What’s included in a boiler room — equipment and functions.
Boiler Room Equipment
Not so long ago, some 20–30 years back, the domestic heating equipment market was, to put it mildly, far from diverse. When solving heating issues at a country house, homeowners often had to choose between a fireplace and a stove in the kitchen, or in the best case, electric heaters in each room. Hardly anyone considered central heating in a country house at that time. And if such "privileged" people did exist, they had to constantly run with firewood to the boiler, since gasification in our country, much like electrification, was far from universal.
Today, anyone can equip their home as they wish and set up a boiler room considering all aspects of the heating system, its operation, and maintenance. Fortunately, the market now offers enough specialized companies providing both equipment and services. However, the range of devices and components for boiler rooms is so large and diverse that it is not easy for an unprepared user to understand which are necessary and why. Manufacturers usually offer many options that simplify installation, temperature regulation, hydraulic balancing, system control, etc. Moreover, companies offering integrated solutions also provide a wide selection of products from different brands. Of course, it is impossible to cover everything in one article, but we will try to give an overview of the most essential elements without which a modern boiler room cannot function.
First of all, when purchasing a modern boiler, it is necessary to ensure its safe operation. In wall-mounted models, this problem is solved by default (all critical components are built inside), while in floor-standing boilers the situation is somewhat different. Usually, the basic package includes only the heat generator itself, a pump, and a control panel in minimal configuration. Most likely, just like with a new car, you will need to additionally equip it with various modules.
The safety group ensures stable and fault-free boiler operation and is an essential component! It is a compact brass manifold mounted at the boiler outlet, equipped with a safety valve, pressure gauge, and automatic air vent. However, the exact configuration may vary. The safety valve’s main function is to release excess pressure in the boiler down to the set level (usually 3 bar). The pressure gauge shows the pressure in the heating system. Monitoring it is crucial: for instance, a pressure drop indicates the need for refilling, and if this occurs too often, the system likely has a constant leak. The automatic air vent removes air from the boiler water. Surprisingly, even in a closed system under pressure, water contains dissolved oxygen. Its amount depends on temperature and pressure: the higher they are, the more gas is released, so the air vent is installed at the hottest point – at the boiler outlet. If there is a storage water heater in the system, it is also recommended to equip it with a safety group. This “extra precaution” will at least protect the boiler from excessive pressure.
Another important element of a boiler room – perhaps the most practical and aesthetically pleasing – is the hydraulic module (pump group or quick-mount group). Its purpose is to simplify installation. It includes a set of devices needed for hydraulic balancing of system elements, all placed in one insulated casing. Their number depends on how many circuits the system has (heating and hot water supply). It necessarily contains: a circulation pump (electronic or three-speed), thermometer, pressure gauge (or a combined thermomanometer), a three-way valve (often motorized), and fittings (ball valves, non-return or differential bypass valves). Special connecting pipes are used to link the module with the boiler. From the outside, the user sees only several outlets sticking out of the casing and measuring devices. Of course, one could do without such a module, but by using it, the user avoids errors in installing critical elements: there is no need to think where to place the pump, whether the three-way valve is connected correctly, or whether another valve is required. Just follow the instructions – connect the hot water and heating system pipes. Moreover, pump groups significantly reduce installation time and eliminate the need to select each element separately.
Any boiler is designed to heat the coolant in a heat exchanger, which in turn is heated by the energy of fuel combustion – wood, gas, diesel, biofuel, etc. In solid-fuel boilers, this process largely depends on the stoker (except for pellet models) – the more fuel you load, the more heat you get. In gas and liquid-fuel boilers, preparation and combustion of the fuel mixture take place in a special device – the burner – and are controlled by an automatic system. The range of burner equipment is very wide. For example, GOST 21204-97 “Industrial Gas Burners. General Technical Requirements” provides standards for gas devices, and similar documents exist for other burner types. The simplest and most user-friendly classification of burners is by the type of fuel they use. For household boilers, these are gas, diesel, and combined burners (for universal heat generators).