Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Hydronic Floor Heat..Novice again!
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Coady
01-05-03, 08:35 AM
I live in Ontario Canada, and built a '2000' (or better) home in 1996 (I am in country so I am on well water), the house is a ranch in front and totally exposed both the main floor and the basement to the elements at the rear with 3 walk outs, 1700 sq. feet on each level totally finished. I have forced air gas heat, which I am hoping to to supplement with hydronic floor heat in the basement concrete slab floor( just to have warmth at our feet instead of cold. ..really would be quite happy to have this system take the chill of the concrete to make us comfortable...as I have forced air with cold air returns, both levels). I have weisbo tubing in the concrete and a plasco manifold attached.(hope this is enough info to give you an good idea of what I am working with)
My novice question... the return for the maifold goes to a 3 way mixing valve, apparently to go back thro the system...so if the system is doesn't require all the water that came thro the floor where does it go... does it not reduce the flow.? So basically there is nowhere that the excess water can go but thro the system again.. is that right?
from the return manifold the water can only go thro the mixing valve, to be mixed with hot water and back thro the supply manifold.
On my system I am thinking there should be a line back to the hot water system.. but maybe I am wrong?
Thanks for your replies in advance any coments would be nice... just want to get the darn thing working!
My novice question... the return for the maifold goes to a 3 way mixing valve, apparently to go back thro the system...so if the system is doesn't require all the water that came thro the floor where does it go... does it not reduce the flow.? So basically there is nowhere that the excess water can go but thro the system again.. is that right?
from the return manifold the water can only go thro the mixing valve, to be mixed with hot water and back thro the supply manifold.
On my system I am thinking there should be a line back to the hot water system.. but maybe I am wrong?
Thanks for your replies in advance any coments would be nice... just want to get the darn thing working!
KField
01-05-03, 03:26 PM
The return water from the radiant system ties into your boiler return line so any excess water can flow back to the boiler. Unless you use a 4 way valve you can't take the radiant return and take it exclusively to the 3 way valve. The radiant needs to run cooler than the boiler so thats why the hot water is metered into the mixer. You know (I assume) that you will need another circulator to move water through the radiant loop.
GregH
01-05-03, 06:35 PM
Coady:
You say you have gas forced air heat presently.
What are you going to use to supply the hot water?
If the basement is only one zone, you would likely be able to just cycle the circulating pump for temperature control.
The three way valve may not be necessary unless it is to temper the water temperature.
Someone must have had a plan for this when it was installed.
You say you have gas forced air heat presently.
What are you going to use to supply the hot water?
If the basement is only one zone, you would likely be able to just cycle the circulating pump for temperature control.
The three way valve may not be necessary unless it is to temper the water temperature.
Someone must have had a plan for this when it was installed.