Pictures of the EKO Install

[Kipstr]

Here is the EKO 25 with the twin 250 gal. tanks. Supply hot to the top and return off the bottom. Each tank has a dip tube that goes to the bottom, and 3/4" fitting on the bottom. I split the return and connected to the dip tube, and so on to the top tank. Honeywell aquastat in the top tank going to the STSS controller ( that will switch from wood to oil when temp. drops below set temp ).

Off the wood boiler is primary loop with the Danfoss Thermic valve. Then T's, one to storage with 1" and 1 1/4" to the supply of the oil boiler retunring to Danfoss. Zone valve and Taco pump in the return from the oil boiler.

I started with Extrol SX 60 expansion tank for the 500 gal. storage and discovered I was on the edge, so I added the SX 40.

And thanks to Nofossil he stopped by last week to check it out. (I was honored)

 

[VtRv]

Great job Kipstr. It looks great and thanks for the photos. I find them very helpful.

 

[Nofossil]

Glad you were able to post the pictures. For the record, this installation looks twice as nice as mine. Lots of black iron and some pretty clever and effective controls.

Would you care to share your variable speed Taco circulator solution, Kipstr? Looked like a great solution for balancing flow rates.

 

[hkobus]

Wow, sure keep raising the bar, nothing wrong with that. I just hope to find some time ( after harvest) to redo my trail setup. Great to get these kind of pic's of great workmanship.

 

[sdrobertson]

Very nice. The tanks look nice and stable welded like that and a very clean piping job. Should be in a brochure.

 

[Kipstr]

My variable speed circulator is just a fan (ceiling) 3 speed switch, wired to the pump to vary the flow rate from oil boiler to water storage. So far it's working - I have low, medium and high depending on the heat load. Before that, I had some ghosting through the zones that weren't calling for heat so I wanted to slow down the flow rate - pump less gallons per hour. That's why I decided to put the variable speed switch in place without buying the Taco-variable-speed-pump. My investment was $19.95 for the switch (available at any hardware store).

 

[taxidermist]

Nice a few questions for you, what are you using the zone valve on the return for? Are you using forced air heat ex or radiant? are you using a seperate pump to pump from your storage to your heat load.


Rob

 

[Kipstr]

My plumbing layout is based off the STSS http://www.stsscoinc.com/Products_EMC.aspx
It uses a zone valve which opens when there is a heat load. It pumps (pump #2) from the oil boiler to storage and back to supply of the oil boiler, when I'm heating from storage. I found if the wood boilers pump (#1) is running then all heat is going to storage, and if the house calls for heat (zone valve opens and pump #2 starts moving water) I was getting too much flow (reversing back to storage) so disabled the pump#2 and all was good. Now the pump #2 only runs when heating from storage. I did this with a relay wired from from pumps #1 power supply to pump#2 power supply - if #1 is going, then #2 does not. In my plumbing, water from storage is a two way street. Heating with wood, extra heat goes to storage top of the tank and out the bottom back to the wood boiler's return. Heating from storage the water is pumped to bottom of tank and hot out of the top. I think I had too much water moving back through the Danfoss, it only lets so much by - so water flow is The Path of Least Resistance.


And I heat with Radiant baseboard. Here are some more pictures.

 

[mpilihp]

Hi Kipster your setup pipewise is similiar I think to mine. I do not have storage though.. Are your zones in parallel with both your oil and wood boilers? Is flow of hot water to them controlled by zone circulators and no zone valvesLooks that way)

If so from your post you mentioned you were getting ghost flows through the heat zones when the wood boiler circulator was running correct? We are getting the same thing. Are you saying you set up a fan 3 speed controller on the wood boiler circ and set it on a lower speed to stop the flow through the zones??

I have aquired one 250gal tank so far, hard to come by in Maine. I need something I can move myself with people power, anything larger is unmanageable. I like how you stacked them. Where in Central VT are you, anywhere near Northfield?? I venture that way occasionally (have a child at Norwich)

Nice setup

Phil

 

[Kipstr]

The ghost flow was when I was pulling from storage. So the 3 speed controller is on pump #2. All the pumps are Taco 007 Three on the oil boiler for the zone pumps and one for the wood boiler, and the last pump #2 is pulling from storage. Northfield, did my first 24 year there. Barre is home now. About 7 miles from Exit 5.

 

[mpilihp]

Northfield and Barre are nice areas, very hilly though! (My wife and I bicycle) Going by the drawing you linked above (stss website) in this thread it looks likeC-3 is the circ for the wood boiler and C-1 is for drawing for storage correct?? Either way it sounds like a similiar issue I was having.

Can you clearify how it works when there is no zone calling for heat, wood boiler circ C-3 is running and pumping water, is it going through both the oil boiler keeping it warm and through the storage tank coils?

THanks

~ Phil

 

[SteveJ]

Nice install and thanks for the post.

Couple of questions:

1. Do you have the weighted flow checks in opposite direction in the same pipe as referenced in the STSS link? If so, can you explain how they prevent any bleed off from the storage tank?

2. I like the variable speed idea - how is the Taco handling the change in amperage? What is the low speed amperage? What is the high speed amperage?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Eric Johnson]

Very nice looking installation and control setup.

 

[Kipstr]

Northfield and Barre are nice areas, very hilly though! (My wife and I bicycle) Going by the drawing you linked above (stss website) in this thread it looks likeC-3 is the circ for the wood boiler and C-1 is for drawing for storage correct?? Either way it sounds like a similiar issue I was having.

Can you clearify how it works when there is no zone calling for heat, wood boiler circ C-3 is running and pumping water, is it going through both the oil boiler keeping it warm and through the storage tank coils?

If no zone is calling for heat the wood boilers pump is running sending water to storage, and the zone valve is closed.

 

[Kipstr]

SteveJ
No weighted flow checks, I don't know what benefit they would have. I just checked the top tank temp - 166 degrees. I checked about 4 ft from the tank and the pipe was a little warm.

And the variable speed pump is working and I have no idea on the amps. If I wreck a pump it's only $60. Then I will bo to plan "B": zone valves on all the zone pumps, that will control any ghosting.

Here is another photo where you can see the supply and return form the wood boiler plumbed into the supply, and return on the oil boiler. There is a weighted flow check below the T on the supply side of the oil boiler.