Heating Help

Clarify

@ July 22, 2009 9:59 PM in Primary Secondary Piping?

I agree with NRT.Rob, I love these kind of puzzles. What I should have asked is: Does the 3hp pumps (shown in parallel) provide supply and return to the boiler(s)? Then that would leave the 40hp pumps (also shown in parallel) to provide heat (or chilled fluid) to zones. I don't like the proximity of the expansion tank in relation to the air-separator. I would prefer the expansion tank off of one of the return loops. Relief valve dumping issues? Paul

DHW

@ July 18, 2009 9:41 AM in Solar Piping Question

The drainback tanks he is providing do have internal coils. I am still waiting for more info about the system but my thought is that he needs two drainback tanks because of the large array. I will check out the I-solar plus controller. I piped it similar to a modcon for space heat and dhw and didn't know if this was the norm for boiler backup. Thanks, Paul

New EP Manifolds from Uponor

@ July 16, 2009 9:49 PM in non barrier pex on heating system

do not have a Oxygen diffusion barrier. These are very nice "Engineered Plastic" manifolds. The "Plastic" had me wondering because I have always heard the Uponor gospel according to non-barrier. I had to press for this answer and their response was that, "its small, relative to the system". That one surprised me a bit. Really, if I am going all out with the non-barrier premise with the DIN4726 rating blah blah blah, you think they could coat their new manifolds with something to prevent oxygen diffusion. (?) I do understand that the DIN4726 rating doesn't state that it is "oxygen impenetrable", it states that it has a rating of so "many mils per hour". If you want to press the issue, if non-barrier tubing is embedded in concrete, that technically should not be exposed and oxygen permeable either. Make sense to anyone else or am I splitting hairs here? Paul

Permission

@ July 11, 2009 5:56 PM in Creative uses for Uni-strut

Hydronx - Okay to use this pic in an article? Let me know your company info so I can give you credit. Paul

Full Reset

@ July 8, 2009 5:19 PM in Tekmar 260

With atmospheric boilers, the minimum inlet temperature is 140F. Period. You can reset a temperature to this temp and higher and that gives you a "partial-reset". To give a full reset temp, it would have to go below the 140F temperature. Can this be done? Yes, if you want to prematurely kill your boiler from sustained flue gas condensation. It will eat out the vent pipe and drip condensate on the CI sections until they give out or crack due to thermal shock. Spend the money on a modcon if you want full-reset. Reset and modulation alone will pay for the cost difference. Other options exist with full-reset temperatures and atmospheric boilers. You should consider a variable-speed injection-mixing control. If a modcon is not in the budget, VSIM is an excellent "next best" thing. The afore mentioned tekmar site has plenty of info and you might consider a Tekmar (Edit:356),361, 362, or 363 based on your needs. Paul

Roland

@ July 8, 2009 4:44 PM in Tekmar 260

Terminals 3&4 are for your aquastat leads for your indirect. These are typically powered by 24V(ac). Additionally, terminals 9&10 are for switching power to your indirect zone pump at 120V or you can switch 24V if you are using a zone-valve. (Edit: With a P1 Boiler Pump and P2 Indirect pump, you can toggle a dip-switch for DHW priority.) Tekmar's website has excellent resources with their A260 (applications brochure) which is available to download. Hope this helps. Paul

Ross is correct

@ July 5, 2009 8:20 PM in Tekmar 260

With a non-condensing boiler, you can only achieve a "Partial-Reset". No reset temp below the 140F mark. I like to apply a permanent mix demand to terminals 1&2. When the outdoor temp drops below the WWSD, the P1 circ will engage and start distributing heat. You will also notice that I wire the thermostat in series with the boiler demand on terminals 11 & 12 so that the boiler will only fire when the stat calls for heat. You get boiler protection, constant flow of a partial reset temp, and overheating the rads will be a thing of the past when you tweak the reset curve. Paul

Didn't have enough room

@ June 14, 2009 9:08 AM in Garage Storage (OT)

in the garage, so I built this out of uni-strut over the garage door. Roughly 16ft wide, 3½ft deep, and 24" tall. That should give me some good storage that is easily accessible. Pretty solid with lag bolts on all sides and middle support with all-thread for the long span. (A few more cross braces on the left and I will be ready to put up the MDF.) My son is leaving for college and alot of his non-essential stuff is going up there. Paul

Doubts?

@ June 6, 2009 12:58 PM in Lochinvar KnightWB-050 ?

Scott, what doubts are you having about the Knight? I have had extremely few,minor, and correctable issues with the Knight. What btu/h load are you running at design conditions? The low temp requirements and DHW are in keeping with most modcons standard features. The knight has a ramp delay feature that IMHO, is under-used. It must be set up with a laptop, but well worth the time/effort for better net results, application and load dependant of course. Do a little research at their knightheatingboiler.com website via their available literature and make your own judgements. Quality control is excellent, as is tech support. I have been installing the Knight since they came out of production in Sept of 05. Regular maintenance is a snap and is mandantory. Paul

Lest ye forget

@ March 7, 2009 4:54 PM in Were`s Brad?

That Brad is still somewhat of a newlywed. If that modcons a rockin, don't come knockin. Paul

Our sympathies

@ March 4, 2009 9:06 AM in Heaven has a new plumber

Al, sorry for your loss. Sounds like a remarkable man. Paul

Lincoln Capitol

@ February 21, 2009 9:23 AM in Spring Break with my Son - Need Ideas

Is a fine piece of engineering. At 400 ft, it is the tallest structure in Lincoln and can be seen by most everyone. As to the eveness of hea, I attribute that to all of the hot-air blowing from all of the politicians. :) Paul

End of an era

@ February 21, 2009 8:29 AM in Spring Break with my Son - Need Ideas

My 17yr old son wants to go camping over spring break. He is a Senior in high school and as with most young adults, the summer is going to get very busy. So this is our last chance for some father/son time before he is off to college. Let me assure you that this spring break will not involve drinking carbonated beverages or wet tee shirts, unles you count me spilling soda on myself, which has been know to happen. Trust me, you don't want picures of that! I'm searching for camp site ideas that are South, semi warm, fishing, and no more than a days drive from Lincoln, NE. Dallas is about a 10 hr drive as a reference. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Looking forward to some time with my son..... Paul

You guys

@ January 23, 2009 11:55 AM in Friday Boiler Quiz

are giving the previous "technician" wayyyy to much credit. This is a (nat gas fired) CI Section water boiler. More guesses? Paul

What Software format are you looking for?

@ January 21, 2009 6:54 PM in cad symbols

Visio, AutoCAD, Other?

Water to Water Geo is stand alone

@ January 15, 2009 10:55 PM in Knight Install with Indirect by Matt J

Closed loop hydronic is totally separate from the closed loop geo. Owners an HVAC guy and wanted it that way. I would like to have used one of the HBX CPU1000 controls that integrates all of the above. Another job perhaps. (Air-handler was around the corner and not pictured.) Paul

Thanks Steve

@ January 13, 2009 8:03 PM in Times are tough all over

That made me smile today.

Strategic Hydronic Intervention Team

@ January 8, 2009 7:16 PM in Bad Job Hall of Shame

you can all figure out the acronym for yourself. That seems to be my moniker lately. Maybe I could be the King of the Strategic Hydronic Intervention Team. I'm thinking that inspector should be stripped of his credentials. Paul

\"Brace yourself Effie\"

@ January 7, 2009 6:41 PM in Bad Job Hall of Shame

I have seen pictures posted of some pretty raunchy jobs, but this is one that we went out to get up and running. Munchkin M199 was dead, no display. This job is 1hr away so I took everything I thought I would need. One full day later I couldn't get it to run. Went back today with a temporary boiler to get them space heat and dhw. Here are the pics......look closely. Some of the travesties you can see, some you really can't. Here is a list of a few of the top offenses. 1. No relief valve on indirect 2. DHW zone valve on priority, but other ZV's call for heat from a separate ZVC. 3. Slab sensors in zones hooked up directly to ZVC controller (no stats) 4. Boiler, well it's just not facing the right way now is it? 5. Tridicator is mounted below air-separator in flow stream of fill water, not supply. 6. Some Cell-Core pipe on exhaust vent 7. VTK is just short of 2ft away from window that opens 8. No outdoor reset for SOG radiant floor heat 9. Feeding 180F water to all infloor zones, no mixing 10. Condensate insert fitting had no air-gap hole drilled in it. 11. Genuine duct tape over the hole drilled in the exhaust where they presumably had utilized a combustion analyzer. 12. Fluidmaster faucet flex connectors on 2nd floor air handler. EDIT: 13. Glycol filled heating system has no backflow preventor on it, isolating it from the make-up water. The HO has had to go downstairs every morning to reset the boiler and hold his hand over the venturi to get it to light just to have DHW. We have a temp boiler installed to get them by until Spring when the HO will then let us do some reciprocating saw surgery and clean it all up. I brought the original blueprint home with me to do a load calc for this insulating contractor/home owner. I think the 199 is wayyyyy over sized but we'll see what load calcs I come up with. This is a super insulated and insulted home. Matt J went with me today, pipe in Matt if there were other things I missed. Paul

Makes MY problems seem....

@ January 3, 2009 3:16 AM in Anyone read Hebrew?

well....not so much like a problem anymore. (I love the lessons that history teaches us) Thanks for a wonderful perspective for this new year. Paul

Alan

@ December 30, 2008 9:20 PM in Health Up-date - Alan R. Mercurio

Godspeed in your recovery. Wishing you the very best of health, Paul

Have run into the same thing

@ December 30, 2008 7:21 PM in Munchkin parts

with other boilers. Metric screws stripping out blah blah blah. Lochinvar put together a real nice service kit including, well, to many parts to list. But it is really nice and comes in a kick butt tool bag with a pair of gloves and screwdriver. I throw in a target wall and there's not to much I couldn't correct if need be. Paul