Introduction to Component Selection:
Hydronic heating systems are flexible in design, allowing various combinations of boiler room and living space components.
The selection of components depends on the heat requirements and available fuels.
Key Criteria for Component Selection:
Heat Source: Must be correctly sized to provide necessary heat.
Fuel types vary by location: electricity, gas, oil, or solid fuel.
Heat Emitters: Selection depends on several factors.
Living Space Layout and Interior Design: Radiators and baseboards should not be blocked by furniture.
Space Availability: Size of heat emitters matters (e.g., cast iron radiators vs. baseboards).
Budget: Cost considerations may influence the choice of heat emitters (e.g., baseboards vs. radiant flooring).
House Construction: Installation of radiant panels requires coordination with other trades.
Examples of System Configurations:
Pre-1960s: Common to find oil-fired cast iron boilers with radiators, typically with one circulator and zoned using several zone valves.
Non-diaphragm style expansion tanks and old-style cast iron air scoops were used.
1960s-1970s: Transition to gas-fired cast iron boilers with copper fin tube baseboards.
Systems zoned with circulators instead of zone valves, and diaphragm-style expansion tanks became common.
Early 2000s: Introduction of modulating condensing boilers, the most efficient type due to their ability to vary heat output.
Condensing Boilers: Capture energy from both combustion and water vapor, reducing waste.
Hybrid Systems: Combination of heat emitter types (e.g., copper fin tube baseboards and radiant heating zones).
Mixing valves regulate temperature differences between high and low-temperature zones.
Modern System Components:
Microbubble Air Absorbers: Replace old cast iron air scoops in modern systems.
Delta P Circulators: Adjust speed based on system demand, regulating themselves based on resistance to the impeller.
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