Installing a New Boiler
#1
01-26-08, 10:42 AM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Installing a New Boiler
I'm a hard core DIY'er and I've decided to install a new hot water boiler. I'm replacing a 50 year old GM Natural Gas Boiler that has 1 continuous loop around a 1600 sq. ft. ranch house with approx. 115' of baseboard (the pump is on the return side). I'm installing a Utica Direct Vent (USC4) Natural Gas Boiler that will have an indirect DHW heater (priority w/ B&G circ. pump) and I will be breaking up the loop to create 3 new zones with B&G circ. pumps. I'll be building the manifold with copper and one of the new loops will be to PEX radiant floor heat under the kitchen area. I'm relatively new to FHW heating and I'm wondering if someone could post some pictures of their circ. pump and wiring arrangements to give me some ideas of how to mount my equipment. I will be placing the equipment on a concrete block wall and I want it to be "neat".
Thanks,
Fred
Thanks,
Fred
#3
01-26-08, 01:03 PM
Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: usa
Posts: 839
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Mixing PEX and fin tube radiant will require some form of system protection--you will need to limit the temperature of the radiant floor loops. That will require mixing valves on the radiant floor loops, and probably P/S hydronic separation for the various loops. This a good topic for Who!!
#4
01-26-08, 03:01 PM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Who
Do you have the boiler already?
#5
01-26-08, 03:12 PM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by radioconnection
Mixing PEX and fin tube radiant will require some form of system protection--you will need to limit the temperature of the radiant floor loops. That will require mixing valves on the radiant floor loops, and probably P/S hydronic separation for the various loops. This a good topic for Who!!
#7
01-27-08, 06:32 AM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by NJ Trooper
What did your heat loss calculations come out to for the home ?
How many BTU is the boiler ?
How much did your town hit you up for the permits ?
(around here, it's $75 )
How many BTU is the boiler ?
How much did your town hit you up for the permits ?
(around here, it's $75 )
I plan to mount the manifold etc. to the block wall with unistrut channel but I wondered if someone had a better looking way to do it.
I'm sure that someone must have pics of a job that they are proud of the way it turned out. That's what I want.
#8
01-27-08, 07:27 AM
Sorry Tallman, that was the nicest way I could figure out how to ask ! Didn't mean to imply anything. It's pretty often that DIY HOs decide to tackle a job like this without doing their 'homework'.
Unitstrut is a fine way of mounting the equipment. I would first put a couple pressure treated furring strips up, and mount a piece of 3/4" plywood though. You want it to look neat and professional, go ahead and paint the plywood too!
Sorry I don't have any pics of 'proper' installs, though I do have some of really BAD ones...
Unitstrut is a fine way of mounting the equipment. I would first put a couple pressure treated furring strips up, and mount a piece of 3/4" plywood though. You want it to look neat and professional, go ahead and paint the plywood too!
Sorry I don't have any pics of 'proper' installs, though I do have some of really BAD ones...
#9
01-27-08, 12:40 PM
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 5
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Doh!
NJ Trooper,
Thanks for your replies...didn't mean to be too sensitive to your questions. The wife is always leaning on me to have a "professional" do the work. She just doesn't 'get it' that I actually enjoy doing these kind of things.
I don't mean to imply that I know everything either. I've been "lurking" around this forum for a short time and have learned a great deal. It makes me realize how much I don't know.
radioconnection
You mentioned a P/S separation for the various loops. I did some research on that since I didn't know what it was and no one else has mentioned it to me. There is no internal circulator on the new boiler but I can see the value on having a primary loop to equalize the pressure reaching the various secondary loops. I'll have to take some time to let my mind get around that idea. Hmmm...would I need a primary pump that would match the volume of the other pumps combined?
I appreciate everyone's time.
Thanks for your replies...didn't mean to be too sensitive to your questions. The wife is always leaning on me to have a "professional" do the work. She just doesn't 'get it' that I actually enjoy doing these kind of things.
I don't mean to imply that I know everything either. I've been "lurking" around this forum for a short time and have learned a great deal. It makes me realize how much I don't know.
radioconnection
You mentioned a P/S separation for the various loops. I did some research on that since I didn't know what it was and no one else has mentioned it to me. There is no internal circulator on the new boiler but I can see the value on having a primary loop to equalize the pressure reaching the various secondary loops. I'll have to take some time to let my mind get around that idea. Hmmm...would I need a primary pump that would match the volume of the other pumps combined?
I appreciate everyone's time.
#10
01-27-08, 01:19 PM
Primary pump needs to match the boiler flow. There are different types of P/S piping. With only one low temp zone I would not do a loop, just a single pipe with 1 set of close spaced tees and a mixing valve for the radiant.
#11
01-27-08, 04:52 PM
I'm just curious about the permit. I always thought a permit for something like this required you can prove you have the plumbing and electrical know how. What about home owner's insurance? I thought they did not look kindly on DIY installation of something like this. I don't mean to sound like a spoiler, it's just that I've been thinking about doing my own and have worried about these things... Haven't checked with my town yet though...
#12
01-27-08, 05:18 PM
AFAIK, it's up to the town whether they will allow or not. As long is it's inspected and approved by the town, I don't see why an insurance company would have a problem with that, but it's best to check ...
