Water Heater Reviews » boiler

DIY hydronic underfloor radiant heating system?

Water Heaters — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 07:34:31 +0000

I am researching on if it is possible to build a hydronic underfloor heating system from common materials. I was thinking about purchasing a medium size water heater, water pump, and about 1000 feet of tubing, maybe pvc, or even your higher end common garden hoses as they dont have much insulation to contain the heat in the hose. and it isnt like the lines will be under any serious pressure. I am on a 4′ crawlspace now, and I am getting ready to install insulation. Any recommendations? the commercial stuff is way over priced if you have researched you can pick up a water heater for under 150 and a commercial smaller boiler will run 2000. also the pex hosing runs about 10 dollars a foot, your most expensive hose isnt 30 dollars for 50 feet. Any help is appreciated.. Thanks
I was wondering if this sounds like it would work well. I am trying not to dump 10k into a radiant system. And I have never seen one in person or the components used. But looking online at a few sites I have seen where water heaters were used, and I am not sure if they work properly for this application, also the hose, or tubing. The pex tubing that is suppose to be used looks alot like a garden hose. I was also thinking about running PVC as it is cheap too. I would think the hose would be better as I can run it between the joists in a snake pattern because it is so flexible. I am not wanting to waste 1000 either if it isnt going to work correctly. I was hoping to get some answers from people that have experience with this stuff. Will the PVC or a garden hose distribute heat well? or is there another inexpensive hose/tube that would work better other than the PEX? Will the water heater work for a heat source on a 1000 feet of tubing? and what size is recommended? How large a pump? TIA

Electric hot water heater piped into the boiler?

Water Heaters — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:16:14 +0000

We just bought a house that has a 50 gallon electric water heater that has the cold line of the water heater piped into the boiler. What is the purpose of this? Also it has a "Fast fill" valve. What is this?

do on-demand propane water heaters like to accept pre heated water from a solar storage?

Water Heaters — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:46:29 +0000

is it wise to hook a solar water storage tank to an on-demand water propane heater to provide preheated water so they dont turn on or work less? i have been told that once an on-demand heater wants to come on with the minimum flow rate the heat sensor will cycle on and off, wearing it out with already 140 degree water… is there a fix if this is true? what if i cheated the heater to have 80 degree water instead of 140-160 available? it would have to heat less, but like itd have a regular work load..
2 plumbers have 2 different answers. i just think their experience doesnt know and mainly my question isnt answered very solid.
i think i get it now…
if flow rate is higher, the burner adjusts to use more gas to heat faster.
and the dang burner just comes on regardless of water temp because its a flow rate switch…

and a set point is how the heater knows how much to heat the water within its flow rate so it can actually save some gas there like RancidCrab’s boiler circulation setup.

so if i feed a on-demand 140F h20, its going to be heated even more. yikes!
but what if i make the set point high?
id have to so the flame would be minimum…
still, its a cost.

this was great help you guys. i think i will keep them separated and find a mixing valve to sense the gravity hot tank going cold so it can switch the water to the rinnai…i have been at looking those mostly.
i used to have a french brand (forgot name) many years ago, and i just always ran it full on, no cold mix at all..it was either on, or it was off..went to solar then. i need just alittle more hot water in the winter to wash everything. ty again!

Which hot water heater is best for this application?

Water Heaters — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:14:57 +0000

Have a boiler hot water heater. It is ok in the winter but it really stinks in the summer. Last spring I built a solar heater to preheat the water (it cost me about 300 bucks) It has almost paid for itself in addition I have more hot water. I would like to just shut the boiler down in the summer and run it in the winter. What kind of hot water heating system can someone recommend for the summer? I thought about tank less, electric or LP or a small electric tank.

Indirect Water Heaters

Water Heaters — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:11:50 +0000

Tankless Coil and Indirect Water Heater – A Cost Effective Solution for Your Home

Water heating is a thermodynamic process that heats water by using an energy source to raise its initial temperature to the level of heat required. Hot water is a basic need for every home, considering that it is necessary for bathing, cooking, washing, cleaning and heating space.

Traditionally, water used to be heated using kettles, pots or other water heating vessels. In today’s fast paced world, however, we need a quick and constant supply of hot water, and for that reason water heaters are finding more and more applications in our homes.

There are many kinds of water heaters available in the market like gas or electric hot water heaters, but an indirect water heater is the most efficient kind, as it uses the hot water from the boiler used for heating your home to circulate through a coil inside it. This is why these kinds of heaters are also known as combination water and space heating systems.

An indirect water heater is more efficient because it provides unlimited water, saves long term energy, requires less physical space, reduces risk of water damage and maintains a stable temperature throughout the process known as temperature compensation.

Tankless coil water heaters – as the name suggests – do not require a tank for storing water. This is because they don’t heat water directly, but rather use a heat exchanger or heating coil installed in the main boiler and circulate the hot water whenever the faucet is on.

The water is heated in these systems only when it is required through using a gas burner or electric heater. Since we tend to use our home’s boilers continuously in the winter months, the working efficiency of tankless water heaters is maximized in the cold seasons because they depend on the boilers to heat the water on a continuous basis.

An indirect water heater, on the other hand, requires a special insulating tank to store the hot water coming from the main boiler. They also do not heat water directly but use a main boiler to heat up the liquid and circulates it through the heat exchanger installed in the storage tank. Due to the installation of an additional storage tank they allow the main boiler to turn off and thus work efficiently throughout the year. Water can be heated in these systems through using gas, oil, propane, electric, solar energy or a combination of any or all of these.

Because a tankless coil and indirect water heater is an essential part of a combination water and space heating system, it’s important to carefully select the one that can best serve our purposes. Combination water and space heating systems are a bit expensive, but its advantages are endless. The installation and maintenance charges is negligible, only one source is enough to heat all the water required for circulation, and your heating energy bills will be considerably lower because of the system’s efficiency.

When selecting such a system, you should consider some key elements: First, you’ll need to determine the size of the system that your home requires; this can be done by consulting a qualified plumber. Second, you’ll need to determine the system’s Combination Appliance Efficiency (CAE) rating which is directly related to its energy efficiency. A combination water and space heating system with a CAE rating of more than 0.85 is considered to be the most energy efficient. Finally, you’ll have to discover which companies manufacture an indirect water heater suitable for your needs. Some of the most well known manufacturers are companies such as Crown Boiler, Rheem-Rhud, and LeverEdge.

Tankless coil and indirect water heaters, particularly when used with a high efficiency boiler, are the most efficient energy saving systems we can install in our home. The initial cost is a worthwhile expense when you consider the long term benefits of cost effective water heating.

Water Heater Reviews » boiler

DIY hydronic underfloor radiant heating system?

Other Articles and Posts

Electric hot water heater piped into the boiler?

Other Articles and Posts

do on-demand propane water heaters like to accept pre heated water from a solar storage?

Other Articles and Posts

Which hot water heater is best for this application?

Other Articles and Posts

Indirect Water Heaters

Tankless Coil and Indirect Water Heater – A Cost Effective Solution for Your Home