Forced water circulation is little sensitive to the configuration of the heating system. In addition, the installation of pumping equipment increases overall efficiency; experienced craftsmen know: the usual inertial scheme slowly warms up the pipes, which will create a threat to comfort. Modern technology is accessible and easy to use, therefore it is recommended for private houses, cottages, as well as for commercial and industrial buildings not connected to central heating. To choose a good circulation pump, users often turn to sellers, but in practice, deciding on a purchase is quite simple. And the rating from our editors will introduce you to the best circulation pumps from reliable and trusted manufacturers.
What is a circulation pump?
This equipment plays a huge role in the functioning of the thermal system of any room. If the heating system is not equipped with a circulation pump, then the heating process will be affected by all climatic temperature changes.
In another situation, if an error occurred during the installation of heating equipment, the circulation device will also not be able to work. After all, the entire thermal circuit is broken.
The circulation pump operates according to a specific heating pattern, which helps to heat the room.
- The device is a closed circuit, which is directly dependent on the heating boiler.
- This container is connected to a break in the heating circuit.
- In this case, the heated coolant comes out of the boiler, which passes through a circle, giving off heat and returning back to the container.
- That is, the reverse operation of thermal equipment occurs.
- The activity of the coolant depends on the speed of fluid movement in the heating system.
Why do you need a circulation pump?
When it cools down, it will be difficult to regulate the heat supply. It is in this case that a circulation pump is used, which creates pressure for the heating system.
Water cycling occurs strictly after a certain period of time, stabilizing the entire heating system.
- Modern heating boilers of most types are equipped with circulation mechanisms.
- But it often turns out that this is not enough and the power of the equipment suffers in the presence of a branched radiator circuit.
- Another example when a circulation system is mandatory is the connection to the heating boiler of not only radiators, but also a heated floor.
These two options will not be able to transfer heat to the room if the heating equipment is of low power.
Power connection
The circulation pumps operate from a 220 V network. The connection is standard; a separate power supply line with a circuit breaker is desirable. The connection requires three wires - phase, neutral and ground.
Circulation pump electrical connection diagram
The connection to the network itself can be organized using a three-pin socket and plug. This connection method is used if the pump comes with a connected power wire. It can also be connected via a terminal block or directly with a cable to the terminals.
The terminals are located under a plastic cover. We remove it by unscrewing several bolts and find three connectors. They are usually labeled (the pictograms are N - neutral wire, L - phase, and “ground” has an international designation), so it’s hard to make a mistake.
Where to connect the power cable
Since the entire system depends on the performance of the circulation pump, it makes sense to make a backup power supply - install a stabilizer with connected batteries. With such a power supply system, everything will work for several days, since the pump itself and the boiler automation “pulls” electricity to a maximum of 250-300 W. But when organizing, you need to calculate everything and select the battery capacity. The disadvantage of such a system is the need to ensure that the batteries do not discharge.
How to connect a circulator to electricity through a stabilizer
Types of pumps
Manufacturers offer two types of such devices:
- Glandless rotor pump. Suitable for domestic premises. The device is installed on the motor shaft. The pump housing has a sealed system. The shaft is equipped with a seal that protects the device from leaks. The peculiarity of the device with a wet rotor is that it is almost silent and prevents air stagnation;
- Dry rotor pump. Suitable for large industrial premises. The device consists of two units (pump and motor), which are connected by a coupling or flange. The equipment is characterized by loud pump operation.
Marking
Pumping equipment from different manufacturers has its own markings, most often the pressure (nominal or maximum value), flow volume (in cubic meters per hour or liters per minute, also nominal or maximum values) and the nominal diameter of the passage channel in millimeters are indicated on the body.
In Grundfos models, the body material, type of connection and installation length are indicated; in the Wilo model range, the main indicators are the internal diameter of the nominal diameter and the maximum pressure.
Technical specifications
Each such equipment is characterized according to technical standards. It is these nuances that show for which room the circulation pump is suitable and how it will be installed in the heating system.
Performance
The first technical characteristic is pump performance. This is an indicator of the amount of coolant that will be pumped per unit of time. It is this factor that determines the speed of the fluid in a given system.
Pressure
This mechanism determines the height of the liquid column. Pressure is especially important for housing construction consisting of several or more floors. This is explained by the fact that the hydraulic resistance in multi-story buildings is very high, and the pressure mechanism helps to regulate this system.
Power
Also a very important indicator. Since the low power of the circulation pump will not allow it to perform all the specified work for the heating system in full.
Otherwise, with high power of the mechanism, the pipes will make a lot of noise.
Temperature
The circulation pump in this situation must withstand high temperatures. If this does not happen, the device will quickly become unusable. Since we are talking about a heating system, each functionality of the device will increase the temperature regime of all heating equipment.
Dimensions
Sooner or later installation of this device will be required. But the task is complicated by the fact that the pump requires certain sizes of spare parts, which may not be available some time after the release of this device. Therefore, it is recommended to buy such parts immediately with a circulation pump.
Production
The pump manufacturer does not determine its full functionality. But one thing is certain: a responsible and well-known company will not risk its reputation. And he will do everything possible to ensure that the circulation pump does its job in full and pleases customers with a long service life.
Advantages and disadvantages
Circulation pumps, like any equipment, can be characterized on both positive and negative sides.
Pros of the device:
- Normalization of the operation of the heating system with uniform movement of the coolant;
- Changing the heating mode, which will significantly save the family budget;
- Fast heating of the room due to the high speed of movement;
- Minor heating defects are eliminated without human intervention, thanks to the start of cycling by the pump;
- Reliability of the device with operation in case of minor malfunctions of the heating system;
- Long service life due to the use of high-quality material in the production of circulation equipment;
- A wide range of products <<for every pocket>> and for any room.
Disadvantages of the device:
- The pump does not work without power supply;
- Electricity charges will be higher;
- If there is a lack of electricity, the circulation pump stops;
- Additional financial costs <<for embedding the pump>> into the heating system.
Experts have come to a common opinion that the use of a circulation pump solves many problems when heating both residential and non-residential premises.
Therefore, the issue of purchasing this equipment should be resolved in a positive way, because without a pump, the heating system cannot be operated normally.
Service
Ensuring the normal operation of a water unit is impossible without timely maintenance, routine and major repairs. In general, we can highlight the standard deadlines for their implementation (in hours worked by the unit):
- maintenance – 700–750 hours;
- current repairs – 4.3–4.5 thousand hours;
- major repairs – 25–26 thousand hours.
The simplest types of work are carried out with regular maintenance. Within its framework, the following are checked:
- condition of bearings, couplings and gasket material on bearing caps;
- integrity of oil seals and protection sleeves;
- alignment and fastening of the centrifugal pump.
If necessary, worn parts are replaced with new sets. The oil is also changed, all oil pipes and hydraulic protection pipes are washed and purged.
Current repairs include the following work:
- complete disassembly of the pump;
- complete inspection of all parts of the unit;
- checking the rotor for absence of runout in the housing inserts;
- checking the housing for the formation of cracks and gaps;
- checking the shaft journal for the formation of wear;
- eliminating detected defects or replacing worn parts with new ones;
- replacement of rolling bearings.
During a major overhaul, in addition to the work mentioned above, all moving parts and assemblies are checked most thoroughly, heavily worn parts are replaced with new ones, and the housing seats of the supporting foundation are corrected.
After completing the entire cycle, the pump is tested by injecting a pressure exceeding the maximum allowable by approximately 0.5 MPa.
