Installing Kick Toe Heater
#1
09-28-09, 12:46 PM
Installing Kick Toe Heater
Hello,
Would like to add a kick toe heater but notice that it's water supply is 1/2" where as my current heating system uses a 3/4" loop. I've been told to use a monoflow tee, would like to know if this is the correct way of adding this heater.
Would like to add a kick toe heater but notice that it's water supply is 1/2" where as my current heating system uses a 3/4" loop. I've been told to use a monoflow tee, would like to know if this is the correct way of adding this heater.
#2
09-28-09, 01:07 PM
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Do you have a single-pipe monoflo system? Then a monoflo tee would be correct.
If you have a two-pipe system, with separate supply and return loops, then you just connect the kickspace heater with regular tees.
Going from 3/4" to 1/2": use 3/4x3/4x1/2 tee. Any hardware store should have regular tees in that size. Monoflo systems are pretty much obsolete, but they work fine - monoflo tees are a specialty item available from internet suppliers (copper only).
If you have a two-pipe system, with separate supply and return loops, then you just connect the kickspace heater with regular tees.
Going from 3/4" to 1/2": use 3/4x3/4x1/2 tee. Any hardware store should have regular tees in that size. Monoflo systems are pretty much obsolete, but they work fine - monoflo tees are a specialty item available from internet suppliers (copper only).
#3
09-28-09, 01:46 PM
It is not a monoflow loop, basically, it is a single 3/4" loop which feed the first baseboard then goes out to the next one and so on. I would like to splice into the loop and add this kick toe but my fear is that if I use a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer it would impact the flow to all of my heaters on the same loop.
And if I use a regular tee then I don't think enough flow would be diverted to the new heater.
And if I use a regular tee then I don't think enough flow would be diverted to the new heater.
#4
09-28-09, 02:37 PM
You are describing a series loop baseboard. To pipe in a toekick heater, look at the one-pipe up-feed diagram here on page 6:
http://www.beacon-morris.com/litlibrary/TFII-11.pdf
If you are doing down-feed, read the directions below that figure.
Also look at this for similar ways to do it and a formula for figuring out flow rates with different configurations if you care about that:
http://www.taco-hvac.com/uploads/Fil...ry/100-3.6.pdf
http://www.beacon-morris.com/litlibrary/TFII-11.pdf
If you are doing down-feed, read the directions below that figure.
Also look at this for similar ways to do it and a formula for figuring out flow rates with different configurations if you care about that:
http://www.taco-hvac.com/uploads/Fil...ry/100-3.6.pdf
#5
09-28-09, 03:45 PM
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OK, just follow the instructions linked by Xiphias.
I don't know if you're intending to use a Beacon-Morris unit or not. But, FYI, they come with a relatively high-temp aquastat that turns on the fan based on the temp of the water supplied to the heater. Depending upon your boiler's temp setting and in the case of a series baseboard arrangement, you may find that the fan doesn't kick on as soon as you'd like, or maybe even not at all.
If this winds up being the case, you can phone Beacon-Morris, and they will send you a lower temp aquastat for free. It takes just a couple of minutes to swap aquastats.
Beacon-Morris sells a hose kit for plumbing up the heater. It makes the job simple, but a hard-piped supply and return would be a little nicer, in my opinion.
I don't know if you're intending to use a Beacon-Morris unit or not. But, FYI, they come with a relatively high-temp aquastat that turns on the fan based on the temp of the water supplied to the heater. Depending upon your boiler's temp setting and in the case of a series baseboard arrangement, you may find that the fan doesn't kick on as soon as you'd like, or maybe even not at all.
If this winds up being the case, you can phone Beacon-Morris, and they will send you a lower temp aquastat for free. It takes just a couple of minutes to swap aquastats.
Beacon-Morris sells a hose kit for plumbing up the heater. It makes the job simple, but a hard-piped supply and return would be a little nicer, in my opinion.
