Heating Help

Thanks

@ February 28, 2011 2:24 PM in solar with radiant-control strategy

Thanks for the feedback. 

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@ February 20, 2011 8:46 PM in solar with radiant-control strategy

I am a homeowner and just discovered this thread.  I have a four-panel solar thermal system that is tied in to my domestic hot water and hydronic heating system.  The heating system is a combination of old radiators and pex in a slab and under the ground floor.  The boiler is a Triangle Tube Prestige 110.

My installer has the return water from the heating system return through the 125-gallon solar tank with no valve.  As a result, the boiler heats the tank to some extent.  I am not very concerned about losing energy because the tank is well insulated and at some point I recover the energy by using the domestic hot water.  However, I am concerned that the setup results in less energy being harvested from the panels since the tank is being heated by the solar and the boiler.  Is this a real concern?

Also, I have asked the installer to install Honeywell TH6000 series 2 stage thermostats so that the solar is used to heat when there is energy in the tank and the boiler kicks in only when the solar cannot maintain temperature.  The thermostats have pre-defined controls for when the stage 2 boiler heats kicks in, and it is not possible to adjust the point at which stage 2 takes over.

I am also considering installing an Optima 2S2. Would this controller help or should I make other modifications to the system?  I appreciate any advice that you guys may provide.

More Questions

@ February 20, 2011 8:42 PM in solar with radiant-control strategy

I am a homeowner and just discovered this thread.  I have a four-panel solar thermal system that is tied in to my domestic hot water and hydronic heating system.  The heating system is a combination of old radiators and pex in a slab and under the ground floor.  The boiler is a Triangle Tube Prestige 110.

My installer has the return water from the heating system return through the 125-gallon solar tank with no valve.  As a result, the boiler heats the tank to some extent.  I am not very concerned about losing energy because the tank is well insulated and at some point I recover the energy by using the domestic hot water.  However, I am concerned that the setup results in less energy being harvested from the panels since the tank is being heated by the solar and the boiler.  Is this a real concern?

Also, I have asked the installer to install Honeywell TH6000 series 2 stage thermostats so that the solar is used to heat when there is energy in the tank and the boiler kicks in only when the solar cannot maintain temperature.  The thermostats have pre-defined controls for when the stage 2 boiler heats kicks in, and it is not possible to adjust the point at which stage 2 takes over.

I am also considering installing an Optima 2S2. Would this controller help or should I make other modifications to the system?  I appreciate any advice that you guys may provide.