Acronyms and Basic Newbie Questions

jb9

Hello,

I am working on the overall design for a radiant floor system and have learned a lot from my research up to to this point.

My latest questions involve acronyms and terms used here that I don’t fully understand.

1. What kind of due diligence do I need to do about the water at my site? Hardness? PH? What data is needed to spec out the components of the system. I will be using 1/2” Pex-Al-Pex for the tubing in the floor. At a high level, I think I understand the need to maintain the system and keep magnetite (rust) out of the medium (water) as it can corrode (like sand) the internals of pumps and other mechanicals.

2. Are there any considerations I should keep in mind towards maintenance (changing the water) in my design to ensure the system works well?

3. Larimar and Turbulent. What is the general philosophical debate that surrounds these two terms? Does it come from how fast the medium (water) is traveling through the system (and how to spec/tune the pumps for maximum heat transfer)? I am not trying to start a thread on this… just trying to understand the high level discussion.

And here is a list of acronyms that are probably used every day by professionals that I want to make sure I understand:

EWT
SWT (supply water temperature)
RWT (return water temperature)
Delta T (refers to the difference in temp between supply and return)
TRV
ECM
CI (Cast Iron?)

Thanks in advance.

JohnNY

EWT = entering water temperature
TRV = thermostatic radiator valve
ECM = electronically commutated motor
CI = cast iron

GW

If your water is considered normal them typical conditioners are all you need. If your water is nasty you would haul some water to your job.

Turbulent and Laminar flow rates more previlent in geothermal loop design. In hydronic heating you're just paying attention to the basic gpm, and velocity, feet per minute.

jb9

Thanks GW and JohnNY. Regarding my water question, I have read in previous posts that there are water treatments when a rust problem occurs and there are water conditioners as you suggest (which are preventative). Is this correct? Also, where on the system are valves typically located to allow these additives to be introduced?

JohnNY

You can unscrew the pressure relief valve usually to add the treatment. Otherwise, you'll have to get creative and see what else allows you access to the system. I've had a couple of instances where i had to mix the chemicals in a bucket with water and pump them into the piping through a drain valve.