primary secondary

Mike97

I am installing a heating system with high/temp baseboard and low/temp in-floor radiation under hardwood. I am planning to pipe job with a primary and secondary loop. I am using a burnham oil-fired v7 series boiler. I have four high/temp zones and three low/temp zones. This is the first time piping with a primary and secondary. Am i going down the right road with starting my supply header with a spirovent for air elimanation? Expansion tank attached below spirovent with makeup water attachement at this point. Then I will proceed to install a series of tees, two for each circut, closely spaced within six inches feeding their dedicated circuts. Four sets to the high/temp zones. Then I will take a similar setup series of tees for each circut for the in-floor radiation. Primary loop[ will be approximately 25 feet of pipe circulator located in primary loop after first series of tees. Domestic hot water high/temp zones. Will I need to pipe a bypass back to return between the high/temp and the low/temp zones for boiler protection? I'm going to use three-way valves on in-floor radiation to meet temperature needs. I have installed a lot of hot-water systems but never using primary-secondary loop and mixing high/temp with low/temp radiation. I read Dan's book 'Pumping Away' and I think I'm heading down the right road, but I was just looking for some input. I would like to make sure this first time we come out with a winner. Thank you!

Mikey

Mike97

Primary-secondary loop

I am installing a heating system with high/temp baseboard and low/temp in-floor radiation under hardwood. I am planning to pipe job with a primary and secondary loop. I am using a burnham oil-fired v7 series boiler. I have four high/temp zones and three low/temp zones. This is the first time piping with a primary and secondary. Am i going down the right road with starting my supply header with a spirovent for air elimanation? Expansion tank attached below spirovent with makeup water attachement at this point. Then I will proceed to install a series of tees, two for each circut, closely spaced within six inches feeding their dedicated circuts. Four sets to the high/temp zones. Then I will take a similar setup series of tees for each circut for the in-floor radiation. Primary loop[ will be approximately 25 feet of pipe circulator located in primary loop after first series of tees. Domestic hot water high/temp zones. Will I need to pipe a bypass back to return between the high/temp and the low/temp zones for boiler protection? I'm going to use three-way valves on in-floor radiation to meet temperature needs. I have installed a lot of hot-water systems but never using primary-secondary loop and mixing high/temp with low/temp radiation. I read Dan's book 'Pumping Away' and I think I'm heading down the right road, but I was just looking for some input. I would like to make sure this first time we come out with a winner. Thank you!

Mikey

Weezbo

ummm... i think you sorta maybe would be better off taking

the DHW off first and put a pump on its supply line and a pump on theheader then the "T"'s andon the return just ahead of the temperature gauge plug in the return for the DHW...so in a way it is on its own gig sort to speak...it has a special name something like parellel primary ...look thjat term up see if you can find a picture...

Mike97

in the primary loop if the circ. is down stream of some of the secondary circuits and pumping away from the compression tank will there be any negative effects. how about the bypass on the discharge side of primary circ, as shown in p s pumping made easy. thanks for any input oh and how about flo checks on supply and return to dhw to prevent thermal creep

Ted_9

Here's an example that might help. BTW, the closely spaced tees must be no more than 4 times the diameter of the pipe, the pipe being the branches. So 1" branch would be 4" on center. 3/4 would be closer. Get as close to this as you can.
Also notice how the high temp zones on the secondary branch are piped reverse return. Thats just a good idea.

Another thing, you high temp circuits must go first, then go with the lower temp circuits after that. Just like the boiler drawing.

PATRIOT HEATING & COOLING, INC.

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DanHolohan

You're always better off

in this situation if you use manifolds. The hot side first, then the lower-temp side. Have you had a chance to read my book, "Primary-Secondary Pumping Made Easy"? It's all in there - the proper sizing method and the piping configurations.

hr

The best way to get boiler protection

is to install a control that monitors the return temperature at the boiler return. tekmar comes to mind for a control that could both priortize your DHW load and offer reset AND boiler protection.

Bypass piping DOES NOT assure return protection. Adjusting ball valves ONLY works when the flow is consistent. As loads add or drop to the boiler that flow rate changes through a "dumb" bypass made up of manual valves.

The cost of proper boiler protection is very, very cheap considering the conequences on todays low mass, low water content boilers.

hot rod

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John McArthur_2

another thought

You may want to consider looking at the Taco I valve for mixing. Instead of fixed 3 way valves that offer one mixed temp on ANY degree day. The Taco I valve is a three way valve that mixes based on outdoor temperatures. They do have a pricetag associated, but if you are paying the price for radiant heat, why stop now.