Stainless Steel Water Heater

The unusually warm winter in North America has cut everyone's heating costs this year - but the biggest winners by far are homeowners heating with high efficiency condensing hydronic heating systems.  The two features of condensing boilers that contribute to these large savings are Modulation and Outdoor Reset.

Modulation is the process that increases or decreases the heat output, or firing rate, of the boiler.  Just like your kitchen stove, a modulating boiler can adjust its heat output but it doesn't need a person there to make the adjustment.  The boiler's control monitors the heat absorbed by the house by measuring the temperature of the boiler water as it leaves and as it returns to the boiler.  The larger the temperature difference, the more heat the boiler must add to the water, and the higher the firing rate that the control will create.

Non-modulating boilers operate at full fire all of the time.  This is inefficient for two reasons.  First, the boiler is least efficient at full fire, and most efficient at low fire.  So the longer the boiler can run at low fire, the more efficient it is.  Second, each time the boiler starts and stops it loses efficiency.  Modulating boilers run longer at lower temperatures, minimizing the starts and stops.

Outdoor reset is a simple yet extremely important part of a high efficiency system.  An outdoor sensor tells the boiler's control what the temperature is outside.  The boiler uses this information to adjust the temperature of the water that the boiler supplies to the radiant emitters.  This supply water does not need to be as hot during warm weather as it does during cold weather.  By supplying lower temperature water to the system, the boiler can maximize its efficiency.  Click here for outdoor reset basics.

Triangle Tube provides three models of condensing boilers.  The Prestige models feature a stainless steel fire tube heat exchanger with a full featured TriMax control and are available from 60 to 399 MBH.  The Prestige Excellence provides heat and up to 180 gallons per hour of hot water from its indirect water heater.  The Challenger models are available for both heating only (Solo), and combination heat and hot water (Combi) applications.  Challenger boilers are sized from 85 MBH to 150 MBH.   The Keystone models feature a stainless steel water tube heat exchanger and are available in sizes from 399 to 850 MBH for larger residences and light commercial applications. 

Contact Triangle Tube today for more information.

Triangle Tube's new Keystone Condensing Boilers are now available.  With boilers sized between 399 and 850 the Keystones fill the hydronic heating needs of large residences and light commercial buildings. 

The stainless steel heat exchangers are designed for high condensing efficiency.  The thermal efficiency is rated between 95% and 97%.  Each boiler is set up for use with natural gas, but comes equipped with a propane conversion kit and can be easily converted.  The low NOx emissions are low enough to meet 2012 SCAQMD requirements.

The Keystone boilers from 500 to 850 MBH are CSD-1 compliant standard.  This simplifies specification and installation and greatly reduces installation costs.  The Keystone Condensing Boiler's control panel is easy to use and provides many user friendly features.  The control can combine up to 8 boilers for larger heating requirements.  Each boiler is equipped with an outdoor sensor for the control's outdoor reset function. 

The new Keystone Condensing Boilers provides efficient hydronic heating for larger applications now from Triangle Tube.  Contact your Triangle Tube representative today.

When the Anchorage Housing Authority approached Bittner Plumbing and Heating to upgrade the heat and hot water for their 44 unit apartment building, they wanted a system that would be efficient and reliable.  Paul Bittner of Bittner Plumbing and Heating worked with Mark Herrington at Heating and Ventilation sales to design in a Triangle Tube Prestige Cascade boiler system with Smart Indirect Water heaters to do the job.

The 44 units are heated with baseboard radiation and the hot water for all units is provided by the twin 120 gallon Smart tanks.  ThePrestige Cascade Condensing Boiler unit is built with three 399 MBH boilers.  This provides a highly efficient and effective boiler plant.  By combining the three boilers, a turndown of over 10 to 1 is achieved.  This helps the plant run efficiently with parallel modulation.  With three boilers, the building has the reliability of redundancy in the event of a boiler error or maintenance.  The three boilers are vented with a common vent manifold to minimize the vent piping and provide a single vent pipe.

The Smart Indirect Water Heaters are also both highly reliable and efficient.  The inner stainless steel tank is designed to expand and contract as the water temperature changes during use.  This tank expansion eliminates scale build-up which reduces efficiency and leads to tank failures.  The unique tank-in-tank design provides a large surface area for heat transfer which reduces the amount of time required to heat the water.  These two Smart units replaced conventional direct fired water heaters.  The Smart tanks have 2" of foam insulation completely surrounding the tanks, keeping heat loss down to less than 2 degrees F per hour.

The Housing Authority's decision to upgrade their cast iron boilers and conventional water heaters with Triangle Tube's efficient Prestige and Smart models is saving money every day. As the heating season progresses I will post the savings data. 

One of the positive changes in recent times has been the increased awareness of our impact on the environment.  It was not long ago that "Green" was not a part of our everyday terminology - and who ever heard of a carbon footprint.  Today a significant and ever-growing portion of society considers the environmental impact of their decisions on a regular basis.

Another recent positive change has been the increased use of natural gas.  Not only is it readily available in North America, but it is also a very clean burning fuel.  These two features make it very attractive for many consumers.  Finally, the technological advancement of hydronic (boiler) heating solutions has resulted in condensing boilers that can operate at the highest levels of efficiency.

Triangle Tube helped drive the residential condensing boiler revolution with the Prestige Condensing Boiler.  Its unique stainless steel fire tube design, high efficiency (96% AFUE), and reliability have made it a leader in its market.  When combined with a Smart Indirect Water Heater, homeowners will have an extremely efficient heating and hot water system.

Triangle Tube recently added the Challenger Combination Boiler to its lineup.  This boiler combines a high efficiency (95% AFUE) boiler with an instantaneous water heater within the same unit.  The results is an appliance that provides heat and hot water from the smallest foot print imaginable.  The Challenger is perfect for closet installations or areas where space is at a premium.  

Triangle Tube's Prestige and Challenger boilers work with both natural gas and propane.  Choose one of them for your "Green" efforts.

  

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.

 

“It’s hot, but it’s a dry heat,” is something that we often hear about the weather in the Southwest. A dry heat in the summer may be considered a good thing, but in the winter, an increasing number of homeowners are opting for “wet” hydronic heat. Hydronic heating systems use water instead of air as the heat transfer medium.     

For decades, millions of homes have been heated by boilers, baseboards, and radiators by water circulated from a central boiler. The result is a silent, clean, and reliable heating system that is energy efficient and hygienic. Without the need to circulate air throughout the house, there are fewer drafts and less dust, while the humidity is maintained at a much more comfortable level. 

In addition to radiators and baseboards, radiant floor heating systems have become very popular in recent years. Radiant floor systems circulate hot water through tubes that are attached or embedded under the floor. Radiant floor heating delivers heat where it is most needed, at the coldest part of the room. Hidden underneath the floor, it is invisible and allows the maximum freedom in furniture placement.  Radiant floor heating can be used under carpeting, wood floors, tile, or even embedded in concrete slabs.

The heart of the hydronic heating system is the boiler. While traditional boilers were large objects consuming space in the basement, the modern high efficiency boiler is more compact and much more efficient. Modern boilers such as Triangle Tube’s Prestige high efficiency boiler use advanced control technology to maximize their efficiency. Advanced features such as outdoor reset and modulation enable the Prestige to best match its output to the heating needs. And the use of advanced materials allow the modern boilers to maximize the heat extracted from the fuel being used. The Prestige boiler uses a high grade stainless steel heat exchanger to extract heat by condensing the combustion gases, which was not possible in older cast iron boilers resulting in a 10% improvement in efficiency. 

Finally, hydronic heating systems can heat not only your home, but your domestic hot water, and even your pool as well. Indirect fired water heaters are recognized as the most energy efficient and reliable domestic water heating options available. Triangle Tube’s Smart indirect fired water heaters lead the group in efficiency with their unique stainless steel tank-in-tank design. And Triangle Tube’s Maxi Flo pool and spa heat exchangers allow you to extend your summer using the efficiency of the Prestige boiler.

Whether in new construction or renovation, today’s hydronic heating systems are leading the way in efficiency. Contact Triangle Tube today to discover the benefits of hydronic heating for yourself.