Change from Boiler to HW heaters only
I have a a 3 family house that I am converting to radiant heat. Can I ditch the boiler and just have a separate hot water heater to drive the radiant system. I would have separate hw heaters for the hot water for the units.
I have a a 3 family house that I am converting to radiant heat. Can I ditch the boiler and just have a separate hot water heater to drive the radiant system. I would have separate hw heaters for the hot water for the units.
Thanks for the clarification. You can’t do that legally in New York City.
OP here, where is the love? 🙂
“I think we need some clarification from the OP. It sounds to me like the intent is to have a common heater for the radiant floors throughout, and individual heaters for each unit’s potable water.
Izzat correct, OP?”
JimHill, that is correct.
I believe that an indirect water heater connected to HE boiler would also make sense, however, cash dictates what I can and cannot do.
OUCH!
CMU said: “MP as I’ve said before, you’re no doubt a great plumber, but you know squat about physics and mechanical engineering and have a knee-jerk reaction to the Gods of Building Codes and a hide-bound, irrational attitude towards anything produced since 1950.”
I can’t think of a less accurate description of me. Except, of course, the “great plumber” part 😉
Once again, check the photo gallery of my website: http://www.gatewayplumbing.com/photo_gallery.html
I do most of my own mechanical engineering and install what I design.
You, on the other hand, don’t. So keep telling people not to install recirculation pumps and plumbing vents. Sounds like you’ve got a real handle on things.
Best,
Master Plvmber
ok Know it all let’s do the math since you know about engineering and MP obviously does not ;P maybe my engineering degree from Polytechnic University can help us.
Let’s say 2gpm at 1.25 minutes = 2.5 gallons
Let’s say 25% of the population of NYC must do this daily (probably much higher): 9 million x .25 = 2.25 million people
Therefore 2.25 million x 2.5 gallons = 5,625,000 gallons of wasted water
Still a significant amount. Much more significant than the measly 100 Watts it would take to run a recirc pump. Wasting water is not something to be carefree about. There is a horrible lack of accessible, clean water in the world.
Now if you would take the time to read instead of getting bent out of shape you would have seen that I didn’t use the entire population of NYC I reduced it by 75%.
Try to keep an open mind, I can admit when I am wrong, in the past I have seen Master Plvmber do so as well. Believe it or not, that is how we were able to gain the little knowledge we have, we admitted we didn’t know….
Now please, turn off the 100 Watt bulb in the boiler room as you grumble out to go take an nice, instantly hot shower. And don’t forget to thank your recirc pump. I’m going to do the same.
-SteamMan
steamman: Rubbish. My third floor bath takes 60-75 SECONDS for hot water to reach. So your figures are off by at least a factor of 5.
Good obfuscation there, saying only ‘100w’…multiply THAT by 9 million. Also the extra loss of energy in keeping the loop warm. ‘wasting’ some water is clearly the sustainable way to go.
MP as I’ve said before, you’re no doubt a great plumber, but you know squat about physics and mechanical engineering and have a knee-jerk reaction to the Gods of Building Codes and a hide-bound, irrational attitude towards anything produced since 1950.
Which I don’t give a damn about, but you started the ad hominem attacks (look that up).
cmu, why do you comment about such things on this forum?
HDL, I’m sure there are some water heaters out there that are approved for use in the city in the way you describe, but most major cities treat water used for space heating as non-potable. For a single tank of water to do both jobs, it must contain what is called a double-walled heat exchanger separating the two chambers of water.
I’ve used products like that, but they’re built to order and outrageously expensive. Probably not cost-effective for what the OP is talking about.
Building codes do a good job of keeping contaminated water out of our potable system. You would be surprised at how difficult that is considering all of the industrial, chemical and mechanical processes that are going all over the city constantly.
cmu, cmu, cmu…..
What about the wasted water while you let your bathtub run for 5 minutes just to wait for the water to get hot enough for a shower.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say 2gpm at 5 minutes = 10 gallons
Let’s say 25% of the population of NYC must do this daily (probably much higher): 9 million x .25 = 2.25 million people
Therefore 2.25 million x 10 gallons = 22,500,000 gallons of wasted water
And you are worried about a recirc pump at +/-100 Watts????
Go turn off the light in the basement and turn on your recirculating pump and take a nice hot bath.
SteamMan
>Whats the logic?
You expect logic in building codes?!
Devices used all over the US and the world are not legal here. And policies like ‘recirc is required’…what a good way to waste energy.
MP- ive seen water heaters with segregated loops for radiant heating and potable water. Are those not legal in NYC? Whats the logic?