Comparison E.C.A. Proteus Premix 24 HM 24 kW vs Hi-Therm Matrix 24 24.5 kW

A very conditional parameter that slightly characterizes the purpose based on the size of the room. And depending on the height of the ceilings, layout, building design and equipment, actual values may differ significantly. However, this item represents the maximum recommended area of the room that the boiler can effectively heat. However, it is worth considering that different buildings have different thermal insulation properties and modern buildings are much “warmer” than 30-year-old and especially 50-year-old houses. Accordingly, this item is more of a reference nature and does not allow us to fully assess the actual heated area. There is a formula by which you can derive the maximum heating area, knowing the useful power of the boiler and the climatic conditions in which it will be used; For more information on this, see "Useful Power". In our case, the heating area is calculated using the formula “boiler power multiplied by 8”, which is approximately equivalent to use in houses that are several decades old.

It is the maximum useful power of the boiler.

The ability of the device to heat a room of a particular area directly depends on this parameter; by power, you can approximately determine the heating area, if this parameter is not indicated in the specs. The most general rule says that for a dwelling with a ceiling height of 2.5 – 3 m, at least 100 W of heat power is needed to heat 1 m2 of area. There are also more detailed calculation methods that take into account specific factors: the climatic zone, heat gain from the outside, design features of the heating system, etc.; they are described in detail in special sources. Also note that in dual-circuit boilers (see "Type"), part of the heat generated is used to heat water for the hot water supply; this must be taken into account when evaluating the output power.

It is believed that boilers with a power of more than 30 kW must be installed in separate rooms (boiler rooms).

The maximum electrical power consumed by the boiler during operation. For non-electric models (see Energy source), this power is usually low, as it is required mainly for control circuits and it can be ignored. Regarding electric boilers, it is worth noting that the power consumption in them is most often somewhat higher than the useful one since part of the energy is inevitably dissipated and not used for heating. Accordingly, the ratio of useful and consumed power can be used to evaluate the efficiency of such a boiler.

The performance of a dual-circuit boiler in hot water mode when water is heated by approximately 30 °C above the initial temperature.

Performance is the maximum amount of hot water the unit can produce in a minute. It depends not only on the power of the heater as such, but also on how much water needs to be heated: the higher the temperature difference ΔT between cold and heated water, the more energy is required for heating and the smaller the volume of water with which the boiler can handle in this mode. Therefore, the performance of dual-circuit boilers is indicated for certain ΔT — namely 25 °C, 30 °C and/or 50 °C. And it is worth choosing according to this indicator, taking into account the initial water temperature and taking into account what kind of hot water demand there is at the installation site of the boiler (how many points of water intake, what are the temperature requirements, etc.). Recommendations on this subject can be found in special sources.

We also recall that water begins to be felt by a person as warm somewhere from 40 °C, as hot — somewhere from 50 °C and the temperature of hot water in central water supply systems (according to official standards) is at least 60 °C. Thus, for the boiler to operate in the mode ΔT ~ 30 °C and give out at least warm water at 40 °C, the initial temperature of cold water should be about 10 °C (10 + 30=40 °C). A similar temperature can be found in wells in the warm season, and cold water in the ce...ntralized water supply system often warms up to 10 °C in the warm season. However, boilers, including dual-circuit boilers, are switched on mainly in cold weather, when the initial water temperature is noticeably lower. Accordingly, if the boiler is used as the main water heater, heating to the claimed temperatures (see "DHW min. T", "DHW max. T") often requires a greater ΔT than 30 °C, and the performance is less than indicated in this paragraph. But when operating in the preheating mode (when the water is heated to the desired temperature by an additional device like a boiler), this parameter describes the capabilities of the unit very reliably.

The boiler has a Wi-Fi module. This function is often used to remotely control the unit from a smartphone, tablet or other device. The specific features of such control may be different: for some models, you need to install a special application, for others, control is available through a page in any browser; the gadget can be connected directly or via the Internet, etc. The details of using Wi-Fi in each case should be clarified separately. Note that through such a communication channel, you can not only control the unit but also receive notifications from it — about the operating mode and parameters, about the current state, about failures and malfunctions, etc. At the same time, this function is relatively rare. In most cases, traditional control is sufficient.

The boiler has a special mode for underfloor heating systems.

Underfloor heating differs from conventional heating systems primarily by a lower coolant temperature — otherwise the floor could be too hot for comfortable use (plus, high temperatures are also undesirable for flooring and furniture installed on it). In addition, boilers with this function are distinguished by increased pump power. In order to ensure efficient circulation of the coolant through branched heating circuits that have rather high resistance.

The diameter of the pipe through which combustion products are discharged from the combustion chamber.

In boilers with a closed combustion chamber often used the coaxial flue, consisting of two pipes nested one inside the other. At the same time, products of combustion are discharged from the combustion chamber through the inner pipe, and the air is supplied through the gap between the inner and outer ones. For such flues, the diameter is usually shown in the form of two numbers — the diameter of the inner and outer pipes, respectively. The most popular values are 60/100, 80/80 and 80/125. Non-coaxial flues can be 100, 110, 125, 130, 140, 150, 160, 180 and 200 mm.

It is the optimum gas pressure supplied to the inlet of the boiler system. Most often indicated for natural gas and is about 15-20 mbar. This parameter must match the specs of the gas supply system. However, the pressure in the latter may be higher, which may require the installation of a special gas regulator.

— Gas pressure drop. This protection system ensures that the boiler is switched off in the event of a critical drop in gas pressure, insufficient for the normal functioning of the burner. In the event of such a fall, the valve that supplies gas to the burner is closed and blocked. After the restoration of gas pressure, it also remains closed; it is necessary to open it and resume the gas supply manually.

— Water overheating. A temperature sensor automatically turns off the boiler when the temperature of the water in the system is critically exceeded.

— Flame loss. Flame loss protection is based on a sensor that monitors the combustion of gas and automatically stops its supply. It prevents the room from filling with gas and the possible tragic consequences of this.

— Draft control. In boilers with an open combustion chamber, to maintain normal conditions in the room where such a boiler is installed, constant removal of products of combustion into the atmosphere is necessary. The lack of a normal draft in the chimney can lead to the accumulation of combustion products in the room. The draft protection system prevents this by automatically turning off the boiler when it detects the release of combustion products outside the chimney.

— Power outage. Most modern boilers h...ave an electronic control system; in addition, many structural elements (pumps, valves, fans, etc.) are also powered by electricity. Thus, a power outage during the operation of the boiler will inevitably lead to an abnormal mode of operation, which is fraught with breakdowns and even accidents. To prevent such cases, a power outage protection system is installed, which completely stops the operation of the boiler in the event of a power outage. When the power supply is restored, the boiler needs to be restarted manually.

— Water circulation failure. This protection system controls the normal movement of the water through the heating circuit. Water circulation failure can lead to overheating of some elements of the boiler and damage to it. To avoid this, if the circulation is disturbed, the system turns off the pump and shuts off the gas supply to the burner.

— Frost protection. A system that controls the temperature in the heating circuit. Freezing of the liquid in the circuit disrupts the normal operation of the heating, which may require heating of the pipes and lead to system damage. To avoid this, when the water temperature drops below 5 °C, the burner is ignited, the circulation pump is activated, and the circuit warms up to a temperature of about 35 °C — thus preventing the formation of ice in the pipes.