Job Scope: Remote lake home with hydronics ceilings & panel radiators Dual-fuel system (Electric boiler w/ High efficiency back-up) Septic waste system for onsite waste removal The majority of new or replacement heating system installations include high efficiency condensing appliances. The condensate is produced as a product of the appliance operation; in this case the Read more
Neutra-Safe
![](https://hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/IMG_4887-1-1-200x150.jpg)
Job Scope:
- Remote lake home with hydronics ceilings & panel radiators
- Dual-fuel system (Electric boiler w/ High efficiency back-up)
- Septic waste system for onsite waste removal
The majority of new or replacement heating system installations include high efficiency condensing appliances. The condensate is produced as a product of the appliance operation; in this case the boiler extracts additional btu’s contained in the water vapor of the flue gasses. When the flue gas temperatures drop below the approximate dew point of 135°F the water vapor condenses and the resulting liquid is acidic. This acidic condensate liquid requires treatment to avoid damage to piping systems, septic systems, treatment facilities and other items it may come in contact with. Many municipalities now require condensate treatment with all new installs and permitted replacements.
Read more about condensate neutralizing here:
The importance of neutralizing condensate produced by high efficiency gas fired appliances
A recent family lake home project gave me the opportunity to install the Neutra-Safe clear tube style neutralizer model CN-220V. You may be familiar already with neutralizers but I assure you this one is different than others I have installed in the past. The expected wholesale cost of the kit should be approximately $50-60.
Product Specs:
- Capacity – 220,000 BTU/hr
- Connection/fitting size – ½” MPT / ¾” PVC Female Solvent Weld
- Tube body size – 2”
- Integral unions w/ O-ring seal (for servicing)
- Stainless Steel screen on inlet to prevent plugging of unit
- Media (included) – Calcite & magnesium oxide pellets (bagged/contained)
The CN2-220V is an “up-flow” or vertical neutralizer. This means the condensate enters the neutralizer at the bottom of the 2” clear plastic body, as the condensate passes thru the filter media it exits out the top center where piping is routed to a nearby drain or pump. This design assures all condensate passes thru the media where other designs do not require the entire media area to be flooded; thus allowing for small flow rates to pass thru a neutralizer without fully filtering and neutralizing above the typical PH of 2-4. The photo below shows a typical installation with the [included] mounting hardware and drain tubing routing.
![neutra-safe-cn2-220](http:hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Neutra-Safe-CN2-220-1024x1024.jpg)
Body & Media pictured here. Media shipped and installed bagged to prevent media materials clogging drain tubing.
I’ve installed multiple brands of neutralizers in the past, the CN2-220V is the first to include all the necessary mounting hardware, fittings for initial tubing connections and bagged media for ease of installation, this being all in one package negating the need to source additional parts to finish the install. Of course drain tubing is field supplied, along with the needed fittings for full installation.
The Neutra-Safe tube style neutralizers feature integral unions with O-ring seals that greatly simplify removal for service and recharging. Un-threading a lock ring on either end of the unit allows the main body to be removed without disturbing the drain line. Replacement O-rings are included with tube style recharge kits and all tube style neutralizers are available with a snap-in mounting clamp option.
The media replacement schedule is one year, they’ve even included a model number sticker on the tube where you can write the date of installation/replacement for reference. You should expect the wholesale cost of media replacement, which includes the o-rings and bagged media, to be approximately $25-30.
![neutra-safe-cn2-220v-mechanical-hub-2](http:hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Neutra-Safe-CN2-220V-Mechanical-Hub-2-1024x1024.jpg)
Being that this installation was the first time I had held the product in my hands I can say it did take me a few minutes to figure out how the included fittings and tube were to be assembled but the included instructions made for a simple install.
I’ve seen many times the effects of acidic condensate can have on piping systems, floor drains and concrete surfaces and that is why I include a neutralizer with all my high efficiency installs. Furthermore, many of the municipalities in my area are requiring them for both new installs and replacements.
![](https://hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/07/Neutra-Safe-Mechanical-Hub-1-1-200x133.jpg)
Job Scope: Remote lake home with hydronics ceilings & panel radiators Dual-fuel system (Electric boiler w/ High efficiency back-up) Not directly connected to water supply for system fill/maintenance Not all hydronics systems [or solar thermal systems] are connected to a water supply for filling and maintenance. In the case of our family’s lake home in Read more
Job Scope:
- Remote lake home with hydronics ceilings & panel radiators
- Dual-fuel system (Electric boiler w/ High efficiency back-up)
- Not directly connected to water supply for system fill/maintenance
Not all hydronics systems [or solar thermal systems] are connected to a water supply for filling and maintenance. In the case of our family’s lake home in Northern Minnesota we turn the water on only when we are onsite as the cabin sits empty over 60% of the year. Making repairs and fixing water damage due to a broken pipe is not my idea of fun when the main focus of our weekend is fishing and family fun.
This situation is not uncommon for a lot of my installs. Whenever a constant water supply is not available for a boiler or solar thermal system I have installed a “system feeder”. Most of our systems are filled with a glycol/water mix as well which requires the installation of an expensive back-flow preventer that has to be tested annually and permitted separately for tracking. These system feeders eliminate the need to install a backflow device and PRV.
As far as I know there has only been one major brand product in this space in past years and I am very familiar with it. I have installed the competitor model over two dozen times and have repaired many of those systems as well. After just one recent install of the new NSSF6-2 system feeder I can say with confidence that it is built with better components and well thought out.
The installation of these devices is fairly straightforward; I’ve included some photos with highlights of the product features.
The install:
The NSSF6-2 system feeder comes fully assembled and leak tested [you will have to plug the power supply cord into the control module] straight out of the box. The feeder is equipped with a ½” FPT sch. 80 ball valve connection for onsite piping.
The digital pressure control can be set from 1-50 psi, right out of the box its ready to go at 15psi cut-in and 16psi cut-out making installation quick and easy for the majority of residential boiler systems.
![Neutra-Safe Mechanical Hub 2](http:hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Neutra-Safe-Mechanical-Hub-2-1.jpg)
Connect the pipe or tubing from the feeder to an isolation valve at the same point in the system that the expansion tank is connected. Do not install a check valve or a PRV (pressure reducing valve) between the feeder and the system. If using a bladder style expansion tank be sure to inflate the tank to same pressure that you want the cold static pressure of the system to be. This must be done while there is no pressure on the expansion tank.
The 6 gallon poly tank has a 5” vented cap for filling. There is a float switch in the tank, which will shut the pump off and close an alarm contact on the circuit board when the fluid level gets low. A blank connector on the left side of the electrical box can be used to run wiring to the dry alarm contacts (no-c-nc). External alarm can have a maximum 1-amp load.
The system feed is designed to feed and maintain pressure in closed loop hydronic and solar thermal systems tat require up to 50 psi of cold static pressure using water or glycol (up to 50%) solutions. The commercial-grade diaphragm pump has an internal check valve and is self-priming. The pump is equipped with a secondary pressure switch set to cut out at 60 psi.
The Rundown:
- 6 gal. reservoir w/ 5” vented cap & threaded inserts for optional mounting
- Tank dimensions: 15″w X 12″d X 8″t
- Eliminates the need for a PRV & backflow preventer
- Limits amount of fluid loss in the event of a major system leak
- Fully assembled right out of the box
- UL Listed 10A power supply, cord provided for 120VAC outlet
- List price: $995, expected wholesale comparable to existing market offering
![IMG_4899](http:hydronicshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IMG_4899-1-768x1024.jpg)