For decades, changing out a thermostat for a retrofit hydronic heating system was a simple task for a service technician. From Bangor, Maine, to Breckenridge, Colorado, the mere two, 18-gauge thermostat wires running through a home was not a concern (short of the random nail or mouse taking one of the two out).

With systems dating back into the 1800s, hydronic heating has been around a long time. As with many technologies, a modern hydronic heating system bears little resemblance to one based on the earliest design techniques and hardware.

The major trend in the commercial boiler market, which will continue in 2021 and beyond, is the predominance of packaged boilers installed in multiple boiler cascade systems. 

It’s without question that technology has improved the mechanical world around us. From my smartphone, I can instantly see the health of hundreds of our boiler plants across the country. 

An installer is asked to connect a single speed geothermal water-to-water heat pump to a highly-zoned low temperature hydronic distribution system.

With a considerable volume of contradictory information in circulation regarding the application of different technologies for HVAC systems, this article seeks to explain some of the technical aspects of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems, and offer comparisons on the basis of cost and performance to more standard hydronic systems. 

Popular high-efficiency boilers tend to be more expensive at installation, but lower utility bills pay customers back over time.