Energy Efficient Hot Water Boiler Plant Design Part 2: Golden Rules of Condensing Boiler Technology

Condensing boilers now dominate the new construction and replacement commercial markets. Here at JMP we estimate that as much as 90% of new boilers we sell are condensing boilers. So how did we get here and what is it about the technology that transformed the marketplace?
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Energy Efficient Hot Water Boiler Plant Design Part 1: Combustion Process and Combustion Efficiency

It takes approximately 1000 Btus of energy to convert one pound of water into vapor. Think of that as the price you pay as part of the combustion process in a typical non-condensing hydronic boiler. That’s a good starting place for this next series on Energy Efficient Hot Water Boiler Plant Design.
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Understanding Primary Secondary Pumping Part 4: “What happens when...?”

By Chris Edmondson

Now that we know what happens when we vary flows and mix temperatures in a primary secondary pumping system, let’s explore these theories in some more realistic scenarios. 

As discussed in a previous blogs, when it comes to primary secondary systems, one of three flow patterns is always in occurrence: 

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Air Management and Pressurization Part 5: Is It A Compression Tank or an Expansion Tank?

By Chad Edmondson

 As we bring our first series about air management in a hydronic system to a close, we’re going to revisit tanks – not what they do (we’ve already covered that) but what we call them.  Specifically, we want to address whether or not there is a difference between what some industry professionals call an “expansion tank” and what others call a “compression tank.” 

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Air Management and Pressurization Part 4: Expansion Tank Sizing

By Chad Edmonson

Properly sized expansion tanks (standard or bladder/diaphragm) are critical to a successful air management in a hydronic system.

Every expansion tank manufacturer has a written form that provides the steps and calculations for sizing an expansion tank.  Most, if not all, have developed software that does the work for you.  Bell & Gossett has a great one, ESP-Plus which can be downloaded here.  But regardless of whether you use software or charts and longhand calculations to size an expansion tank, there are a few pieces of information you’re going to have to have either way.  These key values are:

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