Attending trade shows both large and small have always been an integral part of keeping our business abreast of changes within the PHVAC industry. Our employees knew that upon my return, there would be new innovative products joining the tried and true offerings we provided for our customers.

One of the best things about hydronic heating systems is that it’s easy to integrate some method of domestic water heating. This combination has been used for decades in systems where a boiler was the sole heat source. It’s also possible when a heat pump serves as the heat source.

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.

Domestic hot water recirculation system design is a hot topic in our industry, for good reason. 

Each year, Plumbing & Mechanical editors receive thousands of product releases from industry manufacturers. 

In last month’s column, I presented a “template” for a system that provides space heating, cooling and domestic water heating using a cold climate air-to-water heat pump as the primary heat source, and the sole source of chilled water for cooling.