# Glycol device



## natem1986 (Dec 29, 2013)

We're prepping a boiler specifically slint fin to take a glycol device. My understanding is it's for underground water an keeping it potable. It will be tapped of the manifold and looped. 

Anyone familiar?


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

It's called a brazed plate heat exchanger.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Sorry I didn't elaborate I was at work. Now the exchanger you have is simply small sheets that alow thin layers of two types of heating or cooling fluids or gases to pass each other and exchange heat. In your case you are trying if I am reading it right to more than likely melt snow or ice. This would be troublesome without a exchanger. The boiler and all the piping would have to have glycol without the exchanger. So they simply put the loops in the driveway to a pump exchanger air scoop and expansion tank the boiler runs at 140 plus and the driveway loop sets unused until it gets to 32 or so. The water loops threw the exchanger at the same time the boiler loops threw the exchanger adding heat to the ground loop. This way the glycol is isolated to the ground loop.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

natem1986 said:


> We're prepping a boiler specifically slint fin to take a glycol device. My understanding is it's for underground water an keeping it potable. It will be tapped of the manifold and looped.
> 
> Anyone familiar?


What?? That's a heating exchanger.. for snowmelting with gycol.. etc


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

rjbphd said:


> What?? That's a heating exchanger.. for snowmelting with gycol.. etc


also have used the to use well water to cool a heat pump loop. Almost all MRI chillers use the same type with refrigerant over water to be more efficient. Snowmelt is common in driveways or approaches a simple closed loop with glycol.


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## Archie (Mar 5, 2014)

I use a one on my oil boiler to heat my pool water. That little plate exchanger keeps 7500 gallons between 80 and 82 deg for 4 or 5 months in Nova Scotia weather. I have a tekmar thermostat with the slab sensor strapped to the pool return to control the circ on the heating loop. Works perfect.


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## natem1986 (Dec 29, 2013)

wyrickmech said:


> Sorry I didn't elaborate I was at work. Now the exchanger you have is simply small sheets that alow thin layers of two types of heating or cooling fluids or gases to pass each other and exchange heat. In your case you are trying if I am reading it right to more than likely melt snow or ice. This would be troublesome without a exchanger. The boiler and all the piping would have to have glycol without the exchanger. So they simply put the loops in the driveway to a pump exchanger air scoop and expansion tank the boiler runs at 140 plus and the driveway loop sets unused until it gets to 32 or so. The water loops threw the exchanger at the same time the boiler loops threw the exchanger adding heat to the ground loop. This way the glycol is isolated to the ground loop.


Okay great perfect explanation. I was made aware there was piping underneath driveway and didn't match up device. Thing sounds like it does a good job.


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## natem1986 (Dec 29, 2013)

Archie said:


> I use a one on my oil boiler to heat my pool water. That little plate exchanger keeps 7500 gallons between 80 and 82 deg for 4 or 5 months in Nova Scotia weather. I have a tekmar thermostat with the slab sensor strapped to the pool return to control the circ on the heating loop. Works perfect.


That's amazing stuff thanks for sharing!


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Another application that is popular is to use a small one in a recirculating loop on a water heater . If you have a wood boiler without the heat exchanger built in the unit you can heat your domestic water this way and have separation between the domestic and the heating fluid.


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## Archie (Mar 5, 2014)

They are a nice way to isolate non oxygen barrier piping from steel or cast iron boilers too. In the first days of poly butylene piping around here anyway we had some local guys installing in floor with grey poly b and boilers rusting out in under 10 yrs sometimes. So when we would replace the boiler or come across these systems we would use a plate heat exchanger or a small indirect to separate the systems./ We also had some crazys running in floor off the same temp as baseboard, very disturbing to come across these systems but always a guaranteed job to fix up once you explain things to the customer.
I should add that this was years ago, now most people, including the customers, are much more informed and we dont see too many things that are as bad as that.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Archie said:


> They are a nice way to isolate non oxygen barrier piping from steel or cast iron boilers too. In the first days of poly butylene piping around here anyway we had some local guys installing in floor with grey poly b and boilers rusting out in under 10 yrs sometimes. So when we would replace the boiler or come across these systems we would use a plate heat exchanger or a small indirect to separate the systems./ We also had some crazys running in floor off the same temp as baseboard, very disturbing to come across these systems but always a guaranteed job to fix up once you explain things to the customer.


 probably one of the most versatile inventions in the trade in the last 20 years. I have installed them from little systems like the wood boilers to large applications like tower water over condenser water on a 1500 ton system. They are very versatile.


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