Items Tagged with 'hydronic heating systems'

Air-to-water heat pumps are gaining popularity in North American hydronic systems, but many practitioners are discovering that they operate differently from boilers.

The Ambient Air-to-Water Hydronic Heat Pump features a 5-ton capacity (rated at 60 MBH) and provides reliable space heating with outdoor temperatures as low as -13° F.

Every year, manufacturers develop new or improved products for the North American hydronic market. Product development planning by those manufacturers depends on several factors. Here are a few of the main considerations.

Multiple boiler systems have been used for decades. They allow full heating capacity to be delivered when necessary, while also retaining high efficiency under partial load conditions compared to a single large boiler.

What characteristic do solar thermal collectors, hydronic heat pumps and thermal storage tanks supplied by biomass boilers have in common?

As global energy planning moves away from fossil fuels and toward electricity, an increasing number of hydronic heating systems are being supplied by heat pumps. Some use water-to-water heat pumps supplied by geothermal earth loops. Others use air-to-water heat pumps.

The heating output and coefficient of performance (COP) of any hydronic heat pump is very dependent on the water temperature leaving the heat pump’s condenser. 

We’ve come a long way since the days of gravity-hot-water heating. The physics haven’t changed a bit, but the systems sure have.