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Hot water recirculating pump

hankwylerjr
hankwylerjr Member Posts: 149
edited September 21 in Geothermal

I have a National boiler 138btu that heats five small rads. I want to add a circulating pump run copper upstairs and add two rads these are currently used as steam so I’d have to make it a closed system. Any idea on type and size of pump needed and where to mount it see pictures of current return. Thanks in advance ps I guess we can keep it on the same zone or do I add an upstairs zone

Comments

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,247

    can’t open your links.

    hankwylerjr
  • hankwylerjr
    hankwylerjr Member Posts: 149
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,247

    so this is a steam system and you want hot water circulating too the 2nd floor?

  • hankwylerjr
    hankwylerjr Member Posts: 149
  • hankwylerjr
    hankwylerjr Member Posts: 149

    @pecmsg yes on the return

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,556

    I'm confused. Are these existing radiators on the second floor that you wish to convert from steam to hot water? Or are you adding new radiators on the second floor and you want them to be hot water radiators rather than steam radiators?

    And in both cases… why?

    If these are to be new radiators, by far the easiest thing to do is going to be figuring out how to run a new riser or risers to them. Might take some ingenuity, but surely there is a way.

    If they are existing, why do you want to convert to hot water?

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,247

    I’d advise against it.

    Keep it all steam.

    Steamhead
  • hankwylerjr
    hankwylerjr Member Posts: 149

    I’m under the impression I can do this, hot water upstairs on a pump keep 1st floor steam using the return as a source of hot water rather do that then re pipe the heater getting to old to be jacking around with 2 inch iron fused together I’ve seen many similar systems over the years not sure why everyone is against the idea

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,326

    @hankwylerjr this is one-pipe steam, right? Just get some radiators that match the heat loss of those upstairs rooms, run a single pipe to each, properly sized, tie them into the steam mains and you're done.

    This assumes that the boiler has enough capacity to serve additional radiation.

    I think you need some help with this. Where are you located? We might know someone…………..

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 5,247
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,326
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting