Thermostat for radiator heating in the systems of various houses

Thermostat for radiator heating in systems of various houses

In some houses, even in severe frosts, you can see open windows. “To heat the street” in times of widespread installation of meters is an unjustified luxury. To maintain a favorable temperature in the room, use a thermostat for the radiator. With this mechanism, you can achieve a comfortable environment in the house, simultaneously saving a considerable amount on heating.

The thermostat allows you to maintain an optimal temperature in the room

The principle of operation of the thermostat

There are two methods of regulating indoor microclimate — qualitative and quantitative. In the first case, the water temperature in the system itself changes. This is done with the help of a mixing unit installed in the boiler room. The quantitative method implies control over the flow of coolant into the battery. This is the main function of the thermostat for the radiator.

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When the ambient temperature rises in the electronic device, a special thermoelement is triggered, partially blocking the lumen of the crane. The supply of hot water decreases and the battery cools down. When the air temperature decreases, the process starts in reverse order. All operations are performed without human intervention.

Useful advice! It is better to install thermoregulators in private homes on panel-type batteries with a small capacity.

The principle of operation of the thermostat

Types of shut-off and control valves

The installation of regulating devices in front of radiators provides not only temperature control, but also the solution of emergency safety issues. If the battery is leaking, requires replacement or repair, it can be disconnected from the system with one turn of the tap.

The control of the coolant flow is performed using the following elements:

Ball valve

It is suitable only for disconnecting the battery, since it operates in two modes — “open” and “closed”. As a thermostat for a heating radiator, it is ineffective. The shutter must not be kept half-open. The reason is that the ball element of the crane, standing in an intermediate position, gradually becomes unusable. It is damaged by solid particles circulating through the pipes together with the coolant. They inevitably leave scratches on the polished ball, as a result of which the tightness of the lock is lost.

Installation diagram of a radiator with a thermostat

Cone valve

In general, a fairly functional and low-cost solution. It is possible to regulate the water supply, but all operations have to be done manually. There is no marking on the locking device. It is necessary to experimentally select the position of the valve in order to reduce or increase the temperature of the radiator. Constant manipulation of the crane also does not pass without a trace for him — most often the protective cap of the device breaks.

Cone valve — cross-sectional view

Automatic thermostat for radiator heating

This is the best option for modern housing. The mechanism of the device consists of two parts — a sensitive heat head and a valve. They interact with each other without the participation of any energy. The thermal head (bellows) is a hollow corrugated cylinder filled with gas or liquid.

If the air temperature in the room has increased, then the liquid in the cylinder expands, and the bellows increases. This drives the stem that closes the valve. The flow of coolant into the battery is partially blocked, which allows you to adjust the air temperature downward. If it gets cool, the volume of the working medium in the head decreases. The stem falls into place, the valve opens the passage to the coolant. The battery is heating up.

Automatic thermostat for radiator heating

Heat heads have a large margin of safety. They can withstand about a million cycles of expansion and compression. The device will not produce such a resource in 100 years.

Useful advice! First of all, thermoregulators are installed in rooms with unstable temperature (in the kitchen or in rooms with windows on the sunny side). In private cottages, the devices are mounted on the radiators of the upper floors, where warm air rises. Due to this, the temperature regime throughout the house is leveled.

Electronic temperature controller for batteries

Technical features of automatic thermostats

The principle of operation of thermoregulators for radiators is the same, but there are a number of design differences.

By management method

Thermostats with manual adjustment. Such devices have a valve head, on which divisions from 0 to 5 are applied. By turning the flywheel of the crane, we increase or decrease the flow hole for the coolant.

Zero indicates a completely blocked battery, the remaining digits are an adjustable temperature range from 14 to 24 degrees.

The structure of the thermostat for the heating radiator

Electronic device. Powered by batteries or battery pack. This is the most massive and expensive device of all, but its capabilities are also expanded. The thermostat is equipped with a temperature sensor, remote or built-in. When the external conditions change, the sensor sends a signal to the microprocessor, and the thermostat is triggered.

The cost of the device quickly pays off by saving heat energy. The device can be programmed to change the temperature during the day, as well as on days of the week. For example, from 9 to 17 o’clock, set the temperature to 10-15 degrees, and later raise it to a comfortable 22 degrees.

Example of connecting a thermostat to a cast-iron heating battery

According to the composition of the working environment

The bellows may contain liquid or gas. A gas thermostat for a heating radiator responds faster to an increase or decrease in temperatures. But liquid relays respond better to bellows pressure. In addition, they are easier to manufacture, so they are available in an expanded range.

Regulators in single-pipe and double-pipe heating systems

In houses with an old single-tube system, the batteries are connected in series. This means that the thermostat, by suspending the supply of coolant to one radiator, actually stops the circulation of hot water throughout the system. Replacement of old batteries with modern convectors should be accompanied by the installation of a bypass pipe connecting the inlet and outlet channels of the pipeline.

For such a system, thermoregulators with a large internal diameter with low resistance are chosen. If this moment is not taken into account, then the entire coolant will go through the bypass, and the batteries will remain cold.

Examples of installation of thermoregulators in a single-pipe and two-pipe heating system

In a two-pipe system, the radiators are connected in parallel. Disconnecting one battery will not affect the operation of the others in any way. A bypass is not needed here, and for effective temperature control, a thermostat with high hydraulic resistance can be mounted.

Useful advice! Regulators on aluminum, bimetallic and steel radiators with low thermal inertia work much more efficiently.

Connecting the automatic thermostat to the battery with your own hands

Rules for installing the thermostat

Any shut-off and control valves are mounted taking into account the direction of movement of the coolant. There is an arrow on the device, the course of which should coincide with the direction of the hot water flow. Mount the regulator only in this position.

The device must be positioned horizontally, parallel to the floor. If the crane is standing vertically, the thermal head will be in the flow of warm air from the pipe. As a result, the device will not be able to accurately respond to temperature changes. With the valve constantly half-open, the temperature in the room will be lower than the set one.

Diagram of the correct installation of the thermostat

Do not cover the thermostat with decorative panels and heavy curtains. If it is still necessary, it is better to purchase a regulator with a remote sensor, which is installed at a distance from the valve.

In conclusion. The efficiency of heating devices equipped with thermoregulators increases many times. Installing thermostats allows you to save on paying bills, simplifies the repair of the system and creates a favorable microenvironment in the house.

Thermostat for radiator heating (video)