What do you use to heat your own home ?

Unknown · October 2003

and Mad Dog's home on video at HVAC-TV , I was wondering what the pros use to heat their own houses . I've got a Peerless WBV3 with a Riello F5 and an internal coil for hot water . Except for my oil tank running dry 2 times a year ( my own fault ) , the system performs great . I have dozens of pics of other peoples boilers I installed , but not one pic of my own . Feel free to post a pic of your own system .

Steamhead · October 2003

Converted Gravity Hot Water

with a Burnham V-14, 20 years young this year fired by the original ABC-Sunray FC flame-retention burner, and downfired 25% to 0.75 GPH. The original installation (which I didn't do) has been modified to Pump Away and the return was moved to the rear inlet. I also replaced the original B&G 100 circulator with a Taco 005, which is a much better match for this system.

New this year are Honeywell/Braukmann TRVs on the bedroom radiators (second pic). My rads are all American Peerless 3-column.

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Bill NTSG · October 2003

I Got Me A.............

fancy @$# euro snob boiler. I bought the house in 1987 it had forced warm air and a wood stove. I swithched to a used W/M P368 and hydro air. The W/M is at my dads house now.

Then I acquired some RTI aluminum radiant panel baseboard and installed it in all rooms. Then I added a little runtal panel in the kitchen entry.

In 1996 I built an addition and did some staple up radiant. In 2000 I bought an 11 yr old Viessmann Vitola bi-ferral that sat in a show room and was never installed, I got the tri-matic and bought a Verticell 41 gallon indirect. The water heater was the single most expensive item in the system.

I am running on o/d reset for going on 4 yrs w/o a T-stat! I ran a wire for the indoor sensor a year ago and may hook it up this fall if I get a chance. I will try and get some pictures. I never got a digital camera, someday.

Unknown · October 2003

Forced hot water with baseboard and indirect, condensing boiler.

> with a Burnham V-14, 20 years young this year

> fired by the original ABC-Sunray FC

> flame-retention burner, and downfired 25% to 0.75

> GPH. The original installation (which I didn't

> do) has been modified to Pump Away and the return

> was moved to the rear inlet. I also replaced the

> original B&G 100 circulator with a Taco 005,

> which is a much better match for this system.

> New this year are Honeywell/Braukmann TRVs on the

> bedroom radiators (second pic).

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 157&Step=30"_To Learn More About This Contractor,

> Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A

> Contractor"_/A_

Unknown · October 2003

Forced hot water with baseboard and indirect, condensing boiler.

I built the house new in 1991. It is in the boondocks, and is LP gas.

Noel

Andy Morgan_2 · October 2003

My House

I have a Weil GV-4 on propane, piped to 2 hydros, a 40 gal Super Store Ultra (45 Gal actually), with a little floor warming in the baths and kitchen. It was impossible to do the whole house radiant because of the construction. I am happy with the way the system turned out and is operating. Of course the fun thing will be trying different things with it for the next few years.

Andy

Floyd_5 · October 2003

I cobbled in a new....

Ultra......have been very impressed with it so far.
I have cast iron baseboard on first floor and cast iron rads on second floor....all on one zone.
So far with 30* nights I'm getting away with about 140* water temps in a house built in the early 1900's, brick w/plaster walls and NO insulation anywhere!!!!
The sucker really pisses, especially on startup when all that cold water is coming back!!!
Can't wait to get my bill and start comparing usage.....

Unknown · October 2003

The Ultra looks

like a slick piece of equipment . I'd like to hear the numbers you get compared to the old unit . Thanks for fixing the pic Floyd . I forgot to ask , how many Ultras have you installed so far ? Seems like youre a true believer in the product now .

J.C.A._3 · October 2003

The home I'm Living in....

Has an oil fired Utica 4 section boiler, with B&G #75 circs pumping away(no less) and piles of old Arco, thin tube radiators. (3,4 and5 tube)

The landlord has asked me to evaluate it , and truth be told, I wouldn't change a thing. He is adding an addition to his apartment, making the 3rd floor a part of it, and has some pex tube running through a closet in my bed room.
I told him of my recent radiator escapade, and he is interested in putting a few up there ! Wants a radiant bathroom floor, but then again, he's a building contractor and sees some of the finest things available.

I guess he gets it....Quality IS priceless ! Chris

Floyd_5 · October 2003

I'll be sure to share #'s....

I am anxious to see for myself and want to do some playing with different things.
So far I have figured out that I can make tons of hot water and not have the boiler go over 140*, after the post purge the boiler is down in the 120's range... not alot of wasted heat there.....

sorry about the pic. I am playing with a new notebook that I just got and haven't got all the programs that I want yet, as in photo programs, so I can adjust my photo sizes.

So many new toys... not enough time....now I have to load the software for my new Wirsbo Truflo Flomaster and check out the shipment of the new manifolds.....

Got my Hydronics Design Studio loaded... that I just got from Siggy.....

Gee wizz, when is a guy ever supposed to get some sleep???!!!

eleft(retired)_3 · October 2003

57th yr

Mark Hunt · October 2003

WAAAHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

GE down fire!

That thing weighs 4 tons!

Ron jr. is an expert at removing those things, so when it's time be sure to call HIM.

I tore out the FHA in my home and installed Kitec Pex-Al-Pex staple up.

Radiant floor for the main floor, HWBB for the office, indirect water heater.

Currently firing a WM CG-4 that was given to me, but will be replacing it with a Munchkin.

My wife would like me to install a snow melt system, but then the mechanical system would be worth more than this pile of sticks!

BTW: The kids love to watch TV while laying on the floor.

Mark H

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Mike T., Swampeast MO · October 2003

Weil-McLain CGM-6 driving U.S. Capitol tube rads and radiant floors in baths. One circulator--B&G 100. TRVs with setback ability on all rads; radiant floors run "wild" off mechanical reset.

Electric resistance in the OVERHEAD forced A/C system for "shoulder season" like last week.

ScottMP · October 2003

GE

Oh man I wish I had taken pictures before I ripped the sucker out. I had the same boiler eleft.

Now I have a Buderus G234 with a 2107 ecomatic that controls a Tekmar four way mixing valve for the bigass cast iron radiators. Also has a 53 gallon Buderus indirect. Eventually I will have the staple up done on the first floor, and the second floor will have the cast iron.

The first circulator is my constant circ. for the first floor bath which was a TRV. That 1/2" line a by-pass.

Man. Its time to get back to work on this.

Scott

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Wayco Wayne · October 2003

Moved in 13 years ago

to a nice standard gas fired forced air system and a 40 gallon gas water heater. Well that's all shot to shipoopi now. 10 years ago I installed a 35 gallon polaris and ran a hot water coil into my return air. I then added baseboard heat in my basement and office. I then added radiant staple up in the family room. Liked that so much I did the kitchen and the foyer. (I have a corner in the foyer with a high density staple up coil of tubing for melting the snow off the kids boots.) I then installed a flat plate heat exchanger when I got wind of the legonelli possibilities. I am now in the process of installing Joist trak plates to upgrade existing radiant floors. We are planning a sidewalk out front and plan to install snowmelt. The Polaris has been OK. When I take a shower it recovers faster than what I'm using resulting in hotter water the longer I'm on. (Life is good) Had to replace the tank at 5 years because of a leak but it was replaced under warranty and the new one has performed well. When it goes I will probably put in a Munchkin.

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John Mills_3 · October 2003

Should I admit it?

Tiny house with lukewarm, not scorched, air. WeatherKing 13 SEER heat pump with A-S/Trane variable speed 2 stage 80 as backup. 3 stage heat stat controls it all.

Mad Dog · October 2003

Mad Dog's Dog House is heated with

natural gas, steam'vapor and radiant in basement floor and bathrooms. MD

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Kevinj · October 2003

home heating

I heat mine with a 35 year old Repco boiler on propane with a Taco mastermind and Effikal damper.

Jackie D · October 2003

Need an opinion on a new system

Hello everyone, I am replacing my old Thrasher (and oil tank), which died on me last winter. I have limited space and want to move the heating system out of the middle of my basement. I would like a Direct Vent Gas fed, baseboard hot-water system for my 90+ yr. old house. I live in the NE United States, so it is cold already. I have approx 1800sq ft. of living (top floor, main floor, and basement)space to heat. What do you recommend? - I am having a hard time trusting people. One guy suggested a 'crown boiler' named 'Bali' and a 40 gal mega-stor high effec. indirect hot water heater in conjunction with a hot water boiler. Is this ok? I looked up Trane on the web, they seemed to come well recommended. I want the most efficent and long lasting system, for a reasonable price. Please help me! I don't want to be taken advantage of.

Steamhead · October 2003

Jackie

Best to start a new thread for this. Go back to the main Wall page, click New Thread and copy the text to it. This helps keep things organized.

That said, I've never heard anything bad about Crown boilers.

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Unknown · October 2003

Gas Forced (scorched air)

Warm air GE furnace over 50 years old, converted to
Powerpile many years ago. It still has the original blower motor. Cast iron heat exchanger just tested and still tight.

CO2 9.5%
O2 4.75%
Excess air 25%
Stack net temp 350 degrees F
83% eff.

CO 70 ppm air free

Runs on CAC (Constant Air Circulation)

Now for the last three years I have been burning Pellets in my pellet stove as about 75 % of my heating for the winter. Cost me $187 for pellets last winter.

Phil_6 · October 2003

A cute little..

..Monitor MZ-20 with cast iron baseboard all around, radiant in the basement slab, and an indirect. It's a real miser with the gas.

Jerry Boulanger_2 · October 2003

Laars JVI100 boiler

feeding a hot water coil in original furnace casing, hot water unit heater in the garage, indirect DHW tank, and in my office, a sweet steel panel rad with TRV. I used to have 230 MBH connected to my gas service, now just the boiler, and no chimneys.

Steve Ebels · October 2003

what kind of system?

Just threw in a new Vitloa with vitoronic 200 and a Divicon for the floor heating. WOW!!! What a sweet system. The three of us ripped out the old Smith and installed the new Viessmann in a little under 4 hours. Some of the piping is just temporaried in place so I'll post some pics when we get a spare day (March or April) to install them permanently. With fuel prices as volatile as they are, I like the idea of being able to switch fuels by just changing the burner.

Preliminary combustion test as follows:

Flue gas, net 265.6*F

O2 4.2%

CO 8ppm

Eff. 86.4%

CO2 9.3%

ex/air 22.4%

Draft -.05 wc"

Have to drop in a stainless chimney liner and get the draft dialed in before fine tuning the burner. Will post those results later also.

Steve Eayrs · October 2003

I have a

Veissmann Vitorond, oil fired, but stuck to what I'm used to using for controls and went Tekmar injection pump. Whole house is radiant, w/ gypcrete pour over the subfloor. Works great.
Just moved in this new house 3 years ago. Before that has a cobbled together radiant, baseboards, and wood stove for one portion. I had to redo half the boiler room before selling it, since the room was not planned but evolved. Looked like a mad man plumbed it. Nothing like your own house to find where the line you shouldn't cross is.
Steve

What do you use to heat your own home ?

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