Radiant & Hydronics Columns - Articles - Page 21

Perspectives from the front

The tale of Quincy, Mass., and its energy costs.

October 18, 2013

Each Thursday morning, I send a free enewsletter to more than 5,000 opt-in subscribers. It usually contains seven links to interesting stories (some of which even have to do with heating) along with my brief musings. I do this because I am curious by nature, love to share and have no life.

T and ∆T pumping when it comes to wood-gasification boilers

One application that leverages both control capabilities.

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

October 18, 2013

The market for wood-gasification boilers is growing in North America. Most are used in rural areas where natural gas in not available, and thus the cost of firewood is often very competitive against the alternatives of No. 2 fuel oil or propane.

Are boilers dangerous?

Take precautions when repairing or maintaining commercial boilers.

Ray Wohlfarth

September 20, 2013

John was a custodian for a local school district. We used to call him “20 Questions” because he would constantly ply us with questions about the boilers when we would perform the annual service. He would jokingly ask how many of the 20 questions he would have left.

Parsing a number

Differences exist between rules of thumb and precise calculations.

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

September 20, 2013

Differences exist between rules of thumb and precise calculations.

My day as a potted plant

A tale of corporate misunderstandings and embarrassing new suits.

Dan Holohan

September 20, 2013

Our daughter, Colleen, born and raised on Long Island, now lives in a suburb of Boston with her husband, Adam. The town they live in is called Medford.

Are modulating burners worthwhile?

Consider low-high-low burners on your next replacement.

Ray Wohlfarth

August 22, 2013

For years we have designed boiler rooms consisting of two oversized boilers with fully modulating burners.

Nature vs. math

Formulas and assumptions don’t always predict what happens.

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

August 22, 2013

The following formula has been around the North American hydronics industry for a long time:

You don’t need a weatherman

You do need knowledge of the quirks of older heating systems.

Dan Holohan

August 22, 2013

I was chatting with an engineer the other day. She called to ask me some questions about old steam-heating systems, particularly those of the New York City variety.

A grand punch in the mouth

Lessons learned from the Great Recession and Hurricane Sandy.

Dan Holohan

July 18, 2013

I’d like to begin with a big shout-out to that noted philosopher, Mr. Michael Tyson, who once said, “Everyone has a plan, ’til they get punched in the mouth.”

Two-pipe system

How to control such a system during the shoulder seasons.

Ray Wohlfarth

July 18, 2013

A complaint building maintenance departments frequently hear is that the occupants are either too hot or too cold. In some instances, both complaints may come from the same room.