The Hidden Costs of Hidden Pumps
If you're watching the news you probably realize that, these days, Americans are becoming more conscious of green things, as well as rising fuel prices. I think that's go...
Hot-Water Heating Help Topics
This section is your guide to hot-water heating systems with information about system design and piping, air elimination, pumping away, primary-secondary pumping, valves, radiators, troubleshooting tips, and more.
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Recent Articles in Hot-Water Heating
Sizing Circulators for Old Gravity-Hot-Water Heating Systems
When servicing old hot-water heating systems that originally circulated by gravity, but now use circulating pumps, I began to notice a lot of oversized circulators. In so...
Net Positive Suction Head
I was lucky to have had as one of my teachers the late, great Gil Carlson. Gil was Bell & Gossett’s Director of Technical Services and when he would come to New York City...
How to Size Circulators
In 1970, I went to work for a manufacturers rep on the Isle of Long and I fell in love with hydronics. We sold Bell & Gossett and one of the elder salesmen took me aside ...
Adjusting the Flow Rate for an Old Gravity-Hot-Water System
About eight blocks from my house in Baltimore, there is a large two-family house with an equally large hot-water heating system that originally circulated by gravity. The...
Boiler Ratings Explained
When you look in a boiler manufacturer's catalog you'll see that there are several types of ratings for each boiler. There's the Input rating, the Gross Output rating (wh...
Thermocouple Testing Procedure
I am often asked about troubleshooting a thermocouple on gas systems. This will be a permanent reference that will give a step-by-step procedure: A thermocouple is a devi...
Modulating-Condensing Boilers
A question asked on the Wall, "Who, in your opinion, makes the best modulating-condensing boiler?" Andrew Hagen replies: My favorites in order: 1. Viessmann Vitodens 2. T...
How to Have a Boiler Replaced
"We haven't had decent heat since that heating contractor left our basement." She was about as angry as any homeowner who had ever called me. "We paid good money for that...
Considerations When Using Constant Circulation
A question asked on the Wall, "What do I need to consider with a hot-water system running on constant circulation?" Mark Eatherton replies: It has to be designed into the...