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Home » Topics » Plumbing & Mechanical Contractor » John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop

John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop RSS Feed RSS

Domestic water heat pump
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Switching heat pumps between domestic water heating and cooling

Switching space heating to cooling, and vice versa.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
September 5, 2024

Air-to-water heat pumps and water-to-water geothermal heat pumps provide warm water for space heating, domestic water heating, and chilled water for cooling. Switching a hydronic heat pump system from space heating to cooling and vice versa seasonally is relatively simple. The system operating mode is changed at the thermostat or a dedicated system mode switch with heat, off, and cool settings.



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Mini-Split Heat Pump Heating and Air Conditioning Unit
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Comparing air-to-water versus ductless heat pump systems

An alternative to ductless
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
August 2, 2024

I attended a conference hosted by the Building Performance Association and presented on air-to-water heat pump systems. Many professionals were interested in heat pumps, especially ductless air-to-air systems. One person mentioned the difficulty of finding qualified installers for air-to-water heat pumps and noted the higher cost compared to ductless air-to-air systems.



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Boiler Room with Pressure Tanks and associated Plumbing.
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Follow established piping layouts to prevent reverse thermosiphoning

Reversals revealed.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
July 1, 2024

Flow direction is crucial in hydronic systems. Most designs have a fixed flow direction, but there are situations where reversals can occur. It's important to address these proactively to ensure smooth operations.


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Graphic of hydraulic separation with word cloud that says "MAGIC?" in the center.
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Do you understand hydraulic separation?

A simple but powerful design tool.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
May 29, 2024

Primary/secondary piping is a way to achieve hydraulic separation by connecting multiple hydronic circuits with their own circulators to prevent interference. Using a pair of closely spaced tees is a common method to achieve this.


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Stack of Firewood against a cabin wall
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Combining “low-tech” heating with state-of-the-art heat pump technology

Plan B
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
May 1, 2024

In rural upstate New York, residents harvest trees for firewood using chainsaws and hydraulic splitters. I burn about two face cords annually in my wood stove, enjoying its warmth during winter and relying on it during power outages caused by outdated utility lines.


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Image of square cast iron woodburner on top of granite slab with orange fire flames burning.
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Combining a wood-fired boiler with a hydronic distribution system

Doing wood right
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
March 27, 2024

I’ve written many PM columns discussing how air-to-water and geothermal water-to-water heat pumps can be combined with hydronic delivery systems to deliver efficiency AND superior comfort. This combination is a great solution for many consumers.


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3d render of a small and large fictitious air source heat pump with a piggy bank on top.
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Does the boiler need to change when adding a heat pump?

Is it worth it?
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
March 1, 2024

There is a growing interest in adding air-to-water heat pumps to existing hydronic heating systems. While I support their use, I do not recommend replacing a perfectly good cast-iron boiler that still has a long service life.


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01 February 2024 PM John Siegenthaler column. A modern air heat pump installed in the home's boiler room, visible plastic pipes and valves
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

Options for connecting heat pumps to existing boiler systems

Tie ins
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
February 1, 2024

Find out about piping options for retrofitting an air-to-water heat pump into an existing hydronic system.


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PM Jan 2024 John Siegenthaler Column opening image of boiler room in basement.
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

The ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of thermal storage

Hydronic systems stand ready to offer performance benefits as electrification movement advances.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
January 2, 2024

Hydronic-based heating and cooling systems stand ready to offer plenty of design and performance benefits. One of them is the potential for thermal storage.


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01 PM 1223 John Seigenthaler Column opening photo of a manifold station
Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

A simple, repeatable and scalable approach to hydronic distribution

This one works…
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
John Siegenthaler, P.E.
November 30, 2023

One of the best things about hydronic heating is there is virtually no limit to how piping systems can be customized. One of the worst things about hydronic heating is that there is virtually no limit to how piping systems can be customized.


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  • CONTRACTORS
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    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
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      • Guest Editorial
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