Condensing Boiler Plant Piping Design & Control Part 3: Variable Primary/Variable Secondary Flow Systems

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Variable primary/variable secondary flow is the top tier strategy for optimizing your condensing boiler system. You’re not only precisely load-matching your supply with demand, you’re setting up your primary pumps for pretty easy duty. But how would such a system be piped?
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Condensing Boiler Plant Piping Design & Control Part 2: Variable Primary Flow Systems

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There are basically two ways to incorporate variable flow into a condensing boiler system. You can have just one set of primary pumps, which vary flow through the entire system from boilers to coils, or you can have both primary and secondary pumps, which vary flow through their respective loops. In this blog, we’ll address the former....
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Condensing Boiler Plant Piping Design & Control Part 1: Setpoint Control Sensor Location

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Where should the boiler set point control sensor be located in a condensing boiler system? Given the fact that we (hopefully) know that the return water to a natural gas-fired condensing boiler should be 120°F or below in order for the boiler to condense, simple logic may lead you to believe that you should control based on the return water temperature...
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Energy Efficient Hot Water Boiler Plant Design Part 5: Fan Coils, Pumps & Flow Control

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So you’ve decided to use condensing boilers on your next project – GREAT! Just remember that this decision will impact other aspects of your mechanical design. Condensing boilers DO NOT operate properly in systems that are designed around traditional non-condensing technology.
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Domestic Hot Water Recirculation Part 8: Proper Application of Pressure Reducing Valves

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Pressure reducing valves (PRVs) are a necessary component in just about any domestic hot water system served by a high-pressure domestic water supply main. In this blog we’ll discuss how to apply PRVs properly so that these “necessary components” don’t become necessary evils that create water service problems and huge energy penalties for owners.
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