Hot water loop

Richie Santoro jr.

If the Steam boiler has a coil or with a flat plate heat exchanger you can fill the zone with cryotek antifreeze and you dont have to worry bout a freeze up...follow? Keep the two liquids from contacting each other...yet when the thermostat calls or you need heat the medium that tranfers the energy is still fluid..need 2 circs and a knowledge of controls

Boston_2

Hotwater Loop


We are redoing our unheated entrance way and I want create a small hot water loop on my steam boiler (single pipe) so I can install some hot water baseboard . I understand the general principals ( I have Dan's book), and I don't think it will be a problem doing the plumbing I just need a little help on the specifics.

1) Do I just pump the boiler water through the hot water baseboard? I am concerned that the water might freeze during the winter when the system isn't running. Would it be better to use a X block?
2) How on earth do I wire this thing so I can create a separate zone.

Any suggestions on doing this the simplest most effective/economical way to do this project would be greatly appreciated. We have an 80gal electric hot water heater, since this Is going to be a very small hot water zone, would it be better to do it right out the hot water heater?

greeny

i had problems using an X-block on a steam boiler. Primary loop is too hot, flat plate HX has to many small crevises where air can form and cause water to flash to steam ie BANGING. Everhot is better, cheaper and has better warranty that any flat plate on a steam application. Besides your only heating fin tube and don't need all the fancy stuff the x-block has.JG

Boston_2

Hot water loop


Thanks, I think that I will try to use the insulated/encapsulated pex and see if that works, so I don't need to use a heat exchanger and a second circulatory pump. I'll just use the straight boiler water with an aquastat.

Few questions:

1) I am going to pull the water from the boiler from a 3/4" tapping I found, but would it be a problem to return the water into a wet return on the opposite side of the boiler? I'm not sure if that will cause some kind of fluctuation??
2) An suggestions on the easiest way to wire this thing? I have an electrical engineer background, but HVAC isn't my specialty (at all) a wiring simple diagram would be great if anyone has one.

Thanks!