As part of a 100-year old operation, the Wyandotte Adult Detention Center in Kansas City, Kansas, seeks to provide a safe, secure and humane environment for correctional staff, deputies, visitors and detainees. In order to provide the best service possible, the Wyandotte County Jail turned to Lochinvar for an efficiency upgrade that would help the Read more
boilers
As part of a 100-year old operation, the Wyandotte Adult Detention Center in Kansas City, Kansas, seeks to provide a safe, secure and humane environment for correctional staff, deputies, visitors and detainees. In order to provide the best service possible, the Wyandotte County Jail turned to Lochinvar for an efficiency upgrade that would help the facility save on water and utilities.
Kansas City-based contractor Lexington Plumbing worked with Lochinvar to design an installation that would provide the utmost advancements in energy efficiency for the county jail. With thermal efficiencies as high as 98 percent and a turndown ratio of 5:1, the fully modulating ARMOR® Condensing Water Heater was the ideal fit.
Unlike a normal bid and spec project, Lexington Plumbing started the conversation with the facilities department about high efficiency. The facility team had initial concerns about the upfront costs and reliability of high-efficiency systems, so Lexington Plumbing provided testimonials and local referrals that had similar installations. When the County team found that the energy savings were real and significant, and the installations highly successful, they were very interested.
“Plumbing Contractors have historically not had payback and high-efficiency systems to sell to the customer,” said Tom Axtell, President of Lexington Plumbing. “For the contractors who have the technical capacity and sales confidence in the product, it becomes a competitive advantage.”
The facility’s original system was comprised of two 70 percent efficient water heaters tied into a vent that extended up through the building. The Lexington Plumbing team removed the old units and installed two 800,000 Btu/hr ARMOR models, stacked with two 500-gallon insulated storage tanks to provide maximum savings. With ARMOR’s flexible venting options, the new units could be vented directly though the sidewall of the building.
Another key ARMOR feature is Lochinvar’s exclusive SMART SYSTEM™ interface, which provides complete control of the system’s entire range of functions, simplifying installation and operation while also offering complete access to performance data and history. The SMART SYSTEM operating control also features a built-in cascading sequencer that allows the two ARMOR units to work together to fire as low as 10 percent of total maximum input and smoothly modulate up to 100 percent as demand increases, keeping operating costs to an absolute minimum.
“We consistently recommend Lochinvar equipment because of their constant innovations and technologically advanced systems,” said Don Lawhon of Lexington Plumbing. “With the installation of the ARMOR units with their SMART SYSTEM control, the facility managers at the county jail can now adjust the firing rate of these units as opposed to using the 100 percent firing rate on their old water heaters. The ARMOR units will fire at the rate needed to keep the water supply at the right temperature – and energy bills where they should be.”
Adding to the energy savings, the SMART SYSTEM’s night setback feature can be pre-programmed to shut off or slow down when the jail is less occupied. In addition, SMART SYSTEM enables ARMOR to communicate seamlessly in real time with building management systems by utilizing an on-board MODBUS protocol.
The unique ARMOR design also protects against the harmful effects of lime scale buildup, which can cause a traditional water heater to fail in as little as two to five years and substantially increase operating costs. For example, just 1/4-inch of scale in the tank can increase operating costs by as much as 25 percent. Since ARMOR heats the water and then deposits it in an unfired storage tank, lime scale buildup does not impair the heat transfer efficiency.
Following the installation, facility managers are extremely pleased with the increase in efficiency delivered by the two ARMOR Condensing Water Heaters, the fact that they have never run out of hot water and that the system has not required maintenance.
“The facility management team at the Wyandotte County Jail was initially attracted to the fuel savings attributed to the Lochinvar units, and they haven’t been disappointed,” said Tom Axtell, president of Lexington Plumbing. “Having a highly efficient system is vital for a facility that uses this much hot water on a daily basis, and they will be able to pay back the cost for the new equipment in two and a half to three years. Now that this project is completed, the facility personnel told us they wish they would have upgraded sooner.”
For more information, visit www.Lochinvar.com.
Lochinvar, LLC announces the launch of its new FTXL™ Fire Tube Boiler for light commercial applications. With five models ranging from 399,999 to 850,000 Btu/hr, the FTXL Boiler represents a new generation of fire-tube technology, delivering up to 10:1 turndown and up to 98 percent Thermal Efficiency – higher than any other boiler in its Read more
Lochinvar, LLC announces the launch of its new FTXL™ Fire Tube Boiler for light commercial applications. With five models ranging from 399,999 to 850,000 Btu/hr, the FTXL Boiler represents a new generation of fire-tube technology, delivering up to 10:1 turndown and up to 98 percent Thermal Efficiency – higher than any other boiler in its class. Enabled for CON-X-US™ remote connect capability, the FTXL Boiler offers complete control from across town or across the country.
The Smartest SMART SYSTEM™
The FTXL Boiler is equipped with Lochinvar’s most advanced, all-in-one SMART SYSTEM™ control technology. With a redesigned multi-color LCD interface and a wealth of new control features, the state-of-the-art operating system offers the option of direct integration into a Building Automation System through communication protocols such as Modbus or BACnet.
The new CON-X-US remote connectivity option redefines monitoring by simplifying data acquisition and providing remote diagnostics. Status alerts can be sent to a smart device, and the user can monitor and re-program control parameters from almost anywhere.
Further expanding upon the SMART SYSTEM functionality, the new Loch-N-Load™programming feature allows the user to load proven parameters onto a USB drive and plug the drive into a port on the front panel of the boiler to upload them to the operating system. This shortcut can reduce installation and programming time by up to 30 minutes per boiler.
With SMART SYSTEM’s built-in cascading sequencer, up to eight FTXL units can operate efficiently with total inputs of up to 6.8 million Btu/hr. To protect the system from downtime, cascade redundancy allows for the second boiler to take the lead if the first boiler in the sequence becomes non-operational.
Exceptional Ease of Installation + Simplified Service
The FTXL Boiler is designed for maximum space efficiency and flexible placement in the mechanical room. Each model in the line features zero clearance on both sides and the same installed footprint of 6.2 square feet, which is 20-30 percent smaller than competitive boilers. The boiler allows for direct-venting up to 100 feet, using inexpensive PVC, as well as CPVC, polypropylene or stainless steel pipe. Multiple FTXL units can also be common-vented, which reduces installation time and materials cost.
In addition, the water, gas and venting connections are located on the back of the boiler for easy access. Adding to the convenience, the boiler’s hinged top puts all other components and electrical connections in quick reach for simplified service.
“With the introduction of the FTXL Boiler, we continue to redefine the fire tube boiler category,” said Jeff Vallett II, boiler product manager for Lochinvar. “We designed the new FTXL line to deliver best-in class AHRI thermal efficiency and footprints, more sophisticated SMART SYSTEM functionality than ever before, plus the convenience of remote connectivity to simplify and streamline operations for our customers.”
Choosing between High Mass or Low Mass boilers By Jack Daniels There has been much discussion on low and high mass boilers as of late. With high mass boilers now being available in highly efficient modulating and condensing configurations only adds more wrenches to that discussion. The decision of what boiler to use is often Read more
Choosing between High Mass or Low Mass boilers
By Jack Daniels
There has been much discussion on low and high mass boilers as of late. With high mass boilers now being available in highly efficient modulating and condensing configurations only adds more wrenches to that discussion. The decision of what boiler to use is often made in the boiler room. Today, let’s discuss the real basis on how to choose what boiler is right for you. Wise contractors know the system will tell you what boiler is best.
Taking a look at how the ideal hydronic system should operate is as simple as considering the idea that what is produced is used. In other words, if we can achieve equilibrium and have the boiler start up in the fall and not shut down until the spring then we will be as efficient as the boiler’s ratings. As we all know, this is not always possible, heck, it is almost never achieved, thus the need for options in the configuration or mass of the boiler.
Suppose we have all of the proper elements of a hydronic system in their proper locales. The heat source (boiler), circulator, expansion tank, make up water, and heat emitters all have their own temperature and flow requirements. The objective is to achieve a reliable, inexpensive, comfortable, and over all efficient system. Failure to look at all aspects of the system will ultimately add to costs (initial and ongoing), as well as under heating, overheating, wasted energy, and most importantly, a disappointed customer.
First, let’s look at the low mass boilers. A few of the obvious benefits include low cost, high efficiency, and space saving. Another benefit to the low mass boiler is recovery time. A low mass boiler will come up to temperature very quickly as it does not have a lot of water to heat. This is ideal in applications that handle heating and domestic hot water needs. So, if I have a 2,500 square foot house that has one zone of in-floor heat the boiler can go from 120 degrees for the heating of the floor to 180 degrees for heating an indirect water tank very quickly. Sweet! End of discussion. No need for high mass boilers.
What?! Your customer wants the bedrooms a tad cooler than the living spaces and wants to have the master bath warmer than the rest of the house? This creates the need for micro zones. Now we have created a zone that can only “use” 6,000 BTU’s. Our low mass boiler can only modulate down to 19,000 BTU’s. We are producing more than we can use. Houston we have a problem. The boiler is going to take the water for the small zone to temperature very quickly (which is one of the advantages of a low mass boiler) and be forced to shut down. The small zone, however, is still calling for heat so the boiler has to fire again and again as it takes the water for that small zone up to temperature very quickly and shuts down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Considering that each time a boiler fires it takes a short amount of time for the flame to stabilize and be most efficient in addition to stressing the components of the boiler, short-cycling will lead to a very unhappy customer.
So the answer here is to use a high mass boiler. Awesome! Always use a high mass boiler when micro-zoning. End of discussion. But now we have to keep all of that mass up to 180 degrees even in the summertime to produce the domestic hot water in addition to needing a mixing valve for the central heating. Though standby losses have been greatly reduced, they still exist. This is a system that should have mass added to the central heating side but not to the domestic water side. See our last article in Wisconsin perspectives titled, “Ailing hydronic systems: Is there a doctor in the house?” As you’ll recall, in that article we discussed buffer tanks in detail.
So if we do not have a domestic load in the aforementioned scenario should we use a high mass boiler? This author says yes. It is the best of all worlds. It can take advantage of outdoor reset and handle the micro zones with the energy stored in the higher mass.
Now, let’s take a look at high mass modulating and condensing boilers. We are no longer restricted to using cast iron behemoths that are not very efficient. Manufacturers have recently introduced very efficient boilers that have the mass or storage needed for the micro zoned applications. Other advantages of high mass boilers include lower pressure drop, less maintenance, and ease of installation as there is no need for primary secondary piping.
I would also use high mass boilers in any system that you would suspect debris. Retrofit applications replacing cast iron boilers are an ideal place for a high mass boiler. Gone are the worries about plugged exchangers, water treatments, and endless flushing. Let’s not forget high mass boilers were first then the low mass boilers came on the market as higher efficiency options. Now, with high mass boilers being as efficient as their low mass counterparts, I view them as another option in the arsenal of comfortable, money saving options heating professionals can offer their customer
So the answer about whether to use high mass or low mass boilers stays the same; it depends.
For information from the author, contact Gregory “Jack” Daniels, Hot Water Products, Inc, (877) 377-0011, HotWaterProducts.com
Navien introduces the NCB Series combi-boilers: the first condensing combination boilers capable of simultaneously delivering plentiful hydronic heat and unlimited domestic hot water (DHW) for large homes, including those in cold climates. The new NCB Series combi-boilers are uniquely designed for ease of installation and also incorporate a host of features to deliver reliable performance Read more
Navien introduces the NCB Series combi-boilers: the first condensing combination boilers capable of simultaneously delivering plentiful hydronic heat and unlimited domestic hot water (DHW) for large homes, including those in cold climates. The new NCB Series combi-boilers are uniquely designed for ease of installation and also incorporate a host of features to deliver reliable performance and notable energy cost savings. NCB Series combi-boilers also take up as much as 80 percent less space than a traditional floor-standing boiler and water heater.
NCB Series combi-boilers are offered in three models, the NCB-180, NCB-210 and NCB-240. Maximum heating input for hydronic heating is 80,000 BTU/H, 100,000 BTU/H and 120,000 BTU/H, respectively. Domestic hot water flow rates for each model at 77 Delta T are 3.4 gallons per minute (GPM), 4.0 GPM and 4.5 GPM, respectively – comparable to a stand-alone tankless water heater. The NCB-240 model delivers the highest combined heating capacity and hot water flow rate in the industry.
“The NCB Series combi-boilers represent a whole new category of condensing combination boilers,” says Eric Moffroid, VP Sales and Marketing. “Now contractors and homeowners have a space saving high efficiency condensing combi-boiler large enough to heat a large home, and at the same time, supply it with more than enough domestic hot water for two showers and a dishwasher simultaneously. NCB combi-boilers offer distinct advantages to contractors and homeowners alike in terms of installation, cost savings and exceptional performance.”
The new NCB Series combi-boilers feature an advanced negative gas pressure valve that results in optimal performance, even under low gas pressure conditions. The dual venturi system allows for easy field convertibility from natural gas to liquid propane operation.
To quickly heat water and also minimize corrosion for extended service life, the NCB Series combi-boilers incorporate the use of dual stainless steel heat exchangers for hydronic heat and a stainless steel flat plate heat exchanger for DHW. The new line of combi-boilers comes with a 10-year warranty on the heat exchangers, a five-year warranty for parts and a one-year warranty for labor.
With capability to use ½-inch gas connections and 2-inch PVC venting, contractors can retrofit the unit in less time than it normally takes with competitive systems. Homeowners will appreciate the compact design that uses far less space than traditional floor-mounted boiler and water heater systems.
Homeowners also benefit from energy savings. The AFUE energy efficiency ratings of up to 93.6 earns an ENERGY STAR® label.
For more on the NCB Series combi-boilers, visit www.WholeHouseCombi.com.
KEY WATER HEATING CHARTS AND FORMULAS by Rich Grimes It’s 2012 already and in this issue we will try to give you plenty of information and useful charts related to water heating. I don’t receive many requests so I am glad to accommodate on such a pertinent subject. The best part is that you won’t Read more
KEY WATER HEATING CHARTS AND FORMULAS
by Rich Grimes
It’s 2012 already and in this issue we will try to give you plenty of information and useful charts related to water heating. I don’t receive many requests so I am glad to accommodate on such a pertinent subject. The best part is that you won’t have to read too much from me as these charts and formulas speak for themselves! So here we go…
BTU
A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is a measurement of heat energy. One BTU is the amount of heat energy required to raise one pound of water by 1ºF. Water weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon so we can calculate that one gallon of water requires 8.33 BTU to raise the temperature 1ºF.
BTU CONTENT OF FUELS
ENERGY SOURCE BTU PER HOUR
COAL
1 Pound = 10,000 – 15,000
1 Ton = 25 Million (app.)
ELECTRICITY
1 KW = 3,412
OIL
1 Gallon #1 Fuel = 136,000
1 Gallon #2 Fuel = 138,500
1 Gallon #3 Fuel = 141,000
1 Gallon #5 Fuel = 148,500
1 Gallon #6 Fuel = 152,000
GAS
1 Pound of Butane = 21,300
1 Gallon of Butane = 102,800
1 Cubic Ft. of Butane = 3,280
1 Cubic Ft. of Manufactured Gas = 530
1 Cubic Ft. of Mixed = 850
1 Cubic Ft. of Natural = 1,075
1 Cubic Ft. of Propane = 2,570
1 Pound of Propane = 21,800
1 Gallon of Propane = 91,000
HORSEPOWER
1 Boiler Horsepower (BHP) = 33,475 BTU
1 Boiler Horsepower (BHP) = 34.5 Pounds of Steam @ 212ºF
1 Boiler Horsepower (BHP) = 9.81 KW
COOLING
1 Ton of Cooling = 12,000
GAS INFORMATION
NATURAL PROPANE
Specific Gravity = 0.62 1.52
Flammability Limits (GAS/AIR Mixture) = 4%-14% 2.4%-9.6%
Maximum Flame Propagation (GAS/AIR Mixture) = 10% 5%
Ignition Temperature = 1200ºF 950ºF
1 Pound of Gas (1 PSI) = 28″ Water Column (w.c.)
1 Pound of Gas (1 PSI) = 16 Ounces (oz.)
1 Therm = 100,000 BTU
ELECTRICAL INFORMATION
1 Kilowatt (kW) = 3412 BTU Per Hour
1 Kilowatt (kW) = 1000 Watts Per Hour
1 Kilowatt Hour (kWH) will evaporate 3.5 pounds of water from and at 212ºF
Amperage – Single Phase (1 Ø) = KW x 1000 or WATTAGE
VOLTAGE VOLTAGE
Amperage – Three Phase (3 Ø) = KW x 1000 or WATTAGE
VOLTAGE x 1.732 VOLTAGE x 1.732
WATER HEATING FORMULAS
BTU Per Hour Requirement
BTU OUTPUT = GPM x Temperature Rise x 8.33 Lbs/Gallon x 60 Minutes
BTU INPUT = (GPM x Temperature Rise x 8.33 Lbs/Gallon x 60 Minutes)
% Efficiency
Heat Transfer Efficiency
% EFFICIENCY = (GPH x Temperature Rise x 8.33 Lbs/Gallon)
BTU/Hr INPUT
Heat-Up Time
Time in Hours = (GPH x Temperature Rise x 8.33 Lbs/Gallon)
(BTU/Hr INPUT x % Efficiency)
Temperature Rise
Temp. Rise (∆T) = (BTU/Hr INPUT x % Efficiency)
(GPM x 60 Minutes x 8.33 Lbs/Gallon)
GPH Recovery
Electric = (kW INPUT x 3412 BTU/kW x % Efficiency)
(Temperature Rise x 8.33 Lbs/Gallon)
Gas = (BTU/Hr INPUT x % Efficiency)
(Temperature Rise x 8.33 Lbs/Gallon)
MIXED WATER FORMULA
% of Hot Water Required = (Mixed Water ºF – Cold Water ºF)
(Hot Water ºF – Cold Water ºF)
WATER INFORMATION
1 Gallon = 8.33 Pounds
1 Gallon = 231 Cubic Inches
1 Cubic Ft = 7.48 Gallons
1 Cubic Ft = 62.428 Pounds (at 39.2ºF – maximum density)
1 Cubic Ft = 59.83 Pounds (at 212ºF – boiling point)
1 Ft of Water Column (w.c.) = .4333 PSI
Water expands 4.34% when heated from 40ºF to 212ºF
Water expands 8% when frozen solid
OPEN VESSEL
BOILING POINT @ 0 PSI ALTITUDE
212ºF 0 Feet (Sea Level)
210ºF 1000 Feet
208ºF 2000 Feet
207ºF 3000 Feet
205ºF 4000 Feet
203ºF 5000 Feet
201ºF 6000 Feet
199ºF 7000 Feet
CLOSED VESSEL BOILING POINT @ PSI @ Sea Level
BOILING POINT GAUGE PRESSURE
212ºF 0 PSI
240ºF 10 PSI
259ºF 20 PSI
274ºF 30 PSI
287ºF 40 PSI
298ºF 50 PSI
316ºF 70 PSI
331ºF 90 PSI
ONLINE RESOURCES
There are an unlimited number of online tools and calculators for every mathematical formula. The internet is full of helpful resources to get the job done quicker. Here are a few links to some useful websites:
WEBSITE/PROGRAM WEB ADDRESS
Amtrol Expansion Tank Sizing http://amtrol.com/support/sizing.html
Engineering Toolbox Calculators http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/
State Water Heater Sizing (Online) http://www.statewaterheatersizing.com/
AO Smith Water Heater Sizing (Online) http://www.hotwatersizing.com/
Lochinvar Water Heater Sizing (Download) http://www.lochinvar.com/sizingguide.aspx
Cylinder Calculator (Storage Tanks) / Other Math Calculators http://www.calculatorfreeonline.com/calculators/geometry-solids/cylinder.php
Electrical/Mechanical/Industrial/Civil/Chemical/Aeronautical Calculators http://www.ifigure.com/engineer/electric/electric.htm
B&G System Syzer (Piping/Pressure Drop Tool Download) http://completewatersystems.com/brand/bell-gossett/selection-sizing-tools/system-syzer/
B&G Selection and Sizing Tools (Pumps, Regulators, Steam and Condensate) http://completewatersystems.com/brand/bell-gossett/selection-sizing-tools/
Taco Pump Selection Wizard (Online Pump Selector) http://www.taco-hvac.com/en/wizard_pumps.html
Lawler Mixing Valve Sizing (Online – account setup) http://www.lawlervalve.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=Sizing_Program
DSIRE Database of State/Federal Renewable Energy Rebates http://www.dsireusa.org/
ASCO Valve Online Product Selector (Valves – solenoid, pilot, pneumatic, etc.) http://www.ascovalve.com/Applications/ProductSearch/ProductSearch.aspx?ascowiz=yes
SUMMARY
There is a lot of other information that we could add such as Steam. It is a viable heating source and there are several factors that must be considered such as operating pressure, steam trap and condensate line sizing and so on. We will have to do a separate article on Steam in a future issue.
The charts and information above are all essential to water heating. They are proven mathematical formulas of algebra and geometry. If you input the accurate information then the results will be correct. It is also good to use the online tools and calculators. They are true time savers.
Thanks and we’ll see you in the next article!