Electric boiler in a central heating installation - as the main or additional heat source.

Does electric heating make sense in the era of expensive electricity?

Let's be honest - in our subjective opinion - it is a very good solution worth considering, but it will definitely work best in a newly built house, well insulated, and preferably based on underfloor heating. Such a house has low heat losses, and underfloor heating requires a low-temperature medium of around 28-35°C. In such conditions, electric heating can make sense.
We do not necessarily recommend an electric boiler in old buildings, in older installations, based on radiators, and definitely not in poorly insulated buildings.

In an energy-efficient building, in new construction for a floor area of 200 square meters, annual costs can be as low as 800-900€, based on 2021 electricity prices.

Maintenance-free heating... with an electric boiler

It's a fact, indisputably, the comfort of use is equal to what we see with gas heating. You don't have to do anything to enjoy the warmth, and changing the boiler parameters is child's play.

Low cost of the investment itself - how much does an electric boiler and its connection cost

Ignoring the costs of electricity - the cost of such an electric boiler is very low. The cost of a boiler for a 100-200m2 house is in the range of 500-800 €. Its installation is also much cheaper, requiring only connection to electricity (traditionally 230V for smaller boilers, and for larger ones, to the so-called power line). There is no need for a gas connection, etc.

Low service costs or none at all

Electric boilers basically do not require annual services or inspections. There are no costs for inspecting the installation as with gas - or chimney installations.

Compact size

Compact dimensions - it can be installed anywhere and does not require a separate boiler room. Such a boiler can be hung anywhere, in the kitchen, in the hallway, etc.

Ba-23-20

NT Ba-23-20

89,99 €

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Ba-16-26

NT Ba-16-26

119,99 €

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Ba-16-50

NT Ba-16-50

169,99 €

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Electric boiler as an addition to another heat source

Many people in our country have invested in photovoltaic panels, which are often oversized. A significant part of the energy is not recovered, and we are left with additional "kilowatts" to consume, which may be lost if not used. In such a situation, it is worth considering an electric boiler, as I did - where it works in conjunction with a gas boiler. I decide myself which boiler will take on the main load in heating the house; if I lack free energy from the PV system, I use more gas.

Interestingly, the electric boiler does not have to operate in a separate system as it would be in the case of combining a gas boiler, for example, with a coal or solid fuel boiler. We did not separate the system into open and closed ones. The electric boiler can be connected at any point in the gas boiler system; in my installation, they operate in one boiler room. The only "major" operation related to connecting the boiler was basically pulling a five-wire line to the boiler room because for a 150m2 house, an 8kW electric boiler was selected, which was only available in the power version. In reality, looking at the operating parameters, the boiler almost never exceeds the power of the heater greater than 6kW. (House fully based on underfloor heating, medium temperature usually around 30°C).

Separate system for the electric boiler, connecting the electric boiler with the system through a plate heat exchanger

In a building where the entire circuit is based on the operation of a circulation pump - this seems unnecessary, as indicated by the above example. Separating the electric boiler from the installation and creating a separate system for it may be justified in some cases:

1) if we have an old installation, which as we know does not serve modern electric or gas boilers. In this case, for the safety of the boiler, it is worth doing this. However, it is assumed that we decide on electric heating with an old or unmodernized installation, which as we wrote at the beginning - is economically unjustified.

2) if the system is too extensive and the circuit is based on an internal pump from the electric boiler. In this case (similarly to gas boilers), deficiencies in water flow through the boiler may occur. In such situations, the circuit can be shortened and divided. However, the installation of a plate heat exchanger is not necessary here - it seems that an equally suitable solution would be a hydraulic coupling, which balances the system.

Choosing an electric boiler and plate heat exchanger. How to choose a heat exchanger for an electric boiler?

In this case, we do not consider the boiler power; it is electrical power, and it is not worth taking it into account here. Our proven suggestion is to consider the size of the house. For every 100m2, we suggest selecting a heat exchanger with a minimum area of 0.25-0.30m2. However, 0.25m2 is the minimum value possible to apply only if the house is fully insulated, energy-efficient, and 100% based on underfloor heating.

For a 100-150m2 house, the Nordic Tec Ba-23-20 heat exchanger may be sufficient.

For a 200m2 house, the Nordic Tec Ba-23-30 heat exchanger is sufficient.

Important - the above post concerns electric boilers, not electrode boilers.

Electrode boilers often require occasional addition of salt to the system - this procedure eliminates the use of a plate heat exchanger, as it could lead to its leakage. The above analysis of connecting the electric boiler to the system through a heat exchanger concerns a standard electric boiler. In the photo, the KOSPEL 8kW boiler in the boiler room with a gas boiler.

Author: P. Adamczyk

Also, visit our underfloor heating manifold catalog.