E. SYSTEM COMPONENTS
1. Pressure/Temperature Gauge: A combination
pressure/temperature gauge is provided with the unit
to be mounted in the piping from the boiler supply to
the system. Installation of this gauge is required by
most local codes.
2. Air Elimination: Each hydronic system in which the
Pinnacle boiler is used must have an air elimination
device. As the system water is heated, dissolved
oxygen and carbon dioxide will separate from the
liquid. An air elimination device (such as a TACO
430 Series Air Scoop with an automatic air vent) is
required to remove the dissolved gasses from the
system preventing corrosion in the piping system and
eliminating system noise.
3. Expansion Tank: As the Pinnacle boiler heats the
system media, the water or glycol solution will
expand. An expansion tank is required to provide
room for this expansion.
a. Consult expansion tank manufacturer's
instructions for specific information regarding
installation.
b. Size the expansion tank for the required system
volume and capacity. Be sure the expansion tank
is sized based on the proper heating medium.
4. Circulator Sizing: The following shows how to size
the boiler circulator based on the boiler net output.
The boiler "Net I=B=R Output" for each Pinnacle
Model is listed in the chart below. This value includes
a piping pickup factor of 1.15.
a. The Pinnacle Boiler imposes a small pressure
drop on the heating medium that must be
accounted for in circulator sizing. This pressure
drop for each model, based on a 20°F water
temperature rise, is as follows:
b. We can determine the required flow based on the
design temperature difference and the "Net
I=B=R Output." For this example we will use a
20° temperature rise. The calculation is as
follows:
c. So, for a PI-80 with a 20°F design temperature
differential a circulator sized for 6.40 GPM should
be used. The pressure drop can be determined
using Figure 3.2, Pinnacle Circulator Sizing
Graph.
F. SYSTEM PIPING
1. Zone Circulators: The following illustrations show
systems in which each zone is equipped with a
dedicated circulator. This assures the proper flow
through the zone with minimal effect on the
operation of adjacent zones. Notice the air
separation is upstream of all zone circulators and is
tied into the expansion tank and system fill valve.
a. Figure 3.3: This illustration shows a single
Pinnacle Boiler, a Partner Indirect Water Heater,
and a single heating zone. This illustration is
applicable to systems where the supply
temperature of the heating zone is similar to that
of the indirect water heater.
b. Figure 3.4: This diagram shows an additional
zone in which baseboard radiation is the heat
load. Baseboard radiation typically requires
temperatures similar to that of the indirect water
heater.
c. Figure 3.5: This figure shows diverter tees used in
combination with conventional hydronic
radiators on an additional zone. Also, a second
boiler is shown piped in parallel with the first. It is
important that the common headers are sized to
match the system piping. Smaller headers may
result in flow fluctuations through the boilers.
d. Figure 3.6: This illustration shows a system in
which different types of loads and multiple boilers
are employed. This system illustrates how
different temperature loops can be combined by
mixing down the supply temperature through a
bypass. Radiant flooring typically requires much
lower temperatures than baseboard radiation and
indirect water heating, therefore a three way
mixing valve is used to temper the supply.
WATER PIPING AND CONTROLS
5
Table 3.2
Table 3.3
Boiler
Model
Boiler Input
(Btu/hr)
Net I=B=R
Output
PI-80 80,000 64,000
PI-140 140,000 112,000
PI-199 199,000 159,000
Output 64,000
GPM = = = 6.40 GPM
∆T x 500 20 x 500
Boiler
Model
Flow Rate
(GPM)
Pressure Drop
(Feet)
PI-80 6.4 5.0
PI-140 11.2 8.0
PI-199 15.9 13.2
