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Prescott, AZ
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Gaston, Oregon
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 Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#2] Posted: 12/10/2010 - 4:15:37 PM |  |  |
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Do the water heaters provide domestic water as well, or are they just for the hydro coils?
- Jim Katen, Oregon
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Jim Katen, Oregon
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Prescott, AZ
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Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#3] Posted: 12/10/2010 - 6:14:14 PM | | |
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Upstairs gets hammered the most - showers, dishwaher, sinks, toilets and unit connected to A/C. Downstairs excavated rooms/kitchen just have one shower and kitchen sink, no A/C needed.
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Gaston, Oregon
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Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#4] Posted: 12/10/2010 - 9:30:34 PM | | |
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From your response, I take it that they provide domestic water as well as space-heating water.
If so, then it makes the most sense to buy two new water heaters and keep the hydro-air system. Otherwise, you'll end up buying a new gas warm-air furnace AND two new water heaters.
For servicing, find a tech who's willing to learn the system and stick with him. These things aren't rocket science. They're easy enough to maintain & troubleshoot.
- Jim Katen, Oregon
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Jim Katen, Oregon
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Kenmore, WA
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Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#5] Posted: 12/10/2010 - 10:19:58 PM | | |
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If that system has been in continuous use since the 80's without a plate exchanger to isolate the domestic use water from the AC water, you might have some pretty clogged up coils there. Talk to an automotive radiator repair shop about getting the coils acid dipped and flushed and then consider installilng a plate exchanger and an expansion tank and second circulator on the AC side.
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike
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Gaston, Oregon
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Prescott, AZ
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Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#7] Posted: 12/11/2010 - 2:02:52 PM | | |
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"Domestic water" as opposed to drinking water or?? Plate exchanger?? Sorry guys, I wondered into the 2 Apollo's 17 years ago fat, dumb and happy.
Changed out a filter yearly, have noticed a small leak in the bottom of the casing that stopped before I even had to deal with it and have had the return pump making noise when it kicks on for far too long.
That's all I know about the system. Appreciate the advice. Attached pics should give you some idea of the upper floor system that has been used the most in the past 17 years we've had it. Pic #1 is in kitchen. Pic #2 is on the opposite side of same wall in garage where the heat exchanger is installed.
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Gaston, Oregon
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Kenmore, WA
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Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#9] Posted: 12/12/2010 - 12:31:55 AM | | |
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Hi Jim,
Aren't the Hydro Air coils almost the same configuration as a car radiator; thin tubes surrounded by thin fins?
It's the thin tubes becoming clogged with lime deposits and other gunk that impedes circulation that I'm thinking about. That's why I suggested acid cleaning.
There's a lot less wear and tear on these systems with a plate exchanger and if you get a leak in the water heater or vice versa you don't have to worry about completely depleting the other system.
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike
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Gaston, Oregon
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Rochester, New York
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Gaston, Oregon
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Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#12] Posted: 12/12/2010 - 09:10:51 AM | | |
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Quote: Originally posted by Chad FabryQuote: I've just never heard of gunk accumulating on copper tubing that had fresh water running through it.
I've seen or replaced dozens of clogged domestic coils in boilers.
Yes, as I said in a previous post, if heat is applied to the tubing from the outside, it'll cause mineral build-up on the inside of the coil. But in a hydro-air coil, you aren't applying head to the coil, you're blowing cool air over it.
I don't see why the coils in a hydro-air system would clog up anymore than any other copper hot water pipe.
Just running hot water through a pipe doesn't cause it to clog.
- Jim Katen, Oregon
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Jim Katen, Oregon
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Kenmore, WA
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Stay with Apollo from '80's or go gas heat??
[#13] Posted: 12/12/2010 - 10:30:54 AM | | |
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Quote: Originally posted by Jim KatenQuote: Originally posted by Chad FabryQuote: I've just never heard of gunk accumulating on copper tubing that had fresh water running through it.
I've seen or replaced dozens of clogged domestic coils in boilers. Yes, as I said in a previous post, if heat is applied to the tubing from the outside, it'll cause mineral build-up on the inside of the coil. But in a hydro-air coil, you aren't applying head to the coil, you're blowing cool air over it. I don't see why the coils in a hydro-air system would clog up anymore than any other copper hot water pipe. Just running hot water through a pipe doesn't cause it to clog. - Jim Katen, Oregon
Yes, I see your point; but I still wouldn't discount the possibility that a 30-year old coil could become clogged with crud if it's been circulating ordinary domestic water instead of boiler solution for that long. He says he had a leak but it stopped of its own accord? Hmmm?
The domestic hot water circuits on a house are subject to more scrubbing than a hydro coil with narrow tubes because they are in constant use but these systems aren't supposed to have water continuously run through them because scrubbing can cause problems; at least that's what I seem to remember someone teaching me about hydronic systems someplace.
Don't these things basically sit with water in them outside of the primary flowstream for months on end? Yuck! Hope they've got a timer and circulator on that system that cycles the system once a day regardless of season.
I've just always thought of these things as the equivalent of car radiators. Like a Hydro Air coil, car radiators have a pressure-relief device built into the system and they have a lot of cold air passing through them but they crud up anyway. Sometimes even car heaters get crudded up; that's one of the reasons (At least I think it is one of the reasons) that they began recommending very high concentrations of specialized coolants in those systems decades ago.
If one had a Hydro-Air system with a plate exchanger running something like propylene glycol instead of water, wouldn't the coils stay cleaner and be less likely to clog up?
Back to the OP and another possibility; I wonder if he's had the system opened up and actually been able to see whether that coil is clean on the outside or whether there is 3 decades worth of dirt and crud preventing airflow through it?
ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!
Mike
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Kenmore, WA
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