installing kickspace heaters in a loop hot water heating system

Rex Wilson

Hi. I have a loop hot water system with all baseboard heat. I want to install a couple of kickspace heaters, or maybe a recessed wall heater or recessed floor fan heater. These units (such as Myson "whispa" units) show installation instructions with Monoflo Tee installations and a two-pipe system. Can I skip the Monoflow Tee valves, and simply put the kickspace units (or other new heaters) directly in series, in the flow of the single loop one pipe system?

Jim Eastman

toekick heaters

The toe kick heater has a greater resistance to flow than the loop that you are tapping into. The Whispa heater has 1/2 inch tubing and a pretty good pressure drop. You will need at least one mono-flow tee to drive some water into the heater. If you merely put the toe kick heater in series with the rest of the baseboard units, you will have reduced flow and pressure in all of the loop that is down stream from the toe kick. As Dan H. says, "Think like water! What you you do in this situation?" I think your answer will be to maintain your flow before and beyond the toe kick heater and leave some of that valuable btu cargo off at the fan coil.

Jim Eastman

hot_rod

Reverse return

If I have two or more, I set them up in a small reverse return piping scheme, especially, when they are to be in the middle of a baseboard loop. Doing this, assures the convectors the same temp water at relatively the same time so the fan on/off sequence will be close. If there will be a zone with just convectors, I'll set a manifold and pull either PEX or MultiCor S&R to each unit. Again, in the effort of providing the same water temp simultaneously.

Warm Regards,

heatboy

"Expert in Silent Warmth" ™

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Rex Wilson

thanks

Thanks much, "hb" and Jim for your helpful responses.
Rex