Thermoregulators for gas heating boilers: advice on choice and feedback

To prevent overheating and high loads, special devices are installed on the boiler equipment. These are thermostats for gas boilers. In today's article, we will try to tell you in detail about this detail, and also consider its design and purpose.

What is it for?

During operation, the boiler heats the water in the system, after which it moves through the radiators. And if the fluid pressure level or its temperature exceeds the norm, after a while there will be an accident in the system. So, in order to ensure that the system is not subjected to frequent overheating, it is equipped with thermostats. Often, the room uses several parts. Thermostats for gas boilers are mounted at their outlet, as well as on each battery. This is necessary in order to control the heating temperature of the liquid.

It should be noted that gas equipment is a subject of increased danger. In case of improper operation, the burners can not burn the fuel in the right way, which is why the gas fills the combustion chamber, increasing the risk of explosion and fire. As a result, the boiler overheats, and the water in the system is converted to steam (the pressure on the pipes increases several times). Of course, modern boilers are able to shut off at considerable overheats, since special sensors are provided in their design. But, as practice has shown, when the temperature rises too quickly and somewhere away from the heating element, they are not able to react in time to these changes. As a result, the system overheats. Under such circumstances, only the local fuse, that is, the thermostat for the gas boiler, helps. The signal it delivers in seconds, so you do not have to worry about the risk of overheating the system.

Design and operation principle

What are these elements made of? The thermostat (for AOGV gas boiler including) consists of several metal strips. The latter have different coefficients of linear expansion. These strips work as an electrical contact of the circuit-breaker in the heating circuit. Due to the difference in the coefficient of the two metals they are deformed, after which the chain is broken. The steel strips are in contact with the valve closing mechanism. When the temperature rises above the nominal value, the contact drops down. Further, at the valve level, access to water, steam and gas is blocked. Thus, the operation of the boiler stops, and the radiators cool naturally, making heat exchange with the air in the room.

What happens next? After the steam / water temperature has dropped to normal, the thermostat will open the valves and restart the boiler. It should be noted that with frequent overheating of the system, the design of valves and fuses may be disrupted. Therefore, after each such situation, it is necessary to check the integrity of important mechanisms.

As you can see, the remote thermostat for a gas boiler has the same principle of operation as an automotive thermostat - as soon as the temperature rises, a special valve opens in the system and the fluid is pumped through a large circle. However, in the case of a car, the sensor is not able to shut down the internal combustion engine.

Varieties

When buying this element, it is important to take into account a number of parameters and characteristics of the particular heating system that is used in your room. Below we will consider which thermoregulators for gas boilers exist and how each of these species is characterized.

Room

This type of thermostat works exclusively with free air flow. That is, near it should not be any elements that block air circulation. This can be a curtain, cabinet or other furniture located next to a heat source (radiator). This is the most popular thermoregulator for a gas boiler ("Beretta" including). These devices can also be used for heated towel rails.

The room thermostat is a device that regulates the operation of the boiler depending on the current room air temperature. That is, the sensor does not work taking into account the heating of water in the tubes. In this way:

• The heater (in our case it is a gas boiler), in the absence of an installed thermostat, switches on and off depending on the water temperature.
• The heater with room thermostat functions depending on the heating of the air in the room.

That is why thermostats for gas boilers are not recommended to be closed with any decorative covers, making furniture and other things. By the way, this kind of devices is equipped with a convenient digital display and can be programmed when one button is pressed.

TRV

Under this abbreviation lies a special kind of elements - thermostatic valves. These devices do not directly control the boiler. By their structure, they only reduce the flow of water going through the battery, and only if the temperature rises above normal. Most often, the TRV is installed in places where the water pressure level is the least. Thermostatic valves of this type, like room ones, are not recommended for installation under covers and other design devices. The fact is that if there is a disturbance of the air circulation in the room, the device will not measure the exact heating level of the system, accordingly, it will be useless in your house.

Remote controllers

Specialists recommend installing zone remote controllers together with thermostatic valves. These devices will help control the air temperature in the room or on a separate area of the room with the help of infrared rays. As soon as the system starts to boil, the sensors will give a signal to the boiler or regulator valve, after which the heater will stop working.

Cylinder thermostat

This type of device is recommended to be installed if a 2-circuit boiler is installed in the room. At the output of the system, water reaches very high temperatures (more than 80 degrees), and to prevent the deformation of pipes and their flow, before going to the battery, such liquid regulators are mounted. It is worth noting that the cylinder thermostat is fully programmable. This means that the owner can independently set the temperature at which the boiler will shut down for a certain time. Most of these controls are adjustable in the range of 60 degrees Celsius.

"Smart" thermostats for gas boilers

According to their operating principle, these devices are very similar to water regulators of direct action. They also monitor the state of the system from the command unit and, if necessary, turn off the boiler until the temperature of the liquid stabilizes. In addition, "smart" thermostats are able to turn off the boiler equipment, controlling also the amount of hot water pumped in the pipes. In the event of a non-emergency situation, the electronics respond quickly and overlap the valves in the system. This type of device can be both digital and electronic. The latter consist of several components - a display, a board and contacts.

How to install correctly?

Judging by the feedback, a programmable thermostat for a gas boiler is quite feasible to install indoors with your own hands. And it does not matter, the device is mounted on metal, cast-iron or aluminum batteries - the whole process is similar and requires a minimum of tools.

So, how correctly to include the regulator in the heating system? The first thing to do is drain the water from the pipes. So we will discharge the central heating system. Most often, this requires opening one valve at the water inlet to the system. The pipes are then blown and the adapter is unscrewed. How to do it? In order to disconnect the adapter, several manipulations are necessary.

1. Put many pieces of rags on. These can be rags or towels. It is important that all of them consist of mahry or cotton - so they absorb more water. Alternatively, you can use a plain sheet of paper or paperboard.
2. Press the housing of the old valve with a wrench. The second key is necessary in order to loosen the nuts that hold the valve on the pipe and adapter. Then boldly remove the mechanism from the radiator. In some cases, it is necessary to use a battery valve that is built into the radiator.

The next step is to install a new device. Before installation, it is important to carefully clean the internal threads. The best thing for this is a piece of clean cloth. After the thread is wrapped in a special locking tape (white strip) clockwise. It is recommended to smooth it after each new turn. Further, the helical element is connected to the corner gaskets.

At installation it is necessary to replace a dead nut, and also an old steel collar from a copper pipe. If the latter does not slip, carefully and carefully cut out its parts and tear off each other with a compact screwdriver.

After the thermostat for the gas boiler is installed (you can see the photo of the finished element in working condition below), you need to tighten the nut that is between the adapter and the valve. The latter should be held with a swing wrench. It is important not to overtighten the thread, otherwise the system may become depressurized.

Next, a spare protection system is installed. For this, the pipes are again filled with water. After the system is completely filled with liquid, check all connection points for leaks. If the valve is in a large room (for example, a living room), it is left completely open. In the case of a small room (kitchen or nursery) you need to close it halfway.

Room thermostat for a gas boiler: operating rules

Reviews say that when regulators are working it is important not to allow even the slightest damage to them. Any deformation or impact can disable the delicate parts of the device and sensors. Also, when the heating system is in operation (if several thermostats are installed in the house), it is recommended to close the doors in each of the rooms. This is necessary in order to reduce the attempts of indoor batteries to compensate for heat. In addition, try to set different settings on thermostats, that is for each room a separate temperature of opening and closing valves.

Price list

How much does the thermostat cost? For the gas boiler Baxi this item is sold at a price from one and a half to two thousand rubles per item. As you can see, the price is very high for such a small device. However, do not forget that it is this insignificant detail that can play a decisive role in ensuring the safety of your home, stopping the boiler on time when there is a sudden sharp increase in temperature.

Manufacturers

The opinions of people say that the most reliable and reliable thermostats for gas heating boilers are made by the following companies:

• "Overtrope".
• "Monolith".
• Danfoss.
• "Valtek".
• "Vitek".
• "Corado."
• "Rifar".
• "Global".
• RTD.
• "Kermi."

Also in the reviews is that Russian manufacturers are also doing very good thermostats, in terms of quality, not inferior to their German counterparts.

So, we found out what the room thermostat is for a gas boiler, what it consists of and how it works.