Great information. I'm replacing a 5-Taco Zone Valve system w. 125,000 BTU boiler with a new 140,000 BTU boiler and switching to pumps. This webinar by John Barba has given me much valuable information on how to size the pumps for the different zones which have a very wide range of BTU requirements. This webinar also explains some of the short-cycling behavior and occasional pipe-banging behavior of the old system. The Taco zone valves on my old system (29 years) proved to be very reliable: about 1 zone valve failed every 2-3 years. The new system will be more efficient at heating the house with pumps and better behaved now that I understand how to size the pumps to the zones.... Can't wait till the next instalment of this series....
if you have two zones , one with cast iron radiators and one with copper baseboard each having there own thermostat would it be better to have two circulator pumps? The radiator zone is a little larger than the copper baseboard zone, it's a small duplex home, radiator zone is on the second floor, Getting very loud metallic banging in ceiling of 1st floor zone. can't figure it out.
I cant wrap my ahead around the fact that if I were to use zone circulators in a 3 zone system I would need three circulators to run it. However if I use zone valves, and I take the circulator for the loop with the most head loss, and use that circulator to run the entire three loop system. Because it is in parallel still doesnt make sense to me because in my mind, you need the same amount of head to run the entire system regardless whether you split it in three circulators or use a single circulator with zone valves.
I am a DIY person and I installed a boiler with zone valves about 30 yrs ago. I do not remember the brand of valve. The only way to fix a valve was to change the motor. Toward the 23 yr mark 2 out of 6 actuator motors were replaced. My thinking was the next one that went I would put in all new ones. Replacement would be easier. I bought the Taco Sentry system. Well the bad news at the 5 yr mark the first Taco valve failed. Last yr another and now the third. 3 out of 6 valves from the original lasted 23 yrs. With new Taco 3 out of 6 lasted 7 yrs. I know another will fail soon. And I look at the 30 circulator and hope it lasts at least this winter. One of the selling points for the Taco is it uses less energy. At $100 to replace the heads you will never recoup the cost of these of the failures. Reliability is not mentioned. With only a 3 yr warranty Taco was not sure how long they would last. I thought about the circulator system and with 20 20 hind sight I would have gone with it in the beginning.
Good Day Don, I apologize that you are having issues with your new zone valves. The Zone Sentry valves have had a great track record for the past 12 years. When I see failures like that in a such a short amount of time, I would want to analyze other things that could affect what you are experiencing, like water quality, the power supply and such. If needed, please contact a local representative that may be able to help. You can search for one near you here www.tacocomfort.com/rep-locator/
Great info! I'm setting up a hydronic system in my house now. I'm wondering in a system zoned with valves, say using the vt2218 pump, how the zones will balance if the head pressure is different?
Brandon, You are correct, in a zone valve system if you do not have balancing valves installed, the head loss will be different when the zone valves open and close. The VT2218 is designed to operate on a temperature drop. With a zone valve system, the circulator will see the targeted temperature drop but each zone may be completely different from each other resulting in an average Delta-T. That will mean the zones with the smaller Delta-T will satisfy sooner, the zones with the larger Delta-T will run longer. The same thing would happen with a Delta-P circulator system without balancing valves.
@@TacoHVACtv Thanks! One more question about the VT2218: my boiler recommends a primary/secondary system with closely spaced tees. What would be the ideal way to set that up? Both Pumps VT2218, or use a fixed speed pump on the primary?
Use the recommended circulator from the boiler manufacturer or at least find out what the flow and head requirement through the heat exchanger needs to be. I would definitely pipe it in a primary/secondary method. and ask the boiler manufacturer if the VT2218 is a suitable pump for the boiler side. Sometimes the technology (in the boiler and the circ) fight each other. Imagine one car/two drivers! Then use the VT2218 for the heating side of the system. I know of plenty of projects where the boiler side can utilize the VT2218.
Circuit setters can definitely help reduce the flow and maintain the proper flow in each zone when the circulator is over sized and when just one zone is calling for heat in a zone valve application.
Great video, but the industry is no longer using copper, we have moved to Pex, so the formula changes, I seem guys over-pumping because they use that formula for Pex using 4 fitting total. Can u guys make a video for PEX and self-adapting circulators?
@icecoldusa Thanks for the comment and I will pass along to the trainers. We have addressed pex in other presentations and webinars. The math is going to be the same for when you find the flow, however the head loss calculation will be different. The way to find the head loss is to look at your pex manufacturer of choice and use their charts. They will give you a head loss on a per foot basis or per 100 feet.
That pump sizing is nuts and just not needed since the 007e or Alpha pumps came out. Just get a ECM constant pressure pump and let the pump handle it. Its like $50 more and pays for itself with power savings.
Robert, that may be true for alot of projects, but doing the math to find out if the circulator is the right size and programmed properly is invaluable. Thanks for watching.
Look it’s simple. They both cost the same and both fail about the same. When the zone valve system fails cut its circular fails (it’s only one) you have ZERO heat
Great information. I'm replacing a 5-Taco Zone Valve system w. 125,000 BTU boiler with a new 140,000 BTU boiler and switching to pumps. This webinar by John Barba has given me much valuable information on how to size the pumps for the different zones which have a very wide range of BTU requirements. This webinar also explains some of the short-cycling behavior and occasional pipe-banging behavior of the old system. The Taco zone valves on my old system (29 years) proved to be very reliable: about 1 zone valve failed every 2-3 years. The new system will be more efficient at heating the house with pumps and better behaved now that I understand how to size the pumps to the zones....
Can't wait till the next instalment of this series....
1 zone valve failing every 2-3 years is reliable?
Super helpful. Learned a lot and has helped with planning a new heating system.
if you have two zones , one with cast iron radiators and one with copper baseboard each having there own thermostat would it be better to have two circulator pumps? The radiator zone is a little larger than the copper baseboard zone, it's a small duplex home, radiator zone is on the second floor, Getting very loud metallic banging in ceiling of 1st floor zone. can't figure it out.
I cant wrap my ahead around the fact that if I were to use zone circulators in a 3 zone system I would need three circulators to run it. However if I use zone valves, and I take the circulator for the loop with the most head loss, and use that circulator to run the entire three loop system. Because it is in parallel still doesnt make sense to me because in my mind, you need the same amount of head to run the entire system regardless whether you split it in three circulators or use a single circulator with zone valves.
Great Video John !
I am a DIY person and I installed a boiler with zone valves about 30 yrs ago. I do not remember the brand of valve. The only way to fix a valve was to change the motor. Toward the 23 yr mark 2 out of 6 actuator motors were replaced. My thinking was the next one that went I would put in all new ones. Replacement would be easier. I bought the Taco Sentry system. Well the bad news at the 5 yr mark the first Taco valve failed. Last yr another and now the third. 3 out of 6 valves from the original lasted 23 yrs. With new Taco 3 out of 6 lasted 7 yrs. I know another will fail soon. And I look at the 30 circulator and hope it lasts at least this winter. One of the selling points for the Taco is it uses less energy. At $100 to replace the heads you will never recoup the cost of these of the failures. Reliability is not mentioned. With only a 3 yr warranty Taco was not sure how long they would last. I thought about the circulator system and with 20 20 hind sight I would have gone with it in the beginning.
Good Day Don, I apologize that you are having issues with your new zone valves. The Zone Sentry valves have had a great track record for the past 12 years. When I see failures like that in a such a short amount of time, I would want to analyze other things that could affect what you are experiencing, like water quality, the power supply and such. If needed, please contact a local representative that may be able to help. You can search for one near you here www.tacocomfort.com/rep-locator/
Great info!
I'm setting up a hydronic system in my house now. I'm wondering in a system zoned with valves, say using the vt2218 pump, how the zones will balance if the head pressure is different?
Brandon,
You are correct, in a zone valve system if you do not have balancing valves installed, the head loss will be different when the zone valves open and close. The VT2218 is designed to operate on a temperature drop.
With a zone valve system, the circulator will see the targeted temperature drop but each zone may be completely different from each other resulting in an average Delta-T. That will mean the zones with the smaller Delta-T will satisfy sooner, the zones with the larger Delta-T will run longer.
The same thing would happen with a Delta-P circulator system without balancing valves.
@@TacoHVACtv Thanks!
One more question about the VT2218: my boiler recommends a primary/secondary system with closely spaced tees. What would be the ideal way to set that up? Both Pumps VT2218, or use a fixed speed pump on the primary?
Use the recommended circulator from the boiler manufacturer or at least find out what the flow and head requirement through the heat exchanger needs to be. I would definitely pipe it in a primary/secondary method. and ask the boiler manufacturer if the VT2218 is a suitable pump for the boiler side. Sometimes the technology (in the boiler and the circ) fight each other. Imagine one car/two drivers! Then use the VT2218 for the heating side of the system.
I know of plenty of projects where the boiler side can utilize the VT2218.
Would circuit setters help the small circuits not over pump when they’re the only ones calling?
Circuit setters can definitely help reduce the flow and maintain the proper flow in each zone when the circulator is over sized and when just one zone is calling for heat in a zone valve application.
Great video, but the industry is no longer using copper, we have moved to Pex, so the formula changes, I seem guys over-pumping because they use that formula for Pex using 4 fitting total. Can u guys make a video for PEX and self-adapting circulators?
@icecoldusa Thanks for the comment and I will pass along to the trainers. We have addressed pex in other presentations and webinars. The math is going to be the same for when you find the flow, however the head loss calculation will be different. The way to find the head loss is to look at your pex manufacturer of choice and use their charts. They will give you a head loss on a per foot basis or per 100 feet.
That pump sizing is nuts and just not needed since the 007e or Alpha pumps came out. Just get a ECM constant pressure pump and let the pump handle it. Its like $50 more and pays for itself with power savings.
Robert, that may be true for alot of projects, but doing the math to find out if the circulator is the right size and programmed properly is invaluable.
Thanks for watching.
Look it’s simple. They both cost the same and both fail about the same. When the zone valve system fails cut its circular fails (it’s only one) you have ZERO heat