Radiant & Hydronics

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The Radiant Professionals Alliance (RPA) enhances the radiant industry through education, advocacy, and member support. It offers training, networking, and updates like a new website and geothermal partnerships. Members can participate in committees and events such as the 2025 AHR Expo.

A review of a flawed hydronic heating system uncovers critical errors, such as improper circulator placement and restrictive mixing valves, leading to uneven warmth and corrosion issues. This underscores the need for proper design and installation in hydronic systems.

A hotel’s aging hot water system faces upgrades as leaking tanks are set to be replaced with smaller units. While a full redesign is desired for efficiency, budget constraints may limit the project scope, causing temporary hot water disruptions.

Hydronically-heated concrete floor slabs offer comfort but can be slow to warm up. A proposed solution uses a heat pump and variable-speed circulators to provide rapid heating through air handlers, ensuring quick warmth during cool days while maintaining energy efficiency.

The photo in Figure 1 shows a non-pressurized outdoor wood-fired furnace connected to a floor heating subsystem via two PEX tubes. It includes a cast iron circulator, a thermostatic 3-way valve for mixing, a bypass linking supply and return tubes, and an "expansion zone" for another floor heating circuit. This setup is in a multi-million dollar home. Are there any potential issues with the installation?

Last week, we did a simple oil to gas steam boiler replacement. The customer (Mike) has been a family friend of my parents for more than 60 years. Mike’s grandfather built the house back in the 1920s. The home is currently occupied by Mike’s daughter and her two teenage grandchildren.

Heating contractors attended the event to learn about high-efficiency heating equipment, including the Ambient Air-to-Water Heat Pump, Citadel commercial condensing boiler, Alta self-adaptive boiler, and the Ambient electric boiler.  

The award is presented every two years to a nominee with attributes including technical mastery and a passion for hydronic technologies, demonstrated leadership as an educator and mentor, and an aptitude for cultivating fundraising opportunities for industry causes.

In 1986, I installed a 1.5-ton geothermal heat pump in my home using two 500-foot horizontal HDPE earth loops. After digging a trench, I connected the loops to the pump and opted for a 2 HP swimming pool pump to fill and flush the system, as a garden hose couldn't provide the needed flow rate.