume of consumption recorded by the general building meter for the past year.
When data on average heat consumption for the current year appears, recalculation (adjustment) is made based on these data.
Option 3. The house has a communal heat meter; all (100%) apartments and non-residential premises are equipped with individual heat meters
“all ” (100%) apartments and non-residential premises are equipped with heat meters
In this case, the following formula applies:
Pi = (Vin+ Viodn x Si / Sob) x TT |
Where:
Vi n - volume (quantity) of thermal energy, determined based on the average monthly volume of thermal energy consumption for heating according to the readings of an individual (apartment) meter for the previous year
Si is the total area of the i-th room of an apartment building
Sob - the total area of all residential premises (apartments) and non-residential premises in an apartment building
TT is the tariff (price) for a utility resource (in this case, for thermal energy), established in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
Vi one - the volume (quantity) of thermal energy provided during the billing period for common building needs in an apartment building equipped with a collective (common building) heat energy meter.
This volume of heat for general house needs is calculated, in turn, using the following formula:
Viodn = VД — ∑iVi n |
Where:
VD is the volume of thermal energy consumed in an apartment building during the billing period, determined on the basis of the average monthly volume of thermal energy consumption for heating according to the readings of the collective (common building) meter for the previous year.
The point is that the amount of heat that was consumed by an apartment on average per month last year (according to the apartment meter) is taken and added to it is the portion of last year’s general building heat consumption that goes to that apartment.
The resulting figure is multiplied by the current heating tariff.
In this case, the amount of payment for heating in the i-th residential or non-residential premises of an apartment building is adjusted once a year according to the formula:
Pi = Pk.p - Pn.p. - Pn.n. / Sob. x Si |
Where:
Pk.p - the amount of payment for thermal energy consumed over the past year in all premises, determined based on the readings of the collective (common house) meter and the tariff for thermal energy approved in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation (rubles);
Pn.n - the amount of payment for thermal energy consumed during the billing period in premises not equipped with metering devices, determined based on the standard for thermal energy consumption and the tariff for thermal energy approved in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation;
Sob - total area of all residential and non-residential premises in an apartment building (sq. m);
Si is the total area of the i-th room (apartment, non-residential premises) in an apartment building (sq. m);
Pnp - the amount of payment for thermal energy consumed over the past year in an apartment building equipped with a collective (community) heat meter, excluding the volume (quantity) of thermal energy consumed over the past year in all residential and non-residential premises in the apartment building. This indicator is determined, in turn, by the formula:
Viodn = VД — ∑iVi n
Where:
VD is the volume of thermal energy consumed in an apartment building during the billing period, determined on the basis of the average monthly volume of thermal energy consumption for heating according to the readings of the collective (common building) metering device for the previous year.
Vi is the volume of thermal energy consumption in the i-th residential or non-residential premises, based on the average monthly volume of thermal energy consumption for heating according to the meter for the previous year.
Instead of a conclusion
Having read everything written above, we believe that you could not help but ask the question - what next? Okay, the formulas are more or less clear. But how can we find out if we have a collective metering device in our house, and how can we get acquainted with its readings? What heating standards and heat tariffs apply in our region? Where can I get all this?!
These questions are legitimate and we hope that in the foreseeable future we will try to give answers to them (and a number of other, no less relevant) ones in the next material.
But we hope that this article, which you have already read, will give you the opportunity to at least in general terms begin to navigate the issue. And this is already a big deal. After all, we pay the most for heat from utilities. And it would be good to understand, at least as a first approximation, where the numbers in the “heating” line of our receipts come from.
When you need to dot the i's
But a completely reasonable question arises. “How can you count something that is invisible and capable of disappearing instantly, literally out the window?” There is no need to despair of this struggle with the air; it turns out that there are quite clear mathematical calculations of the calories received for heating.
Moreover, all these calculations are hidden in official documents of state utility organizations. As usual in these institutions, there are several such documents, but the main one is the so-called “Rules for accounting of thermal energy and coolant”. It is he who will help solve the question - how to calculate Gcal for heating.
The actual problem can be solved quite simply and no calculations will be needed if you have a meter not just for water, but for hot water. The readings of such a meter are already “filled” with data on the heat received. When taking readings, you multiply it by the cost tariff and get the result.
Basic formula
The situation becomes more complicated if you do not have such a counter. Then you will have to be guided by the following formula:
- Q is the amount of thermal energy;
- V – volume of hot water consumption in cubic meters or tons;
- T1 - hot water temperature in degrees Celsius. More precisely, use temperature in the formula, but reduced to the corresponding pressure, the so-called “enthalgy”. But in the absence of a better, appropriate sensor, we simply use the temperature, which is close to enthalgy. Professional heat metering units are capable of calculating enthalgy. Often this temperature is not available for measurement, so they are guided by the constant “from the Housing Office”, which can be different, but is usually 60-65 degrees;
- T2 is the cold water temperature in degrees Celsius. This temperature is taken from the cold water pipe of the heating system. Consumers, as a rule, do not have access to this pipeline, so it is customary to take constant recommended values depending on the heating season. in season - 5 degrees; off-season – 15;
- The “1000” coefficient allows you to get rid of 10-digit numbers and get data in gigacalories (not just calories).
As follows from the formula, it is more convenient to use a closed heating system, into which the required volume of water is once poured and in the future there is no further supply. But in this case, you are prohibited from using hot water from the system.
The latest developments in the field of radiators, to some extent, may allow you to keep warm, but the desire to count everything will still not disappear.
The use of a closed system forces us to slightly improve the given formula, which already takes the form:
Q = ( (V1 * ( T1 – T ) ) – ( V2 * ( T2 – T ) ) ) / 1000
- V1 is the coolant flow rate in the supply pipeline, regardless of whether the coolant is water or steam;
- V2 - coolant flow in the return pipeline;
- T1 is the temperature of the coolant at the inlet, in the supply pipeline;
- T2 is the temperature of the coolant at the outlet, in the return pipeline;
- T - cold water temperature.
Thus, the formula consists of the difference of two factors - the first gives the value of the heat received in calories, the second - the value of the heat output.
Helpful advice! As you can see, there is not a lot of mathematics, but you still have to carry out calculations. Of course, you can immediately rush to your calculator on your mobile phone. But he advises you to create simple formulas in one of the most famous computer office programs - the so-called Microsoft Excel spreadsheet processor. included in the Microsoft Office package. In Excel, you can not only quickly calculate everything, but also “play” with the source data and simulate various situations. Moreover, Excel will help you build graphs of heat receipt and consumption, and this is an “unkillable” map for a future possible conversation with government agencies.
Changes in norms planned in Russia
According to TASS, from 2022 the calculation of the heat consumption standard will depend on the number of floors. The new system was planned to be implemented in 2016, however, at the request of members of the State Duma committee, the project was postponed to 2022. According to the new regulations, the Gcal norm is established depending on the following conditions:
- house material: brick, stone, concrete, wood;
- year of construction: before 1999, after 1999;
- number of floors
According to clarifications from the press service of the Russian Ministry of Construction, the application of new payment conditions will be the right of regional authorities, but not an obligation. As of 2022, the new procedure is not regulated by law, but is already applied in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, for example, in Krasnoyarsk (Resolution of the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory No. 137-p).
In Russia, heating is traditionally turned on and off based on weather conditions. But there are often cases when there is no heat supply despite the environment. Read our materials about the reasons for the lack of heating in an apartment and what to do in this situation, the temperature chart and standards for heating water in radiators, and also find out what to do if the battery leaks and who should repair and replace radiators and risers in apartments.
Why is this necessary?
Apartment buildings
It's very simple: gigacalories are used in calculations for heat. Knowing how much thermal energy is left in the building, the consumer can be given a very specific bill. For comparison, when central heating operates without a meter, the bill is issued based on the area of the heated room.
The presence of a heat meter implies horizontal sequential or collector distribution of heating pipes. outlets for supply and return risers have been installed in the apartment; the configuration of the indoor system is determined by the owner. This scheme is typical for new buildings and, among other things, allows you to flexibly regulate heat consumption, choosing between comfort and savings.
Horizontal collector distribution in the apartment.
How is the adjustment carried out?
- Throttling of the heating devices themselves. The throttle allows you to limit the flow of the radiator, reducing its temperature and, accordingly, heat consumption.
- By installing a common thermostat on the return pipe. The coolant flow will be determined by the temperature in the room: when the air is cooled, it will increase, when heated, it will decrease.
Private houses
The cottage owner is primarily interested in the price of a gigacalorie of heat obtained from various sources. We will allow ourselves to give approximate values for the Novosibirsk region for tariffs and prices in 2013.
Cost of a gigacalorie, taking into account transport costs and efficiency of the heating installation, rubles
Normative base
Ensuring optimal thermal conditions in a room is based on several regulatory documents.
Here are the most important of them: Attention! If you have any questions, you can chat for free with a lawyer at the bottom of the screen or call Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Free call for all of Russia
- Federal Law dated 07.12.11 No. 416-FZ in Art. 7 (Chapter No. 3) fixes the general provisions of the rules on the basis of which the thermal regime in buildings is regulated.
- Government Resolution No. 354, adopted on 05/06/11. The “Rules for the Provision of Utility Services” approved by him fix the standards for the supply of thermal energy to owners and users of residential real estate and premises in apartment buildings.
Example 3
For a steam heating system, it is necessary to determine the number and length of cast iron finned pipes, provided that the installation is open and made in two tiers. In this case, the excess steam pressure is 0.02 MPa.
Additional characteristics: tаc= 104.25 °С, tв=15 °С, Qп = 6500 W, Qtr = 350 W.
Using the formula µ tн = tsat - tв, we determine the temperature difference:
µ tn = 104.25-15 = 89.25 °C.
We determine the heat flux density using the known transmission coefficient of this type of pipe in the case when they are installed in parallel one above the other - k = 5.8 W/(m2-°C). We get:
qnp = knpх µ tн = 5.8-89.25 = 518 W/m2.
The formula Ap = Qnp/qnp helps determine the required area of the device:
Ar = (6500 - 0.9x350) / 518 = 11.9 m2.
To determine the number of pipes needed, N = Ap / (nxa1). In this case, you should use the following data: the length of one tube is 1.5 m, the heating surface area is 3 m2.
We calculate: N= 11.9/(2x3.0) = 2 pcs.
That is, in each tier it is necessary to install two pipes, each 1.5 m long. In this case, we calculate the total area of this heating device: A = 3.0x*2x2 = 12.0 m2.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mVNWfHKN-Pw
Example No. 1
It is necessary to determine the correct number of sections for the M140-A radiator, which will be installed in a room located on the top floor.
In this case, the wall is external, there is no niche under the window sill. And the distance from it to the radiator is only 4 cm. The height of the room is 2.7 m. Qn=1410 W, and tв=18 °С. Conditions for connecting the radiator: connection to a single-pipe riser of a flow-regulated type (Dy20, KRT tap with 0.4 m inlet); The heating system is routed from the top, tg = 105°C, and the coolant flow through the riser is Gst = 300 kg/h. The temperature difference between the coolant in the supply riser and the one in question is 2°C. Determine the average temperature in the radiator:
tav = (105 - 2) - 0.5x1410x1.06x1.02x3.6 / (4.187x300) = 100.8 °C.
Based on the data obtained, we calculate the heat flux density:
tav = 100.8 - 18 = 82.8 °C
It should be noted that there was a slight change in the level of water consumption (360 to 300 kg/h). This parameter has virtually no effect on qnp.
Qpr =650(82.8/70)1+0.3=809W/m2.
Next, we determine the level of heat transfer horizontally (1g = 0.8 m) and vertically (1v = 2.7 - 0.5 = 2.2 m) located pipes. To do this, you should use the formula Qtr = qinxlv + qrxlg.
We get:
Qtr = 93x2.2 + 115x0.8 = 296 W.
We calculate the area of the required radiator using the formula Ap = Qnp/qnp and Qпp = Qп - µ trхQtr:
Ar = (1410-0.9x296)/809 = 1.41 m2.
We calculate the required number of sections of the M140-A radiator, taking into account that the area of one section is 0.254 m2:
m2 (µ4 = 1.05, µ 3 = 0.97 + 0.06 / 1.41 = 1.01, we use the formula µ 3 = 0.97 + 0.06 / Ar and determine:
N=(1.41/0.254)x(1.05/1.01)=5.8. That is, the calculation of heat consumption for heating showed that in order to achieve the most comfortable temperature in the room, a radiator consisting of 6 sections should be installed.
Help from specialists
If at this moment it is suddenly unclear to you how to install heating in an apartment, then for this you need to contact qualified specialists. They will tell you everything and recommend how to choose the optimal parameters. First, a project is carried out, which shows an approximate layout of the heating system in the room.
After all the nuances have been clarified and approved, you can purchase equipment and ask about additional heating solutions in the house. The main thing is not to allow initiative in this matter, otherwise the system may break down and flood the neighbors, who are unlikely to be grateful to you for such a gift.
The essence of the work of the IPU
An individual meter, which is connected to the heating system, takes into account heat energy consumption in the form of calculating the difference between the temperature achieved in the room and the coolant flow rate. Before installing IPU in your apartment, determine which heating system wiring in your high-rise building is vertical or horizontal.
The meters are attached directly to the heat supply pipe. If you have a vertical distribution system in a high-rise building, you will have to install one metering device for each pipe, and this is a very expensive undertaking. Each room will require a separate meter. There is no such problem with a horizontal system; only one device is enough. If the heating system is a riser system, distributors can be installed on the radiators. They calculate coolant flow by calculating the temperature difference in the room and from the surface of the radiator.
As a rule, high-rise buildings built after 2000 have a horizontal heating system. Therefore, it will be cheaper to install an IPU in a new building than in Soviet-built apartments. After installing the meter, the craftsmen seal it to prevent fraudulent activities on the part of residents or tenants.
Find out also how to save on electricity and pay utilities without commission.
Other ways to determine the amount of heat
Let us add that there are also other methods by which you can calculate the amount of heat that enters the heating system. In this case, the formula is not only slightly different from those given below, but also has several variations.
As for the values of the variables, they are the same as in the previous paragraph of this article. Based on all this, we can confidently conclude that it is quite possible to calculate the heat for heating on your own. However, one should not forget about consulting with specialized organizations that are responsible for providing housing with heat, since their methods and principles of calculations may differ, significantly, and the procedure may consist of a different set of measures.
If you intend to equip a “warm floor” system, then prepare for the fact that the calculation process will be more complex, since it takes into account not only the characteristics of the heating circuit, but also the characteristics of the electrical network, which, in fact, will heat the floor. Moreover, the organizations that install this kind of equipment will also be different.
Note! People often encounter the problem of converting calories into kilowatts, which is explained by the use of a unit of measurement in many specialized manuals, which is called “C” in the international system. >. In such cases, it is necessary to remember that the coefficient due to which kilocalories will be converted to kilowatts is 850
In simpler terms, one kilowatt is 850 kilocalories. This calculation option is simpler than those given above, since the value in gigacalories can be determined in a few seconds, since a Gcal, as noted earlier, is a million calories
In such cases, it is necessary to remember that the coefficient due to which kilocalories will be converted into kilowatts is equal to 850. In simpler terms, one kilowatt is 850 kilocalories. This calculation option is simpler than those given above, since the value in gigacalories can be determined in a few seconds, since a Gcal, as noted earlier, is a million calories.
In order to avoid possible mistakes, we should not forget that almost all modern heat meters operate with some error, albeit within acceptable limits. This error can also be calculated by hand, for which you need to use the following formula:
Traditionally, now we find out what each of these variable values means.
1. V1 is the flow rate of the working fluid in the supply pipeline.
2. V2 – a similar indicator, but in the return pipeline.
3. 100 is the number by which the value is converted to a percentage.
4. Finally, E is the error of the accounting device.
According to operational requirements and standards, the maximum permissible error should not exceed 2 percent, although in most meters it is somewhere around 1 percent.
As a result, we note that a correctly calculated Gcal for heating can significantly save money spent on heating the room. At first glance, this procedure is quite complicated, but - and you have seen this personally - if you have good instructions, there is nothing difficult about it.
That's all. We also recommend watching the thematic video below. Good luck in your work and, as usual, have a warm winter!
Calculation of heat loss in the house
According to the second law of thermodynamics (school physics), there is no spontaneous transfer of energy from less heated to more heated mini- or macro-objects. A special case of this law is the “striving” to create temperature equilibrium between two thermodynamic systems.
For example, the first system is an environment with a temperature of -20°C, the second system is a building with an internal temperature of +20°C. According to the above law, these two systems will strive to balance through the exchange of energy. This will happen with the help of heat losses from the second system and cooling in the first.
We can definitely say that the ambient temperature depends on the latitude at which the private house is located. And the temperature difference affects the amount of heat leakage from the building (+)
Heat loss refers to the involuntary release of heat (energy) from some object (house, apartment). For an ordinary apartment, this process is not so “noticeable” in comparison with a private house, since the apartment is located inside the building and “adjacent” to other apartments.
In a private house, heat escapes to one degree or another through the external walls, floor, roof, windows and doors.
Knowing the amount of heat loss for the most unfavorable weather conditions and the characteristics of these conditions, it is possible to calculate the power of the heating system with high accuracy.
So, the volume of heat leakage from the building is calculated using the following formula:
Q=Qfloor+Qwall+Qwindow+Qroof+Qdoor+…+Qi , where
Qi is the volume of heat loss from a homogeneous type of building envelope.
Each component of the formula is calculated using the formula:
Q=S*∆T/R , where
- Q – heat leakage, V;
- S – area of a specific type of structure, sq. m;
- ∆T – difference in ambient and indoor air temperatures, °C;
- R – thermal resistance of a certain type of structure, m2*°C/W.
It is recommended to take the very value of thermal resistance for real existing materials from auxiliary tables.
Additionally, the thermal resistance can be obtained using the following relationship:
R=d/k , where
- R – thermal resistance, (m2*K)/W;
- k – coefficient of thermal conductivity of the material, W/(m2*K);
- d – thickness of this material, m.
In old houses with damp roofing structures, heat leaks occur through the upper part of the building, namely through the roof and attic. Taking measures to insulate the ceiling or insulate the attic roof solves this problem.
If you insulate the attic space and roof, the overall heat loss from the house can be significantly reduced
There are several other types of heat loss in the house through cracks in structures, ventilation systems, kitchen hoods, and opening windows and doors. But it makes no sense to take into account their volume, since they constitute no more than 5% of the total number of main heat leaks.
Alternative options
Just as there are various ways to provide housing with heat by choosing a coolant - water or steam, there are also alternative methods for calculating the heat received. Here are two more formulas:
Thus, you can do the calculations yourself, but it is important to coordinate your actions with the calculations of the heat supply organizations. Their calculation instructions may be completely different from yours.
The calculations will be much more complicated if you plan to install heated floors in the house, but here you will need to turn on electricity. And this is a completely different “opera”, with new performers, but from the same government agencies
Helpful advice. Often reference books provide information not in the national system of units of measurement, to which calories belong, but in the international system “C”. Therefore, we advise you to remember the coefficient for converting kilocalories to kilowatts. It is equal to 850. In other words, 1 kilowatt is equal to 850 kilocalories. From here it is not difficult to convert gigacalories, given that 1 gigacalorie is a million calories.
The calculation is even more necessary when it comes to heating a country house.
All meters, and not only the simplest brownie meters, unfortunately suffer from some measurement error. This is a normal situation, unless, of course, the error exceeds all conceivable limits. To calculate the error (relative, in percent), a special formula is also used:
- V1 and V2 are the previously discussed coolant flow rates, and
- 100 – conversion factor to percentage.
The percentage of error when calculating heat is considered acceptable - no more than 2 percent, given that the error of measuring instruments is no more than 1 percent. You can, of course, make do with the old proven method; here you don’t need to do any special calculations.
This solution is sometimes life-saving and the most convenient.
Changes in 2019 that affected heating
When calculating heating payments in apartment buildings, some parameters have changed:
- There were two heating options, it was divided into 2 categories: individual and communal.
- We have developed special formulas for calculating those square meters and rooms that are not heated, and for residential areas with autonomous heating.
- Individual calculation of heating payments has appeared in multi-apartment buildings, which are only partially equipped with heat meters.
Also, for a more detailed calculation, new indicators were introduced that affect the amount of payment. Such as the area of common areas and the amount of Gcal of heat consumed. This value is the sum of the indicators that were taken from individual heat metering equipment or installed on the heating systems of the owners of radiator distributors.
Legislative basis for heating calculations
Changes in housing legislation
First of all, you need to find out on what basis calculations for heat supply are made. To do this, you should study the law on heating payments. Its latest edition is No. 354 dated 05/06/2011. Its clauses describe in detail the procedure for calculating payment.
Compared to the old version, the procedure for calculating amounts for services provided, as well as the forms for concluding contracts and receipts, have changed. Before calculating the surcharge for heating, the consumer needs to find out the type of arrangement of his residential building:
- A common building meter for metering consumed thermal energy has been installed, but there are none in the apartments;
- Along with the general building meter, an individual energy meter is installed in the apartment;
- There are no devices in the house to control the amount of thermal energy consumed.
Only after this can you find out how heating payments are calculated. In addition, according to Resolution No. 354, payment for consumed thermal energy is divided into two types - for a specific residential premises and for general house needs. The latter include heating stairwells, basements and attics of buildings. Therefore, before calculating the payment for heating, you should find out from the management company the total area of these premises, as well as the tariff for maintaining the required temperature level in them.
The same information should be displayed on the receipts received - there will be 2 points for payment, which will give the total amount. Typically, payment standards for heating non-residential premises are higher than residential ones. But when dividing the total amount among all apartments in the building, their deduction in the receipt is reduced.
Since payment for heating residential and non-residential premises is considered, it is necessary that this information be specified in the agreement with the management company.
Heating law
Regulation of the heating sector of multi-storey and private buildings is carried out in accordance with Federal Law No. 190. The legal act stipulates the powers of state and local government institutions for heating multi-apartment and other buildings. The rules for hot water supply using open heat supply systems (hot water supply) are established by Federal Law No. 416, dated December 7, 2011, as amended in 2022. Government Decree No. 354 explains the provision of heating and other utility services to owners and users of multi-story and private houses.
Legislative documents
Order of the Russian Government dated 05/06/11 number 354 clarifies the regulations for calculating the amount of payment for heating. However, over the years it has undergone some changes. At the direction of the country's Constitutional Court, amendments were made to the legislation.
Now owners and users of apartments where autonomous heating is installed are not required to pay for central heating services. The order is enshrined in Government Decree No. 1708, which indicates a change in the rules for the provision of business services for artificial heating of premises to compensate for heat loss. The decree is valid from January 1 of this year, 2021.
In the old rules of PP No. 354, the second paragraph in paragraph 40 is considered invalid. He discussed the debate between the owners, who dismantled their central heating and installed autonomous heating systems, and utility service providers. Before the court decision, all rights were on the side of the service provider. However, the Constitutional Court recognized this provision as incorrect.
The consumption of the thermal asset is divided into general and apartment (individual) consumption. The first paragraph of constitutional order number 46-P establishes the rules for calculating payments for utility services - heating of buildings. He explains that a multi-storey residential building looks like a voluminous building structure, which includes not only apartments, but also common areas that require heating.
Watch the video: “Affordable housing and communal services: calculating heating fees”
However, if the owner of the premises refuses the centralized heating service, the first is obliged to pay the costs of the heating network to maintain the optimal temperature in the common building blocks. The Constitutional Court of the state agreed with this statement. Section No. VI, 40 paragraph 2 of Order 354 indicated joint payment for individual and general house services, without breaking it down. Based on this, the judges declared the aspect unconstitutional.
Today, if a consumer has removed his apartment central heating system, he has the right not to pay for it, but the consumer is not relieved of the obligation to make payments for heating common areas of the house. But the dismantling of batteries must occur in accordance with the law.
The second statement of the judicial body of constitutional control stipulates the process of reorganizing the design of indoor heating. The authority believes that the transition to an autonomous heat source requires legal compliance with the regulatory conditions for the reconstruction of the system.
Similar circumstances are stated:
- Article 4 of the Housing Code;
- Town Planning Code - Federal Law No. 190;
- Russian Government Decree No. 787, which stipulates unauthorized access to heating networks.
The listed legal acts indicate the preparation of technical documentation for the transition to an autonomous system, with subsequent coordination with the institution of local self-government. Based on the above, the owner of a multi-apartment or private building must comply with all the rules for transferring to individual heating.
Payment adjustment
The general approach to calculating the amount of payments for provided household needs is determined by Article 157 of the Housing Code. However, according to the decision of the Constitutional Court, it turned out that the rule is unfair in relation to residents of high-rise and private housing constructions, which are equipped with common and apartment metering devices.
Therefore, the regulations for calculating payments for heat from 2022 have been clarified at the legislative level. The calculation of payment for heating a multi-storey building is also carried out according to the rules of Section IV of Annex 2 of Resolution 354. But in the calculation, the new version of the law, published in January of this year 2022, is used.
Formula for calculating Gcal for heating
If you do not have an individual device, then you need to use the following formula for calculating heat for heating: Q = V * (T1 – T2) / 1000, where:
- Q is the total amount of heat energy.
- V is the volume of hot water consumption. Measured in tons or cubic meters.
- T1 is the hot water temperature, measured in degrees Celsius. In such a calculation, it is better to take into account the temperature that will be characteristic of a specific operating pressure. This indicator is called enthalpy. If there is no necessary sensor, then take the temperature that will be similar to the enthalpy. Typically, the average temperature is between 60-65 degrees Celsius.
- T2 is the temperature of cold water, which is measured in degrees Celsius. As you know, getting to a pipeline with cold water is not easy, so such values are determined by constant values. They, in turn, depend on the climatic conditions outside the house. For example, in the cold season, this value can be 5 degrees, and in warm times, when there is no heating, it can reach 15 degrees.
- 1000 is a factor that gives the answer in gigacalories. This value will be more accurate than regular calories.
In a closed heating system, gigacalories are calculated in a different form. In order to calculate Gcal in a closed heating system, you must use the following formula: Q = ((V1 * (T1 - T)) - (V2 * (T2 - T))) / 1000, where:
- Q – previous volume of thermal energy;
- V1 is the heat carrier flow rate parameter in the supply pipe. The heat source can be water vapor or ordinary water.
- V2 – volume of water flow in the outlet pipe;
- T1 – temperature in the coolant supply pipe;
- T2 – temperature at the pipe outlet;
- T – cold water temperature.
Calculation of thermal energy for heating using this formula depends on two parameters: the first shows the heat that enters the system, and the second is the heat parameter when the coolant is removed through the return pipe.
Calculation of heating radiators per square meter
Despite the diversity of the heating systems market, radiators always remain in trend. However, owners of heating equipment often make mistakes in its operation. The most common is the discrepancy between the heat transfer of the battery and the area of the room. The simplest way to calculate a battery is 100 W per 1 m2. Knowing the area of the room, multiply it by 100.
If the radiator is multi-sectional, then use the formula: N = Q/ Qс, where N is the number of sections, and Qс is the power of each section separately. If the ceiling height exceeds 2.7 m, use the volume calculation. For more accurate information on heat transfer, you can use the following coefficients:
- Number of external walls (Cf. 1.1, 1.2);
- Orientation of the room to the cardinal directions (Cf. 1.1, if to the north and east);
- Wall insulation coefficient (0.85, 1, 1.27);
- Climatic conditions (-35° - Kf. 1.5, -25° - Kf. 1.3, -15° - Kf. 1.1, -10° - Kf. 0.7);
- Ceiling height (Cf. From 1 to 1.2);
- Apartment floor (Cf. From 1 to 0.8);
Type of window frame (wooden -1.27, single-layer glass - 1, double glass - 0.85);
Q = S × 100 ×… (coefficient value)
How to reduce current heating costs
Central heating scheme for an apartment building
Considering the constantly increasing tariffs for housing and communal services payments for heat supply, the question of reducing these costs becomes only more relevant every year. The problem of reducing costs lies in the specifics of the centralized system.
How to reduce heating bills and at the same time ensure the proper level of heating of the premises? First of all, you need to understand that the usual effective methods for reducing heat losses do not work for central heating. Those. if the facade of the house was insulated, window structures were replaced with new ones, the payment amount will remain the same.
The only way to reduce heating costs is to install individual heat meters. However, you may encounter the following problems:
- A large number of thermal risers in the apartment. Currently, the average cost of installing a heating meter ranges from 18 to 25 thousand rubles. In order to carry out heating cost calculations based on an individual device, it is necessary to install them on each riser;
- Difficulty in obtaining permission to install a meter. To do this, it is necessary to obtain technical specifications and, based on them, select the optimal model of the device;
- In order to make timely payments for heat supply using an individual meter, it is necessary to periodically send them for verification. To do this, dismantling and subsequent installation of the device that has passed verification is carried out. This also entails additional costs.
The principle of operation of a common house meter
But despite these factors, installing a heat meter will ultimately lead to a significant reduction in payments for heating services. If the house has a circuit with several thermal risers passing through each apartment, you can install a common house meter. In this case, the cost reduction will not be so significant.
When calculating payment for heating using a common house meter, it is not the amount of thermal energy received that is taken into account, but the difference between it and the return pipe of the system. This is the most acceptable and open way to formulate the final cost of the service. In addition, by choosing the optimal model of the device, you can further improve the heating system of your home according to the following indicators:
- The ability to regulate the amount of thermal energy consumed into the building depending on external factors - outside temperature;
- A transparent way to calculate heating payments. However, in this case, the total amount is distributed among all apartments in the house depending on their area, and not on the volume of thermal energy that came to each room.
In addition, only representatives of the management company can maintain and set up a common house meter. However, residents have the right to demand all the necessary reporting to reconcile completed and accrued housing and communal services payments for heat supply.
In addition to installing a heat meter, it is necessary to install a modern mixing unit to regulate the degree of heating of the coolant entering the heating system of the house.
Why do residents of neighboring houses pay different amounts for heat?
This problem arose with the introduction of various payment methods - by quadrature (standard), by a common meter or by individual heat meters. If you looked through the previous sections of the publication, you probably noticed the difference in the monthly fee. The fact is explained quite simply: if there are measuring instruments, residents pay for the resource actually used.
Now let's list the reasons why landlords receive bills with different amounts, despite the heat meters installed in their houses:
- Heating of two neighboring buildings is carried out by different heat supply organizations, for which different tariffs are approved.
- The more apartments there are in a house, the less you can pay. Increased heat loss is observed in corner rooms and dwellings on the top floor, the rest border on the street only through 1 external wall. And such apartments are the vast majority.
- One meter at the entrance to the house is not enough. A flow regulator is required - manual or automatic. The fittings allow you to limit the supply of too hot coolant, which is a common sin for heat supply organizations. And then they charge the appropriate fee for the service.
- The competence of the management chosen by the co-owners of an apartment building plays a big role. A competent business manager will solve the issue of accounting and regulating the coolant first.
- Uneconomical use of hot water heated by coolant from a centralized network.
- Problems with metering devices from different manufacturers.
What are calories
During the construction of buildings, all measurements and thermal calculations are made in gigacalories. Utilities also prefer this unit of measurement for its proximity to real life and the possibility of calculations on an industrial scale.
We remember from the school course that a calorie is the work needed to heat 1 gram of water per unit °C (at a certain atmospheric pressure).
- 1 Kcal = 1 thousand cal.
- 1 Gcal = 1 million Kcal, or 1 Billion. cal.
The following measurement can be used in heating receipts:
- Gcal;
- Gcal/hour.
In the first case, we mean the supplied heat for a certain period (this could be a month, a year or a day). Gcal/hour is a characteristic of the power of a device or process (such a unit of measurement can indicate the performance of a heating device or the rate of heat loss of a building in winter). The receipts imply heat that was released in 1 hour. Then, to recalculate for a day, you need to multiply the number by 24, and for a month by another 30/31.
1 Gcal/hour = 40 m3 of water, which was heated to 25 °C in 1 hour.
Also, a gigacalorie can be tied to the volume of fuel (solid or liquid) Gcal/m3. And it shows how much heat can be obtained from a cubic meter of this fuel.
Features of heating an apartment building
The heat supply system to an apartment building has a number of operating nuances:
- The user's inability to influence the degree of heating of the coolant. All a tenant can do is shut off or reduce the flow to a particular radiator.
- Difficulties with organizing the accounting of supplied heat. It requires installing IPU devices on 2-5 risers, which costs a significant amount for the family budget.
- The start and end dates of the heating season are set without taking into account the opinion of the consumer or natural conditions.
The resident often has to make a lot of effort to create an optimal microclimate. It is required to ensure good thermal insulation in the apartment, as well as to obtain from the management company to carry out similar work to eliminate heat loss in the entrance and stairwells.
Thermal calculation
So, before calculating the heating system of your own home, you must find out some data that relates to the building itself.
From the house design you will learn the dimensions of the heated rooms - the height of the walls, area, number of window and door openings, as well as their sizes. How is the house located relative to the cardinal directions? Keep in mind the average winter temperature in your area. What material is the building itself made of?
Particular attention to external walls. Be sure to determine the components from the floor to the ground, which includes the foundation of the building. The same applies to the upper elements, that is, the ceiling, roof and ceilings.
It is these structural parameters that will allow you to proceed to hydraulic calculations. Let's face it, all the information described above is available, so there shouldn't be any problems collecting it.
Comparison of induction and heating element boilers
1: Induction boiler - manufacturers claim more than 30 years without special maintenance (100,000 hours).
The question arises - where does the data come from if this is a new product that has only recently appeared on the market?
2: A heating element boiler loses 40% of its power over 4 years of operation, while an induction boiler does not lose at all.
What happens - from a 9-kilowatt boiler after 4 years only 3.6 kW remains?
For example, I installed one electric boiler; I have not observed any loss of power for more than 7 years; I have not changed the heating elements and completely forgot about them; it heats perfectly.
3: The heating temperature of the heating element coil is 750°C, which characterizes its fire hazard.
How can a heating element located inside an iron pipe threaten a fire?
Yes, I agree, it gets very hot. But I can’t imagine how this affects the fire hazard...
Unless you pull out the heating element, put it on a wooden floor and apply voltage - nothing else will work.
4: A large number of sealing connections (heating elements, flanges), the need for constant monitoring. What connections and flanges?
It’s been a long time since people learned how to make electric boilers themselves in a normal way - simply and reliably.
In the design that I use, there is only one large nut into which a single/three-phase heating element is screwed in - ALL.
There are no more flanges or sealing joints. There are only suitable heating pipes, just as in the case of an induction boiler.
5: A large number of electrical contacts (terminals of heating elements) located in the high temperature zone require constant maintenance of good electrical contact (tightening, etc.), which complicates the design.
Very interesting... Why does a three-phase induction boiler have fewer wires? No, the same amount.
Three phases - three coils in an induction boiler, each coil has two outputs, for a total of six contact connections. And it also requires “maintaining good electrical contact...”
From my experience, by the way, there are no problems with this. Use the main copper wire of the required cross-section and, when connecting, stretch the contact well.
6: “due to the high watt load, intensive scale deposition occurs on the surface of the heating element and clogging of the boiler and system with sludge falling from the heating elements.”
For those who don’t understand what a high watt load is, look at how the water is heated in an electric kettle, that’s what it is.
You just need to choose the right electric boiler.
Elementary switching on of two heating elements in series at 380 and there is no watt load.
In addition, now almost always an electric boiler is made with a circulation pump and the water has enough time to remove heat from the heating elements.
In addition, this problem is relevant only for very powerful and short heating elements. If you choose the heating element correctly, there will be no problem with the watt load.
Regarding boiler clogging and scale deposits, it’s not all that bad. This is not a instantaneous water heater and heating is a closed system. Of course, during the period of operation, a small deposit forms on the heating element, but it is a small deposit, and not a scale crust.
And this has almost no effect on the efficiency of the heating element.
Calculation formula
Thermal energy consumption standards
Thermal loads are calculated taking into account the power of the heating unit and the heat losses of the building. Therefore, in order to determine the power of the designed boiler, it is necessary to multiply the heat loss of the building by an increasing factor of 1.2. This is a kind of reserve equal to 20%.
Why is such a coefficient necessary? With it you can:
- Predict the drop in gas pressure in the pipeline. After all, in winter there are more consumers, and everyone tries to take more fuel than others.
- Vary the temperature inside the house.
Let us add that heat losses cannot be distributed evenly throughout the entire building structure. The difference in indicators can be quite large. Here are some examples:
- Up to 40% of the heat leaves the building through the external walls.
- Through floors - up to 10%.
- The same applies to the roof.
- Through the ventilation system - up to 20%.
- Through doors and windows - 10%.
So, we sorted out the design of the building and made one very important conclusion: the heat losses that need to be compensated depend on the architecture of the house itself and its location. But much is also determined by the materials of the walls, roof and floor, as well as the presence or absence of thermal insulation
This is an important factor.
For example, let’s determine the coefficients that reduce heat loss, depending on window structures:
- Ordinary wooden windows with ordinary glass. To calculate thermal energy in this case, a coefficient of 1.27 is used. That is, through this type of glazing there is a leakage of thermal energy equal to 27% of the total.
- If plastic windows with double-glazed windows are installed, then a coefficient of 1.0 is used.
- If plastic windows are installed from a six-chamber profile and with a three-chamber double-glazed window, then a coefficient of 0.85 is taken.
Let's move on, dealing with the windows. There is a certain relationship between the area of the room and the area of window glazing. The larger the second position, the higher the heat loss of the building. And there is a certain relationship here:
- If the window area in relation to the floor area has only a 10% indicator, then a coefficient of 0.8 is used to calculate the thermal power of the heating system.
- If the ratio is in the range of 10-19%, then a coefficient of 0.9 is applied.
- At 20% - 1.0.
- At 30% -2.
- At 40% - 1.4.
- At 50% - 1.5.
And these are just the windows. And there is also the influence of the materials used in the construction of the house on thermal loads. Let's arrange them in the table, where wall materials will be located with a decrease in heat losses, which means their coefficient will also decrease:
Type of building material
As you can see, the difference from the materials used is significant. Therefore, even at the stage of designing a house, it is necessary to determine exactly what material it will be built from. Of course, many developers build a house based on the budget allocated for construction. But with such layouts it is worth reconsidering it. Experts assure that it is better to invest initially in order to later reap the benefits of savings from operating the house. Moreover, the heating system in winter is one of the main expense items.
Calculation of the number of radiator sections
Once we know the power required to heat the room, we can calculate the heating radiators.
In order to calculate the number of radiator sections, you need to divide the calculated total power by the power of one section of the device. To carry out calculations, you can use average statistical indicators for different types of radiators with a standard axial distance of 50 cm:
- for cast iron batteries, the approximate power of one section is 160 W;
- for bimetallic – 180 W;
- for aluminum – 200 W.
Help: the axial distance of the radiator is the height between the centers of the holes through which coolant is supplied and discharged.
For example, let's determine the required number of sections of a bimetallic radiator for a room with an area of 15 square meters. m. Let's assume that you calculated the power in the simplest way based on the area of the room. We divide the 1500 W of power required to heat it by 180 W. We round the resulting number 8.3 - the required number of sections of the bimetallic radiator is 8.
Important! If you decide to choose batteries of a non-standard size, find out the power of one section from the device data sheet.
How to calculate the amount yourself
You can calculate the amount of payment for heating in your apartment yourself. But before that, consider some factors:
- Determine how many months a year the payment for heat occurs. Only for the period when hot water is supplied to the batteries or throughout the calendar year.
- Find out if your apartment building has a communal heat meter installed.
- Find out whether your living space is equipped with a separate heat meter or its own radiator distributors.
- Determine how the heating system in your living space is filled with hot water. Via the central city system or through special equipment installed in your home.
Based on these parameters, you can use certain formulas to calculate payments for heating an apartment.