Need nuts and bolts help

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

explain the near-boiler piping. If you look at the picture working from the bottom up and pulling off the primary loop, there's a Taco mixing valve for the basement slab (no outdoor reset), a supply and return for the 2nd and 3rd floor radiators (green pump, no outdoor reset) and on top is the injection system for the 1st floor staple-up (brown pump, with outdoor reset).

We installed this system in 2002 and it's been flawless (knock on wood).

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Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Gravity conversion

Some answers to your questions:

1) Yes, we've used PEX for individual radiator piping out of a manifold. Just make sure you protect your tubing from a runaway boiler.

2) 130 degree return temperature is minimum. If you use an injection syetem, specifically a Taco PC 705, you can set it up to automatically protect your boiler.

3) See attached pictures of an injection system we did in SF.

You should also install thermostatic radiator valves at each radiator to balance your old gravity system, otherwise you may get uneven heating.

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Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Some articles

for you to read:

Primary-Secondary piping:
http://www.pmengineer.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2732,2755,00.html

also:
http://www.pmengineer.com/CDA/Archives/364755c9ff298010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

Outdoor reset:
http://www.pmengineer.com/CDA/Archives/cdd55d5472298010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

And as far as balancing the system, ball valves won't do; your large volume heating system will want to heat the radiators closest to the boiler first; as these rooms warm up, the thermostatic radiator valves (TRV's) will reduce the flow to the radiators in the warm rooms, allowing water to flow to radiators in the rooms that are still cold.

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