In an effort to save on heating, many home “do-it-yourselfers” make various devices. A DIY boiler, which can often be seen in a private home, is one such useful device.
There are various varieties of it. If you have the skills to work with a welding machine and metal, you can save significantly on heating installations.
Varieties
Before directly manufacturing a boiler for heating a house, you need to decide on its configuration and type. Depending on the type of coolant heating, boilers are:
- Gas;
- Wood-burning;
- Coal;
- Electrical;
- Pyrolysis;
- Oily;
- Pellet
As for the configuration, it can be anything:
- Round;
- Rectangular;
- Trapezoidal;
- Conical
The need for boiler equipment in a heating furnace
To save fuel and use hot air, you can build a heat exchanger for the stove.
When fuel is burned in the stove, useful heat is directed into the air or flows out through the chimney. In some cases, a low-power heating unit is not enough to effectively warm up the coolant. Furnace boilers are justified for several reasons:
- complete heating of distant rooms - no need to connect additional electrical appliances;
- creating a thermal curtain - windows do not sweat, the house is not subject to rotting processes;
- improved circulation within the heating system - the temperature difference is maintained in different areas of the coolant;
- eliminating corrosion on metal parts of the furnace.
You can combine stove heating with radiator wiring in the house using a boiler built into the heating or hob.
How to make a boiler correctly
During the design process, it is necessary to take into account some design features and the principle of its operation. In particular, you need to decide on the purpose of the boiler and what type it will be. The easiest way is to make a solid fuel boiler with your own hands.
Much more difficult, almost impossible, is gas, since it is subject to increased safety requirements. You need to get permission to use it and check it. And - if all the characteristics of the device do not meet the required ones, then the relevant authorities will simply prohibit such a boiler from use.
The efficiency of the boiler is influenced by both the design (coolant capacity), the rate of fuel combustion, and the constant flow of fresh air (oxygen). It should be taken into account that the fuel burns completely and there is a possible outflow of gas, which carries a lot of heat, which must be prevented.
Advantages and disadvantages
Due to its large dimensions and complexity of the design, it is rational to use such a unit for heating a large cottage. But for a small dacha this option is not suitable, as it does not justify the cost-effectiveness.
pros
- high efficiency (about 95%);
- autonomy of the heating system;
- efficiency;
- reliability and durability;
- high efficiency;
- fuel availability;
- an environmentally friendly option for heating your home;
- versatility of fuel (coals, firewood, sawdust, pellets).
Read our material about which long-burning boilers are better.
Minuses
- cumbersome design;
- a special room must be equipped for the device;
- complexity of design and installation;
- the need for constant cleaning.
It is not necessary to buy a long-burning boiler ready-made, because its price is several times higher than conventional stoves. You can make such a design yourself if you have at least a little experience in construction and repair.
Appearance of a homemade structure
A homemade design, compared to a factory-made analogue, has a number of advantages:
- low cost;
- the ability to make the boiler universal for any type of fuel;
- possibility of improving the design and adding power.
The only difficulty is giving the boiler a cylindrical shape. It is very difficult to give metal such a shape without a rolling machine.
But there is a good solution. You can use empty propane tanks or any pipe of suitable diameter. You should choose pipes with a wall thickness of at least 5 mm.
For a village or a small dacha, you can build a small brick stove and enjoy its efficiency. But for a large cottage, this option will be less practical, as it will require a large supply of firewood for the winter. Caring for a conventional stove, compared to a long-burning boiler, is much more difficult, and large temperature changes in rooms remote from the stove do not allow organizing a comfortable microclimate in the house.
If you do not have enough money to create a full-fledged heating system for your home, or the construction of such a system itself is impractical, it would be much more reasonable in this situation to make a long-burning solid fuel boiler with your own hands and not worry about its safety and aesthetic appearance.
Some features
The boiler configuration, its characteristics, drawings will depend on many factors:
- Material. Regular steel (sheet) will do, but heat-resistant stainless steel or cast iron is best.
- Possibility of good processing of steel, reliable connection of structural parts. Usually, a grinder, a gas cutter and electric welding are used for this.
- Type and characteristics of fuel (liquid or solid). Steel must withstand high temperatures, not deform, and not melt under their influence. Withstand internal pressure of vapors and gases without ruptures or cracks.
- Correct calculation of the coolant circulation method. Will it be natural (due to correct manipulation of pipe diameters, their slope, tank height, etc.) or forced (using a pump in the circuit).
- Taking into account vapor pressure, using valves to discharge excess gases and condensate (installation of return lines).
It is important in the process of designing a boiler and including it in the heating circuit to carefully think through everything. What and how will work after assembly.
Making a heating boiler with your own hands is not that difficult. All problems usually begin later, when something is not taken into account or done clumsily.
Safety rules for operating furnaces with a water circuit
To ensure proper operation of the stove and boiler, it is recommended to follow important safety rules, as well as recommendations for caring for the equipment:
- Water heating devices must be operated under human supervision. This applies to adding fuel and regularly cleaning the chamber from soot and ash.
- Safe operation of the stove requires control of the smoke exhaust ducts. Before starting the fire, it is necessary to check the technical condition of the channels and the position of the valves. When starting a fire, the valves must be completely open.
- Such a system is recommended for use in winter, when it is necessary to provide rapid heating of rooms and hot water supply. Using a stove with a water circuit in the summer only for cooking and heating water is irrational. In this case, it is recommended to choose more economical heat sources.
- An open fire leads to excessive heating of the stove structure, which can be the main cause of heat exchanger failure.
- When using a homemade heating system, you can install a pumping unit to inject liquid and devices to control pressure levels.
Manufacturing instructions
When you have everything you need (material and tools), all that remains is to assemble the boiler in the following sequence:
- We take 2 barrels with different diameters, wall thickness of at least 4 mm;
- Use a grinder to cut out holes for the ash pan and water container;
- We install one cylinder of smaller diameter inside the other;
- We weld the lid over them, the ash pan, and the firebox;
- Close the door;
- We weld water pipes, a pipe for a check valve (pressure relief);
- We install a grate inside the oven;
- We make a hole for the chimney;
- Install the pipe;
- We check the tightness.
When there are no leaks in the boiler, it is connected to the heating system and water supply network.
If used oil or antifreeze is used as a coolant, they will be filled in manually. Connections to the water supply system and welding of pipes are not required for this.
After installing the boiler into the heating system with your own hands, you need to check that it is working correctly. A properly assembled device will heat the coolant (water or oil) during the combustion process. If he does this poorly, then you should check for air pockets in the heating network and reduce the vapor pressure by releasing them.
In any case, you need to understand the operating principle of this type of boiler so that there are no excesses or problems during its operation.
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What you need for work
When you have completed the calculation work, you can begin installing the structure. To do this, we will need the following tools and materials :
- steel pipes;
- a rod having a cross-section of 20 mm;
- profile pipes;
- centrifugal fan;
- bolts and nuts;
- steel sheet;
- fireclay brick.
Also, before work, select a place to fire the water structure for the stove, calculate the parameters of the heat exchanger and determine the most suitable method of water supply for your room.
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