Like most add-ons and accessories, the boiler fuel conversion kit is another easy to forget item that stretches out the installation. In the third and final installment on Alta gas-adaptive technology, we’ll cover why fuel conversion is necessary, what was required to accomplish this in the past, and how simple it is to set the Read more
propane
Like most add-ons and accessories, the boiler fuel conversion kit is another easy to forget item that stretches out the installation. In the third and final installment on Alta gas-adaptive technology, we’ll cover why fuel conversion is necessary, what was required to accomplish this in the past, and how simple it is to set the Alta up for either natural or LP gas.
As with most things in life, it’s best to start with the basics. Propane has roughly twice the BTU/ft3 when compared to natural gas. As such, the technician was historically required to replace or adjust certain gas train components to configure the boiler to operate safely, reliably, and efficiently with the selected fuel. Take cast iron boilers for example. The main orifices, pilot, and sometimes even the gas valve were replaced when transitioning from NG to LP, or vice-versa.
On 5:1 turndown condensing boilers such as the U.S. Boiler Alpine, technicians are required to adjust the throttle screw, and then set up combustion appropriately by tuning the boiler with an analyzer, and on occasion adjust the offset screw as well. On other 10:1 high efficiency, condensing products, a venturi replacement was required to switch from NG to LP, or vice versa. After the venturi replacement, combustion tuning is still required to verify optimal combustion settings.
With the Alta boiler, this conversion process is dramatically reduced to two easy steps, with no component replacement or kits required.
When purchasing a boiler, fuel selection is certainly a primary consideration, and there are a few options when ordering a boiler. Some models are available from the factory set up either for natural gas or propane, while others are shipped set for natural gas and must be converted to operate with propane in the field. The latter is true of all Alta boilers, but lucky for you, fuel conversion on the Alta is super simple!
To convert an Alta from natural gas to LP, the technician must turn the fuel screw on the gas valve 1/4 turn to the LP position. Note that on the fuel screw position one is for natural gas, position two is for LP.
Next, simply follow the process listed in the manual to make adjustments on the control.
At this point you may begin looking around for your fuel conversion kit, but as the Alta boiler begins tuning itself for optimal combustion you can simply sit back and relax. The Alta’s gas adaptive system will ensure that your boiler is set for the highest efficiency operation, and all you need to do is press a button.
Is this the end of the gas analyzer?! Don’t put yours up for sale on eBay quite yet. Once your Alta boiler has completed the tuning sequence, we recommend a combustion check just to be sure there is nothing wrong with the venting, combustion air intake, or any other field variables.
So as you prepare for this week there will be hundreds of things to worry about. Are the boiler installs natural gas or LP? Who cares? Skip the conversion kits. Just put in an Alta by U.S. Boiler Company and it will take care of itself.
Washington — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is celebrating the second annual National Propane Day on October 7, 2023. National Propane Day is an opportunity to celebrate all the ways propane keeps America running and to highlight all the benefits propane offers to users everywhere, including homeowners, businesses and construction professionals. “Propane is Read more
Washington — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is celebrating the second annual National Propane Day on October 7, 2023. National Propane Day is an opportunity to celebrate all the ways propane keeps America running and to highlight all the benefits propane offers to users everywhere, including homeowners, businesses and construction professionals.
“Propane is energy for everyone, ensuring resiliency, energy equity, and reducing carbon emissions in communities throughout the nation,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC. “On October 7, we are celebrating National Propane Day by reminding people about the benefits of propane—it’s a clean, reliable, available, and versatile energy source.”
Millions of Americans use low-carbon propane for heat, hot water, cooking, and power generation at home and at work. It is also a popular energy source for school buses, emergency first-responder equipment, high-end restaurants, agriculture operations, and numerous other applications.
As a highly efficient and reliable energy source, propane is also an ideal choice to ensure homes, businesses, and construction crews stay resilient. Propane generators ensure homes and businesses can power essentials when weather strikes or the electric grid goes out. For construction crews, portable propane generators ensure energy is always within reach to power tools and lighting.
As part of National Propane Day, PERC is also celebrating the continued growth and production of renewable propane—an ultra-low carbon option that further moves the propane industry down the path to zero carbon emissions. Renewable propane is made primarily from plant and vegetable oils, animal fats, or used cooking oil. It offers the same great features as conventional propane—reliability, portability, and power—with the added benefit that it introduces no new carbon into the environment.
To learn more about how propane can help construction professionals, visit Propane.com.
Propane and solar can work together to play a large part in national energy conversation Solar Appreciation Day is Friday, March 11, and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is sharing ways that construction professionals and their customers can use propane and solar energy together to reduce their carbon footprint. “Solar PV, an intermittent Read more
Propane and solar can work together to play a large part in national energy conversation
Solar Appreciation Day is Friday, March 11, and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is sharing ways that construction professionals and their customers can use propane and solar energy together to reduce their carbon footprint.
“Solar PV, an intermittent electricity producer, is a low-emission, renewable energy source,” said Bryan Cordill, director of residential and commercial business development at PERC. “However, relying only on solar power can be difficult in regions due to a variety of reasons like the amount of daylight hours during winter or tree cover. Propane can help.”
Currently, propane is used by nearly 12 million U.S. households for home heating, water heating or cooking, and by thousands of American businesses. The more propane appliances a business or home has, the lower the amount of solar power needed to operate lights or charge cell phones. Hybrid systems that run on propane and solar can be tailored to a project’s unique needs, providing lower first costs and reduced ongoing energy costs and emissions.
Large, sustained power outages have continued over the last two decades according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In 2021, more than 8.6 million people experienced a power interruption. Severe weather-related problems have driven much of the increase in large outages shown, as reported by the DOE. In response, consumers are investing in alternate power solutions. This increased demand for clean energy sources is why construction professionals need to be knowledgeable about different energy sources, like solar and propane.
“We need to consider a mix of energy sources (propane, solar, electric, natural gas) to keep our homes and businesses running,” said Cordill. “We can do that with a low-carbon emissions energy source—propane is here now to make that impact. A diverse energy mix ensures reliability during critical events, like severe weather.”
For contractors interested in improving a home’s carbon footprint in an affordable and reliable way for customers, propane is a viable energy solution. When propane is used with solar power systems, emissions are reduced, and reliability is increased. Discover more about the environmental benefits of propane at Propane.com.
Hydronic heating offers complete, energy-saving system for homeowners When your customers are selecting home appliances, what priorities often drive their decision making? If the answer is cost, comfort, or environmental impact, they may be interested to learn more about hydronic systems, which offer efficient home and hot water heating simultaneously. When it comes to hydronic Read more
Hydronic heating offers complete, energy-saving system for homeowners
When your customers are selecting home appliances, what priorities often drive their decision making? If the answer is cost, comfort, or environmental impact, they may be interested to learn more about hydronic systems, which offer efficient home and hot water heating simultaneously.
When it comes to hydronic heating, there are different options: the hydronic furnace and in-floor hydronic radiant heat, which is most commonly used for homes in cold climates.
Here’s an overview of how one of these systems works and how they can benefit both you and your customers.
What is a hydronic furnace?
Hydronic furnaces connect seamlessly to select tankless water heaters and condensing boilers to deliver efficient, simultaneous home heating and domestic hot water in one complete system. Hydronic furnaces use hot water from a tankless water heater, saving installation costs—and making traditional furnaces seem like a thing of the past. By pairing them with propane-powered water heater, contractors can help their customers enjoy steady, comfortable heat throughout their home.
A propane-powered tankless water heater supplies continuous hot water—unlike a traditional storage tank with a capacity of just 50 or 75 gallons and required time to recover between uses—so the system can pump a constant flow through the heating coil and deliver steady, comfortable heat to the home without the need for a fuel-powered furnace, gas piping or an extra exhaust vent to the atmosphere. At the same time, the tankless water heater performs its primary job without interruption, prioritizing heating the water that is piped to showers, sinks, dishwashers, and washing machines.
These systems can be installed in a new home or added to an existing home and can be paired with an air-source heat pump to maintain comfort and efficiencies—even on cold days when the heat pump can’t keep up. Plus, this does away with the super in-efficient resistant heat coil for the emergency heat mode.
How can this technology benefit my customers?
With a hydronic furnace, homeowners can rely on steady, comfortable heating throughout their home, saving space, energy, and money.
Budget-friendly
A tankless water heater is typically more expensive than a traditional storage tank model, but some manufacturers offer the hydronic air handler for less than a comparable gas-powered condensing furnace. When you combine that with installation savings you end up with a lower cost installed product. Plus, because propane-powered tankless water heaters only heat water when it’s needed, they can help homeowners save more than $150 per year in energy costs when compared with typical electric storage tank water heaters.
Increased comfort and control
Comfort is one of the biggest perks of hydronic heating. In fact, many homeowners report that their heat is less dry than heat radiated via a traditional furnace. With a hydronic furnace, homeowners control the air temperature by setting a thermostat, just as they would with a traditional furnace or heat pump.
Sustainable operation
And for environmentally conscious homeowner customers, they can have peace of mind knowing their system is reducing emissions compared with other energy options. Notably, a propane tankless water heater produces roughly half of the carbon emissions of an electric storage tank system when full lifecycle emissions are taken into consideration. Plus, they’re aiding in water conservation efforts because hydronic systems create no wastewater. Instead, they take the water used to heat the air and recirculate it through the tankless water heater.
How can installing hydronic heating benefit my business?
The benefits of hydronic heating don’t stop with the customer. Plumbing and HVAC contractors can reap the benefits, too. The dual technology presents an opportunity for some plumbers to get into the heating business and some mechanical contractors to add tankless water heater installation to their line of services.
Some industry pros predict that builders will embrace hydronic heating as homebuyers already familiar with the benefits of energy- efficient tankless water heaters learn that those energy- and water-saving devices can also help heat their homes.
Visit Propane.com/Water-Heating to learn more.
Bryan Cordill is director of residential and commercial business development for the Propane Education & Research Council. He can be reached at bryan.cordill@propane.com.
Talk resiliency with customers after downloading PERC’s free power generation guide In celebration of National Preparedness Month, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is encouraging construction professionals to download its new resource, The Ultimate Guide to Power Generation. This free, downloadable resource gives construction professionals an in-depth look at propane’s capabilities as a resilient Read more
Talk resiliency with customers after downloading PERC’s free power generation guide
In celebration of National Preparedness Month, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is encouraging construction professionals to download its new resource, The Ultimate Guide to Power Generation.
This free, downloadable resource gives construction professionals an in-depth look at propane’s capabilities as a resilient energy source for residential, commercial, and industrial use by:
- Detailing the different types of propane power generation including prime, standby, towable and portable, and micro-combined heat and power (CHP).
- Educating construction professionals on how to bundle propane generators and propane appliances for more affordable protection.
- Sharing case studies of residential and commercial projects relying on propane generators and micro-CHP systems.
“If you think about the number of systems and appliances that are powered by electricity—whether in a home or commercial building—you can get a sense of the impact a power outage can have,” said Bryan Cordill, director of residential and commercial business development at PERC. “Recent vulnerabilities in our electric grid have prompted Americans to take a closer look at their energy selections and we want them to know they can rely on propane power generation for true peace of mind and security—all without sacrificing cost or environmental impact.”
Propane’s stability and portability make it the ideal backup power energy source. Propane-powered generators offer an efficient, versatile solution to keep homes and businesses running and protect them from the damage a power outage can cause. Available in a wide variety of capacities, there’s a model that can meet the needs of any size home, business, or commercial building. Plus, propane can power other major energy systems, too, reducing a building’s reliance on standby power.
“We want construction professionals to be well-versed in propane’s role in a resilient design and encourage them to start a preparedness conversation with their customers,” Cordill said. “After all, preparedness is the best defense.”
Download PERC’s backup power resource for free at Propane.com/Generators. To learn more about the benefits of propane, visit Propane.com.