The Glitch & The Fix

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As part of an extensive renovation and insulation upgrade, the owner decides to upgrade the heat and convert the 2-pipe steam system to hot water.

An installer is advised to use a buffer tank to prevent short cycling of a low mass boiler serving several independently controlled space heating zones ...

An installer is asked if a geothermal heat pump can be combined with radiant floor heating.

The installer got a great price on a “contractor pack” of 3/4-inch copper tees, so the supply and return manifolds are built with 3/4-inch copper, as are all the zone circuits ...

Here’s an extremely messed up installation for you to ponder.

There are several piping errors in this proposed multiple boiler system installation.

Every time the circulator shuts off, the owner hears banging and gurgling sounds in the pipes ...

What's wrong with this arrangement for a low-temperature radiant floor panel?

There are at least four design errors in this schematic. Can you spot them?

As it exists, this system works relatively well, but it could be further refined. See if you can spot some design details that would provide equal or better performance while using less hardware.