Heating Help

no worries

@ April 30, 2013 4:11 PM in Taking out a 3 yr old Navian..

That TT HX has a fantastic track record and Lochinvar supports what they sell.  Always liked their controls, but never really got comfortable with the Giannoni HX -- they really suffer with our hard water out here.

tempering

@ April 30, 2013 4:04 PM in tempering tank

You're wanting to use ambient air temperature to bring up the water temp?

Most codes prohibit the use of PVC for potable water inside the building envelope.  It won't conduct heat all that well anyway.  The electric water heater would sort of work if you removed all its insulation, but you might have external condensation issues.

You want maximum surface area plus some airflow.  I'd probably look for a large used fan coil and duct the fan someplace I needed cool air.

failed mod/cons

@ April 30, 2013 9:37 AM in Taking out a 3 yr old Navian..

make it harder for the good guys to attract customers.

Sigh...

no adjustments

@ April 30, 2013 9:29 AM in Draft hood retrofit on standing pilot appliances?

adjusting fuel and air, or is it something else?

thanks, Jim.

that

@ April 29, 2013 5:43 PM in separate boiler/system pump required?

would be my first choice.

think I found it

@ April 29, 2013 2:04 PM in Draft hood retrofit on standing pilot appliances?

Field Controls sells a thermocouple adapter (TCA-1) that will work with older (non-FVIR) heaters.

Anyone done this and have fuel savings numbers to share?


thanks~

30F is do-able on panels

@ April 29, 2013 2:00 PM in separate boiler/system pump required?

so I'd probably size @120F mean temp (supply at 135F and return at 105F.)

same thing

@ April 29, 2013 1:41 PM in separate boiler/system pump required?

Wider ∆T = lower average temp (for a given supply temp.)

if you size the radiators correctly

@ April 29, 2013 1:05 PM in separate boiler/system pump required?

for a 30F or 35F drop, a single pressure-regulated circulator with TRVs should work quite well.

You could also use a 0-10V controlled circulator with the Lochinvar controls and run ∆T.

Draft hood retrofit on standing pilot appliances?

@ April 29, 2013 10:02 AM in Draft hood retrofit on standing pilot appliances?

After reading that Minnesota report on tankless water heaters and considering the reports here of fuel savings with barometric damper retrofits, I'm thinking that applying these to existing tank style gas-fired water heaters might be able to demonstrate reasonable ROI while increasing occupant safety.

I'm planning to take one of Jim Davis' CO seminars next time he offers it in Phoenix, but am curious about the inclusion of spill switches on the MG-1 on standing pilot water heaters.  How?


thanks~

While I never had the priviledge of meeting him in person

@ April 28, 2013 12:56 PM in Remembering Gil Carlson

I have benefited hugely from his work, and am always entertained by Dan's Gil stories.

Rest in Peace.

2009 Robert Bean segment

@ April 27, 2013 6:30 PM in An interesting interview with Henry Gifford on his class action law suit agains USGBC

http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-1547/TS-196599.mp3

Listening now...

Variable speed circs with 0-10V inputs

@ April 27, 2013 10:59 AM in Lochinvar WHN 110 V/S primary pump options

Taco Variable Speed Variable Voltage 00 circulators.  006-VVF4 is the smallest, should work well for almost any config of the 055 and 085, and short primary loops on the 110.

trust the math

@ April 26, 2013 11:50 PM in NG Combi Boiler versus indirect tank and boiler setup

Assuming the Manual J had good inputs, you can size the boiler for that load and then size an indirect for the expected DHW demand.  80k firing rate on a fire-tube mod/con should be just about perfect.  When you add on to the house, just plan for enough envelope improvements to cover the increase in square footage.

nice work

@ April 24, 2013 11:22 PM in Introducing the New

and shows there's still some life left even in the older CI block designs.

The gains in both comfort and efficiency when going from single to two-stage burners can be impressive.

Now, if Carlin would just offer a two stage version of the EZ-Gas...

accurate analog dials

@ April 24, 2013 11:04 PM in Vitodens 100-W temp setting question

were common up through about the mid-1970s.

LEED has had issues from the get-go

@ April 24, 2013 10:38 PM in An interesting interview with Henry Gifford on his class action law suit agains USGBC

and Henry has been one of its most coherent critics.  Can't wait to hear the interview.

Deltas P

@ April 24, 2013 2:57 PM in Very Nice

The Stratos does offer multiple modes, but the IOM does not provide much guidance.

For ∆P-V they say:

Heating-/ventilation- and air conditioning systems with a system friction loss (heating radiator + thermostatic valve) under 25% of the total resistance

1. Two-pipe systems with thermostatic/ zone valves
• Flow head > 13.1 ft (high head systems)
• Very long distribution lines
• Heavily throttled branch shut-off valves
• Branch differential pressure regulator
• High pressure losses in those system parts through which the total volume flows (boilers/ refrigerating machines, poss.  heat exchangers, distribution line)

2. Primary circuits with high pressure losses


For ∆P-C they say:

Heating-/ventilation- and air conditioning systems with a system friction loss in the generator/distributor circuit under 25% of the resistance in the transfer part (heating radiator + thermostatic valve)

1. Two-pipe systems with thermostatic/ zone valves and high consumer authority
• Flow head under 6.6 ft (low head systems)
• Converted gravity systems
• Retrofitting to large temperature spread (e.g. long-distance energy)
• Low pressure losses in the system parts through which the total volume flows (boilers/refrigerating machines, poss. heat exchangers, distribution line)

2. Primary circuits with low pressure losses

3. Underfloor heating systems with thermostatic or zone valves

4. Single-pipe systems with thermostatic or branch shut-off valves


For ∆P-T they say:

Heating Systems

1. Two-pipe systems
• Pump installed in the supply pipe.
• Flow temperature controlled by atmospheric conditions. With increasing flow temperature the flow rate will be increased.

2. Single-pipesystems
• Pump installed in the return pipe.
• Constant flow temperature. With increased return temperature the flow rate will be lowered.

3. Primary circuits with condensing boiler
• Pump installed in the return pipe. With increased return temperature the flow rate will be lowered.

examples in every post

@ April 24, 2013 9:46 AM in Very Nice

nice to see the broad appreciation of musical talent.

I look forward to the next couple of posts

@ April 24, 2013 1:04 AM in Very Nice

because there is more to it than this in a properly designed system.

Always enjoy the musical accompaniment there...

Semantics

@ April 24, 2013 12:53 AM in Outdoor reset

"The temperature of the boiler would modulate with changes in the outdoor temperature all by it's self"

IS reset control.  How did it detect outdoor temperature?

steam convector

@ April 23, 2013 2:15 PM in Converting steam convectors to forced hot water

performance falls off dramatically at lower water temps.  Check the performance curves carefully before you jump.