Heating Help

A Kevin question...

@ January 18, 2012 12:07 AM in Drainback Innovation?

... about the "Hartford Loop", where it ties into the return from the collectors:  I see that it should go up from where it ties into the pipe, but is it necessary for it to make a 180 degree bend and fall down as it heads away?  That seems to make another trap that might get water in it, possibly reducing it's effectiveness.  Maybe it should be a Hartford Quarter Loop!

Yours,  Larry

anode

@ January 16, 2012 12:55 AM in What is this goo inside my oil burning HW heater?

Hello:  It looks like the anode has never been replaced.  It's time!

Yours,  Larry

Put a little teflon tape...

@ January 9, 2012 11:00 PM in Do people really change anodes?

...on the threads of the anode.  It will NOT affect conductivity and will make it easier to replace the next time.  I wouldn't use any chemical on the threads as it could get into the water.  Brute force is an effective chemical.  The anode is likely one and one sixteenth inches.

Yours,  Larry

There is no knowing...

@ January 9, 2012 10:51 PM in Boch 40 gallon ct's

... how much damage has happened in the tank, but I think you're right to replace the anode and hot nipple to try and keep the thing going.  Check the anode again in one year.  It should be replaced when six inches of the core wire is visible.  Now if it's a warranty issue, that's a different ball-o-wax.

Yours,  Larry

A rough rule of thumb...

@ January 7, 2012 3:48 AM in Pressure Booster on Hot Water

... is that two feet of water height equals one pound of pressure per square inch.  (it's really more like .43 psi/foot)  If your floors are ten feet per story, that would mean the third floor has about five psi less than the second floor. I'd test static pressure with a gauge and see if that helps you to narrow down the problem.  A loss of five psi should be hard to notice.

Yours,  Larry

I would pull...

@ January 7, 2012 3:22 AM in Do people really change anodes?

... one anode and see how it looks.  If there is anything left, you likely have hope of keeping the heater going.  What you would like to see is a rod with some magnesium left on it and a long steel wire with little rust.  Both anodes will show the same wear.  There are lots of tricks for getting stubborn anodes out, from an impact wrench to using two long cheater bars and squeezing between them.

Anode condition is your best clue about how the heater is doing.

Yours,  Larry

You would need...

@ December 25, 2011 1:07 AM in Best electric HWH?

... very big storage to supply conventional spas.  A way to use electric tankless is to fill the tubs from your tank and bring up to temp or reheat with the tankless.  On average, big tubs get used less than one week a year.  Perhaps a Japanese soaking tub or some other sort of low volume tub could do the job without such an equipment penalty.

Yours,  Larry

Might...

@ December 25, 2011 12:43 AM in Looking for a book

... this help?  http://conestoga.bookware3000.ca/eSolution/item_detail.php?item=88880006659&data=

Yours,  Larry

Its the tubs!

@ December 14, 2011 9:42 PM in Best electric HWH?

Hello:  The tubs throw things off.  I'd be tempted to have tankless heaters for the tubs alone and the rest on a fifty gallon electric... or a bigger gallonage heat pump unit.  My mind is of two minds about what should supply the showers!

Yours,  Larry

Relief valves...

@ December 4, 2011 2:46 AM in Water Heater Upside Down

duplicate

Relief valves used on tank type heaters...

@ December 4, 2011 2:46 AM in Water Heater Upside Down

...respond to both pressure and temperature. they need to be in the top six inches of the tank so they will "see" the hottest water. This is good as it can keep the tank from blowing up!

Yours, Larry

two ideas.

@ November 13, 2011 10:29 PM in system evaluation, who does it?

I looked up the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEiA) and found they list  solar contractors in Massachusetts. http://www.seia.org/cs/membership/member_directory   If that doesn't work, get a copy of Solar Hot Water Systems, Lessons Learned by Tom Lane.  It will help.

Yours,  Larry

Looking through my...

@ November 13, 2011 10:12 PM in Drainback Innovation?

... Grumman file, all I see is freeze recirc and antifreeze style systems mentioned.  I do remember seeing them installed with the air line going to the system high point.  I also remember having to fix one where the installer plumbed the backup electric heater in line BEFORE the solar tank and recirculated it.  That was a stunning electric bill!

About design though, you just need a clear path for air to go to fill the collectors and exposed piping.

Yours,  Larry

You might remember...

@ November 13, 2011 2:40 AM in Drainback Innovation?

... the Grumman Solar system.  It used a small diameter air line as you describe.  They were tolerant of installer misbehavin.   The only real concern that comes to mind is sediment that can eventually form in any traps.  It can be flushed out periodically or perhaps drains can be installed at the traps.  I'd vote for the latter just to encourage installers to try diligently to find plumbing paths with no traps.

Yours,  Larry

Always best...

@ November 13, 2011 2:04 AM in Anode compatibility

... to keep anodes the same metal in a tank.  I like magnesium for most things.  If different metals are used, say aluminum and magnesium, the Mg will get used up faster protecting the Al anode. 
By the way, adding a second rod to your client's tanks is doing them a real favor!

Yours,  Larry

I think...

@ November 2, 2011 10:36 PM in Gas Pipe Question

... you answered your own question.  Your heater is supplied by a 1/2" line when it needs 3/4".  You have two ways to verify this.  One would be to start with all the gas usage info from the different appliances, plug that into pipe length and size and see what a sizing calculator tells you.  Another way would be to measure gas pressure at the tankless unit with different things running.

I'd be thinking about running 3/4" pipe back to your main line if it isn't a long run.  Otherwise it might need to be stepped up a size.

Yours,  Larry

I'm guessing...

@ November 2, 2011 11:49 AM in Best Recirc Demand Control for Multifamily

... you might want to look at demand controls (www.gothotwater.com) with a return temperature of 105 degree, so people have shower water.  There are other approaches like distributed heaters or point of use rather than one central heater, or using tracer lines to keep the main line hot.... but I'd want to talk with Nehemiah Stone as he's been down this road for some time.  Here is a way to contact him; http://apartmentenergy-ieqretrofits.lbl.gov/people/tac/nehemiah-stone, or through Home Energy Pros. http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/

Yours,  Larry

I've done solar ...

@ October 17, 2011 11:06 PM in Help me identify this part

...since the late 70s and don't think I've seen this goodie.  If you want to experiment a bit, you might be able to find something like a low temperature automotive thermostat and make a housing for it, possibly from ABS fittings.

Yours,  Larry

This sounds like...

@ October 11, 2011 12:07 AM in Tankless with recirc and possibly storage

... a prefect application for a shower heat exchanger!  Have a look at http://www.renewability.com/ and http://www.retherm.com/ .

Yours,  Larry

The heat exchanger...

@ September 25, 2011 5:15 PM in indirect water heater

... can be at the boiler or in the indirect.  Wherever it is, boiler water is on one side and fresh water on the other.  The boiler water has only a little hardness in it to start and basically can't have sediment problems unless there is a leak in the system (just as you say).  It's the fresh water side of things that can cause problems.  There have been lots of stories here about tankless coils liming up.  The tank within a tank you're looking at puts the heat transfer at the tank, but it uses a very large surface area for heat exchange.  This reduces sediment creation.  Still, if you have hard water, I'd want to be sure the indirect could be flushed. Clear as sediment?

Yours,  Larry

Is the water...

@ September 25, 2011 12:35 AM in solar tanks

... in the tank being used for anything other than storage?  Is it under pressure?  If not under pressure, you could use an insulated plastic tank for storage.

Yours,  Larry

How close...

@ September 25, 2011 12:25 AM in Tankless with recirc and possibly storage

...can you get a bigger electric heater to your third floor use?  If you could get it close, I'd simply feed it from the tankless and not do recirc.  An option would be to use demand controls (like Metlund) on a recirc back to a storage heater in the basement.  That has the benefit of eliminating any piping redo.

Yours,  Larry