Polaris water heater and wirsbo

BK_2

Hello all,

First time here. I am building my own house in rural montana. AKA no permits. I am installing wirsbo hepex 1/2" tubing in my slab for heat. I hope to connect this to a Polaris high efficiency water heater (50Ga). I am planning to combine my pot. water and heating system via this method. he pex is not rated potable, but I have to assume that it would be as it is just another form of pex.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
BK

[Deleted User]

Building own home in Montana without the necessity of permits

and the nuisance of heating professionals should free you up from having to do a proper heatloss calculation and sizing your heating equipment and system accordingly. Comfort controls is a nother extravagance that can be dispensed with. Don't forget, no one is checking to see that you have a CO detector or Smoke detector installed and operational either. This seems to me to be an ideal situation to be in.

When you pass on, from whatever it is that determines the end of your life, have you ensured that the building and heating system you are so cleverly designing without the input of experts will be demolished to prevent some other maverick from acquring your lobster trap?

hr

I would have you

keep the DHW and heating systems seperate. As you noted Wirsbo HePex has printed right on the tube not for potable use. Besides that, you really do not want your domestic water sitting in the slab system.

It is very easy to seperate the two systems via a HX package. Danfoss makes complete packages, Flat Plate also has prebuilt heat exchangers for this purpose.

Or you can buy the pieces and build your own. The State of Montana does have a state wide plumbing code, by the way. Even if you don't have permits or inspectors, you do need to install a safe and legal system.

hot rod

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Constantin

BK,

I'd look up David Yates article on Legionalla and the issues with open systems over at healthyheating.com. I would not allow the water in my heating system and the potable supply to mix. At the very least, you need a heat exchanger between the closed loop heating system and the potable supply.

I would also consider using PEX that is rated for each specific task (i.e. heating or potable water use). Some day, you may want to resell the place and having an inspector point out to you at that point that you have to rip up all the non-compliant tubing will be painful indeed. Given that the price difference is minimal now, why take the risk?

Kevin O. Pulver

Fred

I hate government intrusion, but I've been in enough third world countries that even I can appreciate a bit of code!
And as you say, someday someone else will be living there.
It's cheaper to do it right than to do it over! I love your comment about the lobster trap. It made me laugh. Kevin

jeff_51

have to agree with the previous posts

keep the systems seperate. You can of course combine them, but you must pump the potable out of the heating loop on a regulat basis in the summertime with a timed pump or it will get stagnant and you WILL get sick and that means pumping heated water through the slab in the summertime. I am familiar with the polaris and it isn't a bad unit, but if it were me, I would go with a Buderus GB 142 or the like and a water maker off of that.

Plumdog_2

I may be replacing

an entire system that was installed as you describe. The owner will be selling his Polaris and throwing away a lot of pex tube that is rated for heat pump ground loops. This is going to cost him a small fortune but he must go forth with the project out of fear of lawsuits should he sell the property in the future. Proceed with caution.

BK_2

OK, I am going to separate the systems using a flateplate HX. How about the argument that I should use a buderus boiler and watermate instead of a polaris?

How about using the premade setup from Hannel Radiant direct to separate the systems? Has anyone used this?

Cheers,
BK

hr

In all honesty

the Polarsis is not listed as a heating deviced and polarsis will not warranty or approve it's use as a stand alone "boiler". This is the main reason "internet radiant" companies sell them as combined systems. It's the only way the factory will warranty them, as a domestic water heater!

So to make a long answer long.... I like your second option much better use a boiler, possibly the new condensing Buderus and an indirect tank. Now you have a safe, efficient code approved system. Assuming that Buderus has the ASME listing they have been working on

hot rod

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Aqueous

Hire a professional

New to this site but not new to wet heat! Read between the lines here and hire a professional who may be willing to consult you and prove the benefits of proper inspection!
There is nothing wrong with third party inspection as it keeps you and the contractor honest and above board.
True contractors know this and work with inspectors not against them.You would be foolish to tackle sophisticated heating systems without proper experience, knowledge and yes permits!

Aqueous

bill clinton_3

I'm with hot rod

and then some. The newest version of the Polaris has had way too many problems for me to consider it any more.

Nron_13

well said

right is right and safe is safe ,if we follow the rules no matter who we are than everyone is safe , after all how would we feel if the breaks on our cars were made to poor or below standard we wouldnt even think about that we simply wouldnt do it that way its dangerous.