How to make an infrared heater with your own hands. DIY infrared film heater - simple, warm and inexpensive DIY economical heater secret technologies

Until recently, infrared heaters were a curiosity. Now they are becoming common devices that are used everywhere: at home, in the country, in production workshops and even in open areas. It has gotten to the point that many “Kulibins”, having frozen in the garage, use improvised materials to make an infrared heater with their own hands. Below we will look at several ways to make IR from improvised materials.

Unlike other types of heaters, IR does not heat the air in the room. It works on the principle of our luminary: heats up objects that get in the way of infrared radiation. And heated surfaces share heat with the surrounding air.

An infrared heater consists of two main elements:

heating element-emitter;
reflector (reflector).

Both of these elements are assembled in a heat-resistant housing.

The reflector is made from aluminum or polished steel. The reflector's task is to generate a radiation flux and direct it to the desired area.

Lamps are used as a heating element (emitter):

halogen;
carbon and quartz.

Heaters with halogen lamps are cheaper than those with carbon or quartz lamps. But they have one drawback that does not favor the use of the device in residential premises: their operation is accompanied by the glow of a lamp. Agree that you can’t put such a heater in the bedroom, or in the nursery either. Although, on balconies and loggias, if they are not combined with the main room, it is possible.

Unlike halogen lamps, carbon and quartz lamps do not produce light (but their price is higher). Actually, this is their only difference from halogen lamps. Some sellers claim that carbon and quartz, in addition to heating the room, also improve the health of residents. Such statements should not be taken seriously: doctors clearly state that infrared heaters do not have any effect on human health.

In addition to the emitter and reflector, the heater design contains a fire hazard sensor and thermostats. The first ones automatically turn off the heater when it overheats or tips over, the second ones serve to maintain the set temperature.

Making your own infrared heater

IR heater from an old reflector

You will need:

Soviet-made reflector;
nichrome thread;
steel rod;
fireproof dielectric.

Tip: As a dielectric, you can use a plate of any diameter made of glazed ceramic.

Your actions:

thoroughly clean the reflector reflector from dirt and dust;
check the integrity of the power cord, plug, connection to the terminals for connecting the spiral;
measure the length of the spiral wound onto the ceramic cone of the device;
take a steel rod of the same length and thread a nichrome thread onto it. Winding pitch – 2 mm;
upon completion of winding, remove the spiral from the rod;
lay the spiral in a free state (its turns should not touch) on a fire-resistant dielectric;
connect the current from the power outlet to the ends of the spiral;
turn off the heated coil and place it in the groove of the ceramic heater cone;
connect it to the power terminals.

Made from glass and foil

Necessary materials:

glass: two pieces of the same size;
aluminum foil;
sealant;
paraffin candle;
power cord with plug;
epoxy glue;
cotton buds;
clean cotton napkin;
candle holder.

What we do:

remove dust, dirt, grease, traces of paint, if any, etc. from the surface of the glass;
light the candle and smoothly move the glass plates over its flame (alternately and only on one side). As a result of this operation, a uniform layer of soot should form on the glass. It will serve as a conductor in the heater;

Tip: If the glass is cooled before processing, the layer of soot will lie more evenly on its surface.

Using cotton swabs, we form a transparent “frame” about five millimeters wide around the perimeter of the glass;
Cut out two rectangles from a sheet of aluminum foil. Their width should be equal to the width of the conductive layer (the very soot that you diligently deposited on the glass at the beginning of work). The foil strips in our IR will act as electrodes;
place the glass plate with the smoked side up and apply epoxy glue to its surface;
We place foil on the edges of the plate so that their ends extend beyond the glass;
carefully cover the resulting structure with a second glass plate (smoky side inward) and glue the “pie” together, carefully pressing its layers together;
We seal the perimeter of the structure;
measure the resistance of the conductive layer;
Using the obtained result, we calculate the heater power using the formula:

N = R x I 2, where

N – power (W);

R – resistance (Ohm);

I - current strength (A).

If everything went well and the power did not exceed the value allowed by regulations, you can connect the homemade infrared heater to the outlet. If you don’t guess correctly, disassemble the device and start all over again.

Note: For orientation, keep in mind that the wider the soot strip, the lower the resistance. Consequently, the heating temperature of the glass will be higher.

IR based on laminated plastic

You will need:

paper laminate with an area of 1 square. m – 2 blanks;
epoxy glue;
copper busbar for making terminals;
wood for making a frame;
power cord with plug.

Graphite can be “mined” from batteries that have expired.

What need to do:

Graphite for heater

mix epoxy glue with graphite until a thick mass is obtained (this prepares a future conductor with high resistance);
Place the plastic blank on the workbench with the rough side up;
Apply an epoxy-graphite mixture to the surface of the plastic using zigzag strokes;
similarly prepare the second plate;
We place the plates on top of each other with the treated sides facing each other and glue them together;
We attach copper terminals on opposite sides of the graphite conductor;
We construct a fixing wooden frame along the perimeter of the structure;
leave the product alone until the graphite-epoxy layer has completely dried;
we measure the conductor resistance and calculate the power (see option 2).

The resistance value of the conductor depends on the amount of graphite in the mass. If, as a result of testing, it turns out that the conductor resistance is too low, prepare a new epoxy-graphite composition by increasing the dose of graphite. Accordingly, high resistance can be reduced by reducing the amount of graphite powder in the conductor.

After you achieve a positive result, you can connect the power cord to the terminals and plug the device into the outlet. You can improve the design by installing a simple thermostat.

We have considered only a small fraction of the methods for making infrared heaters. In fact, there are a great many options, because home craftsmen tend to use different things that have served their purpose. Their diversity determines the number of inventions of homemade infrared heaters.

To relax in the countryside in winter, you need a reliable source of heat (heater). It can be purchased in specialized stores. But there are summer residents who can easily design homemade heaters for their home, cottage and garage.

Not all summer residents and homeowners come to this decision, but only those who have special skills and abilities. Among them there are real self-taught engineers. They are able to calculate everything down to the smallest detail, carefully handle every detail, installing an original safe heater.

The cost of material for a homemade device for heating a room is minimal, since it can be found on the farm. Even if you buy the material for money, it will cost much less than a device from a store, and the effect of the work is the same. Why then spend money on purchasing ready-made equipment when you can install it yourself. How to make a home heater with your own hands?

Homemade gas heater for garage, home, cottage

When creating a heater with your own hands, you need to follow several recommendations:

The device must have a simple design without complex elements and parts.
It is necessary to focus special attention on safety, therefore it is best to purchase devices that shut off and supply gas from the factory, or remove them from old cylinders.
When creating, you should also take into account its cost-effectiveness.
The heater should not be bulky, and the methods for activating it should not be complicated.
The cost of materials for the heater should be no more than a third of the real price of a factory heating device from the store counter, otherwise there is no point in making it; it’s easier to buy a ready-made one.

As practice shows, the most effective way of heating at home is infrared radiation.

To make such a homemade gas heater for a garage, home, or cottage with your own hands, you need a minimum of parts and material costs (tin sheet, metal scissors, rivet gun, rivets, fine metal mesh, regular household sieve, drawstring gas canister with a capacity of 0.5 l. and a special burner with a valve).

The first thing you need to do is attach the heater to the burner. You need to take a household sieve, lean it against a galvanized sheet and circle it with a marker. Then, perpendicular and parallel, it is necessary to draw rectangular ears to the circle (one of them should be twice as long). Use metal scissors to cut out the design. It should be as smooth as possible.

The second stage of heater installation involves fastening the parts together. To do this, take the burner and bolt it to the tin circle. Then, using the ears, which are wrapped in the opposite direction, a strainer is attached. It helps dissipate heat to the sides. The result is part of the heater design.

The third stage of installing a homemade heater will be attaching the metal mesh. To do this, you need to cut out an identical circle from the tin again. It is also cut with metal scissors. The ears are bent, and holes (about 10) are drilled in the plane of the circle. Then the mesh is taken and attached to the ears of both circles. First you need to attach the lower part, then the upper. Fastening is carried out using a riveter and rivets. The result of these operations should be a mesh cylinder.

The final stage is the launch of an infrared homemade gas heater. Although it is not large, the heat emanates from it is sufficient to heat a garage, a room in the house or a small country house.

DIY oil heater

Thanks to their impeccable functionality, characteristics and efficiency, they have gained great popularity among summer residents. They are safe and compact, and have a high level of efficiency.

The design of a homemade oil heater is very simple: a sealed housing with oil (any gas cylinder or other sealed container can do), around which electric tubular heaters are wrapped.

To make an oil heater, you need the following materials and tools:

Hermetic container (car radiator, metal or aluminum battery).
Transformer or technical oil.
4 ten.
Electric motor or pump of low power (up to 2-2.5 kW).
Set of drills, drill, welding machine, electrodes, switches.

The process of installing an oil heater at home follows the following scenario:

A DIY oil radiator will be an excellent and effective heater for your home and garden. Its only drawback is its dependence on electricity and its high consumption.

DIY electric heater

If you make an electric heater with your own hands, the basis of its operation should be infrared rays, which heat not the air, but the objects in the room. Thanks to this principle, even a homemade electric heater will be effective. In addition, electricity consumption is minimal.

To make an electric heater, you can use two sheets of plastic and graphite shavings. The owner will get an aesthetic, flat device that will harmoniously fit into any interior.

A graphite heater is made using graphite shavings (you can use old, used tram brushes), two sheets of plastic (1 m2 each), epoxy glue, a piece of wire with a plug at the end.

A homemade electric heater is the most effective and convenient means of heating a room. Many summer residents are often interested in the question of how to make a garage heater with their own hands? For a garage, you can make a heater using the same principle, only you need to take smaller plastic plates, about half the size. This will be enough to heat a small garage.

Video: making a heater with your own hands

The need for comfortable warmth increases in the off-season and with the onset of cold weather. But not all homeowners have the opportunity to purchase reliable factory-made heating equipment, the cost of which is often inflated. In this case, an alternative option is a homemade heater made from available materials, which can easily cope with the task.

Basic requirements for a homemade heater

Any type of heating equipment for the home, regardless of design features and manufacturing complexity, must meet the basic requirements:

Simplicity and accessibility in assembly.
Safety and reliability in operation.
Efficiency in energy consumption.
High productivity and working power.
Affordable cost of structural elements and materials.
Ergonomics and ease of transportation.
Durability and practicality.

Among the existing heaters, the most efficient and productive are: infrared, quartz and ceramic emitters, and electric convector.

Advantages of homemade devices

Homemade appliances for heating a city apartment, country house or cottage have significant advantages over factory-made products. They are as follows:

Possibility of manufacturing from accessible and cheap materials, which leads to a reduction in the cost of the finished device.
Simple and compact design that can be used in various rooms.
Ease of use and transportation.
High efficiency with silent operation of structural elements.
Self-assembled quality.

Today, infrared heaters are available for self-production, which are the safest and most efficient to use. If more powerful equipment is required, then you can assemble an oil radiator, an alcohol heater, a heat gun, a battery-powered and gas-powered device.

Making your own infrared heater

Modern IR emitters for heating homes are reliable, practical and have good efficiency. Such devices emit infrared radiation, which, without interacting with air, contributes to the rapid heating of various surfaces in the room. Thus, they effectively convert electricity into thermal energy.

The most affordable option for home assembly is an economical film heater, the basis of which is a heating film.

To work, you will need to prepare the following materials and tools:

two identical pieces of glass,
aluminum foil,
sealant,
paraffin candle,
epoxy resin glue,
electrical cord with plug,
candle holder,
soot cleaning sticks,
sponge for cleaning glass surfaces.

The infrared heater is assembled with your own hands according to the following scheme:

The glass is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and degreased.
A conductive base for the heater is assembled. Using a candle, soot is applied to the back side of the glass blanks, acting as a kind of current conductor. Before starting the procedure, the workpieces are slightly cooled.
Along the perimeter of the workpieces, the surface is cleared of soot using chopsticks to obtain an even edge 0.5 cm wide.
Strips of width equal to the area of the conductive glass base are cut out of foil. They will be used as conductive electrodes.
One workpiece is placed on a flat surface with the smoked side up, and a thin layer of glue is applied around the perimeter. Foil strips are applied to the glued surface with a slight shift beyond the edges of the workpiece.
It is covered with a second piece on top and, accordingly, the smoked side down is pressed to set the glue. All joints are carefully treated with sealant.
Checking the power of the finished structure. If the power indicator does not exceed 100 W per 1 sq. m of room, then the heater is connected to the network using a conductive wire and plug.

A multimeter measures the resistance of the heater's conductive base. To calculate power, use a simple formula: N = U×U/R, where

N – power, U – mains voltage (220 volts), R – resistance.

For example, R – 20 Ohm, then N = 220×220/20. The result is 2420 W. This power is enough to heat a room of 25 square meters. m.

Making your own oil heater

A homemade oil heater is distinguished by functionality, safety and reliability. A similar device can be used to heat residential and technical premises.

Structurally, the device consists of a sealed metal housing filled with a coolant – technical oil.

To make a powerful heater from a battery yourself, you will need the following materials:

used battery,
tubular heater,
technical oil,
heating temperature regulator,
2-core current-carrying cord with plug,
electric pump with a power of 2.5 kW,
metal corners,
tubes that can withstand heating temperatures up to 160 degrees.

All work is carried out using a welding machine and an electric drill.

The technology for manufacturing and assembling an oil heater involves the following steps:

Manufacturing a rectangular frame of the required size for mounting the device. The corners are cut into pieces of the required length and welded together into a rectangular structure. At the bottom, legs are welded to each corner.
Holes are made in the prepared container for installing heating elements. The holes should be located at the bottom of the device. An additional hole in the top of the container will be required to fill the coolant. A grinder or welding is used for cutting.
Installation of the electric pump on metal plates welded to the heater body.
Heat-resistant tubes are used to fix the pump. They are welded to the body and connected to the pump using shut-off valves.
Fixing heaters to bolted connections in the holes provided for this.
A fitting with an external thread is welded onto the inlet hole for the coolant to install a protective cover. A simple version of the cap can be made from a piece of pipe with an internal thread, which is screwed onto the fitting from above. A rectangular metal plug is welded onto the other end of the pipe to prevent oil from spilling out.
The container is checked for leaks by creating a slight internal pressure.
Connecting heaters in parallel to increase the heat output of the heater.
Installation and connection of the thermostat, as well as a current-carrying cable with a plug. Mounting the container on a prepared frame and additional grounding. Filling coolant into the radiator.

DIY gas heater assembly

No less popular for home use is a homemade, economical heater without electricity, powered by gas. Such a device provides heating of the room due to infrared radiation and air convection.

To make a gas heater, you need to prepare the following materials:

gas burner and shut-off valve,
hemispherical sieve,
galvanized sheet steel,
metal mesh.

The assembly diagram of the heating device is as follows:

A pair of round blanks are cut from galvanized steel, the diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the sieve with small protrusions.
A gas burner is bolted to one workpiece. Next, the projections are bent in the opposite direction from the installed burner. A sieve is screwed to them so as to cover the burner. In this case, the sieve is used as a heat dissipator.
The metal mesh is bent into the shape of a cylinder and fixed to the protrusions so as to cover the sieve with the burner. Fastening elements can be metal rivets. Visually, the device looks like a cylinder with a burner installed inside, and a sieve and mesh on top of it.
The top of the cylinder is closed with a second steel blank with a bend and a protrusion outward. Next, the upper part of the structure is fixed to them.
The finished heater is connected with a gas hose to a cylinder or a centralized gas supply line.

Homemade heat gun

Another option for equipment that you can assemble yourself is an electric heater similar to a heat gun.

To make a home heat gun you will need:

metal cylindrical container (bucket, cut cylinder),
heating element - a spiral from an electric stove,
metal grate,
fan,
conductive wires,
switch.

The heat gun is assembled as follows:

Using a grinder, the bottom part of the structure of the prepared cylindrical container is cut off. This results in a through workpiece.
The grid is cut to the diameter of the container. The spiral is fixed on the grid so that the diameter of the installation is smaller than the diameter of the container.
Horizontal rectangular holes are made on the sides of the container to insert a grid with a fixed spiral. Thus, the spiral is positioned 3 cm from the edge of the container.
From the spiral, conductive wires are led out of the walls of the container through special insulators. A circuit breaker with additional insulation is fixed on the outside of the container wall.
A fan is installed on the opposite side of the grille, which is securely fixed to the walls with self-tapping screws. The device is connected to the machine.
Holes are made along the edges of the body for mounting supports secured with nuts. The finished structure should be as stable as possible.
Test run of the finished heater. First, the fan turns on, then power is supplied to the coil.

Constructing a home electric heater with your own hands from improvised materials, the cost of which is low, is not particularly difficult, so even a novice master can cope with such a task.

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.

The main thing is safety.

When is a homemade heater needed for a home, cottage or garage? Ordinary people are pushed to make heating devices with their own hands by the lack of centralized heating (in the case of a garage or country house). For a home, homemade heating equipment will be needed during construction work or in the autumn-spring period, when the centralized heat supply is either not yet turned on or has already been stopped. By the way, this is the best time to do it.

People make a home heater with their own hands in order to save on the purchase of factory-made equipment, the price of which can be very high. However, regardless of the reasons why homemade heating devices are made, all work must be carried out professionally and in strict accordance with government regulations on the safe operation of such equipment.

The right homemade heater for the home

Regardless of the type of heating equipment manufactured and the type of energy carrier used, the equipment must meet the following requirements:

be easy to manufacture;
have a low cost of structural materials and elements;
have high productivity;
sufficient power;
be safe to use;
be economically profitable in terms of energy production and consumption;
as compact as possible;
simple and easy to use.

Any factory-made heater can boast of safety, economy and efficiency. Homemade equipment is characterized by increased power, productivity, and ease of use, but safety is a controversial issue. That is why any homemade heater for the home needs to be checked before mass use.

Efficient infrared emitter

Any infrared emitter that is used to heat a room is characterized by efficiency and high efficiency. All this is achieved thanks to a unique operating principle. Waves in the infrared spectrum do not interact with air, but increase the surface temperature of objects in the room.

They subsequently transfer thermal energy to the air. Thus, the maximum of radiant energy turns into thermal energy. It is precisely because of their high efficiency and efficiency, and also because of the low cost of structural elements, that infrared heaters are increasingly being made independently by ordinary people.

IR emitter based on graphite dust.

Epoxy adhesive.

operating in the infrared spectrum, can be made from the following elements:

graphite crushed to dust;
epoxy adhesive;
two equal-sized pieces of transparent plastic or glass;
wire with plug;
copper terminals;
thermostat (optional);
wooden frame, comparable to pieces of plastic;
brush.

Crushed graphite.

First, prepare the work surface. To do this, take two pieces of glass of the same size, for example 1 m by 1 m. The material is cleaned of contaminants: paint residue, greasy hand marks. Alcohol will come in handy here. After the surfaces have dried, they proceed to preparing the heating element.

The heating element here is graphite dust. It is a conductor of electric current with high resistance. When connected to the power supply, the graphite dust will begin to heat up. Having reached a sufficient temperature, it will begin to emit infrared waves and we get a DIY IR heater for the home. But first, our conductor needs to be secured to the working surface. To do this, you need to mix carbon powder with the adhesive until a homogeneous mass is formed.

Homemade room heater.

Using a brush, we make tracks from a mixture of graphite and epoxy onto the surface of previously cleaned glass. This is done in a zigzag manner. The loops of each zigzag should not reach the edge of the glass by 5 cm, while the graphite strip should end and begin on one side. In this case, there is no need to make indentations from the edge of the glass. Terminals for connecting electricity will be attached to these places.

We place the glass on top of each other with the sides on which graphite is applied, and fasten them with glue. For greater reliability, we place the resulting workpiece in a wooden frame. Copper terminals and a wire are attached to the exit points of the graphite conductor on different sides of the glass to connect the device to the electrical network. Next, homemade room heaters need to be dried for 1 day. You can connect a thermostat in the chain. This will simplify the operation of the equipment.

What are the advantages of the resulting device? It is made from improvised materials, and therefore has a low cost. It heats up no higher than 60°C, and therefore you cannot get burned on its surface. The glass surface can be decorated at your discretion with film with a variety of designs, which will not violate the integrity of the interior composition. Do you want to make homemade gas heaters for your home? The video will help solve this problem.

Film IR heating device. To fully heat a medium-sized room, it is recommended to use ready-made film materials capable of emitting infrared waves. They are abundantly present in the modern market.

When buying film material, you need to pay attention to the composition of its heating element. The latter must not contain lead. It is dangerous to health. A quality product must be accompanied by a quality certificate.

Required structural elements:

Preparing the wall surface for a homemade heater for an apartment begins with fastening the thermal insulation. Its thickness should be at least 5 cm. To do this, remove the protective film from the self-adhesive layer and attach the polystyrene to the surface with the foil facing up. In this case, the material must be pressed tightly against the wall. An hour after completion of work, you can proceed to the next stage.

Sheets of IR film are connected to each other in series. Glue is applied to the back side of the material using a spatula. All this is attached to previously installed polystyrene. It will take 2 hours to securely fix the heater. Next, a cord with a plug and a thermostat are attached to the film. The final stage is decoration. To do this, the prepared fabric is attached over the film using decorative corners.

Making an oil heater with your own hands

Homemade register with heating element and air vent.

Firstly, the container for the future radiator must be absolutely sealed. Otherwise, the coolant will leak out, which will lead to overheating of the heating element (heating element). Therefore, you need to master some techniques for properly welding metal. We talked about them in the article about.

Secondly, the coolant here should be mineral oil, if possible transformer oil. It should fill the heater tank to 85%. The rest of the space is left for air. It is necessary to prevent water hammer. Thirdly, in the case of using a cast iron tank for the heater, a steel heating element is used. For a stainless steel tank, a copper heating element is suitable. Magnesium anodes cannot be used in this system.

Use a sketch.

Source materials:

old, cast iron radiator or steel pipes with a diameter of 15 cm, pipes with a diameter of 7 cm;
transformer oil;
thermostat;
two-core cord with a plug at the end;
pump up to 2.5 kW.

You will have to work using a welding machine, a drill, a set of drills and electrodes. Pliers will come in handy. Making an oil heater for

The heating element is inserted into the lower end.

Do-it-yourself apartments begin with preparing the tank. If you took an old cast-iron battery, it must be disassembled into sections and thoroughly cleaned of dirt and rust, and be sure to degrease the inner surface. If you need a heater of increased power, then prepare a welded structure from prepared pipes, where pipes of larger diameter are located horizontally.

Pipes of smaller diameter serve as bridges between the main ones. The coolant will circulate through them. You need to remember that in the lower pipe you need to leave a hole for installing the heating element. If there are several heating elements, they are located on different sides of the tank and should not touch. A hole is also left for the pump. The heating element is securely fastened with bolts. The hole for it can be made with a grinder or autogens.

If a do-it-yourself room heater turns out to be voluminous and natural circulation of coolant in it is impossible, resort to the help of a pump. It is located at the bottom of the equipment. The pump should not come into contact with the heating element.

After installation of structural elements, the equipment is checked for leaks. If the result is satisfactory, then the coolant is filled. The drain hole is securely sealed with a plug. The equipment is connected to the electrical network in parallel. The circuit is supplemented with a bimetallic thermostat made from a regular iron. Before the first start-up, the installation is grounded. Homemade oil heaters for the home: the video will explain in detail about their design and installation rules:

Advantages of homemade heaters

A do-it-yourself dacha heater and homemade heating devices for the home have one undeniable advantage over their factory-made counterparts. The first ones are made from improvised means, and therefore their cost is low. On the other hand, homemade equipment must be made in strict accordance with the rules for the safe operation of electrical and gas appliances. Today you can make your own IR heaters, which are considered the most effective and inexpensive. If you need a device with increased power, you can make an oil radiator at home. There are schemes for making home convectors and portable stoves for tents.