# Snow Melt issues



## Drainsurgeon (Jan 21, 2011)

Hey Guys, (n Gals?)



Here is my first post. have been on here for years reading, laughing and crying with other plumbers. 

Well, in this case I bit off a little more than my knowledge can handle as I inherited this project thinking my partner knew more about basic boiler systems and radiant heat. 

(spoiler alert)

There will be very basic and for some, dumb, questions.

Snow melt system details.

Location. Chicago IL

2x 350' 1/2" loops in concrete (should have been 3/4" and smaller loops I know)

2x 60' supply runs into house in 1" pipe after 2x - 1x1/2" x 1/2" manifolds inside lawn box next to loops in slab

60,000 btu boiler (crown)

256 tekmar controller

070 outdoor sensor

ETI snowcup for environmental control

safegaurd low water cut off

honeywell L4008a aquastat 

Armstrong E9 circ pump

Caleffi 521519a 3 way mix valve (supply house sent out 3/4") 
size matters? 

Everything on the control side with the snow cup is communicating properly


Problems:

Water isn't circulating past the mixing valve as I thought it would 

water overheats and dumps the t&p, think need location of the tekmar 071 therm sensor

no aquastat installed as I don't know where to install and what circuit it interrupts....



----
first pics have the mix valve how it was originally installed, then swapped the piping around....don't know if its right or not

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/snow8_zps7faf8880.jpg

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/snow7_zpsbc13025f.jpg

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/snow6_zps622e71f0.jpg

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/snow5_zpsd3f5eaf8.jpg

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/snow4_zps923493a9.jpg

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/snow3_zps68c19df8.jpg

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/snow2_zps3bd4905c.jpg

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/enevitable/Snow1_zps18b16660.jpg

Thanks ahead of time guys,


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

You should visit the introduction area and tell us about yourself. Sorry it's the rules


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## Drainsurgeon (Jan 21, 2011)

Lol been in this site so many times and never posted 

Intro up


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## shlomy81 (Apr 23, 2012)

Looks like pump is on wrong location


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

What a fook up system...


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

I'm no wet head. Here is my suggestion...


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## Burner tech (Oct 24, 2013)

I see a lot I don't like, I'm hoping I am just tired and seeing this wrong. I'll look at it again in the morning.


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## Drainsurgeon (Jan 21, 2011)

Thx any insight much appreciated


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

GO TO THIS WEBSITE

http://www.heatinghelp.com/Forum:thumbup:


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## Burner tech (Oct 24, 2013)

What's your delta t, you may be over heating due to lack of flow,you may be over heating due to ignoring operator. 

I imagine you would use the aquastat to activate a pump to control flow into a loop that is fed from your main loop. 

Being from Florida I don't do snow melt systems, but I have set up plenty of systems with multiple loops.

I am trying to understand the point of the small pump that is tied in between the outlet and the inlet, maybe i am just seeing it wrong. 

Possibly a better picture with a description of each point and how you intended for your current system to work.


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## Drainsurgeon (Jan 21, 2011)

Secondary pump is to keep water coming back from slab Temp up to protect boiler from condensation

Figured out over heat prob. I think. ..

Now I'm down to flow from thermostatic valve to slab. Need thermo to draw off cold incoming and temper glycol outgoing to protect slab

Going to check out that Web site again since I'm have time tomorrow at the desk

Also found local radiant floor guy and hiring him to come out on Friday. .. I seek knowledge!

Everything I do.. I do with pride and this is the first time I have to revert to someone else's help. .. 
That's life right!


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## Burner tech (Oct 24, 2013)

I was curious about that, I figured that was your intent, but once again being from Florida it never crossed my mind how much heat loss you could receive. Listen there is no shame in asking for help. Better to have help and get it fine right, than to have some one else fix it.


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## Burner tech (Oct 24, 2013)

Oh and what do you think about your over heat issue?


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## Drainsurgeon (Jan 21, 2011)

Oh yeah brother no Shame in the game lots a plumbers try to down play you to feel better. .. lol

Over heat is (I believe) the aquastst is a separate honey well and nut integrated to the bioler as I thought. ..
like I said I am brand new to this

But yes a flow issue causing over heat

Would the pump location matter?
Like if it was after the thermostat ic valve would that change how it flows


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Drainsurgeon said:


> Oh yeah brother no Shame in the game lots a plumbers try to down play you to feel better. .. lol
> 
> Over heat is (I believe) the aquastst is a separate honey well and nut integrated to the bioler as I thought. ..
> like I said I am brand new to this
> ...


Sounds like u had NO training or class on this... where did you buy the material from??


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## Drainsurgeon (Jan 21, 2011)

Is a crown bioler from Ferguson Enterprises. The bought out s & g and it wad their sales rep. 

I inherited this protect and no training....


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Drainsurgeon said:


> Is a crown bioler from Ferguson Enterprises. The bought out s & g and it wad their sales rep.
> 
> I inherited this protect and no training....


What happened to the S&G hydronic heating guys/reps??? Same thing what Sid Harvey did to Control'd Engineering??


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## Drainsurgeon (Jan 21, 2011)

They could meet with me and school me a bit but field knowledge trumps all 
I asked them for reference to snow melt pro. Gonna take profit from job and delete it but customer is more important that a few bucks. 
When I posted originally I wad going to diagnose and fix but I am running out of time


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