Open to Suggestions

Rich Kontny

Seasoned Wetheads,

As with plumbing today the basics of heating and hydronics have evolved at a pace that is easy enough to understand if we have grown up with it. However, once we get to the active side of the system(s) we have so many choices in heat units and controls. It is here where I respect the installers opinion and this quick reference forum.
I have come to appreciate the way we have to customize or tailor so to speak per job. After 30 plus years in the bid and spec mechanical contracting field I find the large residential and light commercial installations requiring more input versus the
(defined by others) bid and spec process.

Now to the questions ,I have a large residential home with approximately 5075 sq. ft of floor space with the basement area 2200sq.ft with in slab radiant heat, and a kitchen laundry area (ceramic tile) of approx. 996 sq. ft and the master bath 875 sq. ft. (ceramic tile) with joist heating.
The piping is all in back to the boiler placement area but I am not convinced that the Teledyne boiler that my wholesaler recommends is the best choice.

Fuel LP

80 gallon indirect domestic hot water heater

Want reliable simplistic controls pumps etc.


I am looking for unbiased and practical advice as I find my whosaler leaning toward there own lines.

Your input would be appreciated and welcomed!

Thanks Rich Kontny richk@nconnect.net

Dana

Teledyne makes a nice low mass boiler, but in several models. Which one are they recommending. Is it just for the radiant and domestic hot water heater or is it also heating some finn tube heat zones. How are you flowing the radiant zones, with zone valves or pumps. What fluid temp. is going to the radiant zones. You may need a buffer tank for the radiant. Flow is everything with a low mass boiler, are you piping primary/secondary to keep the flow rate thru the heat exchanger correct and hot, at least 110 degrees to keep the copper heat exchanger from condensing. Get the installation instructions for the boiler, perhaps online, and read thru their requirements.

Bill NTSG

Hey this guy

was falling off the wall. Some one must have an idea?

heatboy

What is the rest...........

of the heating system comprised of? Baseboard, rads, hydro-air? It looks like less than 4K' of radiant in a 5K' house. Is the radiant two temperatures or one? Do they have a budget established and is it flexible?

A Teledyne would work as long as there is a buffer tank between it and the system. Otherwise, go mass, young man!

hb

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Bill Clinton

probably not a good choice

I've installed tons of td laars boilers and don't knock them. In this installation, it can be made to work, but only with difficulty and at the cost of low efficiency and lots of cycling. Minimum requirements are:
1. Protection against low temperature return
2. Protection against low flow (assuming you have a number of zones).
3. Protection against no-flow (which is different from low flow: eg if circulation fails. You need a flow switch.
4. Provision for two temperature system (you can't do joist heating with the same temperature as the slab).


Even with all this, cycling would still be a problem: You should probably install a buffer tank.

What SHOULD you install instead? Lordy, in days recently gone by, I would have recommended a condensing water heater, but have gotten discouraged with the reliability. Voyager is a disaster; Polaris has been much better, but still disappointing. A new generation of Polaris is just now reaching market, with some models up to 199,000 btu. Hope they're better.

A safe choice: High mass Buderus or Viessman installed per recommendations.

Bill