design software

keyote

what software is being used to make those nice color system drawings

hot_rod

Visio is used by a lot of contractors and wholesalers. Many of the manufacturers have stencil library available.

Here are some from Caleffi and a blog explaining how to use them. We have piping and wiring stencils in the file, and the offering keeps growing.

http://www.caleffi.com/usa/en-us/blog/does-caleffi-have-product-stencils-visio-drawings

keyote

Thanks are any of them free i just want to design my house i used loopcad for the heat loss gain and loop design which had a 30 day free trial is there something i can draw the boiler and trim with thats free that above looks like the stuff is see everywhere.

hot_rod

SketchUp is free, and some of the cloud based programs like OnShape

keyote

Thanks hot rod i meant whatever they are using for the piping schematics i see all over here and other sites its seems specialized with templates for system components i just figured there must be a free version to simply draw in, does sieggys do those drawings or only calculations in a table format.

delta T

Siggy's Hydronicad does drawings only and Hydronics Design Studio does all the other stuff (heat loss, flow calcs, and a TON of other stuff too) they are separate programs, both are great, neither is free. Personally I use Hydronicad for piping schematics, HDS for the heat loss and system design, and Sketch up for loop layout (labor intensive but allows me to do a 3D model of the whole house, with locations of manifolds in walls, actually have the boiler at actual size on the wall, the IDWH (or whatever else), and be able to easily label critical measurements so that when we go out to the do the install there are no (okay well....very few) unknowns.

keyote

I used three 30 day loop cad for the heat loss gain it also uses a 3d architectural that you either draw or import in several cad formats, i found it easy to use it has a loop view that you draw and design your loops over the architectural the calculations are done in the background as you draw and design and then you can change parameters like water temp delta T and its all recalculated in a second, all the data is in reports view either as a summery or very detailed but you can see the head loss for the loop risers manifold and total for instance there are views to see rewired and actual floor temp and balancing problems that you can resolve by changing temp delta loop design etc. its about $600-$900 bucks for the thing so when the 30 days is up im done

So while it gives a great heat loss and way of playing with design above the boiler room and all the info you need to design your boiler work it doesnt actually do that part. I was thinking of buying siggys HDS for that but my system is simple and so well balanced not sure its needed want to decide what general type of system i will be piping first. and would like to use software taco has free one that looks interesting but damn avg wont let me open it