New System From Scratch, almost

fatty

thanks, the piping i have worked out. but the control system i'm still trying to understand. the radiators are sitting in place and the walls and ceilings are completely open, i have so many options that i'm slow to make a decision.

I planned to have a single thermostat, in the hall (has windows) for a basic reading, and an outdoor reset. then i was going to throttle the flow to each apt...depending on its needs. i think heat loss might be consistent enough to withhold further tailoring of temperatures. i could be wrong.

fatty_2

hot water

So, I rebuilt a dozen old cast iron radiators, built a pressure testing jig, pumped em up to 40 psi (kept the good ones) and blasted the rest out clean with compressed air.

My question is - and I not a totally dry-head, talk to me:
I want to built the piping out of copper, have it in reverse-return fashion. I have 4 separate zones, (apartments) - and I plan to adjust them only through throttling 4 separate ball valves + 4 isolation valves. No zone valves no zoned thermostats.

Thing is, from all I've talked to - and all I've studied, DH's books - 'hydron radiant heat' and 'pumping away' I can't get a solid endorsement of copper piping. What's the deal? I just want the peace of mind that I can pipe this. I calculated the ID I need and most of the head, the math looks good. Is there something about copper, besides the price, that you guys don't like?

Al Letellier_9

copper piping

Why not copper? If you can afford it and you want it, use it. This isn't steam as you are piping reverse return, so it should do the job. I don't know about your methods for controlling the heat, especially with 4 apartments, but if copper is you only issue, go for it !!

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fatty_2

ah thanks

wonderful,
around here not a single building has zoned heating. these old uninsulated brick buildings are pretty much heated to high heaven and residents throttle down their radiators as needed. all based on a single outside thermometer. oh probably a reset too.

i guess the main thing about that, now that i think about it, is the importance of a differential pressure regulator... if they all for some reason closed their radiators off from the system... woo

steven E.HEAT

rads.

use danfoss trv's out door reset and fosta pex by viega.

Weezbo

that is different....

copper is trust worthy enough, some designs and control strategies on the other hand tend to go Left of center as it were....

fatty

oh no u didn't

Al-pex, an outdoor reset and thermostatic rad. valves... that's an interesting idea. but then piped how, cu supply manifold with home-runs to and from radiators with a cu return manifold?

You think Fosta can handle the heat of a cast-iron system?

fatty

Here's a basic picture of the boiler area with the simple controls I started to map out when I began to think this over

Jed_2

If it's

hot water, not steam, absolutely! Best investment you'll ever make.

Jed