Best Of
Re: Home Boiler System - Need help sizing boiler circ pump
Get rid of those dielectric unions as there is no electrolysis on closed systems. After awhile, they freeze up and you can't unscrew them. On domestic systems, they also accumulate mineral debris.
I prefer a ground joint union.
Re: Triac speed controller for circulator motor
If you want to vary the speed of an ECM circulator you need to get one designed for that. A Taco VT2218 variable delta T circulator or a variable delta P circulator like the Taco Viridian or Grundfos Alpha.
Re: Dual 40 gallon versus single 80 gallon water heater
Hi, If looking at two tanks vs one tank, I'd go with two in series, valved for isolation and bypass. Even with perfectly balanced plumbing, it will in time get unbalanced due to corrosion or scale. I like the two tank concept with HP in the lead position. Reminds me of two tank solar thermal. I attempted to be an early adopter of a 120 volt HP, but could not get the thing to behave. Wound up going back with propane. Hopefully the industry is maturing. 🤔
Yours, Larry
Re: Efficiency of an indirect water heater
Hi jesmed1 -
Look up HOYME Combustion Air Damper or local equivalent.
Doug_7
Re: Water color
Once water takes on the color of rust that is hard to get back to clear. Water doesn't flow through those flowsetter windows, so they are all but impossible to get cleaned.
If you want less color, flush the system, refill with a hydronic cleaner and run hot. Flush again, fill with DI water then add Sentinel. It may still be light grey after a run.
I'd use the Sentinel test kit, see what it tells you about that fluid. It may be fine but discolored. Or send a sample to Sentinel for a more complete analysis.
The quality of the water, for hydronics, is more important than the color.
hot_rod
Re: Water color
You could put at Dirtmag somewhere in the system to collect the debris that is already in the system. As long as it isn't getting more stuff in it it shouldn't be a problem.
mattmia2
Re: What are those on my heating furnace?
"This" being the information supplied above ^^^^^^^. Especially the drawing posted by @HVACNUT .
Intplm.
Re: New Boiler/Size & Pipework
here are piping options that are generally in the installation manual for high efficiency mod con boilers
hot_rod
Re: Home Boiler System - Need help sizing boiler circ pump
A fixed speed circulator that speeds up or down by itself often has sludge or magnetite in the rotor can. Air in the loop can cause pump surges also.
Taking apart a failed circ will often tell you the cause.
15- 20 years is not uncommon for a wet rotor running on curve in clean fluid.
If it had a high percentage glycol mix the circ needs to be up sized for that % mix
The heat transfer should be a bit better with plain water also.
Anytime I come across an old glycol system I want to flush and run a cleaner , fill with DI water and conditioner
The only way to know for sure what is happening us to have some gauges attached. Temperature in and out of the boiler. As it ramps down when the delta gets to wide, probably
Pressure gauges across the pump could determine gpm being moved
Flow meters are helpful but more complicated to add on
Without any actual or stable data it will be trial and error. An expensive and frustrating trial in some cases
hot_rod