How to install a boiler room in a private house: design standards and design

When there is no access to a centralized heating system, it is necessary to build an autonomous boiler room.

If you approach the matter professionally, a boiler room in a private house will ensure high efficiency (efficiency) of the heating system as a whole, and its operation will be safe and durable.

In this material we will analyze in detail the process of choosing a heating device and tell you what points you definitely need to pay attention to. In addition, we will talk about choosing the right place for the boiler room and the rules for its arrangement and ventilation.

Selection of boiler equipment

Boilers differ in a number of parameters - fuel used, power, installation method, operating principle (single-circuit and double-circuit).

Fuel for heating boilers

Boilers in private homes can operate on the following types of fuel:

• natural and liquefied gas – cheap fuel resource, gas boilers can be converted from one type of gas to another;
• solid fuel – the operation of the solid fuel boiler must be monitored and firewood, coal, peat briquettes, and coke must be regularly added to it;
• liquid diesel fuel (diesel fuel) – liquid fuel boilers come to the rescue in a situation where there is neither a gas main nearby nor the ability to supply liquefied gas in cylinders, and if over time there is a prospect of acquiring gas, then it can be easily reconfigured to a better type of fuel;
• electricity – an expensive but environmentally friendly fuel resource.

It’s a good idea to have two boilers, electric and solid fuel, to reduce energy consumption.

How to determine the boiler power?

The larger the heated space, the more powerful the boiler should be. We add power consumption for heating water for showers, bathrooms, kitchens and natural heat losses.

Approximate calculation (example):

To heat 10 sq. m of house, 1 kW of power is required. If the total area of ​​the house is 150 sq. m, then the required boiler power is 15 kW + 10% for hot water supply, heat loss + 20% for reserve stock, otherwise the equipment will physically wear out, working at the peak of its technical capabilities. We obtain a heating boiler power of at least 19.5 kW.

You can read more about calculating the power of a heating boiler in this material.

Comparison of installation methods

According to the installation method, heating boilers are divided into two groups:

• floor – they require a separate room (boiler room) and compliance with certain mandatory requirements;
• wall-mounted – a heat exchanger, circulation pump, expansion tank, combustion product removal system, control and safety automation, temperature sensors, etc. are assembled in a compact-sized housing.

The maximum power of a wall-mounted mini-boiler room is 60 kW. If the power does not exceed 35 kW, it can be installed in the kitchen or hallway. Small dimensions wall models make it possible to do without a separate room - all this is relevant for small and medium-sized private houses.

A gas wall-mounted boiler is sensitive to the chemical composition of water. To prevent equipment from breaking down early on hard water, it is recommended to install a filter on the water supply or inspect the boiler and pipes every time at the end of the heating season

Floor-standing boilers are indispensable for heating large areas. Floor-standing heating units They take up much more space, they have to be completed independently, but there is one very significant plus - they have a long service life.

Differences in operating principle

Single-circuit boiler intended only for heating the building. To supply water to the hot water supply system, such a unit must be supplemented with a 100-150-liter storage tank for water heated from the boiler (boiler).

A single-circuit boiler with a boiler is advisable if a lot of hot water is poured from the taps in the house. Otherwise, we end up with excessive energy consumption, since the boiler will have to constantly heat water, which is almost never used. In addition, you will have to allocate free space in the room for the boiler.

IN double-circuit boiler Initially, it had two functions - it both heats the building and heats the water. A flow coil is installed inside it. The boiler supports the heating system, but when someone opens hot water in the house, the heating of the coolant in it stops and the system switches to the hot water supply system.

The difference in the operation of a single-circuit and double-circuit boiler:
a) 1 - single-circuit boiler, 2 - heating system, 3 -
hot water supply, 4 - boiler, 5 - cold water
b) 1 - double-circuit boiler, 2 - heating system, 3 -
hot water supply, 4 - cold water

Double-circuit boilers are rationally designed; water for hot water supply is heated only when it is needed. Depending on the power of the unit, 10-15 liters of hot water are produced per minute.

This is not enough if several people use hot water in the house at the same time, but the problem is easily solved, since you can buy double-circuit boiler with a small boiler of 25-50 liters built into the body in order to have a supply.

Determining the optimal location for the boiler room

Let's say you started a large-scale renovation of an old private house. It must definitely have a boiler room, but the outdated layout limits the possibility of placing it in the house. You cannot squeeze boiler equipment into a tiny room without ventilation, you cannot stretch a chimney from bottom to top through the bedroom or living room.

You can, of course, build an extension to a country house for the boiler room, but it is unlikely that this architectural excess will fit well into the overall look. What remains is the construction of a separate boiler house - a good, but expensive idea.

A separate boiler room should not be located too close to the house. But if you place it far away, there will be heat loss due to an unreasonably long heating main

And during new construction, the procedure for designing a boiler room inside a house does not cause any problems if you study the requirements for installing boiler equipment in advance:

• the volume of the room for heating boilers with a power of up to 30 kW must be at least 7.5 m3, from 30 to 60 kW - 13.5 m3, over 60 kW - 15 m3;
• ceiling height – at least 2.2-2.5 m, entrance door width – 80 cm;
• the norm of natural light is 300 sq. cm of glazing per 1 m3 of room, the window must have a transom for ventilation;
• Use only metal pipes for supplying gas to gas boilers; flexible hoses are prohibited;
• in the boiler power supply circuit, it is necessary to provide a thermal protection relay, and in rooms with a gas-fired boiler, it is necessary to install a gas analyzer - a device that detects gas leaks and sends a signal for emergency shutdown of the gas pipe;
• The boiler room should be separated from neighboring rooms by walls made of material with a zero flame propagation index - concrete, brick, wood with fire retardant impregnation;
• on issues of explosion and fire safety, the project is coordinated with the fire inspectorate.

All the rules and regulations are described in detail in SNiP for boiler installations with code II -35-76, Code of Practice SP-41-104-2000 on the design of autonomous heat supply systems, document MDS 41-2.2000, which sets out the requirements for the placement of heating and water heating units in low-rise residential buildings.

The location for the boiler room is selected individually in each case, taking into account the technical features and financial capabilities of the owner - the first floor of the house, basement, basement, extension, attic or separate building

Compliance with numerous requirements is dictated not by bureaucracy, but by safety precautions. A free-standing boiler room involves the hassle of constructing a foundation, main walls, laying pipes and their thermal insulation.

But in the house you get 100% absence of harmful chemical impurities that inevitably accompany any combustion process, and complete confidence not to suffer during an accident, the probability of which is negligible, but theoretically not excluded.

We also recommend reading our other article, which describes in detail boiler house diagrams for a private home.

What you need to know about boiler room ventilation?

A working boiler needs oxygen to maintain the combustion process, and it has to be taken from the air. It is also necessary to prevent carbon monoxide from accumulating in the boiler room and entering the house. The influx of fresh air into the boiler room in relation to the outflow is supposed to be three times.

In the boiler room it is necessary to provide supply and exhaust ventilation. For natural ventilation of the boiler room, a channel with a diameter of 13-15 cm is cut in the wall opposite from the boiler with a boiler power of up to 35-40 kW and 17 cm with a higher power. A ventilation pipe equipped with a damper and mesh is inserted into it.

Natural ventilation of the boiler room is easy to do yourself. But it does not allow you to control the inflow and outflow of air; the quality of ventilation depends on weather conditions

If the boiler room is located in a separate room, then the air supply from outside can be provided through louvered grilles installed directly in the entrance door - in its lower part.

The standard for the size of inlet openings is at least 8 cm² transverse area per 1 kW of boiler power, if the air draft comes from the street. The boiler room ventilation is also connected to the ventilation system of the entire house. If air comes from inside, the size of the hole must be calculated based on another standard - 30 cm² at 1 kW.

An alternative to natural ventilation or a complement to it is forced ventilation. To reduce electricity consumption, it is connected to boiler equipment - the fans will rotate only when the boiler is running. In gas and diesel boiler rooms, the ventilation system should be placed in a housing to avoid fire and explosion.

An innovation for those who are interested in the specifics of installing a boiler room in a private home will be automated climate systems. They maintain the specified indoor climate parameters automatically and change them if necessary without human intervention.

Boiler room in an extension with a vertical chimney made of steel using natural draft. A ceramic pipe will be more durable. As an option, you can consider a ceramic chimney in a steel casing. It retains the advantage of durability, but is easier to install

All heating boilers are equipped with an open or closed combustion chamber. For equipment with a closed combustion chamber, there are no restrictions on the volume of premises; the presence of a window is also not necessary.

In the first case, the smoke is discharged outward through natural draft through a vertical chimney. Some of the air from the room goes there, and therefore it is necessary to ensure constant ventilation of the room.

In the second case, combustion products are forcibly removed from the chamber using a fan through a special double chimney - coaxial. In it, one pipe is nested inside another. Smoke moves through the inside, and the air necessary to maintain combustion flows through the outside in the opposite direction.

The length of a conventional vertical chimney is at least 5 meters. Its end must protrude beyond the upper ridge of the roof, and it is not always technically possible to build a through shaft under it

The chimney based on the “pipe-in-pipe” principle is shorter and can be directed horizontally. For both types of chimneys, it is important that the cross-sectional area of ​​the chimney is no less than the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe to which it is connected.

And finally, a few words about the design of the burners.They are atmospheric and supercharged. Devices of the first type are used only in gas boilers. Gas is supplied to them due to the pressure formed in the gas line or cylinder. You can hear the flames burning, but there is no other noise.

In devices of the second type, a fan mixes gas with air to make combustion more even. You have to put up with the fan noise. Boilers with pressurized burners operate on both gas and diesel fuel; they require a chimney of a smaller cross-section.

In a coaxial chimney, air from the street, passing through the pipe, is heated by the internal channel through which combustion products move. The air enters the furnace heated, which reduces fuel consumption and increases equipment efficiency

Finishing the boiler room from the inside

Brick and concrete walls of the boiler room are plastered and painted with water-based paint. Additional decorative finishing - ceramic tiles, metal cladding panels. You should not leave the wall surface in its original form. It generates dust, and this harms the operation of boiler equipment.

In a wooden house, the walls are impregnated with a fire retardant compound. It is recommended to cover them on top with sheets of non-combustible plasterboard and also plaster them, and behind the boiler, for reinsurance, attach aluminum sheets to the wall surface.

Plastering is another protection against damp fumes, fire, and other influences. You can increase the level of fire resistance using special heat-resistant plaster. It can withstand high temperature heating and even open flame for 30 minutes. up to 2.5 hours.

The floor is leveled with cement-sand screed.The strength of ordinary ceramic tiles is not enough to cover the floor with, since boiler equipment is quite heavy, and there is a risk of dropping some heavy object. Porcelain stoneware will be more reliable. Tiles made from this material are super durable and are not afraid of heating to high temperatures and fire.

The drain gutter will protect you from accidental leakage. If this cannot be done, then waterproofing must be laid around the perimeter to a height of 5-10 cm from the floor, and the boiler must be raised on a pedestal, thereby eliminating possible contact with water. It can be easily built from bricks and lined with porcelain stoneware intended for the floor.

Tiles on the walls and floor of the boiler room will help keep the room properly clean. Its installation is no different from a similar operation in other rooms, but it is important to accurately mark all communications entry points before starting work.

It is better to choose a light-colored granite with a matte texture for the floor. Shoe marks and dust are not so noticeable on it.

There are pipes and wires under the ceiling in the boiler room. To disguise them, make a box from the same drywall that was used on the walls. The outside of the box is plastered and painted. It makes sense to leave inspection windows in it and cover them with removable metal bars.

It makes no difference which windows to install in the boiler room - plastic or wooden. In a fire, both will burn. The plastic will also begin to melt and release toxic substances.

Construction of modular boiler houses

But what if there is no space for installing boiler equipment in the house, it is also not possible to build a separate building, but a boiler room for a country house is very necessary? In this case, a modular boiler room will help out.It is factory equipped and can be installed quickly.

The maximum volume of premises for heating in this way is 1300 m³. The module itself is a small mobile house (container), the length of which does not exceed 2.5 m. It is made of a double durable metal frame with insulation made of special fiber.

The modular boiler room is supplied with a 3-layer pipe with thermal insulation for supply to the house, 6 m long, which can be extended if necessary. The equipment is delivered ready-made and only requires connection.

A modular boiler house with a capacity of 10 kW is quite capable of heating a private house and supplying it with hot water. It can be dismantled and transported to another location

To operate a modular-block boiler room you need:

• install a container near the house;
• supply electricity (220V);
• prepare fuel (solid or diesel depending on the type of boiler);
• fill the heating system with water.

The modular boiler room has a backup power supply, which is enough to support normal operation in the event of a power outage during the day. The coolant temperature is adjusted automatically.

A modular boiler room can be purchased in a standard version or custom-designed based on your own needs. It is recommended to entrust installation to specialists.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Operating principles of an autonomous boiler room in a private house:

Boiler room in a 2-story private house with a floor-standing gas boiler:

There are many rules for arranging a boiler room and installing equipment - perhaps there is no need to delve into all the nuances. Entrust the matter to the specialists.The main thing is to understand that a boiler room in a private house is the guarantee that you will always be warm and have hot water.

Are you planning to install a boiler room in a private home, but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you are familiar with this topic and could you give our readers some sensible advice on arrangement? This can be done in the block below. There you can ask questions about the topic of the article that interest you.