hydronic/radiant replace zone valves with pumps

Plumbing Forums

Help Support Plumbing Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

chrisdb

Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
philaselphia, PA
About ten years ago I removed an old steam radiator system and installed a 4 zone radiant heating with Pex tubing in my 3 floor home- 2 zones on floor 1, a zone on floor 2 and a zone on floor 3.
Now it seems I am having problems delivering heat to 2nd and 3d floors , and I suspect the problem is airlocks in the distribution.
I have manifolds for 2nd and 3d floor located on the attic (2nd floor is radiant placed in the ceiling, 3d floor is in the floor so both manifolds are above the tubing they feed) and all are operated by open/close zone valves off the boiler 'hot loop'.
My hydronic system is a 2 loop system, with a 'hot' boiler loop running on a Taco #7 pump off the boiler and another Taco #7 running as a variable injection pump from the boiler loop to the distribution loop. The problem I'm having is that the two first floor loops have enough pressure to keep a continuous loop of water through the distribution system, but the 2nd and 3d floors don't seem to have enough pressure to keep the water moving or expel the airlocks at the the upstairs manifolds.
I am considering replacing the 2nd and 3d floor open/close zone valves with pumps for those zones and would appreciate any feedback as how to set it up (relays?)
 
I think I have a plan
I purchased two TACO 3speed 00r pumps to replace zone valves for 2nd and 3d floors... hope to overcome head issues with pumps and should make purging air a litttle simpler.
any advice?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top