HPAC February 2013

PORTABLE HEAT PUMP BASICS

HYDRONIC RADIANT EQUIPMENT SCHEDULES

OUTDOOR WOOD FIRED HEATERS

formulas FOR SUCCESS

HOW TO CALCULATE MEAN RADIANT TEMPERATURES

World’s First CO2 Ice Rink Wall & Ground Hydrants What you need to know Also inside MODERN HYDRONICS 2013 Radiant Equipment Schedules OPTIMIZE RADIANT SYSTEMS

Beat the BTU BLACK HOLE Applying Boiler Protection Logic In A Different Way

How to get the MOST OUT OF multiple boiler systems

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MARCH 2013

VOL. 87 NO. 2

TENTS

36 MAINTENANCE

An Ounce Or So Of Prevention

By Harvey Grodjesk

42 PROJECT PROFILE In The Loop

By Mike Miller

56

RENEWABLES Room For Improvement

By John Siegenthaler

14

Cover image: istockphoto

GM AD

FORMULAS FOR SUCCESS

By Robert Bean

61 HEATING

A Two-In-One Seasonal Alternative

By Clark Michel

68 PLUMBING

Wall and Ground Hydrant Essentials

18 REFRIGERATION

A Solution For The Future

By Luc Boily

MODERN HYDRONICS 2013

21

Radiant Equipment Schedules OPTIMIZE RADIANT SYSTEMS

Beat the BTU BLACK HOLE Applying Boiler Protection Logic In A Different Way

How to get the MOST OUT OF multiple boiler systems COMMUNICATING CONTROLS: A NEW GENERATION BEATING SCALE AND CORROSION MEETING LEED REQUIREMENTS PRODUCT SHOWCASE A PUBLICATION OF

WOOD-FIRED HEATERS

24

SYSTEM DESIGN

That Sinking Feeling

By John Siegenthaler

26

RADIANT

Don't Just Go With The Flow

30 BOILERS

By Ryan Westlund

DEPARTMENTS 6 Industry News 72 Mechanical Supply News 74 People

75 Training 77 Calendar 78 The Source

PRODUCTS

46 HYDRONIC PRODUCTS 64 PLUMBING 70 HVAC/R

Time For A Rethink

By Mark Norris

34 CONTROLS

Staying Ahead Of The Game

By Elizabeth Brown

HPACMAG.COM

FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

3

< UPFRONT Mildly effective is the primo policy descriptor

HPAC Magazine 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 TEL: 416.442.5600 FAX: 416.510.5140 www.hpacmag.com

If you were to order up a renewable energy heat policy

what would you ask for? According to Tim Wohlgemut, CEO and cofounder of ClearSky Advisors (Canada), the best government policies are those that are: multiple, moderate, simple, and mildly effective. Speaking at a recent joint CanSIA and Canadian GeoExchange Coalition workshop,* Wohlgemut discussed the current environment for Canadians who are deciding how to heat their homes or businesses.

“In Canada,” noted Wohlgemut, “the decision is largely made for customers.” When it is a choice, the barriers are awareness, complexity and costs.

He made several recommendations to the audience of policy makers and key industry players. These included: • Do no harm – In reference to excessive growth, bureaucracy, and so on.

• Subtract barriers • Policy by addition – Mimic and align tax breaks, etc., with competing technologies; require infrastructure to be solar ready, for example; and equalize returns – do not penalize consumers for choosing renewables.

• Intervention safeguards – Control returns by putting a phaseout plan in place initially (Wohlgemut referred to this as the pre-nup).

• And finally, paperwork should be limited to a one-page form, inclusive of the agreement.

These recommendations are logical and sensible and beg the question: Why are energy efficiency policies, by and large, failing to produce the results stakeholders and consumers would hope for? At times the mechanical industry reels under the glut of incentives, programs, rebates and sundry schemes hatched by governments and utilities. Currently, there is a dearth of programs and the mechanical industry and consumers are left to wonder what is going to happen next.

As Adrian Hewitt, director of Energence Ltd. in the UK, noted via videoconferencing, “The problem was that incentive programs could be postponed or cut.”

That uncertainty is a great impediment to market growth, technology development, training and energy efficiency gains. Hopefully the interest generated by this workshop is an indication of better things to come.

Editor *See www.hpacmag.com Latest News and HPAC March 2013 for more extensive coverage of the Renewable Heat-Integrating Solar and Heat Pumps in Policy and Technology workshop.

Editor Kerry Turner (416) 510-5218 KTurner@hpacmag.com Sales & Marketing Kim Rossiter (ON LEAVE) Coordinator ACCOUNT John Chiasson MANAGER Associate David Skene (416) 510-6884 publisher DSkene@hpacmag.com Art Director Sandy MacIsaac (416) 442-5600, ext. 3242 SMacisaac@hpacmag.com Market Production Barb Vowles (416) 510-5103 Manager 800-268-7742, ext. 5103 BVowles@bizinfogroup.ca Circulation Manager Selina Rahaman (416) 442-5600, ext. 3528 SRahaman@bizinfogroup.ca PUBLISHER Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 PLeonard@hpacmag.com

BIG Magazines LP Corinne Lynds, Editorial Director Tim Dimopoulos, Executive publisher Alex Papanou, Vice-president of canadian publishing Bruce Creighton, President of Business Information Group

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240, Registration No. 10815 Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning (established 1925) is published 7 times per year

by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. HPAC Magazine is the leading Canadian business publication for the owner/manager of mechanical contracting businesses and their supply partners.

ISSN: 0017-9418 Contents Copyright © 2013 by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., may not be reprinted without permission.

Subscriber Services: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information please visit us at www.hpacmag.com.

Subscription Price per year: $40.00 CDN; Outside Canada per year: $80.00 US; Single copy Canada: $5.00 CDN. Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning is published 7 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues.

Mail Preferences: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Tel: 800.387.0273, Fax: 416.442.2191; E-mail: jhunter@ businessinformationgroup.ca; or by mail: Privacy Office, 80 Valleybrook Dr., Toronto, ON M3B 2S9.

HPAC Magazine receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. HPAC Magazine, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

Notice: HPAC Magazine, BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., their staff, officers, directors and shareholders (hence known as the “Publisher”) assume no liability, obligations, or responsibility for claims arising from advertised products. The Publisher also reserves the right to limit liability for editorial errors, omissions and oversights to a printed correction in a subsequent issue. HPAC Magazine’s editorial is written for management level mechanical industry personnel who have documented training in the mechanical fields in which they work. Manufacturers’ printed instructions, datasheets and notices always take precedence to published editorial statements.

Renewable quote

“

Installing these systems [without monitoring] is a bit like buying an Oldsmobile without a speedometer and gas pedal.

”

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

Proud member of:

Adrian Hewitt, director, Energence Ltd. (UK) via videoconference at the Renewable Heat Workshop, Toronto, ON. 4

HPAC | february 2013

hpacmag.com

© 2012 Masco Canada Limited

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Industry News

SEE THE LATEST HPAC e-newsletter @ hpacmag.com

Federal Skilled Trades Program now open The Government of Canada’s Federal Skilled Trades Program began accepting applications on January 2, 2013. It will accept up to 3000 applications in its first year. There are 43 occupations eligible under the new program, with 26 of them having no limit to the number of applications that will be received within the 3000 limit. This group includes plumbers, sheet metal workers and gas fitters. The other 17 occupations will have a limit of 100 applications each.

“The Federal Skilled Trades Program is yet another tool in the Canadian employer’s toolkit to find the workers they need to build Canada’s future economy,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“This new program, along with all other changes we are introducing, will help us move towards an immigration system that better supports Canada’s economic growth and long-term prosperity," added Kenney. www.cic.gc.ca

Latest technology to be showcased at ISH ISH, the world’s largest showcase for innovative bathroom design, sanitary ware technology, energy-efficient heating, building and air-conditioning technology and renewable energies will take place from March 12-16, 2013, at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre in Frankfurt am Main. This show offers attendees a chance to view the latest products from more than 2300 exhibitors, as well as a full program of workshops and lectures. Delegates can network with more than 203 000 visitors. In 2011, approximately 80 per cent of attendees came from the skilled trades (37 per cent), manufacturing (18 per cent) and wholesale/retail (15 per cent) sectors. An additional 10 per cent of total attendees came from firms of architects, engineers, planners and consultants. www.ish.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en

Red Seal trades designation: calling all gas fitter The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) recently approved the designation of Gas Fitter Class A and Gas Fitter Class B as new Red Seal trades. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) is now seeking journeypersons as trades experts to attend Red Seal development workshops to help build a National Development Analysis for both trades. A National Occupational Analysis (NOA) workshop will take place in March 2012 in Ottawa. www.hrsdc.gc.ca 6

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

3M plant's energy performance recognized by ISO.

tape plant tops in energy management The Government of Canada recentlyrecognized 3M Canada’s Brockville Tape Plant in Brockville, ON, for becoming the first Canadian facility to receive accreditation for the ISO 50001 standard for energy management. The 3M plant is only the second facility to achieve this

accreditation across the globe. The facility also received Platinum Level under the Superior Energy Performance certification program.

The plant has improved its energy performance by more than 15 per cent over the past three years. 3M Canada received $155 000 for its energy management initiative at the Brockville plant from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), through the ecoENERGY Efficiency for Industry program.

Together with consulting company Energy Performance Services Inc., the work was performed by 3M Canada’s team of Andrew Hejnar (energy manager); Earl Taylor (plant engineering leader); Tyler Blakely (master technologist); and Alan Polk (3M Canada corporate lead auditor). www.nrcan.gc.ca hpacmag.com

quebec Report calls for cooling tower regulations The long-awaited final report of Dr. François Desbiens of the DRSP (Direction régionale de santé publique de la Capitale-Nationale) regarding the legionnaires’ outbreak in Quebec City last summer was released December 6, 2012. The unprecedented crisis in Quebec City affected a total of 181 people, including 13 deaths. The 10 recommendations addressed to the Quebec Government aim to prevent a similar situation and to help officials to react quickly if it should happen again.

Mechanical contractors may be most impacted by Recommendations 4 and 5, while the other recommendations relate to public management programs and procedures concerns.

Recommendation 4 reads: To manage design, maintenance and operation of cooling towers by regulations, including a maintenance program.

(l to r) Don Huff, ECO; Keith Major, Bentall Kennedy Canada; Bala Gnanam,BOMA Toronto; Chris Conway, BOMA Toronto; Andrew Pride OPA; Rob Edwards,OPA; Neil Lacheur, Bentall Kennedy Canada; and Mike McGee, Energy Profiles Ltd.

BOMA Toronto awarded for demand management program Building Owners and Managers Association of the Greater Toronto Area (BOMA Toronto) recently received the 2012 Associations Make a Better Canada award from the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) for its development and management of the BOMA Toronto Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) program. The BOMA Toronto CDM Program delivered more than 50MW of conservation by the end of 2010, enough energy to supply 15 000 homes for one year based on Statistics Canada data, according to BOMA Toronto. The program ran from March 2007 to the end of 2010 and was funded by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA). It was developed and managed by both BOMA Toronto and the OPA. www.bomatoronto.org www.csae.com

continued on page 8

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FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

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7

< Industry News

continued from page 7

Solar Canada 2012 attendance heats up Solar Canada celebrated its 20th anniversary, with approximately 4500 exhibitors and attendees in attendance at the 2012 show, which took place from December 3-4, 2012, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

In addition to the trade show, attendees took in a variety of breakout sessions and discussion panels. The industry’s top individuals and companies were celebrated at the Game Changer Awards Gala.

Recommendation 5 reads: To provide adequate resources for the implementation and follow up to ensure compliance with these regulations.

"Considering how contaminated cooling towers impact on people’s health, I am confident that they [government agencies] will take our recommendations seriously," said Dr. Desbiens during a news conference.

Dr. Desbiens’s 145-page report (in French) can be downloaded from the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de la Capitale Nationale website (www.rrsss03. gouv.qc.ca).

Luc Boily, Plomberie, Chauffage & Climatisation

New heating system helps farmers see more green

Solar Canada 2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the event.

A grass pellet heating system pilot project is underway at Perennia Innovation Centre in Bible Hill, N.S. Its purpose is to encourage Nova Scotia’s farmers to produce grass pellets and to show how the renewable energy source can be used.

Nova Scotia’s Department of Agriculture is investing $787 200 to create a building for the heating system next to the innovation centre. There will be a tender issued for a grass pellet supplier. They estimate that the province has the ability to produce 360 000 tonnes of grass pellets per year and add up to $36 million annually to the province's agriculture industry. http://perennia.ca/Innovation_Centre.php

NEBB Conference coming to Canada

From left: Panel chair Mike Crawley (president, International Power Canada), Doug Urban (managing director, Hanwha Solar Canada Inc.), Kerry Adler (director, president and CEO, SkyPower Global), Mike Dilworth (vice-president and country manager, SunEdison Canada) and Terry Olynyk (director of renewable energy, PCL Constructors Canada Inc.).

Solar industry leaders discussed the state of the solar industry during the Industry Leaders Panel held on December 3, 2012, at Solar Canada 2012. The panel addressed several key issues regarding the future of solar in Ontario, including: whether the industry should fight for manufacturing jobs in Ontario, and the need for better communication with the public and political parties concerning job creation related to the solar industry. The panel also discussed Canada’s emerging markets for future solar projects outside Ontario, including Alberta, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan, as well as key future markets outside of the country, including South Africa, Chile and India. www.cansia.ca 8

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

The National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) will hold its 2013 annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Montreal in Montreal, QC on May 2-4. This marks the first time in its history that the event has been held outside of the U.S. The conference theme is “Solutions For Optimizing High Performance Buildings.” Sessions with industry experts will focus on solutions to problems within the HVAC industry and technical updates. There will also be events for attending spouses and a golf tournament at the Club de Golf de L’ile de Montreal. For more information, contact Precision Meeting & Events at 703.739.4480 or e-mail NEBB@teamprecision.com. www.nebb.org

Hydro-Quebec offers extension for heat pump grant Hydro-Quebec recently announced that its Residential Geothermal Heat Pump Program would continue until at continued on page 10 hpacmag.com

HVAC Solutions.

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Its easy to install brackets provide a quick and precise method to accurately position and install both parts of the pump quickly. The two piece design allows the reservoir to be placed within the air handler while the pump-controller is located outside the air handler.

www.franklin-electric.com/lg

< Industry News

continued from page 8

least the end of March 2013. They had previously announced that residential subsidy programs would end effective December 31, 2012, as part of its rate case hearing.

However, the Quebec Energy Board granted the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition’s (CGC) motion to extend the program until a final decision is rendered on Hydro-Quebec's 2013-2014 rate case in March, which will include whether the utility will have to maintain the program beyond April 2013. The CGC requested that the program continue for a minimum of one additional year. CGC accredited installers working in Quebec are expected to receive an official communication from Hydro-Québec about the order to safeguard the program. www.geo-exchange.ca

North America leading the way in industrial energy efficiency A recent report from the Institute for Industrial Productivity (IIP) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) states that the U.S. and Canada are leading the globe in innovative programs for industrial energy efficiency services to customers. The report, titled Energy Efficiency Resource Acquisition Program Models in North America, reviews eight industrial energy efficiency programs in the U.S. and Canada

(two in Canada and six in the U.S.), all chosen based on their ability to secure energy efficiency as a resource to meet current and future regional energy needs. To view the report, visit: www.aceee.org/research-report/ie126.

HRAI polls members and addresses apprenticeship ratios The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute (HRAI) recently made submissions to the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) review of apprenticeship ratios. Twenty-two compulsory trades will come under OCOT’s jurisdiction starting in April 2013.

HRAI made submissions on revised journeyperson to apprentice ratios for the following trades: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic (313A); Residential Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic (313D); Sheet Metal Worker (308A); and Residential (Low Rise) Sheet Metal Installer (308R).

In preparation for its submission, HRAI had surveyed contractor members in Ontario. Members were asked for their preferred ratios and their rationale. The survey results were representative of the membership and showed a strong bias towards a one-to-one ratio for all the trades noted

Construct Canada 2012 The 24th edition of Construct Canada took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from November 27-30, 2012. More than 1050 exhibits were on display with over 24 000 visitors in attendance. The show featured more than 450 speakers. The show was held concurrently with HomeBuilder and Renovator Expo, PM Expo, Concrete Canada and the Design Trends Pavilion. Next year’s show will take place from December 4-6, 2013, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. www.constructcanada.com

Construct Canada showcased more than 1050 exhibits over the three-day show.

Kirk Johnson, manager of the Canada GREEN UP program at the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), discussed the value of energy benchmarking systems as a way for property owners to compare their building’s performance to the market on Thursday, November 29, 2012. Johnson, along with Phil Jago (director of the buildings division of the Office of Energy Efficiency) and Julie St. Michael, manager of research and environmental programs at the Real Property Association of Canada, answered questions from moderator Eric Chisholm (project associate for green planning and design at Halsall Associates) on the importance and future of benchmarking, as well as how building owners can start using energy benchmarking.

10

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

hpacmag.com

above, as well as others employed in the industry. HRAI's submissions present a case for moving the ratios to one-toone across the board for the refrigeration and air conditioning, as well as the sheet metal trades.

The rationale was principally that current ratios are dampening the ability of the industry to grow (this sentiment was expressed frequently and loudly in the survey). In addition to this need for business growth, a list of 11 other criteria for review established by the OCOT were addressed in the submissions. Among other considerations, it is noteworthy that all other provinces and territories in Canada, except for Québec, have less restrictive ratios for these trades, with four provinces recently even going to a ratio of two apprentices to one journeyperson.

Following the schedule established by the OCOT, HRAI will be making supplementary oral submissions in mid-April. A final decision is expected about a month later. All submissions on ratio review can be viewed on the OCOT website: www.collegeoftrades.ca/ratioreviews.

For more information, contact Martin Luymes at 800.267.2231, ext. 235, or e-mail mluymes@hrai.ca.

From HRAI Industry News

Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition offers up free tools The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) recently developed an educational tool for water suppliers in Canada and the U.S. titled, Understanding Water Supply for Home Fire Sprinkler Systems, designed to answer common questions about sprinkler technology and offer information about itsbenefits. The non-profit organization created the tool through the use of FEMA Fire Prevention & Safety Grant.

The kit includes a DVD video offering an overview of residential sprinklers systems and water supplies, connections and usage; as well as a detailed brochure. To download the free materials, visit: www.homefiresprinkler.org.

Manitoba Hydro announces incentive for energy efficient upgrades Manitoba Hydro released a new financing program last November called Power Smart Pay As You Save (PAYS). It is designed to offer residential customers the option of completing energy efficient upgrades to their homes while minimizing upfront costs and future monthly finance payments. www.hydro.mb.ca/your_home/power_smart/pays/index.shtml

HVAC Coalition settles with Enbridge The HVAC Coalition recently reached an agreement with Enbridge Gas Distribution regarding changes to the terms hpacmag.com

Canada’s plumbing, HVAC/R, hydronic, electrical and lighting expo will take place April 17-18 at the Place Bonaventure in Montreal, QC. This trade show offers attendees an opportunity to network with a range of professionals, including contractors, wholesalers, builders, engineers, architects, designers, renovators and maintenance personnel. The trade show is expected to host approximately 7000 industry delegates and 420 exhibitors from Canada and the U.S. Other show features include: the New Product Showcase, which will be judged by a panel of judges; and a free seminar program offering practical solutions to technical, sales and design challenges. For details, contact show manager Elizabeth McCullough at 416.695.0447 or e-mail: e.mccullough@ciph.com. www.mcee.ca and conditions of the Open Bill Access program introduced by the utility. The changes were designed to give Enbridge increased ability to discipline billers for engaging in perceived disreputable practices, including the door-to-door sales practices of some companies that are presenting themselves to consumers as if they are from, or affiliated with Enbridge.

The HVAC Coalition was worried that the changes could become “unduly restrictive” to smaller companies. It reached a settlement that was approved by the Ontario Energy Board on November 27 with one outstanding item.

Some of the billing parties proposed making stricter protocol for third-party verification, which would apply to new rental contracts entered into by customers. It is unclear whether Enbridge will continue the Open Bill Access program beyond 2013. www.enbridge.com

MCA Canada hangs 10 in Hawaii The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) recently held its 71st national conference in Maui, Hawaii.

The event featured presentations from a variety of speakers, including keynote speaker explorer/adventurer Dr. Jeff Salz (doctor of cultural anthropology); as well as Dr. Perry Danishgari, Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura and Dr. Awad Hanna who spoke about reducing labour rates, using technology to improve productivity and increasing profitability through pre-construction planning.

During the annual awards breakfast, former MCA Canada continued on page 12 FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

11

< Industry News

continued from page 11

CLIPS >> The Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC) has sent out a call for nominations for a new award, the Canadian Hydronics Council Award of Merit. All nominations must be submitted

by March 31, 2013 at 5 p.m. www.ultimatecomfort.ca >> An updated version of the B149 Gas Code Series was adopted into Ontario legislation on December 1, 2012. www.csagroup.org

The 74th Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES) Canada Education Conference and AGM, “Education Beyond Borders,” will take place from April 24-27, 2013 at the Hilton Hotel & Suites Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, ON. This year’s edition features a pre-conference on April 24 and will have a variety of speakers/seminars including: Andre Patenaude (Emerson), Brenda Mortson (Lennox), Garth Denison (RSES), Paul Appler (Cliplight), Phil Boudreau (Blitzer), Rob Robertson (LG Commercial) and Vince Bagetta (Noble). The exhibition/trade show will take place on April 26 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information on the event, contact Nick Reggi at dreggi@cogeco.ca or call 905.842.9199. www.rsescanada.com

chairman Mel Prowse (H. Giffiths Company) was presented with a Life Member Award and immediate past-chair Bob Hoare received the Lloyd McLean Memorial Award. MCA Canada’s chairman Brad Diggens was voted in to continue to serve as chairman of the association. MCA Canada’s 72nd national conference will take place from September 25-28, 2013, in Winnipeg, MB. www.mcac.ca

Rebate program heats up in Nova Scotia Applications for the Province of Nova Scotia’s Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP) are available for the 2013 winter season. The program offers eligible applicants rebates of up to $200. More than 51 000 Nova Scotians received rebates through the program last winter. www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/access/individuals/heating-assistance-rebate-program.asp < > 12

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

>> A proposed addendum to ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.12010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, could boost chiller efficiencies for air and water cooled chillers by more than 20 per cent. It changes the requirements for air and water cooled chillers as defined in section 6.4.2.1 and the efficiency requirements listed in table 6.8.1C. www.ashrae.org >> ASHRAE and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are collaborating to develop and publish a new Guide for Sustainable Refrigerated Facilities and Systems. It is expected to be complete in early 2014. www.ashrae.org >> The Ontario Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) revised fee schedules will be coming into effect for the majority of customers as of May 1, 2013. Boilers and pressure vessels (BPV) customers will see an average increase of 3.1 per cent. For other changes see: www.tssa. org/corporate/feeschedules2013.asp >> The Ontario HVAC Coalition held its annual general meeting on November 27, 2012, and approved the appointment of a new board of directors. The coalition’s board is comprised of Roger Grochmal (AtlasCare, chair), Steve Saunders (Goodman Company, secretary-treasurer), Rob Jutras, (Reliance Home Comfort, past chair), John Bosanac (Bosanac Heating), Gerry Cellucci (Yorkland Controls), David Graeme (Belyea Brothers), Warren Heeley (HRAI, ex-officio), Mike Martino (Martino Contractors), Dave McPherson (Rheem Canada), Peter Messenger (A1 Air Conditioning), Dave Murtland (D.A. Walker ClimateCare), Bill Vale (Triple B Solutions) and John Vella (York International). hpacmag.com

Photo: istockphoto

RSES to cool off in Niagara this spring

>> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the final criteria for ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2013. Canada will use this criteria in 2013. www.energystar.gov

touch for fresh air

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The touchscreen IAQPoint2 pours fresh air comfort into your building and puts money into your pocket by using demand-controlled ventilation and triple monitoring (CO2 or VOC, Temperature and Humidity). Everyone who touches IAQPoint2 benefits from the simple and secure, easy to navigate touchscreen interface.

To cut your building’s energy costs, get in touch.

Scan here with a code reader on your smartphone to view the video “As Easy as Breathing: Wall-Mounting the IAQPoint2”

Visit www.IAQPoint2.com to view the IAQPoint2 IAQ Monitor in action. © 2013 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

< BUILDING SCIENCE

Formulas For Success Solve the mean radiant temperature problems to solve building energy problems. BY ROBERT BEAN

I

f building codes dropped the reference to controlling air temperatures and switched the requirements to controlling mean radiant temperature (MRT or tmr) building performance specifications would have to change overnight and for the better. Despite its significance in thermal comfort and energy efficiency, many people do not really understand what MRT is.

Why is our understanding of MRT important?

One very good reason is found in the National Building Code of Canada v2010: Section A-5.3.1.2.(1) Use of Thermal Insulation or Mechanical Systems for Environmental Control which states, "In addition to controlling condensation, interior surface temperatures must be warm enough to avoid occupant discomfort due to excessive heat loss by radiation." If the code references interior surface temperatures and comfort we certainly ought to know something about interior surface temperatures and comfort.

To put MRT into practical terms, it means: surfaces cooler than skin temperature will draw energy away from the body via radiation resulting in a sensation of cooling. Likewise it means surfaces warmer than skin temperature will impede the release of energy from the body via radiation resulting in a sensation of heating.

So let's have a short lesson on MRT by first stating that it is: "the theoretical uniform surface temperature of an enclosure in which an occupant would exchange the same amount of radiant heat as in the actual non-uniform enclosure."

Graphically MRT can be shown as the simplified illustration on the left side image in Figure 1, where the globe thermometer would convert all the non-uniform temperatures of the right side image into a homogenous or uniform value. This is an acceptable solution for numerical calculations addressing

a general comfort factor such as MRT but the caveat is - it does not address the actual ambiguous or non-uniform conditions influencing localized discomfort due to such things as radiant asymmetry, drafts, air temperature stratification or unacceptable floor surface temperatures.

We are going to set aside localized discomforts for the rest of this discussion and focus exclusively on MRT and how it fits into another thermal indices called, "Operative Temperature (to or top)." Operative temperature is the value shown on the x-axis of the frequently referenced psychrometric chart found in ASHRAE Standard 55 - Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy (Figure 2).

Operative Temperature by definition is, "the uniform temperature of an enclosure in which an occupant would exchange the same amount of heat by radiation plus convection as in the actual non uniform environment." This is not a trivial element to ignore since the majority in industry still incorrectly contract air temperature as the solitary metric for thermal comfort when research clearly shows that radiant transfer represents anywhere between 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the sensible transfer from occupants in various indoor environments at normal activity levels.ii Those who specialize in thermal comfort advise that spaces where the occupants are engaged in near sedentary physical activity with metabolic rates between 1.0 and 1.3; not in direct sunlight and not exposed to air velocities greater than 0.20m/s(40fpm); and where the difference between

Figure 2 The psychrometric "thermal comfort" chart taken from the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 indicates "operative temperature" on the x-axis for the comfort zone.i

Figure 1 Uniform (l) versus non-uniform(r) environment. Mean radiant temperature (MRT) integrates the non-uniform surface temperatures into a single representative value. Operative temperature then integrates the MRT with the dry-bulb temperature (tdb).

14

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

hpacmag.com

MRT and dry-bulb is less than 4C (7F), the operative temperature (to) can be approximated with sufficient accuracy using this simple formula;

to= (tmr+tdb)/2 where, to = operative temperature °R (K) tmr = mean radiant temperature (also MRT) °R (K) tdb = dry‐bulb temperature, i.e., the air temperature measured by a dry temperature sensor or thermometer, °R (K)

Figure 3

Operative temperature both differentiates and integrates the mean radiant and dry‐bulb temperatures. Built to Code houses typically have lower MRT’s in winter and higher MRT’s in summer which have to be compensated for using mechanical solutions and/or adaptive behaviours otherwise occupants will express dissatisfaction with the thermal environment.

Figure 4 The relationship between mean radiant and dry‐bulb for three different operative temperatures. It is the operative temperature indicated on the thermal comfort chart in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 (see Figure 2).

You should imagine this formula as illustrated in Figure 3.

Picture these values sitting on a teeter‐totter just the kind you would find in a school playground. On one side you have the mean radiant and on the other the dry‐bulb. What this tells us is that for a given operative temperature (shown at the fulcrum), the mean radiant temperature in a space needs to go up if the air temperature goes down; likewise the mean radiant temperature needs to go down if the dry‐bulb goes up.

This is in fact the principle behind the ability to operate spaces conditioned with radiant based HVAC system at a lower dry‐bulb in heating or higher dry‐bulb temperature in cooling (tdb).

You can see this MRT, to and tdb relationship plotted on a graph as shown in Figure 4. Note the resultant operative temperature from any combination of mean radiant and dry‐bulb temperature.

So what you should know at this point is operative temperature is a key component of thermal comfort of which the MRT is intimately coupled; plus you should know MRT is intimately associated with building performance where good to great buildings have cooler interior surfaces in summer and warmer interior surfaces in winter (Figure 5).

So how do we calculate MRT? Well that all depends on how accurate you want or need to be…the following flow chart (Figure 6) will get you started in the right direction.

#1 Easy Method (AUST) The easiest but least representative method is the weighted average of all the surface temperatures in the space (AUST) and that formula looks like thisv;

tmr=t1A1+t2A2+…+tNAN/(A1+A2+…+AN) Figure 5

Good to great enclosures versus bad enclosures. Good to great enclosures don’t leak and have above code insulation values; this means spaces will have a higher MRT in winter and a lower MRT in summer. Shown is an FEA analysis I did for 2x4 and 2x6 walls with varying amounts of exterior insulation (0 to 100mm). Note which walls have relative cold penetrations into the wall cavity compared to those where the cold is kept outside of the wall cavity. Also note the combination of wall and exterior insulation where resistance becomes effective.

where, tmr = mean radiant temperature (MRT≈ equal to AUST), °R (K) tN = temperature of the inside surface N, °R (K) AN = Area of surface N, ft2 (m2) Continued on p. 16

Figure 6

Three methods of determining MRT based on complexity and accuracy.

hpacmag.com

FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

15

< BUILDING SCIENCE

Continued from p. 15

The area you can obtain from the blueprints leaving you with calculating the inside surface temperatures of each of the six sides (tu) of the enclosure (Figure 7). Easy task right?

Well not really because of the involved dynamics due to fenestration and transient conditions but ASHRAE does provide a simple solution for very simple problems and this is how it looks;

tu= ta-U/h(ta- to) where, tu = inside surface temperature, °F (C) ta = dry‐bulb indoor space design(also tdb), °F (C) to = dry‐bulb outdoor space design, °F (C) U = overall (weighted)heat transfer coefficient, Btuh∙ft2∙°F (W/m2∙ K) h = natural‐convection coefficient of the inside surface, Btuh∙ft2∙°F (W/m2∙K)

Table 1. Natural convection: heat transfer coefficients, h surface (orientation)

W/(m2•K)

Btuh•ft2•oF

horizontal surface with heat flow up

9.26

1.63

vertical surface (wall)

9.09

1.46

horizontal surface with heat flow down

8.29

1.08

Source: ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Systems and Equipment, Chapter 6, 1012, Section 6.5 Formula 13

Now, if all you were doing is a simple, good to great enclosure with low window to wall ratios and all you wanted was to understand the overall radiant influence on the occupant and space – well then Ms. and Mr. Designer use the method above. It is as simple as it gets while retaining your sanity.

Just remember that if you are using a radiant based HVAC system such as radiant floors, substitute the design temperature of the floor instead of calculating the floor surface temperature using formula 3.

#2 Intermediate Method (Plane Radiant, tpr ) Unlike method one, method #2 recognizes the occupant in the space and provides for two positions, that of standing or seated; these formulae look like this;

tmr(standing)= {0.08[tpr(up)+tpr(down)]+0.23[tpr(right)+tpr(left)] +0.35[tpr(front)+tpr(back)]}/[2(0.08+0.23+0.35)] and,

tmr(seated)= {0.18[tpr(up)+tpr(down)]+0.22[tpr(right)+tpr(left)] +0.30[tpr(front)+tpr(back)]}/[2(0.18+0.22+0.30)] 16

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

where, tpr = plane radiant temperature, °R (K)iii and where, pr(up) = ceiling temperature above the occupant, pr(down) = floor temperature below occupant, pr(right) = wall temperature to the right of the occupant pr(left) = wall temperature to the left of the occupant pr(front) = wall temperature in front of the occupant pr(back) = wall temperature behind the occupant As you can see method #2 adds a little bit more complexity but it is not difficult math. Like method #1 the accuracy will depend more on how one determines the weighted inside surface temperature from each of the six sides of the enclosure.

#3 Difficult Method (Angle or View Factor, Fp-N ) For greater accuracy in more complex spaces the MRT should be calculated from surfaces above and below the center of gravity of the occupant and from all six sides (Figure 7); and the calculation must consider the coordinates of the occupant in relation to each of the surfaces, mathematically it is shown as;

tmr4= t14Fp-1+t24Fp-2+…+tN4Fp-N where, tmr = mean radiant temperature, °R (K) tN = surface temperature of surface N, °R (K) Fp-N = angle factor between a person and surface N The angle (view) factor (Fp-N ) (Figure 8) describes the geometric relationship an occupant has with each surface. The larger and closer the surface is to a person the more potential it has to thermally influence the occupant. To some degree for example, we intuitively know that as we get closer to some surfaces like cold windows we can sense a corresponding influence on our discomfort. Likewise radiant floors for a seated person in a tall space would have more influence on the occupant than say radiant ceilings of the same temperature simply because of the comparative distance from the occupant to those surfaces.

It is beyond the scope of this article to take the readers through a complete angle factor calculation which requires at a minimum, 24 separate determination of view factors (Fp-N) and 24 corresponding surface temperatures (tN) plus the summation of the 24 products(tN4Fp-N) to derive a MRT; but I will show you the key component of angle (view) factors in the graphs developed by Fanger.

The late Professor Ole Fanger published a number of formulae and graphs in his seminal doctoral thesis, "Thermal Comfort: Analysis and Applications in Environmental Engineering." hpacmag.com

These tools from his 1970 paper are applied today to analyze the influence of surface temperatures on occupants based on the person's geometric coordinates within a space. Along with the angle factor and hand or computer calculations of surface temperatures, one can define the MRT for any individual within any space. Together with the air temperature one can then also define the operative temperature and thus be able to provide at least one key ingredient in thermal comfort analysis. Although not entirely practical for very simple

Figure 7

Six sides of an enclosure with occupant positioned off-centered.

Note the four separate panels identified on the right wall. Each of these surfaces (1 through 4) would have their own angle (view) factor and temperature. This is typical for all surfaces surrounding the occupant therefore at a minimum there will be 24 separate determinations of angle factors (Fp-N ) and 24 corresponding surface temperatures which is why this method falls into the difficult and tedious category.

uniform spaces with low loads where MRT and tdb are essentially equal, it is immensely useful for non-uniform environments of complex geometries (think origami glass buildings).

The challenge with using graphs in general is the error in interpreting intersection points. For simplification and improvement in accuracy, the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA )published the following formulas and accompanying Table 2, (abridged here for brevity)v;

Fp-N= Fmax(1-e-(a/c)/t)(1-e-(b/c)/g) Where, Fp-N = angle factor between a person and surface N and,

t= A+B (a/c) g= C+D (b/c) + E(a/c) Values for A through E can be found in Table 2:

Table 2. Terms for calculating angle factors for a seated person Occupant position

Fmax A B C D E

Seated person, Figure B Vertical surfaces: wall, window 0.118 1.216 0.169 0.717 0.087 0.052 Seated person, Figure A Horizontal surfaces: floor, ceiling 0.116 1.396 0.130 0.951 0.080 0.055 Ref: Table 2.1 REHVA Guidebook No. 7, Low Temperature Heating, High Temperature Cooling, pg. 11, 2007

Figure 8 Angle factor example for surface #1 from the front wall, upper left panel in Figure 7: if a = 4m , b = 3m, c = 5m; then b/c = 3/5 = 0.6 and a/c = 4/5 = 0.8, and then Fp-1 = 0.029iv

The intent of this article was to first introduce readers to mean radiant temperature and how and where it fits into thermal comfort analysis using operative temperature. Secondly I wanted to describe three methods of calculating MRT so design practitioners can choose a method appropriate for the spaces being evaluated. Obviously if this is new to you, you have your work cut out to study the literature and attend classes which cover this content. But once you have a basic grasp of the principles I would encourage you to obtain a copy of the ASHRAE Thermal Comfort Software Tool which has an MRT calculator among other "comfort" features (see Figure 9 on p78).

My last thoughts on this topic come from global IEQ expert Dr. B.W. Olesen (Director of the International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Denmark) who stated, "We cannot forget â&#x20AC;&#x201C; energy efficiency in buildings is for the benefit of conditioning the occupants." This is echoed by industry colleague Dr. Fergus Nicol (Professor Emeritus of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University) who said, "An energy declaration without a declaration related to the indoor environment makes no sense." Both of these statements draw attention Continued on p. 78

hpacmag.com

FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

17

< REFRIGERATION

A Solution For The Future

Marcel-Dutil Arena in Quebec is the first rink in the world that uses 100 per cent carbon dioxide in its cooling system. BY LUC BOILY

T

his new generation installation has been made possible through the development of new compressors and new control valves. Let’s remind ourselves that the cooling system of traditional rinks contains ammonia or freon as primary refrigerant, and water/glycol, brine or methanol as secondary refrigerant. The rink at Marcel-Dutil Arena uses R-744 (CO2), a natural, non-toxic, non-corrosive and high efficiency refrigerant in both its primary and secondary systems.

Innovation In partnership with the distributor Inno-Glace and others, Groupe-conseil Roche Ltée developed an innovative solution which earned the firm a Visionary award in the mechanical electrical building category, from the Association des ingé-

“..as there is no phase change inside the pipe network under the rink, the CO2 temperature remains the same from input to output. Thus, ice can be maintained at a steady temperature, a thing we can’t do with a traditional system.”

nieurs conseils du Québec (AICQ). Roche was involved in the CO2 system adaptation, the main pipes running from the mechanical room to the rink, and the layout of some 16 500 m of copper pipes in the concrete slab of the rink. The capability of the system, which includes seven 20 HP compressors, is up to 70 tons. A three HP variable speed pump allows the CO2 to flow freely in the entire piping system.

Bernard Landry, executive engineer at Roche, explains that as there is no phase change inside the pipe network under the rink, the CO2 temperature remains the same from input to output. Thus, ice can be maintained at a steady temperature, which cannot be done with a traditional system.

"With this new technology, a liquid state CO2 is pumped from a low pressure tank directly to a pipe network into the concrete slab. Since there is no secondary refrigerant, we can adjust the evaporation temperature at -7C, while maintaining the ice temperature at -5C,” said Landry.

Luc Simard, engineer at CSC Group Inc., the cooling specialist firm that has developed the equipment used at the Marcel-Dutil Arena, sees a brilliant and exponential future for CO2 systems. "Several projects using carbon dioxide are currently on the table, and many municipalities have sent a request to the Quebec’s ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS) to get a grant to convert their old R-22 system by a new green CO2 system,” reported Simard.

Continued on p20

Reconditioning and leveling the surface.

18

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

The system has a higher evaporating temperature than standard ice rink refrigeration systems, as there is no secondary fluid. hpacmag.com

New year, New furnace!

Continued from p18

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The municipality saved over 4000 litres of propane to maintain the ice at Marcel-Dutil Arena, Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce, QC.

Other benefits

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The cooling system is not the only innovation involved. A heat recovery system, as the temperature of the water is about 71C (160F) instead of the 32C (90F) seen with traditional ammonia systems, takes care of 80 per cent of the heat demanded by the building, and 100 per cent of the heat demanded by domestic hot water, mainly for showers and ice resurfacing.

For the municipal government, the choice of this technology has not only allowed the arena to be more energy efficient - saving about 30 per cent on utility bills - but also to meet the requirements of the Montreal Protocol, which phases out ozone depleting substances, including refrigerants such as freon, by 2020.

The mayor of Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce, Eric Lachance, is proud to have dared to make the change. "I’ve already made a place near my wood stove for a Phénix and an Énergia award," he said with a smile. <> Luc Boily is the editor of Plomberie, Chauffage & Climatisation, HPAC's French language sister publication. www.hpacmag.com hpacmag.com

MODERN HYDRONICS 2013 Radiant Equipment Schedules OPTIMIZE RADIANT SYSTEMS

Beat the BTU BLACK HOLE Applying Boiler Protection Logic In A Different Way

How to get the MOST OUT OF multiple boiler systems COMMUNICATING CONTROLS: A NEW GENERATION BEATING SCALE AND CORROSION MEETING LEED REQUIREMENTS PRODUCT SHOWCASE A PUBLICATION OF

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David Skene (416) 510-6884 DSkene@hpacmag.com

That Sinking Feeling

Do not let a cool slab dominate your panel radiators.

By John Siegenthaler

An Ounce Or So Of Prevention Keep boilers more efficient and corrosion free.

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In The Loop Radiant system design and performance a key factor in meeting LEED requirements.

a supplement of Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning Magazine HPAC Magazine 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 TEL: 416.442.5600 FAX: 416.510.5140 www.hpacmag.com Editor ACCOUNT MANAGER Associate publisher Art Director

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Don't Just Go With The Flow

Creating hydronic radiant equipment schedules.

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Time For A Rethink

Multiple condensing boiler systems call for a multitude of design considerations.

By Mark Norris

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Staying Ahead Of The Game

Modern technology allows radiant industry to respond to growing expectations and customized needs.

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Room For Improvement Designing hydronic systems around outdoor wood-fired boilers.

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| 23

>> System Design

That Sinking Feeling Do not let a cool slab dominate your panel radiators.

M

any of you reading this column have gained a healthy respect for the ability of a cool concrete slab to suck heat out of warm water passing through embedded tubing. Under the right conditions, a cold slab can pull heat from that water several times faster than when the system is operating under design load conditions. A cool concrete slab is like a “black hole” for Btus.

It gobbles up any heat that dares to get close.

Over the last three decades, the North American hydronics industry has learned to deal with this in systems where the heat source is a gas-fired or oil fired boiler. The solution is to install a mixing assembly that is operated by a controller that measures the boiler’s inlet temperature, as well as the water temperature supplied to the distribution system. This concept, and the placement of the associated temperature sensors, is shown in Figure 1.

The hardware the makes up the mixing assembly can be a three-way or four-way motorized mixing valve, a two-way motorized injection valve, or a variable speed injection pump. All of these devices rely on the same thermodynamic principles when it comes to boiler protection. Figure 2 shows these, as well as other valid mixing options that can properly protect a boiler from sustained flue gas condensation.

When the boiler inlet temperature is below some preset minimum (typically around 130F for a gas-fired boiler), the controller reduces the hot water flow rate from the boiler loop, through the mixing assembly and into the distribution system. The goal

Figure 1 System with mixing assembly

24 | february 2013

is to maintain the boiler’s heat exchanger above the dewpoint of the exhaust gases and thus avoid sustained flue gas condensation. I have watched this control logic in action many times and always with a smile of satisfaction.

A NEW TWIST A recent e-mail about an improperly performing system got me thinking about how to apply this boiler protection logic in a different way. Here is a brief summary of the situation.

The problem job involved a very well insulated house in a very cold climate. The house was heated by a radiant slab in the basement and by panel radiators on the first and second floors. The heat source was a 6KW (20 500 Btuh) electric boiler.

During the day, the basement zone remained off most of the time due to internal heat gains. Under these conditions, the panel radiators worked fine. However, when the basement thermostat called for heat in early evening, the water temperature available to the panel rads quickly dropped into the range of 70F to 80F. This low water temperature prevented the panel rads from maintaining the temperature on the first and second floor much above 60F for several hours. Not surprisingly, the owners were not overly impressed with their new system.

The cause of the thermal depression was the voracious appetite of that cool basement slab after coasting down in temperature for several hours. This transient load, in combination with a normal load on the panel radiator circuits, was more than the 6KW boiler could handle.

Figure 2 Mixing options

MODERN HYDRONICS

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Modern Hydronics

“It is like a “thermal clutch” that smoothly unloads the primary loop from the thermal appetite of a cool slab.”

THE SOLUTION The objective in this situation was to not protect the electric boiler from a low inlet water temperature. A boiler that operates without combustion does not need protection against sustained flue gas condensation. Instead, this system needed protection against unacceptably low supply water temperatures to the panel radiators while the slab was recovering from a cool condition.

We solved the thermal depression problem by using a threeway motorized mixing valve with integrated boiler protection logic applied in a slightly different manner. Instead of installing the boiler temperature sensor on the inlet of the boiler, we placed it on the outlet from the boiler as seen in Figure 3.

The panel radiators in the system shown in Figure 3 were selected based on a maximum supply water temperature of 140F. The radiant floor circuits required a maximum supply water temperature of 102F. The primary loop through the boiler ensures that the minimum two-gpm flow rate required by the boiler manufacturer is present whenever either load calls for heat.

Because they require the higher fluid temperature, the panel radiators are the first secondary circuit served along the primary loop. This first load creates a drop in fluid temperature supplied to the second set of closely-spaced tees. However, the temperature at the upstream tee is still above that which is required by the floor heating circuits. The three-way motorized mixing valve operates with outdoor reset control to provide an appropriate supply temperature to the slab circuits.

Figure 3 Boiler temperature sensor placement

Notice that the boiler sensor for the mixing valve is placed ahead of the first set of closely-spaced tees. If the controller operating the mixing valve sees this temperature approach, or drop below a set minimum value, it begins closing the hot port of the mixing valve. It is like a “thermal clutch” that smoothly unloads the primary loop from the thermal appetite of a cool slab. This ensures that the panel radiators are supplied with a fluid temperature that is high enough to allow them to meet their portion of the heating load, without having to wait hours for the cool slab to warm back to normal operating conditions.

All heat not extracted by the panel radiators goes to the slab.

The boiler is operating continuously and at full capacity under such conditions.

Some of you may be thinking that this approach limits how fast a building can heat up follow a setback. This is not true.

The boiler would be running continuously and at full capacity during this mode and its output is what limits how fast the building can heat up. This technique just redirects where, within the system, the heat is being released.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES This approach can also be used to protect other loads from the thermal appetite of a cool slab. A good example is an indirect water heater. Without the type of protection described above, heat stored within the indirect water heater can be quickly stripped away if the circulator for the indirect heater is operating at the same time the slab is warming up. If someone happens to be showering at the same time, it is going to be exhilarating, but for all the wrong reasons.

This technique can also be used on systems where snowmelting is one of the loads supplied by a mod/con boiler. Such boilers do not require protection against flue gas condensation and thus a mixing device is seldom installed between the boiler and the snowmelting manifolds. However, if other loads such as domestic water heating or space heating are to take priority, a mixing assembly with its boiler sensor monitoring supply water temperature can hold the reins back on that cold slab until ample capacity is available. Use it where it is appropriate.

- John SIEGENTHALER

John Siegenthaler, P.E. is the author of Modern Hydronic Heating (the third edition of this book is now available).

For reference information and software to assist in hydronic system design visit www.hydronicpros.com.

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MODERN HYDRONICS

february 2013

| 25

>> Design

Don't Just Go With The Flow Creating hydronic radiant equipment schedules is the key to successful radiant projects.

S

uccessful radiant projects come in all shapes and sizes. For many projects in which the preliminary work is completed by a mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) firm, a radiant equipment schedule is included.

An effective radiant equipment schedule will ideally incorporate numerous golden nuggets of information about the proposed radiant system, both for other engineers supporting the design of a building's HVAC system, as well as for the contractor who is bidding the radiant system.

An effective equipment schedule provides: 1) the total flow rate required to each manifold, as well as the head loss it will induce, as reference for the engineer sizing the distribution system for the radiant manifolds 2) a fairly accurate idea of how many manifolds and how much PEX pipe will be needed to serve zones as reference for the contractor, and 3) the total radiant system capacity under design conditions, allowing the engineers specifying the air side of the HVAC system to appropriately size components to complement radiant capacity for an optimized hybrid radiant-forced air system design.

Radiant heating and cooling projects, such as the YWCA Toronto Elm Centre shown here, require an effective radiant equipment schedule.

Even if an MEP firm is not involved (as is the case with some residential construction projects), it is important that contractors have a basic understanding of when and how to apply hydronic equations that are commonly used to size a system. It is often the contractor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who is intimately involved in the installation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that is the first to raise red flags when errors have occurred in the sizing process. Although radiant design seems fairly straightforward, there are many steps in creating a radiant schedule that, when executed out of order or omitted completely, can leave the final radiant designer or contractor picking up the pieces during (or worse, after) the bid process.

RADIANT CAPACITY RULE OF THUMB In the "good old days of radiant," in-slab systems only tackled the heating side of a building's conditioning. If more capacity was needed from a system, one could keep increasing the EWT1 at least up until the surface temperature rose to 84.2F (29C)2. There is a wide range of supply temperatures with which a radiant floor heating system can operate (~90F < EWT < 140F) making this later "tweaking" fairly forgiving. Many specifying engineers could therefore leave it to ROT (rules of thumb) rather than diligently performing feasibility checks on the specific values for each project.

While ROT may suffice for heating projects, when one moves to the realm of operating the radiant system in cooling mode, greater precision is required. Operating ranges are much narrower (~55F < EWT < ~62F) and every bit of heat flux is important. Simply reducing the EWT is not an option, as the system approaches dew point and the risk of condensation increases.

In many cases, the design schedule is developed by taking the total heat loss of the space and dividing this by the total square footage of the space (often without considering hindrances that may not allow the installation of PEX such as toilets, floor drains and columns). The most common misstep then made by everyone from the installer to the engineer is assuming this value is the slab's actual capacity, and that a resulting flow rate can be calculated from this basic assumption given the following standard flow equation for water-based systems:

HOLD OFF ON THE HYDRONICS EQUATION It is easy to see how one could believe that GPM and Btuh delivered by a radiant system are proportionally related. In 26 | february 2013

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>> Design fact, to some degree they are, but one needs to be cautious about when to apply this hydronics equation. When applied at this point, the designer tends to try to directly increase capacity by increasing GPM until the desired heat flux is achieved. The flaw in this approach is that, unfortunately, this equation only holds for the heat loss of the fluid within a pipe and does not account for the transfer required from the pipe itself to the surface that is being heated (in the case of a radiant heating source). As a side note, if one were sizing a fan coil or a heat exchanger, this approach would be reasonably valid, but in radiant projects, one must first account for the increased thermal resistance of the mass above the pipe.

Rather than jumping to the basic hydronics equation at this point, one must determine how the warmed or cooled PEX is transferring energy through the thermal resistance of the slab and floor coverings and then eventually heating or cooling the surface to a steady state design temperature. In other words, based on the systems parameters, a specifier must consider what heat flux is possible from the surface, not what is wanted, and apply this as the numerator to the hydronics equation3.

this equation (Note: HTC is approximately 1.2 in floor cooling and 1.9 in floor heating):

2. Calculate the MWT4, pipe sizing and pipe placement that will result in the desired surface temperature found in step 1. (Note: There is not a simple equation to calculate this and most methods [aside from FEA] require a number of lengthy equations and steps, making software the preferred route for this type of sizing. It is thus key to identify an experienced radiant systems specialist or a radiant manufacturer that offers design support to assist in this step.)

3. V erify the amount of flow needed to maintain the steady state operation of the system. Now is the appropriate time to use the following standard hydronic flow equation:

CONSIDER THE BIG PICTURE When designing a radiant system, it is always better to start with the big picture of the building, then zoom in on the slab itself, and finally hone to the actual pipe embedded within the concrete. Starting with a space's load, these are the recommended steps in beginning to define the system.

1. Determine what average surface temperature must be achieved to deliver the required heat flux (Btuh/ft2) using

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MWT It is important to understand that under design conditions, a given pipe in a radiant heating system has only one GPM and corresponding temperature drop. The curve in Figure 1 depicts the correlation between GPM and â&#x2C6;&#x2020;T. A common misstep is to look for more capacity by increasing the GPM, but

Radiant equipment schedules developed with improved methodology will result in more optimized radiant systems.

28 | FEBRUARY 2013

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not likewise reducing the ∆T. This will result in an artificial inflation of the expected capacity.

Figure 1: The effect of increasing the flow rate of a typical radiant cooling slab on its specific output capacity. Note that practical flow rates are limited to a fairly small range, shown in green, corresponding to a temperature rise between supply and return of approximately 4-10F (2.2-5.6C). This range is bounded by the limit of turbulent flow on the lower end and the maximum allowable flow per circuit through the manifold.

MWT has a much greater impact than GPM on the increase in capacity from a slab. Figure 2 illustrates that a decrease in MWT achieves a much more pronounced increase in cooling capacity. In the case of radiant cooling, if a higher heat flux is needed (i.e., cooler surface temperature), MWT is the preferred variable to adjust.

Figure 2: The effect of decreasing the MWT on the specific output capacity of a typical radiant cooling slab. Adjusting the MWT is a much more effective means of increasing the capacity than adjusting the flow rate as illustrated in Figure 1.

SUMMARY OF DESIGN STEPS The following sequence of design steps will result in the most efficient radiant heating and cooling designs: 1. Using heating and cooling requirements for the space and understanding the useable area available for radiant, determine what heat flux is required from the slab.

2. Knowing the indoor setpoint temperatures in heating and cooling modes, confirm whether this capacity is reasonable given the average surface temperature limitations.

3. Based on slab structure, floor covering, pipe spacing, pipe diameter and indoor setpoints, determine the MWT required to achieve desired average surface temperature.

4. Assess the flow rates and temperature drops (∆T between supply and return) required to maintain steady state design conditions.

5. Determine the incurred headloss from circuits and header pipes.

6. Add the effects of distribution piping (additional head loss) and size other hydronic components and piping accordingly.

BEYOND GOING WITH THE FLOW Although rules of thumb had a significant impact on establishing radiant heating design principles for early applications throughout North America, successful engineers and contractors realize they aren't to be relied upon in the design of today's more sophisticated systems, including those with in-slab cooling. Based on this new wave of applications, the industry needs to fully grasp each step of successful design and work to better optimize radiant systems.

Figure 1 Flow Rate vs. Slab Capacity

To achieve accurate radiant heating/cooling designs, the commonly used practice of applying simple hydronics equations and beginning system design around flow rates needs to be replaced with a more comprehensive design methodology.

Considering factors such as capacity based on surface temperature and the heat transfer between the PEX piping and the slab surface is an integral step toward this. Using improved methodology, the radiant equipment schedules developed by commercial specifying engineers will not only provide better direction to the HVAC system designers and radiant contractors and minimize their design iterations; it will also result in a more optimized radiant system. - Ryan Westlund Ryan Westlund, EIT, is a systems engineering specialist with REHAU North America. Before joining REHAU in 2009, he was employed as an intern at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as an applications engineer at a small manufacturer's rep firm.

Figure 2 MWT vs. Slab Capacity

1

EWT: Entering Water Temperature in this use refers to the temperature of the

2

ASHRAE Standard 55 upper limit of acceptable average surface temperature

3

Note: This numerator contains all heat loss coming out of the pipe; therefore

fluid entering the supply header pipe of the radiant manifold.

downward loss from steady state design conditions (often approximated, assuming adequate insulation, as between 10-20 per cent of upward heat flux) should be added to the useable upward capacity for flow calculations.

4

MWT: Mean Water Temperature is the average fluid temperature in a pipe. In heating mode: MWT = EWT - (∆T/2); in cooling mode: MWT = EWT + (∆T/2).

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february 2013

| 29

>> Boilers

Time For A Rethink Multiple boiler systems call for a multitude of design considerations.

T

he last 10-15 years have seen more dramatic changes in technology available to the hydronic industry than the previous 100 years. The development of condensing boilers alone has improved efficiency and reduced fuel costs over previous generations of boilers. But along with these improvements has come the need to rethink traditional designs. Doing things the same old way with modern equipment can defeat the improvements and possibly even take us a step back from any gains are be expecting.

There is a lot of information out there about condensing technology and high mass verses low mass design and these ideas do need to be carefully considered if we want to get the designed efficiencies out of the high efficiency boiler plant. Beyond that is the concept of more than one boiler in a single system and hybrid condensing and non-condensing combination designs and that bears further discussion.

First, let’s look at when do we want a system with more than one boiler? Redundancy is one reason. We may want to have a backup in case a boiler goes offline for service, etc. Another reason could be space or accessibility. With many retrofits it is not possible to get a large boiler into an existing boiler room because of the way the building was constructed.

The biggest reason however comes down to the building load turndown. That is the difference between the design load (the amount of heat required on the coldest day) and the base

Figure 1 Seasonal need for heat

30 | february 2013

load (the amount of heat required on a warmer winter day in let’s say October or April). Figure 1 shows the typical seasonal need for heat for Toronto averaged over many years but the number of hours is pretty consistent throughout most populated areas in Canada.

Even Edmonton, with a design temperature of -34C, only spends about 25 hours a year at design temperatures. If we want to prevent the boiler from operating short cycles during base load conditions and still have enough power to handle the peak load, we need to consider the system turndown and compare it to the boiler's turn down capacity. This is why we must understand the technology behind condensing boilers and how to operate them efficiently.

NATIONAL STANDARDS The most common condensing type boiler on the market is the wall hung, modulating/condensing variety. These are typically low mass (small water volumes) with high heat impact heat exchangers (they transfer large amounts of energy on a small surface) and modulating burners (they vary their BTU output as required). All are built to a national standard that determines how much difference there can be between low fire and high fire in the output of heat.

In Canada that standard is ANSI Z21.13-2010/CSA 4.9-2010.

Clause 2.3.4 of that standard sets the minimum output limit of a modulating burner to 20 per cent of the burner’s normal output. In other words, it limits boiler manufacturers to a maximum of a 5:1 functional turndown in the appliance’s output. If a building’s design load is 100 D000 Btuh and the base load is 15 000 Btuh, a 100 000 Btuh boiler will be oversized at base load conditions by 5000 Btuh, assuming a 5:1 turndown is available.

Several manufacturers build some of their boilers around a smaller than 5:1 turndown for various reasons as well. In this instance it may be more beneficial to install two or more smaller boilers that together can handle everything between the design and base loads, because each boiler can deliver a 4 or 5:1 turndown. This only works if the staging controls can consider both boilers as a single operation, what we might call a cascade control, which will be addressed later.

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>> Boilers

“So, the goal is the lowest return water temperature possible, the lowest firing rate possible, and the largest Delta temperature between supply and return possible.”

Two boilers will also increase the system's mass. Higher mass is good. Plus, condensing boilers are more efficient at lower firing rates, so a two boiler system, where both boilers are operating at 25 per cent output may be more efficient than one boiler is when operating at 50 per cent output. If both boilers are the same size both scenarios provide the same Btus to the space.

The ability for the controls to operate the boilers as a team and not as two individuals is very important here.

So how many boilers will you need? We want enough boilers to provide an adequate turn down to handle both peak and base loads without short cycling. As a rule of thumb, the minimum output of a single boiler should be about what we expect for the building’s base load.

Some of the pitfalls of multiple boilers are, more boilers mean: more standby losses, more maintenance, higher installation costs for materials and labour and more controls.

With low mass condensing boilers you should probably consider a primary/secondary piping layout. If you are going to go multi-boiler, then it is a must. Some manufacturers offer prefabricated manifold options for their wall hung boiler as shown in Figure 2. This makes piping simple and efficient and reduces the amount of labour needed to pipe up the primary loop. It also allows for a design that will offer the correct flow through each boiler regardless of the varying flow through the building secondary loop (see Figure 3).

I mentioned that condensing boilers are more efficient at low fire. For most wall hung boilers flue gas temperatures are typically between 2C and 12C higher than the return water temperatures depending on the current burner output. The return water plus burner output combination is a significant factor in determining the actual boiler efficiency achieved. The cooler the return water temperature, the more condensate is produced. Every US gallon of condensate produced is worth about 8095 Btus of energy. That is energy we can potentially put back into the heating system if condensing happens in contact with the boiler’s heat exchanger. Figure 4 shows flue gas condensation occurring on the heat exchanger used in a wall hung condensing boiler.

So, the goal is the lowest return water temperature possible, 32 | february 2013

Figure 2 Prefabricated manifold

Figure 3 Primary/Secondary piping with manifold

Figure 4 Heat exchanger with flue gas condensation

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Figure 6

Figure 5

the lowest firing rate possible, and the largest Delta temperature between supply and return possible. Delta T is limited by design of the circulation system and the heat emitters and is a topic all its own. We will leave it with: doing the best you can to obtain a larger Delta T is better for efficiencies as far as achieving the dew point is concerned.

TAKING CONTROL In terms of controlling the system, we need to take advantage of outdoor reset. That is the ability to reduce the system water temperatures automatically based on warmer outdoor temperatures. The result is that we essentially match the amount of heat we send into the building based on how fast it loses heat to the outside. As it gets colder outside the heat loss from inside to outside increases so we need to add more heat.

As of September 2012, Natural Resources Canada mandated under the Canadian Energy Efficiency Regulations, that reset controls must be supplied from the boiler manufacturer for most heating boilers up to 300 000 Btuh. The energy savings from outdoor reset can be determined by the three to one rule. For every three degrees we can lower the average system water temperature during the heating season, we will burn one per cent less fuel. That works for either condensing or non-condensing boilers. But as soon as we get the return water temperature below the dew point (approximately 55C), we can add the 8095 Btus/US gal. into the mix. Pretty simple right? The boiler has outdoor reset controls, we set it up for the type of system we have and the boiler condenses most of the time.

But we are talking about multiple boilers, so let’s see how that changes what we want to achieve. Assume we have two or more boilers, each with a modulating burner. They need to work as a team to meet the criteria above for water temperatures and firing rates. That works best is if they can communicate and know each other exists. The staging control strategy that will bring the next boiler on, based solely on the difference between the set point and supply water temperature, www.hpacmag.com

will not allow the boilers to optimize the lowest firing rate.

Condensing boilers need a strategy that we might call gross calorific, as opposed to the staging strategy we want for non-condensing boilers which is net calorific. Figures 5 shows that boiler one must be under a heavy load before boiler two is brought on.

Figure 6 indicates the boiler’s load capacity does not need to be at 100 per cent output before it brings the next boiler on. The controls will base the demand for the next boiler partially on a value of time. The next boiler is brought on when there is a load present after the control’s integral time has completed its calculation. This allows two or more boilers to operate at a lower firing rate, optimizing their ability to stay within the condensing range. The cascade control looks at a common supply temperature at the primary/secondary junction to see how far from the set point the water temperature is, plus how much time has passed while it has been behind, and then it lets the boiler(s) know what to do. It works better if the staging (cascade) control knows the current modulation position of each boiler and the internal boiler supply temperature (this would obviously require two way communications between the boilers and the cascade).

So let’s recap. We want: enough boilers to span the peak and base load parameters without short cycling boilers; Outdoor reset set point controls; the lowest system design temperatures that can satisfy the type of system and the building load; and a “gross calorific” type multiple-boiler control that can intelligently stage the boilers while keeping them at the lowest possible firing rate.

There is no question that multi-boiler systems that are designed with all of these things in mind will improve the overall system efficiency. - MARK NORRIS

MODERN HYDRONICS

Mark Norris is an Academy Instructor with Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc. www.viessmann.ca

february 2013

| 33

>> Controls

Staying Ahead Of The Game Technology allows radiant industry to respond to growing expectations and customized needs.

T

here is a long history to radiant floor heating, dating back to at least the Roman Empire when subfloor fires where used to generate heat. It was not until the invention of cast iron boilers that water was used as a heat transfer medium. Mercury bulb thermostats controlled these early radiant systems. When mixing applications were required for hydronic floor heating, tempering valves were used as mixing options to lower the boiler supply temperature.

Experience and theory eventually challenged the practice of a fixed boiler temperature and inspired further innovation.

From that point on, electronic control of boiler operation, system pumps and mixing devices paved the way, first using analog electronics and more recently microprocessors.

Today's radiant controls are easier to use, access more information and protect equipment in order to optimize system performance and increase comfort. As the radiant heat industry has responded to advances in technology, controls have evolved to meet or exceed the growing and diverse expectations of today's HVAC applications. For any radiant configuration, you will likely find a control solution to make it work – or one to make it work better.

“Now more than ever, creating a ‘perfect’ system with reduced energy costs requires the ability to continually react to varying outdoor and indoor environments.”

When radiant controls were originally introduced the results seemed revolutionary. They accomplished what was expected at the time: to supply heat when needed, efficiently if possible, without manual intervention. Installers used dials to enter a few static parameters, erring on the safe side of design conditions. Boilers always ran hot and heat output was controlled by cycling the equipment on and off. Spaces experienced temperature swings, fluctuating from cold to hot as the thermal mass slowly cooled or warmed. These controls were designed for automation without consideration for efficiency or comfort, and it was not long before they were deemed unsatisfactory.

With the introduction of electronic controls came the first milestone – the introduction of outdoor temperature reset.

34 | february 2013

This concept was based on the fact that a building's heat loss is proportional to the outdoor temperature and efficiency can be gained by varying the supply temperature accordingly. Since outdoor temperatures do not typically experience sudden swings, the system delivered a stable, continuous heat supply; as such, outdoor temperature reset quickly gained favour. This control feature enhanced the performance of heating systems, but failed to consider internal gains and losses from less predictable variables such as people, equipment, and the sun. Although radiant systems became far more stable and efficient with outdoor temperature reset, they were blind to indoor reactions and thus still at risk of under and overheating.

New ideas for improving radiant control continued to generate change. With increasing demand for radiant floors, mixing methods were considered. Tempering valves were used to provide cooler water temperatures, unfortunately, these valves did not protect boilers from corrosion caused by low temperatures. To provide boiler protection, motorized three-way and four-way valves operated by outdoor temperature reset controls were introduced. Electronic controls also opened low cost opportunities for other methods for mixing, such as variable speed injection systems. Controls were designed to vary the speed of standard off-the-shelve circulators to provide mixing capabilities while protecting the boiler.

As the capability of radiant controls advanced, so did the complexity of residential designs. Modern homes were built with far more rooms than those in previous generations, and architectural features such as vaulted ceilings and large windows became common place. Now more than ever, creating a 'perfect' system with reduced energy costs requires the ability to continually react to varying outdoor and indoor environments. With microprocessor technology, new control features were possible to keep pace with growing design demands.

Using communication between control points became the new industry benchmark. This generation of radiant controls used indoor temperature feedback to share real-time measurements to determine the exact heat supply required for each room and coordinate heating cycles through zone synchronization. These features offered significant improvements in comfort and efficiency, especially in large residences with many purpose-specific rooms.

Hydronic designs were simplified by grouping rooms with similar construction, location and user frequency together in a single zone. To prevent the zones from making random boiler demands, communicating controls received thermostat de-

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mands, set the appropriate water temperature, and determined the on-times for each cycle length. Zones were satisfied with far fewer cycles on the mechanical equipment plus comfort and efficiency were increased through better control.

In addition to communication, microprocessors enabled the development of settings to protect equipment. The protection feature in early radiant controls was limited to a boiler minimum dial setting. Current controls not only featured boiler minimum settings, but also managed mixing and staging operations to maximize efficiency while protecting both the boiler and the floor installations.

Thermostats now maintain set floor temperatures with connections to auxiliary slab sensors. Floor maximum settings limit the surface temperature to prevent thermal damage; floor minimum settings enhance comfort by warming surfaces in zones like bathrooms. If more heat is needed during the colder months, the control will direct the operation of a second stage of heat to reach the target temperature. Installations are protected and comfort is maintained, because today's customers demand both.

Radiant controls have certainly advanced in response to technology, but also in response to a society that has moved towards customized applications. Older radiant controls were stand alone units designed to manage individual requirements in an uncomplicated heating arrangement. Today there is an expectation to control any design, need or preference; controls must be diverse and expandable to remain viable solutions. By way of communication, a myriad of heat sources and outputs can now be networked through communication into a highly efficient, custom system. Solar collectors and heat pumps staged with backup boilers, snow melt operations, pool or hot tub set points, and multi-stage heat and cool operations are all possible in a single radiant design. Every operation must be cohesively directed and mindful of the overall system to achieve the expected performance. Contemporary radiant controls are designed to achieve a quality system by adapting to creative applications.

The hydronic control industry has come a long way from the days when clocks and dials were used to enter schedules and settings. Without viewing screens, users were prevented from observing their system data making troubleshooting much more difficult. As technology advanced, controls adopted userfriendly interfaces with enhanced options for added convenience. Dials were replaced with buttons, indicator lights, and eventually LCD viewing screens making programming and schedule changes simple and quick.

With the emergence of mobile technology, some of today's radiant controls are configured for web enabled remote access. With these accessories, homeowners and contractors can view real time data from their hydronic systems and make instant adjustments from any computer, smart phone, or tablet.

System management is also more convenient using home www.hpacmag.com

automation software whereby users can monitor and adjust temperatures at a centralized touch screen interface that controls lighting, audio, security and more. Controlling all aspects of energy usage at a single point is not only easier for the homeowner, but also conserves more energy by coordinating the system.

Radiant controls have changed significantly since early applications with common thermostats. The new generation of communicating controls is designed to optimize efficiency, protect equipment, enhance comfort and conveniently manage diverse energy systems. Algorithms have grown more sophisticated, but the automatic intelligence is now hidden inside user-friendly interfaces.

With advancing technology and market responsive solutions, radiant controls continue to offer better solutions for today's applications. - Elizabeth brown Elizabeth Brown, who is a customer support specialist with tekmar Control Systems, a Watts Water Technologies Company, holds degrees in mechanical engineering and education. With experience in both fields, Brown is focused on teaching contractors and designers how to get the best performance out of their systems. She can be reached at customerservice@tekmarControls.com.

Look to Runtal for INSPIRED RADIANT heating solutions. Comfort, style, durability, versatility and ENERGY EFFICIENCY are the hallmarks of residential and commercial building spaces designed the Runtal way. The worldwide LEADER in standard and custom designed radiators for over 50 YEARS our ENGINEERING ASSISTANCE takes the guess work out of every job. And when it comes to off-the-shelf solutions, you can rely on our IN-STOCK solutions.

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february 2013

| 35

>> Maintenance

An Ounce Or So Of Prevention Keep boilers more efficient and corrosion free.

S

cale and corrosion are major causes of both hot water and steam boiler breakdowns, however the problem is sometimes misdiagnosed and the wrong products and methods are used for repair and prevention. Scale and corrosion not only limit a boiler's heat transfer and energy efficiency, but they also slowly deteriorate parts and shorten the applianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifecycle.

The number one prevention for this problem is a boiler water treatment. Unfortunately, not every service tech applies an annual boiler treatment, even though most boiler manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manuals recommend it. Boiler treatments are important enough to some manufacturers that a bottle is included in every new boiler kit. Other manufacturers require boiler treatments to comply with the product warranty agreement.

SCALE AND CORROSION The key ingredient to scale is calcium carbonate, which is naturally white in colour. In boilers however, it turns reddish due to leached out iron oxides that tint the water. Magnesium, sulfates, magnesium salts and other mineral contaminants can play a role in boiler corrosion, also.

Water with a high hardness content is typically a scale-forming water. The mineral content of hard water has an inverse solubility in high temperature water. For example, sugar is very soluble in hot tea, but remains a solid in cold tea. Scale acts in reverse. It is more soluble in cold water, which is why inherent scale goes undetected in a cold glass of water. In hot water it is not soluble and it combines with other impurities to create a film of scale.

Since scale and eventual corrosion issues are major boiler problems, a multi-purpose boiler water treatment can prevent scale, or help remove it and corrosion products in systems that have been neglected. Depending upon the inherent local water chemistry conditions, a boiler can seemingly operate fine for five to 10 years without a water treatment, however its longevity may eventually suffer.

The most effective treatments include a phosphate, which eliminates calcium from forming into calcium carbonate. Instead, when combined with the hardness of calcium the result is soft sludge composed of calcium magnesium phosphate that freely remains dispersed in the water.

An organic polymer is another important ingredient in multipurpose water treatments, because it prevents the soft sludge Continued on page 38 36 | february 2013

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Photo: Stewart Hall, Div. Rectorseal

KEY INGREDIENTS

>> Maintenance Continued from page 37

Steam Boiler Surging One of the most frequently occurring steam boiler problems is surging or water hammering, which generates noise and vibrations, the latter which can eventually damage pipes. Besides annoying sounds, another problem is short on/off cycling caused by water surging up the pipes and triggering a low-water alert that shuts down the boiler prematurely or operates sporadically until the surged water returns. Pure H2O will not surge, but surface contaminants will surge similar to boiling water when noodles are added. The inherent process of steam is water evaporating inside the system, which leaves behind the scale and other heavy mineral element. Oil, which can occur from pipe thread sealants or pipe cutting processes in new installations or repairs, can also add to the surface contaminants. Fluxes are fat-based and they too can congregate at the surface.

These contaminants alter a boiler water's pH, which ideally should be operating between 8.5 and 9.0. Beyond this ideal pH range, a boiler has the potential for surging. Surging can be cured with an additive, however oil-based contaminants in steam boilers require a different chemical treatment versus scale contaminants in surging systems.

Another type of surging is caused by total dissolved solids (TDS), which occurs when the water becomes too concentrated during the heating process.

A blow-down of the boiler eliminates TDS, but few homeowners are capable of boiler blow-downs. Instead, the responsibility of the conscientious service tech to blow-down the boiler on every service call. If TDS become too high, surging and significant mineral build-up can occur.

Unlike the universal use of general boiler treatments, anti-surging additives should typically be applied after a problem occurs. However, an anti-surging additive might be considered as a preventive if a boiler has a history of reoccurring surging.

38 | february 2013

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from adhering to interior boiler system surfaces. It remains insoluble and freefloating in the system until a blow-down (in steam systems) removes it.

Some boiler treatments incorporate a colour indicator to determine how much to apply and the pH status of the water.

For example, after application, a pinkish purple water sample may indicate a proper pH water chemistry of approximately 8.2 to 9.0, which is neither too alkaline or acidic, while blue or bluish green water indicates more water treatment is needed. A complete flushing may be needed if subsequent applications do not generate the proper water colour.

In the case of boiler treatments without a reactive colour, the colour of the treatment indicates it has been applied and does not indicate any pH changes or proper water chemistry. This is similar to automotive antifreeze. A greenish water colour in an automotive radiator proves antifreeze is present, but gives no indication of how much or what temperature protection it provides.

CUT THE FAT What should not be included in a boiler treatment is any kind of petroleum distillates, which have fatty acids. When combined with the inherent alkalinity of boiler water, fatty acids can create soap and surging.

Petroleum distillates also attack rubber boiler parts, such as gaskets or push nipples.

Most treatments are formulated for hot water as well as steam systems and serve multiple purposes such as: • removing sludge and rust scale; • inhibiting boiler and steam line corrosion; • preventing oxygen pitting; • inhibiting lime scale; • preventing surging and foaming; and • performing water chemistry checks; Too much alkalinity can cause surging, scale build-up, or eventually caustic "embrittlement," a process that causes metal cracking. Too much acidity, on the www.hpacmag.com

Modern Hydronics

other hand, leads to corrosion. In large commercial boilers, these ailments are averted with daily checks typically performed by maintenance staffs trained to use sophisticated test kits to determine the boiler water's total alkalinity, water

hardness, total dissolved solids and other common water chemistry conditions.

Conversely, the average residential boiler service technician may not have this training or available jobsite time to execute such tests. Therefore, a boiler wa-

ter treatment that reacts to operating conditions for proper water diagnostics is critical.

Water treatments that minimize corrosion are more important today because boiler walls are manufactured Continued on page 40

Sealers Since boiler walls are thinner today, hairline cracks in the boiler shell or pinhole leaks in the tubes of steam boilers are more common. Push nipples tend to leak due to expansion and contraction of the metal surfaces.

Consequently, boiler sealers have become a standard stocking item for the heating service truck.

Boiler sealers are applied to the water and settle into crevices and voids to stop leaks. Once again, its scale and corrosion that typically cause this damage, therefore proper boiler water management can prevent cracking and pitting.

Sealers typically come in quart or gallon containers. The base is an organic polymer that's insoluble with water. The sealer is applied to the water and works from the inside to out. Eventually the polymer works its way into a crack or pinhole and dries into a bond as it migrates to the exterior of the boiler. Depending on the size of the crack, the sealing process could take up to one week before results occur. Sealers will not work on cracks that are too large.

Sealer dosages are typically one quart every 15 gallons of boiler water. Over dosing can create surging in steam systems or lock up a pump in a hot water system. www.hpacmag.com

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february 2013

| 39

>> >> Maintenance Category header Continued from page 39

Profit Makers The checklist of proper boiler operating functions, such as drawing flue gasses, proper water levels, ignition efficiency, etc., should always include examination for scale and voluntarily adding a boiler treatment as a preventative. Industry studies prove most homeowners will gladly pay for products that extend their equipment's lifecycle. It's also an extra profit margin for the service company. Boiler treatments might sell for less than $15 wholesale, but can easily be charged up to $45 on invoices because it has to be applied and then followed up with pH checks and other post-application factors.

40 | february 2013

“So the goal is the lowest return water temperature possible, the lowest firing rate possible, and the largest Delta temperature between supply and return possible.” thinner for increased heat transfer, and the recent influx of overseas metal alloys are not always reliable. Corrosion and scale can also create hot spots, percolating noise and active pitting sites that could affect the system's future integrity. Another diagnostic sign is water discoloration, which in hot water boilers probably signifies built-up layers of corrosion.

Most of the aforementioned prevention methods are not a matter of life and death, but heating systems left untreated may fail prematurely or need repairs that could be easily avoided with

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annual treatments and check-ups.

Therefore it is the service technician's responsibility to use preventive products. The bottom line behind all heatingproduct additives is to keep the customer's equipment efficient and problem free. - Harvey Grodjesk Harvey Grodjesk, who is vice president–operations for the Stewart-Hall product line of Rectorseal Corp. (www.rectorseal.com), is a 37-year veteran of the heating chemical product industry.

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journal of design innovations for hydronic professionals idronics™12 - Hydronic fundamentals idronics™ journal is published twice a year with the first issue released in January 2007, idronics is packed with technical information, but at the same time it is easy to read and handy to consult. it is written by engineers for engineers, designers and contractors. our issue twelve was published in January 2013 with 100 pages of all new in-depth technical articles. this new issue will be mailed to you free by simply asking. Visit our web site at www.caleffi.us and click on idronics to register for a free copy or download this publication.

www.caleffi.us - Milwaukee, WI USA - 414-238-2360

>> Project Profile

In The Loop Radiant system design and performance a key factor in meeting LEED requirements.

I

Exterior design of Welland Toyota results in minimal heat loss.

n recent years, more building owners and architects have been increasingly asking for more energy and environmentally friendly designs. This is a good development for our industry as we can be one of the greatest contributors to green building. Some of the best in the trade are already getting into the challenge of providing systems that are more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, while keeping things simple.

It was well over two years ago, when one of those leaders in the industry reached out to me about a project he was working on. The project, a new Toyota car dealership in Welland, ON, aimed to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. In Canada, it is the Canada Green Building Council ((CaGBC) www.cagbc.org) that administers the LEED brand.

Radiant tube installation

42 | february 2013

There are various requirements that one would need to fulfill to gain LEED certification, but Strafko Blaskovic of Tri-Mechanical Limited was challenged to ensure that the heating, ventilation and air conditioning side of the project would help meet the requirements.

The system approach was pretty straightforward for this 18â&#x20AC;&#x2030;000 sq. ft. building. Due to the very well designed exterior of the building, the heat loss of the building was minimal. The entire building was able to be heated with radiant floor heating alone, even on outdoor design days.

ZONING FOR CONTROL The building was divided into 12 radiant zones, allowing us to deal with different needs of service and application. Offices, showrooms, parts storage rooms, service bays, board and Showroom pour

MODERN HYDRONICS

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Modern Hydronics

lunch rooms were all zoned individually. This allowed different temperature requirements to be scheduled to accommodate energy savings during periods of inoccupation. Close to 20â&#x20AC;&#x2030;000 ft. of 5/8" tubing were laid and connected to a total of eight manifolds. The total footprint of the building was insulated and the tubing fastened to wire mesh. The mesh was then elevated using little spacers to allow the tubing to float in lightweight concrete finishing.

Besides the radiant, other major mechanical components include two modulating and condensing boilers, a primary loop complete with pump, air separator, expansion tank, two threeway mixing valves, two variable speed and pressure regulated system pumps, two roof top units and three HRVs. The system is controlled by a direct digital control (DDC) system that utilizes communicating thermostats in each of the radiant zones to provide indoor temperature feedback to the water temperature controllers in the mechanical room, resulting in constant circulation and therefore, the highest energy savings in the most challenging zones at any time. Slab sensors, connected to the room thermostats, are used to limit minimum and maximum surface temperatures. The radiant zoning is provided by thermal loop actuators on multi-zone manifolds, and, two-way thermal zone valves for manifolds servicing single zones.

Two roof top units (RTUs), installed and zoned between the service and labour areas of the building on one, and the offices, boardroom and lunchroom areas on the other, satisfy the two distinct cooling air zones. While there are several radiant zones within each of those two air zones, all thermostats are assigned to its respective cooling air zone and one master out of the group can be selected. This particular system allows for air zone master passing, allowing the master to be moved amongst its thermostats either, with the occupation of rooms, or with ever changing requirements/exposures throughout the day, due to solar gain noticed around the large window areas.

Manifold

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VENTILATION AND IAQ Apart from a dedicated HRV for the washrooms, the two main air zones are operated with the HRV on constant low speed during building occupation for ventilation purposes. These are overridden to high speed by CO2 sensors in case of indoor air quality (IAQ) concerns when the CO2 rises above 700 parts per million (ppm).

For the majority of the year, the outdoor temperature is cool enough to allow for the building to utilize free cooling, via bypass dampers on the roof top units. Only during the warmest summer weeks, mechanical cooling, two stage for each roof top unit, is needed for any cooling requirements throughout.

In the repair shop, the drive through bays and the new car delivery bay of the building, three separate IAQ controllers are installed to ensure compliance. Utilizing CO sensors, when the CO levels rise above 100 ppm the DDC controller powers open the large overhead doors to a preset level to allow for natural draft in order to gain control of the IAQ levels.

HRV for the showroom

Toyota mechanical room

MODERN HYDRONICS

february 2013

| 43

>> Project Profile

If the CO levels rise to 110 ppm or greater, then a mechanical exhaust fan is also energized to force the ventilation mechanically. As this IAQ control measure is usually only for a short period of time, the thermal mass of the radiant floor helps reduce the overall amount of heat lost during the ventilation with almost immediate recovery when the overhead door closes again.

LOW TEMP FOR EFFICIENCY In the mechanical room again, two three-way mixing valves, are dealing with the two water temperature requirements based on the building needs. As noted earlier, through indoor temperature feedback provided from the communicating thermostats, each mixed system will run constantly at the lowest temperature possible to meet the building's highest heating load at any time. The boilers are staged and rotated based on run-time and modulated to a water temperature that is based on load reset. Load reset sets the boiler target temperature

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Profit

We have the most comprehensive resources available in Canada... all helping you to work smarter, faster and more profitably.

• Servicing all hydronic professionals • • Standards, codes and regulatory compliance information • • Training and skills development programs •

• Supporting consumer awareness programs including Beautiful Heat •

THE TEAM Firms and individuals involved on this project include: • Timbro Design Build, General Contractor • John Morrone, Project Manager • Richard Rotchill, Site Superintendent • Paul Bodden, Manufacturer Rep, The Morgan Group • Mary Schweihat & Tom Keszthelyi, Hallex Engineering • Grant Peters & Michael Pelton, LEED Consultants, Fluent Group Consulting Engineers

equal to the highest mix temperature requirement, allowing the highest requirement mixing valve to open to 100 per cent and the boilers to condense with cooler return temperatures.

The whole system is remotely accessible for monitoring, comfort control and troubleshooting if required. The system is setup for automated notification to the contractor for maintenance and/or troubleshooting requirements, As many readers can relate, a project such as this often gets reviewed throughout the course of construction due to time and budget constraints. Tri-Mechanical, however, was able to meet all of those needs the first time around. This project even caught the eyes and ears of the president of Toyota in Japan who sent an official letter of acknowledgement to the owners of this dealership.

The building achieved LEED Canada-NC certification in November 2012. This project also won the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) Ontario Builders Award in Category 2, $5 million to $25 million for projects completed between January 2010 and November 30, 2012. Projects are judged on factors including: onsite safety, environmental impact, and owner satisfaction. The award will be presented April 12 during OGCA's 8th Construction Symposium in Collingwood, ON. As time goes on, more environmentally friendly and energy efficient systems will be specified and I am excited to be involved in this change in focus. - Mike Miller A video on this project can be found on YouTube.com (http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6QyJieCa34).

JOIN, LEARN, PROFIT

Mike Miller is a national business development manager with experience in the manufacturing, distribution and contracting sectors of the industry. He can be reached at mike.miller@uponor.com, LinkedIn or @hydronicsmike

1-888-275-2474

www.canadianhydronics.ca 44 | february 2013

MODERN HYDRONICS

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Kevin’s on the road, so you can keep on the job.

More parts. More brand names. More branches. More service.

PLUMBING • HVAC • HYDRONICS • INDUSTRIAL • FIRE PROTECTION • BUILDING MAINTENANCE Noble is known for having a great selection of stock-on-hand in our branches. Noble drivers like Kevin go the extra mile to get parts and equipment into the hands of customers at their businesses or on site. We’re on the road to keep you on the job and on schedule.

That’s the Noble Difference and you’ll find it in everything we do.

At Noble, we have a fleet of more than 150 trucks, we have more than 50 branches, we carry more than 70,000 SKUs and we’re committed to having more of the parts, equipment and products that our customers need as stock-on-hand. So, if you’re looking for more, try Noble.

You need it? We got it. www.noble.ca 1-800-529-9805 OR 905-760-6800 BARRIE BELLEVILLE BRAMPTON BROCKVILLE COQUITLAM CORNWALL GRAVENHURST GUELPH HAMILTON KINGSTON KITCHENER LANGLEY LAVAL LONDON LONGUEUIL MAPLE RIDGE MARKHAM MILTON MISSION MISSISSAUGA MONTRÉAL NEWMARKET OAKVILLE OSHAWA OTTAWA PETERBOROUGH SECHELT ST. CATHARINES TORONTO VANCOUVER WINDSOR

>> Products The NT25-P 'Neutra-Pump' is designed for installations that require both condensate removal and neutralization. The NT25-P prevents up to 40 Gal/hr (150 L/hr) of acidic condensate from corroding drains and sewer systems. The pump has 23' (7m) of lift at design flow rate. The NT25-P comes with auxiliary dry contacts for highlevel alarm. www.axiomind.com

Slant/Fin’s LYNX 150 modulating, condensing

The CREST condensing boiler from Lochinvar is

natural or L.P. gas boiler is available in three

available with inputs up to five million Btuh. The

models (90/120/150 MBH max input) with

line has been expanded to include a dual fuel gas

input modulation from 25, 30 and 37 MBH.

train for models ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 million

Built with a cast aluminum silicon alloy heat

Btuh, as well as lower firing input derate numbers

exchanger, these low NOx units are equipped

in high altitude applications. The boiler features

with digital electronic control with outdoor

fire-tube technology integrated with the company’s

reset. The units can be free standing or wall

exclusive Smart Touch operating control and a key-

hung and are compact and lightweight.

pad switch on the front panel to simplify conver-

www.slantfin.ca

sion from natural gas to propane. www.Lochinvar.com Viega’s PEX Press polymer fittings are designed to reduce installation times and feature Viega Smart Connect, which helps identify unpressed fittings during pressure testing. They are available in diameters up to 2" and can be combined with flexible ViegaPEX Barrier tubing. www.viega.com WaterFurnace

International, Inc.’s

7

Series 700A11 variable capacity geothermal unit is designed to exceed 41 EER and 5.3 coefficient

Look to Runtal for INSPIRED RADIANT heating solutions. Comfort, style, durability, versatility and ENERGY EFFICIENCY are the hallmarks of residential and commercial building spaces designed the Runtal way. The worldwide LEADER in standard and custom designed radiators for over 50 YEARS our ENGINEERING ASSISTANCE takes the guess work out of every job. And when it comes to off-the-shelf solutions, you can rely on our IN-STOCK solutions.

1-888-829-4901 www.runtalradiators.com

of performance (COP). Its features include: InfiniSpeed technology; Aurora, to continuously monitor and optimize operation; electronic expansion valves; true energy monitoring; online remote monitoring and control; advanced hot water generation; and a microprocessor that controls and monitors heat pump conditions. The unit integrates with system zoning and has an Aurora Interface Diagnostic port for service and diagnosis. www.waterfurnace.com

46 | february 2013

MODERN HYDRONICS

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SAVE THE

DAY

WARNING: Using Aquatherm pipe does not give you superhero powers, even though you may feel like it. Do not attempt to fly or stop trains. Seriously.

Here’s your chance to be everyone’s hero.

What if you could install hydronic systems that were invulnerable to things like corrosion and pinhole leaks? What if your connections were faster and more reliable than anyone ever thought possible? And what if your systems helped save the planet, as well as time and money? Yeah, we think that would be super too. Visit us at Aquatherm.com and learn how you can unlock your powers with our heat-fused Polypropylene pressure pipe.

403.809.8707 www.aquatherm.com

aquatherm change what’s possible

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Modern Hydronics

Stiebel Eltron’s Accelera 300 heat pump water heater features an 80-gallon capacity tank and is ENERGY STAR certified. It has a DHW maximum

Polyform’s Hydrofoam 360 insulation boards are designed for use with residential, industrial,

temperature of 140F (60C), an air flow rate of 324

commercial and institutional building projects. The lightweight, 4'x 4' moulded insulation board

CFM, a dry weight of 287 lb. an operating pressure

has a multidirectional anchoring design for installation of ½" hydronic heating pipes. It is built

(water side) of 87 psi and permissible positive

with an interlocking system on all sides for efficient installation and an improved seal while

pressure (refrigerant side) of 348.1 psi.

acting as a 2-in-1 product, insulating concrete slab and supporting pipes. Hydrofoam is also

www.stiebel-eltron-USA.com

available for 5/8" and ¾" pipe installations. www.polyform.com

The Perfect Choice for Today’s Demanding Homeowners Laars boilers are everything a modern boiler should be: easy to use, easy on the environment, powerful and compact. Laars has a solution for any home’s space & domestic water heating needs with boiler sizes from 50 to 285 MBH and efficiencies of 85 to 95%.

Find out more at www.laars.com 95% AFUE Floor Standing Boiler

95% AFUE Wall Hung Combi Boiler & Water Heater

85% AFUE Floor Standing Boiler

866.690.0961 www.hpacmag.com

85% AFUE Floor standing Combi Boiler & Water Heater

Indirect Water Heaters

www.laars.com MODERN HYDRONICS

Built to be the Best™ ©2012, Bradford White Corporation. All rights reserved.

february 2013

| 49

>> Products The tekmarNet Thermostat 557 touchscreen thermostat is designed to operate one- or two-stage air or water source heat pump systems together with a radiant floor. It is equipped with three auxiliary sensor inputs that measure room, floor, outdoor or duct temperature. The relative humidity level can be measured and controlled using the built-in or external humidity sensor. www.tekmarControls.com

Victaulic’s TA Series 793/794 differential pressure con-

Bryan Steam LLC’s ultra-high efficiency Triple-Flex

trollers (DPC) are capable of stabilizing pressure ranges

series of hot water condensing boilers have an

of 1.5 to 8.7 psi (10 to 60 kPa), 2.9 to 11.6 psi (20 to 80

MBH input range of 1500-3000 and an MBH output

kPa) and 5.8 to 23.3 psi (40 to 160 kPa), depending on

range from 1470-2940 (44-98 BHP output). These

the controller series, size and spring option. They are de-

low NOx units have a boiler horsepower range from

signed to minimize noise from control valves and simplify

40 hp (395 kW) to 81 hp (790 kW), are designed

balancing. The units are available with a NPT threaded

for quiet operation and come with a touch screen

valve body in sizes ranging from ½" to 2" and a flanged

display hydronic control system. The air to heat ex-

end in sizes ranging from 2 ½" to 4". The controllers

changer housing is built with heavy gauge stainless

come standard with a drain kit, measuring port, transition

steel and the jacket panels are rust-resistant with a

nipple and adjusting tool. www.victaulic.com

powder-coated finish. www.bryanboilers.com

Bryan Triple-Flex™ boiler technology delivers minimum 90% operating efficiencies.

GUARANTEED. • Minimum 90% thermal efficiency with 160° return, 180° supply@max. input • Efficiencies of up to 99% will be delivered with lower temperature design systems • Retrofit systems or new installations, one boiler does it all, Bryan Triple-Flex™ • Get the whole story now at bryanboilers.com Allied Engineering Company’s HSE145 high perfor-

MINIMUM 90% THERMAL EFFICIENCY AT 160 F. RETURN, 20 F. RISE, MAX. INPUT, TF150-300

mance condensing boiler features a unique dual

Originators of the “Flexible Water Tube” design

TRIPLE-FLEX

copper waterway heat exchanger that combines Patent Pending

central heating and domestic hot water in a single compact appliance. It operates on natural gas or

TM

Bryan Steam LLC • Leaders Since 1916 783 N. Chili Ave., Peru, IN 46970 Phone: 765-473-6651 / Fax: 765-473-3074 E-Mail: inquiry@bryansteam.com / www.bryanboilers.com

propane, has a 5:1 turndown ratio, is available in 125 MBH and 145 MBH sizes and is designed to offer trouble-free installation. www.alliedboilers.com

Commercial/Industrial Steam and Hot Water Boilers, Boiler Room Accessories 50 | february 2013

MODERN HYDRONICS

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Modern Hydronics

Caleffi’s StarMax V Series solar water heating collector for pumped glycol and drainback systems is a five-outlet collector built with all copper absorbers that are selective blue coated for optimum heat absorption. The collectors are designed with sloped internal and lower headers. They are built in a powder-coated frame with welded corners that is reinforced with an injection molded polyurethane foam and a dent-free, embossed PVC back panel. www.caleffi.us

DEMAND THE BEST We Know Glycol Rehau’s RAUPLATE radiant heating systems are installed in the joist space below the floor and are built with a pre-drilled single plate design for quick and simple installation. RAUPEX O2 Barrier Pipe is clipped into the two-channel aluminum heat transfer plates. The aluminum plates are designed to provide excellent heat output without striping. www.rehau.com

Hood Chemical supplies Dow Chemical glycol (propylene and ethylene) with inhibitors.

We offer free analysis and supply a written report advising the freezing point, pH, concentration of inhibitors, and appearance.

"Glycol is expensive" "Whose your glycol expert"?

CONTACT US FOR OUR FULL LIST OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Watts Radiant ‘s RadiantPERT line of polyethylene raised temperature (PE-RT) flexible tubing is suited to hydronic heating, cooling, snow melting, and dis-

1-800-567-9791 • WWW.HOODCHEMICAL.COM

tribution applications. It has an oxygen barrier with ratings up to 180F (82C) at 80 psi and is built with

Mechanical Group

Dowlex 2344 for high strength, high temperature resistance, and long life without cross-linking. The piping is recyclable and is certified to ASTM F2623 for PE-RT SDR 9 Tubing by NSF and CSA. www.WattsRadiant.com

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MODERN HYDRONICS

february 2013

| 51

>> Products Spirotherm, Inc.’s Spirovent VDR is designed to remove entrained air and dirt particles to eliminate blockage concerns. It has no bypass, isolating valves or replacement filters and dirt can be flushed while the system is in full operation. It has an optional removable head for bundle inspection. www.spirotherm.com

Triangle Tube’s Prestige condensing boilers feature TriMax control and are available in Solo and Excellence models. The control is designed to allow quick setup of up to six boilers. These low-emission boilers feature a next-generation fire tube heat exchanger for improved efficiency and reliability. The Solo models are built to work with an external indirect water heater for domestic hot water and are available with five inputs, ranging from 60 MBH to 399 MBH. The Excellence model is designed to provide space heating and domestic hot water from an internal 14-gallon indirect water heater.

million Btuh. The freestanding TRS fits in a 32"doorway with a water heater attached. Indoor installations can be built with the company’s standard polypropylene concentric venting or its common venting system. www.rinnai.us

NE W

!

www.triangletube.com

Rinnai’s Tankless Rack System (TRS) is built from powder-coated aluminum and can be built and shipped fully assembled, including gas and water manifolds to any location in Canada. The system is available in freestanding or wall-mounted options for indoor or outdoor applications. Individual racks will hold two to six of the company’s 199 000 Btuh condensing units; and multiple racks will hold up to 25 units and have an input capacity of nearly five

CLEAN

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

ECONOMICAL

CondenSAFE is a condensate neutralizer unit that is divided into three sections to be filled with convenient date labeled HG-neered media bags.

FEATURES

HG-neered media in bags

Radiant Ready 30E from Uponor has a 30 000 Btuh

• Efficient HG-neered media • Prevents corrosion by neutralizing condensate • Economical • Environmentally safe • Easy to install • Service friendly

electric boiler, an Uponor engineered plastic (EP) heating manifold, a pump, expansion tank, pressure-relief valve, isolation valves, thermostat and air vent preassembled and pre-wired into the unit.

It is designed to cover up to 2000 sq. ft. of radiant floor heating (based on 15 Btuh/sq. ft.) and 4000

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

450 434.3384

sq. ft. of radiant floor warming (based on 7.5 Btuh/ sq. ft.). It comes standard with a five-loop manifold,

HGSPEC.COM

which can be customized to add up to eight additional loops. www.uponor.ca

52 | february 2013

MODERN HYDRONICS

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Left to right: Nuno D. (Stantec), Jerry L. (Uponor), Erik W. (Klimar), Brian M. (The Morgan Group), Kaveesh P. (HTS)

Both organizations stand as examples of companies which create progressive approaches to today’s building challenges.

We strive to provide solutions to allow them to meet their goals, and combine this with local support through partners like Brian Morgan, The Morgan Group and Erik Walesiak, Klimar Agency together with members of our team like Jerry Leyte, Commercial Business Development Manager, we look

Founding Sponsor

www.uponorpro.com/thefutureis

to enabling everyone to create better human environments, because at Uponor we provide Simply More.

The Future Is Enabling At Uponor “enabling the environments we will create” is one of our values and goals. It means that all our solutions provide you the flexibility, comfort and efficiency your clients deserve. We are proud that many of our partners within the marketplace share this ideal. Partners like Nuno Duarte Practice Leader, at Stantec, or Kaveesh Padiachy, Ottawa Controls Manager at HTS Engineering Ltd.

>> Products The Vertiga convector from Jaga Climate Systems features two dynamic lateral air heat exchangers with copper tubes and aluminum fins aquifers. It works with low-temperature energy systems, such as condensing boilers and heat pumps.

Constructed entirely from renewable and recycled material, the convector is available in three unique panels offering multiple design options. www.jaga-canada.com Schluter’s BEKOTEC modular screed systems are designed to produce permanent flooring as-

Gruvlok KNX series Hydronic Hook-Up Kits

semblies that are free from internal stresses.

are designed to integrate into a variety of

They create continuous screed surfaces with-

projects and are available in connection

out control joints or reinforcement and accom-

sizes ranging from ½" to 2" The kits are con-

modate hydronic radiant heating tubes. The

figured to the system designer’s specifica-

floating system’s assembly can be customized

tions to streamline the ordering process for

to meet a wide range of heat and sound re-

contractors and are tested, bagged, tagged,

quirements.

boxed and labeled prior to shipment.

www.schluter.com

www.anvilintl.com

PEOPLE. SOLUTIONS. VALUE. Industry leading service.

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54 | february 2013

MODERN HYDRONICS

www.hpacmag.com

Modern Hydronics

Taco’s Viridian wet-rotor pump is

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gpm. The manifolds also come with loop identification labels. www.mrpexsystems.com www.hpacmag.com

MODERN HYDRONICS

february 2013

| 55

>> Renewables

Room For Improvement Outdoor wood-fired heaters bring some baggage to system design.

I

nterest in wood-fired hydronic heating systems continues to rise, particularly in areas where wood competes against fuel oil. One heat source used for such systems, especially in rural areas of North America, is the outdoor wood-fired heater. An example of such a product is shown below.

Heat is carried away from these appliances by a stream of water. Despite this, they are called “heaters” rather than boilers, because non-pressurized water compartments surround their large fireboxes.

Although firewood is the intended fuel, I have learned that for some people just about anything that fits through the firebox door is fair game for fuel. I even heard how one of these outdoor heaters allowed a certain person to make a deer, shot in violation of local regulations, disappear when they heard that the game warden was on his way. For the record: I am not suggesting the use of deer as fuel.

There are system design issues with outdoor wood-fired heaters. First, because they are non-pressurized, water in piping connected to the heater, and above the water level inside it, will be under sub-atmospheric pressure when the circulator

is off. Second, because they are open heat sources, no ferrous metal components, such as cast iron circulators, should be used in portions of the system piped directly to the heater.

PLEASE DO NOT FLASH ME The water level in the outdoor unit establishes the point of 0 gauge pressure within the boiler circuit when the circulator is off. Figure 1 shows how sub-atmospheric pressure exists in piping above that water level. When the circulator is on, the pressure at a given location in the piping may be positive or negative relative to atmospheric pressure. It depends on the head added by the circulator, the pressure drop caused by head loss along the piping, as well as the elevation of the piping.

In theory, water can remain in piping under sub-atmospheric conditions, provided that certain conditions are met. One of those conditions is that the pressure on the water has to remain above the water’s vapour pressure. When the pressure exerted on water reaches its vapour pressure, it boils. This vapour pressure depends upon the temperature of the water as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 Sub-atmospheric pressure in the system

heat emitter with non-ferrous! waterways

vent to atmosphere

H

water level in furnace

sub-atmospheric pressure will occur in any piping above this line

outdoor furnace! circulator

outdoor! wood-fired! furnace! (non-pressurized)

insulated underground piping

flexible! reinforced! tubing

fill / purging! valves

Outdoor wood-fired heaters present some system design issues.

56 | february 2013

MODERN HYDRONICS

www.hpacmag.com

Modern Hydronics

Figure 2 Determining vapour pressure vapour pressure (psia) (psia) vapor pressure

This graphic shows the relationship between boiling point and absolute pressure. For example, at an absolute pressure of 14.7 psi (which corresponds to normal atmospheric pressure at sea level, and 0 gauge pressure) water boils at 212F. However, let’s say water finds itself at a pressure five psi below normal atmospheric pressure (e.g. 14.7-5 = 9.7 psia). According to Figure 2 it will boil if it reaches a temperature of about 190F. This could occur the instant a circulator shuts off in a distribution system where the 190F water is about 12 feet above the water level in the outdoor heater. The sudden drop in pressure, relative to when the circulator is on, could lower the local pressure below the vapour pressure of the water. The result will be an immediate steam flash inside the piping. This will produce strong banging sounds that rival solid blows from a 24-ounce mallet hammer. It is not a sound people want to hear coming from their heating system.

The higher the top of the distribution system is compared to the water level in the heater, the more negative the water pressure and the lower the temperature at which the water will boil. Formula 1 can be used to estimate the negative static pressure at the top of the system each time the circulator turns off.

14.7 psia

30 25

no boiling occurs in this region

20 15 10 5 0

boiling occurs! in this region 50

100 150 200 water temperature (ºF)

250

212 ºF

tem (7.8 psia), find this pressure on the vertical axis of Figure 2, draw a line from there to the curve, and then another line down to the lower axis, you will find that water at about 182F or higher would boil under these conditions. This is a situation that must be avoided.

Formula 1

TINY SUCKING SOUNDS

Pstatic=–(0.433xH) Where: Pstatic - static gauge pressure of the water at a given location (w/ circulator off) (psi) H = height from top of system piping down to water level in outdoor heater (ft) Here is an example: Determine the negative static pressure of water located 16 feet above the water level in the outdoor heater. If the temperature of this water is 190F, will it boil at the top of the system when the circulator turns off?

First, determine the extent of the negative pressure using Formula 1:

Pstatic=–(0.433x16)=–6.9psi Now, convert the negative gauge pressure to absolute pressure. Just subtract 6.9 psi from atmospheric pressure (14.7 psi).

P2=14.7–6.9=7.8psia Water will boil whenever the absolute pressure on it is lower than its vapour pressure. Figure 3 shows the vapour pressure of 190F water to be 9.5 psia. Thus, boiling will occur.

If you start with the absolute pressure at the top of the syswww.hpacmag.com

Another nuance of open hydronic systems is that air will enter through any possible leakage path that is located where the local pressure is sub-atmospheric. Such paths include floattype air vents, valve packings, circulator flange gaskets, or less than perfectly-sealed threaded connections.

As air enters the piping, water drains back to the outdoor heater. Over time, the water level could drop several feet.

When the circulator turns on, it may or may not be able to push the air pocket back around the circuit and refill the piping. Even if it can, who wants to listen to air bubbles gurgling through piping as the circuit refills itself on every call for heat?

MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS There are techniques that can help prevent “nuisance boiling” in open loop systems supplied by outdoor wood-fired heaters.

One is to lower the water temperature. Another is to lower the height of the distribution system relative to the water level in the heater. Still another possibility is to locate the heater at a higher outside elevation given the constraints of the property, building locations and so on. All of these options have their limitations.

In my opinion, to avoid nuisance boiling and air admittance problems the best solution is to use a properly-sized stainless steel brazed plate heat exchanger to isolate the non-pressurized outdoor heater from what will then be a true closed/pres-

MODERN HYDRONICS

february 2013

| 57

>> Renewables surized indoor distribution system. The concept is shown in Figure 3.

The closed loop portion of the system can contain the auxiliary boiler, cast iron circulators and the standard “trim” that would be present in any modern hydronic system. Just think of the heat exchanger as the boiler and design accordingly.

When this approach is used with an auxiliary boiler and the outdoor circuit is operating with an antifreeze solution, be sure

Figure 3 Incorporating a stainless steel brazed plate heat exchanger

TRV

closed! pressurized! distribution! system!

vent to atmosphere TRV

other! zones!

outdoor unit! circulator

outdoor! wood-fired! furnace! (non-pressurized)

auxiliary! boiler check! valve

insulated underground piping flexible! reinforced! tubing

heat! exchanger

Figure 4 Piping to prevent freezing

outdoor! wood-fired! furnace

auxiliary! boiler

temperature sensor

temperature controller load circulator (OFF)

your controls are set up to turn off the circulator in the outdoor circuit to prevent that circuit from scavenging heat from the heat exchanger. The circulator that carries heat from secondary side of the heat exchanger to the closely-spaced tees can also be shut off. It is also a good idea to install a check valve so that heat produced by the auxiliary boiler does not thermosyphon back outside.

If the outdoor unit operates with water, the detail in Figure 4 can be used to “trickle” just enough heat from the remainder of the system to keep the outdoor unit from freezing.

When the temperature sensor in the outdoor heater reaches a temperature that is near, but still a few degrees above freezing, a small “shunt” circulator routes warm water returning from the distribution system through the load side of the heat exchanger. The same temperature controller that handles this function also ensures that the circulator in the outdoor heater is operating. Flow through the load side of the heat exchanger should be adjusted using the flow setter so that excessive heat is not transported to the outdoor heater and so that indoor comfort is not compromised. With the proper controls, the piping in Figure 4 allows the auxiliary boiler to fire to provide heat to the outdoor unit, even if there is no other call for heat in the system.

Finally, do not scrimp on the piping or insulation system between the outdoor heater and the interior of the building. Use a quality pre-insulated piping system specifically intended for buried installation. Two one-inch PEX tubes wrapped up with bubble foil and buried 12 inches under the lawn is not going to do the job.

Size the piping for a reasonable small head loss. In some cases this means 1.25" or even 1.5" pipe, rather than the common one-inch PEX that is often sold in combination with these heaters. Remember, the fundamental hydronic system design principals that determine flow rates, head loss, and heat transfer prevail, wherever the Btus are produced. Why invest thousands of dollars in such a heater and then bury improperly sized or improperly insulated piping, under three or four feet of dirt, from the heater to the building?

If you plan to install an outdoor wood-fired heater, do it right with modern hydronic details. Use a heat exchanger between the outdoor circuit and remainder of the system. Also consider some of the other details discussed here. These modern materials and methods will help deliver more heat and better comfort from outdoor wood heaters.

- John SIEGENTHALER

to / from! heating! system

John Siegenthaler, P.E. is the author of Modern Hydronic Heating (the third edition of this book is now available).

For reference information and software to assist in hydronic system design visit www.hydronicpros.com.

check valve check valve flow setter "shunt" circulator

58 | february 2013

MODERN HYDRONICS

www.hpacmag.com

LET’S HAVE

NO IDEA HOW COLD

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< HEATING

A Two-In-One Seasonal Alternative Portable heat pump basics. BY Clark Michel

T

he time is right to review the technologies available to building owners, operators and maintenance supervisors for emergency, temporary and supplemental heating applications. There are a number of good portable heating options (see sidebar) on the market for non-residential applications, but they are not as well understood as their portable air conditioning counterparts, and are therefore sometimes underutilized.

Portable heat pumps are the newest technology available, having come into use over the past 10 years or so. They look identical to the spot coolers that are so widely accepted for a host of applications, but with the addition of a heating function that is designed to be safer and more efficient than resistive electric heating. Unlike the portable devices de-

scribed in the sidebar, portable heat pumps are unique in their ability to provide “two-in-one” cooling and heating functions – at an incremental cost of around 20 to 30 per cent higher than a same-size unit with cooling capability only.

Because of their versatility and the fact that so many regions of the country have seasonal needs for both cooling and heating, portable heat pumps are regarded as having strong growth potential.

Applications range from spot heating and cooling of spaces ranging from office environments to shop floors to industrial processes. The units’ portability permits localized temperature controls and allows users to roll out the units at the end of a rental or lease period.

Portable heat pumps can address “cold spots” as well as

categories of portable heating equipment Direct fired heaters (also known as construction heaters).

With direct fired units, air is blown across a natural gas or propane flame and into the area to be heated. On an open construction site, nothing works more cost-effectively – however, there is an open flame that has some level of toxic emissions, so safety issues are of concern. For temporary use in well-ventilated open areas, it is a viable choice and can help speed construction processes such as ground thawing, concrete and drywall curing, etc. These units typically feature very large capacities of 80 000 – 7 000 000 Btuh.

Electric heaters, whether large or small, use resistive heat, which is very effective in cold environments but is the most expensive form of heat you can get. Large electric heaters with capacities of 34 000 – 512 000 Btuh are quite popular.

They use a forced air fan to blow or duct fresh, warm air to the area to be heated, delivering clean, dry air with no emissions. Electric power may be an issue: These large heaters usually require three-phase 220 V or 460 V high voltage wiring, which may not be available – sometimes necessitating the use of a generator or an electrician.

Much smaller electric space heaters are also used for spot heating, but due to the well-known safety issues (e.g., the potential for nearby drapes or furnishings to catch fire, or for office workers to singe a hand or foot on the exposed coils), these units are often prohibited for use in commercial buildings.

Indirect fired gas heater is suited to indoor or outdoor use.

Indirect fired heaters have been gaining in popularity due to the combined benefits of enhanced fire safety, no harmful emissions, and the ability to heat outdoor or indoor areas including construction sites, manufacturing/industrial areas and tents. These powerhouses generate a high amount of heat (ranging from about 100 000 – 1 000 000 Btuh capacity) and are user-friendly. They are used in a wide range of applications – from keeping NFL players warm on the bench, to making congregations more comfortable in drafty churches when the central heating system needs a boost due to frigid temperatures outdoors.

Indirect fired heaters incorporate a heat exchanger with a natural gas line or propane or kerosene tank that heats up the air. Fresh air is heated and then blown or ducted into a building or other area, with no worries about open flames or toxic emissions as experienced with direct fired heaters.

Indirect heaters also offer advantages over electric heating units: They are easier to operate, are self-contained and convenient, and operate with low power consumption, so generator power is not required. hpacmag.com

FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

61

< HEATING personal preference for more cooling or heating than the general environment. Corner rooms, areas that receive less sunlight, or spaces that need extra heat due to lack of balance in the central system are other common applications.

LIMITATIONS Probably the biggest drawback to portable heat pumps involves their operating temperature limitations in the heating mode. Although a portable heat pump in the cooling mode can offer cooling relief in the most sizzling summer heat wave, the same portable unit in the heating mode cannot always be used as the primary heat source, since you can only extract so much heat from cold air with a mechanical heat pump system. The limitations for a portable heat pump, in the heating mode, require the surrounding air temperature to be at a minimum of 40F and in some cases 55F depending on the manufacturer of the equipment. As a result, the ambient climate must be temperate or another heating source must be available.

Within these limitations, portable heat pumps are an excellent option in several scenarios. These include supplemental heating in chilly lobbies and public spaces, restaurants, offices, conference rooms, manufacturing areas, special events, nursing homes and hospitals. Though portable heat pumps are not the answer for an unheated building in a very cold area, they can also be effective during a cold snap in a usually temperate region.

When a building’s central system is shut down or set back to a lower temperature for a night, weekend or holiday closure, heat pumps can deliver spot heating targeted only to the areas that need it – at a much more efficient cost than the energy that would be required to heat the whole building.

They are particularly suited to temporary heating during renovation or repair of the primary HVAC system: In a highrise tower or other large building, HVAC equipment repair or replacement is typically performed on a zoned basis, usually floor by floor. Portable heat pumps provide an ideal way for contractors to fill the gap and keep occupants comfortable during partial HVAC service or refurbishment.

The portable units can be easily wheeled to different areas or floors as work progresses.

Portable heat pumps are convenient in retail locations because they need no extra wiring. The units plug into the wall, with no outside access needed through windows, making them safe and secure.

Portable heat pumps typically range from one to five tons (or up to about 60 000 Btuh) in capacity, are mounted on wheels and are designed to fit through standard interior doors. Units at the lower end of this range can typically run on a standard 115-volt circuit, but larger capacity units will 62

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

require higher voltages to operate. Some units have the capability to perform at ambient temperatures of 40F, utilizing an expansion valve and an indoor/outdoor condenser, which provides for maximum efficiency through a balanced condenser air pressure. Some portables also have a built-in condenser plenum that draws warmer air from above the ceiling to increase heating output.

Other units use a cap tube system that requires minimum ambient temperature of 55F to operate.

Computerized controls that automatically switch from 70 000 Btuh indirect fired portable heater is used to heat a construction site. The return air is recirculated through the heater to form a closed loop.

Event tent is heated by bringing in fresh outdoor air through the portable heater and ducting inside. the cooling to heating function (or vice versa) are provided on some models, along with variable speed evaporator fans that automatically cycle down as the temperature in the space approaches set point.

Current model heat pumps are updated to operate using environmentally friendly R-410A refrigerant.

SELECTING A PORTABLE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER A reputable distributor of portable equipment should be able to lead you through the above steps and provide sizing, technical and installation assistance. When selecting a supplier, ask: • What kinds of equipment are offered? Look for a supplier who carries both portable heating and cooling equipment from multiple manufacturing sources, so you can get unbiased advice on the best unit for your application as well as year-round assistance.

• Ask what accessories are available and whether they are included in the basic rental price.

• Does the supplier have a national accounts program?

If you manage multiple facilities, look for a supplier who offers a program tailored to national account customers. You may be able to save time and money with an integrated program that includes a single point of contact within the portable equipment supplier organization for all your service needs, a customized emergency response plan and the ability to accommodate your company’s ordering system.

• What other support and/or certifications are available? Ask what kind of technical support is available from the supplier.

• Ask if they follow green initiatives such as the use of environmentally-friendly refrigerants, etc.

• Does the supplier have a large inventory of locallystocked equipment and a proven track record in emergency response? hpacmag.com

installation options

The most effective approach to installing a spot cooler is to use a return air plenum to draw heat from above the ceiling.

The resulting heat transfer effect will bring more warm air into the space. As noted above, some portables come equipped with built-in plenums as standard equipment while other manufacturers offer it as an added-cost accessory.

If a return air plenum cannot be utilized, an alternative is to draw negative pressure into the space you are trying to

SIZING GUIDELINES To determine the net heating effect that will be delivered, the simplest calculation is to take the cubic footage of the area to be heated and divide by 60. This will give you the general cfm requirement for the portable heater. The climate zone in which you are located, insulation factors, and desired temperature to be delivered to the space may increase or decrease your heating demand. You will also have to allow for the impact of other heating sources in the building (e.g., the central heating system) and heat loss that may be generated by windows, lack of insulation, etc. Taking these factors into account, along with the available power supply, you should be able to arrive at a fairly accurate estimate of the size and/or number of portables needed for the application.

heat. This will help to increase the net heating effect, but not as efficiently as a plenum. In the majority of applications, you will want to locate the unit within the space to be warmed.

If this is not possible due to space constraints or noise concerns, the portable may be located outside the room and warm air ducted into the space to be heated. Keep in mind, though, that wherever the portable is located, the ambient temperature must be high enough for it to operate.

Finally, while the air-cooled heating and cooling portables described above dominate the market, water-cooled portable heat pumps are also worthy of mention. In these systems, water is used instead of air to remove heat from the refrigerant inside.

Water-cooled portables can perform in any temperature above freezing, offering greater operating range and much greater capacity than same-sized air-cooled counterparts, as it is possible to pull heat out of water more readily than out of cold ambient air. They are an excellent choice in the right conditions, but they are limited to use in areas where the municipal water supply is plentiful and economical, or in buildings with closed-loop cooling towers. The most common applications include emergency or supplemental heating in retail stores, restaurants, offices and other commercial spaces. <> Clark Michel is vice president of Atlas Sales & Rentals, Inc., a distributor of portable HVAC equipment (www.atlassales.com).

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63

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HPAC | February 2013

hpacmag.com

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Zurn provides lean construction and engineered solutions that reduce material cost, site work and labor. Our goal is serving the customer through innovative products that create efficiencies in new construction and retrofit applications. Choose Zurn for a reliable, recognized manufacturer to supply your entire installation, from behind the wall rough-in, to finish trim product and fixture systems.

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66

HPAC | February 2013

hpacmag.com

Tankless so advanced it’s simple.

(Isn’t it amazing what technology can do for you? )

Francois with Scott Harrison Plumbing

“With the NPE, you can now save half the time on installations Normal tankless water heaters take 6-7 hours to install but the NPE only takes 3 ½ hours. The NPE can use the existing ½” gas pipe which is a major time saver.”

2” PVC Venting Up To 60’

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240LP 240LP

1/2” Gas Pipe Capable

800.519.8794 NavienAmerica.com

High Condensing

240NG 240NG

Field Gas Convertibility

Outdoor Installation

< Plumbing

Wall And Ground Hydrant Essentials

S

tandard frost-proof faucets are designed to be frost-proof when installed properly (with a slight downward pitch) and there is no restriction on the hose nozzle to prevent the faucet from draining. If a hose is attached during freezing weather, water is trapped inside the faucet, which may cause the faucet to freeze and burst.

The faucet shown in Figure 1 has the valve in the closed position.

The water is shut off several inches into the home. The water line does not freeze because of the heat in the home and the product cannot freeze because there is no water in the faucet.

When the valve is turned off, all of the water in front of the valve drains from the faucet leaving the tube empty. If it is installed incorrectly and the hose is left on during freezing weather, a frozen split tube condition can arise (as shown in Figure 2).

When a hose or other restriction is left attached, the water cannot drain from the faucet properly. As the temperature drops below freezing, the water in the faucet begins to freeze. The freezing conditions are applied from the outside of the house back toward the interior as the water continues to freeze.

Figure 1

Correct installation requires downward pitch.

Automatically drains with hose removed.

Incorrect installation traps water in the tube.

Hose left on faucet during freezing weather prevents the water from draining out of the faucet. Thus, the water will freeze and the tube may burst.

Once the water has frozen into the faucet itself, if the faucet has been shut off, there is no relief from this expanding pressure.

Eventually the copper tubing will burst to relieve the pressure. No noticeable damage is visible in the home at this time.

Only a few drops of water will leak through this bulge at the time of the bursting. Once the weather warms, the

ice in the faucet will melt. Since the burst in the tubing is after the shut off valve, water will not leak out of the burst tubing until the water is turned on. Thus, there can be a considerable amount of time between the actual rupture of the tubing and the discovery of the problem.

Some manufacturers offer an Upgrade Kit, designed to prevent the faucet tube from bursting.

Figure 2 Frozen Split Tube Condition

68

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

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Ground Hydrants: Installation Instructions 1.

Dig hole for hydrant approximately two feet in diameter and deeper than the bury depth.

2. Flush gravel, debris, etc. out of supply line before connecting hydrant.

Figure 3 Proper Installation

3. I nstall hydrant with drain hole below frost line. Use wrenches on supply line fitting and brass valve body only. This avoids over tightening the hydrant assembly which could affect operation.

4. If supply line to the hydrant will not support hydrant, use re-bar, length of pipe or other suitable support driven in bottom of pit to help excavation, turn on water and check hydrant connection for leaks.

5.

Provisions must be made to allow the water to drain from the hydrant drain hole each time the hydrant is closed. (a) If the hydrant is installed inside a structure or concrete driveway, connect 1/8" copper drain tubing to the drain hole and dig a remote drain field outside the structure for the drain pipe to empty into. Without this remote piping drain field, the

Troubleshooting leakage problems 1. R ocks or other debris in valve seat, causing plunger not to seat properly. Remove head and operating rod per instruction and let the water flow to flush the casing.

Examine plunger for damage and replace if necessary.

2. Handle linkage out of adjustment.

Handle should "snap" closed when it is approximately 2" from the head casting upon turning hydrant off. Adjust linkage as required.

3. Damaged plunger: Replace with new plunger.

4. Packing nut leakage: Tighten the packing nut as needed, especially in freezing weather. If water is allowed to seep up around the stem, it may freeze and cause the stem to stick.

Figure 4 How A Freeze Proof Hydrant Works

water from the hydrant drainage surface around or near the hydrant and will damage the floor surface or cause muddy areas around hydrant. (b) Saturated ground in the hydrant drain field can prevent the hydrant from draining and may result in freezing. If the area where the hydrant is located is low lying or has a tendency to have standing water, a larger drain field or pit may be required to provide the hydrant a place to drain. (c) Fill bottom of pit with 1/2" gravel to a level about 3" above brass drain valve body, to insure adequate drainage.

This material is provided courtesy of Woodford Manufacturing Company. hpacmag.com

FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

69

HVAC/r PRODUCts White-Rodgers’ Emerson Inspire universal fourwire thermostat system offers full coverage on staging, heat pump, and heat pump with dual fuel systems. The equipment control features quick connect terminals and colour-coded LEDs for accurate installation, set-up confirmation and troubleshooting. Models include a reusable plug-in configuration tool that allows system testing and configuration right at the equipment. www.white-rodgers.com Corr/Guard condensing appliance vents from Metal-Fab are

Napolean's made in Canada 9200 series sin-

offered in 3" to 36"

gle stage, multi position, high efficiency gas

diameter

in

furnace is designed for today's tight homes

double

and small square footage residences. The

wall configurations and are available in four material

30 000 Btu unit can be converted to propane.

Energence three-ton to 50-ton light com-

options. They can be used on a variety of Category

It is 32 7/8" high and comes in four widths

mercial rooftop units from Lennox fea-

II, III, & IV gas-fired appliances. It features corrosion-

from 14 1/2" to 24 1/2".

ture the company’s patented Humiditrol

resistant stainless steel flue material and a one-

www.napoleonheatingandcooling.com

dehumidification system and the Prodi-

step connection and snap lock for quick and simple

gy control system. They have ratings up

installation. www.mtlfab.com

single

flues

and

to 18 SEER, 12.8 EER and 14.5 IPLV. MSAV supply fan technology is available as a factory-installed option on 7.5-ton to 25-ton units. The units are ENERGY STAR certified and its SmartWire system is designed to simplify installation. www.lennox.com Save Energy Systems’ demand limiting controllers are designed to serve small- to mid-sized commercial

Tjernlund Products, Inc.’s Fresh Air In-Forcer sys-

buildings over 6000 sq. ft. with three or more HVAC

tem is comprised of a fan and exterior hood

units. The units automatically monitor ambient and

that can be installed in a 4" round exterior wall

external temperatures and require no programming.

opening. It offers manual operation by plugging

Additional features include: an automated demand

into a 115 VAC switched outlet, plug-in timer

response, peak load balancing, built-in economizer

operation and dehumidistat control operation.

management, automated maintenance alerts, fresh

Standard 4" flex or metal duct can be used for

air recirculation, integrated management of multi-

ducting and the 90 CFM high efficiency fan is

Vac Systems International’s Dual Whip

stage units, AUTO/OFF mode states and enhanced

built for quiet operation.

Assembly for the Super RBS Brush & Air

auto-demand response. www.saveenergysystems.com

http://tjernlund.com

System and the Super Trac Robotic System allows for the use of two air whips

Danfoss’ WSH series of R410A scroll compressors have cooling capacity

simulteously. The assembly comes with

ranges from 7.5 to 15 TR and are available in six models. They are designed

two octopus whip heads and two tri whip

to operate at low temperature ratios, have a wide range of manifold options

heads. It has been added to the Super

and feature an optional acoustic hood, designed to reduce noise levels by

RBS Whip Kit (2-RBS03) and to the Su-

six to eight dB(A). A quick connector plug is available on select models.

per Trac Robotic Systems’ Air Washing

www.danfoss.us

Package (2-ST01). www.vacsysint.com 70

HPAC | February 2013

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NEW!

Two new solutions for combustion analysis testo 310 All you need for residential tuning.

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MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS MANUFACTURERS • distributors • wholesalers • associations

Hamilton Sundstrand goes independent and rebrands Private equity firm BC Partners and global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group recently announced the completion of their $3.46-billion acquisition of Hamilton Sundstrand Industrial from United Technologies Corporation. Hamilton Sundstrand is now independent and known as Neodyne Industries. Neodyne is a manufacturer of engineered, mission-critical pumps and compressors for international industrial, infrastructure and energy markets.

It operates three global industrial businesses: Milton Roy, Sundyne and Sullair. www.miltonroy.com www.sundyne.com www.sullair.com

System-wide integration works for Broan-NuTone Broan-NuTone Canada Inc., based in Mississauga, ON, became one of only three Canadian companies certified to the ISO 5001 Energy Management Systems standard in November of 2012. Heads Up CIPEC Newsletter reports that the company started on its journey to energy savings in 2007 and through numerous measures, including employee engagement, reduced its energy consumption by 45 per cent over the subsequent five years.

“Now formal roles and responsibilities are connected across the company. It also formalizes our annual energy consumption review process and formally identifies energy saving opportunities so that they are more likely to be implemented,” said John Martinovic, director of operations at Broan-NuTone Canada Inc. In fact, seven new projects have already been identified by the company and are en route to implementation.

These include a destratification project that will recirculate heat from the ceiling, and the installation of a heat exchanger for the paint line that would use waste heat from the ovens. http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/industrial/cipec/13673

CIPH Ontario Region gets a dose of public opinion CIPH Ontario Region held its second business meeting on January 17, 2013. Don Wellington of Great Lakes Copper received a 50-year service award and Wayne Bingle of The Morgan Group received a lifetime service award. Pollsters Darrell Bricker and John Wright then let the audience in on their views on politicians, the media, prominent figures, and current public opinion on a number of issues. The next business meeting will be in March with Brian Bluff, an internet marketer. The business meetings wrap up May 16 with CBC's Wendy Mesley. For more information, contact Nancy Barden barden@sympatico.ca.

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HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

The eight million dollar annex to the existing building was officially opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony last fall.

Reliable goes for platinum Reliable Controls recently opened its new headquarters at 120 Hallowell Rd., in Victoria, BC. The $8-million annex to the existing company building houses its research and development, sales, marketing and administration wings. More than 100 people came out to celebrate the facility’s opening. Attendees then took a tour of the building, stopping at 13 different LEED learning stations that described a variety of the company’s targeted LEED credits in the following categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources and indoor environment quality.

The annex is targeted for LEED Platinum certification. www.reliablecontrols.com

Major victories for two manufacturers Elkay Manufacturing recently received a victory in the courts against a Chinese-base sink manufacturer, which was selling its drawn stainless sinks significantly below market value. The Department of Commerce found in its preliminary investigation that the Chinese company was in violation of U.S. trade laws and instructed U.S. Customs to collect cash deposits from importers of drawn stainless steel sinks. They also issued a preliminary determination that the Government of China was in violation of U.S. trade laws for subsidizing Chinese manufacturers of drawn stainless steel sinks, which resulted in additional cash deposits being collected from Chinese importers of drawn stainless steel sinks. www.elkay.com DuPont Refrigerants has completed a two-year investigative effort battling counterfeit of DuPont refrigerant brands in Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. The defendant has been forced to pay the equivalent of $39 400 US to the Chinese government and to pay $32 000 US in damages and court costs to DuPont. The company is also under a permanent injunction to not sell DuPont refrigerants, or engage in counterfeit activities involving DuPont trademarks going hpacmag.com

forward, and was required to post a formal apology in two Chinese newspapers. http://refrigerants.dupont.com

Venting system approvals on the rise M&G DuraVent has received more key approvals for PolyPro venting systems. Bryant 900 series, Carrier 59 series, Day & Night 90+, Heil 90+, Keeprite 90+, Payne-all 2012 models, and Tempstar 90+ furnaces, recently approved the use of PolyPro single-wall, concentric, and flex with their appliances. www.duravent.com

Winners Circle >> General Tools & Instruments’ iBorescope recently received a 2012 Handy Innovation award. www.generaltools.com

>> Boshart Industries has acquired Flomatic Corporation from Watts Water Technologies, Inc. The purchase excludes the backflow product line of Flomatic Corporation, retained

by Watts. www.flomatic.com >> Harbour Group recently purchased Cleaver-Brooks, a complete boiler room solutions provider based in Thomasville, GA. www.harbourgroup.com >> Danfoss recently purchased the remaining shares of Danfoss Turbocor Compressors from the joint venture in which Danfoss had a 50 per cent owner’s share. www.danfoss.com

Milestones >> BMI Canada Inc. recently celebrated its 40th anniver-

>> Lochinvar named Jamie Whitehead of Cooper Plumbing & Heating in Calgary., AB, the winner of its VIP Installation Showcase and Francois Pineau of Montreal-based Plomberie Chauffage Normand Inc. the winner of its monthly VIP drawing. Both winners receive Lochinvar’s Nashville Experience, an all-expense-paid trip for two to Nashville with two tickets to the world’s largest country music festival in June 2013. www.Lochinvar.com

>> Johnson Controls was awarded the Silver Innovation Award in the HVAC Units category of the Home Builder Executive’s 2012 Innovation Awards. Home Builder Executive judged suppliers by researching unique products, builder programs and initiatives brought to each category, while editors evaluated websites, press releases and promotional materials; as well as articles and interviews published over the past year. www.johnsoncontrols.com

Mergers and Acquisitions Desco increases presence in southwestern Ontario Desco Plumbing and Heating increased its footprint in southwestern Ontario by purchasing the assets of London, ON-based Western Plumbing and Industrial Supplies Limited.

Contact information for Western Plumbing will remain the same and the company will continue to operate under its current structure. www.desco.ca >> M&G Group recently signed an agreement to purchase Laval, QC-based Security Chimneys International Limited from Comvest Investment Partners IV, L.P. and Innovative Hearth Products. www.duravent.com

hpacmag.com

sary. Founded by Marc Bouthillette in 1972, the company is headquartered in Boisbriand, QC. It has distribution centres in Boisbriand; Toronto, ON; Langley, BC; and Cleveland, OH, with more than 80 000 sq. ft. of warehouse space and over HRAI ads_3.375x4.875_Layout 1 1/30/13 12:26 PM Page 1 8000 products in stock. www.bmicanada.com continued on page 74

Credibility... is using HRAI wholesalers that are in the know on regulations and standards. It’s knowing that they are up to date on market trends.

It ensures that quality, honesty, integrity and good faith are standard business practices.

When dealing with HRAI Wholesalers, you can be confident that you are in good hands!

Look for your nearest HRAI wholesaler member today! www.hrai.ca/wholesalers

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

HRAI... Setting the Standard

www.hrai.ca 1.800.267.2231 FEBRUARY 2013 | HPAC

73

< people Effective August 1, 2013, Keith VanderVennet, currently the senior vice president of Wolseley Canada, will return to Darcy Curran Ferguson (Wolseley’s U.S. operation), in the role of senior vice president of sales. VanderVennet, who has lead Wolseley Canada since 2007, will be succeeded by Darcy Curran as senior vice-president of Wolseley Canada. In this role, Curran will have full management and profit and loss responsibility over all facets of Wolseley Canada. He has been with Ferguson since 1987, where he has been instrumental in integrating acquisitions, opening new locations and growing market share.

Rinnai America Corporation has appointed Takashi Sonoda to the position of president. He most recently served as president of Rinnai R.B. Controls Co. Ltd. in Japan and has also managed a 400-person staff at the company’s Brazil facility.

Zurn Industries, LLC has named Jim Fessler general manager of Zurn Industries Limited, Canada. In this role, Jim Fessler he will lead the strategic direction of the Canadian operation and will continue to lead Zurn Canada’s sales efforts. He has held positions of increasing responsibility at Zurn for 25 years.

Simon Ducharme

oodman Canada rec­ G ently named Simon Ducharme its key accounts manager for Quebec. Ducharme has worked for the company for three years.

The Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC) recently appointed Philippe Verhas of Industries Dettson, Clarence Rose of Roode & Rose Heating and Plumbing and Mannan Mohammed of Reliance Worldwide to the 2012-13 CHC council.

Peter Austen was recently named senior western general manager of Noble’s distribution centre in Langley, BC. Austen Peter Austen was previously the president of MPH Supply Ltd., which was acquired

by Noble in 2010. Ken Marks was recently promoted to the position of Ken Marks assistant general manager, British Columbia. Marks joined Noble in 1998 as the lead manager of the commercial plumbing quotations department. In his previous position Marks focused on helping with the company's expandsion in Ontario.

Broan-NuTone Canada has named John Pallante director of sales, Ontario and Western Canada, wholesale division. He has 12 years of experience working in the HVAC industry.

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Training

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS CANADA

AC Installation Optimization Training Program

RETScreen 202 – Heating & Cooling Project Analysis

This one-day training course covers the importance of best practice installation for energy efficient equipment and is based on the CSA C273.5-11 Standard "Installation of Air Source Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners." The course will cover six key installation factors directly affecting system efficiency. All technicians installing equipment under the Heating and Cooling Incentive (HCI) initiative will be required to complete the one-day training program by December 31, 2013. Effective January 1, 2014, participation in the HCI initiative will be restricted to companies whose technicians have completed the training.

This intermediate-level course offers intensive instruction on RETScreen’s Heating & Cooling Project Model, including: an overview of heating and cooling project analysis; biomass heating project analysis; ground-source heat pump project analysis; solar water heating and air heating project analysis and more.

www.hraiheatingcoolingincentive.ca/site/ CMCEF National Seminar Program The Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation’s National Seminar Program Catalogue & Calendar is available online. It contains more than 100 programs available for on-site training for companies and associations. Programs range from a half-day to two days in duration. To request a seminar, contact your local association or the CMCEF office at 613.232.5169 or by e-mail at cmcef@cmcef.org.

www.cmcef.org TECA Quality First Training To register for the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association's (TECA) Quality First training courses, tel 604.594.5956.

www.retscreen.net/ang/home.php Canadian Hydronics Council CHC’s course descriptions and training schedules are available online. Introduction to Hydronic Heating Installations is a starting point for anyone interested in the professional installation of hydronic heating systems. The Essentials of Hydronic System Design intermediate level program is geared to helping practitioners understand key design principles and the different options and solutions required to meet client needs. Participants must have previously completed CHC’s Introduction to Hydronic Heating Installations.

www.ultimatecomfort.ca Dollars to $ense Energy Management Workshops Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency is once again offering workshops focusing on improving efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering operation costs. A workshop schedule is available online. http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca

www.teca.ca GeoExchange Training HRAI SkillTech Academy The SkillTech Academy’s Winter 2013 course schedule is available online. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is offering a $200 subsidy for SkillTech Academy’s residential training programs until March 31, 2013. For more information, contact Dorothy Allen at 800.267.2231 ext. 231, or e-mail dallen@hrai.ca. www.hrai.ca

CSA Learning Institute CSA Learning Institute’s winter/spring course calendar for 2013 is available online. www.csa.ca

hpacmag.com

The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC) has added a national accreditation program for geothermal loop installers that is valid for commercial and residential installations.

www.geoexchange.ca LEED Canada Training Workshops by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) include: LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation; Introduction to Passive Housing Design and Construction; and Overview of the LEED-ND Rating System for Canada. Tel. 613.241.1184. www.cagbc.org

february 2013 | HPAC

75

FREE REGISTRATION $20 VALUE

MCEE MÉCANEX/CLIMATEX/EXPOLECTRIQ/ÉCLAIRAGE

Canada’s largest plumbing, HVACR, hydronic, electrical and lighting expo.

April 17 & 18, 2013 Place Bonaventure Montréal, Québec

Innovative designs Sustainable products Energy efficient technologies Renewable energies

www.mcee.ca Produced by:

In cooperation with:

Calendar

2013

FOR THE LATEST EVENT NEWS SEE HPAC'S NEWSLETTER @ hpacmag.com ISH

National Home Show

World Plumbing Day

March 12-16

March 11

March 15-24

ISH is the world’s largest showcase for innovative bathroom design, energy efficient heating and air-conditioning technology and renewable energies. It will take place in Frankfurt am Main. http://ish.messefrankfurt.com

Parties interested in promoting the role of plumbing should visit

The National Home Show, presented by RE/ MAX, is Canada’s largest and longest running consumer show. It will take place at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, in Toronto, ON.

www.worldplumbingday.org

www.nationalhomeshow.com

BUILDEX Edmonton

NFSA Annual Seminar/North American Fire Sprinkler Expo April 4-6

CMCEF Management Conference

BUILDEX Edmonton has more than 2400 attendees each year from the construction and renovation, interior design, architecture and property management sectors. The show features more than 150 exhibitors.

In conjunction with the National Fire Sprinkler Association’s (NFSA) annual seminar, the NFSA is partnering with the Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association (CASA) and the Mexican Fire Sprinkler Association (AMRACI) to host the inaugural North American Fire Sprinkler Expo at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. www.nfsa.org

The Atlantic Construction Industry, along with CMCEF, will hold its Middle Management Education Conference in Halifax, NS, at the Atlantica Hotel. www.cmcef.com

March 19-20

www.buildexedmonton.com MCEE

APRIL 10-12

April 17-18

April 19-21

Kitchen & Bath Industry Show

RSES Canada Educational Conference

This plumbing, HVAC/R, hydronic, electrical and lighting expo will take place at Place Bonaventure in Montreal, QC.

KBIS 2013 will take place at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.

www.mcee.ca

www.kbis.com

The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society’s annual educational conference will take place at the Hilton Hotel and Suites Niagara Falls/Fallsview in Niagara Falls, ON. www.rsescanada.com

CaGBC National Conference and Expo

NEBB Annual Conference

May 2-4

The National Environmental Balancing Bureau’s annual conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Montreal, QC. The conference theme is “Solutions for Optimizing High Performance Buildings.”

www.nebb.org

June 4-6

The Canada Green Building Council will hold its conference and expo at the Vancouver Convention Centre. www.cagbc.org

April 24-27

CIPH ABC and AGM

Cleaner Heat

June 16-18

June 18-19

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating’s annual business conference and AGM will take place at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel in Halifax, NS.

The Canadian Heat and Oil Association’s Cleaner Heat Conference will take place at the Delta Beausejour Hotel in Moncton, NB.

www.ciph.com

http://symposium.coha.ca

HRAI 45th AGM and conference

COHA Ontario Education Day

September 18-19

September 25-28

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada’s 45th annual general meeting and conference will take place at The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, BC.

The fourth annual COHA Ontario Education Day will take place at the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, ON.

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada’s national conference will take place in Winnipeg, MB.

www.coha-ontario.ca/events/index.html

www.mcac.ca

August 21-24

MCAC National Conference

www.hrai.ca IAQ 2013

ACEEE Hot Water Forum

November 3-5

November 14-15

IAQ 2013, Environmental Health in Low-Energy Buildings, will take place at the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside in Vancouver, BC.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy will hold its forum at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. This technical conference is dedicated to evaluating the three fundamentals of an efficient hot water system: heating water, distributing it with low losses, and using it with efficient fixtures, and practices. www.aceee.org

The 10th annual World Plumbing Conference will take place in New Delhi, India.

October 15-18

www.ashrae.org

World Plumbing Conference

www.wpc2013.in

AHRI Annual Conference

Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

Construct Canada

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute’s annual conference will take place at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Amelia Island, FL.

Greenbuild’s annual conference and expo will take in Philadelphia, PA. It is dedicated to green building and attracts thousands of building professionals from around the globe. It features three days of educational sessions, guest speakers, green building tours, special seminars and networking events.

Canada’s largest building and design construction show offers attendees a chance to network with more than 24,000 building professionals and features more than 1,000 exhibits. The show will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, ON.

www.greenbuildexpo.org

www.constructcanada.com

November 17-19

www.ahrinet.org

hpacmag.com

November 19-22

December 4-6

february 2013 | HPAC

77

< BUILDING SCIENCE

Continued from p. 17

to the relationship between MRT (a function of building performance), comfort and energy. It is for this reason that I believe we ought to drop the reference in codes to controlling air temperatures and focus on the real problem in buildings which is surface temperatures. At the end of the day in my 40 grit humble opinion, if we actually focused on solving the

Figure 9 Screen shot from the ASHRAE Thermal Comfort Tool MRT Calculator

mean radiant temperature problems with enclosure performance we would solve the energy and thermal comfort problems in buildings. <> Robert Bean, R.E.T., P.L.(Eng.), is a registered practitioner in building construction engineering technology (ASET) and a professional licensee in mechanical engineering (APEGGA). He has over 30 years experience in the construction industry specializing in energy and indoor environmental quality and is an author and lecturer for professional development programs addressing building science, thermal comfort quality, indoor air quality and radiant-based HVAC systems. www.healthyheating.com i. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 – Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, used with permission. ii. Table 1, Representative Rates at Which Heat and Moisture Are Given Off

by Human Beings in Different States of Activity, section 18.4, 2009 ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook iii. By definition, “the uniform temperature of an enclosure where the radiance on one side of a small plane element is the same as in the non-uniform actual environment.” iv. Figure 8, Mean Value of Angle Factor Between Seated Person and Horizontal or Vertical Rectangle when Person is Rotated Around Vertical Axis, section 9.10, 2009 ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, used with permission. v. Babiak, J., Olesen, B.W., Petras, D., Low temperature heating and high temperature cooling, REHVA Guidebook 7, 2007

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(403) 720-0029 .................. www.hbxcontrols.com .......................................................................page 23 HG Service Center .......... ......... (450) 434-3384 .................. www.hgspec.com .............................................................................page 52 Hood Chemical . . ..................... (800) 567-9791 ................... www.hoodchemical.com ...................................................................page 51 HRAI . . . . ..................... ......... (800) 267-2231.................... www.hrai.ca .....................................................................................page 73 ITT .. . . . . .............................. (800) 588-7867 ................... www.Canada.xylemappliedwater.com/heating ...................................page 59 Jaga Canada Climate Systems Inc... (519) 505-7780 ................... www.jaga-canada.com ......................................................................page 37 Lennox Parts Plus .......... ......... (214) 576-3800 ................... www.LennoxPartsPlus.com ...............................................................page 20 Liberty Pumps .............. .........(800) 543-2550 ................... www.libertypumps.com .....................................................................page 79 Lochnivar . ................... ......... (615) 889-8900 ................... www.lochinvar ..................................................................................page 55 Navien .. .............................. (800) 519-8794 ................... www.TanklessMadeSimple.com ........................................................page 67 Noble . . . ..................... ......... (800) 529-9805 ................... www.noble.ca ..................................................................................page 45 NTI . . . . . . ..................... ......... (506) 432-1130 ................... www.nythermal.com .........................................................................page 27 Runtal Radiators . . .......... ......... (888) 829-4901 .................. www.runtalradiators.com ..................................................................page 35 Switch the Stat ............. ......... (416) 922-2448 ................... www.switchthestat.ca ......................................................................page 75 Taco .. . . .............................. (905) 564-9422 ................... www.taco-hvac.com ..........................................................................page 31 tekmar Control Systems ... ......... (250) 545-7749 ................... www.tekmarControls.com .................................................................page 60 testo . . . . .............................. (800) 227-0729 ................... www.testo.com ................................................................................page 71 Thermolec ............................ (514) 363-9130 ................... www.thermolec.com .........................................................................page 40 Thermo Mfg. ......................... (888) 678-3709 ................... www.ThermoPan.com .......................................................................page 19 Uponor . . ..................... .........(888) 994-7726 ................... www.uponorpro.com/thefutureis .......................................................page 53 Viessmann ........................... (800) 387-7373 ................... www.viessmann.ca/CM2series .........................................................page 39 Watts .. . ..................... .........(888) 208-8927 ................... www.wattscanada.ca ........................................................................page 80 Zurn .. . . ..................... .........(905) 405-8272 ................... www.zurn.com ..................................................................................page 66 78

HPAC | FEBRUARY 2013

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