Lemax gas boilers: review, reviews, faults

The Lemax gas boiler has long been known to consumers in Russia and the post-Soviet space. The equipment produced by the domestic company of the same name is capable of heating a house of any size, the main thing is to correctly calculate the minimum power. The manufacturer offers several series of heaters - with promising names Leader, Patriot, Wise, Prime-V and Wester Clever. Each series was developed for domestic conditions. All models have Russified automation, they are easy to maintain and operate.

About company

The history of the brand began in 1992, in a semi-basement in the city of Taganrog. The company, having gone from a mini-firm, has grown to a large plant, and has taken a stable position in the domestic market. The equipment is produced on high-tech lines, which allows us to produce competitive products at prices attractive to domestic consumers. The boilers of the Taganrog plant correspond to the ideal ratio of the “price-quality” formula.

Wise Series

The boilers are floor-standing, equipped with cast iron heat exchangers made in the Czech Republic. The thickness of cast iron is 4 mm. A touch control panel, piezo ignition, anti-corrosion protection, and a possible switch to liquefied fuel allow you to use the boiler in comfortable conditions.

Due to cast iron, the boiler has significant weight, which creates difficulties in its installation. But the durability of cast iron and the ease of repairing the boiler make it possible to justify this drawback.

Advantages

Judging by the reviews, the products of the Taganrog plant evoke more positive emotions among users than negative ones. It really deserves praise in terms of design, performance and economy. Its advantages include:

• High efficiency – 90-92%. This is a good characteristic for domestic gas appliances.
• Visual appeal – the heaters have an ergonomic design and look beautiful in modern interiors.
• Safe operation – a reliable, multi-stage protection system is provided.
• Easy connection.
• Long service life - with proper operation and timely maintenance, they can last a quarter of a century. Warranty – 3 years.

PRIME series

PRIME series – wall-mounted gas boilers with a power from 18 to 32 kW. Convenient operation and installation of Lemax boilers of this series makes them popular among users. The boilers are equipped with a brass hydraulic hammer, which does not allow the system to fail when the water supply pressure changes.

The closed combustion chamber allows you to use a boiler in a private house or apartment, removing combustion products through a coaxial chimney.

• The boilers are double-circuit, which allows not only to heat a room of up to 300 square meters. meters, but also use hot water.
• Boilers depend on electricity, which is not always convenient when the power goes out frequently. To ensure uninterrupted operation of the boilers, a generator is installed in this case.

Floor models

Floor-standing devices make up the lion's share of products produced by the manufacturer. And there is greater demand for them among consumers. Such versions are usually used for heating a private home - here you need more power and reliability. Wall-mounted versions are more often chosen by apartment owners - but they cannot compete with European brands. The principle of operation is simple - the burner built into the housing heats the heat exchanger of the heating system and hot water supply - if there is a second circuit. Coolant circulation – natural (non-volatile) or forced (volatile). Piezo ignition is used. A floor-mounted gas heater comes with heat exchangers:

• With steel. Thickness – 2 mm. Steel single-circuit floor-mounted boilers are non-volatile and work only for heating. Double-circuit - simultaneously heat water for domestic needs. The models are economical - gas consumption is almost the same as that of the Vailant.
• With cast iron. Thickness – 4 mm. The cast iron single-circuit heating boiler has the best characteristics in the entire Lemax model range. Cast iron is resistant to aggressive environments and is not afraid of overheating. Heat exchanger type – sectional. Manufactured by VIADRUS (Czech Republic).

Which boiler model is ultimately better to choose?

The optimal, most popular and, perhaps, one of the best on the market in terms of price-quality ratio is the non-volatile floor-standing Lemax Premium with a steel heat exchanger. For this price you can get a boiler unit with excellent characteristics, build quality, reliability, but with the most basic functionality, large dimensions, installation and commissioning requirements, and a service life of 10-15 years (2-year warranty).

However, if the budget is not so limited, we recommend choosing cast iron models: the non-volatile Lemax Leader or the volatile Lemax Wise. The first is almost the same, but cast iron “Premium”, and Wise is a functional, durable, but expensive model.

Wall-mounted models can be considered if space saving or a closed type of combustion chamber with a coaxial (side) chimney is required. However, we recommend paying attention to foreign wall-mounted convection boilers of similar cost.

The main thing in choosing is to determine the required boiler power. For an average house in the climatic zone of the Moscow region, with a masonry of 2 bricks and a ceiling height of 2.7 m, the minimum required power of heating equipment is calculated from a simple rule: 1 kW for every 10 m2 of area. We also recommend a reserve of 15-20% (25-30% for dual-circuit models).

For example, having the above-described house with an area of ​​150 m2, the minimum required power is 150/10 * 1.2 (20% reserve) = 18 kW.

If the house is well insulated (for example, polystyrene foam 10 cm thick) or is located in the extreme southern point of a country with a warm climate, the result can be adjusted downward by 5-30%.

How to accurately calculate the required boiler power Individual calculation, formula and correction factors

Mounted models

The wall range is more modest. All models are volatile. Automation - Italian production. Settings are factory settings. There is no need to adjust anything during operation. The main thing is to ensure voltage stability. If desired, the automation is connected to a block of remote thermostats. There is protection from:

• overheating;
• blowing out the fire;
• soot formation;
• reverse thrust.

Minus - there is no protection against freezing and pump jamming. The modulation burner, like the automation, is Italian. The modulation principle allows for economical gas consumption and increases the efficiency of the device. The connection is classic. Requires connection to a conventional chimney.

Construction of Lemax boilers

The main components of any gas heater:

• Gas burner unit – burner (POLIDORO, Italy), wick (igniter), piezo ignition. By pressing the button, the piezoelectric element is activated and the wick is ignited with its help. The main burner is ignited by the igniter.
• Heat exchanger. Tubular type, pipes are connected to the heating system. The coolant is heated in it. If there is a hot water supply, you need to take into account that when the water heater mode is turned on, the heating system pauses operation.
• Automation. Control board and sensors from NordGas. Gas Valve Sit.
• CIMM expansion tank.
• Wilo circulation pump.

The company independently develops the layout of elements and components, operating instructions, and expands its network of service centers. The brand has repeatedly become the sales leader among floor-standing boilers for autonomous heating of private housing construction and industrial premises.

How to turn on and light: brief instructions

Designation of boiler control elements.
If on volatile models with electronic controls, starting the boiler is intuitive and consists of pressing several buttons, then on budget non-volatile models with EuroSit automation this is a more complex algorithm:

1. Before lighting the boiler, make sure that the gas supply valve is open, check the draft in the combustion chamber, for example with a match.
2. Set the mechanical thermostat (rotator) to the “Off-0” position, and then counterclockwise all the way to the “⭐” position.
3. Press and hold the magnetic valve button (the start button in the center of the thermostat) for 30 seconds, then press the piezo ignition button near the thermostat once without releasing the start button. At this moment the pilot burner should light up; if this does not happen, repeat the steps. If the wick burns steadily, continue to hold the trigger button for 30-60 seconds, after which you can gradually release it.
4. Rotate the thermostat to set the desired power level (1 – minimum temperature, 2 – maximum temperature).

The appearance of the controls may vary slightly depending on the automation (630 EuroSit, 710 MiniSit or 820 NovaSit). The detailed algorithm is always described in the operating instructions.

How to completely turn off the boiler

1. Turn the thermostat to the “⭐” position. The main burner should turn off, but the pilot burner (wick) will burn.
2. To completely turn off the gas supply, turn the thermostat knob to the “Off-0” position, and then do not forget to turn off the gas supply valve.

Installation

Violation of installation rules leads to breakdowns and malfunctions. It is recommended to entrust installation to specialized specialists. The installation requirements for Lemax heaters are no different from conventional ones, but there are nuances that are important to consider:

• The automation unit contains a traction sensor. If combustion products are not removed intensively enough, the burner will turn off. During installation, it is necessary to provide for the creation of conditions for traction. The manufacturer advises connecting the device to a chimney made of sandwich pipes.

There is no need to waste time or material resources to connect and launch – everything is done simply and quickly. The settings, as mentioned above, are factory settings, and the adjustment is mechanical.

Automation block

The gas valve plays a key role here. It is controlled by analog sensors (in non-volatile versions) or electronic controllers that receive data from electronic sensors (in volatile versions).

The combined type valve is assembled from two valves - simple and electromagnetic. The first is held open by a spring. During startup, the second valve opens by pressing a button to light the wick. It is held for some time - the igniter warms up a special element - one that reacts to heat. This element begins to generate electric current - it holds the solenoid valve open, the user can release the button. When the igniter is blown out, the thermoelement cools down - the generation of electric current will stop, and the solenoid valve will close. The other valve, with a spring, will close after receiving a signal from the draft and temperature sensors.

Possible faults

The equipment of Taganrog manufacturers undoubtedly requires some improvements. Problems often arise with heating water - the devices cannot provide users with the desired amount of hot water in the required volume. Therefore, it is more profitable to buy a single-circuit device, and then connect a BKN to it - an indirect heating boiler. You can also choose a mounted or parapet (with a closed combustion chamber) boiler. Possible problems:

• The burner turns off spontaneously. The reason for this may be insufficient draft or breakdown of the thermostat.
• It smells like gas. Perhaps the leak is due to bad gaskets in the threaded connections - replacement is needed.
• Long, red-orange flame. Burners are clogged or there is insufficient draft.
• Cooled batteries with a hot boiler - there is not enough coolant or errors were made during installation.

Service

Some malfunctions identified during operation can be eliminated yourself:

• Problems with the traction sensor. It can cause an emergency shutdown when there is excellent traction. False alarms occur due to oxidation of the contacts - they need to be cleaned. If the sensor is completely broken, it is easy to replace it with a new one.
• Problems with the igniter. Ignition does not occur due to weak combustion of the wick. How to fix the situation? Set the desired flame power. You can read about this in detail in the instructions. The equipment is also supplied with a connection diagram and data sheet.

In almost any specialized store you can buy components and parts that need to be replaced. Repairs may only be carried out by authorized personnel.

Model overview

The manufacturer offers several lines, which include all possible boiler designs - atmospheric and parapet, single- and double-circuit, steel and cast iron, floor-mounted and wall-mounted.

Western Clever

The line of four models are atmospheric convection boilers, differing only in power indicators. Wester Clever 20/30 is characterized by high heat transfer; the coolant at the outlet heats up to 90°C. Characteristics of Wester Clever 30:

• Efficiency – 90%.

• Heating power – 34,000 W.

• Weighs 85 kg.

• HxWxD – 961x470x556 mm.

• Fuel consumption – 1.75 cubic meters/hour.

Wester Clever 40 – has a higher throughput. Fuel consumption is 2.5 cubic meters/hour. Heating capacity 45,000 W. Weighs – 110 kg. The most powerful representative of the series is Wester Clever 61.

It can operate independently of energy or be connected to the mains. Maximum gas consumption – 3 cubic meters. m/h. Works smoothly even at a pressure of 6 mbar.

Premium

Installed in rooms with chimneys. The power range in the line is from 8 to 100 kW. There are modifications with one and two circuits. Universal - can be connected from any side - left or right. Automatic control of fire intensity. Made from 2 mm steel sheets. Heat exchangers are treated with anti-corrosion agents. Devices are provided to prevent the flame from blowing out. As an example - Premium 16:

• Efficiency – 90%.
• Single-circuit. Atmospheric type.
• Volatile.
• Heating capacity 16,000 W.
• Weight – 55 kg.
• Heats up to 160 m².

Premium boilers 70-100 kW are suitable for heating large areas. These are powerful devices weighing up to 250 kg.

Premium Nova is a modernized version in the Premium line. There is automation that supports the specified parameters. Adjustment of coolant pressure is provided.

Patriot

It is possible to work with any type of ventilation - natural or forced. Parapet and wall versions can be installed in apartments. Combustion products are discharged through a coaxial chimney. The heat exchanger is treated with an anti-corrosion compound. Power 6-20 kW. There are injection mini-torch burners and overheating protection. Features of Premium -12.5:

• Efficiency - 87%

• 12.5 kW.

• Parapet installation.

• Non-volatile.

• Closed firebox.

• 50 kg.

Wise

Material – Czech cast iron (4 mm). Ideal ratio of coolant volume to heat exchanger mass and area. They are not afraid of temperature and gas pressure surges. If desired, switch to liquefied fuel. You can also connect indirect heating tanks, thermostats, and remote climate control systems. The heating capacity in the line is from 16 to 60 kW. Wise 35 parameters:

• Single-circuit device. Installation on the floor.

• Open firebox.

• Heating capacity 35,000 W.

• Efficiency – 90%.

• There is automatic ignition.

• 141 kg.

Prices: summary table

Leader

Equipment with cast iron heat exchangers. Their surface is silvered. At the bottom of the firebox is an injection burner. With only one circuit. 19-55 kW. They can heat from 150 to 500 m². The most expensive versions. Service life – 25 years. Automation - Nova Sit. Pressure and temperature are automatically adjusted. Can function without electricity. Due to a special turbo nozzle, the intensity of removal of combustion products increases. Leader 80 parameters:

• Weight 196 kg.
• 92% efficiency.
• Heating area 500 m².
• The maximum water temperature at the outlet is 80 °C.
• Open firebox.
• Auto-ignition.

Patriot Series

Patriot series boilers are designed for use not only in private homes, but also in apartments. The chimneyless design of the boiler allows the fuel to burn in a special closed compartment.

The chimneyless system allows you to install boilers in apartments; combustion products are removed through a coaxial chimney. The air intake comes from outside.

• The boiler power ranges from 6 to 20 kW.
• The modern equipment of the burner from the Italian company SIT makes the operation of the boiler convenient and of high quality.
• The boilers are also protected by the system from overheating; the heat exchanger is coated with an anti-corrosion compound.
• Boilers can be either floor-mounted or wall-mounted.