Gas heating with a gas holder - is it worth it? An overview of all the nuances, advantages and disadvantages of such a solution

Almost everywhere, natural gas is the cheapest energy source for heating a home. And if it is not possible to bring a pipe to the cottage, gas workers offer an option in the form of LPG. At first glance, gas heating with a gas holder looks like a good alternative, doesn’t it? Autonomous gasification guarantees independence and does not require approvals and lengthy obtaining specifications. However, everything has pitfalls.

We have studied all the pros and cons of liquefied petroleum fuel and will tell you how good it really is. The research we conducted will definitely help you decide exactly whether it is worth installing gas holder equipment on your site.

How profitable is heating from a gas holder?

Heating a cottage using natural gas is considered the cheapest solution possible. However, this is only true if the boiler or boiler is connected to the main gas pipeline.

Liquefied hydrocarbon gases (LPG) are poured into gas tanks. This mixture is very different from the one piped into the house in terms of both chemical composition and cost. In the first case, gas equipment is supplied with fuel based on methane, and in the second - consisting of propane and butane.

Taking into account the calorific value and efficiency of the corresponding boilers, based on net fuel costs, the cost of 1 kJ or 1 kW*hour from LPG will be 5–6 times more expensive than from natural methane gas

Much depends on the region of residence, but almost everywhere in Russia, in terms of the price of fuel, the propane-butane mixture beats only diesel fuel and electricity. Heating a house with wood, pellets or coal in the vast majority of cases will be more profitable than using LPG.

In terms of the cost of equipment for heating the coolant in the heating system of a cottage, liquefied gas also loses to almost all other types of fuel. You also need to take into account the costs of the gas tank itself and its installation on site.

In some situations, in terms of capital costs, LPG may be cheaper than main gas. And then only on the condition that the owner of the house pays in full for the laying of gas pipes. But usually gasification of villages is partially carried out at the expense of the state budget. And in any case, a gas tank for autonomous gas supply will have to be paid for entirely independently.

Installation and operation of an LPG tank

Each heating option has its own nuances in matters of design, installation work, commissioning, fuel purchase and further maintenance of the system. For example, to organize heating of a house using electricity and main gas, it is mandatory to obtain specifications from the supply company. Not always and not all electric or gas networks have additional capacity for connection.

Heating a private household with a minigas holder does not require approvals from government agencies or their notification at all, but such equipment has its own mandatory safety requirements.

The installation of a gas holder in a local area should be carried out by a specialized company. You cannot do this on your own.Then it will be extremely difficult to find an LPG supplier, since if problems arise when pumping liquefied gas into the container, he bears responsibility for everything. It’s unlikely that anyone would want to be responsible for someone else’s mistakes in the installation and selection of gas tank fittings.

In terms of ease of approval, design and execution of installation work, the gas tank is second only to solid fuel boilers. They just need to be delivered to the house and installed in the boiler room.

Selecting a site for a gas tank

One of the most problematic aspects in organizing gas tank heating is the choice of location for an underground LPG tank. Here it is important to take into account fire and technical safety regulations, as well as the characteristics of the soil and the gas equipment itself.

Structurally, gas tanks for autonomous gas supply are:

• vertical;
• horizontal;
• mobile (ground on a trolley).

They also differ in shape into cylindrical and spherical.

For gas supply to cottages, it is recommended to choose horizontal cylindrical gas tanks; they are large in width/length and take up a lot of space, but they are not laid too deep in the ground

Mobile installations for storing LPG in the Russian climate are generally of little use. In the gas holder, the propane-butane mixture is partially liquefied and partially gaseous. Moreover, if propane retains its gas properties down to -35 °C, then butane already at -0.5 °C turns into liquid.

At low outside temperatures, it will be impossible to obtain butane in the required state for combustion in a heating boiler from an above-ground reservoir. To do this, it will have to be heated, which will further increase the cost of heating the house.

In the gaseous state, propane and butane are heavier than air, so gas tanks should not be installed near wells and basements. If there is a leak, gas will begin to accumulate in these depressions and sooner or later will explode

The location for the underground gas tank is selected so that:

• the distance from a residential building to a tank with LPG with a capacity of no more than 10 m³ was at least 10 m;
• the container was located at least 2 m from the buried foundations of buildings;
• there was easy access to the storage tank for refueling from a tanker;
• the tank was buried below the freezing point of the soil;
• there were no buildings, electrical cables, concrete paths, trees, etc. above.

Only lawns are allowed on top of the gas holder. At the same time, you will even have to mow the grass on them the old fashioned way - with a scythe, and not with an electric or gasoline lawn mower. The slightest spark, coupled with gas accumulated due to a small leak, will certainly lead to a fire or pop.

We also recommend reading our other article, where we talked in detail about how to properly place a gas holder Location on.

Checking, refueling and maintenance

The volume of the gas tank is selected so that it has to be refilled a maximum of two or three times a year. In this case, the car does not necessarily have to drive directly to the underground tank to refuel. Most of these tanks for transporting LPG are equipped with hoses 30–40 meters long.

LPG is sold on the market in “summer” and “winter” versions. They differ in the proportions of butane and propane, and also have different heat capacities. At the same time, “winter” gas is more expensive, but “summer” gas cannot be used in cold weather.

If you install a large, capacious gas tank for one annual refueling, you can save money by buying a cheaper version of LPG. But there is a risk of being left completely without fuel in winter due to the inability of the propane-butane mixture to transform into a gaseous state for supply to the heating boiler.

With proper installation, proper supervision and filling with high-quality gas mixtures, the gas holder can serve properly for 20–30 years, then the container will have to be replaced

After installation is completed, the owner of the house must monitor the condition of the gas tank. Typically, the maintenance and repair of this equipment is carried out by the LPG supplier, for which a corresponding agreement is concluded.

Rostechnadzor specialists do not inspect private gas tanks intended for heating cottages and dachas with gas. This is not their profile at all. Inspections can only come from the Ministry of Emergency Situations; firefighters will constantly check fire-hazardous objects and boiler equipment for preventive purposes.

Comparison of all the pros and cons

Among the advantages of gas tank heating are:

1. Full autonomy of the heating system (as long as there is gas).
2. The long service life of the gas tank is 30 years and is not the limit.
3. Environmentally friendly and free of soot.
4. Minimum time for installation and connection (a couple of days for turnkey work is more than enough for experienced installers).
5. No approvals and no need to wait for connection to the gas main.
6. Safe when used correctly.
7. Quiet operation of gas tank equipment.

Compared to diesel fuel and electricity, heating a private house with gas from a gas tank is more economical. And LPG is much more environmentally friendly than coal and firewood.

Under no circumstances should you buy a used gas tank. The metal of a tank located in the ground gradually corrodes; no one can provide a guarantee against gas leakage from a tank that has already been used.

At the factory, gas tanks are tested at pressures up to 25 atm. At the same time, safety valves are installed on them, designed to operate at 15–16 atm. And the liquefied gas inside the gas tank creates a pressure of only 4–6 atm.

The equipment in question is completely safe to break. You just need to make sure that propane and butane do not leak through the shut-off valves and do not accumulate nearby to the point of forming a dangerous concentration.

The disadvantages of heating with a gas holder are the following:

1. High initial cost.
2. The presence of a potentially explosive zone on the plot near the house.
3. A sharp “gassy” smell when filling the tank.
4. The need to pump out the tank at least once a year and dispose of unevaporated condensate.
5. The risk of receiving low-quality gas when contacting an unverified supplier.
6. Due to the low prevalence of gas tanks, there is a lack of competent installers and specialists in all regions of Russia to properly maintain this equipment.
7. The LPG tank is susceptible to corrosion due to the metal being exposed to condensate inside and groundwater outside.

Another important point - for a house 200 m² you will need a horizontal cylindrical gas holder with a volume of about 3000 liters. You will need to allocate an area of ​​approximately 2x3 meters for it. Plus, there is still a need for free space nearby for a car with LPG while the tank is being refilled.

If there are only 3-4 acres of local area near the cottage, then it will be difficult to allocate even a small piece of land for gas tank equipment.

If you fill a gas tank with a propane-butane mixture of poor quality, its service life will be greatly reduced. You should buy LPG only from trusted suppliers

In order for the gas tank to last as long as possible, it is recommended to equip it with active or passive electrochemical protection. Such systems slow down corrosion and are well worth the cost.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Pros and cons of autonomous gasification using a gas holder:

Gas from a gas holder is an excellent alternative to other types of fuel for heating a home:

All the nuances of autonomous LPG gas supply:

After installation, you do not need to take special care of the gas tank. If it has good anti-corrosion protection and high-quality certified fittings, then its operation will be safe. At the same time, you should not neglect regular technical inspections with the involvement of competent specialists. Otherwise, gas tank heating is expensive in terms of capital costs, but in many cases it is a completely economically justified solution.

And if you have experience using gas tanks for heating a private home, please share it with our readers. Tell us what advantages and disadvantages you personally noticed during the operation of the equipment. Leave your comments in the block below the article.