How to make an induction boiler yourself
Now about how to make an induction boiler with your own hands. If you do everything yourself, you need a lot of knowledge. For example, two electronic engineers worked for more than six months, transferred a lot of spare parts, spent a lot of money on them. The working installation, in the end, was assembled, we are very pleased with the result, but they posted only a photo.
Here's what two electronics guys did
Manufacturers' websites contain only general information with a demonstration of the principles of operation and no diagrams. It is, in general, understandable.
Those models that offer to do: fill a plastic pipe with pieces of wire and wind the wire on top, maybe they work, but they are clearly unfinished. Serious protection is needed: the turns of the coil are on top, and current runs through them. And from the network 220V. In addition, there is no temperature control, which is fraught with plastic melting. It also requires the calculation of the speed of movement of the coolant and much more. In general, it is unsafe.
This is the whole scheme of an elementary induction boiler, which they offer to do it yourself
Below is a video that shows one of the options for such a home-made induction heating boiler. It is easy to execute:
- Metal elements are stuffed into a thick-walled plastic pipe (polypropylene with aluminum reinforcement in the video). In some versions, these are small pieces of metal wire 5-7mm in diameter, in this video - magnetic fechral wire, which will not rust, but will be magnetized.
- A stack is put on the pipe on both sides. It will not allow metal elements to fail.
- Fittings are installed from both closed ends, with the help of which the boiler (already a boiler) will be installed in the system. An exemplary installation diagram is shown in the figure.
Scheme of connecting an induction boiler to a heating system
Note the need for a security group. According to the author of this boiler himself, the water is heated weakly
More power is required (it has about 1.8 kW and 3 kW is needed)
Copper wire is wound on the pipe itself. It is desirable to find an enameled wire. Turns need to be done 90-100, it is desirable to withstand the step. Well, try to cover the coils with something. For example, as in the previous version from the video (it was clogged with pieces of wire).
After that, you need to build the boiler into the heating system, start circulation, and only then connect the coil to the mains. Without a coolant, the pipe will melt very quickly.
According to the author of this boiler himself, the water is heated weakly. More power is required (it has about 1.8 kW and 3 kW is needed).
Operating principle
The operation of induction boilers and other heating devices of this type is based on the ability of conductive materials to heat up under the action of eddy currents created as a result of electromagnetic induction.
The source of induction is a high-frequency alternating current passing through the primary winding of the heating device, made in the form of a coil. The heating element, placed inside the coil, plays the role of a secondary short-circuited winding. It converts electromagnetic energy into thermal energy.
Eddy currents also occur at an industrial frequency of 50 Hz, but the efficiency of the heater will be low, and the operation of the device will be accompanied by a strong hum and vibration. When the frequency is increased to 10 kHz and above, the noise disappears, the vibration becomes imperceptible, and the heating increases.
This article talks about how to fold a do-it-yourself wood-burning stove for a summer cottage.You can learn about the features of operating a wood-burning boiler with a water circuit here. You can find out about the features and advantages of the design of a brick oven with a water circuit:
Another option
For its manufacture, you will need a plastic pipe with a diameter of 63 mm and a length of 50 cm, a steel wire with a diameter of 3 mm, a copper conductor with a cross section of 2.5 mm 2 and a length of 11 meters.
- The steel wire is cut into pieces of 7 cm. It fits into a piece of plastic pipe.
- Two adapters for a 1″ threaded connection are soldered into the branch pipe. Coarse filters are screwed on both sides through 1″ nipples.
- Parallel strips of textolite are glued to the surface of the tube.
- Coils of copper conductor are laid on them. The distance between them must be the same. After that, they are poured with epoxy resin.
- The product is mounted in a heating system pipe and connected to a high-frequency voltage source.
The number of turns, as well as the length of the conductor, will have to be selected empirically, since the length and capacity of the system is different for each. The steel wire, heated by inductive currents, will give off the temperature to the water that will pass through the pipe. This option cannot be used as an independent device, but it will be an excellent addition to the main source, which will save on coolant consumption.
Advantages and disadvantages of plastic pipe boilers
Advantages of induction boilers:
- The water in the heating system heats up twice as fast and has double heating.
- The inertia is much less than when using gas or other fuel boilers.
- Magnetic induction prevents scale formation.
- Silent operation.
- There is no need for cleaning and maintenance of the boiler.
Like any phenomenon or design, induction boilers have their drawbacks:
- Before use, you must make sure that the core is completely filled with water and the water level should not drop during operation, otherwise the plastic will simply melt.
- The boiler can only be used in a closed forced heating system.
- The high cost of industrial designs.
The power of the boiler must provide the proper level of heating in the room. The most acceptable formula: 1 kW per 10 m 2.
An induction boiler is a great alternative to other heating appliances. If it is possible to make it at home, skills in working with tools and assembling equipment, the ability to mount heating equipment, then you can make such a device yourself. If you are not confident in yourself, then it is better to buy a ready-made boiler and invite specialists to install it.
Watch a video that shows how you can make an induction electric boiler yourself:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=F6yIXht5gks
This video shows the process of making an induction hob boiler:
The mechanism of action of the induction boiler
By design, such boilers are a kind of electrical inductors, which include two short-circuited windings.
So, the internal winding is responsible for converting the incoming electrical energy into special eddy currents. An electric field is formed in the unit, which subsequently enters the secondary coil. The latter simultaneously performs the functions of the heating element of the heating unit and the boiler body.
Scheme of an induction vortex unit for a heating network
The secondary winding is responsible for transferring the resulting energy directly to the heating medium of the heating system. Special oils, antifreeze liquids or pure water are used as a heat carrier in such installations.
The internal winding of the heater is exposed to electricity.As a result, some voltage appears and eddy currents are formed. The generated energy is given to the secondary winding, after which the heating of the core begins. Upon reaching the heating of the entire surface, the coolant will begin to give heat to the radiators, and they to the heated rooms.
Important notes on installation and use of the boiler
Homemade induction boilers are extremely easy to assemble, install and operate. However, before you start using this kind of heater, you need to know a few important rules, namely:
a home-made induction heating installation is intended for use only in closed-type heating systems, in which air circulation is provided by a pump;
Closed heating system
the wiring of heating systems that will work in conjunction with the considered boiler must be made of plastic or propylene pipes;
Plastic pipes for heating
to prevent the occurrence of various kinds of troubles, install the heater not close to the nearest surface, but at some distance - at least 30 cm from the walls and 80-90 cm from the ceiling and floor.
It is strongly recommended to equip the boiler nozzle with a blast valve. Through this simple device, you can, if necessary, rid the system of excess air, normalizing the pressure and ensuring optimal operating conditions.
Check valve
Thus, from inexpensive materials with the help of simple tools, you can assemble a complete installation for efficient space heating and water heating. Follow the instructions, remember the special recommendations, and very soon you will be able to enjoy the warmth in your own home.
Heating boiler from induction hob
But for those who want to make an induction boiler, it is not at all necessary to assemble the heater on their own. All you need is to buy an induction household stove. It costs $50 and up. Next are the options:
If you have a metal or cast iron radiator (aluminum ones don't fit) you can simply lean the tile against the radiator and turn it on. The radiator begins to heat up, spreading heat around the room. In a room of 20 m 2, a tile set to 0.8 kW worked. At -20 o C in the room it was +25 o C. This is not the most effective way, but quite good. And it's easy to check its work. Especially for those who have tiles.
It cannot be said that this is a boiler, but it heats the room well, and there is little electricity
The second easy option. Weld a "boiler" of metal. Just a water container. Supply cold water on one side, take heated water on the other, put a circulation pump. Lean the same tile against one of the walls, which will heat the water in the tank. It works. As proof, the video below.
This version of the boiler from the induction hob can really be made by anyone.
Just pay attention again. In order for a liquid or surface to heat up, the metal must be magnetic.
Good stainless steel (non-magnetic) or aluminum are not suitable: Foucault currents do not propagate in them. In addition to the fact that almost nothing needs to be done, this option is good because the tile has a control and safety system that will turn off the device in case of overheating.
And another model of the boiler on the tile. It's a different approach, but the idea is the same.
Of the three options presented for home-made induction heating boilers, two are not quite boilers (or not boilers at all - how to look). But at the same time, it is possible to heat the premises with their help. Methods with an induction hob are checked elementarily, especially for those who have such a hob. To increase heat transfer in the tile + radiator option, you can arrange a fan blow (if necessary). But how it works you need to check on your own experience.
When is it better to make your own?
Making a boiler with your own hands is advisable for houses with seasonal residence. As a rule, low-power equipment is installed in such buildings, and there is no need to spend huge amounts of money on the purchase of a finished model. At the same time, the cost of making the device with your own hands is minimal.
Even for a home-made unit, it is easy to pick up additional automation units that allow you to set the necessary temperature parameters. Such a device will not only allow you to set the desired indicators for a long time, but also provide remote control of the entire heating system.
The swirl induction boiler is the best way to reduce heating costs
Vortex heater
Another advantage of using electric heating is the ease of maintenance of heating systems mounted on the basis of electric boilers. However, the convenience of using electricity for home heating is becoming an increasingly expensive way to get heat in the house - paying the bill for electricity consumption with each heating season becomes unbearable for many.
Homeowners are beginning to look for an alternative to electric boilers, the design of which is based on a standard heating element.
Induction electric boilers are gradually gaining popularity, also converting electricity into heat needed for space heating. However, their design makes it possible to use the energy source much more economically, which significantly reduces the current costs of maintaining the house during the heating season.
Energy saving is due to the rapid heating of the heat carrier of the heating system. This is due to the induction device, which replaced the traditional heating element in the boiler.
In addition to reducing heating costs, these boilers have a solid number of advantages over other electric boilers - high efficiency, long service life (at least 25 years) and no scale.
DIY induction boiler
Would you like to furnish your home with efficient yet cost-effective heating? Then be sure to pay attention to modern induction boilers. Such units are characterized by high performance and at the same time have an extremely simple design, so you can easily handle the assembly of an induction heating boiler with your own hands.
The operation of the equipment in question is based on the use of induction electrical energy.
Such boilers are absolutely safe and environmentally friendly. During their operation, no by-products are released that can harm a person and the environment.
Contents of step by step instructions:
Homemade induction heating boilers
With the topic of the efficiency and economy of induction boilers, the farther, the more incomprehensible. The discussion is active, and in many forums as well. But only those that prove that this economy is an invention of unscrupulous sellers remain open and accessible. Others become inaccessible.
The main argument of opponents of the use of induction boilers is the law of conservation of energy. Moreover, it is interpreted as follows: no matter what heater is supplied with 1 kW of electricity, it can only generate a little less than 1 kW of thermal energy. A little less - due to losses and not one hundred percent efficiency. Because the heating element, that the induction heater will spend the same (or almost) amount of electricity to generate one amount of heat. And since induction boilers are much more expensive, then buying them is a waste of money.
Does an induction boiler save energy or not? That's the question…
There were also opponents. They are few, but they are. This theory does not belong to the category of simple ones, and deep knowledge is needed.But the essence of the objection is this: the heater, when consuming 1 kW of electricity, produces 1 kW of energy, but not all of this energy is thermal. And in terms of the production of thermal energy, induction heaters turn out to be much more productive than traditional heating elements. And a direct confirmation of this is household induction cookers. They require less electricity to heat the same amount of water. This is easily checked: take two tiles of the same power - induction and with a spiral. Then put two identical pots of water, turn it on and note how much time it takes for each of the units at the same power. The shorter the time before boiling, the less electricity is spent.
Easy option
The simplest boiler can be assembled at home, having the skills to work with a welding machine, as well as a grinder. Before making a boiler, it is necessary to prepare a metal square pipe measuring 50 × 50 mm with a wall thickness of 2 mm. The manufacturing process, you can see in the Video section.
The dimensions of the pipe and the shape of the pipe may differ, but the wall thickness should not be small.
- Using a grinder, it is necessary to cut the profile pipe into segments 50 cm long. You will need 5-6 pieces of them (everything will depend on the width of the induction stove used).
- Additionally, you need to prepare two elements with a length of 25 or 30 cm (it all depends on how many sections were selected).
- Parts of 50 cm are welded together. All of them must be vertical. At first, they can be fixed with tacks, and then it is good to boil all the joints.
- Two additional blanks need to cut off one side to get a U-shaped profile.
- To the finished module of 5 elements, two segments with one removed wall are welded on the lower and upper parts. Their goal is to combine all the individual sections into a circuit.
- Next, you need to hermetically weld the holes formed on the sides.
- The inlet and outlet pipes are cut in. They should be located diagonally, one below, the other above. You can use a ¾" pipe. Two taps with threads are welded to them so that later it would be easier to mount them in the finished heating system.
- All seams after welding are cleaned with a grinder. The finished structure is degreased and covered with paint.
- The device is mounted in the installed circuit. The reverse flow of the coolant is supplied from below, the outgoing pipe is supplied from above.
- The heating element is an ordinary induction cooker. It is necessary to purchase a stove with the ability to adjust the current strength and temperature.
- It is located behind the boiler close to its rear wall.
- Water, passing through this structure, has time to warm up. The system must have an expansion tank, as well as a forced circulation pump.
The same option can be done in a horizontal version. To do this, we need a profile pipe 20 × 25 cm. Two of its ends are welded with metal plugs to make a closed vessel. Two holes are cut in the upper wall, an air release valve is mounted in one, and a pipe through which water will go into the system is mounted in the other. The return pipe cuts into the side.
The internal structure of the induction heater and the principle of its operation
The design of such a device designed to produce heat energy is similar in its simplest form to a transformer. Like a transformer, an induction generator consists of short-circuited windings - primary and secondary.
The primary winding is used to convert electricity into eddy currents, which create an electromagnetic field directed to the secondary winding. The secondary winding is both the body of the inductor and the heating element, which transfers the received energy to the heating system.The coolant can be any electrically conductive liquid, ranging from ordinary technical water to oil and antifreeze.
Since a vortex induction heater (or simply wine) does not emit fuel decomposition products during operation, it is the safest among various types of heating equipment used to provide heat to buildings for various purposes. Such a heating system guarantees a favorable composition of the atmosphere, which means maintaining its environmental cleanliness.
The heating system starts working immediately after voltage is applied to the internal winding. The resulting electromagnetic field directs eddy currents to the surface of the core located outside.
Their density almost instantly increases, heating the surface of the core, and then the entire element. This heat serves to heat the coolant circulating in the boiler.
It should be borne in mind that the device crashes into the heating system using two nozzles. The lower one serves to supply the cooled coolant. It is mounted at the entrance to the boiler, and through the second pipe the heated coolant is sent to the heating system.
The supply of heated coolant is carried out due to hydrostatic pressure. Since the coolant constantly circulates in the system, carrying out the removal of hot liquid into the heating system, the possibility of overheating of the equipment is completely excluded.
Homemade options
There are several design options that are easy to create with your own hands. The first option is based on a system of plastic pipes and a high-frequency inverter. The latter will have to be purchased separately. It is desirable that the model has the function of smooth current adjustment. The minimum power indicator is 15 amperes, but for high-quality heating it is better to choose more powerful options.
The heated element can be assembled from steel rod or wire with a diameter of 7 mm. The body of the induction coil simultaneously functions as a part of the pipeline and can be made of plastic thick-walled pipes with an inner diameter of about 50 mm.
Two pipes are attached to the body. On one of them, a cold coolant is supplied to the boiler, and on the other, heated water is given. The inside of the housing is completely filled with the heated element. The ends can be closed with pieces of steel mesh.
Device in the house
In order to make an induction coil, a plastic pipe is carefully wrapped with copper wire. After that, a home-made device is mounted in the pipeline. For this purpose, a piece of pipe is simply cut out, in place of which the coil will be inserted. Before connecting the device, the coolant must be poured into the system - otherwise the case will simply melt.
Another simple option that is easy to do with your own hands is a unit with a three-phase transformer. Two pipes are welded together in the form of a ring. This design will act as a heater. A winding is wound on the body. The supply and removal of the coolant, as in the previous version, is provided by two branch pipes. The whole structure can be placed in a heat-insulating casing to minimize heat loss during operation of the equipment.
The induction boiler must be grounded. It can only be installed in closed heating networks with forced circulation. It is suitable for installation in systems with any kind of pipes, including plastic ones. When installing the unit, a distance of at least 30 cm between the boiler and the walls must be observed. From the floor and ceiling, this distance should be at least 80 cm. Even a do-it-yourself induction boiler can be equipped with an additional security group and automation. This work is more difficult, but it will ensure the stable functioning of the entire system.
