Hi guys. First timer here, read lots of posts, great info. I've looked alot on the web to find info about hydronic (?) heating, not much info I can find, hope you guys can help me. I've purchased a benjamin dutch oven (wood boiler) which a local HVAC contractor was going to help me install. He moved. I cant find anyone in the area who knows much about hooking this thing up to my existing furnace. Here's what I've done so far:
Built 33x40 attached garage onto house, with in floor heating. Put wood boiler in place. Put 50 gallon gas fired hot water heater in place. Hooked piping from top (out) of boiler to bottom (in) of hot water heater, with gundfos pump in between. Ran piping from top of hot water heater to floor heat. Return from floor heat goes into bottom of wood boiler. I have a thermostat in garage which controls the pump and the damper on the boiler. I ran that system for one winter, worked okay, but wanted to heat the house too. I had a local contractor install a heat exchanger inside the plenum for the house furnace (which is a Lennox pulse 21)(which is a very troublesome furnace, I might add). I teed into the "out" line of the hot water heater, and made it feed the heat exchanger. I put a zone valve on the line which feeds the floor heat (after the tee). This valve isnt hooked up yet. The line that feeds the heat exchanger is a "wild loop" (I think that is the term, there is no control on this line). I felt that if hot water was running thru the furnace it wouldnt get into the house unless the fan was running.
Pretty basic. Not much control, huh? I think that if I install another thermostat inside my house, to control the furnace fan, and hook up the zone valve to my garage thermostat, that the system should work properly, or what do you guys think? Is there a thermostat that has "2 in 1" capability, which would be "wife friendly" so I could only have one thermostat?
Hopefully I haven't left you all as confused as I am. I can take pictures if anyone will help me out. Thanks!!
Built 33x40 attached garage onto house, with in floor heating. Put wood boiler in place. Put 50 gallon gas fired hot water heater in place. Hooked piping from top (out) of boiler to bottom (in) of hot water heater, with gundfos pump in between. Ran piping from top of hot water heater to floor heat. Return from floor heat goes into bottom of wood boiler. I have a thermostat in garage which controls the pump and the damper on the boiler. I ran that system for one winter, worked okay, but wanted to heat the house too. I had a local contractor install a heat exchanger inside the plenum for the house furnace (which is a Lennox pulse 21)(which is a very troublesome furnace, I might add). I teed into the "out" line of the hot water heater, and made it feed the heat exchanger. I put a zone valve on the line which feeds the floor heat (after the tee). This valve isnt hooked up yet. The line that feeds the heat exchanger is a "wild loop" (I think that is the term, there is no control on this line). I felt that if hot water was running thru the furnace it wouldnt get into the house unless the fan was running.
Pretty basic. Not much control, huh? I think that if I install another thermostat inside my house, to control the furnace fan, and hook up the zone valve to my garage thermostat, that the system should work properly, or what do you guys think? Is there a thermostat that has "2 in 1" capability, which would be "wife friendly" so I could only have one thermostat?
Hopefully I haven't left you all as confused as I am. I can take pictures if anyone will help me out. Thanks!!
