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This edition of “They Said It” concentrates on prefabrication in construction of plumbing and hydronic systems. After attending numerous conventions and seminars over the course of the past six months, one topic resonated: prefab is the future of construction. We talked with industry experts from across the board—contractors and manufacturers—to share viewpoints on the benefits Read more

This edition of “They Said It” concentrates on prefabrication in construction of plumbing and hydronic systems. After attending numerous conventions and seminars over the course of the past six months, one topic resonated: prefab is the future of construction. We talked with industry experts from across the board—contractors and manufacturers—to share viewpoints on the benefits of prefabrication.

A custom hydronic panel set up by O’Brien.

What are some of the major benefits of prefabrication?

Robert O’Brien, owner of Technical Heating Co. LLC, Mt. Sinai, NY.

Prefab speeds up installation time, shaves hours, and, quite often, a day from installation time. This is huge since all we do is replacements and not many homeowners want to spend a night or two without heat, particularly in the winter. We do in one day that others would take two days. Also, it is aesthetically pleasing, offers better serviceability. It has become a signature and a selling point.

 

Barry Campbell, vice president of marketing, Aquatherm

Prefabrication can save time and money on the jobsite, as well as help ensure consistent, high quality assembly. Prefabrication services allow a manufacturer to serve as an essential extension of a contractor’s team, easing the workload and helping a project meet its deadlines.

Time is money—and nowhere is that more evident than in today’s construction industry. Since plumbing and mechanical profit margins are tighter than ever, contractors need solutions that separate them from their competition. A good manufacturing partner that offers prefabrication services can add value and help make a contractor’s job easier.

Aquatherm getting ready to ship some prefabbed piping.

 

By having systems prefabricated and shipped directly to the jobsite, the labor savings compared to onsite fabrication can be significant, as prefabricated parts can simply be moved into place and connected together to form a system. In addition, safety can be improved by removing the fabrication work from the jobsite and outsourcing it to the manufacturer. The prefabrication process can be as simple or as extensive as a customer and a project requires.

Aquatherm, for example, can take a simple hand drawing and turn it into an intricate digital design document. Or, the company’s extensive engineering expertise and fabrication skill can be extended as a service to help show a customer the best way of designing a mechanical system and providing complete fabrication drawings. The Aquatherm team brings an array of building information modeling (BIM) tools to the table, including a full Revit library and a team with the skills to use it.

Shane Fink, owner, Triple H Hydronics, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

One of the most overlooked benefits is having detailed layouts and extensive system planning done well before construction ever starts. Many systems today are designed “as you go” in a mechanical room, and there are many mistakes made in the haste of designing and building the system at the same time.

Another major benefit is time savings. We are able to help design and prefabricate the systems, sometimes before the building structure is even standing. By having a well-executed layout and design, we are able to cut time on site by more that 50%. Many times this saves money on temporary heating costs, as well.

Another great benefit is workmanship and attention to detail. When we are in a controlled environment with all of our tools at our fingertips and not in the elements—cold winters—we are able to take the time required to do an excellent job. In the field there are many pressures to “get it done” and use what you have, so sometimes that attention to detail can slip away.

Triple H Hydronics excels in workmanship and attention to detail with its hydronic panels.

 

One of my favorite benefits would be quality testing. In our shop, we are able to test every system before it leaves from the loading docks. We have to ability to hydro-test the systems @ 5 times working pressure, to ensure the systems are leak-free. We are also able to electrically test the systems for proper operation and pre-program settings to save time and money in the field.

For custom-built hydronic panels, for instance, take me through the process. Are you onsite consulting with the client? (Measurements, heat load calcs, etc.)

O’Brien: We make site visits to take measurements, size boiler, water heater and accessories. We take pics to facilitate panel construction, and most importantly, sell the job!

A prefabbed panel in place at a customer’s residence.

 

Campbell: Customers contact their Aquatherm representative to initiate the process, then the Aquatherm Design & Fabrication team works directly with the customer to obtain drawings and walks them through all the steps necessary to deliver final drawings for approval. The pieces are then meticulously created and shipped to the jobsite.

Whether it’s a detailed spool, large diameter elbows, or complex manifolds, Aquatherm offers a dedicated and experienced professional staff and a vast collection of high-tech design and heat fusion equipment to create it. The company also produces unitary spool fabrications that can help reduce a project’s bottom line.

Prefabrication with Aquatherm often is possible where it would not be with other materials, as Aquatherm pipe is considerably lighter than metal pipe. This results in an easier prefabrication process and simplified transportation to the jobsite.

Prefab on Aquatherm small diameter piping.

 

A proper heat fusion connection results in a joint as strong as the pipe itself. Additionally, PP-R is incredibly sturdy, yet slightly flexible. So after Aquatherm prefabrication services has meticulously created a custom spool, it will be carefully shipped to a jobsite anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, typically resulting in significant material and/or labor savings. Often, the prefabbed pieces are simply flanged into place.

Aquatherm’s design coordination and fabrication process cab help ensure a smooth job. With an extensive list of past projects, Aquatherm’s fabrication services team will find a solution to fit any project’s needs. For more information, www.aquatherm.com.

Fink: Most of our clients have either worked with us for years, have been referred by another client or find us on social media. In most cases the process is the same. First we start with the blueprints. Our clients send over architectural drawings of the building proposed. We do a heat loss/heat gain calculation and start working with the client to determine their needs. This usually involves laying out zones for heating, determining domestic hot water consumption demands, ventilation requirements and other items such as snowmelt, heated towel bars, pools, spas, etc. Once we determine what the client requires, we complete a loop layout for all the floor heating so that they can be submitted with the heat loss calculations and building permit applications.

After the panel has been built and polished, we start the wiring and controls. This can sometimes range from a couple hours to a week or more, depending on the size and complexity of the system.

 

At this point an estimate is produced for the manufacture of the hydronic heating panel.  Once the client has approved the estimate, we go to work on the design of the panel itself. The panel design has many considerations and we do our best to ensure a smooth installation. This design includes boiler/venting locations, condensate drain locations, floor or wall mounted boilers, which side of the pre-fabricated panel will the boilers be, will the panel be shipped in one piece, two or more. This helps us as we start to physically lay out the system on a work bench. At this time we have hand drawn boiler panel layout with the basic information. Pipe size, hardware etc. Now we can build the system. Most systems we can build in a few days. Some of the simple panels can be built in a day or less.

After the panel has been built and polished, we start the wiring and controls. This can sometimes range from a couple hours to a week or more, depending on the size and complexity of the system. After all the wiring is done and sensors are attached, we can test the panel. Testing is always done with two or more people present. This helps to ensure that the entire checklist is done correctly. If the tests all check out, the panel is dressed with any loose accessories, labeled and serial numbered and is ready for shipping. For more info on Triple H Hydronics, www.triplehhydronics.com.

With the introduction of super-efficient, variable speed, ECM-driven Delta-T circulators for residential use, I’ve taken a keen interest in selectively applying them for use in radiant heating applications. The results have exceeded my expectations. Bear with me just a bit and I’ll explain what I found out after several installations. As just a bit of Read more

With the introduction of super-efficient, variable speed, ECM-driven Delta-T circulators for residential use, I’ve taken a keen interest in selectively applying them for use in radiant heating applications. The results have exceeded my expectations. Bear with me just a bit and I’ll explain what I found out after several installations.

As just a bit of background, I’m . . .

But before I jump into the an explanation of my “study,” I’ll add that I’ve also been aware but haven’t yet tried to use non-ECM, variable Delta-T circs. I know they’re out there, but I’ve simply not tried them.

I’ve always appreciated and prefer Delta-T systems. And, by using a Delta-T circ with a super-efficient ECM motor, you get the best of both worlds – the best pumping strategy with greatest efficiency.

With a ΔT variable speed circulator, the pump varies its speed to maintain the designed-for ΔT. That means the Delta T will always be 20 degrees – or whatever you dial it in for (5 -50°) – even with heating load or outdoor temperature changes.

A circulator changing its speed based on ΔP, however – whether the ΔP is dialed in based on estimated system head loss or is automatically selected – will vary its speed to maintain a fixed system pressure differential. The system ΔT will fluctuate, often decreasing.

 

How’s a reduced ΔT affect the system? Consider the impact on a modulating-condensing boiler. If the system is designed for a 20°F ΔT, but gets only a 12-15°F ΔT, the amount of run-time the boiler spends below the point of flue gas condensation will be affected.

If the boiler is supplying heat to radiators, and the boiler’s reset control is telling it to fire to a high limit of 142°F on a 20°F day, a ΔP circ programmed on an estimated system head loss may wind up sending 130°F water back to the boiler. That’s right at the condensing point, making the boiler work at, say, 86% AFUE.

But a circulator programmed to deliver a 20°F ΔT will send water back to the boiler at 122°F, creating more condensate, allowing a boiler to hum along at 89% AFUE.

For the jobs I’ve been doing lately, we opted to see how far and effectively the ECM ΔT circs could perform as a stand-alone system circulator, co-joined with zone valves to govern flow to any number of hydronic zones.

Having now designed and installed several oil-fired ΔT-based distribution systems initially Taco’s VT2218 circs, coupled with Zone Sentry zone valves, we’ve monitored and serviced them for close to two years now. They all live in variously-sized and aged single-family homes, from a 1,300 sq ft 50 year old house, to a 2,800 sq ft 10 year old home. All are identically-sized systems within our 7,000 degree-day New Hampshire zone.

There’s an on-going discussion within our trade community about AFUEs, particularly in what they do not measure related to system performance. “Idle time” or “stand-by” losses are logically presumed to be non-contributory and detractive. Focusing only on boiler AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) as an accurate depiction of system efficiency is flawed.

AFUE is only one of many indications of system performance. Most heating systems are affected by a wide range of variables. We also learn, by reading about how these tests are performed, that accuracy is very difficult to achieve, so we’ve done some research of our own. And, yes – inconsistency plagues even the best attempts to achieve accuracy; we confirmed it through our own field tests.

From our observations, there are five key elements contributing to total system energy efficiency:

  1. The boiler (heat engine) energy conversion efficiency or AFUE.
  2. The physical attributes of the specific boiler complimentary to system operation.
  3. Efficiently moving heated water to the zone distribution point(s).
  4. The effective matching of radiation elements to heating demand.
  5. The control algorithm(s) to match energy creation with varying system demands.

All of our initial efforts have been with oil-fired hydronic systems and is the focus of this writing. However, much of this effort – what we’ve learned – is applicable to other-fueled hydronic systems.

The ability to vary the output (energy creation rate) of heating equipment plays an important role. This has been achieved in gas-fired boilers by “modulating” combustion with sophisticated valving and controls. Typically they adjust from 20 to 100% of capacity – from “idle” to “full speed,” using an automotive analogy.

But there’s a challenge: direct modulation of oil-fired systems isn’t feasible under normal circumstances. A fixed (capacity) firing rate via pressurized, nozzle induced fuel atomization is the norm. The only option is to adjust the operating temperature of an oil-fired hydronic boiler with controls to meet heat demand. This is reasonably well managed with modern “cold-start” boiler aquastats, external temperature sensors, etc.

Referring back to our five (5) elements to total system efficiency, circulation is number three (3) on the list, but really is the foundation of any hydronic system improvement. Taco reports that their system “Delta-T” circulator-only swaps yield up to 15% fuel and 85% electrical usage reductions.

Unfortunately, we do not have the benefit of data recording equipment, so our observations are admittedly empirical; that is: based on and verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.

I’ll point out, though, that we have had the benefit of developing and operating our personal dual-fuel (oil-wood) hydronic system for the past 40 years that features a wholly convective inter-system loop (no circulator) and manually controllable convective zones.

No electricity; no problem. This experience reflects into our near-boiler piping configuration that optimizes hydronic convection, complimenting and idealizing Delta-T delivery. Ironically it typically reduces floor space, piping, valving, wiring and controls to maximize element no. 3 as well.

The implication in our AFUE boiler attribute argument (element no. 2) appears to be the benefits of a high-mass boiler as related to overall system operation. Our boiler-of-choice has been the Weil-McLain Ultra Oil with the Beckett NX Burner for the past ten years. (Only one “no heat” service call, a failed Honeywell Aquastat. W/M has since replaced it with the Hydrolevel 3250-Plus.) It also happens to be “The Heavyweight Champion” at over 600 lbs for a 3-Section, 100KBTUH, 87% Triple-Pass Boiler. A 30+ year economic life would not be unreasonable from our experience with this and other oil Weils.

Our observations are:

  1. Dramatically reduced burner cycling, extending boiler and component service lives. “This thing seldom runs” is the first customer observation “and is so quiet.” (Compared to their prior unit, obviously.)
  2. Multiple individual zones cycling between burner cycles, drawing from thermal mass storage (iron and water).
  3. Reduced average boiler operating temperatures.
  4. A pressure-fired burner seems to stabilize operation under particularly “cold-chimney” conditions, a frequent event in our “frosty north” external chimneys.
  5. “Cold-shocking” seems to be a non-issue considering 3250-Plus operation and system circulator fail-mode convection.
  6. The “close-coupled” HTP SuperStor Ultra acts as an integrated boiler protection device, being the closest path in fail-mode convection.

Our fourth element, radiation has become particularly accentuated both by our personal and Delta-T Beta System experiences. Our “Beta” Customer called in May to advise that his home was gradually cooling and noted the Viridian VT2218 was flashing and indicating an error code, but he had adequate DHW. Upon arrival all (3) Zone Sentry Lamps were ON (2 Heating & 1 DHW) and supply lines were at system temperature. After a few minutes the DHW Zone Lamp went out and remained so, indicating demand satisfaction. The main level above return was above ambient @ approx. 110/120°F. The second upper level was at ambient.

Note: We do not use a flow-check valve in our system circulator or beyond. The Zone Sentries directly control all heat demands.

This “Beta” is the 10 year old, 2800 sq. ft., well-constructed and insulated 2-storey residential home in our field profile. A failed steel-plate boiler was replaced with our High Mass Delta-T System. The main floor radiation is a single ¾”-piped series perimeter baseboard loop that we would have split-looped, given the option. The second upper level is likewise an up-and-return ¾”-piped perimeter loop. It has a full-height 20 ft + exterior chimney that exhibited sooty startups.

For reference the system was installed in late December, 2014 and a follow-up in early January noted the following:

  1. Exterior (daytime) temperature was 15°F.
  2. The UO-3 Boiler & Beckett NX cycled 4 minutes an hour total.
  3. The main zone demanded twice an hour.
  4. The upper zone demanded one and one-half per hour.
  5. There were no DHW demands in the total three hour observation period.

Taco was advised of their VT2218 failure and approved an immediate warrantee replacement. The defective unit was directly returned for autopsy and Taco determined a “fluke” electrical component failure. The experience nonetheless was a blessing in gaining some very useful field data. These and other field issue notes were passed on to Taco, and in particular startup and ramp-up issues reflected in the “BumbleBee” HEC-2 and the Viridian VT2218. Taco advises some of these are incorporated into the ramping profiles of their VT2218-HY1-FC1A-01, re-released on 9-1-2015.

Thus far we have seen no purpose in deviating from the default settings of neither the Hydrolevel 3250-Plus (on the Weil-McLain UO Boiler) nor the Taco VT2218 Circulator Logic in Delta-T Mode. Despite being only passively coupled, they seamlessly satisfy heating demands. There is obviously some damping effect from the high-mass boiler. We likewise utilize no external control logic or relays, simplifying wiring and diagnosis.

Physical radiation and configuration has been outside our scope of development, yet ultimately completes the heating “package”. If our concern is finite efficiency then radiation schemes beyond basic series and split loops must be addressed. Ultimately it’s the market’s call — the more finite the distribution and control, the greater the materials and labor consumption, and the system life-cycle operating costs.

Residential Delta-T Hydronic Distribution is not only an evolutionary but as we express a revolutionary process from our developmental experience. It will benefit any FHW system in degree, and thus not a question of if it will become generally appreciated and applied, but when. Adding thermal mass into the equation further enhances system performance in our humble opinion.

The “AFUE War” between boiler manufacturers and their installers has been substantially nullified with the addition of the enhanced fuel and electrical hydronic distribution efficiencies provided by Delta-T Technology. With Taco Engineering concurrence we will be claiming the most efficient heating system from combustion to distribution points on the market, as installed.

To employ our quip, “We are putting ‘Automatic Transmissions’ on Boilers.” When will our trade brothers follow?

Author: Paul D. Mercier, Sr. d-b-a Mercier Engineering

Website: www.BoilersOnDemand.com

Elder care is an ever-increasing area of growth for the businesses that serve it. This holds true for all segments of the market, from 55+ communities to hospice facilities. America is aging, and there’s no place in the country not affected by the retirement of the Baby Boomer Generation. This predicament is a boon to Read more

Elder care is an ever-increasing area of growth for the businesses that serve it. This holds true for all segments of the market, from 55+ communities to hospice facilities. America is aging, and there’s no place in the country not affected by the retirement of the Baby Boomer Generation.

This predicament is a boon to the contractors who’re poised to capitalize on it. New elder care facilities are cropping up everywhere, and existing buildings are being retrofitted at a blistering pace. But the scope of work can be a far cry from residential work. The nature of these projects, and the colossal amount of money involved, typically demands uncompromising quality of work and compact timelines.

Like most medical facilities, redundancy in mechanical systems at a retirement facility are a must. The best components are used and designs are very carefully scrutinized. Few mechanical contractors understand this market and its challenges better than Dominick Fausto Sr., third-generation master plumber and owner of Absolute HVAC in Farmingville, NY. Absolute provides design-build hydronic solutions to New York City. Now in his 40th year in the trade, about half of Fausto’s work is commercial.

“Assisted living facilities and hospitals account for a lot of our work, both on the installation and service side,” said Fausto. “We’ve retrofitted two large systems in the past 10 months or so.”

From l to r: Darnell Coleman and Dominick Fausto Sr. outside the Elmhurst Care Center.

 

Much like finding good technicians, Fausto says that finding good customers in New York City can be problematic. In years past, doing great work at a good pace was enough to keep a customer for decades. But the current fluidity in the health care industry – whether through employee turnover or mergers and acquisitions – mean that long term customers are scare, regardless of how dependable you are. With that said, Absolute HVAC still nurtures some relationships forged long ago.

Fausto’s most loyal customer owns countless retirement and medical facilities in numerous states, and has trusted Absolute HVAC for 39 years. As the man’s empire slowly changes hands to his children, he’s insistent that the trust between the two companies remains intact.

Turning the tables: Burnham Alpine boilers now heat the building and provide DHW, but one scotch marine boiler was left in place for back-up.

 

“You wish all your customers were like this gentleman,” said Fausto. “We’ve given him our best for many years, and he appreciates it. No matter which one of his buildings we’re working on, he wants all of his systems to be built and maintained without compromise. And he means it.”

Most recently, Absolute HVAC technicians, lead by Field Supervisor Darnell Coleman, found themselves retrofitting the boiler system at the Elmhurst Care Center, in Elmhurst, N.Y. The 410-bed nursing home in Queens was named one of the best in the nation by US News and World Report, a reflection of great health inspections, nursing staff and medical care.

Redundancy and efficiency

The 11-story building was constructed in 1997, but before the walls went up, two massive, scotch-marine boilers were craned into the basement. The gas boilers were each rated at 6.28 million BTU/H. The boilers and everything else in the cavernous mechanical room, including a pair of 10-HP base-mounted pumps, were completely redundant.

The new Alpine Boilers, at 95% thermal efficiency, should save the facility more than 40% on natural gas expenses.

 

Field Supervisor Darnell Coleman checks electrical connections on one of six Burnham Alpine boilers.

Absolute HVAC installed the original boilers 20 years ago, and has serviced it since. So when the call came to replace one of the units, Fausto was already intimately familiar with the whole system. His suggestion was to use a high-efficiency alternative to replace one of the redundant units, and leave the other big boiler in place as backup.

Over the course of a few weeks, Fausto worked with US Boiler’s northeast regional director, Chris Massey, and some of the pros at Venco Sales Inc. to design a condensing boiler system for the building. Once completed, the design was approved by an engineer of record and a demo team was soon onsite to remove one of the big fire tube boilers.

“With Massey and the guys at Venco, we have a great support network,” said Fausto. Chris McCorvey is lead service tech at Venco, and he was onsite for startup. Jake Greenwood and Frank Brecher were instrumental when it came time to specify equipment.

Absolute HVAC technicians started by extending the concrete boiler pad and rolling six new Burnham Alpine modulating boilers into the mechanical room. At 95 percent AFUE, the Alpine’s onboard Sage control simplifies integration of numerous boilers into one larger system.

“Six years ago we made the Alpine boiler our primary condensing unit,” said Fausto. “It’s extremely dependable, very easy to install and service, and comes in such a broad size range that it can be installed in a salt box home or, as you see here, a massive commercial application.”

The 800 MBH boilers are daisy-chained in a lead/lag configuration, effectively giving the facility a 30-to-1 turndown. The new condensing system heats the entire structure as well as providing domestic hot water through the use of three, 120-gallon, high-recovery Techtanium instantaneous indirect-fired water heaters. The remaining scotch-marine boiler sits cold, and would only be needed in the event of a catastrophic failure.

A Grundfos VersaFlo Cast Iron Circulator Pump

 

The height of the building demands an extremely high system pressure, so the boilers are isolated from the building via the use of two Alfa Laval plate-and-frame heat exchangers. The heat exchangers connect the four-inch boiler loop to the six-inch system loop.
Throughout the building, bedrooms are heated by PTAC units featuring a hydronic coil. Lobbies and various common spaces are conditioned with fin-tube baseboard, and a few recreation areas feature hydronic air handlers.

The height of the building demands an extremely high system pressure, so two plate-and-frame heat exchangers are used to isolate the boiler and building loops.

With a solid design and ample support from Venco, the installation progressed smoothly. The only challenge came when it was time to run vent pipe. Two 18-inch thick walls required core drilling to terminate the six, four-inch fresh air intakes and six, six-inch exhaust pipe.

“Within four weeks we had half the new boilers up and running,” explained Fausto. “After another four weeks, the whole system was online. I think that a 40 percent energy savings this winter is a conservative estimate. We did a similar installation with three Alpines in an assisted living facility for the same client last fall and saw a 42 percent reduction in fuel use over the heating season.”

All six boilers will run at 65% capacity when the outdoor temperature reaches 38°F. So far, the proof of Absolute’s work has come from the inspector and from the building occupants. Since the retrofit, they’ve not received a single domestic hot water complaint.

The retrofit at the two retirement facilities is part of a larger effort the owner is making to help his children move smoothly into a leadership role at the company. He wants to leave them with as much updated infrastructure as possible. And for the projects that don’t take place be for he retires, Absolute HVAC will still be in business.

Irvine, Calif. — On April 27th, Navien employees throughout the United States and Canada celebrated KD Navien’s 40 years of successful worldwide business operations and 12 years of successful operations in North America.     The rapidly growing company over the past twelve years has become an innovation leader in the North American plumbing and Read more

Irvine, Calif. — On April 27th, Navien employees throughout the United States and Canada celebrated KD Navien’s 40 years of successful worldwide business operations and 12 years of successful operations in North America.

 

 

The rapidly growing company over the past twelve years has become an innovation leader in the North American plumbing and HVAC sector. Core products are tankless water heaters, combi-boilers and boilers sold exclusively through wholesale distribution.

In a letter to all Navien employees, Chairman Yeon-Ho Sohn extended his thanks and congratulations to all when he said, “It is more meaningful to realize the fact that the successes we have accomplished are not attributable to one person or a few small groups’ efforts, but every Navien family members’ efforts toward better product quality based on respective know-hows. I believe it would have been impossible for KD Navien to be where we are now, ‘Global KD’, without achieving the world best product quality by the continuous efforts from everyone that enabled us to successfully manufacture the top quality.”

For additional information on Navien Inc., visit NavienInc.com.

System Fluid Fix

Here in Fairbanks, AK, October brings sub-zero temps, and the college kids like to take photos in their underwear in front of the University of Alaska Fairbanks temperature sign when it gets into the -40s. We average almost 14,000 heating degree days each year. The difference between a functional heating system and a non-functional one Read more

Here in Fairbanks, AK, October brings sub-zero temps, and the college kids like to take photos in their underwear in front of the University of Alaska Fairbanks temperature sign when it gets into the -40s. We average almost 14,000 heating degree days each year. The difference between a functional heating system and a non-functional one can mean frozen pipes in less than an hour.

In the 1970s and ’80s, the oil pipeline boom came to Fairbanks, bringing with it an influx of new residential construction. Thousands of homes were built quickly, many with in-slab radiant and oil boilers. In the past decade, we’ve discovered that these systems include non-oxygen barrier tubing, which is murder on pumps and boilers. Sludge was so thick in some pipes that flow ceased entirely, and when drained, system fluid looked like mud.

What we did in the past was isolate the new near-boiler piping with a heat exchanger. That way, the boiler and other new components were free of the corrosion that oxygen-rich water creates. We’ve since found another solution, and one that comes at a substantially lower cost to the homeowner by eliminating the heat exchanger.

One of the jars is treated with inhibitor, and the fittings look warehouse-new. The fittings in the other jar though … well you can’t really see them through the muddy goo.

 

In late 2012, we learned about water treatment products made by Fernox that have proven to stop or minimize corrosion even in the presence of oxygen. Other companies, like Rhomar Water, make similar products, we just began using Fernox.

We primarily use the Express Cleaner (F5) and the Express Inhibitor (F1). (They call it “express” because of how quickly it’s applied.) After seeing how effective they are, we started suggesting it for every hydronic job: new, retrofit, or service.

As a matter of fact, I have a pair of ball jars on my desk full of fittings and tap water. One of the jars is treated with inhibitor, and the fittings look warehouse-new. The fittings in the other jar though … well you can’t really see them through the muddy goo.

How we use it

The treatment is a two-step process; clean and protect. Together, it’s an inexpensive insurance policy for our customers. Both the cleaner and inhibitor come in a pint-sized aerosol can that has a hose connection for the boiler drain. You screw the can to the system, open the valve and inject the liquid. It takes about 10 seconds total.

Inside the can, the liquid is in a bladder, so you’re not actually forcing any gas into the hydronic system, just liquid.

We inject the cleaner a few days before we plan to drain a system, though the instructions say a few hours will suffice. The dirt that comes out afterwards is staggering. After we refill it, we apply the inhibitor, and test the water with our protector test kit to make sure we’ve added enough. From that point on, we

check the inhibitor level once a year and re-apply just the inhibitor if needed.

Because there’s no time involved in the process, we don’t actually charge labor for using the liquids. We just charge for the product itself. It’s an added service that I can feel very good about.

We sell the Fernox products based on a system maintenance and longevity advantage, but the manufacturer has done tests that have proven a 15% efficiency increase when the cleaner and inhibitor are coupled with their magnetic TF1 Filter.

Because severity of our winter fluctuates so greatly from year to year here in Fairbanks, it’s nearly impossible to make any attempt at tracking fuel savings. In our opinion, the maintenance advantage alone is well worth the minimal cost.

Fernox sells the F1 and F5 products individually, or as a kit that includes both as well as a test kit that indicate dilution ratio of the chemical in the system fluid. That said, it’s impossible to over treat with either product. You can’t do any harm to metal, plastic or rubber components by adding more than you need.

Each can treats roughly 26 gallons. When we’re working on a big system, we’ll use two cans of each. If we’re working on a huge system, Fernox sells the same products in a jug, as opposed to a can. These products have been available in the U.S. for seven years, but your neighbors to the north (or my east) have had it for nearly 20 years.

Based on the fact that I’ve seen numerous systems come back to life from a no-heat situation caused by sludge, we’ve decided that it’s worth using the chemicals on every job. In many cases, it has saved thousands of dollars and number of migraines.

By Jeff Kaufman, Operations Supervisor at Rocky’s Heating Service, Fairbanks, AK