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What is Reverse Return Used for?

Crissie
Crissie Member Posts: 132
What is the purpose / benefit of Reverse Return used for in a hot water boiler / baseboard application?

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,165
    Even or at least similar temperature and flow resistance to each radiator. Makes it much easier to balance the system.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,615
    To expand on what Jamie said, it helps to make the heat output of the various emitters (radiators, baseboard, etc.) the same by making the piping going back to the boiler from the emitters the mirror image of the piping going out from the boiler to the emitters, resulting in about the same resistance to water flow, thus about the same flow through the various emitters, thus about the same temperature of the emitters, thus about the same output (given the same emitters). Well executed, manual balancing via (expensive) balancing valves will generally not be required.
    Crissie
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    @Crissie

    Reverse return is considered the best system because it is more self balancing. It is also more expensive to install and requires more labor and material
    Rich_49
  • Crissie
    Crissie Member Posts: 132

    @Crissie

    Reverse return is considered the best system because it is more self balancing. It is also more expensive to install and requires more labor and material

    Does it prevent short-cycling on the boiler? Does it provide boiler protection? Thx

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,453
    @Crissie

    No, it does not provide boiler protection or inhibit short cycling.

    It only does 1 thing it make balancing the flow easier
    CrissieCanuckerRich_49
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,762
    edited October 2021
    Reverse return should be used on all parallel systems . The reverse return piping will equalize the pressure drop across each loop . You need pressure drop for water to flow . Once you pipe reverse return it leaves you with resistance of each loop to deal with for fine tuning .... Zone valve heating system , radiant heating and twin hot water heaters are all parallel systems. .
    I have enough experience to know , that I dont know it all
    Crissie
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,717
    @Crissie, here is a booklet you might find interesting. I used it to teach a one day Hydronics Class for several years. The updated addition does not include all the info herein.

    http://media.blueridgecompany.com/documents/ZoningMadeEasy.pdf
    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
    Crissie
  • Crissie
    Crissie Member Posts: 132
    "EdTheHeaterMan" Thank you!