Heating Help

My first Rinnai yesterday.

Very easy little wall-hung boiler. It ran quietly and looked pretty. I'm using it for space heating so it was the commercial unit I installed. The homeowner loved the nifty digital controller and my crew loved how light the whole unit was. Let's just hope this thing works for a while. Any one have any experience with Rinnai? To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

I put in

a little space heater in a sun room 2 years ago. Works great. Not a boiler but a modulating forced air heater. It was modulating, quiet and vented out the wall behind it. Customer was very happy and thusly so was I. :) WW To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

do you

have any pictures?? would like to see one installed. been looking at them for a couple of months. since they are tankless, do you need a buffer tank?? looking at an install that is 1800 square feet 5" slab, metal building. I would think a buffer tank for this application would be in order if a tankless is used. otherwise I will go with "Old Faithful" cast boiler, with mixing controls. Opinions?? Chris

Sorry, I haven't any pictures

What exactly are the criteria for having to use a buffer tank? Isn't it to add mass to the system? To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

rinnai

i have recently installed a rinnai for a small sunroom heating job.Not yet fired due to lack of electrician. I did not pipe it primary/secondary. I am worried about whether it will work or not. I have two loops at 200' on a manifold right at the unit and piped supply out hot side and return in cold side with taco 011 pump.I don't understand why this won't work. If it won't i would rather change it now then later. can anybody explain why this won't work

I have been installing Rinnai for the last year and I have been very happy with it. The only problems I have encountered are the expensive venting and the max flow rate of 7 GPM I have a piping method to combat the 7 gpm and get the max BTU for larger houses but the venting is so expensive. I recently stubled upon the Tagagi though. Same product as rinai with same ratings right down the page except you can us stainless pipe for venting. Not to mention the commercial model has a max flow of 10 GPM.

Seems odd

that you would buy a 180,000 BTU heater and only be able to utilize 50-60,000 BTU :) And that's with a high head pum to boot! I'm not sold on the use of instantanous for a heat sourse. They are great for properly applied DHW use. hot rod

That's like

buying a ¾ ton truck with a 450 engine with four of the spark plug wires disconnected. I just bough a Rinnai 2532 to use for a commercial building we are doing; part radiant (45,000 BTU), part radiators (21,000 BTU). Looks like I'm close to the edge. Sorry, but my little brain cannot understand why you can't increase the flow; we are only looking at a 20° delta T here. To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Rinnai Continuum's for heating

I represent Rinnai in New England. When using them for space heating you have to understand that while it has a max firing rate of 180kbtu, you will never get that out of it for space htg. The formula: GPM x delta T x 500 = BTU. My experience has shown that you are not going to get any more than 6gpm thru the unit, 5 more likely, with any reasonable size circulator. 008 is absolute minimum. 009 may be right. 006's and 7's won't even touch it. For pressure drop curves go to the www.rinnai.us web site. ALL tech data is there. Look at the 2532FFU. Definitely go PS with closely spaced T's and go big enough on the primary to give it a bit of vol. A buffer tank will simply act as the primary loop and can add flexibilty. Contimuum's are the balls for DHW and do well in lower btu heating applications. I like them for radiant and hydro-air best (especially with a modulating air handler). They do ok with baseboard but you will be limited to about 50k btu. Again, use the formula!

I had assumed....

he was using it for radiant floor heating. For anything else I think I would use the commercial unit. You know, the grey one. To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Actually, John, the commercial unit must be used for all heating apps as well as all commercial hot water. White unit is for residential dhw only. Primary difference is the temp controller/warranty.

opinions on residential air handlers

Well, the first pass budget for our project came back and I'm thinking the retrofit of radiant for the existing part of the house may be a casualty. It has a scorched air system now, and so I am now looking at a air handler to replace it. It needs to heat about 1000sqft of the house and cool about 3000 sqft. The comressor is in place and uses R22. I can do the automatic dampers to shut the ducts when it's heating, etc. Which air handlers would be good to look at for these needs? How important is variable speed? What kind of motor horsepower is involved at this size? thanks in advance jerry