do u know what this is?

pipeking

what is this custom hx being used for? how is it being used? here is a link where i found it and a little info, but not enough info. has anyone done this before? maybe this post will find the designer

<a href="http://www.bobgagnon.com/radiant_cooling_page.html">http://www.bobgagnon.com/radiant_cooling_page.html</a>

icesailor

Heat Exchanger:

Its a Heat Exchanger. It is a recovery type because it has two pairs of pipes going into it. One set passes one temperature and the other collects another. It needs a box.

Its a really nice looking piece of equipment.

unclejohn

Looks like

A big two circuit coil.I can't figure out what heat he would be recovering from the water and doing what with it. Not like outside air in and inside air out heat exchange. Also there is only one set of pipes going to the coil. I think its just a big ole chilled water coil.

icesailor

Pipes:

How about a Solar Heat Exchanger?

Two pipes going up?

Two pipes on the floor?

Two horizontal pipes coming out of the HX?

Reallt clean and clever install/build.

JStar

Hx

This was posted here a while ago. He said it was a dehumifying coil for a chilled water system.

unclejohn

But it's a

Finned tube coil,.air would blow over the solar loop and then transfer heat to the other loop for what., Why not just use a tank?

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Fan Coil Unit

It is a homemade fan coil unit used for cooling and heating. It is piped into a primary- secondary piping loop. In the summer, cool water flows through the unit and a fan moves the air for cooling and to increase condensation to dry the air. This unit is part of a Radiant Cooling System. In the winter, when the thermostat comes on from setback, it acts as a heating boost, until the radiant heating catches up. I had to make the unit so big because I am using well water, which isn't as cold as refrigerant, so the fan coil has to be bigger to accomplish the same task.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

pipeking

thanks bob

i would love to see some photos of the finished product, that would be cool! maybe if u got time u can post pics of the whole system too. r u able to get below the dew point across the board in cooling season to handle all the dehumidifying needs? do u also cool with the radiant?

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Radiant Cooling

It works great, I've never measured the dewpoint but the house feels dry and comfortable when I'm running the Radiant Cooling. After running the system for 12 seasons there is no sign of condensation or mold. The Fan coil unit dries and cools the air, radiant piping in the floors, walls and ceilings provide deep-down radiant cooling. It is extremely comfortable, Radiant Cooling comfort is comparable to Radiant Heating comfort. Right now my solar panels are cranking out hot water at about 75 degrees, which is running through all those Radiant Panels, and will heat my house to nearly 70 today, no need to start a fire in the wood stove, Not bad for northern Massachusetts. Harvesting low temperature hot water makes my solar collectors a LOT more efficient, its simply easier to harvest hot water at 75 degrees, and storing that energy in my walls, ceilings and floors makes it last well into the evening.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

pipeking

THAT IS SO AWSOME BOB

 i would love to see pics, at least of the duct work, if u got some, or have time to take some,lol!  in your wall and ceiling radiant, did u use small capillary tubing, or standard ?" O.C. 1/2 tubing?

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Ceiling Radiant

I used plates in my ceiling around the wood stove because I use this system to move heat from the warmer, wood stove room, to the colder parts of the house when the stove is firing, But I have quik trac in most of the other ceilings to see how different systems perform. Both used 3/8" pex.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Duct Work

There isn't duct work really.. The is a drip pan underneath, with a couple of cheap window fans to move the air across the coils, and I fabricated my own housing out of bubble foil insulation. The Radiant Cooling takes a couple of hours to really kick in, but the fan coil starts blowing out cool air in about ten minutes. The coldest water goes through the fan coil first, then it is slightly warmer when it goes through my floors, walls, and ceilings, this also helps prevent condensation. Everyone says you can't do Radiant Cooling because the floors will condense, but they're wrong, you simply need to remove the humidity from the air, and this fan coil does that, the same as a conventional air conditioners fan coil, it just has to be bigger because the well water I use is not as cold as the refrigerant a standard air conditioner uses.



Thanks, Bob Gagnon

SWEI

how different systems perform

any insights to share there?



thanks...

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Systems Performance

The Cooling works great, my house stays about 72 degrees, even when it gets to about 100 degrees outside. My sister in law complains because it s too cold for her. The SolaRadiant works ok on sunny days, giving me most of my heat in the spring and fall, and helping to take the chill out of the house during the winter. My house could be better insulated, it's typical 80's construction, 2X4's and fiberglass, foam insulation would work much better.

Thanks, Bob Gagnon

SWEI

performace

Thanks.  I was actually curious about performance of the different ceiling systems/plates.

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

Plates vs Quik Trac

Performance between the two seemed similar, with the plates getting the sheetrock a little warmer and a little quicker.

GusHerb

That is

Very neat! I've always been interested in radiant cooling. After last summers 3 week heat wave in July with 5-6 days over 100 (one day I recorded a peak of 105, with about 7 hours over 100) and many more days in the high 90s, I realized how much radiant cooling would've been nice! Just like how radiant heat would be nice in the winter. It was feeling hot in the rooms, despite a reasonable RH of 50-52% at the peak of the day with the A/C maintaining 72 just fine.