How to choose?

The main criteria when choosing a boiler should be productivity, efficiency, reliability, safety, as well as the cost of equipment and its installation acceptable to you. But even despite the desire to save money, it is better to pay more and purchase high-quality equipment than then spend time and money on repairing and restoring out-of-order components and assemblies. Also keep in mind that unlike liquid and solid fuel devices, there are no odours when heating with natural gas, there is less soot and soot, and the boilers themselves are more durable.

Types of boilers

According to the installation method, gas boilers are floor-mounted and wall-mounted. For an apartment, it is better to take a wall-mounted boiler. It does not need a separate room (it can be placed in the kitchen). And the latest modern models are quite attractive in design and will perfectly fit into the interior.

According to their purpose, boilers are divided into single- and double-circuit. The first ones serve exclusively for heating the room. Double–circuit - both for heating and for heating running water. On the one hand, this is convenient, but if you break down, you will be left not only without heat, but also without hot water. Therefore, it is recommended to use a single-circuit boiler in combination with an expansion tank for hot water. Although it will cost you more than a double-circuit boiler, but the heating system will work more efficiently (when using a double-circuit boiler, 25% of the heat goes to heating the water), and you can turn on the shower in the bathroom and wash dishes in the kitchen at the same time without losing pressure.

Burner and chimney

Gas boilers are equipped with two types of burners – atmospheric and inflatable (fan). The atmospheric burner works like an ordinary gas burner and is installed inside the boiler. The fan room is installed outside and closed with a sound-absorbing casing to reduce noise. Its efficiency is higher, but it also costs more.

Let's move on. The burner can be single-stage (one power level), two-stage (two power levels), as well as modulation (smooth control). The last two options are preferable. They allow you to increase the life of the boiler by about 70% and save gas, and, consequently, your money. When buying a wall-mounted gas boiler, keep in mind that it is produced either with open or closed combustion chambers. The first one is not suitable for an apartment, because the gorenje air is taken directly from the room, and the exhaust gases are discharged into the chimney, which is not in high-rise buildings. Therefore, it is necessary to take the second option, where there is a special smoke removal system, which includes a turbine for the forced removal of combustion products and a coaxial chimney. In addition, such a device does not burn oxygen in the room. But if you have a cottage, it is recommended to put a boiler with an open combustion chamber.

Bells and whistles and chips

 

Good boilers are equipped with at least two descaling protection systems. The first is a system that controls the temperature in the primary circuit and does not allow it to rise to critical values when scale is formed. The second is a magnetic system to reduce scale formation. In the absence or malfunction of these systems, scale settles on the heat exchanger, it overheats and burns out. It is also very desirable to have automation that will turn off the boiler in the absence of gas or draft in the chimney and turn it on when the situation returns to normal.

In modern expensive models, in addition to these options, there is also support for a set temperature regime in the premises. However, all these "gadgets" function until the electricity is turned off. That's why it makes sense to think – to take an expensive imported boiler or simpler, produced by CIS plants. The latter are equipped with atmospheric burners and work even where electricity is not supplied at all.

Capacity and prices

The power of the boiler must correspond to the room that needs to be heated. With a standard ceiling height, this is approximately 1 kW for every 10 square metres of area. And finally, how much will a high-quality unit with home delivery cost you? Approximately $300 – $ 1,200 wall version and from $ 600 – 3,000 or more – floor, cast iron. There are also cheaper copies, but there are no guarantees that by spending less money, you will not buy yourself another headache.

Models and brands

Gas heating boilers of the world's largest manufacturers are represented on the CIS market: German Buderus, Bosch, Wolf, Viessmann, Vaillant; Italian Ariston, Baxi, Biasi, Fondital, Ferroli, Swiss CTC; Czech Protherm and Dakon; and Japanese Rinnai – the range is quite wide, there is plenty to choose from. Gas heating boilers and a huge number of Russian factories, as well as about 50 Ukrainian enterprises, produce. Gas heating boilers of JSC "Krasilovsky Machine–building Plant" - TM "ATON" and some others are also popular.