Utilities are increasing every year, but the quality of heating leaves much to be desired. Therefore, many residents of apartment buildings are looking for another way to heat their homes, trying to abandon centralized heating.
One of the solutions is an autonomous gas boiler room for an apartment building. And although this is a very serious and troublesome decision, it is quite possible to install such equipment so that it provides heat to the entire house, and functions much cheaper than a centralized alternative.
Next, we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of autonomous boiler rooms, the intricacies of their installation, and also figure out where it is best to place the equipment.
Advantages and disadvantages of autonomous equipment
An autonomous gas boiler room in an apartment building has several disadvantages. The equipment is quite expensive, and its installation must be carried out by professionals. Next, you need to carry out wiring to each apartment. This involves spending a lot of money at the start, which forces most residents to abandon this idea.
Many people are also intimidated by the need to constantly monitor the system. Now the specialists responsible for centralized heating will not be responsible for the quality of the structures supplying coolant to each apartment. Residents will have to independently hire specialists who will perform preventive inspections of the entire system and scheduled repairs, which entails additional costs.
The start-up costs for an autonomous boiler room are high, but they quickly pay for themselves. You can verify this by performing simple calculations.
The advantages are more significant:
- Greater freedom from monopolists in the field of centralized heating.
- Minimal heat loss. The coolant loses about 30% of the heat passing through the heating main. If the boiler room is installed directly next to the house, losses are minimal.
- It is much easier to regulate the operation of a boiler room for one house than for thousands. Residents will be able to choose the optimal power for themselves.
- One compact boiler room can be serviced by just one dispatcher, as well as one or two service technicians. This is much cheaper than paying for heating costs, which includes the work of hundreds of installers, as well as directors, secretaries, accountants, drivers and other housing office employees.
- Residents of the house can turn on the autonomous boiler room when it is convenient for them, and not have to adjust to the heating season.
So, although an autonomous boiler house requires more effort on the part of residents than centralized heating, the benefits from its presence are much greater. Residents can save a lot of money, and the quality of heating will be much higher.
Very quickly, the initial costs will pay off and almost all the disadvantages will disappear, but the advantages will remain.
For final heat consumers
Advantages of apartment heating:
- Ability to regulate the temperature in the apartment;
- With constant attention to gas equipment, compliance with all operating rules and clear accounting, savings are possible.
Disadvantages of apartment heating:
- High costs for repairing gas equipment or replacing the boiler after the warranty period expires;
- The need for constant monitoring of the serviceability of the gas equipment used;
- The need to independently organize repair and maintenance work related to the operation of gas equipment and chimneys;
- Unheated driveways and basements;
- In the absence of permanently living neighbors, their apartments are not heated, and accordingly increased heat loss;
- Increased risks of accidents due to improper operation of equipment (by any of the residents).
Advantages of a modular boiler room:
- Guarantee of stable heat supply;
- Complete absence of operational concerns related to heat generation and gas facilities;
- Low cost of repairing boiler room equipment, per apartment;
- Heat in common areas;
- Increased safety guarantees due to the planned routine maintenance work.
Disadvantages of a modular boiler room:
Inability to completely turn off the heating in the apartment (eliminate heating fees).
Where can you place an autonomous boiler room?
It is very important to choose the right place to install heating units. Thus, a gas boiler room on the roof of a high-rise building is considered the most preferable option. They are often also installed in basements or ground floors.
To service a boiler room, it is enough to hire just one specialist, and this is a real saving of money every month
Of course, the best option in terms of safety and ease of maintenance is to erect a separate building near a residential building. Residents will not be threatened by possible fuel leaks or gas accumulation in the basement.
But you will have to build an additional building, lay a foundation for it, do a lot of ground work, and draw up a number of documents. This immediately scares off potential investors. Therefore, a basement or roof gas boiler room can be considered the best options.
Types of indoor distribution systems
To quantitatively distribute the coolant inside the MKD, pipes are used through which water moves:
- from the bottom up from the basement or underground;
- from above from the attic or upper floor;
- along the main riser of the entrance with subsequent connection to each apartment.
The adopted distribution method affects the uniform operation of heating devices and the level of accessibility for regulation and routine repair work.
Characteristics of the basement boiler room
Building a boiler room in the basement is usually quite simple. To do this, you do not need to drag various equipment onto the roof, you do not need to make calculations as to whether the ceiling will withstand the load from the weight of the boiler and its elements. But there are also disadvantages.
Firstly, explosive fuels, in particular gas, cannot be used in basements. After all, if it catches fire or even explodes, it can destroy the entire building and lead to multiple deaths among residents. Therefore, in basements it is allowed to build boiler houses using electricity or solid fuel compositions (pyrolysis boilers, etc.).
An autonomous boiler room in the basement is difficult to install and requires the creation of a well-thought-out ventilation system, so you will also need to invest in its arrangement
An electric heating boiler is not suitable for an apartment building. The costs of maintaining it, in particular for electricity, will be higher than paying for centralized heating. As for solid fuel boilers, to operate them you need a stove-maker who will manually load fuel several times a day.
Another problem with a boiler room in the basement is the construction of a chimney. According to the rules of SNiP and other regulatory documentation, the height of the chimney must be greater than the height of the house. It will be very difficult to build such a structure that will comply with this standard.
Boilers for heating structures
On the roofs of modern urban apartment buildings, only those boilers that meet the requirements of SNiP II-35-76 can be installed. This equipment has a high level of automation. Without the mandatory presence of employees around the clock, you can organize the ideal level of home heating.
When choosing modern heating system boilers, preference should be given to equipment from European companies:
- Futera;
- Wessex;
- Viessmann;
- Protherm;
- Vaillant;
- Lochinvar.
When choosing the best option, you must rely on the level of thermal power of the device and the availability of appropriate licenses. Boilers must be registered with Rostekhnadzor. This confirms the complete adaptation of the devices to operating conditions in the Russian Federation.
Reasons for the popularity of rooftop boiler houses
Due to the large number of disadvantages of placing boilers in the basement or in a separate building, boiler rooms on the roof have become most popular. Here you can use any type of fuel, in particular gas, which is the most economical, easy-to-use and energy-efficient carrier.
A boiler room on the roof can be installed on an already built house if you use a modular design. This is roughly what it will look like
If the boiler room is installed on the roof, it does not require a complex ventilation system, the construction of a huge chimney or other bulky structures.
Thanks to the use of gas as an energy source, the process of organizing an autonomous boiler room is greatly simplified. And installing a simple automation system allows you to set the range within which the temperature of the coolant (water in the pipes) should be.
This significantly saves both fuel and money for apartment owners. Thus, there is no need for a stove-maker who will constantly monitor the boiler room and turn it on as the temperature drops. Instead, everything will be done automatically.
An approximate diagram of the arrangement of a roof boiler room. A small modular building on the roof contains all the elements to provide heat for a multi-story building
Gas boilers for boiler houses are considered the easiest solution to operate. Even a simple user can understand how to handle the equipment so that it gives the desired result. Every resident of the house can learn how to regulate the temperature and turn the boiler on and off.
What shape should the dressing table have?
For traditional interior design enthusiasts, the best solution would be to install a dressing table in the bedroom with white, thin legs, patterns, and a narrow mirror with an ornament - very feminine glamorous motifs that will give the bedroom a romantic character and sophistication.
A modern apartment is the opposite of a classic finish. Sleek, simple, and minimalist furniture finishes will also allow you to create a space that feels like a modern version of a vanity. An interesting solution is to integrate the table into the built-in wardrobe. Its basis will be a tabletop, above which hangs a mirror.
A notable solution here are the stage lights used by the stars. In such a place, doing perfect makeup is a very pleasant experience. Additionally, the vanity can also double as a desk, which works well in small spaces.
Types of roof devices
Depending on the type of roof and its various characteristics, different types of boiler houses from the general list may be suitable for it, namely, built-in and block-modular.
Built-in boiler rooms are only suitable for buildings under construction. They need to be included in the project and erected as a separate floor of a multi-story building.
When the building has already been built, only a block-modular type of boiler room on the roof is suitable for it. As a rule, such a system is installed where current communications have already worn out and require repair with complete replacement.
Connecting an autonomous boiler room in an apartment building involves laying new, modern pipes to the apartment of each resident. And although this involves additional costs, you should not save on materials, so as not to spend money on frequent repairs of communications later
Before creating a project for a block-modular boiler house, it is necessary to take into account the technical characteristics of the structure. Experts determine where the building will be located, what it will be built from, and what acceptable dimensions it can have.
Then they begin to build the block-modular boiler room itself and install it. Workers check the condition of the floors, walls and other capital elements of the building. Then they install an enhanced sound insulation system so that the operation of the boiler room does not disturb residents of the upper floors, and they also strengthen security measures.
The next step is to connect the boiler room to energy supplies and check its performance on site. If everything works fine, they test the operation of all systems and connect residents to the new boiler room.
Features of equipment installation
A boiler room on the roof creates an increased load on the entire building. This means that some structures must be reinforced.
In addition, it is important to follow these rules:
- it is prohibited to install a boiler room above the ceilings of living rooms;
- the structure should not be connected to the walls of residential premises;
- The boiler room must be equipped with technical means of automatic shutdown in case of an accident;
- The boiler room should not exceed in any way the size of the house itself.
The boiler room is a common property, the ownership of which is equally distributed among all residents. Consequently, all costs for its installation and maintenance must be borne by the same persons.
A protective covering is installed over the entire site, along the perimeter of which there will be a boiler room. This could be a 20 cm concrete pad or another option
Sometimes a new boiler room is installed during a planned overhaul of a multi-story building. Then the money is taken from a fund into which residents make monthly contributions for future major repairs. Sometimes these funds are not enough. In such cases, an additional fee is organized.
To build a boiler room, you need to spend money on the project itself, the manufacture of a modular system, its delivery to the site, installation and debugging. As a rule, the total cost of a house is 5-10 million rubles.
Advantages of a boiler room on the roof
By placing the boiler room directly on a multi-story building, the amount of heat loss is reduced. This allows you to save up to 30% on heating and hot water fees. An autonomous boiler house is much easier and cheaper to maintain than a huge city branched system.
When the city has not yet launched centralized heating, home owners can collectively decide to turn on the heating of the house and not wait for the start of the season. Similarly, you can turn off the boiler if the house is too hot.
During connection, the system carries out many checks, which guarantees its safety to residents.
Disadvantages of roof boiler houses
Today, a boiler house on the roof can only be built on houses no higher than 9 floors. During operation of the system, the pumps vibrate quite strongly, which can be heard by residents of the top floors.
You will also have to spend a large amount on installing the boiler room itself and obtaining permits for it. But these expenses are incurred only once.
Standards and requirements for use
There are requirements regarding the design and installation of roof boiler houses, but they are minimal. All of them are based on ensuring safety during operation of the structure.
In particular, the following actions must be performed regularly:
- It is necessary to constantly check the supply and exhaust valves, due to which the boiler room is ventilated.
- Even at the design stage, it is necessary to provide for the installation of sensors that detect any fires, gas leaks and other emergency situations. In addition, it is necessary to install a gas-insulating flange that can shut down the entire system in the event of a fire.
- The roof of a multi-storey building must be equipped with an alarm system, which will immediately begin to notify others with sound and light signals about a fire in the boiler room.
- The boiler room must be equipped with windows and doors leading directly to the roof. A special fire elevator and service exit are also needed. Boiler room lighting must comply with standards.
- A separate flue pipe must be designed for each gas boiler, and they must all be of the same height. The distance between the pipes can be any.
To ensure more stable and safe operation of boilers on the roof, a separate branch of electricity should be installed to them. This will help level out possible power surges throughout the house, which can lead to failure of the entire heating system.
It is also advisable to provide an alternative power supply option, in particular, purchase a diesel generator.
According to safety regulations, the chimney pipe must be at least 2 meters higher than the height of the roof of the boiler room itself
It is prohibited to install a gas boiler room directly above residential apartments. Between them and the roof it is necessary to create a technical floor in order to comply with the mandatory list of conditions regarding boiler rooms. Gas units can only be placed on a floor made of reinforced concrete slabs.
Remember that the boiler room is quite noisy, so it is important to soundproof it.
Once the boiler room has been designed and installed, it is necessary to organize periodic maintenance. To do this, it is enough to hire one or two people. Gas service workers will also periodically come with inspections and monitor the condition of the equipment in use.
Negative attitude of housing and communal services
Most often, all well-known heating supply organizations are absolutely against residents of apartment buildings installing autonomous gas heating, even if the house was originally designed specifically for a centralized heating system. In the event that one of the residents decides to install an autonomous boiler, it upsets the balance of the entire heating system in the residential building.
In addition, there are cases in which, when separating and installing personal heating in a house where there are apartments dating back to the post-Soviet era, there are numerous violations of safety requirements and paperwork.
As a result, those residents who are separated from the general heating system receive economically advantageous living conditions, while the rest suffer negative consequences.
Economically advantageous living conditions
A huge drawback appears - a violation of the hydraulic balance. Therefore, certain apartments heat their premises quite strongly, while others, on the contrary, sit in the cold. In such situations, heat engineers intervene and try to adjust the entire heating system. There is also a so-called environmental nuance.
Of course, if individual heating is installed, which is designed for the entire building, and is considered an old structure in which a chimney is provided, this is good. But the whole problem is that today every multi-storey building of this type is not designed to have ventilation ducts; they are only in the toilet room and kitchen.
Most often, residents install gas boilers without chimneys, but with a coaxial pipe that runs under the window through the wall. This pipe serves to remove gas combustion products. As a result, gas combustion products (carbon and carbon monoxide, oxides and sulfur) enter the apartment owner’s own apartment or neighbors’ premises through the open windows. Today, heating boilers are equipped with a closed chamber of combustion products, but this does not provide one hundred percent protection from negative consequences.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Those who have ever tried to purchase equipment for a heating system know that the market provides many options that differ from each other both in subtleties and quite significantly. A heating boiler for a rooftop boiler room and its auxiliary systems is a very complex engineering solution, the selection of which should be entrusted to reliable specialists.
You can see what the rooftop boiler room looks like from the inside in the following video:
Engineers will make the necessary calculations, namely the average temperature over the winter, minimum values, degree of insulation of apartments, characteristics of walls and windows, frequency and strength of wind and other characteristics. This will allow you to select the most optimal boiler and other equipment so that each apartment is warm. Undoubtedly, this is a much better solution than paying a lot of money and using outdated central heating.
Still have questions about the topic of the article? Or can you share useful information about installing rooftop boiler rooms with our readers? Leave your comments, share your experience, ask questions - the contact block is located under the article.
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Calculation of the number of sections of heating radiators
Heating radiators are the most common heating device that is installed in residential, public and industrial premises. It consists of hollow elements filled with coolant. Through them, thermal energy enters the room to heat it.
When choosing radiators, you must first pay attention to two technical indicators. This is the power of the device and the coolant pressure it can withstand. But in order to finally determine the temperature conditions of the room, it is necessary to accurately calculate the heating radiators
But in order to finally determine the temperature regime of the room, it is necessary to carry out an accurate calculation of the heating radiators.
This includes not only the number of devices themselves and their sections, but also the material from which they are made. The modern heating equipment market offers a huge range of batteries with different technical characteristics. The main thing you need to know is the capabilities of one section of the battery, namely, its ability to release the maximum amount of thermal energy. This indicator will form the basis for the calculation for the entire heating system.
