Each of us wants to install heating equipment that will work not only efficiently, but also economically. Are there economical gas boilers? Depends on what is meant by this. A list of models with minimal fuel consumption could be given, however, everything is relative, and many factors affect the cost of maintenance. We will analyze each of them.
The most economical heating boilers
How to reduce gas consumption in the heating system? First of all, you need to choose a device that is suitable specifically for your home. Why is that? Because only taking into account the area of the room, the material of the walls, the number of windows and other factors, it is possible to calculate the necessary power and productivity of the boiler. Only then the equipment will effectively give off heat without spending extra energy.
If you want to save on gas consumption, then connect only to the common highway. Using cylinders is very expensive. What criteria affect savings:
- Design features;
- Coefficient of performance (COP);
- Power equipment;
- Fuel quality;
- The optimal mode.
Let's go through each item in more detail.
Construction technology
Heating boilers come with one and two circuits. A single-circuit device is designed only for heating the room, and for hot water supply (DHW) you will have to additionally connect a boiler. But dual-circuit models already include everything you need for heating the house, and for hot water.
To calculate the savings, pay attention to the type of combustion chamber. An open chamber takes air from the room to maintain combustion and exhaust gases. Closed, forcibly, pushes air from the street. The removal of combustion products is carried out by a fan. This principle contributes to the complete combustion of the fuel, as well as the minimum emission of CO2.
Closed devices are connected to a coaxial chimney. Its pipe-in-pipe design retains more heat. Therefore, the air from the street is heated, which increases the efficiency of combustion.
The effect of efficiency
Today, the market offers convection and condensation boilers to the buyer. Which is more economical? It is believed to be condensing, since it uses the energy of condensate. When taking into account additional energy, a conventional unit has an efficiency of 92-94%, and a condensation one - 100-102%.
The standard job is to burn fuel and remove gases to the street that are hot. Combustion products contain impurities and moisture. Passing through the heat exchanger, gases reach 60 °. Because of this, sediment precipitates and accumulates in the tank. In the process, energy is released, which is used by the condensing device. It is believed that this can save up to 20% of fuel. But here there are pitfalls. Such units are installed in low-temperature systems with underfloor heating.
There are also a number of other nuances that we described in the article “What is a gas condensing boiler”.
What affects the efficiency of a convection boiler:
- Physical burnout. When instead of gas, air burns. Affects fuel quality;
- Chemical burnout. Depends on the amount of carbon monoxide in the combustion process;
- Poor insulation, wall insulation.
How to set up optimal performance:
- Clean the system at least once a year. Descale the heat exchanger, soot from the burner and pipes;
- Put a choke on the pipe to restrict airflow;
- Clean the soot from the parts of the combustion chamber, otherwise gas consumption will increase.
Equipment power
The power of wall and floor boilers is different. Hinged heat rooms up to 300 m². But the floor can heat huge areas. The optimum temperature of the coolant depends on the power. Why is this indicator important?
There is such a thing - boiler timing. This is the frequency of heating on and off depending on the temperature drop. Too powerful a device will not be able to work in optimal mode - the manufacturer takes this into account, indicating the efficiency of the model. The appliance will turn on frequently and the rest interval will be short.
Weak equipment, on the contrary, will quickly wear out, as its work will go to the limit. Before buying, pay attention to optimal power - this is 75% of the maximum performance.
How to economically configure the technique
We examined the main factors that affect the degree of fuel consumption. How to choose a boiler and use it in order not to overpay bills?
Power calculation
What factors are taken into account:
- The size of the room;
- Wall materials, the presence of insulation;
- The presence of additional heating radiators;
- Number of windows;
- Climatic zone.
It is best to entrust the calculation to a specialist. In the future, you can therefore save on operation.
Technical condition
Carry out a technical inspection and prevent breakdowns in a timely manner. Install a water filter to reduce salt buildup. When water is heated in the tubes of the heat exchanger, scale is deposited. It interferes with heat transfer, so that the device begins to spend more gas. Therefore, you should periodically clean the radiator from deposits.
Also remove dust and soot from elbows and parts.
Gas quality
You cannot influence this factor as well as the pressure drops in the line. But you can choose the technique with the maximum adaptation to Russian conditions. Then it will work stably even with pressure drops.
Optimal mode
What temperature to set? You yourself choose the temperature for the normal operation of the boiler. For example, you set the value to 55 degrees - which means that the unit will constantly work at this temperature. But the weather outside the window in winter changes: it becomes cooler, then warmer. It is clear that because of this, the temperature in the room becomes less comfortable. How to fix it and save money? We will reveal the trick: you need to install an automation system.
In new models, it is already built-in, and if yours is not, buying it is not a problem. This includes control sensors and an external thermostat. The latter measures the temperature in the house, thanks to which the mode is regulated. The equipment will adequately respond to temperature changes, spend less resources.
Another secret to saving: set a low temperature at night.
To all of the above, we add good insulation of walls and windows: this will give + 20% of energy resources to the piggy bank.
Brand and manufacturer
Remember, we wrote that the efficiency of technology is relative? This is true. But still, foreign models are more economical in terms of efficiency: Buderus, Baksi, Bosch. The documentation of Russian and foreign manufacturers may indicate the same percentage of efficiency. But we know that the same Germans approach assembly of equipment more carefully and scrupulously. On the other hand, do not forget that most foreign models are assembled in China or here in Russia.
Conclusion: the most economical boiler is correctly selected in terms of power, efficiency, and build quality. During operation, this is affected by care, the prevention of breakdowns, the established mode. We hope our article will help you make the right choice and “legally” reduce gas consumption.