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Interesting system

I came across an interesting system today. First time I have ever seen this done.

A monoflow system that another company had replaced the boiler a few years back. When they did, they put a zone valve on the supply Tee for each radiator in order to allow the customer to have multiple zones. There is a Taco 007 on the supply AND the return.

I have been trying to do the math to figure out if the return circulator is helping or hindering the job, and so far I am leaning toward slightly hindering.

Here is a sketch of the system:
http://www.newcastleadornments.com/sketch.JPG

Both circulators are powered at the same time.

What do you think?

- Norm

Comments

  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    ???

    Whether it works or not is one thing ,it looks good on paper but that is one hell of a beautiful sketch !!
  • Wayco Wayne_2
    Wayco Wayne_2 Member Posts: 2,479
    The second circ

    may have been put in to create more pressure drop across the monoflo tees. But the circ leaving the expansion tank is the one in the right location. The other one could be trouble. They just should have put one larger circ leaving the expansion tank. Cool idea zoning off the monoflo tees. I have done the same with TRV's on raidators. WW

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  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • Ron Schroeder
    Ron Schroeder Member Posts: 998


    I would worry about heat loss on the loop. I am getting 20 K Btu/hr worst case. q=h*T*pi*d*L=4*(180-60)*3.14*0.083*160=20K. The slow flow with one circulator may not matter if this loss in the basement is reduced.
  • Uni R
    Uni R Member Posts: 663
    Hrmmm...

    It would be nicer if they had a smart circulator that can pump harder as the circuits close off. When all the monoflo circuit are open it only needs the single 007, but as the branch circuits start shutting down, so does the overall flow which is why they did this. I really like monoflo systems, but in this case, they really should have just piped it parallel reverse.
  • soot_seeker_2
    soot_seeker_2 Member Posts: 228
    Sketch

    image
  • Robert O'Connor_12
    Robert O'Connor_12 Member Posts: 728
    Interesting (nt)

  • Jed_2
    Jed_2 Member Posts: 781
    Or

    1/2" 3-way valves on the branch supplies.


  • The customer has been happy. I think for my own morbid curiosity I may see if I can visit this home at a few different times in a year and see how it runs.

    I'm thinking that the second circulator cant really help any to pull water through the loop when most of the valves are closed any better than a single circ can since the distance between the two circulators are so minimal.

    Would it be any different if one circ was at the supply, then the second halfway around the loop?

    Thanks for all your input.

    - Norm
  • JOHN_103
    JOHN_103 Member Posts: 54


    i like the three way valve idea.we used it years ago never had problems that i know of
This discussion has been closed.