Condensing equipment in unheated spaces

Jack_23

And they have worked very well here in NE. In fact, my water heater is hanging off the back of the house, fully exposed, here in MA and it has seen quite a bit of sub-zero weather and not had a problem over the past four yrs. They have internal freeeze protection to -30 and they must have the solenoid drain down system in the event of a power failure. By the time you buy the solenoids, wire them, cut and fit the piping....it is a far better option to use the internal DV unit, and less costly, and frankly, you sleep better at night. External for seasonal use is great. We have done a bunch of summer camps and they are fantastic, but today...DV all the way for yr round use. In the southern part of the country the outside are an option. I have, in the past, represented condensing heating appliances and have had more than a few installed outdoors under the deck...or worse. No kidding! Just a hell of a mess. When I wrote that post I was tempted to "go Rinnai" but chose not to. I've been in the business since '64. I have great faith in Rinnai's products. They've earned it but I don't want to be "only" the Rinnai rep on this board. And yes, the Rinnai would work in your application!

Greg Swob

Condensing equipment in unheated spaces

What problems would one encounter installing condensing equipment in unheated spaces such as a garage? I am considering a proposal for a wall hung condensing boiler and indirect H20 in this case. I can run a condensate line into the dwelling to an existing floor drain on the other side of the separation wall. We will need intumescent sealant at the penetrations, but if I put the cond. trap inside the conditioned space, my freezing fears may be limited. The most serious concern is standby heat losses may not be enough to keep even insulated supply/return lines from freezing. The owner's intent is to remove as much equipment from the current equipment room as possible so space can be used for other purposes. An insulated room in the garage may not fly as there is limited garage space already. We simply don't see garage HVAC installs here since 'everybody' has basements and I'm looking for options. Thanks - Greg

JackFre

Not recommended!

Over the yrs I've represented different condensing equipment and occassionally I've gotten really jammed with equipment in unheated or poorly heated space. Do not do it!! In the business, we always try to acceed to the customers wishes but they are not the ones who get left holding the bag. You are! You are the pro. You know what is good and sensible. Tell the customer and tell him why it doesn't make sense. To save space go with a on demand water heater or you could try one of the combi boilers if they have the DHW capacity to handle the load. It is amazing to me how people want to eliminate equipment from a building. They demand the comfort but do not want to give you anything to work with. I once worked on a house that was 18,500 sq ft. The arch. had not given a thought to the circulatory system for the building. He was absolutely shocked at the idea of pipes and ductwork in his piece of art.

kf_2

Jack

I'm confused. You say no to unheated garage installations. Don't you represent a boiler/water heater that hangs on the outside of a house.

Greg, Consider using glycol if the boiler manufacturer allows.

kf