mixing valve

[CaperM]

Hi All, I have a 20 year old Jetstream boiler,800 gal. storage and baseboard rads.I would like to add some extra heat with pex tubing between floor joists in kitchen area.This area has always been a bit cooler,for having no place to put rads.The floor kitchen area is 220 sq.ft.and basement ceiling is unfinished.I was wondering what kind and size of mixing valve I would need.Would anyone here know?

 

[Clarkbug]

How is the other portion of your system set up? You might want to look into a solution that has a manifold, mixer, and pump already on it. Can you feed us some other information?

 

[Bob Rohr]

for a small area of floor warming you might consider UltraFin. It can work at the same temperature as the baseboards, very simple to install.

 

[pbvermont]

As you may know already, your baseboard requires a different temp. water (180-160*F) than your relatively small, potential kitchen radiant-floor zone would require. Let's say you do your kit. zone really well i.e. with the right spacing of tubing runs, really good extruded plates and certainly adequate insulation below the tubing. Also the type and thickness of subfloor and finish floor materials greatly affect the effectiveness of your system. You'd prob. be looking at 140*F or less water temps. That way you could use a "dumb" (non electric) 3-way mixing valve. This could be Caleffi, Honeywell, Watts etc. brands. Typically used for mixing down DHW, i.e. "anti-scald" mixing valves. You'd also need a circulator or zone-valve depending on your set-up.

 

[CaperM]

Weather here very cold -15 with white outs for 2 days now.Most business and schools closed today. My kit. floor is 5/8" plywood+3/4" oak,so in floor should work fine.A three way mixing valve and a zone valve off the manifold might be the ideal way to go.There is a 30 degree drop in water temp.on the main zone on the first floor return end to the storage, if my laser gun is correct.This could possibly be enough radiation for the kitchen area, if it doesn't affect the main zone.Thanks for all the input.

 

[tom in maine]

Do a little research on staple up floor systems. Depending on the climate and floor covering, you might not require a mixing valve. My experience is that many staple up systems work well without one. A simple mixing valve like a Honeywell Sparco AM102R-US-1 would work well.
You can do something a lot more elaborate, but a simple system for such a small floor can be done without one, operating at the same temps as the baseboard.

 

[CaperM]

I like simple.

 

[therdlesstravld]

Since this seems a relevant thread to what I'm looking to do I'll ask for some quick advice.


I want to run pex tubing under the joists of our kitchen also and heat it with a network of copper pipes resting on top of the woodstove. Could someone point me towards a thread that will help me better understand the components that I'll need to do this? I'm thinking along the lines of expansion tank, a pump and a way to regulate temperature. Really appreciate it thanks!