Heat Hot Water To Heat Your Home Hydronic Heating Systems Simplified
This is an article that will explain the principles of this type of system in an easily understood simplified manner for any one to gain some insight into the basics behind hydronic or hot water heating.
Starting with a boiler which in itself can be a confusing element because water is never actually boiled.
This type of heat simply gets the water to around 200 degrees and circulates it to provide the heat to remote locations.
Boilers can be fired with gas or oil and they have electric ones as well.
There are also wood burning boilers and now pellet burning units have also been added to the fray.
All of these boilers operate On the same principle. They burn their respective fuel and the heat from the fire heats the water and then it is circulated through some type of radiation and that in turn uses convection to heat the home.
There are loops in our system that come from the boiler to the room they service and then go back to the boiler.
These loops are made from either copper tubing or vinyl tubing and they simply carry the water.
Each loop will have a thermostat that will make it come on when the temperature drops below what it's set on.
This control brings on a pump and sends heated water through the pipes for that zone and the radiation gets hot and convects until the thermostat is satisfied.
Some systems have several zones and some are single zone. This will depend on the system and the amount of control thats needed within the home.
Some people keep the whole house the same temperature and some will like the added capabilities that a zoned system will offer.
This can save money as the ones that are not being used can be turned down. Who's not trying to save a dollar in todays economic climate?
It also adds a level of comfort for some as not always everyone in the family enjoys the same temperature so bedrooms and private areas can be adjusted for the individual user.
What should I burn?
Fuel type is a choice that some will have to make and some will have this choice made for them according to whats available in your area.
This choice comes down to price and efficiency. Gas boilers have always been slightly more efficient then oil and wood and pellet stove type boilers have come up in ratings as of late.
Green factors can also add to the reasons to burn gas as apposed to oil and wood because emissions are significantly lower with this type of boiler.
Cleaning takes less labor and cost to maintain is also less with a gas unit.
Hot water hydronic heating systems are pretty much the heat of the day in most areas. Very efficient and standing the test of time this type of heating will be around for a long time as it is the best way to climate control a home with the least amount of outlay.
Again to simplify the system, a boiler heats water, a pump comes on when the thermostat calls, the water circulates through the radiation and back to the boiler heating the room on it's way by.
Thats it. There are some small components that are added into the system to eliminate air and control flow but they change nothing in principle.
Hot water hydronic systems will vary in piping and radiation, boiler type and loop length. They will however all be made in this simple style and do this basic job, heat our homes.
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