When $$ is an issue - ZV or circs?

Ted_9

I suggest cutting cost somewhere else.

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Jim Franklin_2

When $$ is an issue - ZVs or circs?

I'm remodelling a house for resale. Just found out today the electrical service from weatherhead to main disconnect is corroded and needs replacing. The budget was tight before, but now this, and with the housing market falling like skylab...

I need to trim costs on the new heating system. It's a 4 zone baseboard + DHW setup off a Burnham Revolution NG boiler with internal bypass (manual specifically says not to pipe in a bypass). Rads and runs are in, just need mechanicals. It will be a primary/secondary setup. Head loss now for the four zones is 6, 8, 14, 34 feet.

I'm thinking ZVs will be cheaper than circs + flow controls, but I don't know how to pipe it or size it for any combination of zones being on/off, unless a pressure diff valve doesn't count as a bypass? Appreciate any pointers here. Note that I don't want to dump a poor setup onto someone; I just can't afford the bells & whistles of a top notch design.

thanks...

jim

Jason_22

My opinion

I always use circs. We have been using the Grundfoss 3 speeds with built in checks. Saves time , money, and the need to buy a larger pump for the DHW zone. Just my 2 cents.

Tony_23

34 ft ?!

Are you sure you have a zone with 34 ft of head ? That's a BIG circ all by itself

Jim Franklin_2

Typo #1...

I was pretty scatterbrained when I built the spreadsheet for the head and typo'd .18' instead of .08' for the pex plastic 90s. There are a lot of them in that zone and using .08 (as for a copper 90) cuts the head in half. Whoops. I couldn't find any head specs for Wirsbo hepex online so in the morning I was gonna call and get real numbers. Unless someone here has them.. :-)

That zone has 170' hepex, 29' cu, 13 pex 90s, 8 cu 90s and a cu 45, all 3/4". Four basement rads with the runs going mostly in the ceiling.

jim

Jim Franklin_2

3 speeds?

What controls the 3 speeds, a special controller? I'll be using thermostat controlled circs/zvs, but I like the integrated checks...

jim

Rich Corcoran_28

Grundfos 3 Speed

Jim,

The speed of the pump is set using a switch on the pump. I've attached a brochure. You simply need to select the speed that gives you the desired performance for each zone.

The integral check produces nearly no performance losses, so you get your entire pump capacity available for your zones.

Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions or call our partner services group at 800-333-1366.

RC

Jim Franklin_2

Noise?

How about motor noise at the reduced speeds? Are there 3 armatures or is it a voltage drop or ???

jim

Robert Simplicio

Some heat vs. no heat

I know you're not going to be living here, but think of it this way: If you use 1 circulator and zone valves, and that circulator goes out, no heat. If you have zone circulators, if one goes out, you still have some heat. Price differential is not that great...and it sounds like you're doing the labor yourself, so you get no real labor savings from not using the circulators.