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John Siegenthaler’s Top 25 most-read articles

We’re celebrating John Siegenthaler’s 25th anniversary as a Plumbing & Mechanical columnist.

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John Siegenthaler: Maintaining constant circulation in heated floor slabs is key

Heated floor slabs, without floor coverings, have one of the lowest supply water temperature requirements of any radiant panel system. This makes them well-suited for use with renewable energy heat...

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John Siegenthaler: Heating, cooling and DHW from a single system

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...

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John Siegenthaler: Sensor palcement is critical to designing successful...

All hydronic systems designed around renewable energy heat sources — as well as those designed around conventional boilers — have at least one controller that measures and responds to temperature....

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John Siegenthaler: System designs need numbers to guide decisions

I’ve written several “Heating with Renewable Energy ”columns covering the benefits of combining modern hydronics technology with modern air-to-water heat pumps.

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John Siegenthaler: How to add a pellet boiler to a forced-air heating system

I’ve covered pellet-fueled boiler applications in several past issues of PME. All of them have involved hydronic distribution systems. While such applications are certainly the prevailing way pellet...

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John Siegenthaler: Hydraulic energy conservation

Ask a professional engineer about the energy used by the heating systems they design. Their response is almost guaranteed to apply to the “fuel” energy (e.g., natural, gas, propane, oil, pellets, etc.)...

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John Siegenthaler: DHW Trifecta

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...

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John Siegenthaler: Modifying high-temperature distribution systems for...

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

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John Siegenthaler: Modifying high-temperature distribution systems for...

As with most things hydronic, there are multiple approaches, and the “best” approach for each installation has to consider cost, aesthetics, access to the existing piping, available wall space and the...

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John Siegenthaler: Soaring fuel costs drive adoption of high-efficiency/low...

In 2012 the price of #2 fuel oil in upstate New York was approaching a previously unheard of $4 per gallon. This spurred many pending heating system projects to consider the use of cordwood or wood...

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John Siegenthaler: Opportunities to reduce head loss

When designing hydronic circuits, most engineers focus on what’s necessary for that circuit to absorb thermal energy at a heat source, carry it along like a conveyor belt and drop it off at one or more...

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John Siegenthaler: Details for venting pellet-fueled boilers

Given the current upward trend and volatility of fossil fuel pricing, there’s renewed interest in heating using wood pellets. Federal incentives that currently cover 26% of some qualified equipment...

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John Siegenthaler: Modern hydronics technology addresses heating challenges...

Over the years I’ve had opportunities to work with several architects. They’re interesting people who have the ability to meld art with building technology. Sometimes the result is more “art,” and...

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John Siegenthaler: Performance metrics for modern hydronic heating and...

Those who evaluate the performance of HVAC source equipment such as boilers, furnaces and heat pumps have to work with a wide variety of acronyms. Some of them were spawned by government bureaucrats,...

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John Siegenthaler: Understanding thermal equilibrium and hydraulic equilibrium

ades of dealing with hydronic systems, I’ve confirmed two characteristics that always govern their operation. Both are rooted in the tenants of thermodynamics. Neither should be thought of as mysterious. 

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Using “reverser valves” to switch buffer tanks between heating and cooling

When a fixed output heat pump supplies a highly zoned heating or cooling distribution system, a buffer tank is typically used to prevent the heat pump from short-cycling under very low load conditions.   

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Details for piping multiple hydronic heat pumps

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...

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Products that would be welcome additions to the North American hydronics market

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...

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Concepts for varying flow rate in geothermal earth loops

The goal is to keep the system COP as high a possible as the operating conditions of the heat pump change. The logic behind maximum COP tracking is to continually look for an earth loop flow rate that...

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Concepts for varying flow rate in geothermal earth loops — Part 2

System COP is a more relevant metric of geothermal heat pump performance since the owner is paying for the electrical energy to operate the heat pump and the circulator, and their operation is always...

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Complementary fuel sources

Like most people, I have opinions and beliefs about our current energy sources, and specifically how they play into the future of hydronic heating and cooling technology.

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The challenge of reviewing proposed system schematics

Discover the major flaws in a proposed heating system and learn about a makeover approach to eliminate the issues.

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Modern hydronics technology offers unique solutions

A problem is developing with the transition to electric heating: peak demand. Learn how air-to-water heat pumps tackle seasonal needs but struggle during extreme cold, leading to reliance on electric...

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Modern hydronics technology can play well with future energy markets — Part 2

Last month, we discussed how solid thermal energy storage, combined with an air-to-water heat pump and an electric boiler, provides a platform to leverage time-of-use electrical rates in ways that can...

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3-way diverter valves: Part 1

There are many scenarios in which flow at some location within a hydronic system has to be directed along one of two possible flow paths. When a single valve is used to create this routing, it’s called...

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3-way divert valves: Part 2

In last month’s column, we discussed the design and actuation of 3-way diverter valves. This month, we’ll look at several applications for these valves.

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The anti-condensation function of piping assemblies

Biomass boilers burn various fuels and come in different designs. Water vapor is produced when burning wood-based fuels, and the resulting condensate can be acidic and corrosive to metals like carbon...

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Do hydronics systems need internet connectivity?

If your office routine is like mine, you probably type passwords into your devices all day to access essential websites and software. Sometimes you forget complex passwords and have to go through the...

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Geothermal heat pump systems with manifolded earth loops offer advantages

Geothermal systems use HDPE tubing for closed-loop earth heat exchangers, buried several feet below the surface.

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