Spirovent, Heat traps and water heater insulation

Brad White_9

1) Spirovent- I love the product especially for fin-tube or small tube systems where I purge the zones one by one. A good scrubber. Once the air is out, the system heated to temperature and vented out there is not a lot of benefit but it does no harm. On my own system (forever in progress:) when I add a radiator as I renovate, the air removal is a non-issue. I do not have to go chasing bubbles around.

2) Heat Traps: Make them passive (inverted loops versus check valve devices). The ball-check types (Watts among others) tend to chatter especially if you have DHW recirculation. Semi-effective. A good U-Trap is a mitzvah. Put them on both hot and cold.

3) Insulation in general is governed by the law of diminishing returns. The first inch does most of the work. No harm in adding insulation to a tank with 2" urethane foam but that extra inch of fiberglass will not add much benefit that you could measure. The biggest tank heat loser is the water going through it.

My $0.02

Brad

Jim_109

spirovent, heat traps and water heater insulation

1) When purchasing a new oil fired boiler for hydornic heating with cast iron radiators do recommend adding a Spirovent or similiar product? I read theat with new boilers it is not necessary, however, if one was added anyway what harm would it cause?

2) Should heat traps be added to an indirect haot water heater? If so what type, brand etc?

3) Though I know modern indirect hot water waters are well insulated and have low standby losses, what do you think about adding additional insualtion? A water heater blanket for example.

THANKS!