Thoughts/experience on Ergomax Heat Exchangers

Rob Blair

Who out there has experience with these.  Considering one at my home.  Main concern is domestic output.  I have a brand new MZ 25 Monitor and will have a lot of micro zones.

Thanks,

Rob

Rob Blair

Hey Dan, I thought you had once said you had one of these?

Yes or no?

Thanks,



Rob

Mark Eatherton

Excellent experiences...

These puppies have a HUGE surface area, which means they can pretty much handle anything you throw at them, but it is obviously limited by the connected driving forces...



No problems with lime scale or anything.



A word of caution as it pertains to use in commercial/multifamily settings. They do make an ASME version to meet that need, however, here in Colorado, it is recognized as a heat exchanger, which in reality it actually is. Check with your AHJ for required compliance if in doubt.



ME

Rob Blair

Here is what was going to be heated. DHW Concerns mostly.

Mark,

I would be pushing it with 93K input, 176 degrees max on the MZ 25.

I would not likely be running more than one shower at a time.  No large flow heads.

Rob

Ex Maine Doug

I have an E44 in series

with the primary loop to add boiler content and for DHW.  It makes lots of hot water for my residence with very large clawfoot tub and stained glass shop.



Check fittings when it is delivered though. I was not impressed with their QC. I imagine at some point mine will rust through.

Mark Eatherton

You should be fine Rob...

And there is really no reason to run a boiler water any higher than is necessary to meet the load. With this being a "reverse" indirect, you will only need to maintain a supply water temperature about 10 degrees hotter than your target. So if you target is 140, then you will need 150 degree F boiler water to make it work.



The only detractor from their use with low powered heat sources is if you do decide to fill a large volume soaking tub, it IS going to take more time.



ME

DanHolohan

We've had one for years.

Although, nowadays, I think you'd call what we have a Turbomax. There was a split between the two companies some time ago. We're very happy with the unit. 

Mark Eatherton

Correction....

I've been using TURBOmax, not ERGOmax.



ME

hot_rod

low flow conditions

with hard water can cause a problem. I used one to buffer a waste oil boiler in a tractor shop. The only DHW draw was a hand wash sink. In less than 1 year it scaled the inlet tube on the DHW connection where all those small tubes connect to the 1-1/4 inlet copper.



They need really hot boiler water to perform to the spec, 190F I believe is what they used to get the DHW flow listed. So you will have a DHW output de-rate at lower boiler temperatures. In your case it may still perform well enough.



I use an Ergo E23 as a drainback tank and it provided solar preheat from the coil. It works great with all that copper inside.



hr

Gordan

Boiler water temp

Regarding your comment that they're rated at 190 F, would a lower buffer temp only affect the first hour rating? If the heat exchanger is sufficiently efficient to extract the full output of your boiler at a lower supply temp, would not continuous output then be a function of the boiler's capacity alone? Of course, you don't get the reserve of BTUs that you would if the tank buffered boiler water at a higher temp.