Best Of
Re: Bypass for a Buderus G115/3 boiler?
They may say you "can't shock the block" but i still would make sure to have low return water temp protection.
Boiler MGFs don't like to cover warranties and you still have labor costs involved even if they do.
Not worth the hassle for the price of a three way valve and a control IMHO
Re: Bathroom Remodel - Some Basic Insulation Questions for Radiant Floor
Well, IF (small word, BIG meaning) the room below has enough heat loss, sure it probably may not cause an issue. But I can't tell you how many uninsulated jobs I've been called out to for 2 reasons. 1st reason is space being heated under performs. 2nd reason being the space below it is overheating. Why would you NOT want to put insulation below the panel? Even if the ceiling below is lathe and plaster (worst case scenario) and you didn't make access from above, you can fill the cavity from below with blown cellulose insulation through a 1-1/4" hole/joist bay and 3/4" PEX tube. You have one chance to do it right… Why not take advantage of the opportunity when it's inexpensive and the sub floor may be open. Telling someone that insulation is not necessary is just not right in my book. It IS necessary to guarantee performance and efficient operation.
ME
Re: Lil things mean alot...
I find it with av equipment too. no one ever will need to pull that rack out, you don't need enough cable for that… or equipment layered on top of the screws that holds in other equipment. Or cables dressed so tight they unplug if you touch anything.
mattmia2
Re: Lil things mean alot...
I wish more guys cared about ease of service. Sometimes I find boilers installed without any drain valves for service.
Re: Bathroom Remodel - Some Basic Insulation Questions for Radiant Floor
the paper roller seems quite distant from the closet flange. Or is it just me.😁
hot_rod
Re: Bypass for a Buderus G115/3 boiler?
According to Buderus, you can't shock the block, and it isn't effected by low return water temps. 1.25" supply, 1" return. Some kind of silicone infused CI. And most Buderus packages come with the Hydrostat 3250 Plus or the Beckett Aquasmart. Both offer condensate protection.
HVACNUT
Re: New York’s skyscrapers soar above a century-old steam network that still warms the city.
Denver is home to the oldest continuously operated district steam system. I've had the privilidge of touring the physical plant that serves this system. Modulating and staged steam boilers are awesome. Single use, condensate is metered, and then cooled down before dumping into the city sewer. We discontinued a high rise building that ws on the system, and traded a tour of the new physical plant for a tour of their physical plant. There is a significant waste of thermal energy on these systems that a large reverse indirect could recover for DHW preheat on the buildings they serve. It's also THE most expensive heat per therm. More than electric heat. The project we switched over to natural gas (Steam to HWBB) had so many problems, the very expensive retrofit paid for itself in energy savings alone in less than 2 years. And this doesn't include the benefits associated with satisfied residents not ringing the phones off the office wall due to DHW shortage, under heating, over heating etc. Very few people know how to work with steam, and this system ran at 100 PSI, and then reduced to 20 PSI. Scary stuff, and it looks, according to the article, is going away… Surprised that NYC isn't mandating the elimination of their system. Here's an article on Denvers system. https://www.ksby.com/news/national/one-of-the-oldest-heating-systems-in-the-us-could-soon-disappear
Re: Do you trust the “pros” in your area?
I think the term pro is a hugely loose and mostly self proclaimed adjective that when things don t come together as planned one finds that not all self proclaimed are even close to being to being a pro just self proclaimed know it all that they claim . Your either good at what you do and enjoy doing it or you suck plain and simple and are just doing it for the bucks and really that is the main focus . Loving what you do and making a proper living are two different things one can love what they do and all the marketing in the world can project the image but if it ain't fatting your wallet then its non senses.
It really depends on what your looking for and what you consider a pro ? Image or results there's your defining moment ,you wanna be a number on a list to be sold cause to most business customers are just that a regular meal ticket . So the whole image thing is just like being a sag holding card member just a act and a slight of hand and a slight feeling of im being taking care of until your next issue and yet another excuse and a bill . It also comes w the employee being just a number and as good as they are there hands are tied as to the total extent of what they are able to do within the companies mode of operations and business practices.
Like i tell those who ask justa guy w a piece of paper gotten from the state which allows me to do what i do legally thats its ,drive around w junk written on the side of my properly register/plated and insured vehicle and try to make a living pay bill ect .If that what it takes well i'm a pro of yeah lets add in maybe 40 years or so of working in the phvac industry lol . Even that does not make myself a pro just a human trying to do what i know and be honest without loosing money on jobs and putting some thing in my wallet with out the doom and gloom diagnose and pressure sales but when dealing w old yunk you touch you own , Plain and simple .
So am i a pro i would be honest and say highly doubtful just some tool in a box to be used truth be told .
peace and good luck clammy
clammy
Re: What do you think the future of our industry looks like?
For more than 100 years people have been talking about applying mass production techniques to residential housing. There have been some attempts, but for the most part every house is a one-off that is hand built, and crucially for the HVAC, designed and engineered. I could see modular design of the HVAC being part of a broader push to change the way houses are built.
