Steam heating device diagrams + example of steam system calculation

Owners of private houses are certainly faced with the issue of heating their homes.Everyone tries to choose an option that allows them to heat the room efficiently while consuming a minimum amount of fuel.

Many owners of country real estate and country houses are attracted by the steam heating scheme, in which steam can heat the room in a matter of minutes. Before deciding to set up such a system, it is necessary to study the features of its operation and compare the pros and cons.

We will help you understand these issues. We will also describe different steam heating schemes, provide a calculation method and rules for designing the system.

Steam heating: diagrams and device features

Without a heating system, life in a country house in the autumn, spring and, especially, winter months is impossible. Often, for dachas and cottages that are periodically visited by the owners, a steam heating option is selected.

It can provide very fast heating of the entire house, which will pleasantly please the owner and his guests who decide to spend the weekend at the dacha.

Fundamental features of steam heating

Steam heating is convenient to install in houses that are rarely visited by the owners. All thanks to the characteristics of the coolant circulating through the pipes. We are talking about steam that appears only when the heating boiler is operating.

After all, when no one is at the dacha, and the frost outside is -15°C or more, then you don’t have to worry that the pipes will burst, as is the case with water coolant.

Residential buildings lose a certain amount of heat. Moreover, different amounts of energy will be required to replenish it. This indicator depends on the region of residence (+)

Steam heating has its advantages:

• a large amount of heat released during condensation;
• a smaller area of ​​heat emitters into the room will be required;
• quick start and stop of the system;
• saving money on heating;
• frost resistance.

As for the amount of heat released during the process of steam condensation, it is many times greater than the heat given off by heated water circulating in the heating system.

1 kg of steam at a temperature of 130°C during condensation releases energy equal to 2300 kJ/kg. As for volume, condensate takes up 400-1500 times less space than the same mass of steam.

For steam heating, you can use copper pipes if the family budget can bear their high cost

This feature allows the use of smaller diameter pipes. In small rooms you can do without radiators - the heat emitted by the pipe will be enough to heat them.

Another feature is the rapid heating of the room. It’s convenient when, having gone out of town for a few hours, you don’t have to deal with the heating issue for a long time. The saved time can be used for more pleasant chores, for example, barbecue and chat longer with friends.

Due to the specific nature of the coolant, you can use pipes of a special design - finned or ribbed

When leaving the dacha in the cold season, there is no need to waste time on preserving the heating system, draining water and other measures designed to protect the system from failure.

If there is no fuel in the steam boiler, steam does not enter the steam line. Accordingly, there is no water in the condensate line. Therefore, there will be no problems with the system freezing.

Finned tubes can be made in the form of a register, which is used instead of radiators

Disadvantages of a steam heating system

Steam heating, in addition to its advantages, also has disadvantages.

Firstly, high degree of danger. This is due to the specifics of the coolant.

When steam under pressure flows through a pipe, then:

• if a steam line breaks, it can seriously injure a person;
• if you accidentally touch the surface of a pipe or battery, it is easy to get burned;
• If heavy-duty equipment is used incorrectly, it may explode.

Secondly, baking of dust falling on the surface of the steam line. When exposed to high temperatures, dust particles decompose. The products of their decay negatively affect the residents of the house, especially if among them there are allergy sufferers.

It is convenient to use copper pipes for the steam pipeline. But working with them is difficult - you will need soldering skills or a specialist in this field

Third, dry air that all inhabitants of the home are forced to breathe. To improve the indoor microclimate, it is necessary choose a humidifier. This is an additional expense item that should be provided for at the design stage of the heating system.

Fourth, the temperature of the coolant is simply impossible to regulate and reduce at will. This drawback creates many difficulties when using a steam heating system in houses with permanent residence.

The way out of this situation is to lay several branches of the steam pipeline and then put them into operation as needed.

Touching steam heating pipes is dangerous - you can easily get burned

Fifthly, it is necessary to use special steam fittings designed to work with steam. The same applies to the material of pipes and heating radiators.

It must be taken into account that the service life of the condensate pipeline will be significantly shorter when compared with water heating, where return pipes made of the same material are installed. This is especially true for dry condensate pipelines.

At sixth, care should be taken to properly finish the walls. After all, paper wallpaper does not have the required level of heat resistance. Cement plaster painted with appropriate paint is suitable here.

One of the heat-resistant materials is asbestos sheet. They can be used to cover walls to protect flammable material from the high temperature of the steam line.

Another interesting option is loft style finishing. To do this, the inner surface of the wall along which the steam pipeline will pass can be laid out of heat-resistant brick. This will not only create a unique atmosphere, but will also protect residents when the wall material is exposed to a hot pipe.

Loft style involves the use of industrial attributes together with luxurious pieces of furniture

Seventh, need in equipment of the boiler room. It is unacceptable to place a steam boiler in a living room. It is very dangerous. The location of the boiler must be equipped with heat-resistant materials and well ventilated.

Among heat-resistant materials, manufacturers offer a wide variety of bricks.You can choose the required color and shade that fits perfectly into the interior

Steam heating schemes

The heating option using steam as a coolant has a variety of schemes.

They can be classified according to the following parameters:

• pressure in the system;
• method of communication with the atmosphere;
• pipe connection diagram;
• method of condensate return.

The pressure in a functioning steam heating system (SHS) can be high or lower.

Depending on its absolute value, systems are distinguished:

• low pressure – less than 0.7 kgf/cm²;
• high pressure – more than 0.7 kgf/cm²;
• vacuum-steame – less than 1 kgf/cm².

The first option is recommended for household use. Special boilers designed for steam heating make it possible to implement a low pressure system in private home or country house. They can operate on various types of fuel - coal, wood, gas, fuel oil.

It is important to equip a separate room for a steam boiler room in order to protect all family members from possible dangers

The second option is dangerous for use at home. Working with high pressure systems requires appropriate knowledge and specialization. If an unprepared craftsman decides to assemble high-pressure steam heating in his dacha, then he risks being left, at best, without a dacha.

A high-pressure boiler is large in size and very expensive. This option is used in industry. But many home craftsmen are experimentally trying to implement such an installation with their own hands. This option is extremely dangerous to use in a heating system.

For houses and cottages, domestic boilers are used that produce steam.These are low pressure units (+)

The vacuum-steam system differs from the first two in the presence of an air collector and an additional device that ensures vacuumization of the entire internal space.

Depending on the method of connection with the atmosphere, open and closed steam heating circuits are distinguished. In the first case, the system has a connection with the atmosphere - it is open. In the second, it is completely isolated from the effects of atmospheric pressure and air from the environment.

The single-pipe scheme for steam heating is no different from the water system, except for the diameter of the pipelines for steam and condensate

According to the method of routing pipelines, software diagrams are:

• horizontal single-pipe;
• vertical two-pipe.

The former are used, as a rule, in one- and two-story houses and buildings with ceiling heights of up to 2.7 m and an area of ​​up to 80 m²where there is no need to regulate the temperature. The latter are more suitable for implementing a steam heating system in buildings with 3 or more floors.

The two-pipe scheme is effective in houses with a large number of floors and a large heated area

Moreover, software systems can be mounted:

• with top, middle or bottom wiring;
• with wet or dry pipeline for condensate movement;
• with dead-end or associated movement of both steam and condensate.

The condensate return method allows you to distinguish between a closed and an open circuit. In the first case, the water formed during the condensation process is directed by gravity to the boiler. In this case, it is imperative to maintain the recommended slope of steam and condensate pipelines - from 1.0 to 0.5 cm of slope per 1 linear meter.

Moreover, it is correct to make the slope in the direction of steam movement for the steam line and in the direction of condensate movement for the return pipe. With this scheme, the boiler itself must necessarily be located below the level of the return pipeline.

The design of a steam boiler house with open networks involves the use of water make-up using pumps. Explanations: 1 - network pump, 2 - make-up pump, 3 - water tank, 4 - pressure regulator, 5 - source water pump, 6 - cooler, 7 - water heater, 8 - filter, 9 - condensate tank, 10 - condensate pump, 11 — purified water heater, 12 — deaerator, 13 — steam separator, 14 — feed pump, 15 — steam boiler, 16 — reduction-cooling unit, 17 — network water heater, 18 — condensate cooler for network water heaters (+)

In the circuit of an open-loop steam heating system, there is a special container for collecting condensate - a tank. From it, using a pump, the liquid can be directed to the boiler or removed from the heating system. In the second case, the boiler must be constantly fed with fresh water for continuous steam generation.

For a country house, it is preferable to choose a closed steam heating scheme with top wiring and a wet condensate pipeline, i.e. the entire volume of the channel filled with water. For open-loop circuits, a dry pipeline option is used for the movement of condensate, partially filled with condensate.

The diameters of the pipeline for the collection and movement of condensate can be selected using reference information for designers (+)

How to correctly calculate a steam system

Having chosen a steam system, you will need to draw up a design for its location in the building and perform preliminary calculations.

There are two options:

• calculate the main components of steam heating on your own;
• seek help from a professional designer.

The second way to solve this issue is the most preferable. After all, only a specialist, having behind him more than one successfully implemented heating system installation project, is able to take into account all the wishes of the owner, without forgetting about the regulatory requirements.

If there is no opportunity or desire to contact a designer, you can begin to independently calculate the steam heating system. You can use standards and useful recommendations from specialized literature, for example, from a designer’s handbook.

To calculate, you need to take the plan of your house and calculate the area that needs to be heated. Then mark the locations of the heating radiators.

For steam heating, registers made of galvanized or finned pipes are often used instead of a battery. They can be designed

Radiators are selected depending on the required power. Moreover, it is important to take into account the technical characteristics of the device you like - it must withstand the load when working with steam.

It is better not to use cast iron radiators in a steam heating device for a rarely visited summer house. After standing cold for a long time, they may not cope with sudden heating and burst.

A comparative overview of different heating radiators and recommendations for their selection are given in this article.

It is best to calculate the length of the steam and condensate pipeline while in the room itself.This makes it more convenient to plan the height of their installation and the installation location of radiators, if they are needed.

For steam heating, you can use metal pipes made of galvanized steel or copper

Having calculated the required number of linear meters of pipe, do not forget about the steam fittings - valves, tees, and, if necessary, condensate traps, a pump.

To determine the power of a steam boiler, you will need to calculate the volume of all heated rooms and multiply this figure by the required amount of energy to heat 1 m³. This indicator depends on the region of residence. So, for the European part the figure is 40 W.

You can calculate the boiler power for a 3-room house with a ceiling height of 2.6 m.

First you need to calculate the area of ​​individual rooms:

• 1st room: 5*2.95=14.75 m²;
• 2nd room: 3*2.45=7.35 m²;
• 3rd room: 2*5.4=10.8 m².

Then you have to calculate the volume of the entire house: 14.75*2.6+7.35*2.6+10.8*2.6= 38.09+19.11+28.08= 57.02 m³.

Now the resulting volume must be multiplied by the heat requirements: 57.02 * 40 W = 2288 W. To the obtained value you must add a power reserve of at least 20%: 2288 * 1.2 = 2745.6 W or about 3 kW.

The second option for determining power is by area. It is conventionally accepted that for heating every 10 m² 1 kW of boiler power is required + 30% reserve if the ceiling height does not exceed the permissible level of up to 2.7 m.

Moreover, you need to buy a unit that is 20-30% larger than the calculated power size. In practice, experts advise taking a boiler that is at least 30% more powerful so that it does not work to the limit of its strength.

Only a certified unit can be used for steam heating. Taking a homemade boiler is very dangerous - you can be seriously injured if it explodes

You should choose a steam boiler from a trusted manufacturer. The unit must have a quality certificate and a guarantee from the plant that produced it. The steam boiler must be equipped safety valve. Also, you will need temperature and pressure monitoring devices and a pressure reducer to normalize the pressure, if necessary.

Errors when installing steam heating

When designing individual heating, you will need to carefully familiarize yourself with the existing options.

You should choose the most suitable option for your home in order to get:

• economical fuel consumption;
• efficient heating;
• ease of system maintenance;
• long service life of the equipment.

Having chosen steam heating among all the heating options, it is important to try to avoid mistakes made when installing it.

Firstly, most often home owners believe that water serves as the coolant in the system. This is wrong. When heating with steam, it is steam that will circulate through the pipes and radiators.

Based on this, you should correctly select the material of the fittings with which the steam and water obtained during condensation will come into contact.

To avoid burns when operating steam heating, it is better to provide protection for radiators

Secondly, even at the design stage of the heating system they forget to provide protection for radiators and pipes. Steam moving through a steam pipeline has a temperature of 100°C. It heats up all structural elements quite strongly, which poses a danger to the residents of the house/cottage.

Third, when installing a steam pipeline and a condensate pipeline, novice craftsmen forget to provide for a slope towards the movement of steam and water, respectively.

Fourth, some home craftsmen incorrectly select the boiler power. As a result, instead of the desired temperature in the room, +13-15°C is obtained. For daily comfortable living, this temperature regime is clearly not enough.

Fifthly, inexperienced welders can make mistakes when welding a steam pipeline. As a result, at any time the pipe can burst and a stream of steam moving under pressure through it will rush directly towards the person nearby. This is an extremely dangerous situation, the possibility of which should not be forgotten.

When developing the layout of the heating system, we must not forget about the correct lining of doorways (+)

All of these errors are possible when independent arrangement of the system heating. Wanting to save money and choosing the option with steam, the owners decide to cope on their own, deciding not to contact a professional designer, welder and other specialists.

Lack of personal practical experience and a frivolous attitude towards the process can interfere with the correct installation of steam heating. Some of the mistakes made during installation can not only disrupt the usual way of life, but also seriously harm the health of those living in the house.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Video material about the structure of a steam boiler:

Video on how to weld pipes:

A visual video about the features of installation and soldering of copper pipes:

Video about steam heating:

Detailed video about the operation of a steam boiler:

After familiarizing yourself with the positive and negative aspects of steam heating, you can decide whether this option is suitable to meet the needs of a particular household.

If you decide to use steam heating, you will need to choose the most optimal scheme for your home. To calculate the heating system, it is better to contact specialists to protect yourself and your household.

If you have experience heating your home with a steam heating system, please share the information with our readers. Leave comments on the article and ask questions in the form below.