Energy Efficient Heating Systems

O&G Industries, a global construction materials and services company purchased and converted a Torrington, CT post office building into office space.  As part of the conversion, O&G wisely decided to remove a 40 year old, 1 million Btu/hr oil fired boiler.  They called in Stafford Mechanical Services to perform the conversion. 

Stafford Mechanical Services focuses on designing and installing energy saving projects. After performing a comprehensive energy audit, they determined that natural gas boilers would provide superior energy cost savings compared to oil fired boilers.  Triangle Tube’s 95% efficient Prestige boilers were the best replacements for the old boiler.  Gary Reviczky, of Stafford Mechanical Services noted, “I selected the Triangle Tube Prestige boilers based on my experience with them.  They have proven to be both easy to install and highly reliable.”

Two Prestige Solo 399 boilers, with a total input of nearly 800,000 Btu/hr. replaced the old 1 million Btu/hr. cast iron boiler.  A Triangle Tube Mini-Mod Control provides for the outdoor reset feature to modulate the system water temperature, while the full parallel modulation maximizes the system’s efficiency by operating the boilers at the minimum possible firing rate.  The Triangle Tube boilers increased the heating system turndown to nearly 8 to 1, which minimized boiler cycling and optimized the efficiency.

The Prestige boilers were vented using PVC piping in the existing 30 foot chimney.   This prevented the need for additional holes in the wall and visible vent piping on the exterior.  The wall mounted Prestige boilers freed up the floor space in the boiler room and allowed the piping to be neatly organized.

The old boiler consumed 4,850 gallons during a normal heating season.  At a price of $3.60 per gallon of heating oil, this would cost $17,460.  During the 2010-11 heating season, O&G’s heating cost with the Triangle Tube system was just $7404.  This is a 58% reduction.  The 2010-11 heating season was one of the colder ones in recent memory, so further savings are expected in the future.

Stafford Mechanical Services selected Triangle Tube Prestige boilers helped to convert an old post office to an energy efficient office building.  The building’s owners, O&G Industries will have a more energy efficient workplace for many years to come.

There are four keys to successfully replacing your boiler.  By following these keys, you will ensure a fast trouble-free installation and much lower utility bills.  

1)  Selecting the right product - Craftsmen will tell you that building a fine piece of furniture starts with selecting the right wood.  The same is true in boiler replacement.  By selecting a reliable, highly efficient boiler, you will ensure that the project will be a success if the three other keys are followed.  Choosing a poorly designed product will ensure long term dissatisfaction, even if the other keys are correct.  Triangle Tube's Prestige and Challenger boilers are industry leaders in reliability and efficiency.  For more information on this, see the end of this post.

2)  Select the right contractor - Once again, a good contractor will make or break the project.  There is much more involved in replacing a boiler than simply removing the old boiler and inserting a new one.  The boiler must be sized and the piping layout reviewed to ensure that the heating system works in harmony.  A good contractor will have experience and proper training to know how to join all of the parts of the heating system into an efficient, effective, heating machine.  Click here to find certified Triangle Tube contractors in your area.

3)  Size the boiler properly - A lot has changed in your home since the last boiler was installed.  Perhaps you have new windows and/or doors.  Perhaps radiant floor heating was installed.  An addition may have been added, the attic has been insulated.  A proper heat loss analysis must be performed to select the proper boiler for the house.  An boiler that is too large will cause excessive cycling and drive up energy costs.  One that is too small will not keep the house warm on the coldest days.

4)  Use outdoor reset - One of the biggest efficiency gains in new boilers is the ability to use computer technology to adjust the hydronic system to the heating load.  As the weather gets warmer, less heat is required.  By lowering the system temperature, the house is able to be heated much more efficiently.  Please make sure this important feature is being used.  For more information on outdoor reset, click here.

Triangle Tube's Prestige and Challenger boilers are modern, highly efficient, natural gas or propane boilers that have excellent track records in reliability.  With AFUEs of 95% or higher, and low NOx emissions, these are responsible, green choices for both the environment and your budget.  When paired with a Smart Indirect Fired Water Heater, they form the right solution for your residential heat and hot water needs.  

Modern boilers gain 5 to 10% increases in efficiency versus their traditional “on-off” counterparts by being able to adjust their output to meet the demand.  “On-off” boilers are either on at full-fire or they are off.  Modulating boilers can operate at anywhere from 20% of 100% of their full fire capacity.  (For more on boiler modulation please read my previous posts by clicking here.)

By operating at lower fire, the boilers gain efficiency and cycle less.  To maximize this performance, and minimize boiler cycling, which is a drag on efficiency, the boiler must be properly sized.  In the past, it was common for boilers to be sized up to 50% greater than their “coldest day” demand.  This further increased boiler cycling. 

When replacing an old boiler or installing a new one, it is worth the time to perform a proper heating load analysis.  This will help avoid paying for a boiler that is bigger than needed, or installing a boiler that cannot meet your heating needs.  If a larger boiler is installed than needed you will overspend not only on the initial cost of the boiler, but also by extra fuel cost due to the less efficient operation due to boiler cycling.  While a modulating boiler will operate longer and cycle less than an “on-off” boiler, it still will cycle when the load is lower than the minimum output of the boiler.  Therefore, an oversized boiler should be avoided.

While it may seem logical to simply size your replacement boiler based on the one that is being replaced, a heating load analysis can better determine the size required.  Even if the original boiler had been properly sized when it was installed, there probably have been significant improvements to the house since then.  It is very common for extra insulation and more energy efficient doors and windows to have been installed.  All of these will impact the heating load.

Triangle Tube’s Prestige and Challenger boilers are able to modulate down to between 25% and 30% of the boiler’s maximum output.   This helps improve efficiency especially during the warmer days in the heating season.  This modulation is also helpful when using an indirect water heater like Triangle Tube’s Smart series.  Make your radiant heating system as green as possible by properly sizing your boiler.  Contact Triangle Tube today for more information of click here to locate a certified installer near you.

It is safe to say that most people do not give much consideration to the type of heating system when they are considering a house purchase.  But people who have experienced the benefits of radiant floor heating are certain to have this on their list.  

Radiant floor heating's growth is one of the most positive trends in the HVAC industry in recent years.  These systems have the unique feature of being energy efficient, comfortable, invisible, and silent.  In nearly every aspect they are a clear winner. 

Radiant floor heating systems are a modern alternative to the traditional cast iron radiators or the more recent hot water baseboard systems.  In a radiant floor system water (or glycol in some cases) is heated by a boiler and circulated through tubing that is installed under the floor.  This water warms the flooring and the heat then radiates throughout the home. 

There are many benefits to this process.  First, it is extremely energy efficient as the warmest part of the room is the floor, which is the part of the room people use.  A hot air furnace heats the air which enters the room through registers on the floor, but then quickly rises to the ceiling, making it the warmest part of the room.  In comparison, a room heated by radiant flooring can be kept at a lower overall temperature yet feel warmer than a room heated by hot air.

Second, the system is invisible and silent.  The tubing is under the floor and out of the way.  There is no sound of air moving through ducts.  Third the system contributes to a healthy home by minimizing dust and keeping the room at a more comfortable humidity level.  Fourth, the system is multi-functional.  A well designed hydronic heating system can heat your home, hot water, swimming pool, and even melt the snow on your driveway or walkway.

Triangle Tube is an industry leading provider of hydronic heating equipment.  The Prestige boilers lead the market with a high efficiency, reliable heat exchanger and use either natural gas or propane.  The Smart indirect water heaters heat water twice as fast as a traditional gas fired water heater and feature a unique stainless steel tank-in-tank design backed by a limited lifetime warranty.  Maxi Flo pool and spa heat exchangers enable you to use your high efficiency boiler to extend your swimming season.

Consider upgrading your home with Radiant Floor Heating.  There's no need to move to install radiant floor heating.  A certified contractor can replace your hot air system with a radiant system in many cases without disturbing the existing flooring.  Contact Triangle Tube to find a certified contractor in your area today.

 

Triangle Tube's Prestige boilers are used extensively in residential installations.  But the benefits of upgrading to a modern, fuel efficient boiler are not limited to homeowners.  Significant opportunities for energy savings exist in light commercial buildings such as churches, schools, offices, and apartments.

St. John Church and School in Aurora Indiana had the opportunity to replace its 50 plus year old boiler and chose the energy efficient combination of Triangle Tube's Prestige Solo 399 boilers and a Smart 40 water heater.  The church and school was able to use most of their existing piping even as the new wall-mounted Prestige boilers freed up significant floor space in the boiler room.

The radiant heating system was designed to maximize the condensing efficiency of the Prestige boilers.  One new Smart indirect fired water heater replaced two electric water heaters, improving efficiency and reliability.

Through the replacement of the boiler the church was able to save over $6500 in heating costs.  And they are not finished yet.  Paul Kuhlmeier, the heating specialist at St. John plans to replace the existing thermostats with more advanced programable versions for further savings.  Larry Dillard, of Dillard Electric Heating and Cooling, is so satisfied with the performance of the Triangle Tube system, that he plans to install several more over the next year.  Pat Linhardt of the Habegger Corporation provided product and system design assistance

For the complete article, please use this link.     http://www.triangletube.com/documents/1/STJohnCase_1210.pdf

In-floor radiant heating systems have become very popular over the last decade.  This relatively new trend is not limited to new construction.  In fact, many existing heating systems can be rather easily replaced by a new radiant system.  In-floor heating can be installed in existing homes where there is access to the sub-floor from the floor below, usually the basement. 

There is no limit to the potential installations with some creativity and commitment.  Such is the case in this 18th century farmhouse renovation by F.W. Behler.  The team took on the task of installing in-floor radiant in a stone farmhouse with original wide plank wood floors and hand-hewn beams. 

The F.W. Behler team designed and installed a hydronic heating system that was energy efficient in all aspects.  The heart of the system is a Triangle Tube Prestige propane boiler, with an AFUE of 95%.  They combined this with Triangle Tube's SMART 40 indirect water heater, with less than $0.10 per day in standby heat loss.  Finally, they took advantage of the very low pressure drop of the Prestige boiler and installed extremely energy efficient ECM circulators.  This system design is expected to reduce the electric costs by nearly $5000 over the life of the system.

Please click this link to read the complete article.  www.greenmechanicalcontractor-digital.com/greenmechanicalcontractor/winter2010?fm=2#pg20

Energy Efficiency is important to everyone these days. Whether you are striving to save money, or are simply looking to minimize your carbon footprint, green products have a bigger following than ever. Heating the hot water consumes up to 25% of the energy use in your home, so it is important to look at your water heater efficiency to minimize your energy consumption.

Many people are considering combination or instantaneous water heaters to reduce their energy costs. Instantaneous water heaters heat hot water directly, eliminating the storage tank, and therefore eliminating the standby heat loss that occurs while the hot water is not used. This is a good solution, especially if your house has only one or at most two showers. If you have a larger family with more extensive hot water needs, a Smart Indirect Fired Water Heater may be more appropriate.

Triangle Tube's Smart Indirect Water Heaters work with homes that have an existing boiler. These water heaters use the boiler system to heat the hot water through a unique tank-in-tank system.   The large surface area of the inner tank allows for rapid heat transfer, allowing for a small tank to replace much larger traditional water heaters. 

But the most important factors in the Smart’s energy efficiency are its insulating jacket and the boiler efficiency. When a SMART tank is paired with a high efficiency boiler,, like Triangle Tube's Prestige boiler it can heat the water using nearly 25% less energy than a gas water heater. In addition, the Smart tanks are surrounded by 2 inches of foam, which limits heat loss to less than ½ degree F per hour. The result is that standby losses can cost less than $0.05 per day.

With no moving parts, Triangle Tube’s Smart indirect fired water heaters are very reliable. In fact they come with a limited Lifetime residential warranty. The efficiency and reliability of the Smart indirect water heaters make them an excellent choice for today’s green homes.