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Radiant Heat Add Zone Valves Or Manifold Valves To Stop Ghost Heating

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BrianLentz
BrianLentz Member Posts: 8
in Radiant Heating
We installed radiant heat in our new pole building that is part garage and part apartment. We have 2 zones - garage (4 loop manifold) and apartment (3 loop manifold). Everything works pretty well but we noticed that when the zone for the apartment runs the garage lines heat up some too. 

The Taco controller turns on a pump for each zone when the thermostat calls for heat. We believe that the ghost heating happens because the boiler is pumping the hot water out and it flows through both lines because there isn’t a valve that shuts off either line. So even though the pump on the garage lines is off there is still some flow caused by the boiler. 

Solution Option 1:
Install a valve on each zone that is opened by the taco controller as it turns the pump on. 

Solution Option 2:
Install Manifold Actuator Valves - 4 on the garage manifold and 3 on the apartment manifold. They would be installed in series and controlled by the taco controller.

Which way is the best way to fix our ghost heating issue?

How would we go about wiring them?

The taco controller we have is SR503 3 zone switching relay.


Comments

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,844
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    Are they IFC circulators?

    Are you sure you couldn't find a more inconvenient location for the apartment circulator? And no isolation valves? That'll be fun to replace. 

    No low loss header needed with that boiler? It's programmed for low temperatures only?
  • BrianLentz
    BrianLentz Member Posts: 8
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  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,201
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    Is the boiler piped the way the installation manual shows? Generally either primary secondary or a hydro separator is used when you have that type of boiler.
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,844
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    They're not IFC circulators, nor are there check valves, so yeah. 
  • BrianLentz
    BrianLentz Member Posts: 8
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    Yeah what?
  • BrianLentz
    BrianLentz Member Posts: 8
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    I posted this question and yet still no actual answer to my question. 
  • BrianLentz
    BrianLentz Member Posts: 8
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    The boiler is a Westinghouse Dual Purpose BTU Condensing LP Boiler. It was installed by a plumber per the manual and passed inspection 3 years ago. 
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,201
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    BrianLentz said:
    The boiler is a Westinghouse Dual Purpose BTU Condensing LP Boiler. It was installed by a plumber per the manual and passed inspection 3 years ago. 
    Is this the boiler you have?

    http://www.westinghousewaterheating.com/literature/whl-012.pdf

    It shows the piping as primary secondary 
    I don’t think you will meet the minimum flow the boiler requires with  just one zone running?
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    GGross
  • BrianLentz
    BrianLentz Member Posts: 8
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    Yes. That is the boiler. I'll reach out to the manufacturer and confirm that I can run one zone at a time. Thank you.
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,844
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    BrianLentz said:
    Yeah what?
    Since there's no check valves on the zones, whenever one zone is calling, there will be flow through the other zone.
    GGross
  • GGross
    GGross Member Posts: 1,060
    edited October 2023
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    need check valve for the pumps, and need to re-pipe the boiler as it has a built in pump and should be piped primary/secondary. It is going to flow through one of those zones every time the boiler pumps kicks on, whether that zone pump is on or not. This is not "ghost flow" rather it is just regular old flow

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