boiler plumbing design questions

[woodsmaster]

Hi, all
I'm getting to the confussing stuff on this boiler install. I'm definitly not a plumber althow I can solder pipe and do misc. plumbing, I don't Know much about plumbing a boiler and ther don't seem to be any heating contractors
around here that do either. So I"m going to have to do this with the help of you fine folks on here.
I will be putting a gasifier in a shed with 1000 gal. of storage also in shed. It will service two buildings. Each building with heat, and hot water by a sidearm on the waterheater. From the 1-1/4" supply coming in
would I install a T, one side for dhw and one for heat manifold? should there be a circulater for each building in addition to the boiler circulater then a zone for heat and one for DHW ? Should the circulaters be
in the shed or each building. any info or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Once I have an idea how to do it I'll try to draw a diagam.
Thanks J.T.

 

[RobC]

How far between shed and 2 buildings are you. Ideally having the storage at the point of usage is best. This is so every time the circulator kicks on to pull from storage you don't get all the water that has been cooling off in underground pipe. Or, if shed isn't built can you build it close to 1 of the loads ?
Circulators. You would need 1 for the plumbing to the boiler return after your mixing valve. That water get's pushed out of boiler to storage. Then in your buildings you have circulator(s) zone valve(s) to push water into hearers, DWH etc.
There are a few way to do this and it is critical that you now your heat loads figured at your buildings. Then you can pick your pipe size and circulators. This is really critical.
What are you considering for underground pipe ?
Have you read the Sticky Notes on the top of this Forum ?
Rob

 

[woodsmaster]

Rob,
The shed will be between the two buildings aprox. 20' from one and aprox. 85' from the other. No room in the building 85' from shed for a storage tank. I'm using two 500 gal. propane tanks verticle.
I already have 1 1/4" thermopex in the ground and a 1 1/2" conduit run with it. The design heat load is aprox. 38,000 BTU for each building.

 

[woodsmaster]

I have studied the stickies some but still not all clear yet.

 

[RobC]

Thermopex and pipe sizes are good choices. I would separate items in to 2 categories. Parts needed for the boiler & shed and parts for the 2 buildings.
Things for the Boiler would be, airvent and scoop , expansion tank (you can make your own) loading valve, appropriate size circulator
isolation ball valves for circulator, ball valve for supply and return lines, ball valve for hot water to loading valve. it is also nice to have at least a couple of thermometers in system. Those can either be external digital or inside pipe analog.
Then on the building side you need parts for manifold, appropriate circulator, ball valves, possibally another air scoop (over kill) but definitely a way to bleed air from any high spot or spots. I'm not sure on a side arm setups, but either 1 or 2 zone valves.
You may want to consider something like a Spirovent rather than a regular air scoops. There has been some topics about water additives. Once your system is up and running you may want to clean and adjust PH etc.
Teflon tape, Rector seal makes a new product True Blue which is nice, a good torch (good excuse to upgrade) 1.25 needs some heat soaking for good joints. 50/50 solder ( 50/50 don't use on Domestic water). I try to do as much pipe work in a vise as I can including award solder joints. Cut pipe with hack saw / sawsall, clean inside / outside of pipe with file then sand.
Electronics & control end of things I'm not going to be very helpful.
I would start with some lists and any questions of what specific parts are for. Location of parts are critical to optimize their function.
Rob