How to heat a house at minimal cost. The advantages of such heating

Heating a home with electricity is one of the most convenient and effective ways to heat your home. It has many advantages over traditional heating technologies that use gas, coal or wood as fuel. Previously, the electric heating system had a significant cost disadvantage, but modern technologies make it possible to level it out. We will talk about how to make home heating with electricity inexpensive in this article.
Content:

Why electricity?

Electric heating differs from classic water-stove and gas systems by being more economical and practical. We will leave the first aspect for discussion below, and describe the operational advantages here:

Electric heating is not only silent, but also environmentally friendly. It is transported safer than gas and does not emit gas at all. harmful substances, both into the atmosphere and inside the room. In the absence of waste, the need for exhaust chimneys and traction structures disappears. Heating using coal or wood is not at all comparable to electric systems.
Heating with electricity does not require large one-time costs. You can make a comparison using gas as an example: to connect a house, you must purchase equipment for each room, install communications, a boiler, and connect it to a common pipeline. Moreover, all this must be done together, since it is impossible to postpone connecting any part of the house to the system. And the electrical method allows you to organize sequential installation: first, the most important parts of the house are connected, and then, as funds accumulate, peripheral parts are connected.
Thanks to the possibility of using a multi-tariff meter in a private house or apartment, as well as the constant development of technology in this area, heating with electricity is already the most economical among analogues. You should not focus on the high price of the equipment - it quickly pays for itself due to low energy consumption.
Almost every method of organizing electric heating allows you to install it yourself, without many additional tools.

Of course, the use of electrical systems for heating cannot be called ideal. The work of high-quality heating of each home requires taking into account many features. In some regions, the cost of electricity can be so high that gas cannot be avoided. In old apartment buildings, it is difficult to switch to electric heating for two reasons: it is very difficult to disconnect from the central highway, and the electrical network will have to be reconnected, taking into account powerful equipment.

Despite this, the overall picture tips the scales towards electricity. For premises where there is no gas or where there is no possibility of supplying it, it is a real salvation.

Types of heating systems

There are several ways to organize electric heating in your home. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some are cheaper at the purchase stage, and some save significantly during operation. Let's look at what features each method has:

Installation of an electric boiler designed to heat water passing through the pipes of the heating system. Perhaps the most known method, but at the same time it is far from the most effective today. Manufacturers claim that current models have become much more productive and now consume 80% less energy, but this is a controversial issue. Manually switching the boiler on and off, of course, is impractical, and automatic switching on and off at a given interval does not take into account the temperature conditions of day and night. A more or less economical option is to install thermostats and corresponding automation to switch on depending on the temperature in the rooms, but this is difficult from an installation point of view and very expensive. Reduced power models with equal performance are also nothing more than advertising. Such a boiler most likely will not have enough “power” to heat a large private house.
Infrared panels. This is not just a way to heat rooms, but a fundamentally excellent technology. The point is not in heating the air (which has very low efficiency), but in influencing objects located in the room. Under the light of IR lamps, floors and furniture heat up and begin to emit heat themselves. The fundamental difference is that the traditional “radiator” method of heating rooms actually heats the ceiling (warm air from the radiator rises), while the floors remain cold. With infrared heating the opposite is true. The light is directed downwards, which means the warmest place is the floor. Supplement the system with thermostats - and economical heating country house, private house or garage is ready. And the opinion about the dangers of infrared radiation on humans is nothing more than a myth. The main thing is not to stay under the lamp for a long time, and nothing dangerous will happen.
Use of convectors. According to the manufacturers, this is the most effective method space heating, which combines high performance and economical energy consumption. Both of these statements are the subject of a long debate, since the technology is based on the same “radiator” principle, and many things should be taken into account when heating a house individual characteristics. The main difference is the significant ease of installation and operation and lower price. An important advantage of convectors is fire safety, which is very important when heating a country or private house made of wood. Convectors allow you to install them sequentially from room to room, are compact and pleasant to look at, and are also protected from power supply surges.

Inappropriate options

There are several types of electrical equipment designed for space heating, but not recommended for use as the main heat source:

Heat fans. These devices have the simplest design and are a large hair dryer consisting of a heated coil and a fan that drives a flow of air through it. Their use will definitely not be cheap - the air cools down extremely quickly, and it will not be possible to maintain a comfortable temperature for a long time. Do not forget also about the load on the electrical network and the dangers - too dry air is harmful to house plants and people.
Oil radiators are probably the most common device used by residents apartment buildings when the central heating power is not enough. Surprisingly, this is also the least efficient heating method. And even if you manage to heat the room to a comfortable temperature, it won’t be cheap at all.

Why is this equipment so widespread if it is ineffective? The fact is that all of these are auxiliary devices designed to help out in emergency situations or when the main heating does not cope with its tasks. For a garage, for example, constant heating is not always needed. For a while repair work it can be heated using a heat gun (fan heater) powered by electricity or gas. But in a house where it is necessary to constantly maintain the temperature at a certain level, infrared panels are much more effective.

Organization of economical heating

There is no need to have a long debate about which equipment from the listed options best combines economy, efficiency and safety. It would be much more practical to use one or another option in the most suitable conditions. Below are the basic principles that should be followed to create economical heating with electricity at home:

The first rule is common for systems powered by gas and electric - minimize heat loss by insulating the walls, ceiling and floor. Thanks to this, you can reduce the required thermal power to maintain temperature. Of course, additional costs are necessary for this, but they are compensated by savings on electricity. The temperature inside an insulated garage in winter rises above zero within half an hour if a car is running inside. In an insulated house, you will only need to maintain heat, and not constantly pump it up, forcing the equipment to work at increased power.
Design optimal system electric heating. For example, for heating a small studio apartment An electric boiler may be quite effective (if the heat loss is very small). But for home with big amount rooms is not the best option. Here it is more convenient to install a convection system with thermostats that control the climate in each room. Infrared panels are good for a garage, closet or utility room that does not need to maintain a constant temperature.
In rooms and houses that are not used throughout the day, it is optimal to combine electric heating equipment. As an example, let's take a kitchen with a main convector and an auxiliary IR panel. The convector allows you to maintain a minimum temperature throughout the day, and turning on the panel before the evening meal will quickly warm the room for a comfortable dinner. In a similar way, you can arrange the heating of a bathroom, outbuildings or a heated garage.
Thermostatic automation allows you to accurately adjust the temperature. Depending on specific models and devices, you can set “hot” and “cold” periods, use photo sensors to make the room warmer in the presence of people, and apply other settings. All these seemingly insignificant little things can greatly help in reducing costs.
A large share of heating system consumption occurs at night, when all residents are at home. You can significantly reduce bills for this period by switching to two-tariff electricity metering. The night rate is usually 3-4 times lower than the main rate. To replace your meter and switch to new metering rules, contact your local utility company.

Electric water heater

As we can see, economical heating of a private house without gas is quite feasible. The main thing is to carefully plan the transition to electricity, think about which devices to use for the main premises and which for the periphery (garage, bathhouse, other buildings). Of course, buying everything you need can cost a pretty penny, but these costs are offset by the amount you will save over the next years.

For each residential building, whether it is a large multi-apartment building, or we are talking about a private one- and two-story home, organization is of great importance efficient heating. There are quite a lot of existing heating options today, however, due to technical capabilities, not every house can be connected to gas. It is not always possible to supply solid fuel or liquid fuel boilers with the required amount of fuel. In such situations, the house will be heated with electricity.

Already at the design stage of an electric heating system, we can conclude that this heating method will be much cheaper and more economical. Moreover, if you compare the speed of installation of electrical equipment with the installation and installation of other types of heating systems. In some cases, efficiency is a decisive factor when choosing a heating system. Despite the fact that today electricity is constantly becoming more expensive, new technologies make it possible to use electric heating devices with high efficiency.

Electric heating in your home - the main advantages and disadvantages

The concept of electric heating should be understood as a fairly wide range technical means and opportunities. Electricity is a unique type of artificially produced energy that can be successfully used for domestic purposes. Electric heating can be of two types:

with intermediate coolant;
with direct heat transfer.

In the first case, we are talking about a system based on an electric boiler that heats the coolant and distributes it through a pipeline system. In the second case, we are talking about independent heating elements and devices powered by electrical network. To heat a house, like any other room, convectors, thermal electric fans, spiral and infrared heaters. This heating method is much simpler from a technical point of view. The only negative is a significant overconsumption of electricity, which will have to be paid for. Warm floors deserve a separate discussion, a technology that makes it possible to truly achieve comfort in heating living spaces.

If we consider the ratio of the possibilities and benefits obtained from using electric heating with other types of heating, then electricity will look preferable. The main advantage of electric heating systems is high efficiency. Other positive points include:

durability of operating systems;
ease of maintenance and operation;
fairly reasonable costs for the purchase of equipment, installation and connection.
silent operation and high level safety of modern electric heating installations;
absence permitting documents for the installation of electric heating systems.

The economic effect is achieved by installing thermostats on electric heating devices, thanks to which automatic switching on, power off.

The above advantages are offset by one disadvantage. To install sufficiently powerful heating electrical appliances and an electric boiler in a house, additional equipment of the residential building with electrical distribution devices and devices will be required.

Important! The wiring in the house must be able to withstand significant loads, especially in the cold season. In addition to everything, the electrical distribution board must be equipped with a multi-tariff meter, which allows intensive use of the nightly cheap tariff. The main task when installing electric heating systems is to optimize the operation of the entire complex.

Electric boiler or convector - what's the difference? What should you pay attention to?

From a technological point of view, an electric boiler is the most favorable in terms of price-quality ratio. Before making a purchase, you should carefully study the technical capabilities and characteristics of the models on the market. When assessing the capabilities of the boiler, it is necessary to take into account the amount of work that the new equipment will have to cope with. To heat a house with an area of 150 m2, according to rough calculations, at least 150 kW of electricity per day will be required. Not every boiler is able to cope with such a volume, and not all power lines are able to withstand such a load.

The boiler is connected to a regular standard system water heating, heating the coolant during its operation.

Each model is equipped, which allows residents to independently choose the temperature regime. The automation itself regulates the boiler power based on the specified parameters, without requiring human intervention, providing the necessary energy savings. The water supply is also regulated using a built-in pump, so there is no reason to worry about normal pressure in the system. Optional equipment, which is supplied with most modern models of electric boilers today, increases the functionality of the system and is aimed at reducing electricity consumption, saving you money.

In the process of optimizing the operation of the heating system, it is important to take into account the heat losses that are characteristic of the room. This indicator depends directly on the thickness of the walls, the presence of insulation, the number of doors and window openings. The main heat loss occurs through windows and doors.

Last but not least, the heating efficiency depends on the parameters of the selected electric boiler model. There are classic boilers with heating elements, as well as more efficient ones modern options– induction and electrode (ionic). Moreover, they all have a coefficient useful action from 90%.

For reference: Often, manufacturers write in the accompanying documents for the product that the efficiency of the model is 95-98%. The numbers look impressive, although in reality the figures are much lower, in the range of 90-92%.

When using a large number of electrical household appliances at the same time, the temperature of the coolant in the electric heating system can be reduced, saving on balanced energy consumption. Each specific case gives various options for savings, unlike using other heating systems. For example, an area of 50 m2 will require an electric boiler with a power of 3 kW. Having the necessary figures at hand, it is not at all difficult to calculate the number of kilowatts that will be consumed during the month with continuous operation of the boiler.

Eg:

house area – 50 m2;
electric boiler – power 3 kW;

We make arithmetic calculations using the following formula: 3x24x30, where 24 is the number of hours in a day, 30 is the number of days in a month. We get 2160 kW per month with the boiler running, and now we multiply this figure by the electricity tariff that is established in your region.

All calculations are approximate. The real amount of energy costs will be visible only after some time. Only then can you make independent adjustments to the operation of the heating system in the house and decide on the advisability of using other electrical appliances.

If you need to organize heating in own home Without laying highways and installing numerous equipment, you can get by with convectors. Unlike electric water heating in convectors, the main operating principle is convection warm air. Due to the operation of the heating elements, the surrounding air is heated. The system is almost completely autonomous, compact and capable of quickly warming up small interior spaces.

Convectors are equipped with temperature regulators, with which you can set optimal parameters heating The presence of automation ensures automatic switching on/off of the device depending on the temperature conditions inside the room. To install heaters of this type, you must have high-quality sockets and reliable wiring.

Convectors can be installed both on walls and on the floor. The cooled air falls down, falling into the field of action of the heating elements, heats up again and rises up, and so on in a vicious circle. Thus, the process of convection of air masses is achieved. The operating mode for heating convectors is 60-100 0 C. Additionally, the room can be equipped with fans, the action of which will speed up the air exchange of the air mass. Despite the apparent simplicity of the design and the elementary principle of operation, heating of the room with the help of convectors is carried out unevenly. The air near the ceiling will be warmer, while the air masses below will feel cooler.

To achieve savings when using convectors, it is enough to carry out a simple mathematical calculation that allows you to determine required amount devices for normal heating of the room. Practice shows that convectors are effective in heating wooden residential and domestic buildings, not large area. In capital, stone buildings with large premises, it is not advisable to use convectors. Large volumes of air quickly cool down, the time for heating the room by convection of air masses increases significantly. Consequently, the energy consumption of the heating system increases.

Warm floor - economical heating of a private house

Electric boiler and convectors are not the only options to equip a private house effective heating system, powered by electricity. Warm floors, which today have become fashionable to install in country houses and apartments, can be a successful alternative to any other heating option. From the point of view of physics, a warm floor does not provide a noticeable effect in heating residential premises, however, in comparison with the operation of other electric heating devices, thanks to a warm floor, it is possible to reduce energy costs for heating.

The required effect is achieved through rational distribution heat. Floors are known to be the coolest part of any room. Thanks to heated floors, the coldest part of the room is automatically repurposed from a cooler into a source of thermal energy. The air heated from below throughout the entire area of the room rises upward in uniform flows. For residential premises, heated floors provide savings of 30-40%; for heating other premises, savings can be 50% or more.

With the help of temperature regulators, optimal heating parameters are achieved. By independently determining the temperature conditions inside the room, you can achieve significant savings in energy consumption.

The advantages of heated floors are:

an effective way to quickly warm up rooms;
acceptable economic indicators;
saved comfortable microclimate indoors (oxygen is not burned);
simplicity and reliability in operation.

Compared to the advantages that underfloor heating has, the only drawback of this electric heating option seems insignificant. The problem lies in the complexity of installing such a heating system, associated with the need to reorganize the floor covering.

Preliminary calculation of the cost of heating costs in in this case next:

Approximate power standard models used in everyday life is 1.5 kW per 10 m 2. We calculate the average daily consumption and get a figure of 360 kW. For rooms of other sizes, calculations are made according to the same principle, the power varies in proportion to the area.

For reference: 360 kW x 2.5 (tariff 2.5 rubles, approximately) we get 900 rubles. Now let’s multiply the resulting figure by real square meters, for example 50 m2. As a result, we face a figure of 4,500 rubles.

Today there is a large selection of options to achieve the necessary comfort inside a residential building using electric heating.

Each of us has the right to choose which heating option suits him best. An electric boiler, heated floors or electric heating devices are options that solve certain problems. You can solve the problem globally by creating a major heating system or resolve issues locally. You can achieve savings in any case if you rationally equip your home with heating elements, reduce heat loss in the room and optimize the operation of the entire energy system in the house.

Through the efforts of equipment sellers and “crazy hands” craftsmen, a considerable number of myths about electrical systems heating. They are increasingly spreading across the Internet, misinforming future homeowners. Since the number of misconceptions on this topic is already approaching critical, it’s time to tell us the whole homespun truth about electric heating.

Is electric heating really the most expensive?

Most information sources lobbying the interests of manufacturers of heating boilers using gas, solid or liquid fuels report that heating from electricity is the most expensive. Those who sell electric heating systems claim the opposite, and the arguments on both sides are sometimes quite unclear. We estimated the average operating costs for different types of heating for an average private house with an area of 150 m2 in the climatic conditions of the Moscow region. Here is the result of calculation of tariffs for individuals for winter 2013-2014:

The cost of fuel takes into account the average price of its delivery within the Moscow Region. Let's make a reservation that costs largely depend on the climate, the cost of fuel and its delivery. And if the price of natural gas and electricity is the same for all consumers in the region, then the cost of local fuels, especially firewood and pellets, can vary greatly

The table clearly shows who pays what. Heating with electricity comes in second place after liquid fuel. And if you use lower-quality heating oil instead of diesel fuel, heating with electricity turns out to be the most expensive. Slightly lower costs for direct electric heating (convectors, electric fans, cable heated floors, etc.) are due to the fact that in a water system part of the energy is spent on delivering heat to heating devices. However, due to good pipe insulation and proper wiring, the difference can be reduced to almost zero.

Is it possible to reduce electric heating costs? It’s possible, but let’s immediately make a reservation that all electric heating devices, without exception, have an efficiency close to 100%, therefore “energy-saving electric heating batteries” and other “wonderful” systems are a myth invented by sellers. In the direction of increasing equipment efficiency, the resource is almost exhausted. But you can significantly save on using night rates.

Depending on the pricing policy local energy networks set reduced evening (usually after 17.00) and night (22.00) tariffs valid until 8.00. Electricity prices at this time are 2-4 times lower than during the day. Heating with electricity compared to gas at daily rates costs 5:1, but by installing a two-tariff meter and integrating a heat accumulator into the water electric heating system, the proportion can actually be reduced to 2.5:1.

By wisely using night tariffs, heating costs with electricity can be reduced by half, or even more.

Cheap heating with electricity is a pipe dream, however, with the right approach, costs can be reduced to an acceptable level.

Once again about money - initial costs

A surprising, at first glance, fact - built in last years private houses in the Nordic countries, whose climate is similar to Russia’s, are often heated with electricity. As a rule, this is cable floor heating. Why do thrifty Germans and Scandinavians often prefer expensive electricity to other types of fuel? It's a matter of initial costs. All more houses built in accordance with the concept passive house: effective insulation and the use of artificial ventilation systems with thermal energy recovery make it possible to significantly reduce the need for thermal energy.

In environments where operating costs are low, crucial acquire the initial costs of heating equipment and its installation. But this is where the electric heating system surpasses all others. And if water electric heating is still comparable to gas and solid fuel heating, then direct-heating electric heating devices are several times cheaper. The most inexpensive are convectors, but warm floors are much more comfortable, so they are used in residential areas. Heating cables are embedded in the screed during construction; there are no extra costs, as often happens during repairs.

The ratio of costs for the purchase of heating equipment and its installation. For water heating, data was taken from circulation systems, collected from two-pipe scheme, for electric direct heating - averaged figures for cable underfloor heating, convectors and infrared panels.

Western European companies building energy efficient buildings in areas where there is already a centralized gas supply, gas heating equipment is, of course, installed. Although it is more expensive than an electric one, it pays for itself in a few years. If gas main there is no one nearby, they prefer electric heating, because an electric cable will still have to be installed, and it will cost much less than a gas pipeline. At the same time, the level of comfort is no worse, the equipment is compact, there is no danger of explosion or fuel fire, and the electrical systems fit perfectly into the modern concept “ smart home».

Can the experience of Western countries be used here? Yes, sure. You just need to take into account that our European neighbors effectively insulate their homes and carefully calculate the balance of upcoming expenses. Good insulation, in addition to the obvious savings, it brings a solution to another problem: the requirements for electrical input power are reduced, and it is easier to obtain the necessary permits.

The horrors of electromagnetic radiation

Opponents of electric heating (more precisely, supporters of other systems) argue that heating a house with electricity creates a terrible electromagnetic field in the house that is harmful to humans. Is it so?

All home electrical equipment generates electromagnetic waves: kitchen stove, TV, lamps, cables and, of course, electric heaters for the heating system. Moreover, the highest level of radiation is observed not near electrical appliances, but in the area of the input/distribution panel. However, the magnitude of the electro magnetic field household electrical appliances (including heating) are much lower than the maximum limit of 500 V/m and are considered completely safe. Experts are more concerned about the ubiquitous EMF of mobile communications.

Still the influence electromagnetic field effects on the body cannot be considered fully studied, so we recommend playing it safe. Sleeping area should be placed away from distribution boards and powerful electrical appliances. It is advisable to lay electrical cables at a distance of 1-1.5 m from the bed.

As for electric heating, then water system, except for an electric boiler, does not create EMF at all. Electric heaters for direct heating (convectors, fan heaters) have characteristics comparable to kitchen household appliances, they should not be placed near the bed and desk. As for warm cable floors, only cheap single-core cable has a relatively high level of radiation. Its indicator - 2-3 µT is similar to the field strength generated by an electric kettle or iron. This level is not considered dangerous and drops significantly with distance from the wave source, but we would not recommend using a single-core cable in a children's room. A two-core cable and film floors are guaranteed to be safe; their EMF intensity is only 0.2-0.5 µT.

Conclusion: with the right approach, electric heating does not pose any health hazard.

Direct electric heating

All electric heaters for heating, having exposed heating elements are not a suitable choice for residential premises. Their coils and heating elements have too high a temperature and the house dust that gets on them overheats (a phenomenon called “sublimation”), acquiring harmful, and when heated strongly, carcinogenic properties. Glass tubes of infrared quartz heaters, spirals of convectors and fan heaters heat up to 350-800 ºС. Similar devices we can only recommend for household and technical premises. Quartz heaters suspended from the ceiling are well suited for greenhouses and poultry housing.

The convector releases most of its energy by convection, mixing the air and simultaneously “sublimating” house dust, because of which she acquires harmful properties. Radiant panels have closed body And a heating element does not come into contact with dust. The panel temperature does not exceed 80 ºС, and most of the energy is transferred by radiation, which heats objects rather than air

Aluminum heating elements in convectors also get very hot, up to 150-260 ºС; it is also better to limit their use in housing. Oil radiators are much less dangerous, their maximum temperature is 120 ºС, and when operating at minimum conditions they are completely harmless. Long-wave heaters have the best characteristics among compact electric heaters. electrical panels heating and heating baseboards. Inside their cases there are insulated external environment Heating elements, but the outer surface of the devices in contact with dust does not heat up above 80 ºС. In addition, their flat surface, without fins, releases heat to a greater extent due to infrared radiation, rather than convective air movement, like convectors and fan heaters. Our body perceives radiant heat as more comfortable.

Cable and film heated floors

Electric cable and heated floors do not heat up above 40 ºС, therefore they are absolutely safe from the point of view of exposure to dust. Heat is distributed more evenly, in comparison with batteries and convectors, and real savings 3-4% compared to local heating devices due to the fact that to achieve thermal comfort, the overall temperature in the room can be lower by 2-3 ºС.

Warm floors (on the right), unlike radiators (on the left), keep “your feet warm and your head cold,” which is beneficial for the body. In addition, the overall temperature can be maintained a couple of degrees lower, this allows you to save a little

Directly heated warm floors are suitable for both residential premises and greenhouses. Unlike water flooring, cable flooring cannot freeze and is excellent for country houses and dachas that are not permanently inhabited. With their help, you can maintain the “standby” temperature at a level so that frost does not cause damage to the finishing, and set the day on the calendar-programmer when the house should be warmed up in anticipation of the arrival of the owners.

Electric heating country house can be controlled remotely, just install a Wi-Fi thermostat control.

Water electric heating systems

Water systems do not have the disadvantages that we talked about earlier: heating devices do not create an electromagnetic field, and the heating of their surfaces does not go beyond safe values. The use of liquid (water or “anti-freeze”) as a coolant, coupled with modern automatic control, makes it possible to accurately distribute heat flows and stably maintain a comfortable thermal regime in the premises. An electric water system is no different from a gas or liquid fuel system in any way, except for a heat generator, and if necessary, a boiler using a different type of fuel can be replaced or added to the system without any changes to it.

The choice of heating devices is standard - radiators or underfloor heating pipes. Note that warm floors are gaining increasing recognition among residents of Scandinavia, whose climate is in many ways similar to Russia. Thus, more than 90% of new residential buildings in Sweden are heated, fully or partially, with underfloor heating, water or cable.

An electric heating boiler is more compact than a gas one, it is not subject to location restrictions and there is no need for a chimney

conclusions

If there is a pipeline with natural gas running along the street of your village or city, forget about electric heating, gas is cheaper. The insufficient power of the power line from which the house is connected also poses serious limitations.

But if there is no main gas and it is not expected soon, electric heating systems are a completely acceptable option. To ensure that heating is comfortable, reliable and relatively inexpensive to operate, we advise you to entrust the calculation, design, selection of equipment and installation to trustworthy specialists.

Video: economical electric heating of a private house

When arranging a private home, one of the most important issues facing the owners is the organization of reliable and effective system heating. Depending on the available energy sources, boilers running on natural gas, solid or liquid fuel or electricity are used for this. This article will focus on electrical systems, which are often the most appropriate choice given the available alternatives.

An autonomous heating system with electricity can be built on two design principles:

Which of these methods is better is an open question. Electric water heating benefits from the greater thermal inertia of the liquid, and the use of convectors significantly reduces installation costs since it requires minimal installation work.

Advantages and disadvantages of heating with electricity

Of course, the ideal heating system for a private home in terms of operating costs is a gas boiler with water heating. However, not all places have the possibility of supplying main gas, and if it does, the cost of connection can be very high. So heating with electricity in many cases is optimal solution due to a number of advantages:

low initial costs. There is no need to pay for design, laying a pipe to the house, installing a chimney and installing a large number of sensors to ensure safety;
ease of use. There are no quickly failing elements in the system components (heat exchangers, fans, sensors, etc.), in addition, it does not require periodic maintenance work;
safety. At correct installation there is absolutely no threat to people’s lives and activities;
silent operation, environmental friendliness, durability.

At the same time, like any modern engineering system, electric heating also has its disadvantages:

The main disadvantage of such a system is traditionally considered to be high energy consumption. There is a strong opinion that, in terms of the cost of resources consumed, heating with electricity is approximately ten times more expensive than with gas. Whether this is actually true, we will figure it out at the end of the article;
dependence on voltage in the electrical network. In many places, especially in rural areas, power outages can seriously complicate life. winter period. Your own generator, of course, will help well in such a situation, but this is a serious additional expense during the installation period;
high power consumption. On average, it is generally accepted that the electricity consumption for heating 10 m2 of area is approximately 1 kW. Therefore, for example, in a private house with an area of 150 m2, it is necessary to ensure consumption of 15 kW only for heating. Given the widespread shortage of electricity, such capacity per consumer may simply not exist.

As an effective measure in the fight against these shortcomings in a private home, we can recommend the highest quality insulation. The less heat loss in the house, the less heat is needed to heat it and the less electricity consumption will be during the heating period.

In addition, the widespread introduction of multi-tariff meters makes it possible to distribute the energy consumed by time of day and shift the peak load to the period when the lowest tariffs are valid.

Case Study

Let's now try to estimate how much more expensive heating with electricity actually is than with gas. We will count total consumption for heating for 15 years of continuous use of the system in a private home during heating seasons. For a rough estimate, it is enough to consider the cost of gas and electricity to be approximately equal to 4.0 and 3.80 rubles. for 1 kW, respectively (this approximately corresponds to tariffs for the private sector in the Moscow region at the end of 2013).

Let's assume that the area of our private house is 150 m2. This means that to compensate for heat loss, subject to average thermal insulation, it is necessary to ensure the generation of 15 kW of thermal energy.

Let's assume that heating season lasts 5 months, during which there are both cold and warm days. Therefore, we will assume that, on average, half the maximum value of heat energy is enough, i.e. 7.5 kW (in practice, this is approximately what happens).

In one year, you need to produce 150 * 7.5 * 24 = 27,000 kW of thermal energy.
When heating with electricity, the heating cost will be 27,000 * 4 = 108,000 rubles. per season.
For gas boiler with a power of 24 kW (we take Baxi Luna-3 Comfort 240 Fi) the maximum productivity is 2.84 m 3 / h. This means that 1 m 3 of gas will provide a heating power of 8.45 kW for a private house.
Considering the boiler efficiency is 90%, we will adjust this figure to 8.45 * 0.9 = 7.61 kW
Thus, gas consumption for the season will be 27,000/7.61=3548 m 3 of gas, the cost of such a volume will be equal to 3548*3.8=13,482 rubles.

The difference, of course, is quite significant. If we bring the calculated consumption to an interval of 15 years, we get:

the cost of electric heating will be: 108,000 * 15 = 1,620,000 rubles.
gas heating costs will be equal to: 13,482 * 15 = 202,230 rubles.

Now let's try to estimate the indirect costs of maintaining each system. If you do not take into account the small costs of replacing the coolant, then the cost of consumables and operation of the system on electricity is zero. For gas heating, on the contrary, very significant investments will be required:

The cost of connecting a private house to the main gas network on a turnkey basis in the Moscow region is approximately 700,000 rubles;
A gas boiler requires regular maintenance. If you choose an average-priced service company, an annual contract will cost approximately 8,000 rubles. In total, in 15 years another 120,000 rubles will accrue;
Another likely cost would be that within 15 years the gas boiler will most likely fail, so you will have to buy a new one. Its cost with installation will be approximately 50,000 rubles.

In total, the owner of the gas system will be forced to spend an additional 870,000 rubles. At the same time, we do not take into account costs that are quite likely in private use, such as repair or replacement of nozzles, fans, and heat exchangers. Another factor that increases the cost of owning gas equipment may be a decrease in the efficiency of the boiler due to the formation of scale or limescale on the surface of the heat exchanger or ice formation on coaxial pipe chimney.

Let's summarize. Over 15 years of operation, the owner of the system electric heating will spend 1,620,000 rubles. Gas heating in exactly the same house will require an investment of 1,072,230 rubles. That is, a competent analysis shows that the difference will not be 10 times, as many authors who do not fully understand the issue often write, but only one and a half.

So, when designing a heating system for a private home, you should not blindly trust the popular belief that electric heating is an order of magnitude more expensive than gas heating. Therefore, if there are no prospects for connecting to the gas mains over the next few years, you can safely buy an electric boiler and install a water heating system. It will serve reliably long years, and when a gas pipeline branch appears in your area, you can, by simply changing the boiler, ensure savings in operating costs for the rest of your life.

The most economical way to heat a private home is autonomous system, running on natural gas. But often, for objective reasons, such an opportunity is not available everywhere. In conditional second place in terms of cost of thermal energy are solid fuel boilers or heating from a fireplace/stove with a closed firebox (if the house is small), but given the need to store fuel and the complexity of maintenance, not everyone likes this heating method. Storing liquefied gas requires expensive containers. A liquid fuel In addition to difficulties with storage, it is distinguished by expensive equipment and poor environmental characteristics. Electric heating in a private home does not have all these disadvantages. Except for one thing – the high cost of energy. Although in this case there are opportunities to reduce the load on family budget. What features does heating a house with electricity have? We’ll look at the most economical way to heat a house using energy in our article.

Electric heaters do not require chimneys and can be installed anywhere

Which heaters are not suitable for the heating system

Sometimes you have to read unfair criticism of certain types of heating devices. They are not criticized for real disadvantages, but for fictional ones. Although at the end of the criticism the conclusions are completely correct - these devices can only be used as auxiliary heaters, and it is impossible to build an economical heating system with their help.

Oil radiator

Considered uneconomical - critics argue that it should not be used as a heating device due to high energy consumption and low output. But it is this type of device that has one of the highest efficiency - about 98%. That is, almost all electrical energy it converts into heat (no one has yet canceled the law of conservation of energy), and those minor losses of 2% are due to resistance internal walls radiator coolant. Yes, it is inertial - it takes a long time to warm up, but it also takes a long time to cool down.

Another drawback is that it takes a long time to warm up the room.

But this is a property of all batteries, including water heating, in which the main method of heat transfer is natural convection, and it proceeds slowly.

The main disadvantage is the “rough” power control and the use of mechanical thermostats. And such inaccurate control temperature conditions makes an oil radiator ineffective when trying to optimize heating costs with electricity in a private home. And yet, he has quite heat housing when operating at full power, which is dangerous if there are small children in the house.

There are models of oil radiators that can be hung on the wall

Fan heater

It is often written about a fan heater that it burns oxygen. But “oxygen combustion” is nothing more than an oxidation (combustion) process, and the maximum that can burn at a fairly low temperature of the coil is organic dust in the air. Therefore, it is incorrect to talk about burning oxygen (after all, it’s not wood that burns) since this insignificant volume must be replenished as a result of mandatory ventilation of the room.

The efficiency of such a device is slightly lower than that of an oil radiator (part of the electricity is spent on operating the fan), but it is not very different, considering that the power of the fan motor itself is small (about 50 W out of a total of 1 or 2 kW). The advantage is that the room warms up very quickly. Disadvantages are a constant noise level (albeit insignificant) and dust transfer throughout the room. And the main drawback of these household appliances is manual power adjustment and the illusory possibility of creating on the basis of fan heaters automated system heating.

The fan heater is the most compact heating device, and it is great for heating a small area

Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize once again that the main reason why some types of electric heaters are not suitable for heating a home is not the efficiency (almost all of them are above 95%), but the impossibility of automating system control. It is this factor that does not allow optimizing the operation of the heating system, and without this it is impossible to heat a house with electricity cheaply.

Efficient methods of heating with electricity

Heating with electricity in a private home has the main advantages over all others - these are simple and accurate methods for monitoring and regulating the operation of all components and elements. Even the sensors and display of information about operating modes are more accurate than those of equipment using other types of energy carriers.

Individual electric heating of a private house has three options for heating systems:

autonomous water heating systems based on electric boilers:

use of infrared ceramic heaters;

electric convectors with electronic thermostats.

All these systems can be adapted into the " smart House", and be controlled remotely.

Differences between gas and electric heating in the video:

On our website you can find contacts construction companies that offer. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.

Heating with electric boiler

This is a classic system diagram autonomous heating. There are two options for heating the coolant - indirect and direct.

Electric boilers indirect heating There are two types: heating elements and induction.

The design and principle of operation of heating element boilers are quite simple - there is a heating coil enclosed in a sealed metal shell with a dielectric heat-conducting filler, the heat from the spiral through the filler is transferred to the surface of the heating element shell, with which the heating system coolant is in contact.

This is what the “filling” of a 9 kW heating element boiler looks like, which, despite its compact size, is capable of heating a house with an area of 100 m2

Induction boilers have appeared for domestic heating systems relatively recently. Their operating principle lies in the property of metals to heat up under the influence of an alternating magnetic field. The heating element itself is an inductive coil with a ferromagnetic alloy core, through the “secondary winding” of which the coolant passes.

Induction heater operating diagram

The peculiarity of direct heating electric boilers is that water not only acts as a coolant, but is also part of the electrical circuit - it passes through alternating current between the electrodes. Hence the name of the boilers - electrode.

Each type of boiler has its own disadvantages. In heating elements, scale forms, which leads to a decrease in useful power and boiler life. Induction ones are quite expensive, bulky and have “stepped” power adjustment. Electrode ones have strict restrictions on the quality and composition of water, which must have a certain specific electrical resistance to alternating current.

Cascade of four electrode boilers for heating a large house

Well, the main disadvantage of heating a country house with an electric boiler is the presence of the coolant itself and the “bulky” circulation system of pipes and radiators. Setting up such a system is costly, and the efficiency compared to direct electric heaters may be lower if circulation pumps are used.

Infrared heaters

There are several types of heaters that use radiation (radiation) to transfer thermal energy. This transmission method is considered the most effective for heating a room - first, objects standing in the path of infrared radiation are heated, and then, due to secondary convection, the air is heated from them.

Video about infrared heaters:

There are three fundamentally different types of infrared heaters:

reflectors in which the filament coil is enclosed in a quartz glass bulb;

panel – in ceramic monolithic slab The heating element is “soldered”;

film - with carbon coating on a polymer film.

Heating a house with electricity of the first type refers to heaters operating in the short-wave range of infrared radiation.

Such devices can be used as an additional heater, but not as a basic element of the heating system of a private house with electricity.

Disadvantages - the lowest efficiency (due to the visible part of the radiation), lack of precise temperature control and high case temperature.

The second type of device operates in the soft long-wave range. The maximum temperature of the ceramic panel does not exceed 90°C, but on the body it is even lower. There are two types of control - mechanical and electronic thermostat. The first option involves manual control and its accuracy is low. Using electronic thermostats, you can set the temperature with an accuracy of 1°C.

The infrared panel is so safe that it can be hung on wooden walls

Film heaters are the most efficient. They are usually used as part of underfloor heating, but in principle they can be mounted in walls or on the ceiling. But it is the installation as part of the floor covering that most closely corresponds to the correct and uniform heating of the room. Operation is controlled automatically using a temperature sensor-thermostat pair.

If there is not enough space on the floor, then the film heater can be mounted on any free surface

Convectors

In appearance, convectors are very similar to ceramic panel heaters, but inside the metal case there is an “open” heating element enclosed inside a plate radiator. The fundamental difference is in the heating method - cold air enters the case through the bottom row of holes, comes into contact with the radiator, heats up and exits through the top row of holes.

The convector housing not only serves as protection for the heating element, but also increases the speed of the upward flow. Due to this, with the same power, the room is heated faster than from a water heating battery.

The stylish convector panel looks great in a modern interior

Like ceramic panel heaters, there are two types of thermostats - mechanical and electronic. And it is the electronic control of the work that ensures the accuracy of adjustment and the ability to work in several modes:

individual, manually controlled, used for heating separate room;

group operation of several devices under the control of one (common) thermostat, which ensures uniform heating of a large area or the same heating mode for several rooms;

intelligent, controlled by remote control, connection to the GSM module and control using standard commands from a remote terminal (mobile communications, Internet), connection to a router and control via local network and/or the Internet.

What is better to choose: an electric boiler or an electric convector - see clearly in the video:

An example of a real system with an intelligent control circuit for electric heating at home

NOBO, a leading European manufacturer of convectors, produces two compatible systems for “smart” control of electrical appliances. Including " warm floors"(through a thermostat) and any other household appliances that are connected to the network (through a panel, a “break” in the circuit or turning on/off sockets). To do this, they produce special thermostats, socket receivers and hidden-mounted relay receivers.

Using such a system, you can monitor and manage the operation of up to 100 devices or group zones. And thermostats of the 700 series provide 4 operating modes for convectors: comfortable, economical, non-freezing (air temperature 7°C) and “off”. According to the manufacturer, the flexibility of such a control system for convectors and heated floors allows you to save up to 25% on electric heating at home.

One of two control schemes for a multi-zone electrical system

As a result, how to optimize electric heating

In addition to the competent selection of heating equipment, an effective and optimal (from a cost point of view) electric heating system is possible only with comprehensive insulation of the house - from the base to the roof. Otherwise, the cost of heating a ventilated house will be significantly higher, even despite the high efficiency of the heater itself, and heating a house with electricity is unlikely to be cheap.