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Re: What is the future of Hydronics?
define hydronics 
For me any fluid based system, boilers, solar, radiant, chilled water cooling, snowmelt, geo thermal, district systems, probably even put steam in that group. Domestic water recirculation is a hydronic loop, flow rate established by the heat loss of the loop.
Power plants need hydronics for cooling.
Commercial buildings will always have the need for hydronics to heat, cool, create DHW. VRV is not going to talk away all that market.
A2WHP are breathing some new life into hydronics, being fluid based systems. I would certainly get up to speed on that technology, both the unit itself and the proper applications for them.
Boiler sales have plunged around the world, but all the major boiler manufacturers are putting 10's of millions into HP development. Keep an eye on the players and opportunties in that technology.
For me any fluid based system, boilers, solar, radiant, chilled water cooling, snowmelt, geo thermal, district systems, probably even put steam in that group. Domestic water recirculation is a hydronic loop, flow rate established by the heat loss of the loop.
Power plants need hydronics for cooling.
Commercial buildings will always have the need for hydronics to heat, cool, create DHW. VRV is not going to talk away all that market.
A2WHP are breathing some new life into hydronics, being fluid based systems. I would certainly get up to speed on that technology, both the unit itself and the proper applications for them.
Boiler sales have plunged around the world, but all the major boiler manufacturers are putting 10's of millions into HP development. Keep an eye on the players and opportunties in that technology.
hot_rod
3
Re: Weird water hammer in one radiator
Shutting off steam radiators doesn't increase efficiency. Your boiler is making the same volume of steam regardless of what valves are open until the thermostat is satisfied. If you want to increase efficiency that's an exercise in insulating distribution piping, adjusting/adding air vents/traps where appropriate, examining near boiler piping for the creation of the driest steam possible, and evaluating boiler/radiator/distribution pipe sizing relative to heating loads; listed in increasing order of work required.
By decreasing the total volume of the system relative to the size of the boiler you very well could be making the system less efficient by oversizing the boiler for the connected loaded.
With the other radiators shut off your boiler is plowing a greater volume of steam into that radiator that otherwise would be more evenly distributed throughout the system, thereby increasing the density of the steam, which makes it wetter, which leads to more condensation in the radiator, which leads to noises made when the condensate is trying to coexist with steam.
By decreasing the total volume of the system relative to the size of the boiler you very well could be making the system less efficient by oversizing the boiler for the connected loaded.
With the other radiators shut off your boiler is plowing a greater volume of steam into that radiator that otherwise would be more evenly distributed throughout the system, thereby increasing the density of the steam, which makes it wetter, which leads to more condensation in the radiator, which leads to noises made when the condensate is trying to coexist with steam.
Waher
1
Re: Steam Radiator ID
https://heatinghelp.com/heating-museum/pierce-radiators/By that time the column-type radiators were superseded by the large-tube type.
Re: Radiator in unfinished attic
Our 1860's farmhouse in Michigan had a large domestic water tank in the attic that was filled by a ram-pump placed in a flowing stream 1/4 mile away. Tank maintained a constant outflow. The house also had cisterns in the cellar that were filled by the wooden rain gutters for soft water. Hand pumps at the sinks for cistern water.
psb75
1
Re: Replacing Oil Boiler with Gas Boiler in CT
Reasons for propane over oil. 1. Propane can be sized and controlled better for small loads. 2. Propane boilers can be more readily available in condensing boilers. 3. Propane can easily be a combi boiler and occupy much less real estate than any oil options. 4. Many propane options are not club only boilers. I hate products I am expected to be a member of a secret society to install or get parts for.
Wall hung
Lochinvar combi of 199 mbtu with the heating limited to your heat load and set to a proper outdoor reset would be a great option. Any smaller would be disappointing to anyone besides the most frugal of hot water users with New England ground water temperatures.
Wall hung
Lochinvar combi of 199 mbtu with the heating limited to your heat load and set to a proper outdoor reset would be a great option. Any smaller would be disappointing to anyone besides the most frugal of hot water users with New England ground water temperatures.
Re: Taco Circulator pump, I think I need to change it out
I always suggest upgrading a failed circ to an ECM style. They are DC motors, so more torque, use less energy, and have some have anti stick function.
The new electronic Grundfos 15-58E and Alpha 15-58 will actually attempt to drive the motor forward and back when they sense a stuck rotor. It attempts this several times, errors, waits a period and tries again. After so many attempts it locks out and can send a message to you on the Alpha version. Dry run, air locked is also a nice function.
The guts are all non metallic to help eliminate magnetite caused sticking.
https://www.grundfos.com/us/support/how-to-guides/upse-replacement-and-installation-overview
The new electronic Grundfos 15-58E and Alpha 15-58 will actually attempt to drive the motor forward and back when they sense a stuck rotor. It attempts this several times, errors, waits a period and tries again. After so many attempts it locks out and can send a message to you on the Alpha version. Dry run, air locked is also a nice function.
The guts are all non metallic to help eliminate magnetite caused sticking.
https://www.grundfos.com/us/support/how-to-guides/upse-replacement-and-installation-overview
hot_rod
2
Re: LP smaller diameter = higher pressure/BTUs? True??
@GroundUp you are mistaken on the 1/2" to the house from the tank. you are looking at the ips chart to get over 700k. in the rego book, 1/2" copper at 10# is only good for 269k at 175'.Actually you are mistaken, because you're only looking at the 1 PSI pressure drop chart. The drop here is over 9.5 PSI. My 750k figure was actually quite conservative.
@rbphhc can you make a sketch of your interior piping with sizes and lengths and loads and we can tell you what they will need to do for interior piping.
GroundUp
2
Re: Thoughts On "Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide..." by Ramlow & Nusz
Sun Bandit was one of the first PV direct to DHW tank system. The appeal was it was a standalone DHW system that didn’t require all the permits and utility tie in paperwork, approval, etc. It doesn’t connect into your homes electrical system.
super simple install no piping, pumps, fluid involved. A wire from the PV module to the controller on the tank. If the tank runs dry, the small element pops, not unlike an old flash bulb, no safety or fire hazard inside the tank. Size the PV module to the amount of DHW you want. Typically for small family DHW systems or as a pre-heat for the second tank or tankless.
Also know those btu outputs for ST are per day, not per hour!A solar day is generally considered 6 hours. So 39,000 per day from 1 panel, 6 hours to get there.
So when you start talking about producing and storing a days worth of energy, be realistic. Depending on your heat load, you are talking a thousand gallons or more of insulated storage. They usually an open unpressurized tank to be remotely affordable in those capacities American solar technics, Tom up in Maine has been building those knock down tanks since the 1970s.
super simple install no piping, pumps, fluid involved. A wire from the PV module to the controller on the tank. If the tank runs dry, the small element pops, not unlike an old flash bulb, no safety or fire hazard inside the tank. Size the PV module to the amount of DHW you want. Typically for small family DHW systems or as a pre-heat for the second tank or tankless.
Also know those btu outputs for ST are per day, not per hour!A solar day is generally considered 6 hours. So 39,000 per day from 1 panel, 6 hours to get there.
So when you start talking about producing and storing a days worth of energy, be realistic. Depending on your heat load, you are talking a thousand gallons or more of insulated storage. They usually an open unpressurized tank to be remotely affordable in those capacities American solar technics, Tom up in Maine has been building those knock down tanks since the 1970s.
hot_rod
1
Re: Thoughts On "Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide..." by Ramlow & Nusz
I have been involved with lots of projects that went for the big solar heating fractions and very few of them are operational. Drainbacks help avoid fluid stagnation but the collectors are going to expand and contract significantly. Seen more than a few with the absorber plates loose from the riser tubes. The best results I have seen for large solar heating fractions have come from "seasonal storage" tanks with 10:1 storage:glazing or even bigger. In terms of text for solar thermal, Planning & Installing Solar Thermal Systems by Earthscan Publishing is the best I have found.
solsean
1
