Drainback with Baseboard [RE-wrenches]

Thu Nov 3 05:14:14 PST 2005

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Is your computer freezing up or slowing down?
Repair corrupt files and harmful errors - protect your PC
Take a 2-minute PC health check-up at no charge!
http://click.topica.com/caaeatrbz8Qcsbz9JC9a/PC PowerScan
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeremy,

Baseboards are tough. They need high temp to create the air convection
which gets the heat out. All baseboard can be run at lower temps, but
the derating is really severe, making it impossible to heat the house
with it unless it's not very cold out and the water is above 150 deg.

An alternative approach is to have the solar water go to a new dedicated
fan coil unit. Select a unit that has a cooling coil in it (has two
coils typically and the cooling coil is 4 rows whereas the heating coil
is 1 row. So you can pull heat out of colder water with the deeper
coil.) Put the fan coil on a separate thermostat. Set that thermostat to
come on and call for heat first, keeping the boiler off simply because
it is not called to come on (no need to mess with the gas line, or
anything to do with the existing system). Put an aquastat in the solar
line that cuts power to both the fan coil and the circ. Pump if the
solar water temp goes below about 90 deg. (maybe 100 deg.) (Needs to
measure tank temp. not pipe temp.)

This let's you incorporate heat simply into an existing house. The hard
part is you've got to pipe out of the basement to the fan coil, and
you've got to find a home for the fan coil. And make sure you select the
fan coil to operate on low speed so that noise is not much of an issue.

Jeff Wolfe
Global Resource Options
800-374-4494

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeremy Rodriguez [mailto:allsolar at ris.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 11:31 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Drainback with Baseboard [RE-wrenches]

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Oprah vs Dr. Phil- who is your favorite? Vote now.
http://click.topica.com/caaeatsbz8QcsbAltH2a/Your opinion
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean, 

In bypassing the boiler I meant to bypass it with zone valves if the
solar tank is up to temp to operate the baseboards. I have worked on
some older systems that do just that. 
Example of one.  At 130 deg. the boiler supply is diverted through a
coil in the solar tank (3-way) and a DPDT aquastat also opens the gas
valve circuit.  I'm not sure this is the most efficient, but have seen
it in quite a few older systems.

I have a lot of prospects with baseboard currently and a boiler who want
to incorporate solar.

Another scenerio would be to bypass the boiler like I first mentioned
with zone valves. (more reliable?)  and use the solar tank's coil to
feed the baseboards. I know baseboards like 160-180 deg water temps, so
it would seem to cool the solar tank quickly, even if set up to use 140
or 150 deg water for the baseboards. When the tank cools below that temp
the boiler loop would function as normal, correct.  Not very efficient,
right?

What about the issues of low water temps returning to a boiler? Flue
problems?

Should I stay away from baseboard apps. and just try to sell them on DHW
pre-heat?

I just seems like there is a maket here for the baseboard world.  Maybe
not

Thanks for your help

Jeremy

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE DVR
And up to 3 additional standard receivers!
Call 1-800- 901 - 5080 Today
http://click.topica.com/caaeas1bz8QcsbAltH2f/DirectSatTV
-------------------------------------------------------------------

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages:
http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read

List rules & how to change your email address:
www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquette.php

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
New Apple® iPod® nano. As Thin as a No. 2 Pencil. Stores up to 3 
Days of Songs! Get it Here FREE*!
http://click.topica.com/caaeatBbz8Qcsbz9JC9f/Superb Rewards 
-------------------------------------------------------------------

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read

List rules & how to change your email address: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquette.php

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
--^----------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to: michael.welch at homepower.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit:
http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER
--^----------------------------------------------------------------