design features and working principle

Residents of suburban areas have always faced the problem of the constant lack of hot water, which was used for domestic needs. And even the built bath did not solve this problem. And it was solved by wood water heaters, with which it was possible to quickly heat a sufficiently large volume of water. And although today they are gradually losing their need, not all country people have abandoned them. Therefore, in the article we will tell about water heaters working on wood, their design features and principle of operation, pros and cons.

Design features

Let's start with the fact that water heaters of this type known for a long time. Back in Soviet times, heating equipment was produced, bearing the proud name "Titan". This is a cylindrical design divided into two parts: the lower one is a firebox for firewood, the upper one is a water tank. Through the last chimney from the firebox, which was displayed outside the house.

The chimney was made of steel pipe with a diameter of 70-100 mm, depending on the size of the water heater itself. Typically, the "Titans" were also made from large diameter pipes, insulated and covered with steel sheet up to 1 mm thick, which was painted on top. But in the market at that time there were also other models. Their distinctive feature was the addition to the design. That is, the heater itself consisted of three sections: a fire chamber, a tank, and a collection of carbon monoxide gases.

In this case, not one pipe was used as a chimney, but several with a smaller diameter, usually 32 mm, spaced evenly over the cross section of the heater. Thus, the manufacturer increased the plane of contact of water with the heating elements. After all, water is heated not only from the wall that separates the firebox and the water tank, but also through the walls of the chimney. And the larger the chimney, the greater the plane of contact.

But the principle of operation of “Titan” of different modifications was the same:

• firewood was laid in the firebox , where they were fired up;

• thermal energy with carbon monoxide gases and smoke passed through the chimney and was removed to the street;

• the wall was heated and the walls of the chimney were heated, due to which the water in the tank was heated.

In essence, the Titans worked like samovars. That is, the design is simple, the principle of operation is simple, but the efficiency is not the highest. Most of the heat energy went outside, which required a greater consumption of firewood. That is why water heaters of this type were made high in order to increase the length and, accordingly, the contact area of ​​the chimney. And the greater the height, the more efficient the device works, that is, the faster it heats the water.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood-burning water heaters

Let's start with the advantages and denote that the main one is ease of maintenance. All work consists only that periodically it is necessary to enclose firewood in a fire chamber. If there is no water supply at the dacha, you will have to manually fill the water tank. If there is water supply, the water heater can be connected to the autonomous water supply system with pipes.

The second advantage is the strength and reliability of the heating unit. It is made of thick heat-resistant steel, so there are still cases of exploitation of the "titans", which were acquired in the distant Soviet times.

The third advantage is the ability to use various materials as fuel. This is not only wood or coal, you can lay in the furnace combustible household waste, old furniture, waste of combustible building materials and so on.

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But experts on heating devices claim that water heaters operating on solid fuels have more drawbacks than advantages. Here are the main ones:

• a large volume of the tank takes a long time to heat, which takes a large amount of fuel ;

• it is still not possible to automate the supply of fuel to the furnace, which means that this process ;

• today firewood - not the cheapest fuel , besides, for kindling it is necessary to use dry wood, for storing firewood you will need a canopy with a large area .

Characteristics of wood-burning water heaters

The question of what criteria to choose a wood-burning water heater for a shower in the country, is relevant today. So what characteristics need to pay attention.

• Firebox type . It can be separate from the water tank or be welded to the latter. The second option works effectively. But in the event of a breakdown, it will be more difficult to repair. As practice shows, it is easier not to carry out repairs, but to purchase a new device, this operation is too laborious.

• Power of the unit . Firstly, the wood counterparts have a minimum of 10 kW. This is quite a serious parameter. This "titanium" is enough for a family of four.

• Volume of the water tank . There is not a wide choice. Standard models have a volume of either 80 or 90 liters.

A few words about the configuration. Manufacturers offered and today offer three versions:

1. Just water heater , in which there are two connections : the bottom one - for water injection from the plumbing, upper - for hot water output . Already after the pipe fittings are supplied to the nozzle, which is distributed among consumers: a shower, a sink in the kitchen, a sink in the bath and so on.

2. Water heater with a mixer attached to the top nozzle.

3. Mixer with shower .

It was the last option that was very popular among summer residents, because at that time there was a real opportunity to organize a shower at the dacha, which in country conditions always was and today is an element of comfort.

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It should be noted that today the manufacturers have gone further, having equipped the "Titans" for the shower in the country with electric tubular-type heating elements, that is, heating elements. Thus, a universal heating device that can operate on solid fuels and electricity was thrown onto the market. Summer residents appreciated the novelty, because in any country village there are power lines, that is, the houses are supplied with electricity. What can not be said about plumbing, sewage and gas supply. Therefore, if there are problems with firewood, you can simply connect the unit to the mains with an alternating electric current - insert the plug from the heating element into an ordinary outlet.

Important! But there is one subtle nuance. Before choosing such a universal model, it is necessary to check whether the country electric network will withstand the power of the water heater.

It is necessary to compare the power of the heating element (heating element) with the cross-section of the wiring in the house. To do this, you need to contact a specialist (electrician). If the wiring in the country can not withstand the power of the device, you will have to conduct a separate electrical circuit from the switchboard to the "Titan" with the installation of a separate circuit breaker and RCD device in it.

It may be interesting! In the article on the following link read about a shower for a heated cottage.

Overview of manufacturers

It should be noted that water heaters with a shower for giving on wood in the market are not represented by the widest range. Let's look at the most famous brands.

The domestic brand "Yermak" on the market is represented by four models:

• FAC - unit with a separate cast-iron firebox , which has a water tank capacity of 90 liters;

• KVS LF - exactly the same model as the first, only electric heating element is embedded in it;

• KVL - water heater with built-in firebox , volume - 90 liters;

• KVL LF - the same as the previous model, only of the combined universal type with built-in heaters .

The Bulgarian brand "Silistra" is also represented by four models: KVO, KVOE, KVN and KVNCH. All devices of the same volume - 80 liters.

Another Russian brand - Slobodskoye. It is represented by two brands: the usual purely wood version of the KVL and the universal KVL LF.

The video shows an overview of a wood-burning water heater with a KVL shower:

It may be interesting! In the article on the following link, read about the water heater for the shower in the country: bulk, accumulative or flow - which one is better.

Conclusion on the topic

Today, summer cottages for many owners are becoming the main place of residence. Therefore, residents of holiday villages are trying to equip their homes with a complete set of communication networks. Those who have no gas in the villages are not lucky. Only one way out - to use boilers, stoves and water heaters on wood or other solid fuels. Therefore, water heaters of this type will still be in demand.

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