Lochinvar Knight WHN155 boiler + Lochinvar Squire SIT040 indirect water tank

mapble

I am in the process of converting oil heating to gas heating. The plumber picked the lochinvar knight WHN155 boiler + lochinvar squire SIT040 indirect water tank. It covers 2000+ sqft area including 1 radiator, 12 vectors and 1 room about 200 sqft for basebord. Could you please check the attached image and let me know if they are doing a good job? And what should I ask or get from them before I release the last check to them. Thanks a lot.

SWEI

questions

Can't really see where the expansion tank is piped into the system.



Primary/secondary piping is not needed for most WHN installs -- is there a reason they piped it this way?

mapble

reply for where the expansion tank is piped

Look at the highlighted part. The expansion tank first goes all the way to the right, then all the way up to a T, then split to 2, one goes down to the water tank, the other has not been connected which I believe will be part of the hot water zone.

JStar

Tank

The tank and water feed are piped into the system side return before the actual system returns. Trying to visualize what pressures the pumps will see.

mapble

picture

look at the pics

Zman

Pumping away.

Generally this is a very nice install. I am assuming that the black circulator and the circulator that has not been installed have internal check valves? It will say on the  center of the motor.

I agree that the expansion tank needs to be tied in elsewhere. The air eliminator on the upper manual would work fine. That is where lochinivar draws it. It should be moved. The system will purge air better and will be less prone to pressure related problems.



Be sure the outdoor sensor is installed and the heating curves are set correctly.



Your installer is very good. I don't think he fully understands the importance of the expansion tank location. You could buy him a copy of "pumping away" from this site. Hopefully he will thank you.

Carl

Gordan

I'm going to cautiously disagree

Not about the importance of "pumping away" but about the degree of departure from that principle evident here. Each circulator is still seeing very little pressure drop from the PONPC to its suction side. It's just a couple of feet of tubing and three turns...



I can't see this being an issue and therefore I would personally not make it an issue. Looks like a well-executed job overall, hydraulically speaking. The heat loss calculations and accommodating different types of emitters is where this will either shine or not, and we don't have enough information to judge that aspect.

Zman

I think you are right.

Gordan,

I think you are correct. With the boiler blocking the turn, I was having trouble visualizing.

Good call. I think you could leave it as is.

Carl

Gordan

Ah, yes. :-)

I had trouble with that myself. Kept looking at different pictures hoping to see that angle...



If I had to quibble with anything it would be the positioning of the dirt separator. I'd have put it on the system "loop" between the zone returns and the boiler tees. No sense pumping crud back into the zones or exposing the circ impellers to it.

Ironman

A Very Neat Job

Overall, your contractor has done a very good job and you should thank him as well as pay him.



Please understand also that none of us would do a job exactly the same as another. As long as the job is fundamentally correct and done in a workman like manor, it's acceptable.



In that context, my only question would be the sizing of the boiler. A proper heat loss calculation is the only way to accurately determine that and you haven't provided one. Therefore, my statement is based on generalities. A 147K BTU output boiler for a 2000 sq. ft. house comes to about 73 btu's per sq.ft. That would be a very leaky house. Unless you have an unusually high domestic load, I would have chosen a smaller boiler. But again, I don't have all the info needed.

Tim Potter

Oversized ????

That boiler seems like a lot of horsepower.

My experience as a homeowner suggests that you & the Boiler Installer have a serious & LONG meeting about sizing. not enough info to say he is wrong, but the discussion you have with him will tell you if he has done his homework with regards to the proper sizing, OR if its a wild **** guess & then add some btus.



My house in the Colorado mountains (2000') has a slantFin sx150 150,000 btu 80% eff boiler operating at 9000' altitude. Gas usage MEASURED by Mark Eatherton 99,000 btu @ 80%, so, 80,0000 btus are going to the house. Coldest night of the year, 30below in Fraser, so slightly warmer in WP say 25below, 24% usage measured by my BayWeb t-stat .



My next boiler will be the WHN 055 or possibly the larger WHN085 to support all the after ski showers taken in a short time.



Knowledge is power, Knowledge save you a ton of money, & there is a lot of Knowledge on this website.



Good luck, report back with your findings & post your fuel savings too!





Tim

PJRats

Having same system installed

At this moment the same is being installed in my 2300 sq/ft home, with 3 heating zones. They first quoted $9100 to do the job which I thought was crazy ( I have no heating cost knowledge at all), They then decided to lower it to $8200 by cutting some bells and whistle like 1 pump instead of 3. My wife googled HE Furnaces and now thinks we are being robbed....help me calm her down.

Gordan

It is against this forum's rules to discuss pricing

1) It depends on the area, time of year, and the contractor's skill (obviously.) Better ones may charge more for a better product, but a more expensive contractor is not necessarily a better one. Get references!

2) It depends on installation specifics (obviously.)

3) If you're concerned about the cost, get multiple quotes. Discuss lower cost options with the contractors, and make sure you understand what you're giving up by going with a lower cost option (or a lower bidder for comparable systems.)



It's important to keep priorities in order. First priority should be a reliable and safe means of providing comfort. That can be had at multiple price points and with multiple technologies, but a competent and correct install is critical for all of them so choose your contractor wisely and then allow him or her to educate you about your options.



Then you can weigh the costs and benefits of the various options and hopefully make an informed decision.



When you focus on the value that you are looking to get for your money, you'll find an option that doesn't feel like you're being ripped off. Or, if it still feels like a rip-off, just keep what you have now.

Zman

Costs

To the original post. Pay the man. Nice install.



As for PJ Rats question.

It sounds like you have a boiler.Boilers heat water.The cost of furnaces (furnaces heat air) is irrelevant. You might as well compare the cost of washing machines. Completely different product.



As for boilers, there are many different brands with many different sizes, designs and pricepoints.You do not want the cheapest ones. You probably don't need the most expensive. You absolutely want the correct size.



I would use caution with your approach of cutting bells and whistles. If your existing boiler is worn out, chances are the rest of you components are as well. By not replacing them now, you are asking for an expensive service call later. It is not uncommon for the cost of the other components in the boiler room to exceed the cost of the boiler.



My advise is to determine what system you want and then get bids based on that.

Randomly calling contractors and asking them to bid the minimum is not likely to give you good results.



If you post a description and and pictures of you project (It would be easier to start another post) , you can get advise here.



Carl