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Tee on supply?

umodjm
umodjm Member Posts: 4
edited December 2018 in Radiant Heating
I just recently bought a house with a hwbb 130k BTU (NG) Peerless cast iron boiler. It's dated march of 94. So i've been mapping out how everything is connected. The house is 3400 sqft and is divided into two zones, one for each level (and none in the finished basement). The main level of the house has a tee in the supply, and another to join the two returns just before the circulator pump. This seems odd to me. Is that normal? Wouldn't the water prefer the path with least resistance? ie, whichever half of the loop is shortest maybe? The house is 40' by 28' roughly.

Comments

  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    That is a pretty common arrangement. You are correct that it will be difficult to balance accurately. You can tell a great deal about how well a distribution system is working by observing the supply/ return temps on each section. An inexpensive IR temp reader and some tape on the pipe is a good way to read temps.
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
    triggerhappy24
  • Rich_49
    Rich_49 Member Posts: 2,766
    Zman said:

    That is a pretty common arrangement. You are correct that it will be difficult to balance accurately. You can tell a great deal about how well a distribution system is working by observing the supply/ return temps on each section. An inexpensive IR temp reader and some tape on the pipe is a good way to read temps.

    Best investment I ever made Zman .

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    You didn't get what you didn't pay for and it will never be what you thought it would .
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  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    @Rich_49
    Rich, how do you like those clamps?
    How about the +- accuracy?
    Looks like it would (should) work great.

    I've been using 2 K-type clamps (I tried almost all of them) with my meter for years. They don't seem accurate all the time.
    I've even clamped them on the same spot of a pipe and saw 2 different readings of 10° difference. I even swapped them and moved them just to make sure.
    steve
    Zman
  • umodjm
    umodjm Member Posts: 4
    Thank you!
    Would the tee still be ok in this configuration? (made the lower left into it's own zone)
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    edited December 2018

    Caleffi 132 QuickSetter would do the trick.
    Steve Minnich
    STEVEusaPA
  • NY_Rob
    NY_Rob Member Posts: 1,370
    umodjm said:

    Thank you!
    Would the tee still be ok in this configuration? (made the lower left into it's own zone)

    You're going to see "ghost flow" on your existing zones because of the way the new zone is planned. And, you'll probably see "ghost flow" on the new zone when the old zones are active.

  • umodjm
    umodjm Member Posts: 4
    NY_Rob said:


    You're going to see "ghost flow" on your existing zones because of the way the new zone is planned. And, you'll probably see "ghost flow" on the new zone when the old zones are active.

    Even if I have IFC circulators, or in my case, Flo-Cheks in place?
  • NY_Rob
    NY_Rob Member Posts: 1,370
    Look at your layout... where and in which direction would you place your flow checks?

    The way you laid it out... how would IFC's change anything or prevent ghost flow?
  • umodjm
    umodjm Member Posts: 4
    Understood. Thank you!
  • NY_Rob
    NY_Rob Member Posts: 1,370
    edited December 2018
    If you want to keep just one circulator you could get away with using two zone valves if you're still set on adding that third zone.