What tenants need to know about heating in an apartment building. Thermal node

Most often, for many years, using such a blessing as a modern centralized heating system, we are absolutely not interested in how it works and how it works. More precisely, we are not interested in this as long as her work suits us. But imagine the situation - almost all the residents of your house are not satisfied with the heating system, and everyone is ready to connect separate autonomous systems. In this case, the question arises - how did everything work before, and whether the apartments can be heated independently of each other. Of course, in this case, it will be necessary to calculate the heating in apartment building, drafting - all this is done by special services.

In fact, during the construction of any house, regardless of the number of floors in the past few years (or even decades), the same enough simple circuit building heating. That is, both in a three-story and in a twelve-story house, the same schemes for creating heating system. Of course, there may be minor differences that the design of the heating system implies. apartment building, but in most cases - the identity is complete.

What is the scheme of the heating system of a multi-storey building?

At a certain stage of construction, a special thermal track. A certain number of thermal valves are mounted on it, from which the process of powering the heating units takes place in the future. The number of valves (and nodes, respectively) directly depends on the number of floors (risers) and apartments in the house. The next element after the introductory valve is a sump. It is not uncommon for two of these system elements to be installed at once. If the project of the house provides for a Khrushchev heating scheme open type, this requires the installation of a valve on the hot water supply after the sump, which is necessary for the emergency removal of the coolant from the system. These valves are installed by means of a tie-in. There are two mounting options - on the coolant supply pipe, or on the return pipe.

Some complexity and abundance of elements of the central heating system are caused by the fact that it uses highly heated water as a coolant. In fact, only the increased pressure in the pipes of the system through which it moves prevents the liquid from turning into steam.

If the supplied water has a very high temperature, it becomes necessary to use hot water from the waste. This is due to the fact that in the areas that produce the outflow of the spent coolant, the pressure is much lower than in the supply ones. After the temperature of the coolant drops to a normal level, the liquid again enters the system from the supply.

It should be noted that most often the heating unit is made in a small closed room, which can only be entered by representatives of the utility company serving this heating system. This is due to safety requirements and is applicable in almost all modern high-rise buildings.

Of course, the question involuntarily arises - if the temperature of the coolant in the system often reaches a critical point, then why are the batteries in apartments, basically, a little warm? In fact, everything is pretty banal.

Only the scheme of the system provides a certain amount of elements that will protect the system at elevated coolant temperatures.

However, quite often utility companies simply save fuel by heating the coolant to a level that is extremely far from what is actually required. In addition, very often during the installation of the system, due to the negligence of workers, gross errors are made, which later cause severe heat loss.

Of course, few people have heard the term "elevator node" before. It can be safely called an injector, which includes a nine-story heating circuit panel house or houses with fewer floors. After all, it is into it through a special nozzle that the coolant heated almost to the limit enters. Here, the return water is injected, after which the liquid begins to actively circulate in the heating system. As a matter of fact, after the coolant and the return have entered the system through the elevator assembly, they get the temperature that we feel when we touch the battery.

Often, depending on the plan, which implies an apartment building heating project, valves can be installed on the heating unit various types. In many ways, their appearance depends on how many rooms should be heated, whether this unit is involved in heating one riser (entrance) or the entire house. In addition, sometimes, in addition to valves, an additional manifold is installed, on which, in turn, locking elements are fixed. Often separate plot the introductory system is used to install meters. Most often, one metering device is used for one entrance.

The principle of building a heating system

Speaking about the principle of operation of the heating circuit multi-storey buildings, a few words should be said about its construction. It's actually quite simple. Most modern houses single pipe is used centralized scheme heating five storey building or houses with fewer/more floors. That is, the heating scheme of a 5-storey building is a single (for one entrance) riser, in which the coolant can be supplied both from below and from above.

In this case, there are two options for the location of the supply element - in the attic or in the basement. Return pipes are always laid in basement.

In accordance with the location of the supply element, two types of coolant orientation are also distinguished. So, provided that the supply pipes are located in the basement, it goes oncoming traffic coolant. And if the supply element is in the attic, then it is a passing direction.

Many are interested in how the radiator area is determined for a particular room. In fact, everything is quite simple - it is only necessary to take into account the cooling rate of the coolant (water) used.

Most of us mistakenly believe that the higher the house, the more complicated and confusing the heating scheme of a multi-storey building is. But this is a wrong opinion. In fact, in general, the number of apartments that need to be heated affects the calculation of heating in an apartment building.

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On the territory of Russia, the central heating system of an apartment building is usually used, the coolant in which comes from a city boiler house or a CHP. At the same time, water circuits are equipped according to different schemes because they come in single or double sided. Usually, heat consumers are of little interest in such nuances, but if it is necessary to repair an apartment and change old batteries for new modern heating radiators, it is advisable for owners of residential real estate to understand such subtleties.

Individual heating in residential buildings

In addition to the central one, one can meet heating system apartments in an apartment building, usually such heat supply is rare and in last years installed in new buildings. Also, local heating systems are used in the private residential sector. When the boiler room is usually located either in the building itself in a separate room or close to the house, since it is required to regulate.

In addition, dependent heating systems are used in apartment buildings. In this case, the coolant is transported to apartment batteries without additional distribution directly from the CHP. At the same time, the temperature of the water is independent of whether it is supplied through a distribution point or directly to consumers.

Types of heating systems in an apartment building are open or closed (in more detail: "").

In the latter version, the heat carrier from the CHP or central boiler house, after entering the distribution point, is supplied separately to heating radiators and hot water supply. AT open systems such a separation is not provided for by the design and heated water for the needs of residents is supplied from the main pipe, so consumers outside the heating season are left without hot water supply, which causes a lot of complaints about utilities. See also: "".

Single pipe heating system

Single-pipe heat supply of an apartment building has a lot of disadvantages, the main among which are significant heat losses during transportation hot water. In this circuit, the coolant is supplied from the bottom up, after which it enters the batteries, gives off heat and returns back to the same pipe. To end consumers living in upper floors, before hot water comes in a barely warm state.

There are cases when a single-pipe system is further simplified, trying to increase the temperature of the coolant in the radiators. To do this, the battery is cut directly into the pipe. As a result, it seems that the radiator is its continuation. But from such a connection more heat only the first users of the system receive, and the water reaches the last consumers almost cold (read also: ""). In addition, the single-pipe heat supply of an apartment building makes it impossible to adjust the radiators - after reducing the coolant supply in a separate battery, the water flow along the entire length of the pipe also decreases.

Another disadvantage of such heat supply is the impossibility of replacing the radiator in heating season without draining water from the entire system. In such cases, it is necessary to install jumpers, which makes it possible to turn off the battery and direct the coolant through them.

It does not matter how the battery is connected - to a riser or sunbed pipe, the coolant has a constant temperature throughout its transportation through the supply pipes.

One of the important advantages of two-pipe water circuits is the adjustment of the heating system of an apartment building at the level of each individual battery by installing thermostatic taps on it (read also: ""). As a result, the apartment provides automatic maintenance of the desired temperature regime. In a two-pipe circuit, it is possible to use heating radiators with both bottom and side connections. You can also use different movement of the coolant - dead-end and passing.

Hot water supply in heating systems

DHW in multi-storey buildings is usually centralized, while the water is heated in boiler rooms. Hot water supply is connected from heating circuits, both from single-pipe and from two-pipe. The temperature at the faucet hot water in the morning it is warm or cold, depending on the amount main pipes. If there is a single-pipe heat supply for an apartment building with a height of 5 floors, then when you open a hot tap, it will first go out of it for half a minute cold water.

The reason lies in the fact that at night rarely any of the residents turn on the tap with hot water, and the coolant in the pipes cools down. As a result, there is an overspending of unnecessary cooled water, since it is drained directly into the sewer.

Unlike single pipe system in the two-pipe version, the circulation of hot water occurs continuously, so the above problem with hot water does not occur there. True, in some houses, a riser with pipes - heated towel rails, which are hot even in the summer heat, is looped through the hot water supply system.

Many consumers are interested in the problem with hot water after the heating season has ended. Sometimes hot water runs out long time. The fact is that utilities are required to comply with the rules of heating apartment buildings, according to which it is necessary to carry out post-heating tests of heat supply systems (read also: ""). Such work is not carried out quickly, especially if damage is found that needs to be repaired.

Features of heat supply in an apartment building, details on the video:

Radiators for heating systems of high-rise buildings

Habitual for many residents of multi-storey buildings are cast iron radiators that have been in use for decades. If necessary, replace this heating battery it is dismantled and a similar one is installed, which is required by the heating system in an apartment building. Such radiators for centralized heating systems are considered best solution, because they can withstand enough high pressure. In the passport for the cast-iron battery, two numbers are indicated: the first of them indicates the working pressure, and the second indicates the test (pressure) load. Usually these values ​​​​are 6/15 or 8/15.

The higher the residential building, the greater the value of the working pressure. In nine-story buildings, it reaches 6 atmospheres, so cast-iron radiators are suitable for them. But when it is a 22-story building, then for working functioning centralized systems heating will require 15 atmospheres. In this case, steel or bimetallic heaters are needed.

Experts do not recommend using aluminum radiators for centralized heating - they are not able to withstand the operating state of the water circuit. Professionals also advise property owners when conducting overhaul in apartments, in case of replacing batteries, change the pipes for distributing heat carriers by ½ or ¾ inches. Usually they are in poor condition and it is desirable to install ecoplast products instead.

For some types of radiators (steel and bimetallic), the watercourses are narrower than those cast iron products, so they get clogged and subsequently lose power. Therefore, at the place where the coolant is supplied to the battery, a filter should be installed, which is usually mounted in front of the water meter.

Every building, whether private house or high-rise apartment, is equipped with several life support systems. One of them is the heating system. Residents of multi-storey buildings may be surprised, but in their basement there is a special place, which is called a heat unit or heat metering point. In this article, we will talk about it in more detail.

You will learn what a thermal energy metering unit is, why it is needed, how it functions, and who can service it.

We open the veil - what is UUTE

For those who hear this term for the first time, we will explain its meaning. UUTE is not just a device, but a set of equipment. The installation of each of them is necessary in order to provide basic accounting and regulation of energy, adjusting the volume of coolant inside. The system registers and performs control parameters. Installation of such equipment is carried out on heating pipes in the basement of a multi-storey building.

Here are the main pieces of equipment:

1. Calculator.
2. Stop valve.
3. Pressure and temperature indication sensors in the system.
4. Pressure, flow and temperature transducers.

Why is such a system needed? All these were technological data, to put it simply, a thermal metering unit is installed at the pipe entry into the house. Its main task is to change the parameters of the internal coolant. What does it mean? Before the coolant enters your heating device (convector or radiator), the heat unit begins to reduce its pressure and temperature. Have you noticed that the heating pipes in the house are always the same temperature, you will not be able to burn yourself about them. This is even useful not only for you, but for the entire heating system. Nowadays, a metal pipeline is being replaced with polypropylene or metal-plastic. They don't like elevated temperature and high pressure.

Here are some regulated modes of operation of the heat energy metering unit:

• 110/70;
• 130/70;
• 150/17.

What do these numbers mean? They indicate the maximum and minimum allowable temperature indicators of the coolant in the pipes. Each node is equipped with a heat meter.

Types of schemes for installing thermal units

It becomes clear that the heating unit in an apartment building is located in the basement, where the heat supply to each apartment begins. Scheme thermal node indicated in this photo.

As you can see from the picture, this elevator scheme. It can be called the simplest and not expensive. But, the disadvantage of this system is that it is impossible to adjust the temperature in the pipes. In this regard, there are some inconveniences for end users. Thermal energy overused during a thaw during the heating season. The main thing to do with such a scheme is the elevator. A pressure reducer can be installed in front of it. And the elevator itself serves to mix the cooled coolant with the hot one. At its output, a vacuum is created, which serves as the basis for the work. Due to this rarefaction, the coolant is under less pressure in the elevator, which is why mixing occurs.

But, there is another scheme for installing the system. It works on the basis of a heat exchanger. You can see her in this photo.

Due to the fact that the heating point is connected through this same heat exchanger, the coolant inside the house and the coolant from the heating main are separated. And due to this division, it is possible to carry out its preparation. For this purpose, additives and filtration are used. It is this scheme that opens the big doors for regulating the temperature and pressure of the coolant in the pipes. Why is it important? The fact is that a scheme based on a heat exchanger allows you to reduce heating costs.

If we talk about mixing the coolant, then for such a system it is performed by thermostatic valves. A feature of the use is that residents can afford to use aluminum radiators. Only here there is a small nuance - with poor-quality coolant inside the system, the service life of radiators is reduced. Naturally, you will not be able to control the quality of the coolant inside. That is why it is better not to take risks and be content with bimetallic or cast-iron radiators.

Note! At DHW connection through a heat exchanger, it becomes possible to control the pressure inside and the temperature of the water. I would like to note that some managers who like to cash in on conscientious payers can deceive the residents of the house. How? Lowering the water temperature by only a few degrees. As a result, it turns out that consumers do not notice this difference, however, taking into account the entire house, we can conclude that managers will be able to earn several tens of thousands of rubles in just one month.

Maintenance of an energy metering unit

Can any tenant of a multi-storey building carry out maintenance of heat energy metering stations? No. If we talk about the installation or maintenance of the energy metering system, then all this is done by specially trained personnel who have been instructed and allowed to perform these works. The thing is that such a place is a room of increased danger. Not only can you harm the equipment by paying several tens of thousands, but you yourself will suffer.

That is why you should not go inside and, out of curiosity, "make" everything in your own way. Don't risk your health. If there are any problems, it is better to immediately report to the appropriate authorities. And to learn more about the heat metering system, you can watch this video.

Conclusion

From this article, you could learn more about what a heat unit and a heat metering system are. As you can see, this is a must-have item for high-rise buildings. Thanks to the control of the temperature of the coolant inside, you can adjust it to optimal indicator. This will save money on heating and extend the life of your heaters. In addition, I would like to say that it is possible to install such nodes for a private house, if it is connected to centralized heating. Although the system will cost you a pretty penny, but you will be able to provide maximum level comfort in the future.

Greetings to everyone who reads my blog! Today I want to offer you another article that is devoted to heating. In this article, I will tell you about a strange place in the basement of your house, which is called a heating point (or heat node). The article is intended to give you general idea about what a thermal unit is, how it works and why it is needed. Let's start with the most fundamental of these questions.

Why do you need a thermal unit?

The heating point is located at the entrance of the heating main to the house. Its main purpose is to change the parameters of the coolant. To put it more clearly, the thermal unit reduces the temperature and pressure of the coolant before it enters your radiator or convector. This is necessary not only so that you do not get burned from touching the heating device, but also to extend the life of all equipment of the heating system. This is especially important if the heating inside the house is diluted with polypropylene or metal-plastic pipes. There are regulated modes of operation of thermal units:

• 150/70
• 130/70
• 110/70

These figures show the maximum and minimum temperature coolant in the heating main.

Also, according to modern requirements, a heat meter must be installed at each thermal unit. Now let's move on to the device of thermal units.

How is the thermal unit arranged?

Generally, technical device everyone heating point designed separately depending on the specific requirements of the customer. There are several basic schemes for the execution of heat points. Let's look at them in turn.

Thermal unit based on the elevator.

Scheme of a heat point based on elevator node is the simplest and cheapest. Its main drawback is the inability to regulate the temperature of the coolant in the pipes. This causes inconvenience for the end user and a large overconsumption of thermal energy in case of thaws during the heating season. Let's look at the figure below and understand how this circuit works:

In addition to what is mentioned above, a pressure reduction reducer can be included in the thermal unit. It is installed at the feed in front of the elevator. The elevator is the main part of this scheme, in which the cooled coolant from the "return" is mixed with the hot coolant from the "supply". The principle of operation of the elevator is based on the creation of a vacuum at its outlet. As a result of this rarefaction, the coolant pressure in the elevator is less than the coolant pressure in the "return" and mixing occurs.

Thermal unit based on a heat exchanger.

A heat point connected through a special heat exchanger allows you to separate the heat carrier from the heating main from the heat carrier inside the house. Separation of heat carriers allows its preparation with the help of special additives and filtration. With this scheme, there are ample opportunities in regulating the pressure and temperature of the coolant inside the house. This reduces heating costs. In order to have a visual representation of this design, look at the figure below.

The mixing of the coolant in such systems is done using thermostatic valves. In such heating systems, in principle, it is possible to use aluminum heating radiators, but for a long time they will last only if good quality coolant. If the PH of the coolant goes beyond the limits approved by the manufacturer, then the service life of aluminum radiators can be greatly reduced. You cannot control the quality of the coolant, so it is better to play it safe and install bimetallic or cast iron radiators.

Domestic hot water can be connected in this way via a heat exchanger. This offers the same benefits in terms of hot water temperature and pressure control. It is worth saying that unscrupulous management companies can deceive consumers by lowering the temperature of hot water by a couple of degrees. For the consumer, this is almost not noticeable, but on the scale of the house it allows you to save tens of thousands of rubles a month.

The results of the article.

Residents of city apartments are usually not interested in how the heating works in their house. The need for such knowledge may arise when the owners wish to increase comfort in the house or improve the aesthetic appearance of engineering equipment. For those who are going to start repairs, we will briefly talk about the heating systems of an apartment building.

Types of heating systems for apartment buildings

Depending on the structure, characteristics of the coolant and piping layouts, the heating of an apartment building is divided into the following types:

According to the location of the heat source

• apartment system heating, in which the gas boiler is installed in the kitchen or a separate room. Some inconveniences and investments in equipment are more than offset by the ability to turn on and regulate heating at your discretion, as well as low operating costs due to the absence of losses in heating mains. If you have your own boiler, there are practically no restrictions on the reconstruction of the system. If, for example, the owners wish to replace the batteries with warm water floors, there are no technical obstacles to this.
• Individual heating, in which its own boiler room serves one house or residential complex. Such solutions are found both in the old housing stock (stokers) and in new elite housing, where the community of residents decides for themselves when to start the heating season.
• Central heating in an apartment building, it is most common in standard housing.

The device of central heating of an apartment building, heat transfer from the CHP is carried out through a local heat point.

According to the characteristics of the coolant

• Water heating water is used as the heat carrier. In modern housing with apartment or individual heating there are economical low-temperature (low-potential) systems where the coolant temperature does not exceed 65 ºС. But in most cases and in all typical houses the coolant has a design temperature in the range of 85-105 ºС.
• Steam heating apartments in an apartment building (water vapor circulates in the system) has a number of significant shortcomings, has not been used in new houses for a long time, the old housing stock is being transferred to water systems everywhere.

According to the wiring diagram

The main heating schemes in apartment buildings:

• Single-pipe - both the supply and return selection of the coolant to the heating devices is carried out along one line. Such a system is found in "Stalinka" and "Khrushchev". It has a serious drawback: the radiators are arranged in series and, due to the cooling of the coolant in them, the heating temperature of the batteries drops as they move away from the heat point. In order to maintain heat transfer, the number of sections increases in the direction of the coolant. In a pure one-pipe circuit, it is impossible to install control devices. It is not recommended to change the pipe configuration, install radiators of a different type and dimensions, otherwise the system may be seriously impaired.
• "Leningradka" is an improved version of a single-pipe system, which, thanks to the connection of thermal devices through a bypass, reduces their mutual influence. You can install regulating (non-automatic) devices on radiators, replace the radiator with a different type, but of a similar capacity and power.

• The two-pipe heating scheme of an apartment building has become widely used in Brezhnevka, and is still popular to this day. The supply and return lines are separated in it, so the coolant at the entrances to all apartments and radiators has almost the same temperature, replacing radiators with a different type and even volume does not significantly affect the operation of other devices. Batteries can be equipped with control devices, including automatic ones.

On the left - an improved version of the one-pipe scheme (analogous to the "Leningrad"), on the right - a two-pipe version. The latter provides more comfortable conditions, accurate regulation and gives more opportunities for replacing the radiator

• The beam scheme is used in modern non-standard housing. The devices are connected in parallel, their mutual influence is minimal. Wiring, as a rule, is carried out in the floor, which allows you to free the walls from pipes. When installing control devices, including automatic ones, accurate dosing of the amount of heat in the premises is ensured. Technically, both partial and complete replacement of the heating system in an apartment building with a beam scheme within the apartment with a significant change in its configuration is possible.

With a beam scheme, the supply and return lines enter the apartment, and the wiring is carried out in parallel by separate circuits through the collector. Pipes are usually placed in the floor, radiators are connected neatly and discreetly from below

Replacement, transfer and selection of radiators in an apartment building

Let us make a reservation that any changes in apartment heating in an apartment building must be coordinated with executive bodies and operating organizations.

We have already mentioned that the fundamental possibility of replacing and transferring radiators is due to the scheme. How to choose the right radiator for an apartment building? Consider the following:

• First of all, the radiator must withstand pressure, which is higher in an apartment building than in a private one. How more quantity floors, the higher it can be test pressure, it can reach 10 atm, and in high-rise buildings even 15 atm. Exact value can be obtained from the local operating authority. Not all radiators sold on the market have the corresponding characteristics. A significant part of aluminum and many steel radiators not suitable for apartment buildings.
• Is it possible and how much to change thermal power radiator, depends on the applied scheme. But in any case, the heat transfer of the device must be calculated. For one typical section of a cast-iron battery, the heat transfer is 0.16 kW at a coolant temperature of 85 ºС. Multiplying the number of sections by this value, we get the thermal power of the existing battery. Characteristics of the new heater can be found in its technical data sheet. Panel radiators are not assembled from sections, they have fixed dimensions and power.

The average heat transfer data of various types of radiators may vary depending on specific model

• The material also matters. Central heating in an apartment building is often characterized by poor quality coolant. The least sensitive to pollution traditional cast iron batteries, aluminum reacts worst of all to an aggressive environment. Bimetallic radiators showed themselves well.

Installing a heat meter

A heat meter can be installed without problems with a beam wiring diagram in an apartment. As a rule, in modern houses already have metering devices. With regard to the existing housing stock with typical systems heating, this possibility is by no means always available. This depends on the specific scheme and configuration of pipelines, advice can be obtained from the local operating organization.

An apartment heat meter can be installed with a beam and two-pipe wiring diagram, if a separate branch goes to the apartment

If it is not possible to install a metering device for the entire apartment, you can place compact heat meters on each radiator.

An alternative to an apartment meter is heat meters placed directly on each of the radiators

Note that the installation of metering devices, the replacement of radiators, and other changes to the heating device in an apartment building require prior approval and must be carried out by specialists representing an organization that has a license to carry out the relevant work.

Video: how heating is supplied in an apartment building