Homemade electric heater. Homemade heater - for the house, the country house, the garage, for a tent on a hike and temporary heating

12.10.202327.05.2017

Central heating comes on late in the fall, while it switches off early in the spring. And Russian winters are so harsh that the heating system is not able to cope with the needs of the citizens: the apartments are cold, the heat quickly escapes through the windows. The way out of the situation is to use an additional heat source. The best choice would be an infrared heater that you can build yourself.

To make an infrared heater from scrap materials, it is necessary to study the operating principle. How can you do something you know nothing about?

All heated bodies radiate heat, just like the Sun does. The rays emanating from a heat source are electromagnetic waves that heat bodies encountered in their path: pieces of furniture and people. In this case, the air does not heat up: the air receives only part of the heat during heat transfer from already heated bodies. Infrared heaters operate on the principle of thermal radiation, which includes two main elements:

Radiation source. In industrial heaters, these are thin metal filaments that heat up when an electric current passes through them, or lamps (incandescent, halogen, quartz and others);
. This is a highly reflective body, the function of which is to reflect infrared rays to disperse heat throughout the apartment or form separate heated zones.

Advice! To check the effect achieved by the reflector, take some food foil and hold it near your hand for a while. You will feel the heat, which is reflected and directed towards you.

Another important part in industrial infrared fireplaces is the controller, which regulates the degree of heating of the emitter. It may not be present in homemade designs. But its installation gives the advantage of being able to set the desired temperature range. The controller automatically causes the device to heat up if the temperature drops below normal, and cool down if the temperature exceeds it.

If you study the infrared ceiling heater, the operating principle will be the same as that of the floor/wall design. The only difference is in the installation method of the IR fireplace. But it depends on him which zones in the room will be more comfortable.

The figure shows the advantage of infrared heaters: heat reaches physical bodies and is absorbed by them, remaining there. Therefore, it may be warmer on the floor than under the ceiling. And when heating a house using the convection method, the floor is always cold: the coating itself does not receive heat. Heat is carried by air, which, when heated, rushes upward, and a new portion of cold air falls down.

Cheap and cheerful

Typically, devices that are heated by electricity are used as an emitter - incandescent filaments or lamps. But the simplest version of the emitter is a heating radiator. This is the same physical body as the Sun. And it can also emit heat. Stand by the radiator and feel the emanating heat - this is radiation. It just spreads in all directions. Why heat the walls if you can direct the rays towards the living space?

Take the foil, smooth it well to improve the reflective effect and stick it on the wall behind the radiators and radiators. As a result, the heat that the walls could receive will be directed in the opposite direction - towards you. This method helps to get up to 20% more heat without any tricks. The only drawback is the ugliness of the reflective screen: it spoils the interior.

Attention! Instead of foil, you can use heat insulators with a reflective screen. A striking example is the material penofol, one or both sides of which are foil-coated.

A homemade infrared heater can be made from an old Soviet-made reflector. In addition to this, you will need:

Nichrome thread;
Steel rod;
Fireproof dielectric (ceramic plate is suitable).

To make an IR fireplace from these things, follow the instructions:

Remove dirt from the reflector;
Check the plug, cord and terminals to turn on the coil (they must be intact);
Measure the length of the spiral that is wound around the reflex cone;
Cut a steel rod the same length as the spiral;
Wind a nichrome thread onto the rod so that there are 5 turns for every centimeter;
Carefully remove the rod from the nichrome winding;
Place the spiral on a plate (another dielectric) so that the turns do not touch each other;
Connect the ends of the nichrome spiral to the mains;
Now the heated spiral will easily fit into the grooves of the cone from the reflector;
Connect the ends of the spiral to the contacts.

The nichrome filament glows better than the spiral that was in the device before our manipulations. As a result, we get a powerful emitter, the energy of which is reflected from the walls of the reflector and hits opposing bodies, which begin to absorb heat.

Heater glass + aluminum foil

You will need:

Foil;
Two glasses of the same size;
Paraffin candle;
Sealant;
A wire with a plug at the end;
Cotton napkin;
Boxed;
Cotton swabs;
Any device for holding a candle.

Step-by-step instruction:

Clean the glass with a napkin from paint, dust, grease;
Light a candle. Place it in a glass, candlestick, or simply drip paraffin onto a flat surface and quickly place the candle on the puddle;
Smoke the glass on one side by passing it over the fire at the same speed. The soot will lie evenly if the glass is cooled before the procedure. The dark layer will eventually become a conductive element;
Run cotton swabs around the perimeter of the glass pieces so that you get a frame of clean glass 0.5 centimeters thick;
Measure the width of the smoked rectangles on the glass with a ruler;
Cut two rectangles of the same width from foil - these will be electrode strips;
Take one glass and place it with the smoked side up;
Apply boxing agent to it and place rectangles of foil on the edges so that they extend beyond the glass;
Place the second glass on top with the smoked side down and press well so that the structure sticks well;
Along the perimeter of the “layer cake”, spread sealant at the joints of the glass;
Check the power of the structure. If it is not higher than 100 W per square meter of room, then the heater can be connected to the network using a wire and plug;
To connect to the network, use a wooden block with metal plates reinforced at both ends. Solder a plug to one contact. If you install the glass on a block so that the foil coming out from the sides fits tightly to the metal contacts, you get a full-fledged heater.

Attention! To calculate the power of a structure, use a multimeter to measure the resistance of the conductive layer. Since the current strength in the circuit depends on the load, it is better to calculate the power using a more stable parameter - this is the voltage, which in the network is equal to 220 Volts. To do this you will need a formula: N=U*U/R.

N– required power.U– voltage (220V).R– measured resistance. Example: when measuring, we got 24 Ohms. Substitute into the formula:N=220*220/24. We get 2016 watts. This is enough to heat a room with an area of 19-20 square meters.

If your power is more than 100 watts per square meter, then it needs to be reduced by increasing the resistance (we cannot change the network voltage). If the power is very low, then it needs to be increased.

What to do if the power is not suitable?

Now let’s talk about how to make an infrared heater with your own hands of the required power. To do this, you need to know the area of the room you want to heat. For example - 15 meters. Now you need to calculate the maximum permissible power at the rate of 100 watts per meter. Since we have 15 of them, the power will be 15 * 100 = 1500 Watts (it is necessary to count in them, despite the fact that in the passports of electrical appliances it is indicated in kW).

If the voltage is constant (220 Volts), then you can calculate the required resistance. To do this, we derive the resistance from the formula given above: R=U*U/N. Substituting the calculated power and voltage into the formula, we get: R= 220*220/1500=32 Ohm (approximately).

In the example above we had 24 ohms. This means that the resistance needs to be increased. To do this, you need to reduce the width of the smoked strip on the glass. This comes out of the formula R=l*p/S. Where l– length of the conductive layer (constant value, because we will not cut glass), R– resistivity (constant), S– cross-sectional area of the conductive layer, which depends on its width. The wider the layer, the lower the resistance, the narrower it is, the greater it is.

Conclusion! To achieve the required resistance, you need to select it experimentally, making the soot strip narrower or wider, depending on whether you need to increase or decrease the resistance. In this case, each time you will have to disassemble the glass structure.

Heater based on laminated plastic

To assemble a homemade infrared fireplace you will need:

Laminated paper plastic - 2 pieces with an area of 1 square meter;
Boxed;
Graphite (you can buy powder or get it from old batteries, from a pencil - but you will have to crush it);
Copper plates;
Wood;
Plug with cord.

If everything is there, start assembling:

Mix graphite powder with bauxide to form a thick mass with high resistance;
Place the plastic sheet with the rough surface facing the table;
Apply bauxide mixed with graphite onto the plastic using zigzag strokes;
Prepare the second sheet of plastic in the same way;
Glue both plastic sheets together, pressing them tightly together;
On opposite sides of the plates, attach copper plates that will act as terminals;
Build a wooden frame into which you will need to insert the resulting structure;
Allow the future heater to dry;
Measure the conductor resistance and calculate the power.

Attention! Here, the calculation of power and resistance is carried out using the same method as in the previous case. Only the resistance will depend not on the width of the conductive layer, but on the graphite content in the box. The more powder, the higher the resistance, and vice versa.

You will have to disassemble and reassemble the structure several times before you experimentally achieve the required power. Only then can you connect the device to the plug and connect it to the network for operation.

Mini heater made from a shoe polish can

Prepare materials:

Flat shoe polish box;
Two conductors;
Can;
Graphite powder;
Sand;
Plug.

Step-by-step instruction:

Wash the box;
Mix sand with graphite powder, taking them in equal quantities;
Pour the mixture into the box, filling it halfway;
Cut a circle out of tin;
Attach a wire to it;
Place the circle on top of the graphite-sand mixture;
Add enough sand and graphite until the jar is full;
Close the jar with a lid to create pressure inside;
Connect the second wire to the body of the can and connect it to the network using a plug (you can use a car battery).

To regulate the degree of heating, screw the lid of the jar looser or tighter to change the pressure inside. The tighter the jar is twisted, the stronger the heating, and vice versa. But do not allow it to overheat, at which point the jar begins to emit yellow or orange light rays. In this case, the contents inside the can are sintered, causing the efficiency of the heater to decrease significantly. To improve performance after sintering, you need to shake the jar vigorously - then the graphite-sand mixture will again become loose and suitable for work.

We continue to talk about homemade electrical appliances and our new master classes concern electric heaters. In fact, assembling a simple heating element at home is not difficult even for an inexperienced electrician. You just need to have available available tools and a diagram according to which the assembly should be carried out. Next, we will present to your attention several interesting ideas with photo and video examples that will clearly show how to make a heater with your own hands for your home, garage, and even your car!

Idea No. 1 – Compact model for local heating

The simplest way to make an electric heater is this one. To get started, prepare the following materials:

2 identical rectangular glasses, each with an area of about 25 cm2 (for example, dimensions 4*6 cm);
a piece of aluminum foil, the width of which is no greater than the width of the glass;
cable for connecting an electric heater (copper, two-wire, with plug);
paraffin candle;
epoxy adhesive;
sharp scissors;
pliers;
wooden block;
sealant;
several ear sticks;
clean cloth.

As you can see, the materials for assembling a homemade electric heater are not at all scarce, and most importantly, everything can be at hand. So, you can make a small electric heater with your own hands using the following step-by-step instructions:

Using this technology you can make an electric mini heater with your own hands. The maximum heating temperature will be about 40°, which will be quite enough for local heating. However, such a homemade product will, of course, not be enough to heat a room, so below we will provide more efficient options for homemade electric heaters.

Idea No. 2 – Mini heater from a can

Another original model of a homemade electric heater, which is suitable for local heating in a garage or room. All you need for assembly is:

coffee can;
transformer 220/12 Volt;
diode bridge;
cooler;
nichrome wire;
textolite, with an area approximately the same as the diameter of the can;
drill with a thin drill bit;
soldering iron;
cord for connecting to the network;
push button switch.

This instruction is even simpler and you can make an electric heater from a jar with your own hands in 1-2 hours. To begin with, you need to remove the foil from the PCB and cut out the middle in it, as shown in the photo below:

After this, use a drill to make diagonal holes. By the way, for this you can make a homemade mini drill according to our instructions. We fix nichrome wire into the holes, and then solder the wires.

We connect the transformer, diode bridge, cooler, nichrome wire and switch into one circuit.

We mount the fan in the jar using glue, after which we attach the PCB as shown in the photo:

We place all the elements of a homemade electric heater in a jar, drill holes in the lid and check the functionality of the device!

Idea No. 3 - Economical infrared device

So we move on to more powerful electric heaters, which you can easily make yourself at home. To make an infrared heater we will need the following materials:

2 sheets of plastic, each area 1 m2;
graphite powder, crushed to flour fraction;
epoxy adhesive;
two copper terminals;
cord with plug for connecting to a 220 Volt network.

So, you can make an indoor infrared heater with your own hands according to the following instructions:

By the way, in order for the structure to be more durable, it is recommended to place the infrared heater in a wooden frame, which you can also make with your own hands. Don’t forget to check the resistance of the device and calculate the power before connecting!

Idea No. 4 – Oil device

Another device model that is recommended to be assembled for heating a garage or other outbuildings in the country. All you need is an old battery, a tubular heater, oil and a plug. You will also need a welding machine, welding skills and some free time. The photo below shows one of the options for a homemade oil heater.

A tubular heater is installed at the bottom left, and a plug for draining/filling oil at the top. A simple design of an electric heater, which will be enough to heat a small room.

Idea No. 5 – Automotive electric oven

Well, the last version of a homemade heater is a device that runs on 12 Volts, which can be used to heat the interior of your own car. For assembly you will need the following materials:

old computer power supply;
nichrome wire;
remnants of ceramic floor tiles;
fasteners: bolts, angles, plates.

Making an electric car heater yourself is not that difficult. It is recommended to view the assembly process in the master class in photo examples.

During the cold season, the need for heat especially increases. But not every owner has the opportunity to purchase a factory-made heater. There is nothing difficult about assembling a heater with your own hands.

We bring to your attention four options for creating a heating device from improvised means that will perfectly cope with the task assigned to it. We have described in detail the process of making homemade products. Described the principle of operation and features of operation.

We have included diagrams, photo compilations and video instructions for step-by-step guides.

The simplest models of homemade heaters are designed for local heating. Their maximum heating temperature is about 40°C.

Most heating homemade products are radiating devices that operate on the same principle as electric radiators. They are connected to a single-phase network with 220 V, traditional for household objects. Those who want to make their own devices need knowledge in the field of electrical engineering and electrical installation.

Image gallery

A simple homemade panel heater: assembly diagram, photo of production.

With the onset of cold weather the theme residential heating becomes relevant, and many are wondering how to additionally heat a living room, work space, cottage or garage using a heater. In this article we will look at how to make a simple, cheap and at the same time safe electric heater.

The cross-section and length of the wire must be selected based on the required power of the heater; you can use the table provided.

If you need a 500 W heater, you will need nichrome wire with a cross section of 0.4 mm and a length of 9.7 meters.

To calculate the length of the wire, you can use the table.

You will also need materials:

Epoxy adhesive.
Bolts, washers, nuts – 2 pcs.
Wire and plug.

Electrical diagram of a homemade heater.

Let's start making the heater.

Each sheet of fiberglass needs to be cleaned on one side with a grinding machine, this will be the inside of the heater.

We take one sheet of fiberglass, we will lay nichrome wire on it. Depending on the size of the sheet, you need to calculate the number of turns of wire, taking into account the distance from all edges of the sheet of 20 - 30 mm. The optimal distance between turns is 10 - 15 mm.

For example: if our fiberglass sheet is just over a meter long, then to lay 24 meters of wire you will need to make approximately 24 turns.

For convenience, before laying the wire, it is advisable to draw a frame for the turns on the sheet.

Now you need to lay the wire in coils along the frame; you can fix the coils with paper strips and Monolith glue.

At the point where the wire exits, you need to drill two holes in the fiberglass, make terminals and connect the cord to the plug.

We check the integrity of the circuit with the device.

Now you need to glue the second sheet of fiberglass to the first using epoxy glue. Epoxy glue is applied along the edges of the sheet and between the turns of wire.

We glue the sheets together so that the sheets stick together evenly, they need to be laid on a flat surface, pressed on top with a sheet of chipboard or plywood and pressed down with a weight. After a day, the sheets will be firmly glued together, and the heater will be ready.

A homemade heater can be hung on the wall, and it will not take up space in the room.

The heater itself is safe, since the heating element is hidden in fiberglass, which is an insulating material, but you still need to follow safety precautions and not leave the heater unattended.

One of the advantages of an electric heater over other heat sources that burn hydrocarbon fuel is its simplicity of design. Thanks to this, any skilled owner with a little knowledge of electrical engineering can make a heating device of a simple design with his own hands. You just need to choose the appropriate electric heater option, correctly calculate the thermal power and prepare the required materials.

The purpose of household appliances is clear from the name - heating residential and other utility premises using electricity. Equipment of this type is used to organize general and local heating of various buildings and structures. The operating principle is the same for all types of heaters - converting electrical energy into thermal energy with an efficiency (efficiency) of about 98-99%.

Local heating is the directed heating of part of a room in a certain area. Example: a car service technician is working in an inspection ditch located in a large hangar. Raising the temperature to 20°C in the entire building is uneconomical; to create normal conditions for the worker, it is enough to install an electric heater in the pit.

Infrared heating is used at service stations to dry cars

All heaters are divided into 2 groups according to the method of heat transfer:

Convection. They give off heat directly to the air in the room, causing the appearance of convective currents. The colder and heavier air mass displaces the heated light air upward, causing circular circulation from the ceiling to the floor and back.
Infrared. Thermal energy is transferred to surrounding surfaces through infrared radiation. The air is heated last, receiving heat from objects.

Due to their design features, most heaters are mixed - they give off heat in a convective and radiant way, but in different ratios. Devices that transmit 70-80% of energy by radiation are considered infrared, the rest are convection heaters.

Direct heating of air by a household appliance causes convective circulation in the room

Infrared heating devices

The group of infrared heaters includes the following household electrical appliances:

with a tubular heating element made in the form of a lamp;
ceramic panels;
quartz;
long-wave wall and ceiling;
micathermic.

Each type implements radiant heat release in one way or another - through a hot nichrome thread, a carbon element, metal plates or artificial stone panels. In micathermic heaters, manufacturers use mica and oxides of various metals, which significantly increases the cost of the design.

An infrared heater transfers heat to the surfaces of objects

A generally recognized novelty that has recently expanded the range of electric heaters is infrared film of different widths. Generates radiant heat using thin carbon elements applied to a polymer base. It is used for floor, wall and ceiling heating.

In carbon film, carbon heating elements are applied to a flexible polymer base

Convection heaters

For air heating of premises, the following types of household appliances are used:

wall and floor convectors;
portable fan heaters;
oil radiators;
modular heaters - so-called electric batteries.

The fan heater has a simple design, small size and weight

The first two varieties are purely convective heaters, releasing approximately 80% of the heat directly to the air. The principle of heat exchange is simple: a heating element made of chromium-nickel wire is blown by an air flow created by a fan impeller or due to natural circulation.

The surface of oil radiators and electric batteries heats up considerably (sometimes up to 60 °C), so a significant portion of the heat is transferred into the room by radiation - up to 40%. The rest of the energy is taken up by the air washing the numerous heat exchange fins of the unit.

Externally, electric batteries are similar to water heating devices, only they are heated by an electric heating element

Video: types of electric heaters

With a strong desire and skills, a home craftsman can make any of the listed types of heaters. The exception is a micathermic type apparatus with mica elements. The question is the cost of such a product: for example, for a lamp infrared heater you need to buy a tubular heating element, for a convector - a heating element and an aluminum finned radiator.

When it comes to assembling an inexpensive heater from scrap materials, it is worth considering the following options:

fan heater;
electric battery;
quartz panel.

Quartz panels are made from ordinary cement-sand mortar

The latest type of heaters was given a beautiful name by the manufacturers themselves. In reality, this is a panel made of cement mortar with quartz sand, the heating element is walled up inside the slab.

A heating device of the simplest design consists of the following elements:

frame;
heating element - air heating element or spiral made of chromium-nickel alloy;
axial blowing fan;
switch and power regulator;
security automation.

An electric heat gun includes 2 main elements - a heater and a fan

Powerful versions of these heaters - heat guns - are used for heating large areas. Instead of axial fans, they use centrifugal (scroll) fans, and the housing is made in the form of a pipe.

To make a fan heater with your own hands, you need to purchase or find a heating element in the household. But first you need to determine the power of the future heater.

Calculation of the heating element

Considering the high efficiency of converting electrical energy into heat, the power consumption of the device should be equated to the heat transfer. If the heater “pulls” 1 kW of electricity from the network, then it will actually transfer 990 W to the room, the difference can be considered an error.

To measure a nichrome thread, you need to calculate its resistance

The calculation algorithm looks like this:

There is an easier way - instead of nichrome, buy a ready-made air heating element of the required power. But such a solution will cost much more, and the wire can be found in old heating devices (hair dryer, iron, etc.).

Preparation of tools and materials

To assemble the fan heater you will need a standard set of household tools:

pliers;
wire cutters;
sharp knife for stripping conductors;
drill with drills Ø3-8 mm;
hacksaw for metal;
screwdrivers of various types - flat and Phillips.

If you plan to install a fan with a constant supply voltage of 12V in the heater, you will have to assemble a rectifier circuit and install a step-down transformer. To assemble the electrical circuit, you will need a soldering iron with flux, solder and rosin included. Voltage and resistance measurements are made with a multimeter.

In addition to the listed tools, when making a heat gun you will need a multimeter

A convective heater can be made from the following parts:

To use low voltage types of DC fans, such as a PC cooler, you need to step down and rectify the voltage using a transformer and diode circuit. Add a 100-200 uF capacitor to it to smooth out current ripples and extend the life of the cooler. If you have a working computer power supply at your disposal, then you do not need to assemble the circuit.

To supply 12 volts to the fan, you need to assemble a primitive power supply according to the diagram

Manufacturing instructions

The first step is to prepare the heating element for installation. If you have a ready-made chromium-nickel spiral, break it lengthwise into sections equal to the internal diameter of the asbestos pipe, then bend it at the points found. Straight wire must be wound around any round object Ø0.5-1 cm.

Remember that after winding the spiral will unwind and increase slightly in diameter due to elasticity.

The finished spiral must be bent, dividing into equal sections

The step-by-step assembly technology looks like this:

Drill holes with a diameter of 4-5 mm in the asbestos pipe to attach the spiral sections. Position the holes so that the heater coils intersect the internal passage of the pipe at different angles.
Using screws with nuts and washers, secure the nickel-chromium spiral inside the pipe. Bring the ends of the wire to the edge of the insulator and drill holes for connection to the conductors.
The chromium-nickel thread is attached to the pipe at several points with screws
Install the asbestos pipe inside the housing on metal brackets, and place the fan behind it.
Mount automatic switches on the wall of the heater.
Connect the copper wires to the nichrome by twisting them securely with screws passed through the holes. There is no point in soldering the connection - the spiral will heat up and melt the tin.
Connect the wires to the circuit breakers and the fan, take the power cable and plug out. Supply power to the heater and electric fan motor through separate switches.
The fan impeller is placed clearly opposite the pipe with the heating coil
For safety reasons, cover the front of the device with a metal grill.

To power a low-voltage fan, assemble a diode circuit with a step-down transformer. Place an electrolytic capacitor at the output of the diode bridge. Upon completion of installation, check the correct connections and begin testing the heater by connecting it to the network. If the coil becomes red-hot when the fan is running, you will have to find a more efficient supercharger, otherwise the wire will quickly burn out.

Some craftsmen supply 12 V power to the fan without a step-down transformer, removing the voltage from a certain section of the wire and feeding it to the diode bridge. The method is not very safe - you will have to look for the desired point with a voltmeter on a heater connected to the network.

Video: making a homemade fan heater

The heat source is a cast iron radiator of an outdated design, into which a tubular electric heater - heating element - is screwed in instead of the lower side plug. The battery is filled with water, the resulting excess air is removed through an automatic air vent or a manual Mayevsky valve.

It is no coincidence that an old-type cast-iron radiator was chosen for the manufacture of an electric heater - at least 1.5 liters of water are placed in each section of the battery. Modern bimetallic and aluminum radiators are less spacious - the internal volume of a section does not exceed 0.5 liters. In order for the heater to work efficiently, you will have to increase the number of sections, which will increase the cost of the product.

For the manufacture of a heater, the MS-140 radiator made of cast iron is best suited

The calculation of the required thermal power is carried out according to the algorithm given above. Then, based on the calculated data, a water heating element is selected taking into account the following recommendations:

take the power of the heating element with a safety factor of 1.2-1.3 and rounding up;
heater shape - in the form of the Latin letter U;
if one heater is not enough to ensure the required heat transfer, take two heating elements of the same power;
It is better to buy tubular heaters with a built-in thermostat;
the number of sections of a cast iron battery is determined by the length of the heating elements - they must fit inside with a small margin.

An example of calculating the number of sections. A U-shaped heating element with a power of 2 kW has a tube length of 26 cm, the width of the cast iron section is 90 mm. To install 2 heaters with a total length of 54 cm, you will need at least 7 sections, taking into account the reserve - 8 pieces.

Per 1 heater, it is allowed to install a larger number of radiator sections, but then the total amount of water and the warm-up duration will increase, and then energy consumption.

1 standard heating element is installed in a cast iron radiator for 7 sections

Preparatory stage

To assemble the heater you will need the following products and materials:

If you plan to regulate the air temperature in the room, additionally buy a room thermostat with a built-in or remote temperature sensor. When installing an electric heater in a residential area, use plastic cable ducts or lay the wiring hidden in the grooves of the walls, wearing a protective corrugated sleeve.

The prepared radiator must be installed on the mounting brackets

To install the battery on the wall, provide steel hooks or brackets. Before installation, the appearance of the radiator should be tidied up - you will need heat-resistant enamel of the desired color.

Heater assembly procedure

Before making an electric battery, the radiator should be prepared - thoroughly washed with cleaning agents, checked for leaks, dried and painted on the outside. Perform further work in the following sequence:

Install the battery on the wall brackets in advance - it will be more difficult to install the device after filling it with water.
For reliability, coat the thread of the heating element with sealant before screwing it in.
Instead of one bottom plug, screw it into the outer section of the heating element with a water thermostat, using a paronite gasket and sealant.
In the upper opposite corner of the radiator, screw in a fitting with a hole for the air vent.
The fitting and Mayevsky tap are installed instead of the top plug
Close the remaining holes with standard plugs, sealing the threads with FUM tape.
Connect the PVA wire laid from the circuit breaker to the heating element. The latter does not have to be installed directly in the room; you can place it in a common electrical panel.
The sensor and thermostat are inserted into a special tube of the heating element

Upon completion of assembly, fill the battery with water through the hole under the Mayevsky tap, and there should be an air gap at the top to compensate for the expansion of water. Screw the air vent into place and put the heater into operation. During the initial heating process, you need to bleed air through the Mayevsky tap several times. To prevent the water in the battery from boiling, set the thermostat of the heating element to a maximum temperature of 80 °C.

When using the heater in rooms with periodic heating, instead of water, fill the battery with non-freezing coolant.

Automatic maintenance of indoor air temperature is achieved using a room thermostat located in a convenient location. In this case, the electric heater is not connected to the network directly, but through the specified thermostat.

Video: review of an electric heater made of cast iron radiator

When using homemade heaters, you need to take into account some operating features and follow simple safety precautions:

A fan heater made from scrap materials should not be left on unattended. If such a need nevertheless arises, the device should be equipped with an automatic emergency shutdown - buy a thermal relay and install a tilt sensor.
Do not increase the temperature of the water in the electric battery above 80 ° C, otherwise steam will form and the pressure inside will increase, threatening to destroy the cast iron. If the heater produces little heat, add several sections and install an additional heating element.
Do not connect the equipment to the electrical network using twisted cables.
The line to which the electric heater is connected must be protected by a circuit breaker and an RCD.
It is not advisable to use the fan heater in rooms with high humidity.

Like factory heaters, homemade devices require virtually no maintenance. Blow dust out of the convective heater periodically, otherwise it will burn on the coil and give off an unpleasant odor. In an electric battery, check the condition of the working surface of the heating element once a year and, if necessary, remove scale.

Making a simple electric heater is a good way to save money on purchasing a factory-made device. In terms of heating efficiency, there is no difference between the products - in both cases the efficiency reaches 99%. The difference in appearance and functionality is compensated by the low cost of homemade devices. If desired, the design can be improved by adding useful automation elements: sensors, thermostats and timers.