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Gravity hydronic heating

clammy
clammy Member Posts: 3,162
in THE MAIN WALL
Not for nothing except as far as i know fire codes state that any boiler installed in a garage must be elavated off of the slab to pervent fuel vapors from ingition i believe it must be at least 18 inches off the floor this is a must when installing a boiler in a garage failure to do s may leave promblems with insurance co if a promblem occurs peace and good luck clammy

R.A. Calmbacher L.L.C. HVAC
NJ Master HVAC Lic.
Mahwah, NJ
Specializing in steam and hydronic heating

Comments

  • Jeff_97
    Jeff_97 Member Posts: 3


    Will a hot water system gravity heat (without use of pump) if the boiler is the highest point in the system? Boiler is in garage on slab and all baseboard is app. 3' below the top of the boiler. Need to know for an electrical outage situation with a wood/oil combination boiler.
  • zeke
    zeke Member Posts: 223


    The boiler MUST be below the baseboard heaters for a gravity system to work. You also must have substantial size pipes as well since the "pumping" is provided by the differential in density of the boiler water density and the density in the return pipes.
  • Jeff_97
    Jeff_97 Member Posts: 3


    Thank you zeke. I appreciate your help.
  • Kevin Pulver
    Kevin Pulver Member Posts: 67
    Furthermore Jeff

    The most efficient boilers necessarily need pumped flow. So just don't think you can do what you have in mind with all the new mod cons or even most of the other new low water content boilers. I think what you suggest is definitely possible, but not necessarily feasible. You will give up more in efficiency what you save in electricity as far as I can see. Kevin
  • Jeff_97
    Jeff_97 Member Posts: 3


    My customer is interested in a wood/oil boiler made by Benjamin in Canada. In this installation I have no dump zone should the power go out while he is burning wood. I didn't think this would gravity heat if the boiler was the highest point, but I wanted a second oppinion. So thanks to all who helped, its now off to plan B.
  • Mike T., Swampeast MO
    Mike T., Swampeast MO Member Posts: 6,928


    Even if your heat source were in a basement you would get very little (if any) gravity flow through a baseboard system. CERTAINLY not enough flow to prevent serious overheating if the electricity fails and the wood boiler is firing. The pipes are WAY too small and the horizontal distances WAY too long.
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