Teng for a cast-iron battery with a thermostat. Heating with heating elements, how to do it, is it worth using. For heating boilers

With the onset of cold weather, the issue of heating housing becomes more relevant. In the dank off-season, centralized systems often do not turn on “until the last”, and then alternative heating systems come to the aid of freezing inhabitants.

One of simple solutions are considered heating elements for heating radiators that can become an effective addition to the heating system. In some situations, the device will quite cope with the role of the main source of heat, for example, in seasonal residences.

Before you decide to buy a device, you need to learn more about it, do you agree? We have prepared a review article about the design of radiator heating elements, their classification, advantages and disadvantages. The material indicates the main criteria for choosing an electrical appliance and describes the features of its installation.

Like any other heating element for heating, the radiator is designed to heat the coolant and maintain it. operating temperature. The device can be installed in almost any heating device that has an internal cavity filled with liquid. Due to this, its scope is quite wide.

Radiator heating elements can act as the main or additional source heating. They are very good as heat sources for rooms with a relatively small area, which are periodically used during the cold season.

For example, various utility rooms or for. In this case, the heating element is mounted in an autonomous radiator, usually it has impressive dimensions.

A radiator with a built-in heating element outwardly practically does not differ from traditional batteries. During the off-season, while the central heating is not yet turned on, it will help residents not to freeze

The battery is not connected to the heating system and is filled with coolant, which circulates exclusively within the radiator housing.

In such cases, technical oil with a reduced viscosity is chosen as a coolant, which allows you not to be afraid of the radiator completely freezing during off hours. It turns out an analogue of an oil-type radiator, only of a larger size.

Radiator heating elements have proven themselves quite well as the main source of heat for country houses which are heated periodically. The system is equipped similarly to the one described above, but only the heating elements are mounted in batteries installed in each room.

It is possible to organize such heating for houses with permanent residence. In this case, the batteries can be filled with ordinary water, since it is not planned to allow the system to freeze. True, such options are used extremely rarely due to the high cost of electricity.

More widely radiator heating elements are used as additional heat sources. They can be built into an existing heating system with a liquid heat carrier and turn on when the main heating does not function for any reason.

This solution is especially successful for houses with central heating. During the period when it is turned off, the heating elements literally save the residents of the apartment from freezing.

So called heating registers very popular among home craftsmen. You can easily assemble them with your own hands and thus equip practical heating for a garage or utility room.

Another good option is to connect devices to an autonomous heating system with. This will support comfortable temperature in the rooms even at a time when the owner does not have the opportunity to lay fuel on time.

If it is possible to use a multi-tariff meter, it may be practical to switch to night heating with electricity when it is relatively cheap. In the afternoon, the boiler will work again.

Practice shows that it is economically unprofitable to use radiator heating elements as an additional source of heat for autonomous gas-fired systems. This type of fuel is relatively cheap in itself, so it does not make sense to replace it with more expensive electricity.

If they are used indoors or on diesel fuel, the benefit will be obvious. But only if there is a two-phase electricity meter.

How is an electrical appliance

The design of the device practically does not differ from other types of heating elements. The body of the tubular electric heater is made of seamless or electric-welded thin-walled metal tube. Its diameter can vary, and the cross section can be flat or rounded.

The body material most commonly used is carbon steel, but stainless steel can also be chosen if working surface the appliance will heat up to temperatures above +45°C.

To protect the metal from corrosion and extend the life of the heating element itself, the steel case is chrome-plated or nickel-plated. A nichrome wire coil is used as a heating element.

The item has a high resistivity which heats up quickly. The spiral is placed inside the case, in the remaining free internal cavity - a filler.

Features of installation of radiator heating elements

Installing the device is quite simple. In order for the operation to take place without any difficulties, you should also familiarize yourself with its equipment in the store. AT ideal together with the heating element, all the elements and fasteners necessary for safe connection will be placed in the box. If any parts are missing, you need to buy them immediately.

Heating elements with thermostats are more functional than their standard counterparts. At the same time, their installation, in fact, is no different and is just as simple and fast.

Another important point: before installation, make sure that the system is free from water. For this reason, in apartment buildings work optimally in summer time when the central heating is turned off.

The installation itself consists in dismantling the plug located at the bottom of the radiator, and then installing a heater in its place. To make the joint tight, a rubber gasket must be installed. It will not be superfluous Preliminary processing joint area with sealant.

The heating element can only be installed in the lower part of the radiator so that the liquid can circulate freely. The part is inserted into the battery strictly horizontally, otherwise there may be problems with operation.

It is allowed to use to connect the heating element. It is advisable to install a voltage stabilizer to protect the device from power surges.

You can turn on the device in the network only after filling the radiator with liquid, otherwise the device will fail. The design with a heating element is maintainable. If necessary, the device can be easily removed and repaired, and more often replaced with a new one.

Given the hardness of industrial water, experts recommend regularly cleaning the heater from scale. To do this, the device is removed from the battery, after which cleaning is carried out.

A radiator with a built-in heating element will serve for a long time and without problems, if you do not forget to maintain it regularly, namely, remove the heater and carefully clean it from scale

Can be used mechanical way when the scale is carefully removed sandpaper or with a stiff metal brush. This should be done very carefully, since heating elements are very sensitive to mechanical damage and can fail.

Radiator electric heaters - good way Arrangement of additional heating for premises of various purposes. They are relevant for cottages, garages and buildings that are used from time to time.

Such heating elements are rarely recommended as the main heating. Still, they consume a lot of electricity, so you can find another, less expensive way to heat your home.

Are you looking for an effective device for organizing additional heating? Or do you have experience with radiator heaters? Please leave comments and ask questions on the topic. The contact block is located below.

How are electric heating elements used for heating radiators? What thermal power can they provide? Are heating elements suitable for aluminum heating radiators or for old cast iron batteries? How to ensure safety when installing them? Let's figure it out.

What it is

Description

Tubular electric heater(TEN) is a heating tungsten coil in a ceramic insulator, placed in a sealed metal case.

Electroheaters for radiators have several more characteristic features.

  • The shell of the heating element is made of of stainless steel. This ensures maximum durability of the product and completely prevents contact of the energized coil with the coolant.
  • The nut, which ensures the installation of the heater in the heater, is brass. Thread - pipe, left or right, 1 or 1 1/4 inches in size (DN 25 or DN 32).

Hint: These dimensions ensure that the heater is compatible with the threads in the radiator plug sections.
Cast iron radiators with heating elements are mated with a 32 mm thread, aluminum sections have 25 mm threads.

  • Optionally, a thermostat can be a part of the design, which ensures automatic maintenance of the set temperature of the coolant.

Characteristics and range

Since the rated power of the devices is not regulated by any domestic or foreign standards, as an example model range we will present the real range of products of the Belgorod company Elektroten. This is enough to get acquainted with the performance options and current prices.

Thread kit 1 1/4 (heater for radiator with thermostat, cord and protective cap)
Power, kWt Full length, mm Retail price, rubles
0,5 285 1706
0,8 285 1762
1 305 1819
1,2 305 1876
1,5 325 1933
2 355 2024
2,5 405 2104

In addition, of the products we are interested in, the company offers:

  • Heating element for oil cooler (thread 1 1/4 inches).
  • Heater for heated towel rails (1/2 inch thread).

Note: these heating elements can also be installed in the radiator if there is an adapter for the appropriate thread.

Why is it needed

Manufacturers position their products as a solution that transforms existing system water heating in an autonomous minimal cost strength and time.

This is necessary in two cases:

  • With frequent interruptions with centralized heat supply.
  • When organizing fully autonomous heating in the absence of cheaper sources of thermal energy.

Installation

Do-it-yourself instructions for installing a heating element are extremely simple:

  1. The radiator or heating circuit section is reset.
  2. The lower blind radiator plug is unscrewed. As a rule, it has a left-hand thread, but if the heater is connected on both sides, the required plug may also be right-handed.

  1. The last sections are cleared of silt.
  2. The thread of the heating element is wound with sanitary flax with paint or any other sealing material.
  3. Then the heater is screwed into the heater using an adjustable, open-end or gas wrench. Of course, without excessive effort: brass is a relatively soft metal, and it is not difficult on it.
  4. The radiator is filled with water or other coolant, after which heating device food is served. The uniform heating of the radiator surface is ensured by the convection of the coolant.

Security

It is believed that a radiator heating element with a built-in thermostat is an absolutely safe heating device: turning off when the coolant reaches the set temperature will prevent dangerous overheating or boiling of water.

However, not all potential buyers of the device are aware that the safety and efficiency of work is ensured not only by the design of the device, but also by the correct installation.

  • In system central heating when the heating element is turned on, the valves shutting off the radiator must be closed. At the same time, a jumper must be mounted on the inlet in front of them, which will allow the coolant to circulate through the riser when it is started. In the absence of valves, your heating element will heat the batteries throughout the riser; in the absence of a jumper, after an unsuccessful attempt to start the heating, a sad locksmith will come to you and utter many offensive words.
  • Heating the coolant in a closed volume will turn your radiator into a full-fledged miniature boiler room and ... dramatically increase the pressure in it. Thermal expansion, you know. Hence - the need for installation on the liner after the shut-off valve or a small expansion tank(its volume is taken equal to 10% of the radiator volume), or safety valve. (See also the article.)

Note that the second scenario is undesirable, because when heated, the valve will periodically emit jets of hot water.

  • The cross section of the power cord must be at least 1 square millimeter for 8 amperes of current. With a heating element power of 2500 watts and a supply voltage of 220 volts, the current will be 2500/220 \u003d 11.36A; the minimum cross-section of the wire core, therefore, is equal to 11.36 / 8 \u003d 1.42 (rounded up to real value- 1.5 mm2).
  • The maximum load per socket should not exceed 3500 watts..
  • Grounding is highly desirable.

  • The power of the heating element without a thermostat should not exceed the rated heat output of the radiator. For one aluminum section, it is taken equal to 200 watts, for cast iron - 160 watts. Heating element for heating radiators with a thermostat can be installed without power restrictions.

Efficiency mark

Everything is very simple here: 1 kilowatt electrical power The heating element will give you a flat 1 kilowatt of thermal power, completely spent on heating the room. Electric radiators do not have any miraculous properties; positioning of mini-boilers from aluminum batteries as economical heating- nothing more than a deception of gullible townsfolk.

With a design heating power of 100 watts / m2 maximum power, which can be provided by a heating element with a thermostat for a cast-iron radiator - 2500 watts - will allow you to heat a room of 25 m2. With an average power consumption of 1500 watts, the cost of electricity per day will be 1.5 kW / h * 24 h \u003d 36 kW * h, which at current Russian electricity tariffs will cost about 36 * 3.8 = 166.8 rubles.

As a permanent source of heat, a heating element is an expensive pleasure.

Conclusion

So how should we evaluate the electrical appliances we have studied? If you do not expect too much from them - purely positive. This is a great solution for organizing emergency heating. Subject to all safety rules, their purchase is quite meaningful.

The video in this article will help the reader learn more about heating elements for batteries. Good luck!

Tubular electric heaters (TENY) are used to increase the temperature of the coolant, a prime example- heating element washing machine, heated towel rail or boiler. Heating elements can act as the main source of heat in the absence of other energy carriers, for this they are quite reliable, but one should take into account the high consumption of electricity. Therefore, heating elements for radiators are installed primarily as auxiliary device, for example - to prevent freezing of the heating system in emergency cases (as a preventive measure) or, if necessary, chiseled heating in hard-to-reach areas. The device is mounted anywhere, regardless of the distance from the boiler, but taking into account such features as the type of coolant, material and length of the battery.

The heating element is a tube with an internal heated coil, the edges of which are connected by special fasteners, for example, a brass nut. This part is reliably isolated from the body (filled with magnesium oxide), despite thin walls made of titanium or steel, heating elements for a heating battery are absolutely safe to use. The material of the spiral can withstand high resistances, such heaters produce up to 2.5 kW of thermal power (industrial even up to 6). The kit includes a thermostat to protect against overheating, all elements are galvanized with chrome or nickel.

The device is suitable for any heating radiators: aluminum, cast iron, metal, installation is simple, just screw it into a special socket and connect it to the network. The heater is located exclusively in the lower zone of the battery, outdoor area spiral is used as input terminal. Voltage fluctuations are a threat, even for the latest models equipped with special sensors, it is worth buying a stabilizer. The declared power of electric heaters for batteries is enough to maintain the temperature of the coolant in the range from 5 to 65 ° C.

Varieties

The required power is determined taking into account the heated area and the intended purpose; devices from 0.3 to 6 kW are available for sale. Depending on the shape, single or double electric heaters for heating radiators are distinguished; when choosing dimensions, they are guided by the number of sections. Separately, heating elements are produced with right and left threads (the location and rotation of the battery are taken into account). Dual blocks are rarely found in free sale, they are made to order, mainly for industrial rather than domestic needs. A special variety are heating elements for cartridge type heating, they have an additional protective cover of steel.

Depending on the built-in functions, there are single- and dual-mode electric heaters for batteries. The latter allow you to instantly heat the coolant inside the radiator to high temperature when turning on the "turbo" mode or to protect the heating system from freezing when minimum flow electricity. Models can be equipped with additional automation, internal or external. The former have a built-in thermostat, their cost is lower, but protective properties the second is in the lead.

With external automation, control is carried out not with the help of a thermostat, but by measuring the temperature of the air heated by the radiator. There are heating elements with a mechanical relay for this purpose or with an automatic thermostat (the latter are more expensive, but they are more convenient to use).

Price

Name of heating element for batteries Manufacturer Distinctive features Length, mm Power, W Price, rubles
RDT Thermowatt, Italy For cast iron batteries, flange thread 42 mm 390 1500 750
RDT P20M Two-mode heating element, for oil coolant 325 2000 810
RDT D1″ Р10ТП Designed for aluminum heating radiators, supplied with a thermostat 390 1000 1250
HGT 0.6 Heatpol, Poland Heater with the ability to change the temperature, switch type - mechanical 600 4300
HE 2.0 Electric heating element with automatic thermostat. Dual-mode, collapsible, with overheating protection 570 2000 5600
R15 Electro555 LLC, Russia Suitable for central heating, the heating element is securely fixed on a brass nut with a diameter of 60 mm 390 1500 570

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of heating elements for radiators include:

  1. Ease of installation and operation.
  2. Reliability and maintainability (especially compared to oil coolers).
  3. Heating automation and protection against emergencies, freezing of batteries and lines in the event of a sudden shutdown of the main heat source.

Like any electric heater, heating elements have disadvantages:

  • High power consumption.
  • Weak heating for the full circulation of the coolant inside the radiator.
  • The use of the device is not at full capacity (the temperature should not exceed 70 ° C, to protect against overheating, the heating element operates at ¾ of its limit).
  • Creation of an electromagnetic field.

When buying a heating element, they are guided by the following parameters:

  • Power.
  • Diameter and shape (matching with the hole and type of heating radiator is important).
  • Heating element length. It is recommended to buy a heating element no shorter than 6–10 cm of the battery width, otherwise the efficiency will decrease significantly.
  • Insulator dimensions.
  • Mounting options and security.
  • thread direction. Depends on the type of connection to the radiator.

When calculating the power of the heating element, the total volume of the circulating coolant, the initial and final temperature indicators (it must be able to maintain the value at 70 ° C), and the time for heating are taken into account. For the main heating of a room, 100 W per 1 m2 is required, for an additional one - from 30. The heat output of one fin of a cast-iron radiator rarely exceeds 140 W (aluminum - 180), as a result - for 10 sections it makes no sense to buy heating elements more than 1000: they will turn off from overheating. But even low-power heaters will senselessly consume excess electricity, so it is best to make a preliminary calculation and consult with specialists. For domestic needs, models from 0.3 to 1.5 kW are recommended, for industrial needs - from 2 to 6.

The products are produced mainly by Polish, Turkish or Ukrainian manufacturers, they are almost the same in quality. High price - main disadvantage heating elements, the most simple model without a thermostat for cast-iron radiators costs at least 400 rubles. At the same time, practice shows that such varieties are not suitable for long-term operation and over time you have to purchase a separate controller. If you plan to use the device for a long time, then it is better to immediately buy reliable heating elements with a thermostat, and with an automatic one. Good feedback have models with double control against overheating (with an additional external sensor) and with a shutdown timer.

Features of operation and scope

The heating element must be supplied with all the required parts and fasteners for safe connection to standard radiators with a mounting thread of 1 inch. It should be remembered that they are located exclusively horizontally and are included in the network only when the heating system is filled with coolant. This is a collapsible design, in the event of a breakdown, the heating element is easy to replace. To increase the service life, it is recommended:

  • Use a grounded socket.
  • Clean the surface of scale and deposits approximately once a quarter.
  • Avoid mechanical influences on the contact rods, this is a very vulnerable area.

In addition to being popular in private heating systems, heater-based radiators are well suited for heating garages and other outbuildings. In such cases, the presence of a thermostat provides an advantage and allows you to quickly raise the air temperature. There are no restrictions on the use of heating elements, any room with natural ventilation that meets the standards fire safety. No permits are required for installation.

Tubular electric heaters have found application in many heating appliances and are installed inside a housing filled with liquid. The simplest example of use is in a heated towel rail that is filled with water and does not communicate with plumbing system. Electric heating elements for heating radiators are used in a wide range of systems different levels and can serve as both main and auxiliary heat sources.

In the photo - electric heaters for radiators without a built-in temperature sensor

The main type of heating

Let's take a closer look:

  1. Used in small spaces with the intermittent stay of a person in them, for example:

Tip: with this use case, the heating element is installed in a radiator filled with low viscosity oil.

The refusal to use water in the heater is due to the possibility of its freezing at low temperatures. This heater is identical oil cooler and it does not need to be connected to a central or local heating system. Oil circulation occurs exclusively inside the heater.

  1. Another use case is for occasionally visited country houses or dachas. The device is created according to the same principle as in the first case, but more devices are installed.
  2. In regularly heated houses, buildings, offices and cottages with no centralized heating system. In this case, the main source of heat is also a heating device with a heating element installed inside.

Tip: if the room is constantly heated, instead of oil, you can pour water inside the device and use a heating element for a radiator with a thermostat.

Auxiliary heating of a private house

If there is a central heating system in the house that uses a single water circuit, tubular electric heaters can be used for auxiliary heating of the coolant.

Possible applications:

  1. With boilers using as the main fuel cell coal or firewood, heating elements can be used to heat the coolant. This is especially true in those moments when there is no possibility of servicing the boiler and filling it with fuel.

  1. In heaters running on liquid fuel or liquefied gas, heating the coolant with heating elements will not be more expensive. And in the case of installing a two-tariff meter for electricity, savings are also possible, the night tariff is usually much cheaper than the day one.

Auxiliary apartment heating

AT high-rise buildings, offices or various types of industrial and utility rooms with connected central heating, it is also possible to install heating elements in batteries. This method of heating is used if the district heating supply cannot provide desired parameters coolant in heating batteries.

But this type of installation of heating elements has several negative points:

  • it is not legally possible to use cast-iron radiators with a heating element connected to the central heating system, since obtaining such permission in service organization very difficult;

  • the high cost of work on the re-equipment of the heating system;
  • it is not economically feasible during operation, since the additionally heated coolant will leave and heat other apartments. If, however, the radiator is blocked from the flow of coolant from central system heating, heating bills will still have to be paid.

Characteristics of devices

Consider the positive and negative aspects of using heating elements:

pros
  1. Ease of do-it-yourself installation.
  2. Low price of a tubular electric heater.
  3. More reliable and maintainable than oil coolers.
  4. When installing a good thermostat, full automation of the heating system is possible.
Minuses
  1. Expensive operation due to the high cost of electricity.
  2. Compared to district heating, the heat transfer efficiency is low. on the high speed coolant that provides uniform heating of the radiator. When installing a heating element, it cannot create such a circulation of the coolant and at the installation site the temperature of the liquid will be much higher than in other places of the radiator.
  3. Not being used to full capacity. Since the battery temperature cannot exceed 70˚C due to safety reasons, the heating element will not work at full capacity.
  4. The high cost of a set of tubular and automation. Oil coolers do not need to be installed and are much cheaper.
  5. The creation of electromagnetic fields, as well as other types of powerful electrical appliances, can have Negative influence on the state of human health. This drawback is absent in the heating system where an electric boiler is installed. The electromagnetic field is present in this case only in the place where the main heating element is located.

Choice

When determining the required power, it is worth proceeding from considerations of the heat transfer of the radiator and the incomplete use of the power of the tubular electric heater. For example, battery sections made of cast iron "give" 140 watts, aluminum - 180 watts.

Thus, in the first case, a radiator of ten conventional sections will require a heating element power within 1 kW, in the second case, a heating element for an aluminum radiator should have a power of 1.4 kW.

  1. The length of the tubular electric heater directly affects the quality of circulation inside the radiator, therefore, in the optimal case, the length of the heating element should be only a few centimeters less than the battery.
  2. Structurally, heating elements differ in the material from which the plug is made and the shape of the outer part of the body. The standard plug has a diameter of 1 1/4″, and the thread type can be either right or left.

  1. manager tubular electric heater the automation system can be mounted inside the tube or located outside, the instruction in this embodiment for its installation is simple. In the latter case, the heating element is connected through a thermostat that controls the temperature in the room. In the case indoor installation, the sensor measures the temperature of the coolant, and the thermostat is installed in the outer part of the housing.

Conclusion

The use of heating elements is one of the ways to better heat the room when the main heating fails. When choosing a manufacturer, you should be careful only about products of the Chinese industry, although quite high-quality heaters can also be found among them.

The most famous world companies do not produce such products, so you should pay attention to products manufactured by Turkish, Ukrainian or Polish companies. The video in this article will provide an opportunity to find Additional information on the above topic.

simple transformation electrical energy into heat using a heating element built into the radiator, shows how to increase the heat transfer of a central heating battery by heating the coolant in it. It's pretty efficient and inexpensive way home heating with autonomous system which is becoming more popular with consumers every year.

What is ten and its pros and cons

Tenami are called electrical devices, which, when immersed in a container of liquid, heat it. These include heating elements for a heating battery, and a conventional water boiler. As a rule, these devices are installed in radiators, either as the main source of heat in houses with an independent heating system, or as additional remedy, which increases heat transfer and automates the entire process.

Usually, a heating element for a cast-iron radiator is installed if:

  • Need to switch to heating system.
  • The centralized heating system "does not draw out" and it is cold in the room, it is used as an additional source of heat.
  • Installing a heating element in a cast-iron battery as an emergency heater. It is able to save the heating circuit from freezing in the event of a shutdown of the heating network. It is enough to turn off the heating taps, and plug the electric heater into the outlet.

These devices have their own advantages and disadvantages. The first ones include:

  • Enough high efficiency work and economy. This is due to the fact that the transfer of electricity to thermal energy takes place almost without loss.
  • Ease of installation that any beginner can ride by following the instructions that come with each unit.
  • They serve flawlessly. long years provided they have been properly installed.
  • Heating elements for heating radiators are compact and practically invisible.
  • They are safe because they are equipped with control sensors.
  • The cost of the device is low, but the thermostat, which is not included in the kit, can cost a pretty penny, depending on its design.
  • Electric heaters for cast iron batteries are able not only to regulate the heating of the coolant, but also to save energy.

Among the disadvantages of the device:

  • High electricity consumption if the heating element in the heating radiator is used as the main and only source of heat.
  • These devices should not be used in homes with unstable power supplies.

If you use a heating element for a cast-iron battery with a thermostat in a house where they rarely live, then the anti-freeze mode will save the heating system from pipe rupture. He is able to support minimum temperature coolant, which does not take a lot of electricity, but at the same time does not allow it to freeze.

The device of the heating element and its principle of operation

The design of the electric heater is quite primitive. It is a metal cylinder, inside of which there is a spiral made of copper or steel strong wire in a special insulator. Since the heater is for heating radiators with a thermostat, it is used not only as a heating element, but also to set the temperature of the coolant.

The spiral cylinder is protected by a housing equipped with control sensors. Their task is to ensure that the device does not overheat. Additional reliability of the device is given by the galvanization process to which it is subjected. Chrome and nickel plating increase the strength of the heating element and create an additional protective barrier that protects people from contact with electricity.

In addition to heating functions and thermoregulation, modern electric heaters for cast iron batteries are equipped with additional "duties":

  • The “anti-freeze” mode is able to maintain a constant coolant temperature of + 10 ° C, which is enough for the water in the pipes not to freeze. Heating the liquid to the desired level, the heating element turns off and starts working again when it cools down.
  • If autonomous heating of a private house is equipped with cast-iron batteries with heating elements, then the "Turbo" mode is the best fit. With it, the device turns on at full power, which provides almost instantaneous heating of the system and heating of the air in the room. The subsequent operation of the heating element is to maintain the selected temperature of the coolant in the network, which ensures energy savings during heating.

Some consumers believe that technical oil is the best coolant for radiators with heating elements, as it heats up faster and cools down more slowly. This does not mean that it is not advisable to use it in a water heating system.

How to choose the right heating element for a cast iron radiator

In order for the ten to really become an effective assistant, you need to select it according to the following parameters:

  • First of all, you should focus on the power of the heating device. To select the heating element for a cast-iron battery in terms of power, it is necessary to calculate what it should be. If we focus on the indicators of SNiP, then 1 kW of power will be required to heat 10 m2, but this is not the only indicator that should be taken into account.
  • Of considerable importance is what metal it is made of and how the heating radiator works. There is a difference between heating elements for cast iron batteries and aluminum or bimetallic ones. For the former, heating elements of a different shape and with a large plug diameter are produced.

When buying a heater, you need to clarify what type of radiators it is suitable for.

  • To choose the right heating element in length, you need to focus on the number of sections in the radiator. As a rule, the optimal length of the device is 10 cm shorter than the battery. This will allow him to evenly and quickly heat the coolant in the device.
  • You can install a heating element in a heating battery with a thermostat if it will be used as an additional heat source. When its function is to heat a house or apartment, additional external electronics will be required to automate the heating process. This somewhat increases the cost of the device itself, but helps to save on energy resources during its operation.
  • The pressure in the central heating batteries should also be taken into account. If it tends to increase, then you should periodically bleed the air with a Mayevsky crane.

Important: in the matter of buying a high-quality heating element, one should approach not from the standpoint of price, country of origin and quality, but technical specifications specified in the data sheet. As a rule, inexpensive Chinese models immediately attract attention, but you should not be guided by cost when the heating element should become the main source of heat. In this case, you need a reliable and powerful device, and it cannot be cheap.

Power calculations

To choose the optimal heating element for a cast iron battery, you will have to make some calculations.

  • The power of the device is determined by the amount of heat that the room needs. So for heating 1 m2 it will take 100 W, which means that for a room of 20 m2 you need 2000 W. Since cast iron batteries are used as heaters, the required amount of heat must be divided by the thermal power of one section of the battery, for example, 180 W. It turns out that this room will require 11 cast iron sections. The length of the heating element and its power must correspond to the size and needs of the radiator.
  • Another parameter that should be calculated is the volume of coolant in the structure. This is important, as even a powerful device will not be effective if there is not enough liquid in the battery. Therefore, it is so important when buying a heating element to consider what type of batteries it is needed for. The volume of aluminum radiators is only 0.2 liters, while in a cast-iron battery it can be from 0.6 to 1.5 liters, depending on the model and manufacturer.

Approximately 1 kW of heating element power per 15 liters of coolant is taken. Based on this and taking into account the number of radiator sections, it is easy to determine how much power the device needs and how many of them should be in the heater.

Do-it-yourself steps and rules for installing a heating element in a battery

How to put a heating element in a cast-iron battery will not cause problems even for a beginner. The only thing you need is to follow the instructions and follow some safety rules:

  • First of all, you need to stop the water supply to cast iron radiator and drain it from the system.
  • The bottom plug is removed and the heating element is installed in the radiator instead.
  • After tightening the plug, the electronics are installed and water is re-introduced into the system to check the tightness of the structure.

Basic requirements for safety rules:

  • Heating elements should not be used if there is no high-quality ventilation in the room. Like any electrical appliances, they burn air, which must be taken into account, especially in small enclosed spaces.
  • There must be no flammable elements near the device connected to the network.
  • Before you install and connect the heating element to a cast-iron battery with your own hands, you need to make sure the quality of the wiring and its ability to withstand additional load.
  • In no case should you dry things or shoes on a battery with a heating element.

For the rest, this great way additional heating of the apartment in conditions of unstable heat supply. If home heating is required with cast-iron batteries with heating elements, then you need to make a very accurate calculations in terms of power and quantity. Often, it is better to put a heating element directly into the boiler in order to increase the heat transfer of the entire heating circuit.

Modern electric heaters are heating elements equipped with precise and sensitive electronics that help create the necessary microclimate in the room.