Why did I make the heat exchanger body from XPS? I show the advantages of the material in this work (there were also some disadvantages).
Using insulation as a structural material, at first glance, is not a good idea. But the thirst for work with their own hands, and craving for the "collective farm", break all stereotypes. And here's a prime example...
Friends, I am glad to welcome you. Today's article will be the first part of the review of my homemade heat exchanger, which I decided to put in my house.
Regular visitors to my channel have been asking me for a long time: "Well, when will you do everything and check it in work?". Friends, believe me, I am just as interested in the final result as you are, but we will move towards it in stages.
And the first step has already been completed - the heat exchanger is ready.
Although his appearance is not very presentable, the main thing is the principle of operation, which proceeds according to a fairly common scheme.
Of course, it is in my copy that there are several nuances, and they are connected with the fact that everything was done by hand, and from simple available materials. And it seems to me that if I tell about everything in detail, then this cannot be passed by.
- About foil heat exchangers, I already wrote (go and see how you finish reading this article).
Now the body of the heat exchanger is made of XPS.
Why did I decide to make everything from this material?
✔ Left over from previous jobs. Yes, it's so banal...
In the construction of my house, I used extrusion more than once, and often took material with a margin.
Therefore, the remnants accumulated, and it was a sin not to use it. But it was rather a coincidence, the main thing is the specific properties of this material.
✔ Thermal conductivity. For the best efficiency of the heat exchanger in which heat exchange takes place, it is very important to keep all internal processes without external temperature influence.
Therefore, even if the case is made of iron, you still have to insulate it additionally.
And with EPS, we kill two birds with one stone.
✔ At the same time, the material is quite durable. This is the bottom of its distinguishing features from other heaters (it is not for nothing that EPPS is placed directly under houses, when insulating foundations). In my house, I tested its strength by laying it under a screed floor.
The thickness of 50 mm was perfect for the heat exchanger. This is enough to save the geometry.
✔ In addition, the material is light. And since the design turned out to be quite voluminous in the end, this is an advantage (both in installation and with fasteners it will be easier).
✔ Easy to assemble with adhesive foam. This results in a rather rigid structure.
But there are also disadvantages of EPS in this work.
- Still, I had to make some improvements. In my case, I used furniture panels made of chipboard (also free leftovers), which I put on the back wall in order to securely hang the heat exchanger on the wall. And he also made such mortgages in the places of installation of hinges, and locks on the cover of the recuperator.
- At the same time, it is difficult to achieve the ideal geometry of the elements. YES, cutting EPS with a knife, and at the same time doing everything smoothly, is an unrealistic task (well, it turned out that way for me).
Therefore, the final assembly is a fit and refinement in place, with inevitable bumps.
Although, as many "straight-handed" builders like to say: "everything will be covered with decoration."
And in the case of my recuperator, this is also relevant, because I am not going to leave it in this form for everyone to see. In any case, everything will be beautifully hidden, and only its performance will remain important.
Well, let's look into this further...
Friends, I'm waiting for your opinion in the comments. What do you think of this design and the materials used?
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