Batteries in a modern interior

Batteries in the interior of an apartment or a private house is a necessity. The harsh conditions of our climate oblige to install high-quality heating system, which will provide comfortable living for most of the year. Radiators are difficult to attribute to the group of interior decorations. This unsightly part of the communicative lines of the heating system spoils many elegant interiors. However, radiators are easy to turn into a stylish decor by simple manipulations. Talk about how to hide the batteries in the interior.

The history of the radiators

Just a couple of centuries ago, fireplaces and stoves that melted with coal or firewood were responsible for heating the house. Many Russian villages still have these units, which are still used for their intended purpose. The first prototype of the heating system is considered to be the Roman hypocaust. They consisted of a complex of channels that were conducted under the floor and connected to the furnace. Warming up of rooms happened due to hot air. Roman baths were heated with water fired through copper pipes. The liquid was also heated in the furnace. Thus, in ancient Rome there were two types of heating systems: steam and water. The furnaces themselves were first made of clay, then of stone and brick.

    

The revolution in the furnace business was made by Benjamin Franklin, best known for his political activities. The inventor used cast iron for making the stove. The metal was heated for a long time, but it also cooled slowly. The pig-iron unit became the prototype of two modern inventions at once: boilers and radiators. The following was shown ingenuously by an English engineer who, on the basis of Franklin's furnace, created a complex water heating system for heating the winter garden. Heating of the liquid was carried out in large volume boilers. Then the water entered the pipes, where it circulated, giving off heat, and returned to reheat. This idea was adopted by not only English engineers, but also domestic ones.

    

Similar units heated Summer Palace in the era of Peter the Great. The systems used conventional pipes, which still poorly warmed the air due to the small area. The first radiator made of cast iron, which was a system of disks and a pair of thick pipes connected to the boiler, came up with domestic inventors. Such batteries quickly spread throughout Europe and beyond. However, the gravitational heating systems eventually replaced the units that operated on the pumps. In them, the fluid spreads through the communicative lines as a result of forced injection. Closer to the 30s of the last century, tubular radiators came to replace the cast-iron radiators. After thirty more years aluminum batteries began to be applied. Starting from the 20s, they began to introduce an innovative (at that time) centralized heating system, which is still used today.


    

Types of radiators

Heating radiators are classified according to size, design features and materials of manufacture. When choosing a battery in the first place is judged by the efficiency of work, and only then by appearance. By type of construction, the units are divided into three types:

  • Sectional;
  • Tubular;
  • Panel.

    

In sectional sections, existing or additionally installed sections are removed. Thus, you can independently adjust the power of the battery. They are inexpensive, but at the same time quickly heated. Sectional radiators are difficult to clean. Panel models have a large range of sizes, which allows you to choose the unit for a particular room. For example, for a small kitchen you can buy the same compact radiator, which is also easy to hide. However, they are not compatible with high pressure systems. Finally, tubular batteries. The easiest and most popular option. They consist of tubes (which is clear from the name). Usually the segments are arranged vertically, but there are also models with horizontal placement. The level of heat transfer depends on the diameter of the tubes. The rounded ends do not allow dirt to accumulate on the surface. Depending on the location of the battery is classified into:

  • Vertical (high);
  • Outdoor;
  • Flat.

The most original option is considered vertical. Their height far exceeds the width and usually such a unit does not need to be hidden: it successfully integrates into the loft, high-tech or modern style.

    

Bimetallic

The radiator consists of an aluminum box and steel tubes hidden under it. This is the most common type that is commonly installed in apartment buildings. Bimetallic batteries can be 100% and 50%. In the first case, the tubes are completely made of steel, and in the second - only partially. Such radiators last a long time, and the need for maintenance is very rare. They quickly heat up, have a small weight, which allows you to install them yourself. Compact radiators are well suited to modern design.

In order for the unit to work properly, it is necessary to additionally install a tap for air exhaust.

    

Aluminum

Aluminum radiators are made in two ways:

  • Extrusion;
  • Casting.

In the second case, additional sections may be connected to the battery. Aluminum radiators are lightweight, low cost and at the same time have a rich assortment of colors and sizes. They are easy to integrate into almost any interior. Radiators heat up quickly, but over time, leaks can form between sections. In addition, aluminum - material malleable, aggregates made of it can not be subjected to strong mechanical stress.


    

Steel

Steel units heat up very quickly. In the equipment market, models are offered that are installed at an angle, vertically or horizontally. Unfortunately, the material is subject to corrosion. The maximum lifetime is 15 years. It is not allowed to use batteries of this type with centralized heating, as the material deteriorates quickly if there is no water inside for a long time. Steel radiators do not withstand sudden pressure surges. They are especially vulnerable in weld zones. They will have to be replaced more often than cast-iron or copper ones. Painting the surface with "gaps" areas can cause metal corrosion.


    

Copper

Copper radiators are among the most expensive in the market of heating equipment. The units are lightweight and have a shiny surface that does not need additional painting. The material is insensitive to hydraulic shocks and pressure surges, since the load is distributed evenly. Copper radiators are suitable for both centralized and autonomous heating systems. The units look stylish in combination with Provence, retro and classic. There is no need to hide such beautiful batteries. They can be used as room decoration.


    

Cast iron

Cast iron radiators are considered the old retro model. They, in fact, have outlived their own and are rarely used. The radiator is a system of vertical tubes, the surface of which is often decorated with floral ornament. The units are massive and very heavy, which complicates the installation with their own hands. One person cannot cope with such equipment, so they will have to be installed by the company. Disguise the battery in the interior is very difficult. Cast iron is heated for a long time, which affects the efficiency of the radiator. In order to form comfortable temperature conditions in the room, it is necessary to use a large amount of fuel and time. However, cast iron batteries also cool for a long time. On average, the life of the unit is 30 years. The material is not afraid of corrosion.


    

Built-in radiators

The design of embedded radiators already assumes competent masking of the battery in the floor or wall. The unit is securely closed with a mesh panel that allows heat to pass through. All the "insides" of the system are hidden behind this box. Built-in radiators are necessary for heating spacious rooms with "glass" walls (panoramic windows). Floor models in this case are more effective. According to the norms, devices are installed near cold walls with windows. Wall mounted rechargeable batteries, which are mounted "next door", provide little heat and warm up the room poorly. Floor-standing batteries are a mesh "strip" in front of the window, which does not spoil the interior design, but at the same time successfully copes with the task.

The system "warm floor" also belongs to this category. It is usually installed as an additional heating in apartments, where in winter no comfortable temperature is maintained or in “vulnerable” rooms (a balcony converted to a living room).

    

Styles decoration

The simplest version of the disguise radiator, which does not fit with the stylistic decision in the design of the room, is the screen. This is most often the finished panel with holes, which cover the battery. It can be hung or embedded in a special box, that is, completely hide the radiator. Screens are made of glass, MDF, metal. Also there are wooden panels that look like a “braid”. The color of their surface is matched to the room furnishing. Glass is ideally suited to modern "high-tech" styles. Metal screens are often made with forging elements. Floral motifs originally flow into the country or classic style. It is possible to design radiators not only with the help of screens. The simplest, budget methods include painting. Color radiators combine with a touch of curtains, walls or make the battery an interior accent. Sometimes the unit is pasted over with strips of wallpaper, thereby completely masking the surface. Black, gray, white radiators are combined with loft, minimalism, hi-tech, futurism and avant-garde. Sometimes fabric curtains are used that are attached to the window sill. It is appropriate to look like a cozy solution in the style of Provence, eclectic, ethnic or classic. By means of putty to drawing give additional volume. Copper radiators are decorated with an artificial patina, aging the surface.

In some cases, radiators skillfully decorated under the "fireplace". On the sides of the battery are mounted shelves for books and decorations. It is worth remembering: the deeper the battery is hidden, the more it will affect the efficiency of its work.

    

How to choose

Radiators are selected in size, design and material performance. But their number for a particular room will have to be calculated. To get the right value, it is necessary to take into account the size of the room, the material from which the frame is made and the structure itself, the number of external walls and window openings. Based on these data, the calculation of thermal power.


    

Conclusion

If there is no time or desire to tinker with the design of the battery, get a radiator with the author's design. The cost of equipment, of course, is several times higher than that of simple units, but the unique element in the interior will become part of it, thereby adding to the design picture. Traditionally, such radiators are decorated with relief ornament. There are also models of non-ordinary forms: animals, objects of a “streamlined” configuration, “gates” with lashings, a musical staff, a clever interweaving of thin tubes that form a complex pattern.

Watch the video: Recreating a 4000 Year Old Battery - Was Electricity Used in Ancient Times? (March 2024).

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