P/S re-piped - Comments and Questions

Chad Brickley

Everyone, I have enclose pictures of a system a heating contractor installed 2 years ago (original) and the revised version that myself and a good friend installed - both homeowners. We spent months planning and designing this system based on recommendations from everyone here at the Wall and also many of the articles in PM mag. Thank you for the advice. The original system cost nearly $11,000 and failed several times when the temp got below 20 (many reasons). Now the temp is in the teens last several days and the house is toasty warm! The reason I re-piped the system is twofold, one, my original contractor had no concept of P/S, I actually gave him Dan's book's and articles from the Wall and PM mag, begging to correct the system, the man was cluless. Second, there are no contractors in 100 mile radius who would come and do the job. Anyway I would appreciate any comments about the re-design, both postive or negative, also, I have some issues regarding the Tekmar control 262 which has worked well since installed, but I need to fine tune some of the settings and correct some short cycling issues, any body who could offer advice, please e-mail, I could expand further. Thank you for time and consideration.

jim lockard

Awsome Chad nice job.

Joe_13

Zone valve on Megastore?

I see the primary pump after the exp. tank and the circs on the zones. Is the indirect heating up fast enough with the zone valve? You can't do post purge on the 262 with a zone valve right?

Wethead7

Improvement

Good work. The layout is much better on the eyes.

I have several questions and commints. The pex is O2 barrier right? How do youlike the Q90's. We have found it help to keep the intake/exhuast piping as short as possible. I would not shorten the piping unless it is giving you truoble. The exhuast piping could use additional hangers. I think this will be much easier to work on when something breaks. Did you like the webstone valves?

To some things up origanal bad, revised major improvement.

What Area do you call home?

Mike

Chad Brickley

Reply

I live in central PA. Thanks for the comments. I have no problems with the indirect. In the previous system, the indirect supply came off one boiler, with the pump in the return, and the pump was Taco 007 and the I had Taco 010 on the primary loop. Now the indirect comes off after exp tank and before primary loop pump. I put the 010 on the indirect supply and the 007 on the primary loop supply and utilize both boilers to meet the demand. (Thanks to Siggy and his many articles)

The 262 can do post purge, but the tekmar controls the primary loop pump and not the boiler pumps, so when the boiler shuts off the pumps does as well. So I can not utilize this feature without some additional work and individual control for each boiler pump.

Correct on the PEX. The Q90's easy to work on, the biggest problem I have had are the ignitors. I have been thru 4 in the last 2 years. I finally talked with Dunkirk, who helped with some info and replaced them. I have 10-12 feet of total exhaust pipe, agree with the extre support. The webstone valves are very nice, easy to work with, not sure if they have a history of problems, but worth the extra in a system with several pumps.

Chad