Heatmaster G200 Install thread

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My piping won't be the prettiest but hopefully it can get the job done. Got the boiler side plumbed. It's part of the reason I ended up shying away from the full indoor setup with storage. I've done some plumbing but I'm far from a pro at it. First time working with PEX fittings and they take a little more muscle than I expected to clamp closed.

I wish things would have lined up so the logstor came through the next hole to the left but it is what it is.

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Your unit appears to have fiberglass insulation. I just looked at a new G200 and it had closed cell foam. I worry about the fiberglass attracting mice... mice get into everything around here!
 
I think the only place they could enter is the crack around the insulated pipe.
 
Took a break for a while before finishing it up last week. Got into some other projects that took priority however I finished the system up just before it dropped below freezing; fired it up on Wednesday afternoon. It's not the best looking where I move it up to the ceiling in the first picture but I'll clean it up at some point. The roll of pipe was an absolute bear to try and get straightened out. You can see some of the more orange pipe is 5' sticks I picked up at Menards that were straight and much easier to work with.

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The zip ties are temporary here, the aqua-stat came with a metal strap that I didn't care for. It's on there but I'll replace it work a worm clamp at some point. I had the company that installed my furnace work up the metal for the phelum and put it in. Just got to fill in around the opening with some insulation now that I'm sure nothing is leaking.
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Only issue I've still got to work through is with my heatpump/backup electric. I tied the aquastat into the heatpump to interrupt it. However I notice on my thermostat that the backup electric heaters are trying to come on occasionally and I'm not sure why. It doesn't do it all the time I'll just occasionally see it. The water is hot in the pipes and I'm only moving the heat in the house up or down a couple degrees at a time. It's a basic white-rodgers thermostat (1F89-211). I may end up replacing it with a thermostat that can handle schedules we'll see. I'd also love a remote sensor so I can gauge the house off our bedroom at night and the rest of the house during the day/evening. We'll see about that.
 
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Also I did have to swap out my pump. Started with a Grundfos Alpha 2 but it was only running about 7gpm on the highest setting which put me somewhere around 11-13ft of head. Swapped it for a 3 speed Taco 0013 which should put me around 12-14gpm on low and upwards of 20 on high. I'll get some thermometers tonight and see how much loss I have in the run. Currently running it on low.

I know I see the 10gpm number tossed around a lot with regards to the btu's for heat exchangers. Is that the number to shoot for on OWB's or do you want to go a little higher?
 
Also I did have to swap out my pump. Started with a Grundfos Alpha 2 but it was only running about 7gpm on the highest setting which put me somewhere around 11-13ft of head. Swapped it for a 3 speed Taco 0013 which should put me around 12-14gpm on low and upwards of 20 on high. I'll get some thermometers tonight and see how much loss I have in the run. Currently running it on low.

I know I see the 10gpm number tossed around a lot with regards to the btu's for heat exchangers. Is that the number to shoot for on OWB's or do you want to go a little higher?
It’s 12-14 on a perfect system. Most one of the 1” insulated pex lines will flow 6-8gpm in reality. The actual size of your line is the inside diameter of the fittings.
The hot water exchangers are no different than your gas furnace. They may be rated at 100,000 btu at 10gpm with 180 degree water. Just as your furnace figure about 25%-30% less output.
 
With one coil in the duct the alpha should have heated fine. Just with a larger temp drop (Delta t).
 
It’s 12-14 on a perfect system. Most one of the 1” insulated pex lines will flow 6-8gpm in reality. The actual size of your line is the inside diameter of the fittings.
The hot water exchangers are no different than your gas furnace. They may be rated at 100,000 btu at 10gpm with 180 degree water. Just as your furnace figure about 25%-30% less output.

12-14, were you talking gpm? Unsure of meaning on relating that to 'a perfect system'.

Also need to factor dT in. At a common and widely used dT of 20, 1gpm is almost 10,000 btu/hr. so the 7gpm mentioned above should be around 67,000 btu/hr. Which is quite a bit. It could be even more with a wider dT.
 
12-14, were you talking gpm? Unsure of meaning on relating that to 'a perfect system'.

Also need to factor dT in. At a common and widely used dT of 20, 1gpm is almost 10,000 btu/hr. so the 7gpm mentioned above should be around 67,000 btu/hr. Which is quite a bit. It could be even more with a wider dT.

yes, 12-14 gpm in a perfect laboratory setting.

on paper my 26-99 is close to 24gpm in my primary loop. I highly doubt it’s over 18 gpm.
 
I'm working on getting some thermometers hooked up. I've got probes shoved up under some rubberized pipe insulation on the supply and return from within the house currently. Seeing an approximately 8-degree drop with the furnace blower on (171 to 163) however, I am questioning calibration for them. With no load I'll occasionally see return temps 3 degrees over supply. I need to get them both into the same cup of water or something and see if they read the same.
 
An 8 degree temp drop (Dt) means it has plenty of flow. The Alpha would have been around a 15-20 Dt I'm guessing which is pretty normal. But either way you've got the best kind of heat there is.