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How much total water is in a hydronic heating system

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ricking
ricking Member Posts: 34
in Radiant Heating
I was calculating how much water is in my system (excluding the boiler) and was surprised how little there is. Then I thought maybe I am calculating it wrong.

I cant get an exact measurement on all the pipes, but I think I am pretty close. Around 450 feet of 3/8 copper in the ceiling.(Radiant) Around 125 feet of looks like 1 inch steel. I came out with about 8 gallons. Doesn't seem like much.

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  • Mark Eatherton
    Mark Eatherton Member Posts: 5,853
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    http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pipe-water-content-volume-weight-d_1734.html

    There are 7.5 gallons in a cubic foot, and 1728 cu. inches in a cubic foot..

    Do the math :smiley:

    ME

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • ricking
    ricking Member Posts: 34
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    I'm sure there is an easier way. Like volume a foot of pipe holds. Volume times feet of pipe. I was just surprised at the low result.
  • ricking
    ricking Member Posts: 34
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    Actually that is the table I used. And after the "math", that's what I got. Just seemed low.
  • northernboiler
    northernboiler Member Posts: 55
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    Here are charts:
    chakil
  • dtrani
    dtrani Member Posts: 25
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    You probably aren't far off. Neither of the systems in my house will fill a 5-gallon bucket when fully drained (fin/tube baseboard).
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,538
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    That's the beauty of modern hydronics. The pick-up factor for the early hot-water systems was 1.56. They lowered that to 1.33 in 19945, and then to the current 1.15 in 1967.
    Retired and loving it.
  • FranklinD
    FranklinD Member Posts: 399
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    My converted gravity system with column radiators looks like it comes in around 82 gallons (radiators only). I have a good-sized mix of 3", 2", 1", and a lot of 3/4" steel pipe...for my purposes I came up with 100 gallons.

    And as I type this, with the wind whipping from the NE off of Lake Superior at 10*, my average system water temp is 118*. They must have stuffed a ridiculous amount of cellulose in the walls back in the 90's.
    Ford Master Technician, "Tinkerer of Terror"
    Police & Fire Equipment Lead Mechanic, NW WI
    Lover of Old Homes & Gravity Hot Water Systems

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