Heating Controls

Steve Luciani

I'm an HVAC service guy installing heat in my house after 11 years with a coal stove.

I'm installing a Buderus G 115/3 w/ Riello, a super store indirect water heater, 3 baseboard Zones,and 2 Radiant zones.

Any opinions on what controls to use? And also, Zone valves or circulators?

clammy

buderus

why not check with buderus they make some outdoor reset controls made for there units and as for zone valves or circ.pumps i believe i would stick to pumps for all and flow control on all supplies with one on the return for your inderict heater.you could use a argo multi pump control for your circ instead of seperates.remenber to install a tempering valve for your domestic water .buderus makes a great product good luck

Boilerpro_3

Circulators VS. Zone Valves

I have started using zones valves more and more due to concern over elctrical consumption by multiple cirulators in residential systems, especially when using full outdoor reset controls. When using reset the circulators tend to run most of the heating season. In addition, may residential heating zones require very small flows... from about 1 gpm to 3 gpm. Few, if any pumps are designed to work at these flows, so larger than necessary pumps get installed.

In addition, smaller pumps are much less efficient than larger pumps, so running several small pumps at the same time ( such as in mulitple zone outdoor reset systems) and flowrate as one larger one consumes more energy. A nice balance can be found, I believe, by using two circulators whose combined capacity is enough for the system, and then use zone valves that fail open. This way if one pump fails, backup is provided. Zone valves that fail open will be less likely to cause freeze ups and will be operating less when used with full reset.

JHMO

Boilerpro