KA6 install help needed for self install noob

Images from that book are likely Copyrighted. Please do not upload them here.

Using 1-1/4 black pipe and then 1" pex did you use the 1" pex that has the about 7/8 id or did you use 1-1/4 that gives you full 1 in. id?

Just use the 1” pex.

Anyone have thoughts on the best brand/type circulating pump to get? Looking at the Grundfus UPS15-58FC,3 speed or Grundfus UP15-42F. The heat exchanger seller I questioned suggested 15gpm flow rate or so should be fine. Both these have 0-17gpm flow rate. Your thoughts?

I just bought my water to air and water to water heat exchangers and my circulator pump with ball valve flanges from the site I mentioned.

Badgerinsulatedpipe.com

Really good quality, good customer support, fast shipping.

What pump did you purchase? Decided I'm going with mix of copper and black pipe. Not sure, do you know if you need a brass or bronze transition piece between the copper and steel?

not2bad wrote: ↑

Tue. Oct. 17, 2017 11:10 am

What pump did you purchase? Decided I'm going with mix of copper and black pipe. Not sure, do you know if you need a brass or bronze transition piece between the copper and steel?

I used the badger brand 3 speed.

Why do u have to use both iron and copper?

I might be able to save some money on pipe and fittings. I can get a lot of steel fittings at a flea market I go to often. All kinds and sizes. Steel is cheaper, but heavier, and I have a pipe threader with different dies and a cutter so I don't know yet. Copper is easier to work with for sure and in the scheme of things I guess, looking at total cost, the savings with steel may not matter too much.

I would go all steel, there is nothing wrong with it. I did my whole install in black iron and pex, I purchased domestic threaded black iron though instead of the cheap Chinese stuff like at lowes, makes a world of difference when putting together, no leaks either if taped and pipe doped properly.

From what I've read on closed systems it's ok to mix copper and black iron. The manifolds I scavenged from an old boiler also had the two mixed.

For black iron pipe I used both domestic and imported and didn't have any leaks. I was going to have the local hardware store cut/thread a bunch of pipe for me but it ended up being less money just buying the nipples.

Does anyone use zone valves on their heat exchangers? Are they needed? From what I understand they are wired to your thermostat/s and allow hot water flow as needed when the thermostat calls for heat?

This is a 3 zone system. One zone heats my entire downstairs level and the upstairs is divided into 2 separate zones. I am using Honeywell wireless thermostats to control the relay panel.

Zoning is very efficient as you are only heating the areas that need heat and not the whole house at once.

I am using just 2 heat exchangers put in the plenums of my electric air handler furnaces. One for each section of the house. A one story and then the two story addition so I guess I could connect one each directly to the heat exchangers going on the input side.

The taco zone valve in the middle is for my heat exchanger in my furnace, I only had to install it due to my furnace being. A down draft and the exchanger being hot 24/7 under the furnace was tripping my blower to come on when I didn’t want it to, it thought the oil gun was making heat. But it is slightly more efficient to not heat the exchanger 24/7. But then you have to cycle the pump also, which can be done directly off the taco zone valve. But you need to install the zone valves by the pump to make wiring easier.

What about your domestic hot water? I don’t believe you’ve mentioned it and you’d be a fool to not heat that also!

not2bad wrote: ↑

Wed. Oct. 18, 2017 8:53 pm

Does anyone use zone valves on their heat exchangers? Are they needed? From what I understand they are wired to your thermostat/s and allow hot water flow as needed when the thermostat calls for heat?

You don't need zone valves if you only have one thermostat. A zone valve would prevent the circulation of hot water by convection but you could use a check valve instead for a fraction of the cost. The thermostat wire would go directly to the aquastat instead.