How to heat a country house. What is the cheapest way to heat a house? Heating for a penny! Home heating with electricity: the most economical way and the advantages of choice

Content

As you know, the most efficient energy source for the heating system of a private house is natural gas. In addition, modern automated boiler equipment makes the use of gas simple and as safe as possible. But how to provide cheap heating at home, if in the foreseeable future there is no way to connect the house to the gas main?

The cheaper it is to heat a private house - we are looking for ways

Principles for choosing an energy carrier

Economical heating of a private house is based on the cost and availability of the coolant. When choosing, one should be guided not only by the current situation (for example, the opportunity to get coal or diesel fuel at prices below the market average or receive woodworking waste for free) but also to assess the prospects sensibly.

If the house is without gas, you need to choose at least two alternative energy sources - for the main and backup heat source. This approach allows you to protect the house from serious problems associated not only with the low temperature in residential premises, but also with the defrosting of the water heating system.

Before comparing the efficiency of energy carriers (excluding main gas), one should single out those types of fuel that are most accessible to the average consumer.

For example, it is worth taking the solar collector out of the line, since it can only be seriously considered as an additional source of energy due to the fact that there are not enough sunny days a year in the main territory of Russia, in addition, the equipment is not cheap.

Also, let's leave aside the heat pump for now - it produces free energy, but in order to get it, you need to use electricity. Plus, the system is difficult to install and requires serious costs for professional calculation and construction.

Thus, the list of available coolants includes:

• liquefied gas in cylinders (installation of a gas tank requires a one-time investment of serious funds);
• diesel fuel (solar oil);
• electricity;
• ordinary firewood;
• coal;
• pellets;
• eurofirewood.

Attention! If there is access to such fuels as cheap peat briquettes, etc., their performance can be calculated for comparison using the method below.

Fuel cost calculation

To decide how to heat your home cost-effectively, you need to calculate the level of consumption of each available type of fuel.

Before proceeding with the calculations, it is important to understand the units of measurement of the amount of energy carrier and bring them into line so as not to compare cubic meters with kilograms. In addition to electricity, all other fuels can be measured in kilograms.

Finding out the best way to heat a country house, it is useful to compile the following table:

To choose the most economical heating for a private house, fill in the empty columns in the table.

This is done as follows:

• Column 2 . The cost of each energy carrier is entered, focusing on current prices in the region of residence or the price at which you are able to get this fuel. Don't forget to convert units of measure to kilograms (excluding electricity).
• Column 4 . To calculate how much 1 kW of received thermal energy will cost, it is necessary to divide the price of 1 kg of fuel by the specific calorific value (divide the value of column 2 by the value of column 3).
• Column 5 . An approximate value is entered here (the length of the heating season is 180 days, the average consumption of thermal energy per hour is 5 kW for a house of 100 m 2, hence 5 × 24 × 180 = 21600 kW / h). Instead, indicate the figure obtained as a result of an accurate thermal calculation of your home.
• Column 6 . To calculate estimated costs per season, multiply the values ​​in columns 4 and 5.
• Column 8 . The estimated costs must be divided by the efficiency of the boiler unit, since fuel consumption directly depends on the efficiency of the equipment.

So, by comparing the indicators in the last column, you can determine what is cheaper to heat the house in your case.

However, when looking for the most economical way to provide heat in your home, you need to take into account a number of other points, so as not to be disappointed in your choice as a result.

The convenience of use

The heating system should be not only efficient and economical, but also comfortable to use. The less trouble it causes, the better, since the effort to keep it running is an indirect heating cost.

The ease of use of the fuel that is chosen to heat the house is evaluated according to very specific criteria:

• the complexity of servicing the heat source, its maintainability;
• the need for fuel storage and what is required for this;
• convenience of everyday use (fuel supply, etc.).

Note! Fuel should be evaluated according to the above criteria, taking into account the characteristics of boiler units, etc. For example, a long-burning coal-fired boiler is incomparably more convenient than a conventional brick solid fuel stove. That is, first decide on the type of heater that you can afford.

Service:

1. The undoubted leaders are electric boilers. They are durable, the maximum that they can require is sometimes to clean oxidized contacts.
2. Propane gas boiler - the equipment is unpretentious, cleaning the igniter, burner, etc. required approximately every two years.
3. Pellet boiler. Several times a year you will have to clean the combustion chamber, once a year - clean the chimney.
4. Coal and wood boilers, stoves - regularly require ash removal, but this figure is highly dependent on the design of the heater and can range from once a day to once every two months or more. May need frequent chimney cleaning.
5. Solar boiler. It depends on the characteristics of the unit and the quality of the fuel - it can work without yielding to a gas boiler, or it can constantly “be capricious”, as a result of which it will be necessary to systematically purge the nozzles, etc.

Fuel storage:

1. Electricity does not require storage. However, in case of an emergency, it is recommended to have a diesel generator on the farm. And under this unit itself and the fuel for it, it is necessary to allocate space.
2. Heating in a private house with firewood, eurofirewood, pellets requires a place for storage, and in the case of fuel made from sawdust, this must be a dry closed room. Firewood is also recommended to be stored, protected from precipitation, since the higher the moisture content of wood, the lower its heat transfer.
3. Coal. It is stored in a specially designated place, it gets very dirty and dusty, so it is not very convenient to use.
4. Gas cylinders. They require storage in a separate building, fire safety measures must be taken. Preference should be given to an underground reservoir - a gas tank.
5. Solar containers. They are stored in a separate room in the boiler room, away from home, as the fuel has a sharp unpleasant odor. Today, however, a reservoir with diesel fuel is often mounted underground, like a gas tank. This makes the system more user-friendly, but more expensive.

The convenience of use:

1. It is most convenient to heat with electricity, since thermal equipment does not require any intervention.
2. Pellet boilers are filled with fuel about once every two weeks or less (depending on the volume of the bunker), cylinders are changed at about the same frequency when heated with liquefied gas. A long-burning coal boiler can also work on one gas station for 1-2 weeks.
3. A diesel-fired boiler needs to be monitored regularly, especially if the quality of the fuel is poor.
4. Solid fuel boilers require loading the firebox 1-3 times a day.

Independently rate from 1 to 5 each type of fuel (or heating unit) in all of the above categories. And determine for yourself whether the most economical heating is always preferable to the more expensive, but convenient one.

When choosing cheap heating for a private house, also pay attention to such a characteristic of the boiler unit as energy independence. If it is decided to provide heating of a private house without gas using an electric boiler, a backup heat source should be, for example, a solid fuel non-volatile boiler or stove.

Boiler unit to heat the house

Choosing what is more profitable to heat the house, we must not forget about the costs of installing the heating unit. It is not always important how cheap an energy source is, since the equipment for its use (or generation, if we are talking about solar energy, etc.) can be expensive. We will give an approximate range of prices for thermal equipment of different types in order to determine which one is more profitable to choose.

Brick oven with stove. 20-100 tr. and more, depending on the size, type, design complexity, the presence of tiled cladding, etc. A well-made stove is ideal for a wooden house, it can last for several decades.

Oil boiler. The cost of the unit is 25-180 tons. Many models are suitable if a house heated by diesel fuel is planned to be connected to a gas main - it is enough to replace the burner at the boiler and installation of new equipment is not required.

Solid fuel boilers. 20-400 tr. An inexpensive option will require frequent fueling. Long-burning boilers are included in the middle price category. Automated units require a large investment during the installation phase.

Electric boilers. 15-100 tr. depending on the power of the model. If there is a cheap nightly electricity tariff in the region, you can partially reduce heating costs by installing a heat accumulator complete with an electric boiler. In addition, when choosing how to heat a house if there is no gas, you can pay attention to other sources of heat that run on electricity: infrared heaters, fan heaters, underfloor heating film, air heating system, etc.

Solar collectors. 15-60 tr. - the cost of flat devices, about 80 tr. - vacuum. The energy of the sun is inexhaustible, but even in areas with a large number of sunny days a year, solar collectors serve only as an additional source of thermal energy for heating or preparing water in the DHW system.

Heat pumps. 200-1500 tr. depending on the complexity of the system. The heat pump takes heat energy from the environment. Its operation requires starting energy, on average, to deliver 10 kW of thermal energy, it spends 3 kW of electricity - this is high efficiency. But the heat pump is also not universal, since it is able to function stably only at an air temperature of at least -15 degrees, and completely loses its performance at -30 degrees. In temperate regions, a heat pump would provide the cheapest heating if not for the heavy initial investment.

Results

Everyone selects the most economical heating based on specific conditions, there is no universal advice on this matter. A good option is an electric boiler in combination with any other unit, primarily solid fuel. A heat accumulator, to which several different heat sources can be connected, including a solar collector, is a real opportunity to spend a minimum of money on heating.

In addition, we should not forget about the quality insulation of the house. Saving on fuel will only work if heat loss is minimized.

On the map of our homeland there are places where gas supply is not available. In this case, alternative heat sources are used. What are the ways and options for heating a country house without gas?

Furnaces

Wood and coal are an efficient heating method for rural areas. They have long been used to heat village houses. The advantages of the option are affordable raw materials at low prices. Disadvantages - the need to regularly maintain the fire, free space for storing firewood, the need to purchase and install a stove, boiler, and other consumables.

Electric heating

Electric heating has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Economical heating of a private house without gas is possible only with proper design and installation of equipment.

Note. To determine how effective the technology is for a particular facility, it is necessary to carry out preliminary calculations of heating and resource consumption in accordance with SNiP standards.

The advantages of the method include: minimal costs for installing appliances, no chimney and boiler room are needed. When heating rooms in this way, carbon monoxide is not formed, there is no risk of harmful emissions if the system breaks down. Despite all the advantages of the technology, it cannot be said that the method is the best way to heat a house without gas.

What is known about the cons. Electricity costs vary by region. The option may not be economically viable. An important drawback is the complete dependence on power sources. When the electricity goes out, the system stops heating the house.

Alternative energy sources

Heat pump

The equipment allows to receive low-grade heat from air, soil, rocks and reservoirs. The technology has been used in Europe for decades.

The advantages of the option are free heat sources. The use of technology allows to reduce heating costs. For every 2-3 kW of electricity spent on the operation of a heat pump, up to 6 kW of thermal energy is released. Savings are especially relevant, with the regular increase in tariffs, which is observed in the housing and communal services industry.

And yet, it cannot be said that this is the best option for how to heat a house without gas and electricity. An important drawback of the technology is the high cost of equipment. The cost of a heat pump is from 100 to 400 thousand rubles. Another unpleasant feature of the equipment is a decrease in efficiency at temperatures below -10º C. In addition, the area for feeding the equipment cannot be planted with plants, and its area must be several times larger than the size of the building itself.

Solar collectors

The equipment works autonomously. This is a big advantage over dependent technologies. The collector converts solar energy into thermal energy. This is one of the best ways to heat your home cheaply without gas. During the operation of the equipment you will not have to pay.

Cons of technology

1. high cost of the collector $500-1000;
2. water heating only up to 60º C;
3. periodic replacement of the storage tank;
4. failure to provide 100% heat.

Note. A complete transition to heating a house without gas and electricity using a collector is impossible. The equipment is used as an additional source of heat to reduce heating costs by 40-60%. With the onset of cold weather or in windy weather, you will additionally need a water pump to disperse the water in the pipes. When the climate worsens, the collector stops working at full capacity.

Water heating

Popular technology allows you to effectively heat the premises of a private house. Are you considering how to heat a house if there is no gas? Take a look at hot water. Heating bills can turn out to be small, however, you will have to spend money on installing equipment, pipes, batteries, a tank, a pump. The technology allows the use of several energy sources:

The disadvantage of panels is expensive fuel (electricity).

How to save on heating?

A simple solution will significantly reduce heat loss. We are talking about high-quality insulation of walls, door blocks and window openings. This will reduce heat costs by up to 50%.

Of all the ways to heat a house, the most economical is gas. In places where there are no appropriate communications, other options are chosen. By clicking on it, readers will find out how cheaper and more profitable it is to heat a house with gas or electricity. Today it is economical to heat cottages with coal. Fuel is available. It is inexpensive. There are automated coal-fired equipment for sale. Its price is 1.5-2 times cheaper than heat generators.

What is the best way to heat a house if there is no gas? If the room is used as temporary housing, on short visits, a heater can be used. Among the well-known models, oil specimens are more often chosen. A fairly economical and safe option is an infrared heater. The method is suitable for heating one room, not the whole house.

The use of firewood is one of the most ancient ways of obtaining heat. Progress does not stand still: at first people used open fire, then they built walls around the fire, which spoke of the invention of the stove.

Later, on the basis of the stove, humanity began to invent the so-called boilers, where, unlike stoves, in which heat was transferred to other parts of the room directly through the air, it began to be transferred thanks to coolants such as antifreeze and water. But the ovens have not gone out of use. To this day, they continue to enjoy wide popularity.

Wood stove heating has a number of advantages:

• autonomy. If firewood has already been prepared for the winter and there is a stove, then nothing will prevent you from safely surviving the winter frosts.
• Easy installation. Indeed, the installation of the furnace is not a difficult task; special skills and craftsmanship are not needed here.
• Appearance. The stove can be built in the form of a fireplace. So, the stove will perfectly fit into the interior of the room and help create an atmosphere of comfort.
• Complete energy independence.
• Availability. Wood is considered not a very expensive type of fuel. If the house is located near forests, then firewood can be obtained there. You can also make so-called artificial firewood - briquettes, which are made from the remains of woodworking.

Despite such a large number of advantages, there are a number of disadvantages:

• efficiency. The efficiency of stoves is much lower than that of other heating installations, since most of the heat leaves through the chimney.
• Long warm up. The oven heats up slowly, which takes a lot of time.
• Fast burning. One stack of firewood burns for 3 hours. This means that you will have to constantly feed the fire with new masonry. Recently, such stoves have appeared on the market that operate on the basis of slow combustion. In such furnaces, the masonry begins to burn from the upper layers.

The stove can be built in such a way that it heats the coolant.

In this case, you will have to tinker with the installation, but it is better to turn to the services of specialists. But with this method, you can heat several floors at once, along which the coolant will also move.

Heating with coal is another option if the house does not have gas. But there is one significant difference between heating with wood and heating with coal: if when heating with wood, the room warms up immediately from the flame, then when using coal, the room warms up due to the coolant.

Modern boilers also use the principle of top combustion, which is achieved due to the fact that air is supplied from the top of the device thanks to a fan. Due to this, the fuel burns slowly, due to which the time between fuel loads increases significantly. The design of modern coal-fired boilers includes a furnace, an ash pan, a heat exchanger, a chimney.

Another issue regarding this fuel is the choice of coal. There are a huge number of types of coal that differ in price and quality:

1. The coal is brown. This type burns at low temperatures, but is currently being squeezed out of the market by other brands.
2. Stone. This brand burns with a long flame, so it is widely used for heating.
3. DPKA. This coal has found wide application for heating small private houses.
4. Anthracite. According to experts, it is the coal of this brand that is the highest quality coal. This charcoal is brilliant black. The carbon content reaches 90%.

Coal can be bought in bags, or you can order a certain amount with delivery.

So the pros:

• boiler versatility. A coal-fired boiler can be used not only for heating with coal. Firewood, briquettes and other types of solid fuel can also be placed in it.
• High heat dissipation.
• Long burning.

There are also disadvantages:

• Coal dust. When using coal as the main type of fuel, coal dust remains everywhere, which requires cleaning.
• Ash pan cleaning. When coal burns, a lot of ash remains, so the ash pan will have to be cleaned periodically.

The principle of converting solar energy into thermal energy has been known to mankind for a long time. But only relatively recently people began to consider the Sun as an alternative source of energy. The solar collector is a heating device that is able to accumulate the energy of the sun's rays, which is used to heat the coolant.

The principle of operation is also simple: under the plates of the structure there are tubes through which the coolant moves. When heated, it automatically enters the water tank.

There are three types of collectors:

1. vacuum collectors. They are designed in such a way as to accumulate as much solar energy as possible with minimal losses. This is achieved due to the fact that there is a vacuum space between the outer sheets and the inner element. In general, such a unit is a system of many tubes, inside of which there is no air. Inside these tubes there are other tubes that actually heat up. Such collectors are capable of heating water up to 300 degrees Celsius.
2. flat collector. Such units are a rectangular panel. They are transparent. The inner wall of this panel is covered with heat-insulating material. Under it there is a system of pipes through which the coolant moves. Such collectors heat water up to 200 degrees.
3. Air manifold. These units use air as the heat carrier. The efficiency of such collectors is low, which is the main disadvantage of this type. But they can be made independently without special technical skills and abilities. They are cheap.

Electric heating involves the conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy. For this purpose, various boilers are used that run on electricity. The following are the most common methods of electric heating:

1. Electric boilers. In such units, a heating element is built in. There may be one or more. If there are several of them, then the user himself can activate only one of them or all at once. It is a system of pipes through which the coolant moves and is heated by the flowing electric current. Powerful units are connected to a three-phase network. There is no heating element in some electric boilers. Instead, electrodes are provided. Electric current passes from one electrode to another through water. So he warms her up. Typically, in such systems, not water, but antifreeze is used as a coolant.
2. Heating electric convectors. In appearance, they resemble ordinary radiators, only now they are connected to the electrical network. Also, they do not use a coolant. The heating element is enclosed in a special insulator. A current passes through it, it heats up, as a result of which the surrounding air also heats up, which immediately rises.
3. Infrared heaters. They have a special device that converts electrical energy into infrared rays. These infrared rays travel in a straight line and only heat objects that are in their path. For full heating, you will have to install several such units. Thanks to this device, you can create zones with high and low temperatures in the room.
4. Electric floor. It is a system of current conductors with high resistance. They are mounted in the floor, and heat up as a result of the passage of current through them. This heat then heats the floor surface, the heat from which is transferred to the air in the room.

These types of electric heating exist at the moment. Now you should consider all the pros and cons of this heating method.

So, the advantages of electric heating are as follows:

• The efficiency of electric boilers is high. According to various sources, approximately 99% of electricity is converted into thermal energy.
• Environmental friendliness. When using electricity, no emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere occur.
• Automatic. Most electric boilers operate in automatic mode, that is, a person only needs to adjust accordingly.
• Security. Unlike gas, where there is a risk of leakage, electricity is less dangerous.

And now for the cons:

• The first and most important disadvantage is electricity tariffs. Most boilers that are connected to a three-phase network operate at high power, so the electricity consumption is high.
• Dependence on an uninterrupted supply of electricity. If suddenly for some reason there is a power outage, the devices stop their work. But this problem can be solved by installing additional automation.

Security measures

After you have purchased an electric or solid fuel boiler, you should carefully read the instruction manual. There will also be indicated safety measures when working with the unit. If for some reason the boiler stopped working, or interruptions in its functioning began to occur, then you should call the wizard, as he will fix the problems in accordance with the instructions.

Which to choose

Having assessed all the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of heating a house, we can safely say that solid fuel boilers or stoves are the best. They work efficiently and will perfectly heat the house. Other heating methods, such as electric boilers, electric convectors, solar convectors, can be used as additional heating.

In any case, the house must be insulated at a high level, otherwise, the heat received from the heating devices will simply go outside.

The question of how cheaper it is to heat a house if there is no gas is faced not only by residents of regions where there is no possibility of connecting to a gas main, but also by almost every fifth newcomer to a private house. As a rule, they rush to move into the house as quickly as possible, and then stretch the process of connecting all life support systems for several years.

What are the sources of heat?

There are not so many sources of heat that solve the problem of how to heat a house in winter without gas:

1. solid fuel. This group includes coal, firewood, pellets, pressed briquettes (peat, sunflower, wood, coal dust).
2. Liquid fuel. This is diesel fuel and used engine oil.
3. Electric Energy.
4. Solar heat energy converted by collectors (solar power generators);
5. Liquefied gas (balloon or from a gas tank).

For reference. Large volume gas holders successfully solve the problem of liquefied gas accumulation and can provide heating for a small cottage village.

How to choose fuel?

When deciding how to heat a house if there is no gas, it is recommended to build on the following characteristics:

• the price of a kilowatt-hour of thermal energy of a given heat source (especially important when heating large areas);
• the cost of the necessary equipment and the cost of installation work;
• convenience in maintaining the heating system (ideally, the heating boiler should not require constant attention).

If you analyze in detail all these three parameters, you can choose the best option for a heat source.

Comparison of the cost of thermal energy

If we compare the cost of a kilowatt-hour of thermal energy, then the scale of efficiency of heat sources (in ascending order) will look like this:

1. In the first place, you can put solar collectors. (Energy is free, if only solar radiation is taken into account). However, solar collectors are not used as a self-sufficient source of heat due to the variable thermal power. It depends on the length of daylight hours and weather conditions.
2. In second place are ordinary firewood. They are still leading in terms of cheapness among all other types of solid fuels.
3. When deciding which boiler to choose, if there is no gas, they often stop at solid fuel equipment, into which coal and pellets can be loaded.
4. The use of gas holders is in fourth place in terms of the cost of a kilowatt-hour of thermal energy.
5. Oil boilers are next on the list. However, it must be borne in mind that used motor oil is much more economical than diesel fuel. Sometimes engine oil is cheaper than natural gas (for example, in farms with a large fleet).
6. An electric heat source is the most expensive. Even if we are talking about the most economical equipment. For example, an induction boiler, which is one of the most reliable, but does not differ from heating elements in terms of efficiency.

Thus, if we compare the cost of a kilowatt-hour of thermal energy, then solar collectors are the most profitable. Electricity costs the most.

An important expense item: the cost of equipment and its installation

Despite the fact that solar collectors are leaders in terms of efficiency in terms of prices per kilowatt-hour of thermal energy, they are the most expensive in terms of equipment and installation costs. Even the simplest Chinese models will not save you in cost.

The price scale for equipment and installation looks like this:

• installation of solar collectors is several times more expensive;
• easy-to-maintain pellet boilers are in second place in terms of high cost;
• then there are liquid fuel boilers (on diesel fuel and "working off");
• in fourth place are conventional gas boilers;
• installation of solid fuel boilers (on wood and coal) will cost more economically than gas ones;
• electrical appliances are the cheapest.

As for the heat source from the gas tank, the equipment costs increase by almost ten times compared to installing a conventional system from a gas main.

It can be concluded that according to these two indicators - the cost of one kilowatt-hour of thermal energy and the installation of equipment, firewood and coal win.

If used oil were an affordable type of fuel, then it would be the best option when deciding how to heat a country house.

Installation and maintenance of solar collectors, until the production of cheap equipment is established, is very expensive for consumers.

Serviceability

Today it is necessary to save not only on energy resources, but also to calculate how much time and labor will be spent on servicing one or another type of heat source in the house.

In this regard, as well as in installation, electric boilers are leading in terms of unpretentiousness. It is enough to put a good electronic thermostat, and you can forget about how and with what the house is heated. Modern thermostats allow you to program the daily and weekly temperature cycles in the premises.

For reference. Using electronic programmable thermostats, which allow you to lower the temperature in the house when the owners are away, can reduce energy costs by up to 40 percent.

Autonomous operation of the heating system during the entire heating season is provided by a gas boiler powered by a gas tank.

Electric boilers, compared to gas and solid fuel heat sources, have one important advantage: there is no need to equip a chimney.

Oil-fired boilers do not require attention until the fuel in the tank runs out. However, they are quite noisy, and many people are not satisfied with the pungent smell of diesel fuel from diesel boilers.

When it comes to how to heat a country house, many opt for a solid fuel boiler that runs on pellets. Automatic loading of fuel allows up to seven days of non-service equipment.

As a result, you have to choose between an inexpensive coal-fired solid fuel boiler, which needs to be fired every 7 hours even more often, or a very expensive pellet boiler. Or put up with high electricity bills.

What is the way out of the situation?

To find the best solution and decide how to heat the house if there is no gas, you can go in two ways:

• increase the period between loading coal by installing an inexpensive solid fuel boiler;
• reduce energy costs when using electrical appliances as a heat source.

Both paths are very real. To deal with these problems will help familiarity with the principle of operation of the equipment that solves these problems.

gas boiler

The principle of the device of the gas generator (pyrolysis boiler) is as follows:

• firewood or coal smolder in the firebox with limited air supply;
• in the process of fuel smoldering, gas is formed, which enters the next chamber and burns out completely there.

Boiler power adjustment is achieved in two ways:

• by reducing or increasing the air supply to the furnace using a gate valve and a thermostatic draft regulator;
• changing the speed of the fan that blows air into the furnace.

The fan is controlled by an automatic controller.

The efficiency of the gas generator is very high due to the afterburning of products of incomplete combustion. The cycle of continuous operation until the next portion of firewood or coal reaches half a day with limited air access.

The principle of operation of the upper combustion boiler

An improved model of the pyrolysis unit is an upper combustion boiler. Here the smoldering process takes place in the upper part of the firebox. Such units are vertical cylinders with a telescopic air duct arranged inside. It goes down as the firewood (coal) burns out, while providing air flow for further smoldering of the fuel.

Some models of such boilers work on one tab for up to 30 hours.

For reference. The quality of the fuel is of great importance. So, for example, hardwood burns longer and releases more heat, coniferous firewood burns quickly.

How can a heat exchanger help?

Engineering thought went even further along the path of increasing the period of loading solid fuel into the boiler. Heat accumulators, which are simple water tanks with outlets for water circuits, allow you to heat the house without spending a lot of time on kindling. In addition, energy resources are also significantly saved.

A simple calculation: when the coolant (water) is heated to 40 degrees, a tank that holds 3 cubic meters. capable of accumulating 175 kW of heat. This is enough to heat 80 sq. m of housing area.

The heat accumulator contains two circuits with forced circulation: one connects the boiler heat exchanger to the accumulator, the second - to the heating system (radiators and convectors).

For reference. It is advantageous to install a heat accumulator not only for a solid fuel boiler, but also for a unit powered by electricity, subject to a two-tariff meter. At night, when the tariff is minimal, the boiler will heat the system, and during the day it will turn off and give off the heat accumulated by the heat accumulator.

How to save money with underfloor heating?

Installing underfloor heating is another step towards solving the problem of how to heat a house if there is no gas.

In this case, the entire surface of the floor turns into a heat source.

There are several types of underfloor heating:

• a water circuit with a heat carrier built into the cement screed;
• heating resistive cable laid under ceramic tiles;
• film or rod infrared floors.

If you install underfloor heating, you can reduce heating costs by up to 35-40 percent compared to convection appliances. The advantage of warm floors is that they heat the air to a comfortable temperature at the level of human height, and under the ceiling, where it is not actually felt, the air remains colder.

With the convection principle of heating, in order to achieve a comfortable 22 degrees at the level of human growth, it is necessary to warm the air space under the ceiling to 28-30 degrees. In this case, there is an intense loss of heat through the walls and windows.

Warm floors are very convenient to use as local heating of a limited area, for example, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe desk where a child is learning lessons. For example, film infrared floors consume from 50 to 70 watts of electricity per 1 sq. meter. They give a purely subjective feeling of warmth already at 15 degrees. That is, it is enough to install a warm floor in a certain area, under the laminate, in order to save on the main source of heat.

How infrared heaters work

Infrared heaters are gaining more and more popularity among owners of houses and apartments who seek to ensure a comfortable temperature in their home.

Infrared heaters are installed under the ceiling, on the walls and placed under the finishing floors. In all cases, they radiate pleasant warmth that is comfortable for the human body.

Under the influence of infrared heat, a person becomes comfortable within a few minutes after turning on the heating device. This happens because its rays do not heat the air, but human skin, clothes, and objects. When using this type of heating, the overall temperature in the room can be significantly reduced, and at the same time feel comfortable.

You can do a little calculation. For example, it is 10 degrees below zero outside. If it is enough to maintain only 15 degrees in the room at this time, and not 25, as usual, then the savings will be 1.4 times. How did this figure turn out? (25-(-10): (15-(-10)=1.4

Features of heat pumps

Another source of heat in the house - heat pumps. The principle of their operation is identical to the operation of refrigerators. An interesting point: the heat pump is designed in such a way that it is able to take heat from a cold environment (it can be earth, water or air)

The cycle and working principle of a heat pump is as follows:

• the compressor compresses the refrigerant (freon), and turns it from a gaseous state into a liquid;
• when this happens, then, according to physical laws, freon heats up;
• heated freon passes through the heat exchanger and gives off heat;
• then it seeps through the expansion valve, expands again, while, accordingly, cools down.
• the next stage is another heat exchanger, where the already cooled refrigerant takes heat from a medium that has a higher temperature;
• the heated freon returns back to the compressor, and everything repeats again.

When installing a heat pump, electricity is consumed only by the compressor. 1 kilowatt of electricity allows you to get from 3 to 6 kilowatts of thermal power.

The advantages of heat pumps are almost the same as those of electric heaters:

• do not require constant maintenance;
• it is possible to program daily and weekly cycles, thereby saving energy resources;
• the device is environmentally friendly (does not emit harmful substances into the atmosphere) and safe for humans.

In parallel with heat pumps, it is advantageous to use low-temperature heaters. It can be underfloor heating or convectors.

There is one point: heat pumps that operate according to the "air-to-air" and "air-to-water" schemes are used only in the southern regions. The fact is that the temperature of the external heat exchanger cannot be lower than the freon phase transition temperature, which is minus 25 degrees.

A weak point for geothermal and water pumps is the difficulty in installing outdoor heat exchangers. Vertical soil collectors are immersed in wells to a depth of several tens of meters. For horizontal laying, pits or trenches are required. Their total area is almost three times the area of ​​a heated house.

Are split systems expensive?

Another type of heating, which is used when it is not possible to heat the house with gas, is a split system.

How much does this method cost the consumer? A small calculation: for heating a cottage with an area of ​​154 sq. m. you will need at least four inverter air conditioners: three devices - 9000 BTU and one - 12000 BTU. If we take into account that the house also uses a washing machine, an electric stove, lights are turned on, computers and other equipment are working, electricity consumption in the winter period will be approximately 2000 kWh.

What conclusions can be drawn?

Even if you cannot connect to the main gas pipeline, you can always find alternative sources of heat. It is necessary to take a responsible approach to their selection in order to heat the room not only economically, but also with the least labor costs. In this case, you need to consider any options, from heat pumps to pyrolysis pellet boilers. Take into account:

• the lifestyle of the residents of the house (is it possible to save money during the daytime, while everyone is at work);
• the possibility of supplying cheap fuel (for example, used engine oil).

Increasingly, developers of cottage settlements offer heating systems using gas tanks - containers into which a large volume of gas is pumped. Such a system allows you to heat your home without interruption and quality throughout the winter.

If the family is large, the needs of family members are different (some people like coolness or, conversely, heat), it is worth considering additional local heat sources. One option is infrared underfloor heating.

And, of course, you should take care of the energy efficiency of the house and eliminate wasteful heat consumption.

To begin with, I would like to note that the most effective today is a gas heating system. If for some reason it is not possible to install it (for example, there is no gas line in the country house), give preference to electric heaters. Next, we will consider the most economical electric heating systems for a private house and apartment.

Why electric heaters?

You will immediately ask yourself why the classic water or stove heating of rooms is not considered? The answer is simple - this is due to the fact that installation work and maintenance for about the same money will be minimized.

Now we will provide several reasons why it is obvious that the best and most economical heating system for a private house is electric.

1. Heaters powered by electricity are silent, do not require additional resources (coal, firewood, liquid fuel) and, moreover, do not pollute the atmosphere. This suggests that in a private house it is not necessary to have a place in the utility block for fuel, to make a chimney and, moreover, to soot every year. It is enough to connect the system to the network and enjoy the heat.
2. Installing an entire electric heating system does not require a huge initial investment. For example, the installation of a water heating main is carried out once. A project is being created, all pipes, radiators, a boiler, as well as additional automation are purchased. To do part of the work (for example, in one room), and if you have money, you will not be able to complete the project over time, and if you do, then many problems will arise. It will be necessary to drain the water, crash into the finished highway, etc. In the case of electric heaters, everything is much simpler. You can install equipment in each room separately as you earn money. At the end of spring, buy convectors for the bedroom, later - for the kitchen, bathroom, etc.
3. Today there are many ways. Of course, this option requires considerable costs, but be sure that over time they will pay for themselves. The installation of economical as well as solar panels on the roof of the house is popular.
4. , a boiler or even a convector can be done with your own hands, significantly saving money on calling the master.

As you can see, electric heating in a private house really outperforms alternative options, so installing such a system is quite profitable.

To your attention, a video example of creating a cheap and at the same time effective autonomous system:

Homemade Economic Battery Electric Heating System

Heating system options

So, consider the existing equipment that will make electric heating in the house economical and cheap.

Boiler use

, which will heat the water in the home heating system, warming up the room, is the first, least efficient option. Of course, on the Internet you can see a bunch of information that talks about economical boilers that can reduce consumption by up to 80%, but all this is nonsense. The only option to reduce costs is to install thermostats and various automations, which will turn on only when the temperature in the room drops, as well as at certain times of the day. All other talk about new product designs or reduced power is just a publicity stunt. If you buy a small capacity boiler, it will take more time to heat water for heating the house, so that's what it will come out with.

Using IR panels

A smarter solution and likely the most cost effective. The fact is that these products do not heat the air in the room, but certain objects (floor, walls, closet), from which heat is transferred in the future. If in the previous version hot air rises to the ceiling and immediately cools down, then in this case the heat is directed to the floor, which is more reasonable (people do not walk on the ceiling).

This diagram shows the effectiveness of an economical heating system for a private house:

You see everything for yourself, so there is nothing more to prove. It should only be noted that IR devices can work more efficiently if you add thermostats to them. One controller is enough to control three heaters in the economical heating system of a private house. We talked about that in a separate article.

Using convectors

Many manufacturers convince that the electric convector effectively heats the room and at the same time spends a small amount of electricity. Of course, the question is debatable, because, in fact, the principle of operation of products is similar to the version with radiators (air rises). The advantage of convectors is that their installation and connection is not difficult. In addition, the heating of the heating element is about one minute, which is undoubtedly faster than in the case of water radiators.

Among the other advantages of electric convectors are:

• low cost (from 2 to 10 thousand rubles);
• fire safety (which is especially important when);
• you can gradually build up the heating system (one convector for a room is not enough, buy another one and connect it to the network without any problems);
• attractive appearance;
• trouble-free operation during power surges (also relevant in the private sector);
• compact dimensions.

The use of warm floors

We analyzed the reviews of buyers who used this option and saw that most people are satisfied with the purchase. The main thing is to additionally install a temperature controller to make economical electric heating in the house with your own hands.

Installation of a warm floor

Another modern and efficient way to economically heat your home is to use electric heating mats. They are laid under the floor covering and warm the room through the floor. As a result, warm air rises, completely warming up the room. It is better to install a warm floor system in combination with an additional source of heating, for example, infrared panels.

Speaking about the heating mats themselves, I would like to highlight the products of EKF. You can choose heating mats exactly for your conditions - ready-made kits vary in size and power. Thermomats EKF can be controlled by a mechanical or electronic thermostat, which can be programmed on/off for a week. In addition, I would like to highlight the full shielding of current-carrying wires, due to which there is a uniform heating of the floor surface. You can find out more about EKF heating mats by clicking on the link: https://ekfgroup.com/catalog/sistemy-obogreva/sistema-teplyy-pol.

Which option is better to avoid?

We talked about cheap and efficient economical heating systems for a private house, but I would also like to note the most costly options that need to be avoided. The top of the ranking is occupied by oil coolers. They are all known for having high power, so when working in winter, you can see a noticeable increase in electricity consumption.

Not only do these products have high power, but also their heating efficiency is very weak. For example, an IR panel of the same dimensions and the same power will make the house warm faster, so it’s better to give preference to it.

In addition, the infrared heater is installed on the ceiling or wall, thus it does not take up free space, which cannot be said about electric radiators.

Another non-recommended option is fan heaters. These devices not only burn oxygen, but also “chase dust”, besides, they are noisy. The effectiveness of their use is not too great, because. between the ceiling and the floor, the temperature may differ by several degrees, despite the fact that the power of the products is high (from 1.5 kW).

How to improve efficiency and reduce costs?

Simply buying an economical electric heater and installing it in a country house is only half the battle. At the same time, it is far from a fact that as a result of the work you will be able to verify the significant efficiency of the economical heating system made. The reason for this may be poor thermal insulation of the room. All kinds of cracks, gaps in the windows and even the absence of insulation on the walls contribute to the rapid cooling of the room. It has been repeatedly proven that with high-quality insulation of walls and ceilings, heating efficiency can increase up to 80%, although this figure usually reaches 40%.

Another important nuance is the use of automation. For example, if there is no one at home all day (everyone is working), then there is no point in heating the rooms. It would be more correct to install a controller that will turn on the heaters an hour or two before your arrival. This time will be enough to fully heat the premises.