Best Of
Re: Radiant Heat. Should I raise the temp?
Water will take the path of least resistance. For the boiler pump and loop, that path is across those tees back to the boiler. The pressure drop thru the 3 way is much higher. I predict some, maybe most of the boiler flow crosses those tees and makes a "primary loop".
But the bigger issue with that tight H connection is the pumps are not completely isolated from one another in a hydraulic sense. So a % of the boiler pump is probably going to the zones with the zone pump.
This just isn't the correct way to pipe it no matter how many ways you look at it :)
As mentioned you could get two birds with one stone here. Get rid of the unnecessary mix valve and get the piping corrected to a workable P/S
Hack saw the H assemble out move the spiro back and make one of the two loops I have shown above.
Is that the correct pump on the boiler loop? What size Nobel? the manual will tell what the correct pump options are.
A stick of copper tube, a handful of press fittings and this is a days job or less.
hot_rod
Re: First New install
Zoning is one of the selling features of hydronics, but there are pros and cons.
If the goal of individual zones is to keep rooms at different temperature there are some limitations on how much temperature difference is obtainable. This graphic helps explain the concept of inter zone heat transfer.
Your boiler control can maybe help cover some of the issues that may crop up with micro zones.
I have a Lochinvar Knight and it has some control options that help lessen short cycling
Gradient Limiting if the boiler temperature is rising too quickly the control reduces the firing rate to the lowest setting
Ramp Delay, you can program the boiler to stay at the various firing rates, for a programmed time period. So I keep mine at the lowest turndown, 15% for 10 minutes, next step for 10 minutes, etc. 6 limit intervals can be set with any desired time.
Anti Cycling, this keeps the boiler from re-firing for the time period you set. So you could force the boiler to stay off for 15- 20 minutes. However the tradeoff for that is you are not heating the space if the boiler is being held off😯
See what options the control on your boiler has to fine tune it to your system.
I like adding buffer tanks to completely eliminating any short cycling, but it adds cost and complexity. Here is the formula.
hot_rod
Re: Losing confidence in Uponor. How often do you find defects like this in rolls of Uponor PEX?
Rehau is far superior IMO.
If you take a two foot length of each one and intentionally keep bending it in the middle, the Uponor will break long before the Rehau.
I’ve also seen demonstrations of several different types/brands tested under pressure and the Uponor blew out before some of the cheaper type B pex.
Ironman
Re: Can a new steam system be installed in a new residential house?
I was hired to remove a steam heating system from a 3,000 square foot, 2-level apartment in Manhattan a couple years ago and repipe it independently from the rest of the 8-story building’s central steam system. It was, by any measure, a new downfeed steam heating system with two new overhead mains, new decorative radiators and hardware, and steam valve controller. It’s a little different from what you’re asking but I think it qualifies.
JohnNY
Re: Toe Kick Space Heater
The unit is working, I checked the boiler pressure and it was below 8 lbs of pressure. , bumped it up to 15 and after 10 minutes it kicked on and started blowing warm air.
Thanks for your help
Re: Leaking Valve on 1/2 Cooper
Never knew they made a 1/4 impact screw driver like this before. I have the larger version. Thanks for this tool suggestion. I could see how I will use this in the future and could have used it in the past. Consider it purchased. Also the client just wanted it to stop leaking and forget about the shut off functionality for now.
Love your tool suggestions @mattmia2 .
lindylex
Re: Near-boiler piping : what do you think ?
Measure the diameter of the pipe, the risers. I am guessing they are 2" which will be undersized. The outside diameter of 2" pipe is 2 3/8"
2 1/2" pipe is 2 7/8" OD.
measure the OD not the circumference
Re: Leaking Valve on 1/2 Cooper
] SOLVED SOLUTION [
Here is better photo of the broken off screw.
After removing the valve I just used a little heat to get the knob off. That flat head screw was not coming off. Then I was able to remove old gasket material and clean out with a Dremel and small brass wire wheel. Used packing string as the new gasket three revolutions and install it. No more leaks and I never driller out the broken off screw and retapped it. I ran out of time. It is a useless shut off valve that no longer leaks. If time was not an issue it would have been done right! I hate doing things like this but I cannot control timelines and other people priorities.
Thanks for the help everyone.
lindylex
Re: New Taco zone valve constantly opens and closes
Aw @rick in Alaska — we're not that old. Though I'll admit it's been a while since I've seen a diagram on a paper bag…
Which, oddly enough, is correct. For two wire thermostats. Each thermostat — a simple switch — powers its own zone valve. The end switches for all the zone valves are paralleled and run to T-T on the boiler. Couldn't be simpler.
However I can easily see how whatever Rube Goldberg wiring may have been added or changed to make the T8400C thermostats work on two wires could very easily result in false signals getting to a zone valve or valves…
Re: new boiler versus old boiler
Absolutely critical. The vapourstat MUST be set to cutout at no more than 7 OUNCES per square inch (0.42 psig). Differential set at 4 OUNCEES. You should add a low pressure gauge (0 to 3 psig) to verify the pressure settings.
Anything more than that and the system will not work properly, if it works at all.
I don't seem to see any evidence of a Hoffman Differential Loop, and it quite possible that it never had one; only Hoffman Equipped Systems did. Or it may have been removed in some previous "improvement". in any case since neither it nor any other similar device is there, you are entirely dependent on the correct vapourstat settings.
Everything else is secondary at this point. You seem to have main vents in odd spots; Odds are the only vent you need is that big Hoffman, unless someone removed the crossover traps — in which case you probably need more main venting, but we can fix that later.
The oversize boiler isn't going to help, but what's done is done as far as that goes.