5 zone boiler piping

plumberhoo

I was trying to locate an affordable pre piped cabinet to accommodate a 5 zone system. 6-10 grand is a little steep for my blood. So my question is how I should pipe this in? A boiler loop w/ sparco air eliminator and circulator, then coming off that with the 5 feed and returns w/circulators and check valves? Purge valves for each zone? Pressure and temp gages for each zone? Ball valves for each zone? Am I over or under killing?

Weezbo

Hello.

this is a good question...i have No Idea how many BTU's are you dealing with per zone....and when zoning it also helps to know what type of distribution (convectors radiant ceilings myson panels and it is also a question of size of piping......say you had a zone of 18 feet of baseboard and another of 1200' of pex tubing with 4 loops,a zoned monoflow system...these things arent really compatable with All is the same type control stradgey.
I sorta like zone valves on the returns mostly...however it depends on what the zones are doing....a buddy of mine zoned off his home,and has no actual zonevalves on the place functioning..it is a Older Viessmann oil fired it modulates the temps up and down and the place stays balanced. why fix it if it works for you and your happy with it?

Ted_9

You may want to read a short and easy to follow book called Pump it Away. Its in the books for sale section. This will help you in the piping end of your question.

Kal Row

let me tell you something

when i first asked danfoss for the prices on their manifolds and they gave me that rice range - i had the same reaction, so they said - ok - build a few and you will think differently - well - i built a few - realy nice ones too - and they are absabluminlutly right - if you like to do it right - they are cheaper - that is if you dont need a custom panel - which i usually do - check danfoss out

plumberhoo

just ordered the book. thanks! as for the other factors; peerless LP gas boiler, 105,000 btu, 5 zones average piping lenght between 90 -140'/each, 3/4 copper piping, zone btu's: 21,600,; 22,200; 7200; 15,600; 19,200. also have 4 ceiling mounted fan forced modine heaters making up the difference in btu's.