Today, natural gas is the most affordable option for heating a private house, but what if, for example, the gas main is inaccessible to your area? Under such circumstances, it is worth considering in more detail the alternative heating of a private house without gas and electricity. You can choose electricity, but, you know, the arrangement of such heating will be very expensive.
Modern technologies provide many opportunities for the implementation of this plan. A private house for living has many advantages: fresh air, remoteness from city smog, its own garden, garden. The benefits of civilization, such as providing their homes with hot, cold water, reliable, high-quality equipped heating, are the main factors for owners of country, private houses. We strive to make our home a real family hearth, do not skimp on high-quality building materials, we do everything reliably, for a long time. At the same time, the desire to save money, rationally invest money is a true, reasonable desire, especially if it concerns such an important factor as autonomous heating of a private house.
Most alternative units for heating turn into heat (convert) energy from the combustion of fuel. Individual devices at the same time can combine the functions of two units, for example - titanium and a boiler (furnace with a water circuit). Other devices (for example, solid fuel boilers) can work, produce heat for more than a day on a one-time loading with firewood. There are really many options for units for alternative heating, so let's take a closer look at the most convenient, often used installations that provide heating for a private house without gas and electricity.
Furnaces for heating a house with a water circuit
As mentioned above, these devices combine the technical qualities of a boiler and titanium. They work under steam pressure, are made of cast iron or steel, and can be used as an additional or main source of heating. The heart of the furnace is a heat exchanger located inside the heater. By the principle of operation, this unit resembles a solid fuel boiler. Their differences - during operation, all walls, channels are heated by the furnace, and the boiler heats exclusively the coolant. It turns out that the furnace with a water circuit heats the pipes, radiators during the furnace, however, the heated parts of the furnace itself continue to give off heat until it finally cools.
The main structural detail of such a furnace is a register (heat exchanger). It is installed inside the firebox, heat passes through it, heating the whole house, it is the water heating system that is supplied to it. The configuration of the heat exchanger can be any, the main thing is that it freely performs its main function (evenly distributes heat, maintains the maximum temperature). The register can be made with your own hands, if you have the appropriate skills for this, “make friends” with the welding machine. Most often they are made to order, according to individual characteristics, dimensions of the furnace.
Advantages of furnaces with a water circuit:
- the possibility of heating large areas;
- reasonable cost of equipment;
- available fuel (coal, firewood, peat);
- no connection to the electric network is required, since the operation of the entire system is based on the natural circulation of the coolant.
Minuses:
- low efficiency (when compared with a gas boiler);
- lack of automation (exclusively manual control).
With the help of such an oven, you can heat the whole house, as well as connect a system of water floor heating. When purchasing this unit, pay attention to its power.
Alternative heating option - a furnace with a water circuit, photo:
Boilers for heating a private house
A wood-burning boiler for heating a private house with batteries continues to be popular, despite the many modern heating units on the market today. The main factor is the availability of fuel (firewood). The efficiency of modern wood-fired boilers reaches 90%, using such an aggregate is no more difficult than using a conventional wood-burning stove. It is noteworthy that the usual gas water heater, as well as the gas boiler, were created following the example of a wood boiler. The difference is the source of the flame, in the first case it is gas, in our case it is firewood.
The principle of operation of this device is simple - water is sent to the boiler, bypassing the heat exchanger, heats up and goes through the batteries. Pressure level, water intake is regulated by taps. You just have to periodically remove the contents of the ash pan, which is located under the stove.
Solid fuel boilers for heating a private house can work both on wood, so on coal, peat, briquettes, suitable household waste. The so-called disadvantage of such boilers is a short period of burning and, consequently, heat production from a single load of firewood or other material.
Alternative heating option - solid fuel boiler, photo:
As an alternative, you can consider another unit that differs from standard solid fuel boilers in the volume of the combustion chamber, the specific characteristics of fuel combustion. Long-burning wood-burning boilers for heating a house can operate on a single load of fuel material for a day or more. Some models when loading coal can work 4-5 days - only such type of boilers can provide such advantages to you. For units operating on wood, the model name ends with the letter S, while those working on coal and wood at the end have the letter U. The difference between such boilers is the material with which the combustion chamber is equipped. For coal-fired units, the chamber is made of heat-resistant metals that optimize the combustion process. The efficiency of such solid fuel devices is approximately 90%.
Alternative heating option - long-burning boiler, photo:
Heat pump for home heating
Today, this equipment is gaining popularity, despite the rather high price of the unit itself, its installation. Heat pumps for heating a house, the principle of which is based on receiving heat from the environment (air, soil, water), heating it, and then transferring it to the house, operate from the mains. This device does not quite fit the specifics of our topic, since we are considering alternative heating of a private house without gas and electricity, but thanks to its universal qualities, I decided to mention it.
This device can convert the surrounding energy into heat or cold (in summer it can work as an air conditioner to cool the air). As for heating, in this case the heat carrier enters the pipeline located, for example, underground, where it heats up to a certain temperature, after which it gives up the accumulated heat energy to the internal circuit. The compressor, the heart of the heat pump, is responsible for the main function. Freon located in the compressor is a kind of intermediary between the coolant, the condenser, the heating circuit.
Heating a country house, heat pump options, photo:
In order not to describe all the subtleties of thermodynamics, it is easier to generalize the principle of the heat pump - it works like a refrigerator, just the opposite. These units are environmentally friendly, economical, they can have various functions, classified by type.
Hydrogen generator for heating a private house
Another representative of alternative heating is a hydrogen generator for heating a private house. His work also requires electricity. This unit is a powerful, silent, environmentally friendly device with which you can heat rooms with a large area. The principle of its operation is based on the combustion of hydrogen, while the atmosphere is not polluted by harmful substances, and only steam is released, which is harmless to the environment.
The installation includes a boiler, pipes whose diameter decreases after each branch - this factor is necessary for the high-quality operation of a hydrogen burner. During the operation of the generator, a catalytic reaction occurs - hydrogen interacts with oxygen and “gives birth” to water. Thus, there is an emission of thermal energy, which is sent to the heat exchanger, while the efficiency of such heating is 96%. Heating a private house with a hydrogen generator can be done both independently and additionally, interacting with other heating systems.
Hydrogen generator, photo:
Solar collectors - alternative heating option
The advent of new technologies motivates us to keep up with the times. People have learned to benefit from the environment, to use it to improve the quality of life. To date, one of the most successful developments in the field of heating systems can be considered solar collectors for heating a house. These devices are able to provide you with heat at any time you desire. The sun's rays are one of the most affordable sources of heat, and with the help of collectors they can be converted into thermal energy, necessary for our needs.
During such a conversion, two types of energy can be obtained - electrical and thermal. With the help of solar collectors, you can heat water, heat a house, equip a floor heating system. Photovoltaic modules (another name for solar panels) have a slightly different principle of operation - they are aimed at generating electricity. In the summer, with the help of solar collectors, you can provide your home with hot water, and with the onset of autumn and spring - heat. It is worth considering that in winter the devices are ineffective, since the sun is no longer shining so intensely.
How to make heating in a private house with the help of solar collectors? These units have a long service life (more than 15 years), they must be installed on the south side of the roof, and its area should be at least 40 square meters. At the same time, the rafter system of the house must be reliable, durable, since the collectors have significant weight. It is best to consider this heating at the design stage of the home - the multiple nuances of the installation require special attention. Naturally, you need to carefully calculate the number of devices themselves, their power.
Solar collectors, photo:
The standard unit includes a vacuum manifold, a controller, a pump for supplying coolant to the collector storage tank, volumetric water tanks, a heat pump, and an electric heating element. Solar collectors for heating a house are expensive, require substantial material investment at the initial stage. The payback of such a system is 7-10 years. It must be borne in mind that the sun's rays do not appear at our request, which means that these units can not be the only source of heat for the house. Along with their installation, the arrangement of another heating system will be required.
Summing up, I want to say that alternative options for heating a home can allow any owner to provide their cottage or private house with heat, create comfortable living conditions. Even despite significant monetary costs during the initial installation phase, the above units are a more profitable alternative to traditional gas heating. We should not forget about the level of safety - accident statistics due to the use of gas heating speaks for itself. Individual devices can be a complete replacement for the gas version, and some will well complement the existing heating systems.
Alternative heating of a private house without gas and electricity today is a reality, but do not forget about increasing the overall energy efficiency of the house (minimizing heat loss, eliminating all heat leaks).