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Hydronic Heating Systems, L.L.C.
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303-772-0005
303-748-2661
Hydronic Heating
Hydronic heating is the most practical, dependable, efficient and versatile method available for heating your home. Hydronic heating systems work by pumping heated boiler water through closed systems, warming baseboards, radiators, radiant floor tubing or other hydronic devices. Heat is then gently transferred outward to other objects in the room, in a consistent, even, manner.
Because hydronic systems heat by convection and radiation, there is no need for fans or blowers. Unlike the high levels of dust, dirt, allergens and germs found in homes heated with warm air furnaces and heat pumps, hydronic heating systems keep your home clean and healthy. For this reason, many hospitals and schools utilize hydronic heating systems. Hydronic heating systems are also very quiet. There is no noise from air moving in ducts, no loud blowers as with furnaces, and no large motors working to run the entire system.
Boilers
The boiler is the heart of the hydronic heating system and can be used with various distribution methods, including floor or wall radiant heating, modern panel or cast iron radiators, convection baseboard, or hydronic air handlers.
Boiler efficiency is measured by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). All residential heating boilers manufactured since 1992 must have an AFUE of at least 80%. By comparison, many old boilers have AFUEs of only 55-65%. There have been significant advances in the energy efficiency of hydronic heating systems in the last decades. Todays high efficiency condensing boilers utilize modern features such as modulation, outdoor reset, low NOx burners, and stainless steel heat exchangers to deliver outstanding efficiency with AFUE ratings in the mid or upper 90%.
Modern boilers controls use a variety of sensors to monitor the boiler system and adjust (modulate) the output of the boiler to meet the heating needs of the home. This modulation allows the boiler to run longer (fewer on and off cycles) at lower fire rates (for improved efficiency) while still maintaining the desired temperature in the home. Modulation is especially effective in radiant floor heating, where the system temperatures are lower.
Solar Pro-Hydronic Heating Systems specializes in the installation and service of high efficiency boilers.
Radiant Heating Systems
Radiant Floor Heating is a system of plastic tubing laid within a floor that carries hot water into specific rooms or "zones", dispersing the heat through the floor surface.
The cooler water returns to the heat source where it is reheated and sent out again in what is known as a "closed-loop system". The pipes can be encased in a concrete slab, a concrete or gypsum cement overpour, laid into thin grooved panels that nail on top of a subfloor, or suspended below a wooden subfloor under the floor surface. The heat output is determined by pipe spacing, water temperature, flow rate and floor covering. The heat output must be calculated to meet the heat loss demands of the home.
Solar Pro-Hydronic Heating Systems uses only a leak-resistant, non-toxic, high temperature, flexible piping called cross-linked polyethylene (PEX). PEX is a durable tubing that doesn’t become brittle over time and isn’t affected by aggressive concrete additives or water conditions, and carries a 25-year warranty. PEX has been used in Europe since the 1970s and was introduced to North America in the early 1980s.
Prior to the installation, Solar Pro-Hydronic Heating Systems will perform a heat-loss calculation of your home on a room-by-room basis. This calculation will assist in an efficient system design, determining spacing and lay-out of the tubing, so that the system can accommodate the particular conditions and flooring choices of the room/home.
Hot Water Radiators are a great alternative to radiant floor heating. Modern high output steel panel radiators, like radiant floors, warm objects rather than air, creating a greater sense of warmth faster and at lower room temperatures.
Wall or floor mounted panel radiators require a fraction of the space of baseboard heating and are a perfect solution where design flexibility is important. Offered in a variety of styles, sizes, and colors, they will accommodate or even enhance almost any decor.
Most models are equipped with thermostatic valves enabling the installer or homeowner to regulate the flow of water through the radiator, resulting in a consistent, even heat throughout all panel units in the house.
One of the most attractive and usefull type of radiator is a hydronically heated towel rack for the bath or shower. Designed to hold and warm your towels, they also offer the added benefit of extra warms and less humidity.
Domestic Hot Water
Conventional Water Heaters are the most common type of water heater in the US, heated with gas burners or electrical elements, they store 40 or 50 gallons of hot water.
New conventional water heaters are more efficient and can perform as much as 40% better than older models. Most new water heater models will have extra tank insulation to reduce the frequency that the burner or elements will need to operate to maintain the water temperature.
High-end gas-fired water heaters may include electronic ignition, powered exhaust, or condensing heat exchangers to improve the overall efficiency.
Tankless Water Heaters are also known as on-demand or instantaneous water heaters. These water heaters do not have a storage tank, heating water only when there is a demand. By doing this, they minimize standby heat loss associated with conventional water heaters.
Electric point of use tankless water heaters are usually installed under the sink to serve that particular location, whereas gas fired tankless water heaters are capable of supplying domestic hot water to the entire home. These systems are more efficient than most conventional water heaters with ratings of up to 95%.
When selecting a tankless water heater, considerations like the required temperature rise, flow volume, gas line size, and venting are crucially important to the performance of the system.
Indirect Water Heaters require gas or oil boilers to provide domestic hot water. Indirect water heaters have many advantages over conventional water heating systems, including much higher efficiency, high flow rates and extremely long service life.
The efficiency of indirect-fired water heaters depends primarily on two factors. The effectiveness of the insulation around the tank, and the efficiency of the boiler providing the hot water.
Most indirect-fired tanks have very low heat losses of a half-degree per hour or less. When combined with a high efficiency boiler, the efficiency of the water heater will be close to that of the boiler.
Solar Thermal
Solar thermal technology uses the sun’s energy, rather than fossil fuels, to generate low-cost, environmentally friendly thermal energy. This energy is used to heat water or other fluids. Solar thermal systems differ from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which generate electricity rather than heat.
The two major parts of a solar thermal system are solar collectors and a storage tank. A non-freezing, non-toxic propylene glycol fluid circulates through the solar collectors, usually on the roof, to capture the heat generated by the sun. Then the glycol circulates through a heat exchanger to heat water in a storage tank. Residential solar applications include domestic hot water heating, radiant floor or space heating, and pool/spa heating.
The two types of solar collectors most frequently used are flat plate or vacuum tube. The flat plate collector consists of an absorber plate—a sheet of copper with a selective-surface coating—bonded to pipes (risers) that contain the heat-transfer fluid. The pipes and copper are enclosed in an insulated aluminum frame, and topped with a sheet of low-iron tempered glass (glazing) to protect the absorber plate and create an insulating air space.
The other more efficient type of solar collector is known as the vacuum tube. The absorber plate is hermetically sealed inside an evacuated glass tube, minimizing heat losses and isolating the collector from adverse ambient conditions. Frames and manifolds for paralleling multiple tubes are available and can hold 10 to 30 tubes. As with flat-plate collectors, multiple panels can be plumbed together to increase system capacity.
A critical component of a solar thermal system is the storage tank—essentially a “Btu battery” where heat energy is stored. Storage allows the system to provide hot water at any time of day, whether the sun is shining or not, since solar production typically does not coincide with the peak periods of hot water demand, usually mornings and evenings.
The amount of storage needed depends on the number and habits of those using the hot water. For domestic solar hot water production, storage tanks usually range in size from 60 to 120 gallons. And since most people don’t want to have to take cold showers during long, cloudy spells, tanks are commonly paired with a backup heat source, either electric or gas. For solar space heating, storage tanks are ofter larger custom build tanks made of stainless steel or other materials.
