Side arm heat exchanger install

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lmholmes11

Member
Jul 27, 2014
77
Northern Michigan
Okay...so my dealer is telling me to plumb in the supply (hot) line into the TOP of the side arm and the bottom goes to the furnace plenum. Ive read that you can plumb it into the top or bottom. Which one should I hook my supply line too??
 
I'm no expert, but your dealer sounds correct. Hottest water in the top and cooled as comes out the bottom. This would promote thermosiphon action on the potable side of the sidearm with the hot water entering the top of the tank and cooler water from the bottom of the tank replacing it traveling upward thru the sidearm.
 
Could you post a picture of your side arm set up? Does the top port (not the pex port) hook into the outgoing hot water line on the top of your water heater into the mixing valve?
 
the plenum heat exchanger would work the same way hotter water into the port where the air leaves the hx last and the cooler return line coming out where the air first enters your plenum heat exchanger.
 
Make sure you incorporate an anti scald valve to keep it at a safe temp at the faucets. I'm not sure I agree with plumbing the sidearm in series with the plenum furnace exchanger unless you will be shutting off the gas or electric to your water heater completely. I was planning on separate loops with separate circs and spring check valves to prevent heat transfer where I don't want it. A lot of variables here. Is this an OWB or a batch burn gasser/storage setup?
 
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