During the professional design of the heating system, three main factors must be taken into account: rated power, installation diagram of the devices and their adjustment. To solve the latter problem, it is necessary to use special fittings, as well as devices for changing the temperature regime in a particular section of the circuit. How to correctly adjust the heating system of houses and apartments: taps, radiators, batteries?
Ways to adjust the heating system
There are several ways to change the heat supply characteristics. Timely hydraulic adjustment of the heating system is necessary to stabilize the pressure in certain areas and the whole scheme. Temperature adjustment serves as a tool for changing the degree of heating of air in a particular room. Most often, a faucet is used for this to adjust the heating temperature.
All of the above characteristics largely depend on the operation of the boiler. However, to normalize the system parameters, the installation of additional components is necessary. Depending on the function, they are divided into the following types:
- Temperature. Serve for partial or complete blocking of the coolant flow in radiators or in a separate circuit. Using taps, a temperature regulator or mixing units, the heating batteries in the apartment are adjusted;
- Pressure. The temperature difference between the supply and return lines can cause pressure surges. This will lead to an imbalance of the system, which will worsen its operation. To eliminate this problem, hydraulic arrows are mounted, as do manifold wiring of pipes.
In practice, timely adjustment of taps on radiators reduces energy costs. Also, with the help of control valves, you can change the degree of heating of the air in the room.
Actual performance of the heating system must coincide with the calculated. In this way, the number of adjusting elements can be reduced.
Types of Regulators
Heating adjustment in an apartment building or a private cottage is carried out using special devices. They are installed in certain areas of the system and can work in automatic or manual mode. Their installation is carried out on radiators, mixing units and manifolds.
Before choosing a specific model, it is necessary to find out the optimal way to change the temperature regime for pressure in the system. Depending on the internal device, the heating radiators in the apartment can be adjusted in two ways:
- Partial overlap of the coolant volume in the battery. For this, taps and temperature regulators are installed;
- Mixing flows of hot and cooled water to form a coolant with the desired temperature. This is done using mixing units in which two and three-way valves are mounted.
A full adjustment of the heating system of a private house can be carried out only after a thorough study of the devices of these components.
Heating control valves
The easiest way to change the temperature of the batteries is to install valves. With its help, the adjustment of heating taps in an apartment or house is performed.Depending on the design, they can perform two functions - operatively shutting off the coolant flow during repair work or adjusting hot water to the battery.
Ball valves are not designed to change the flow volume of the coolant. Therefore, adjusting the temperature of the heating battery with their help is impossible. To do this, you need to use another model of the crane - a cone valve. In it, with the help of the rod, the passage diameter in the trunk section is changed.
Mounting a cone valve is a cheap mechanism for changing the temperature in a heating battery. However, along with this, its operation has several disadvantages:
- Manual operation mode. When changing the degree of heating of water in the pipes, in order to reduce or increase the heat flow for the radiator, it is necessary to independently adjust the position of the stem;
- It is recommended to install a thermometer to read the temperature in the radiator;
- Over time, the rubber gasket becomes thinner, resulting in damage.
Currently, adjusting the temperature of the heating radiator using faucets is not practiced. For this, other mechanisms with a significantly larger set of functions are used.
A so-called servo drive can be mounted on an already installed cone valve. It will change the position of the rod in automatic mode depending on the temperature in the room or in the heating system.
Heating thermostats
It is best if the temperature adjustment of the heating radiator occurs in automatic and semi-automatic mode. This function is performed by temperature regulators - devices for changing the volume of water flow into the battery.
Most often, direct-acting thermostats are used for tying the radiator. Structurally, they are similar to the above taps, with one exception - the position of the rod changes automatically depending on the temperature of the hot water.
This heating temperature control system consists of a mechanical part and a sensing element. The functions of the latter can be performed by paraffin or any liquid with a high degree of thermal expansion. As the temperature rises, the sensing unit presses on the valve seat, thereby initiating lowering of the stem. The response temperature is adjusted using a spring connected to a thermostatic element.
The advantage of this adjustment of heating batteries in the apartment is the automatic operation of the device. It is enough for the user to set the required radiator heating level on the thermostat. But besides this, you need to know the specifics of adjusting the heating radiators of an apartment:
- In the overwhelming case, thermostats do not have the function of connecting to external temperature sensors. Their work does not depend on the degree of heating of the air in the room, which can cause some discomfort;
- After a long period of inactivity, the valve seat is fixed in the housing. To eliminate it, manually lower and raise the stem;
- Each temperature controller model is designed for a specific temperature mode of operation.
Despite the apparent advantages of temperature controllers over the adjustment of taps on radiators, they can not greatly affect the change in the degree of heating of the batteries. This function is performed by other devices.
For proper operation of the radiators in its harness, in addition to the thermostat, a Mayevsky tap must be present to eliminate air traffic jams.
Servo drives for heating control
Great functionality has another type of temperature controller - a servo drive. It can be mounted to adjust the heating taps in an apartment with already installed fittings.In fact, the servo drive performs the function of changing the position of the rod on the tap depending on external factors - the temperature of the coolant or the degree of heating of the air in the room.
Unlike the thermostat, most servo models have a built-in temperature sensor. But this is not a drawback, since for the complex regulation of heating in an apartment building, you can connect several devices to one thermometer. Thus, the inflow of the coolant volume will be adjusted immediately in all radiators. Additionally, servos are used to complete the following heating components:
- In the collector group of the warm floor. They are part of the heating temperature control system in a private house, complete with a two or three-way valve;
- Connection to a daily or weekly programmer will make it possible to automate the heating operation.
In addition, servos are installed in any part of the heating system where it is necessary to automatically control the volume of coolant flow.
To adjust the temperature in the heating battery using servos, an additional temperature sensor must be installed. Therefore, most often preference is given to temperature controllers.
Features of installation and maintenance of regulators
After selecting the optimal model of thermostat or faucet to adjust the heating temperature, you must perform their correct installation. The location of the valve directly depends on its function and design.
Most often, the adjustment components are mounted in the harness of a specific heating radiator. They are installed on the supply pipe or on the bypass. At the same time, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules for comfortable temperature control of heating batteries:
- The device should not be covered with decorative panels or other interior items;
- The service life of thermostats largely depends on the quality of the coolant. Therefore, a strainer should be installed in front of it, which will protect the valve seat from limescale;
- During installation of the heating temperature control valve, the installation diagram must be followed. On the device case, arrows indicate the direction of movement of the coolant;
- Many temperature controllers and servos are connected to the mains. Therefore, it is necessary to provide power to them.
Before installing and further adjusting the heating batteries in the apartment, you must familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's instructions. It prescribes the installation conditions for the operation of a particular control element.
One of the important indicators of control valves for heating an apartment is the maximum and minimum throughput. They must correspond to the current system parameters.
Maintenance of regulators and cranes
After installation, a preliminary adjustment of the faucets on the heating radiators should be carried out. For this, the temperature regime and pressure in the system should be normal. Then, by changing the degree of heating of the coolant, the operation of the control valves is checked. The system is tested in several modes. Alas, it will not be possible to perform independent adjustment of heating in a multi-apartment building according to this scheme, since consumers have no way to change the degree of heating of the coolant.
In fact, it is possible to check the operability of a particular element only when starting a central heating supply. Those. Correct adjustment of heating radiators in the apartment is carried out in the heating season.
During the start of the heat supply system, a full adjustment of the heating system of a private house is necessarily carried out.It should include the following steps:
- Checking the performance of taps and temperature controllers;
- Compliance of their actual parameters with passport data;
- If a defective element is detected during the control adjustment of the heating degree of the heating batteries, it must be replaced.
In addition, it must be remembered that a number of external factors affect the operation of the system: the degree of thermal insulation of the house, climatic features of a particular region. This should also be taken into account when adjusting the temperature of the heating radiator.
The video shows an example of the organization of adjustment of heating radiators in a house:
