Modern heating systems for private houses without gas. How to heat a room in the absence of electricity? How to heat a wooden house without gas
Natural gas is an excellent fuel with a number of advantages - low cost, ease of use, and lack of odor. True, it is not present everywhere, which means that you need to study all possible alternatives for heating a private home without gas.
Along the way, we will be able to find out why liquefied gas cannot become a worthy replacement for the main gas, and also understand that the use of free environmentally friendly fuel can be much more expensive than standard heating systems.
The main criterion that we will pay attention to will be the price of heat, which we will measure in gigacalories, although two other heat measurement systems are known.
How to measure the price of heating
In our country, it is traditional to measure heat in gigacalories; in Europe, a different system for measuring kilowatt-hours is used. In accordance with the new order of the Ministry of Regional Development “On the energy efficiency requirements of buildings, structures, structures”, it is necessary to carry out calculations in kilojoules. It would be more correct to stick to units of measurement that everyone understands—gigacalories. In order to heat a room with an area of 150 square meters, it will take about 16 Gcal for the entire heating season, or 2.5 Gcal per month.
In order to navigate correctly, you should find out the price of a gigacalorie, which will become known after comparison.
As the first type of fuel, it is proposed to consider network gas, the price per cubic meter of which this year was 3.3 rubles if there is a meter. With calorie content, things are a little more complicated, since natural gas is a mixture various gases. That is why the specific heat of combustion of one cubic meter of the designated fuel can range from 7500 to 9600 kcal.
Don’t forget about such an important indicator as efficiency; in modern heating equipment this figure is at least 90%. Taking advantage simple calculation, it will not be difficult to establish that 1 Gcal of heat will cost about 470-490 rubles.
Main and liquefied gas
At first glance, it may seem that in the absence of main gas, you can easily solve the problem by purchasing cylinders. However, in this case you will purchase a gas with a completely different composition. basis natural gas is methane, and the basis of liquefied gas used for heating is a propane-butane mixture. This is a completely different product not only in composition, but also in characteristics and price. Moreover, the composition of liquefied gas varies depending on the time of year.
If we compare the cost of 1 Gcal obtained from burning an imported propane-butane mixture and natural gas, the latter will be 4-5 times cheaper.
Diesel fuel
Diesel oil is another type of fuel used to heat a home. Its specific heat of combustion is about 10,180 kcal/kg or 8,650 kcal/l (taking into account the average density of the liquid, which differs between winter and summer diesel engines).
The efficiency of a diesel fuel boiler is about 90%. The retail price of one liter of diesel fuel is about 28.5 rubles, respectively, 1 Gcal will cost 3,650 rubles, which means that organizing heating using diesel fuel is a rather expensive undertaking. In addition, the cost of diesel fuel is unstable, its price per lately more than once I walked sharply uphill.
Coal and peat
Coal is a fairly inexpensive fuel, the cost of which does not depend in any way on fluctuations in the prices of petroleum products. The efficiency of modern solid fuel boilers is quite decent and often exceeds 80%.
At home, instead of expensive anthracite, it is customary to use cheaper brands - DKO (long-flame large nut), DPK (long-flame, large stove) or even brown coal. The price of one ton of coal is about 5.5 thousand rubles; an important cost factor is the delivery range and volumes. The specific heat of combustion, depending on the fraction, ranges from 5300 to 5800 kcal/kg. Accordingly, when using a modern boiler, the efficiency of which is 80%, the price of 1 Gcal will be about 1050-1150 rubles.
If you use peat as fuel, it will cost much more. The specific heat of combustion of peat briquettes is about 4 thousand kcal/kg, while a ton of fuel costs a little more than 4 thousand rubles. Accordingly, the cost of 1 Gcal will be 1.3-1.4 thousand rubles.
On pellets
Pellets are an environmentally friendly fuel used in solid fuel boilers. Essentially, these are granules obtained from wood waste. Pellets have a number of advantages over firewood - they can be used in boilers with automatic fuel supply, in addition, the moisture content of pellets is only 8-10%.
The specific heat of combustion of pellets is within 4.2 kcal/kg. Taking into account the cost of about 5 thousand rubles per ton, the price of 1 Gcal will be 1.5 thousand rubles.
Electricity
Electricity is the easiest way to organize heating. When using an electric heater, its efficiency approaches 100%. 1 Gcal equals 1163 kW/h. With a one-rate tariff for the rural population of 2.51 rubles per 1 kW/h, the cost of 1 Gcal will be 1920 rubles.
Heat pump
True, electricity can be much cheaper if you use a fashionable environmentally friendly clean way heating – heat pump.
The operating principle of a heat pump is similar to that of refrigeration chamber. The refrigerant has the ability to evaporate at low temperatures above zero, and it passes through long thin tubes hidden in the ground or at the bottom of a reservoir. Even in the most severe frosts, if the pipes are laid at a sufficient depth, they do not freeze.
Directly in the house, the refrigerant condenses and releases the heat taken from the water or ground to the heating system. Responsible for movement electric compressor, consuming 300 W of electricity to produce 1 kW of generated thermal energy. It is not difficult to calculate the cost of 1 Gcal of heat, which will be only 880 rubles.
Intermediate count
If in absolute terms everything is more or less clear, then you should find out which fuel is actually the cheapest.
In the absence of network gas, the most economical option is a heat pump. An intermediate option is various types of solid fuel. The most expensive heating of a private house without gas will be when using propane-butane, electricity and diesel fuel.
In absolute terms, everything is generally clear. In the absence of network gas, the most inexpensive option- This is a heat pump. The middle position is occupied by different types solid fuel. And the most expensive heating is propane-butane, electricity and diesel fuel. Well, okay, but in relation to an ordinary house how much is this?
In order to more accurately understand the meaning of the calculation, it is best to consider a specific example.
Consider the heating option country house area 250 sq. meters, located in the Moscow region, where the heating season lasts approximately 7 months. The entire season will require 26 Gcal of heat. Accordingly, when using network gas, heating costs will be 12.5 thousand rubles, liquefied gas - 60 thousand, coal - 28.5 thousand, diesel fuel - 79.5 thousand, peat - 37 thousand rubles, electricity - 69 thousand , pellets – 38.5 thousand, heat pump – 22 thousand.
At first glance, it may seem that the undisputed leader is the heat pump, and the obvious outsider is the boiler. diesel fuel, but in reality this is far from the case. Although a heat pump provides the cheapest energy, it is by no means cheap to install. The pump itself is not cheap, and besides, you will have to lay the pipes in the ground, and for this you will need to dig up almost the entire area or drill a well. For the country house in question, a heating system with a heat pump will cost about 750-850 thousand rubles.
Along with this, a good solid fuel boiler equipped with an automatic fuel supply system will cost about 300 thousand rubles. Even if you use more expensive pellets rather than cheap coal for heating, the difference in price between a heating system with a solid fuel boiler and a heat pump will pay for itself in about 25 years. And this despite the fact that the manufacturer guarantees the operation of the heat pump for a period of up to 20 years, after which major repairs may be required.
So it turns out that installing a heat pump is not a very profitable investment. Although if we consider the option of installing a heat pump for heating an apartment building, then in this case the “green” option looks very impressive.
Of course, if there is main gas, then there is no need to consider other types of fuel. However, if there is no gas in the village, then a gas pipeline will be required, and in this case it will be more profitable to use heat pumps.
Solid fuel boiler
A solid fuel boiler with automatic fuel supply is one of the best options for heating a house without gas.
True, our pellets are inferior in quality to European ones; they have a higher ash content and moisture content. The last parameter can reach 15% - this is due to unsatisfactory storage conditions. In this regard, the calorie content of this fuel may differ from that stated by the manufacturer.
In addition, pellets are not yet so widespread, which means that in the absence of competitors, the manufacturer or supplier can dictate their terms and inflate the price.
When purchasing a universal boiler with replaceable burners that allow you to operate on gas and diesel fuel, you will have to pay about 50 thousand rubles, which means that the difference with a pellet boiler will pay off in 4-5 years. In the event of a temporary lack of gas (the project involves installing a gas pipeline in the coming years), it is much more profitable to purchase a universal boiler than to use pellets.
Liquefied gas
Liquefied gas is precisely the heating option that should be considered in exceptional cases. Liquefied gas itself is quite expensive, and in addition there is a need to install a massive gas tank, which, when buried in the ground, will take up a considerable usable area plot.
Such a “gas storage” when performing turnkey work will cost about 200 thousand rubles with a gas volume of 5,000 liters and about 1 million rubles with a gas volume of 20,000 liters. In this case, it is much more profitable to use a solid fuel boiler with pellets.
The cheapest option is a solid fuel boiler without automatic fuel supply. The unit itself will cost 30-35 thousand rubles, however, the stove will have to be heated manually.
Insulating the house instead of heating
At first glance, giving up heating may seem like a utopia, but in fact it is quite possible to get by with high-quality insulation.
The fashion for such passive (super-economical) houses has long embraced a significant part of Europe. The Passive House was designed in Germany by the Passive House Institute, with specific consumption heat for heating should not exceed 150 kW/h per 10 sq. m per year. Taking into account all household needs - operation of electrical appliances, lighting, hot water this figure should not exceed 120 kW/h per 1 sq. m per year.
Of course, there are many people who will argue that in our climate this idea is impossible, but this is not at all true. Ready example can be considered neighboring Finland with a more severe climate, where an entire block of passive houses was built in Helsinki, the annual electricity consumption of which is only 750-850 kW/h per 1 sq. m. m.
Future plans suggest reducing this figure to 700 kW/h. The secret to success lies in sufficiently thick walls, as well as the installation of low-e glass that blocks infrared radiation to the outside, as well as the use of heat pumps.
Due to the fact that in our country passive houses Until they build it, it is quite difficult to determine the economic effect of such a decision.
Natural gas has penetrated so deeply into our lives that without it it is difficult to imagine the development of civilization, and in particular, heating a country house without gas. Gas is cheap to produce, cheap to transport, and does not need to be processed to turn it into heat. But even now there are regions and settlements that cannot use this natural resource. Therefore, to heat their homes, people are forced to use alternative methods of generating heat.
Unfortunately, there are still settlements where there is no gas supply.
What fuel can be used to keep the house warm and make the heating process easy for the owner? Humanity has been using many heating options for a long time, but some are innovative. Therefore, we will consider all the solutions, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
If not gas, then what?
The most accessible, cheap and efficient heating of a country house without gas is heating with wood. IN rural areas this method is the most relevant due to the availability of the material. Firewood also requires storage and storage, which is not difficult in the village. Devices for burning wood - conventional stoves and solid fuel boilers. The stove has the advantage that you can cook food on it, and you can even sleep on a Russian stove!
The principle of operation of a boiler using wood or other solid fuel is to heat the coolant, which circulates through the heating system and heats the house. Radiators, batteries or registers are used to generate concentrated heat. Solid fuel boilers are also developing in several directions - there are gas generator models, pyrolysis units and classic devices that operate according to a simplified scheme.
Solid fuel heating systems are affordable and easy to install. Boilers are equipped with automation systems that increase operational safety, which cannot be said about furnaces. If there is no gas or firewood in the area where the house is built, then heating can be organized by other means, for example, using electricity.
Electric boilers offered by domestic and foreign manufacturers, reliable in operation, durable in operation, maintainable and have high efficiency. The disadvantage of these devices is that the cost of electricity in light of its consumption by the boiler will be high, and the larger the house, the higher the costs will be.
An alternative to the usual and traditional furnaces and boilers is the use of innovative, environmentally friendly technologies. This is the fuel that nature itself has prepared for us, and it hardly needs to be processed. For example, a heat pump that operates on the temperature difference between soil layers at different depths and the ambient temperature on the surface.
The heat pump is increasingly used in country houses, as it does not require storing fuel for the winter, is environmentally friendly, technologically advanced, durable and relatively cheap. The disadvantage of a heat pump is the cost of the device and its installation, but it is comparable to the savings when operating a heating system, since it does not incur any additional costs for repairs, maintenance and preventive maintenance of equipment.
Solar batteries, wind generators and geothermal sources are the prerogative of mountainous areas, but people also live in the mountains, so the percentage of use of such unusual heat sources is very high. For example, in Russia, electricity produced from such natural sources is used by about 15% of the population.
Heating a house with a traditional stove
Stove heating is still in demand today, since the operation of the stove does not depend on electricity, the presence of a gas pipeline or liquid fuel. Buying firewood in rural areas is not a problem; there is plenty of space for storing logs and logs. Most often, heating a country house without gas, using wood or coal, has two purposes - actually heating the premises and cooking. In order to be able to cook on the stove, the firebox is equipped with a special cast-iron stove with removable dampers.
One of the advantages is that the stove is the most primitive device in operation, and care for it is appropriate. The chimney and ash pan need to be cleaned. If the stove is heated with wood, then the chimney is cleaned once a month, if with coal, then the chimney can be cleaned once during the entire heating season - it depends on the brand of coal. Anthracite and semi-anthracite are hard, high-calorie grades and leave little soot behind. Smoked coal has a high ash content, and you will have to clean the chimney every few weeks, just like when using firewood.
To build a stove in a house, you need refractory bricks, sand and clay. Metal parts- these are grates, valves, doors for loading fuel and cleaning the ash pan, and a stove for cooking. The design of the Russian stove also provides sleeping place. The Russian stove differs in design from a conventional stove - it retains heat longer, and at the same time it is more convenient to cook food. The Russian stove can be used not only as a heating device, but also as the main element for decoration classic interior in Russian classical style.
Furnaces of any design also have disadvantages. When burning wood, you need to load it constantly - once every 3-5 hours. Coal burns longer, but the stove will have to be loaded 2 times a day. Since the stove is almost always built in a residential area, dirt and debris will have to be removed constantly. Like cleaning the ash drawer every day, and cleaning the chimney several times throughout the heating season. The fire hazard of the structure is also high; there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if used incorrectly. In addition, the furnace takes up much more space than a boiler or boiler. If not used with the oven water heating, then the heating of the rooms will be uneven.
Advantages and disadvantages of solid fuel boilers
A solid fuel boiler is a heating unit whose body is made of cast iron or heat-resistant steel. Thermal energy released when burning coal, peat, wood or waste from the wood processing industry. The efficiency and safety of a solid fuel heating unit has been proven in practice. The premises are heated by coolant, which is poured into the heating system connected to the boiler.
The advantage of a solid fuel boiler is that it works on a variety of materials.
The advantage of such a device is that the fuel for it is inexpensive, and accordingly, the cost of thermal energy is low. 1 kW of heat generated by a solid fuel boiler is 4 times cheaper than 1 kW of energy generated by gas combustion, 8 times cheaper than using liquid fuel, 17 times cheaper than energy from an electric boiler.
It is non-volatile, it does not need to be connected to either the gas mains or electricity. If the boiler is equipped with automation, then most often it is an independent device. The unit is easy to install, operate and repair.
Among the disadvantages noted: the need for manual loading, the ash content of the fuel (which necessitates constant cleaning of the boiler and chimney), and the need for constant visual monitoring of the operation of the boiler. The large inertia of the unit is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The boiler takes a long time to warm up itself and warms up the heating system for a long time, but it also takes a long time to cool down, maintaining heat in the house.
Liquid fuel boilers - advantages and disadvantages
To operate the boiler at liquid fuel you need regular diesel fuel, fuel oil, kerosene, vegetable oils (rapeseed) or used machine oil. This condition already makes the use of the boiler expensive. In addition, to install the boiler you need separate room, equipped with ventilation, since all types of liquid fuel have a specific odor and are a fire hazard. At incorrect installation boiler, it can smoke, and in the cold season, liquid fuel requires heating or storage in a warm room.
Advantages - high efficiency, allowing the installation of liquid fuel boilers in large rooms. A long break between loading flammable liquids allows you to largely automate the operation of the unit.
Heating with electric boiler
An electric boiler is a compact device with high efficiency. Environmental cleanliness in operation, consistency of energy carrier, and operation are the main advantages of electric units. The coolant is heated using built-in heating elements. The cost of an electric boiler is related to the cost gas equipment, boiler maintenance is minimal.
An electric boiler is a good, but expensive way to heat a private home without gas.
Disadvantages - the allocated electrical power is not always enough to fully heat the premises. If electricity is often cut off in a region, there is no alternative to heating. Although the cost of equipment and its installation are relatively cheap, monthly electricity bills in winter will be high.
Alternative heating
Space heating with a heat pump – latest development in this area. recycles heat from the bowels of the Earth, from air or water. The unit is environmentally friendly and highly efficient: 1 kW of wasted power produces 5-6 kW of useful power.
Flaws!
Expensive installation of a vertical ground loop. Even a standard pump installation will cost 400-500,000 rubles.
Solar collectors are used to convert solar energy into thermal energy. Structurally solar collectors can be flat and vacuum. The environmental friendliness of the device is an undeniable plus. Disadvantages - the operation of the collector depends on weather conditions, installation of the system is expensive, as is maintenance. The main requirement for a heated building is good thermal insulation, which makes the use of a solar collector even more expensive.
Which heating method is better?
To calculate heat, two units of measurement are used - gigacalories (Gcal/h) and kilowatt-hours (kW/h). Also, regional authorities often use kilojoules (kJ) for calculations. Following generally accepted calculations in gigacalories, you can determine the cost of Gcal/h for any room. So, to heat a room of 150 m2 you need to spend 16 Gcal per heating season, or 2.5 Gcal per month. The price of 1 Gcal can be determined using a comparative method.
- For example, let’s take gas, the cost of 1 m 3 in 2014 was 4 rubles. The calorific value of network gas is the sum of the calorie content of the mixture that makes up the network gas. Therefore, the specific heat of 1 m 3 of gas mixture lies in the range from 7500-9600 Kcal. Gas boilers have an average efficiency of 90%, in the end we get the cost of 1 Gcal of heat in the range of 600-700 rubles. If there is no main gas, then bottled gas cannot solve the problem - the composition of the gas is different, and the equipment will have to be redone. When comparing the cost of 1 Gcal of propane-butane mixture ( bottled gas) and the cost of natural gas, it is clear that the gas mixture is 4-5 times more expensive.
- The specific heat of combustion of liquid fuel is within the range of 10,000 Kcal/kg or 8,650 Kcal/l, since the density of liquid fuel is different, especially taking into account the time of year. The efficiency of a liquid fuel boiler is 90%. With the cost of 1 liter of diesel fuel being 33 rubles, 1 Gcal will cost 3,300 rubles. Conclusion - heating with liquid fuel will be expensive. Considering the trend of constant growth in prices for diesel fuel and fuel and lubricants, this is not the most economical way heating a country house.
- Coal is a cheap fuel and Solid fuel efficiency boilers are often more than 80%. Anthracite is the most expensive brand of coal, and for heating your home you can use cheaper coal - DPK (long-flame, large stove), DKO (long-flame, large nut) or chicken coal. A ton of coal costs an average of 6,000 rubles. The specific heat of combustion of coal is 5300-5800 Kcal/kg. Calculations show that the cost of 1 Gcal when heating with coal will be 1200-1300 rubles.
- Using peat to heat your home will cost more. The specific heat of combustion of peat is 4000 Kcal/kg. This means that the cost of 1 Gcal is 1300-1400 rubles.
- Pellets are one of the types of solid fuel. Pellets are produced from waste from the wood processing industry in the form of granules. They are convenient to use in solid fuel boilers with automatic loading. The specific heat of combustion of pellets is 4.2 Kcal/kg. If the cost of pellets for 1 ton is 5,000 rubles per ton, the cost of 1 Gcal will be approximately 1,500 rubles.
- Electric energy is the easiest way to heat a house without gas. The efficiency of an electric heater tends to 100%. 1 Gcal is 1163 kW/h. Therefore, at the current price of electricity for a village of 2 rubles per 1 kW/h, 1 Gcal will cost approximately 1,600 rubles.
- You can reduce the cost of using electricity for heating by using a heat pump. The heat pump operates on the principle of a refrigerator - the refrigerant evaporates at low positive temperatures. The route is laid through thin long tubes in the ground or at the bottom of a natural reservoir. Even in extreme cold, correct calculation of the required depth for laying pipes will not allow them to freeze. Having reached the house, the refrigerant begins to condense and releases the heat accumulated from the water or soil into the heating system. The movement of the refrigerant is controlled by a compressor, which is powered by electricity. The average power consumption of a compressor is 300 W to generate 1 kW of thermal energy. The price of 1 Gcal of heat will be 880 rubles.
The conclusions are obvious and unambiguous - to organize economical heating of a country house without gas, it is best to use a heat pump or solid fuel in any form.
Anyone can equip heating of a private house without gas and electricity. Such heating sources may be needed by people who do not have a gas pipeline nearby, or by those who simply want to economically heat a private home without gas or electricity.
Some heating sources are capable of providing full warmth in the house, while others can only serve as additional ones. Choosing one option or another heating equipment, you should carefully weigh all the advantages and disadvantages.
Read about how to install heating in a private home. . You can familiarize yourself with the rules for installing a heating convector .
Autonomous heating without gas: stoves
The most affordable heating systems for private houses without gas are stoves. This is an excellent option for a private country house. The principle of operation of a stove heating system is simple: the coolant (usually water) is heated by the fire and passes into radiators. Stoves can be brick or metal.
The main advantages of a stove heating system:
- fast heating;
- low financial costs for installation and additional equipment;
- durability;
- creating an incredibly cozy atmosphere in the house;
- modern design that does not violate the harmony of the interior.
The disadvantages include:
- bulkiness (furnace systems take up a lot of space);
- constant need for firewood;
- high fire hazard;
- uneven heating in different parts premises.
You can also cook food in stoves that are heated with wood.
Heating boilers without gas
As an alternative, there is home heating without electricity or gas using solid and liquid fuel boilers - units similar in design to stoves. Modern market heating equipment offers a wide range various models boilers designed according to the latest technologies. Everyone can find suitable option for yourself. Heating boilers without gas operate on solid and liquid fuel.
Solid fuel boilers
Most solid fuel boilers provide heat from wood and coal. Solid fuel boilers are classic, pyrolysis and gas generator. The most reliable and, unfortunately, expensive are gas generator boilers.
The advantages of solid fuel boilers include:
- reliability and durability (serve for more than 10 years);
- economical use of raw materials for combustion;
- Efficiency more than 75%;
- cheap fuel consumed.
It is important to choose the right fuel for boilers. For example, for pyrolysis models you should buy raw materials with low humidity. In addition, it is necessary to regularly clean the units from ash.
Liquid fuel boilers
Liquid fuel heating systems can operate on waste petroleum, synthetic, and motor oils. The most common types of fuel are diesel fuel and kerosene. There are hot water and steam boilers on liquid fuel.
Advantages of liquid fuel boilers:
- high efficiency (heating possible big house);
- complete autonomy;
- comfortable operation.
Liquid fuel boilers have some disadvantages:
- increased fire hazard;
- expensive fuel.
Steam boilers are the most compact - they can be easily placed even in a small house.
Autonomous heating without electricity: fireplaces
Additional options for heating a private house without gas are fireplaces. Standard air fireplaces are affordable and easy to install. There is no need to connect a storage tank, connect a pipe and think through thermal protection. All that is needed is the construction of a chimney. For efficient work the fireplace must be led from it air channels throughout the house. In this way, you can heat not only the room in which the device is located, but also other rooms.
A fireplace with a water circuit is a kind of “mix” of a solid fuel boiler and a standard fireplace. First, it is installed in the house, after which it is connected to the general heating system. A container of water located in the middle of the fireplace heats up when the raw materials burn. A fireplace can heat not only the air in the house, but also the water in the heating system, which is transferred to radiators, heated floors, etc.
A pellet fireplace heats the air only in the room in which it is installed. The main advantage of the device is automatic feeding fuel. The fireplace only requires control of the amount of fuel pellets in the hopper.
Heating a large house with heat pumps
Modern heating of a private house without gas using heat pumps will provide financial savings on heating and water heating. A heat pump is a device that accumulates and releases heat using natural sources. Coolants can be groundwater, rocks, air, earth. To operate the heat pump you will need 3 kW of electricity or solar panels.
Advantages of a pump heating system:
- high-quality and reliable equipment materials;
- simple and economical operation;
- possibility of use as an air conditioner;
- automatic control;
- compactness.
Flaws:
- high cost of equipment and installation;
- relatively short service life (about 20 years).
Heat pumps are suitable for efficiently heating a large house. Despite the expensive installation during operation, the device is very economical and does not require additional maintenance costs.
Solar collectors as an option for heating a private house without gas
Solar collectors have nothing to do with solar panels. A solar collector is a device consisting of a large number of interconnected pipes. The water flowing through them is heated by the sun's rays. Collectors are installed on the roof of the house on the south side.
Advantages:
- energy efficiency (at low costs you can fill a large house with heat);
- ease of installation and use;
- environmental safety.
Flaws:
- low efficiency of heating the coolant (almost all models of collectors heat water only up to 60°);
- dependence on weather (the efficiency of the unit decreases during rain and wind);
- Difficulty in maintenance (problems may occur in case of frost).
Solar collectors accumulate about 90% of the heat reaching the Earth's surface with the sun's rays, and represent a modern autonomous heating system without gas or electricity. Despite the shortcomings, the devices are in great demand among consumers.
Alternative home heating without gas: infrared
There are not as many options for alternative heat sources that can provide heating for a private home as it seems at first glance. Many of them require energy costs in one way or another, differing only in their volumes, features of functionality and other nuances. In any case, heating a house without gas and electricity involves financial investments, so finding a cheap option will be quite difficult.
Among the most affordable alternative options You can highlight infrared heating.
Principles of operation and organization of infrared heating
So, let's look at the operating principle of infrared heating. It lies in the fact that thermal appliances borrow energy from the sun. Outgoing waves heat objects, heat is transferred to surfaces, and they, in turn, warm the air in the room. Comfort begins to be felt already at 15 degrees. This type of heating uses various types thermal panels. Thus, to feel the effect of this type of heating, it is enough to step out of the cool shade under direct sun rays. Today infrared type heating is used in industrial plants and industrial areas to heat large warehouses.
Species diversity of infrared heat
Today, when organizing infrared heating, conventional energy sources are also used, according to which it is customary to classify infrared heating into:
- radiant;
- electrical;
- diesel;
- gas.
In general, infrared is a fairly economical heating system that allows you to provide a quick and less expensive way to heat rooms. Radiant infrared heating is also an environmentally friendly heating option.
Advantages of infrared heat devices
Modern heating of a private house without gas is considered by many as an option using high-tech equipment, the cost of which, as well as installation and installation costs, make it uneconomical. In fact, there are systems available that you can install yourself, and the cost of structures and devices will be justified in the future by savings on conventional energy sources, such as gas or diesel fuel. In general, heating a house without gas involves many alternative methods of heating rooms. So, if you compare the cost of carrying out and installing gas heating equipment with installing infrared panels, then the costs will be an order of magnitude lower. In addition, this will make it possible to avoid a number of bureaucratic procedures, such as checking premises and systems for compliance with standards and obtaining permits from various services.
Simultaneously, independent heating in the form of infrared panels is safe and environmentally friendly.
To fully understand the principles and features of infrared thermal equipment, we list a number of its main advantages:
- Infrared equipment does not expend energy on heating the air, but heats objects, from which the room is heated;
- Such heating systems for private houses without gas do not dry the air and do not kill oxygen in the room;
- Radiant systems do not require the installation of radiators, batteries and pipes, which allows saving usable space and not damage the design of the room;
- Such options for heating a house without gas are quite economical;
- Safe for health;
- They do not require specialized maintenance or care.
Types of infrared heating
On at the moment alternative home heating without electricity and gas is in demand and interesting to most homeowners. And all used electric infrared heaters are divided into two groups: panel and film. Another new product has appeared on the market - heating panels made of plasterboard. Experts place it in a separate category. So we can already talk about three types of heaters.
According to the method of placing the heater, they are divided into floor, wall and ceiling. But as practice shows, they are rarely used separately; most often they are used combined options placement.
Types of electrical panels
Installation occurs during repair or construction work, and at any stage. Externally, these devices are compact structures in durable metal housings. The structure is heated using a tubular electric heater or a heating coil. Recently, manufacturers increasingly use ceramic, tungsten or quartz heating elements for these purposes. An aluminum plate acts as a long-wave emitter.
For ceiling heaters Manufacturers produce special designs. Their peculiarity is that they are built into the ceiling structure, which makes them practically invisible against the ceiling background. It can also be built in with the specific operational characteristics of the room. For example, if you attach a heater above the seating area, while at the same time making sure that the area above the closet (wardrobe) remains unheated, you can achieve significant reductions in electricity costs.
Film heaters
These are the thinnest devices among all heating devices. They use carbon heat elements as a radiation source. The same film can be used as a ceiling, floor or wall heater.
The peculiarity of this type of infrared heater is that it can be built into almost any decorative coating and not be afraid of overheating. Film installation options depend on what material will be used as the finishing coating.
Typically, a film heater is mounted on drywall. If the heater is installed under suspended ceilings, then the film is attached directly to the rough ceiling. The only requirement is that between the heater film and ceiling trim There was at least 5 cm left.
New in heating - heating plasterboard
Externally, this design, despite its novelty, is very simple - a sheet of plasterboard, on the back of which a heater in the form of an electrically conductive carbon thread is attached. The heater sheet itself is protected by electrical insulation, and the heater is covered with a durable polymer coating.
The new product is appreciated by almost all interior designers, since it can be integrated into the interior so that no one will notice it. At the same time, the installation of the heating system itself is practically no different from the installation of conventional drywall sheets. Most often, the new product is used as a backup heat source for houses with central heating.
It is best to choose the required type of infrared heating with the help of professionals. They will do this taking into account the characteristics of the housing, its area and other parameters. Installation is also best left to professionals.
Areas of application of IR
The advantage of these heaters is that they can be used in any room. They are especially good for quickly heating country houses. Such panels are not afraid of freezing and begin to work almost immediately.
They have proven themselves excellent as a heating system in greenhouses. After all, the heat generated by these heaters is close in its properties to that of the sun, which is why plants grow very quickly. The only thing you need to consider is the distance from the device to the plantings. It is recommended to move the device further as the plants grow.
Another area of use is heating a garage. Especially if you use a zonal arrangement of heaters. In this case, you will not have to waste electricity on heating areas that are currently unnecessary.
Which option for heating a house without gas should you choose?
To summarize, it should be noted that truly complete and safe heating systems of a private house without the use of gas and electricity in the form of solid and liquid fuel boilers. The remaining options serve, as a rule, as a complement to each other or to the main heating system.
It is not at all difficult to equip the heating of a private house without gas with your own hands. Alternative heating Homes without electricity and gas are always cheaper than gas or electric. Another significant advantage is a high level of security.
The cost of heating any private home depends on the amount of heat loss, which can be reduced by insulating houses with modern thermal insulation materials.
Today there are many options for heating a home without gas.
About to build country house, you need to decide in advance what the heating method will be. Alas, many areas are still not connected gas pipes. In this case, you need to decide how to heat the dacha without gas.
What alternative to gas heating can you find today? The choice is quite large - you can use wood stoves, opt for water heating, or choose electric boilers. Today we will tell you how to provide heating for a dacha without gas, options and methods.
Electric heating system for a house without gas
Their use today is quite popular, since they have a number of significant advantages that must be taken into account when purchasing. The advantages of electric boilers include:
- environmentally friendly equipment due to the absence of any emissions;
- reasonable price of boilers;
- ease of installation (no need to call specialists for installation);
- ease of use: such boilers do not require a special room for installation; there are models that are simply hung on the wall.
Electric boilers are a good replacement for gas.
However, such equipment has its drawbacks, which should not be forgotten when purchasing.
The disadvantages include the fact that the power allocated in the house may not be enough for the boiler to fully operate. Because of this, it will be possible to heat either part of the house or the entire building, but the temperature will be significantly lower.
The purchase of a more powerful boiler (more than 10 kilowatts) requires approval. In addition, the disadvantages include the fact that in the event of frequent power failures, such equipment will be ineffective. We must not forget about the fairly high cost of electricity.
Heating a cottage without gas - diesel water heating system
Diesel boilers can become a replacement for gas heating.
Quite popular are those running on diesel or diesel fuel. On sale you can find equipment using kerosene, rapeseed oil and other liquids. The advantages of using such boilers include:
- high level of efficiency (at least 92%);
- no need to obtain permits and approvals for the installation of such a boiler.
Before purchasing, be sure to know about the disadvantages:
- high level of fire hazard;
- such a boiler is not considered environmentally friendly;
- fuel for the boiler is difficult to store - for example, for diesel fuel you need to allocate a separate room, preferably not adjacent to a residential building;
- The cost of fuel is not cheap.
Electric water heating system
Water system - effective option heating.
This option is preferable to using liquid fuel boilers. First of all, because of the power of the equipment and the ability to heat all rooms. Before you start equipping your home with such a system, you need to make accurate calculations.
First you need to select a boiler and determine the location of the batteries. To do this, be sure to take into account the area of the heated premises, the insulation material on the walls (if any) and the heat losses of the house in winter time year. It would be good if the building is connected to the water supply system, but practice shows that often this possibility is not available. After this, you need to draw up a plan for the movement of water through the pipes.
The advantages of this method include:
- work autonomy;
- safety and environmental friendliness;
- no need for expensive maintenance and repairs.
How to heat a room without gas - using “old-time” methods
Modern stoves are a good replacement for gas for heating.
Economical heating country house without gas is possible using “grandfathered” methods by using coal and firewood. In this case, we are not talking about stoves in their traditional representation, but about modern boilers operating on solid fuel. The principle of their operation is very simple: when wood burns, it heats the walls of the stove, which releases heat into the room.
This method has quite a few advantages:
- the oven heats up quickly;
- no pipes or radiators are needed for heating;
- due to its small dimensions, such a boiler will not take up much space;
- environmental cleanliness.
But one cannot help but note the obvious disadvantages:
- you need to frequently replenish the supply of firewood and add it to the boiler;
- you need to create a high-quality ventilation system.
Pellets - economical home heating without gas and pipes
Pellet boilers are a modern alternative to gas.
Pellets are considered an alternative energy source. They are made from wood waste (shavings, sawdust) or from agricultural waste.
It is worth noting that many Europeans, trying to find options on how to heat a country house without gas, choose, assessing the cost-effectiveness of their use.
The advantages of using pellets include:
- environmental safety (one granule contains a maximum of 3% ash);
- maximum safety of use, since this fuel is not subject to self-ignition;
- pellet boilers have a high level of efficiency;
- low cost of “fuel”, which ensures energy saving heating without gas.
Now you know how to heat a dacha without gas. As you can see, there are a lot various options, and therefore, to choose, you need to focus on your financial capabilities and needs.
If there is no gas in the house, then heating can be built using solid fuel or electricity, or better yet, a combination of both. The more diverse the heating sources, the less likely it is that the system will fail.
For example, the installation of a solid fuel boiler can be supplemented electric convector for every room. You can combine a Russian stove on the first floor of the house and infrared heaters on the second floor. However, electric and solid fuel energy sources are not the whole list. So, let's start in order...
To heat a house without gas or electricity, you should think about the energy of burning solid fuels:
- brick kilns;
- metal furnaces;
- solid fuel boilers.
There are also fireplaces, but it is difficult to classify them as a home heating system, since they can only be used to heat one room.
Boiler operating conditions
The main models of solid fuel boilers are designed in such a way that the air flow that ensures combustion is directed by a mechanical thermostat with a chain drive. At the same time, it must be ensured natural craving chimney. However, for normal operation of the boiler, a number of conditions must be met:
- Place the pipe so that it is no higher than the incoming pipe.
- Provide the system with free communication with the external environment using an open expansion tank, located at the top.
- Create a pipe system with optimal diameters and a minimum number of dead-end branches.
- Equip the boiler with fire safety equipment.
Price
The cost of solid fuel boilers varies over a very wide range - from 20 to 300-400 thousand rubles. It all depends on the design and capacity.
However, despite the price, solid fuel boilers are the best sellers among home heating equipment without gas or electricity.
The difference between a liquid fuel boiler and a solid fuel boiler is insignificant. To obtain thermal energy, liquid fuel is poured into a liquid fuel boiler instead of coal:
- diesel fuel;
- fuel oil;
- kerosene;
- vegetable oils;
- alcohol.
The last two are provided only as an illustration of the possibilities. The use of oil and alcohol is an unaffordable luxury. And the point is not even that alcohol, for example, is very expensive, but that this fuel is obtained from plant materials, which could be used to produce food.
Peculiarities
A distinctive feature of liquid fuel boilers is their high efficiency - up to 92%. In addition, for installation and operation, permission from special services is not required, unlike, for example, gas boilers.
Price
The price range for such boilers ranges from 25,000 to 180,000 rubles and depends on the manufacturer and the volume of the combustion chamber. The average annual cost of heating a private house is 150 sq.m. without gas and electricity on diesel fuel about 150,000 rubles.
Which is higher than the cost of solid fuel and even electricity.
It is possible to convert solar energy into thermal energy only if the sun shines frequently and for a long time over the roof of your house. Unfortunately, 80% of Russian territories have nothing to do with this. However, even in warm climates you cannot rely only on solar heating; a backup source is definitely needed.
Operating principle
Light-absorbing batteries are installed in place “under the sun,” which process solar energy directly into thermal energy and then transfer it to the coolant. There are two types of solar collectors - vacuum and flat. Vacuum ones are considered the most efficient and economical. Using solar energy is an achievement of science.
Price
Plus solar heating is the small price of solar collectors. Flat devices can be purchased at prices ranging from 1,500 to 60,000 rubles. Vacuum ones are much more expensive - about 80,000 rubles. However, if you consider that you don’t have to pay for fuel, the price is quite reasonable.
Biofuel use
Biological fuel is any organic matter that can burn. However, this term has recently come to mean the use of gases released by rotting organic matter.
Operating principle
Anything that rots with sufficient intensity is suitable as a source of such gas. Typically, manure, food waste, and plant matter are used. All gases formed during the decay process burn well and replace natural gas.
The biofuel heating installation itself consists of units that collect the emitted gas, purify it and feed it into boilers for combustion. And then the operating principle is the same as that of a natural gas boiler.
Cons
A significant disadvantage of this heating method is the low rotting performance under natural conditions. In order to speed up this process, you need to increase the temperature, and this costs energy.
For this reason, it is impossible to use biofuel as the main method of heating a large house, but heating small house or creating an auxiliary system is quite possible.
Biofuel heating is widely used by farms in countries such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal.
Such heat is extracted from nothing, just from the air. This is an air conditioner in reverse. The pump itself does not produce heat, it only extracts it from the medium and sends it in the desired direction.
Operating principle
The principle of operation of the pump is to take heat from the environment in which it is placed. However, the pump needs starting energy. For example, in order to move 10 kW of thermal energy, it needs to consume about 3 kW of electricity.
The difference is impressive! And if electricity is available, it allows you to choose a heat pump for economical heating private house without gas.
Features and prices
However, the problem is that in severe frosts such a pump malfunctions. Works well in frosts down to −15, stops working at −30. There is one more drawback - with practically free energy, the pump itself is very expensive - from 200,000 to 1,500,000 rubles.
Once upon a time they were called potbelly stoves. This name dates back to the distant times of the civil war and subsequent devastation, when the simplest joys of life were associated with great wealth.
Much has changed since then, but an iron stove is still called a potbelly stove. They look different now. Many of them are equipped with fireproof glass windows, but their essence has not changed - they heat up quickly and cool down just as quickly.
Maybe that’s why this stove was called a potbelly stove, because maintaining a constantly high temperature requires a lot of wood, bourgeois style.
Folk fantasy
In Siberian taiga huts, where it is possible to install a cast-iron stove, but it is difficult to deliver bricks, the potbelly stove is lined on three sides with large stones, rolled in by the river. It turns out beautiful and functional - the stones heat up and slowly release heat to the air.
This technique is quite applicable in the conditions of a country house - when the house is built, but the heating is not yet ready. To some extent, stones perform fire-fighting functions, absorbing random sparks and excess heat. Stone structures can serve as a reason for the designer’s flights of fancy.
Efficiency metal furnace will increase if you equip it with a coil for heating water and connect heating batteries to it.
Brick stoves or Russian stoves
In its classic form, the Russian stove is a miracle of engineering soap with a very efficient heating system. Not only did the stove heat the entire hut, it was also a multifunctional kitchen, a heated bed and even a bathhouse.
Nowadays, a number of functions of a Russian stove are not needed, but as heating in a private house without gas and electricity, it is effective!
In modern conditions
Making an ancient Russian stove modern is quite simple:
- If one of the sides is built into the wall separating one room from another, then two rooms will be heated. However, the stove has four sides.
- If you manage to build a stove into two walls of two different rooms, then you can heat almost the entire house.
- If the house is large, then one heat source cannot be used - you will have to create a system of pipes and batteries with a water heating element.
How does a Russian stove differ from a simple one? brick size and the lack of a bed. A brick oven has great inertia - it takes a long time to heat up, but it also takes a long time to cool down.
To make the cooling process last longer, there is a damper system that holds hot air. However, it is in this system that the greatest danger of the stove lies - if the damper is closed ahead of time, then carbon monoxide from the firebox it will not go into the chimney, but into the house.
Price
Construction cost brick oven depends on a number of factors: firstly, on the size, secondly, on the selected materials, thirdly, on the remuneration of the stove maker. Moreover, the work costs the most.
So, if the stove maker charges moderately, and you are not going to decorate the stove with marble and ceramics, then you can spend 20-60 thousand rubles. Whether it is expensive or not - everyone evaluates it differently. However, you should take into account the fact that the stove will last for decades.
How to light the stove
You can drown anything that burns. The classic option is wood and coal. However, the following sources of thermal energy have also been used in the furnace at all times.
Dung
Dung is completely dried cow dung. It burns well and leaves almost no ash. Horse manure can be used for the same purpose. By the way, there is no smell from such fuel.
Peat
Peat, or more precisely, peat briquettes. In terms of calorific value, it is somewhere between wood and coal. Briquettes burn in an already heated firebox. This means that you first need to heat the stove with wood, and then add briquettes.
Advantages - peat is environmentally less toxic than coal.
More precisely, the toxicity of peat smoke can be equated to the toxicity of firewood. Only peat produces more ash and smoke. You can only talk about the benefits of using peat if you have the opportunity to buy it at a low price. In all other cases, it is better to use firewood and coal.
Firewood
Wood burns quickly and is not always hot. To support high temperature You don’t just need a lot of firewood in the house, you need to put it in the firebox all the time.
Coal
It is best to use coke. Coal burns for a long time, and good coked coal is also hot.
If you use black coal with low ash content and high calorific value, then one measure of coal can provide as much heat as 3-5 such measures of firewood. The only argument against coal is its high ash content.
Coal ash is toxic, so there will be a problem with its disposal.
More
There are other firewood substitutes. For example, seed husks or corn cobs. Both burn well, but not for long, and without intense heat. However, these types of fuel should not be considered seriously.
Thus, among all types of solid fuels, it is worth choosing firewood and coal. Moreover, precisely in combination. Firewood is good for lighting the stove, and coal is good for long and slow burning.
Instead of a conclusion
There are a dozen systems for heating a private home without gas or electricity - from a classic stove to solar energy. It’s difficult to advise which one to choose. However, I can give one universal piece of advice - try to create a multifunctional system with duplicating functions and minimizing risk, as on warships.