Vitodens in Closet-PGP

Paul Pollets

can be a challenge...we replaced a 75g nat gas water heater and direct vented CI boiler with a Vitodens 8/32, low loss header and 79g VitoCell Indirect DHW Tank. The 4000SF home has 2 zones of baseboard and a 3rd fl air handler w/HW coil. The owner of the home happens to be German,and he was very enthused to use the finest heating appliances from his homeland. He'll replace the CFT B/B with wall panel rads next year. We had to set the boiler lower than usual because of head height and pitched vent requirements. We installed the venting kit before hanging the boiler, to make sure everything would fit. The system condenses less than having radiant floors, but we slowed the integral pump down which increased condensation and and boiler efficiency. I'll do a final combustion test next week when it gets colder. The 79g DHW tank took 12 min. to recover from 60deg to 125deg, with 112K btu's dedicated to priority tank recovery. The (2) baseboard zones are controlled with Oventrop zone valves. The Low Loss Header has a sensor to adjust the heating curve for the B/B. The AHU is wired to independently bring the boiler up to 155deg., using the aux. terminals within the integral control.

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kevin coppinger_4

Paul, that boiler....

was not that old...less than 10 yrs.???? The water heater less than 5???? Why did they opt to change the boiler out? Nice job! kpc

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Paul Pollets

The old boiler

was only 7 years old. It was miswired and burned out every control. The venting system was done poorly and the direct vent condensate damaged the boiler sections.

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Dan Foley

Vitodens

Great work, Paul. Nice neat piping in a tight space. Two questions: 1. Where does the condensate drain? Outside? 2. Why put the LWCO below the boiler? I ask these not to criticize your work, which is outstanding, but because I have run into these two issues on the several Vitodens I have installed. See you in Boston. -DF

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Paul Pollets

I knew you would ask....

Thanks Dan.... The condensate drain had to be cored thru the foundation wall and tied into the perimeter drains. I put the LWCO under the boiler because there was simply no room to put it anywhere else. It's my opinion that the safety relief valve header should be modified to accomodate a 3/4" port. The boiler has a built-in pressure switch that shuts down the burner, so a LWCO is not really neccesary, except for code compliance. The boiler inspector knows my work and accepts it. I'm tempted to try a flow switch between the LLH, but the paddle may affect flow rates. It's my only design critique of the Vitodens...LWCO are required in most states and the internal pressure switch would need a test switch and manual reset to comply. Viessmann should address this rather than the silly trombone manifold needed to extend the piping before the LLH, which adds considerable time and cost, (not to mention the esthetic)I hope to have a spirited discussion at ISH to find some better approach. I like Jeff Young's method of hanging the LLH higher than the boiler. That makes the LWCO easy to install.

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Unknown

Nicely done Paul

I like the idea of modefying the auto-vent manifold for a LWCO. I've been installing the LLH about mldway with the boilers as well. I'll be attempting to use the LLH to hang my expansion tank from the bottom and the top (front) an air eliminator. The silly trombone & fittings do add time and It's something I'd like to see improved upon as well. Also if you mount the Comfortrol upstairs, the temperature indication unit that goes in the front of the boiler only reads in deg.C. and sometimes it won't work without a special circuit board from KW electronics. (Depends on Vitodens vintage.) I should add that Big V took care of this small problem in short order. Still not going to get US to convert to their metric system. Boiler reads 57 deg.C What's that mean without a chart?

Anyway, awesome looking job. No pro press for you either?

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Paul Pollets

Pro Press

Thanks, Gary, I'll probably invest in the REMS tool that has interchangeable jaws for the various fittings. Too much to do...so little time. Inventory in the NW has been spotty and not all the supply houses have the pressfittings.

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ScottMP

Paul

You use a reduced preasure backflow device on your install, is that code ? Curious why you don't use a smaller backflow ?

Before I forget, Beautifull install, very nicley done.

Who's temperature gauges do you use ?

Scott

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Paul Pollets

Simplex

Thanks, Scott. The 1/2" RPZ is required by code. The thermometers are Simplex 3/4" Ball Valves with built in thermometer.

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