Do-it-yourself warming of the storage tank. A heat accumulator is an important element of the heating system for a comfortable and safe home.

The heat accumulator is built into the heating system so that the temperature in the entire apartment or house is uniform, and gives off its heat gradually. This can be obtained due to the fact that thermal energy is accumulated very quickly, which is generated during the operation of a solid fuel boiler.

This energy is designed to minimize the heat loss of the house and, if possible, compensate for them by supplying a certain amount of heated coolant to the radiators of the heating system.

So, the principle of operation of this device is as follows: the coolant is sent to the battery in the upper part, and the cooled coolant is discharged from below. Due to this connection, mixing does not occur. With the passage of time and the circulation of the coolant, cold water gradually leaves the battery.

Due to this design, the radiator and the boiler work independently of each other and are able to function normally in their mode. It is worth noting that the radiators in this case will work on approximately the same principle as in a centralized heating system.

Do-it-yourself heat accumulator

If the owner of a house or apartment is going to make such a structure on his own, then at first he should find out exactly what functions it performs.

With the help of heat accumulators, it is possible not only to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room, but also to provide living people with hot water and greatly reduce the financial costs of heating itself. By installing such equipment, you can immediately combine several heat sources, forming one common circuit.

We carry out calculations

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a heat accumulator, it is necessary to make all the necessary calculations that will help you choose the right volume of the product. First of all, it should be taken into account that the required amount of thermal energy must match the level of heat loss.

You can try to use a fairly simple principle that does not take into account all sorts of additional factors, since this will be quite enough for heating a private house.

When calculating, it should be taken into account that for every ten square meters of heated area, 1 kW of heat is wasted. This value is very average, but it is best to start from this indicator.

For competent replenishment of heat losses, it is necessary to take into account the moment associated with the volume of water circulating through the heating system, as well as its temperature. Approximately, about 7 thousand kWh will be spent monthly only for heat losses for the house, the heated area of \u200b\u200bwhich is about one hundred square meters. For this reason, the volume of the accumulator should be selected in such a way that it can release a similar amount of heat in a specified period.

It should also be remembered that the temperature range in this battery will be 40 degrees - from 50 to 90. Moreover, these structures are able to function normally even when the boiler is turned off - their energy reserve is enough for eight hours of continuous operation.

The heat accumulator has a certain thermal insulation in its design so that the water does not give off heat to the walls of the tank. It is best to insulate it with modern type thermal insulation materials, as they are able to retain heat for a long time. In principle, a thermal insulation thickness of 10 cm will be sufficient. If the design turns out to be too bulky, then the thickness of this layer can be made somewhat smaller.

Necessary materials and tools

Before starting work, you should stock up on everything you need so that everything is at hand:

Sheet insulation(the most high-quality product today is mineral wool) - 20 square meters will be quite enough;
Pipes of suitable diameter through which the coolant will enter the tank;
Copper tubes or ;
Cement-sand mortar or a concrete slab of suitable thickness;
foil tape;
Sheet metal- you can take galvanized sheet, as it does not rust and does not lend itself to corrosive processes.

Manufacturing

When all the necessary calculations have been made, it was possible to determine the volume of the heat accumulator, and you have everything you need for assembly at hand, you can begin to assemble the structure itself.

If a metal barrel plays the role of a heat accumulator, then it must first be completely cleaned of debris, rust and other contaminants. It is also desirable to treat the product with anti-corrosion compounds, at least from the inside, but it is better to cover them on the outside so that rust does not form for as long as possible.

To do this, it is better to take phosphoric acid, cover the surface of the metal with it, and then, for better waterproofing, treat the barrel with four or even five layers of primer.

The next step is to make sure that the heat does not leave the barrel. This is to ensure that the water remains at a suitable temperature for a long period of time. In addition, thermal insulation is designed to prevent heating of the air surrounding the battery. This will save a lot of energy.

If it was not possible to get mineral wool, then instead of it you can take foam plastic, the thickness of which should be no more than 10 cm. It is quite easy to work with this material - cut and fasten. Moreover, it is quite lightweight.

In the case of mineral wool, it will have to be fixed with foil tape, the density of this insulation is much higher. If necessary, an additional outer casing can be made of tin or other sheet metal.

In the future, a coil should be made, inside which the coolant will move. It is made of copper tubes, the diameter of which should not exceed 30 mm. The length of this structural element directly depends on how large the volume of the heat accumulator is. On average, about 15 meters of this pipe is spent. This element must be connected to the boiler, as hot water will pass through it. The cold water located in the tank will begin to warm up precisely thanks to this coil.

The structure is almost complete. It is necessary to make two holes through which the inlet and outlet pipes will be supplied. In the future, they will need to install shut-off valves.

In the place where this barrel will be installed, a concrete slab should be laid or some other rigid base should be made so that the structure does not move out of place during operation. It can be laid out of brick or pour concrete on the floor yourself.

Modernization of the heat accumulator

The classical design of a heat accumulator was previously described, however, there are several elementary tricks with which you can make the operation of this device more efficient and economical:

Below you can place another one, the functioning of which will be based on the use. This option is suitable for users who prefer green energy;
If the heating system has several circuits of work, then it is best to divide the barrel inside into several sections. This will allow in the future to maintain the temperature at a very acceptable level for the longest possible time;
If financial resources allow, then polyurethane foam can be taken as a heater. This material is much more expensive, but it retains heat much better. The water will keep the temperature for a very long time;
You can install several pipes at once, which will make the heating system more complex, equip it with several circuits at once;
It is allowed to install an additional heat exchanger together with the main one. The water heated in it will be used for various household needs - this is quite convenient.

How to connect

At the initial stage, the boiler should be installed according to the diagram. On the pipe that will go to the drive, you will need to put a special safety group and in order to prevent the occurrence of condensate. In the future, a heat accumulator should be connected to the system, and it will need to be connected to the pipe coming out of it.

Heat accumulators are gaining more and more popularity today. largely due to its characteristics such as efficiency and economy.
It is possible to load fuel into a boiler connected to a heating system with an integrated heat accumulator once a day, and if the design is more perfect, then the fuel will have to be added once every few days.
The first start-up of the boiler should be carried out in the presence of appropriate specialists. They will have to check how well the entire system works, whether there is water circulation in the heating, whether there are any leaks, whether the heat accumulator is well insulated, and so on.
The heat accumulator can be perfectly combined with boilers running on gas or electricity.

This topic is very relevant, the system is profitable. I have it and I am completely satisfied with it.

A heat accumulator and a nightly electricity tariff are the most profitable and cheapest system after the main gas.

All other heating options - wood pallets, wood boilers, diesel fuel - in any case are more expensive. And you need to bother with them, constantly make sure that there is firewood or gas.

Here is a diagram of my heating system.

rice. storage tank in the heating system

But I am heated by electricity
and I pay only 4700 r for a house of 160 m2

I'll tell you how for free i cry so little
and help you with the same heating system

Please note that I reply within an hour.

I give answers with clear explanatory videos

Yes, I'm interested

click if you think you need help

What we have?

From the heat accumulator through the heat head (you can adjust the temperature), the coolant is supplied to the floors. Here I also have a coil wound, which removes heat from the heat accumulator, and from it, from the coil, the coolant goes to the floors.

Accordingly, the heating of the heat accumulator occurs due to the heating elements, i.e. electricity. And plus, if there is not enough heat, I also connect a wood-burning boiler (but for 4 winters I heated it a maximum of 10 times and then purely for the sake of maintaining its functionality, I drove the pumps, cleaned the chimney with fire, etc.)

As for the main gas, why do I not use it.

I have two pipes running along the site. But the owners of the connection set very high price tags. One asks for 1 million rubles, the other 1.2 million rubles. Well, it's not serious at all.

I calculated and it turned out that such a connection will pay off for me in 66 years. That is, the pipes are not public, but private.

That is, if connecting to gas costs 300,000 rubles (I include here the gas project, bringing gas into the house, piping it with your heating system), then there is probably some logic here. So that it pays off for you (and then it will pay off for you for 20 years).

Now let's return to the heating system of the frame house with the help of a heat accumulator and a nightly electricity tariff.

In what cases is this relevant?

➤ The first - and most important - good insulation of your home. Properly made project and insulation in the walls of 150-200 mm, and in the ceiling of 200-250 mm of basalt wool.

➤ The second is the availability of dedicated electricity capacity. You should have at least 15 kW. That is, if you have a category of land for permanent residence, then by default the power engineers provide you with 15 kW of power in three phases. It's enough.

➤ The third parameter is the presence of a night tariff. If you, for example, connect to the Moesk system, they will offer you a nightly rate (from 11 pm to 7 am) by default.

We will use this tariff to the maximum, when electricity is three times cheaper than during the day.

When is the best time to lay the heating system at home and do it?

This is best thought out during the design phase of your home. Because the most efficient heating system with a heat accumulator works in conjunction with underfloor heating.

I have seen when a heat accumulator is used in conjunction with radiators. But the downside is that the heat accumulator is a large capacity. It is quite difficult to heat it, you need a lot of power. And in principle, it can be heated to 80-85 ºС, and the radiator will take it all off in 3-4 hours. By evening, the house will be cold.

When designing a heating system, the main goals are comfort and reliability. The house should be warm and comfortable, and for this, hot coolant must always flow into the radiators without delays and temperature fluctuations.

With a solid fuel boiler, this is difficult to implement, because it is not always possible to fill a new portion of firewood or coal on time, and the combustion process itself is uneven. A heat accumulator for heating boilers will help to correct the situation.

With a simple design and principle of operation, it is able to get rid of a number of inconveniences and shortcomings of the classical heating scheme.

Why do you need

The heat accumulator is a well-insulated large-capacity tank filled with a coolant, water. Due to the high heat capacity of water, when the entire volume is heated, a significant supply of thermal power is accumulated in the tank, which can be used for its intended purpose at a time when the boiler cannot cope or is completely inactive.

The heat accumulator actually increases the volume of the coolant in the heating circuit, the heat capacity and, accordingly, the inertia of the entire system. It will take more energy and time to heat the entire volume with a limited heating power, but it will also take a very long time to cool the battery. If necessary, hot water from the accumulator can be supplied to the heating circuit and maintain a comfortable temperature in the house.

To appreciate the benefits of a heat storage, it is easiest to consider a few situations to begin with:

A solid fuel boiler only periodically heats the water. At the moment of ignition, the power is minimal, during active combustion, the power increases to a maximum, after the bookmark burns out, it decreases again and so the cycle repeats. As a result, the water temperature in the circuit constantly fluctuates in a fairly large range;
To obtain hot water, an additional heat exchanger or an external boiler with indirect heating is required, which significantly affects the operation of the heating circuit;
It is extremely difficult to connect additional heat sources to a heating system built around a solid fuel boiler. A complex interchange will be required, preferably with automatic control;
Solid fuel boiler, even long-term burning, constantly requires the attention of the user. It is worth skipping the time for laying a new portion of fuel, as the coolant in the heating circuit is already starting to cool down, like the whole house;
Often the maximum power of the boiler is excessive, especially in spring and summer, when maximum output is not required.

The solution for all of the above situations is a heat accumulator, moreover, uncompromising and the most affordable in terms of implementation and cost. It acts as a decoupling point between the solid fuel boiler and the heating circuit(s) and an excellent base platform for enabling additional functions.

By design, the heat accumulator can be:

"empty" - a simple insulated container with a direct connection;
with a coil or register of pipes as a heat exchanger;
with built-in boiler tank.

With a full body kit, the heat accumulator is capable of:

Calculation

The power accumulated by a heat accumulator (TA) is calculated based on the volume of the container, more precisely, the mass of the liquid in it, the specific heat of the liquid used to fill it, and the temperature difference, the maximum to which the liquid can be heated, and the minimum target, at which it can still be carried out. heat intake from the heat accumulator to the heating circuit.

Q \u003d m * C * (T2-T1);
m is the mass, kg;
С – specific heat capacity W/kg*K;
(T2-T1) - temperature delta, final and initial.

If the water in the boiler and, accordingly, in the TA is heated to 90ºС, and the lower threshold is taken equal to 50ºС, then the delta is equal to 40ºС. If we take water as filling TA, then one ton of water, when cooled by 40ºС, releases approximately 46 kWh of heat.

The stored energy should be enough for the intended use of the heat accumulator.

To select the required volume of the heat accumulator, it is necessary to determine:

The time during which the accumulated energy in the TA should be enough to cover the heat loss of the house;
The time during which the coolant in the heat exchanger should be heated;
The power of the main heat source.

For periodic operation of the boiler during the day

If it is needed to transfer the operation of the boiler only to night or day mode, when heat is supplied for a limited time, then the power of the TA should be enough to cover the heat loss of the house for the remaining time. At the same time, the power of the boiler should be enough to heat the TA within the prescribed period and, again, to heat the house.

Assume that a solid fuel boiler is used with firewood only during the day for 10 hours, the estimated heat loss of the house for the coldest period of the year is 5 kW. It takes 120 kWh per day for full heating.

In this case, the battery is used for 14 hours, which means that it is necessary to accumulate 5 kW * 14 hours = 70 kW * hours of heat in it. If we take water as a heat carrier, then 1.75 tons or a TA volume of 1.75 m3 will be required. It is important that the boiler must also give out all the necessary heat within just 10 hours, that is, its power must be more than 120/10 \u003d 12 kW.

If the heat accumulator is used as a backup option in case the boiler fails, then the stored energy should be enough for at least a day or two to cover all the heat losses in the house. If we take the same house of 100 m2 as an example, then it will take 240 kWh for two days to heat it, and a heat accumulator filled with water should have a volume of at least 5.3 m3.

But in this case, it is not necessary for the TA to heat up in a short period of time. A one and a half margin of boiler power is enough to accumulate the required amount of heat in a week or two.

The calculation is approximate, without taking into account the decrease in the heat output of radiators depending on the temperature of the coolant and the air in the room.

In the simplest case, the heat accumulator is connected in series between the boiler and the heating circuit. A circulation pump is installed between the HT and the boiler, so that hot water enters the upper part of the HT, pushing cold water from the lower part into the boiler. Between the TA and the heating circuit, a circulation pump is installed to draw hot water from the upper part and transport it to the radiators.

However, this significantly increases the total heat capacity of the system, and at the initial start of heating, you will have to wait until the entire volume of the HA is heated before the heat reaches the radiators.

Another option for switching on is parallel to the heating boiler. This option shows itself well in combination with a gravitational heating system. The upper outlet of the heat accumulator is connected to the highest point of the dispenser, and at the lower point - to the boiler.

The disadvantages are the same as in the first case, heating occurs in the entire volume of the coolant in the system and in the TA, which significantly increases the time to start heating.

Of the advantages, only ease of connection and a minimum of elements used.

Switching circuit with mixing

The best thing use a switching circuit with mixing or hydraulic decoupling. Three-way valves with a thermostat are used. In this case, the heat accumulator is installed as a separate element of the system, parallel to the heating circuit.

The main part of the automation is installed on the supply pipeline: a three-way valve, thermostats, a safety group, etc. By default, a three-way valve directs the coolant from the boiler to the radiators until the room temperature reaches the required level.

As soon as there is no need for active heating, the valve transfers part of the coolant from the boiler to the heat accumulator, discharging excess heat.

When the maximum water temperature in the TA and the target temperature in the radiators are reached, the overheating sensor installed in the boiler is activated and it turns off. While heating is required or the heat accumulator is not warmed up, the operation of the boiler continues.

If, for some reason, the boiler stopped producing rated power or turned off completely when the temperature on the supply line dropped, water from the heat accumulator is mixed into the heating circuit, replenishing the heat loss of the system.

You can use several three-way valves on the distribution and on the return and a group of thermostats. As an option, ready-made assemblies for connecting heat accumulators are available for sale - an automatic mixing unit, for example LADDOMAT.

DIY

With a strong desire, you can build a storage tank with your own hands. Ideally, she should:

with a margin to withstand the nominal pressure in the system;
have an estimated volume;
be protected from corrosion and high temperatures;
be completely sealed.

For manufacturing, sheet steel should be taken, preferably stainless steel with a thickness of at least 3 mm, taking into account the total load and pressure.

The standard form of TA is a tall cylinder with a semicircular base and lid. The ratio of diameter and height is selected approximately 1 to 3-4 in order to promote better heat separation inside the container.

In this case, hot water is taken from the highest point to the radiators. Slightly above the center, the water is diverted to the underfloor heating circuit, and at the lowest point of the TA, a return line is connected to the heating boiler.

It is almost impossible to weld a cylindrical container on your own. It is easier to build a box with a similar configuration and aspect ratio. All corners should be further strengthened.

The container must be insulated. For this, it is better to use basalt or mineral wool with a thickness of at least 150 mm, to reduce heat loss through the walls.

To install a heat accumulator, prepare a special support platform, foundation, capable of withstanding the enormous weight of the equipment. Even the battery itself can weigh up to 400-500 kg. If its volume, for example, is 3 cubic meters, then when filled, its weight will exceed 3.5 tons.

Russian production

There are not so many domestically produced heat accumulators on the Russian market, since only recently they began to be actively introduced into autonomous heating systems.

For most, any heating system consists of three main parts:

heating radiators
Pipe lines
Heating appliance or boiler

However, modern systems can be equipped with many other useful devices, one of which is a heat accumulator. With its help, it is possible to accumulate the excess energy that is generated in the boiler and is spent completely in vain.

Most models are nothing more than equipped with several lower and upper nozzles. Heat sources are connected to the first, consumers are connected to the second. Inside it is a liquid that can be used for desired purposes. Making a heat accumulator with your own hands is not difficult - enough time, working materials with a tool and desire.

Introductory installation video

Principle of operation

The principle of operation of a heat accumulator is based on the high heat capacity of water. It can be described as follows:

connects to the top of the tank, into which hot water enters - the most heated coolant
Below is a circulating pump that selects cold water and lets it through the heating system back to the boiler
The liquid that has cooled down very quickly is replaced by a newly heated one.

When the boiler stops working, the water in the pipelines of the heating system begins to gradually cool down. Circulating, it enters the tank, in which it begins to squeeze out the hot coolant into the pipes. Thus, the heating of the premises will continue for a certain time period.

The functions that the heat accumulator performs

Modern heat storage devices are complex devices that perform more than one useful function:

Capable of providing domestic hot water
Stabilize indoor temperatures
Allows you to increase the efficiency of heating systems to the maximum possible, reducing fuel costs
Capable of combining more than one heat source into a common circuit and vice versa
Accumulate excess energy generated by the boiler

Despite all the positive functions that a heat accumulator performs in a heating system, it has two significant drawbacks:

The water resource directly depends on the capacity of the installed tank, however, it remains limited and tends to run out quickly. It will not be superfluous to have an additional heating system from outside
From the first drawback, the second one gradually appears: more resource-intensive installations require a large free area for their placement, for example, a separate room in the form of a boiler room

Simple heat accumulator

The simplest heat accumulator with your own hands can be made based on the principle of operation of a thermos - due to its non-conductive heat walls, it does not allow the liquid to cool down over a long period of time.

For work it is necessary to prepare:

Tank of the desired capacity (from 150 l)
Thermal insulation material
Scotch
Heating elements or copper pipes
concrete slab

First of all, you should think about what the tank itself will be. As a rule, use any metal barrel at hand. Everyone determines its volume individually, but taking a capacity of less than 150 liters does not make practical sense.

The selected barrel must be put in order. It should be cleaned, dust and other debris removed from the inside, and areas where corrosion has begun to form should be treated.

Then a heater is prepared, which will wrap the barrel. He will be responsible for keeping the heat inside as long as possible. Mineral wool is perfect for a home-made design. Having wrapped the container on the outside, it is necessary to wrap it well with tape. Additionally, the surface is covered with sheet metal or wrapped in foil.

In order for the water to be heated inside, you must select one of the options:

Installation of electric heaters
Installation of a coil

The first option is quite complicated and not safe, so it is abandoned. The coil can be built independently from a copper tube with a diameter of 2-3 cm and a length of about 8-15 m. A spiral is bent from it and placed inside.

In the manufactured model, the upper part of the barrel is the heat accumulator - it is necessary to let the outlet pipe out of it. Another pipe is installed from below - an inlet through which cold water will flow. They should be equipped with cranes.

A simple device is ready for use, but before that, a fire safety issue has to be resolved. It is recommended to place such an installation exclusively on a concrete slab, if possible fenced off with walls.

How to connect

A person who has many times encountered the device of heating systems should easily make a heat accumulator with his own hands and make further connections. It should not be particularly difficult for a beginner to do this work.

In words, the connection scheme can be described as follows:

In transit through the entire tank, a return pipeline must pass through the heat accumulator, at its ends a one and a half inch inlet and outlet must be provided
First, the boiler return and the tank are connected to each other. A circulation pump should be placed between them, driving water from the barrel to the shut-off valve, expansion tank and heater
The circulation pump and the shut-off valve are also mounted on the second side
It is necessary to connect the supply pipeline by analogy with the previous one, but now heat pumps are not installed

It should be noted that in this way the heat accumulator is connected to the heating system operating on the basis of only one boiler. If their number increases, the scheme will become much more complicated.

The container must be additionally equipped with a thermometer, pressure sensors inside and an explosion valve. Accumulating constantly heat, the barrel can overheat over time. To prevent an explosion, it is necessary to relieve excess pressure periodically.

Heat accumulator and different types of heating systems

You can install a heat accumulator in conjunction with various heating systems. Interacting with each of them, it provides a number of advantages and quickly pays for itself.

The most common are heat accumulators installed together with solid fuel heating equipment, in which the amount of residues is minimal. Having brought the efficiency to the maximum possible, they very quickly heat up the heating radiators, which soon wear out. It is better to save a part of the generated energy and use it when the need really arises.

Twice the nightly electricity tariff is a problem for owners of electric heating boilers. Thus, during the daytime, the heat accumulator will accumulate heat in itself at a more favorable cost, and at night it will give it to the heating system.

Similar installations are used in multi-circuit systems, distributing water between the circuits. If you install nozzles at different heights, you can take water with different temperatures.

Upgrade options

Looking at the simplest do-it-yourself heat accumulator, a person with an engineering education will probably think about options for upgrading it. You can do this in the following ways:

Another heat exchanger is installed below, through which the energy received by the solar collector can be accumulated
It is possible to divide the internal space of the tank into several sections that communicate with each other so that the stratification of the liquid by temperature is more pronounced
To spend money on thermal insulation or not - everyone decides for himself. But a few centimeters of polyurethane foam will significantly reduce heat loss.
By increasing the number of nozzles, it will be possible to mount the unit to more complex heating systems with several circuits operating independently
It is possible to make an additional heat exchanger in which drinking water will accumulate

Video - Heat accumulator in a house with a periodic firebox

Summing up

Absolutely everyone can collect heat accumulators with their own hands. For him, there is no need to buy expensive equipment, and the simplest model consists of components that a good person always has in a garage or pantry.

All those who do not trust homemade devices can get acquainted with the rich selection of models on the markets. Their cost is more than acceptable, and the investment pays off quickly.

At the present time, the rise in price of all types of energy carriers, many homeowners have become seriously concerned about the issue of their economical use. One of the options is the inclusion of a large container with water in the heating circuit - a heat accumulator.
But factory-made containers are quite expensive. At the same time, some home craftsmen figured out how to make a heat accumulator with their own hands, which will come out much cheaper. This experience will be discussed in this article.

A little about the purpose and design

Before giving recommendations on the manufacture of this important unit, let's briefly define what it is for and consider its factory design. So, storage tanks with water are used in cases of periodic heating of the house, or rather:

when operating an electric boiler with a multi-tariff meter, when the heaters can only function economically at night. The unit, working at full capacity, heats the house and accumulates thermal energy in a tank of water;
the accumulation of heat is also necessary for solid fuel boilers, which, on the contrary, stop at night or at other times if there is no one to put a new portion of firewood or coal into the furnace;

Factory-made units are a round tank filled with water. Several coils are immersed in it, the coolant of the boiler and other heating circuits circulates in them. The design is quite complicated to manufacture and therefore not cheap, this can be seen by looking at the drawings of the heat accumulator.

If you try to take such a device as a basis in order to independently manufacture a heat accumulator, then in the end it will cost a little cheaper than the factory one. Copper or stainless steel tubes and the work of winding coils from them, sealing the bushings and insulating them will take you a lot of time and money. For homeowners looking to assemble and install a homemade heat storage unit, there is an easier solution described below.

Calculation of the volume of the storage tank

This solution lies in the fact that a do-it-yourself heat accumulator is a conventional insulated container with two nozzles for connecting to the heating system. The bottom line is that the boiler, during operation, partially directs the coolant into the storage tank when the radiators do not need it. After turning off the heat source, the reverse process occurs: the operation of the heating system is supported by water coming from the accumulator. To do this, it will be necessary to properly tie the storage tank with the heat generator.

The first step is to determine the volume of the tank for the accumulation of thermal energy and assess the possibility of placing it in the boiler room. In addition, it is not necessary to start the manufacture of heat accumulators for solid fuel boilers from scratch; there are various options for selecting ready-made vessels of suitable capacity.

We propose to roughly determine the volume of the tank in the simplest way, based on the laws of physics. To do this, you need to have the following initial data:

thermal power required for heating the house;
the time during which the heat source will be turned off and a storage tank for heating will take its place.

We will show the calculation method with an example. There is a building with an area of 100 m2, where the heat generator is idle for 5 hours a day. On a larger scale, we accept the required thermal power in the amount of 10 kW. This means that every hour the battery must supply 10 kW of energy to the system, and for the entire period of time it must be stored 50 kW. At the same time, the water in the tank is heated to at least 90 ºС, and the temperature at the supply in the heating systems of private houses in the standard mode is assumed to be 60 ºС. That is, the temperature difference is 30 ºС, we substitute all these data into the formula well known from the physics course:

Q = cm∆t

Since we want to know the amount of water that the heat accumulator should contain, the formula takes the following form:

m = Q / c Δt, where:

Q is the total consumption of thermal energy, in the example it is 50 kW;
c - specific heat capacity of water, is 4.187 kJ / kg ºС or 0.0012 kW / kg ºС;
Δt is the temperature difference between the water in the tank and the supply pipe, for our example it is 30 ºС.

m \u003d 50 / 0.0012 x 30 \u003d 1388 kg, which occupies an approximate volume of 1.4 m3. So, a thermal battery for a solid fuel boiler with a capacity of 1.4 m3, filled with water heated to 90 ºС, will provide a house with an area of 100 m2 with a heat carrier with a temperature of 60 ºС for 5 hours. Then the water temperature will drop below 60 ºС, but it will take some more time (3-5 hours) to completely “discharge” the battery and cool the rooms.

Important! In order for a self-made heat accumulator to have time to fully “charge” during the operation of the boiler, the latter must have at least one and a half power reserves. After all, the heater must simultaneously heat the house and load the storage tank with hot water.

If you want to make a storage tank from scratch, then it is best to use ordinary sheet metal 2 mm thick for this purpose. You can also cook a tank from stainless steel, but it is not at all necessary, since such material will be very expensive. For the convenience of subsequent insulation and ease of manufacture, it is better to make the container rectangular in shape. Knowing the volume of the tank, it is easy to calculate its dimensions in accordance with the conditions of its installation in the boiler room.

Advice. If you want to ensure the joint functioning of the storage vessel and the gravity heating system, then you need to make an open type heat accumulator, that is, ensure its communication with the atmosphere through a tube at the top of the tank. It must be placed above the level of the radiators, for which you will have to additionally weld a stand made of steel pipes or corners.

In some cases, it makes no sense to cook a container from scratch; you can make a water heat accumulator from a barrel. A large-capacity iron barrel is well suited; two pipes will need to be cut into it to connect to the system. It is risky to use plastic barrels due to the high temperature of the water, except that the maximum temperature of the contents up to 100 ºС will be indicated on the product labeling.

We give the same warning to those home craftsmen who make heat accumulators from the eurocube. Of course, this is a very convenient way, but this plastic container is designed for a maximum temperature of no more than 70 ºС. Therefore, the eurocube is suitable as a storage tank that works with underfloor heating, where the coolant temperature rarely exceeds 50 ºС; it is not suitable for radiator systems.

How to insulate a heat accumulator

Even when the tank is in a warm room, the temperature difference between the air and the coolant is too large - from 50 to 70 ºС. In order not to lose heat and not to heat the furnace with it, it is necessary to carry out the insulation of the heat accumulator. The easiest way to do this is with foam plastic with a thickness of 100 mm and a density of 25 kg / m3. It is easy to glue it to metal walls and cut holes for pipes.

Suitable for insulation and mineral wool of the same thickness, although it is somewhat more difficult to fix it. The density of the material is 135-145 kg/m3. For round tanks made of barrels, you will have to use ISOVER-type rolled insulation, here you will have to tinker with fasteners, especially at the bottom of the tank.

The video below shows the installation and diagram of the heat accumulator with its connection to the boiler and heating system:

Conclusion

The use of a storage tank allows you to save fuel when operating wood-burning boilers and enjoy a favorable nightly rate in the case of an electric heat generator. In the manufacture of the tank is not so difficult, you just need to have some skills.