Indoor/Outdoor Reset
This feature changes the set temperature of the heating supply
temperature to adjust to the lowest effective setting based on the
outside temperature and the heat loss of your building. This type
of control should be standard equipment on all boilers used for
heating. It is not, but it should be. The savings in energy is
usually 10-25% with this type of control. There are some
exceptions, equipment must be properly piped and circulated to take
advantage of this type of a control.
Injection Mixing
This feature works by utilizing a standard pump or specialized
mixing valve. The injection control will raise and
lower the temperature from a standard heating system by
mixing supply liquid at different rates to the radiant
zone. Some type of mixing is necessary for almost every
system unless it is a dedicated radiant heat only system. Mixing
controls allow us to more exactly match the heat loss, improve
comfort, protect the boiler and utilize Idoor/Outdoor Reset
control. The mixing system allows us to run at extremely
low temperatures without damage to the equipment.
Zoning
Radiant heat is inherently easy to zone because of the way the
tubes are distributed into separate rooms and then balanced. The
more zoning you do the more potential energy savings you have. It
makes good sense to divide your home or building into smaller
areas with separate thermostats. The more zones the more costly the
system, so don't go overboard, plan the most effective way
to zone by the way you use your home or business.
Common areas and adjacent open rooms cab be on one zone, bedrooms
and bathrooms on a seperate zone.
Thermostats
Radiant heat is not like forced air heat so many standard
thermostats do not work well with radiant heat. Try to get a + - ½
degree differential thermostat for radiant heat. This improves
comfort and efficiency by taking out the wider swings and keeping a
more constant circulation in your system. Thermostats can be fitted
with remote sensors that will measure the temperature of the floor.
This is a great option for a hardwood floor that might be more
sensitive to high temperatures or for a bath where you want
the floor to be toasty warm.
Room Feed Back
The best way to describe this system is that the
thermostat "learns" what your system is capable of delivering and
the characteristics of the way each zone or room heats. The
thermostat uses information from previous run cycles to closely
provide even temperatures that are as accurate as anyone would
demand.
Staging
When you have a large home or a home with high heat loss it makes
good practical sense to have multiple boilers. Smaller efficient
boilers can be set to run one at a time or together in a high heat
demand situation. The practicality of the multiple unit system
usually makes sense from about a 250,000 BTU load range and higher.
If you have a snow melt system, high volume massage showers or if
you just want redundancy because you're not able to get emergency
service, this is a great option. The staging control will know when
to turn on one or more boilers and will alternate between them to
keep equal run time if desired.
Web Interface
There is the capability to monitor and adjust your system from
remote locations either from the web or through a dial up analog
system. If you have a vacation home or travel frequently and want
to keep track of your system, these are a great option. Higher end
controls or add-ons will provide the user with more feedback on
system operation too. Information such as hours run, frequency of
cycles etc. would help a technician in trouble shooting and
possibly with determining maintenance intervals as well.
Controls make the difference in energy savings
and comfort.
