Gas boilers in some cases are the only and indispensable source of heating water and heat in general in private houses and cottages. If there is an unexpected power outage (especially in winter), the owners have serious problems - the house becomes corny cold. However, uninterruptible power supplies (hereinafter referred to as UPS) for gas boilers are designed to solve this problem. When the main voltage is turned off, these devices can provide electricity for gas heating equipment in the house, as well as ventilation devices for a long time.
Content
The need for a UPS for heating boilers
The topic of the importance of backup power devices for a private home has already been touched upon above. It is pointless to deny it, because power outages are a common thing in private homes. It's no secret that modern gas boilers need a constant current source, without which its work will simply stop.
In addition, parts of gas boilers are sensitive to voltage parameters, which can periodically drop. Because of this, the boiler can either work intermittently, or even stop turning on. However, all problems with electricity and voltage drops will be solved by the UPS.
The list of advantages of installing a UPS is as follows:
- surge protection. Remember that buying a UPS will cost much less than replacing a burned-out boiler circuit board;
- easy installation (no special skills required);
- automatic control over the parameters of the electrical network;
- long service life - up to 7 years;
- do not require additional service;
- noiseless operation.
NOTE! At too low temperatures, stopping the operation of a gas boiler can cause rupture of pipes located close to the street. The UPS will help to avoid this trouble.
UPS types
To date, there are three main types of uninterruptible power supplies on the market - linear, line-interactive and double conversion devices.
Linear
Linear devices (otherwise called standby or off-line) are the simplest and, accordingly, the most budgetary. In the design of such UPSs, voltage stabilizers are not used.
In fact, such UPSs are the usual "intermediary", as they transmit current with the same characteristics at the input and output.Linear devices have the function of emergency shutdown from the mains and switching to battery operation if the light is suddenly turned off.
Batteries in such models usually have a capacity of 5-10 Ah. This is enough to keep the gas boiler running for 10 to 30 minutes after the power goes out. The main function of linear UPSs is to prevent instant shutdown of gas equipment. This gives the owner the opportunity to safely turn off the boiler manually without harming it.
Advantages of linear units:
- noiselessness;
- high efficiency when connected to the network;
- low cost.
Flaws:
- switching to battery takes 4-12 minutes;
- voltage and current characteristics cannot be adjusted;
- weak battery.
NOTE! Some line UPS models have the option of installing an external battery. Thanks to it, the battery life of the device increases.
Line Interactive
Uninterruptibles of this type differ from linear ones in that they are endowed with a built-in stabilizer. If linear UPSs start working from batteries even with small input voltage surges, then line-interactive ones, thanks to the stabilizer, can work with very large fluctuations. Accordingly, they are considered more reliable.
Advantages:
- the stabilizer trims the voltage in the network;
- long working time;
- relatively low cost.
Flaws:
- spends a lot of time to switch to the reserve;
- when working from the network there is no correction of the form of the output voltage.
double conversion
A UPS with a double conversion system (other names - online or inverter) is significantly different from the first two types.This device converts alternating current to direct current, and then performs a secondary conversion of direct current to alternating current. The battery connected to the input of the second inverter is charged from a reduced DC voltage.
If the voltage disappears in the network, no time is wasted connecting the battery - it is always ready (hence the name "online").
Double conversion UPS has the following advantages:
- almost perfect sine wave at the output;
- instant activation of the reserve;
- voltage and frequency stabilization.
There are also a couple of downsides:
- high price;
- low efficiency (because the device is constantly running).
How to choose a UPS for a gas boiler?
Power calculation
The power consumed by the gas boiler is the sum of the power consumption of the electronics unit, the power of the pump and the cooling fan (if any). In this case, only the thermal power in watts can be indicated in the passport of the unit.
UPS power for boilers is calculated by the formula: A=B/C*D, where:
- A is the power of the backup power supply;
- B is the nameplate power of the equipment in watts;
- C - coefficient 0.7 for reactive load;
- D - three times the margin for starting current.
UPS battery selection
For backup power devices, batteries of various capacities are provided. On some devices, as mentioned above, you can connect an external battery, which allows you to work longer in emergency mode. The larger the battery capacity, the longer the gas boiler will be able to work without electricity. Accordingly, with an increase in capacity, the price of the device also increases.
If an external battery can be connected to the UPS, it is important to know the maximum charge current indicated in the documentation.We multiply this figure by 10 - and we get the capacity of the battery, which can be charged from this device.
NOTE! Undercharging the battery will shorten its life. Avoid it.
UPS runtime can be calculated using a simple formula. We multiply the capacity of the battery by its voltage, and divide the result by the full power of the load. For example, if the device uses a 12V battery with a capacity of 75 Ah, and the total power of all equipment is 200 W, then the battery life will be 4.5 hours: 75*12/200 = 4.5.
| Boiler power | Battery capacity, A/h | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | A/h | A/h | A/h | A/h | A/h | A/h | A/h | A/h | A/h | A/h |
| 7 | 18 | 33 | 55 | 75 | 100 | 120 | 150 | 180 | 200 | |
| Boiler operating time, h | ||||||||||
| 30 | 2,2 | 5,8 | 10,6 | 17,6 | 24 | 32 | 38,4 | 48 | 57,6 | 64 |
| 80 | 0,84 | 2,2 | 4 | 6,6 | 9 | 12 | 14,4 | 18 | 21,6 | 24 |
| 100 | 0,7 | 1,7 | 3,2 | 5,3 | 7,2 | 9,6 | 11,5 | 14,4 | 17,3 | 19,2 |
| 120 | 0,6 | 1,5 | 2,7 | 4,4 | 6 | 8 | 9,6 | 12 | 14,4 | 16 |
| 145 | 0,5 | 1,2 | 2,2 | 3,6 | 5 | 6,6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13,3 |
| 180 | 0,4 | 1 | 1,8 | 3 | 4 | 5,3 | 6,4 | 8 | 9,6 | 10,7 |
| 200 | 0,4 | 0,8 | 1,6 | 2,6 | 3,6 | 4,8 | 5,8 | 7,2 | 8,7 | 9,6 |
| 250 | 0,3 | 0,7 | 1,3 | 2,1 | 2,9 | 3,9 | 4,7 | 5,8 | 7 | 7,7 |
| 350 | 0,2 | 0,5 | 0,9 | 1,5 | 2,1 | 2,8 | 3,3 | 4,1 | 4,9 | 5,5 |
| 400 | 0,2 | 0,4 | 0,8 | 1,3 | 1,8 | 2,4 | 2,9 | 3,6 | 4,3 | 4,8 |
| 500 | 0,1 | 0,3 | 0,6 | 1,1 | 1,5 | 1,9 | 2,3 | 2,9 | 3,5 | 3,9 |
Batteries can be connected in series or in parallel. In the first case, the capacitance of the device does not change, but the voltage adds up. In the second case, the opposite is true.
If you decide to use car batteries with the UPS to save money, immediately abandon this idea. In the event of an incorrect connection, the uninterruptible power supply will fail, and under warranty (even if it is still valid), no one will change it for you.
It's no secret that batteries get hot during operation. Therefore, it is not necessary to heat them additionally against each other. When connecting several such devices, make sure that there is an air gap between them. Also, do not keep batteries near heat sources (like heaters) or at very low temperatures - this will lead to their rapid discharge.
Installation location
Uninterruptibles for gas boilers should be installed indoors next to the heating system.Like batteries, the UPS itself does not like extreme heat or cold, so you need to create optimal conditions (room temperature) in the room for it to work.
The device is best placed near outlets. If the device is small, you can not hang it on the wall, but simply put it on a shelf. At the same time, the ventilation openings must remain open.
The minimum distance from gas pipes to sockets, including the UPS, must be at least 0.5 meters.
Do I need a stabilizer if there is a UPS
An uninterruptible power supply is a useful and functional device, but it will not be a salvation from all troubles if the quality of the input voltage is poor in the house. Not all UPS models are able to "pull out" low voltage (less than 170-180 V).
If your home really has serious and persistent problems with the input voltage (it is less than 200 V), you still have to install a normal inverter regulator at the input. Otherwise, the gas boiler will be powered only by batteries, which will take away a significant part of their operating life.
The best UPS for a gas boiler
When choosing uninterruptible power supply for the boiler, it is recommended to give preference to trusted companies that have earned the trust of customers by releasing reliable products. Gas equipment is potentially dangerous, so you should not save on its uninterrupted operation. The UPS on the boiler will help prevent gas contamination, flame separation or even an explosion when the network is turned off or subsidence.
Powercom VGS 1500XL
This is an interactive double conversion uninterruptible power supply. Output power - 1350 watts.Full and half load on the device is possible within 4 and 15 minutes, respectively.
It is possible to replace the batteries of the battery, even during operation. All data is displayed on the LCD display. The device is immune to external network factors. It doesn't make much noise when working. Among the shortcomings, one can only note the need to change batteries every 5-6 years.
P-Com Pro 3H
A fairly powerful type of UPS for a gas boiler - 800 watts. This is an interactive device, its operating time at a load of 100 W is up to 40 minutes. Full load is available within 5 minutes - this will allow you to complete the operation of the device without unnecessary nerves.
The device provides full protection against network instability. Due to 8 batteries it can work for several hours without electricity. The disadvantages include the considerable cost of the device itself and the need for periodic replacement of the battery, which are also not cheap.
INELT Monolith K 1000 LT
This is a double conversion UPS. Thanks to the device, the boiler will be able to work without a network for quite a long time (up to 15 hours, depending on the capacity of the battery). This device can be connected to a battery with a capacity of up to 150 A / h, built-in batteries are not provided in it.
STIHL VoltGuarg HT1101L
This is another UPS with a double conversion system. Single-phase input and output are designed for equipment power of 1 kVA. Output voltage - 220 V.
Please note that the battery is not included. An external battery must be connected to this UPS. STIHL VoltGuarg HT1101L is equipped with protection against short circuit and battery discharge.
UPS Operation Tips
- The temperature and humidity in the room must comply with the requirements specified in the documentation. The optimum temperature for the operation of the device is 20-25 °C.
- The room excludes the presence of vapors of aggressive chemicals and liquids that are easily flammable.
- It is undesirable to use mains filters and tees at the output of the UPS.
- All equipment must be grounded.
- The connection of the UPS to the boiler must be carried out using cables of the appropriate section.
Summing up, we can say with confidence that an uninterruptible power supply is an essential thing in a house with a gas boiler. It is better to choose online models, especially if you do not have an additional stabilizer for linear or line-interactive devices. It is important to choose the right type of battery for the UPS, as well as the place for its installation, where comfortable working conditions should be created.
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