Hello, This is a great resource for Apollo Hydroheat systems. I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on what I should do in my situation. We have an Apollo Hydroheat system and the water heater is original and probably over 15 years old. There are no leaks yet. It is used for both space heating and hot water. I have had to replace the expansion tank a few years back. This heater has never served us well in the winters in regards to showering. We can only get a hot enough shower if we use it immediately after the water heater has finished a heating cycle. We have to either listen for it to turn on or even instigate it by running hot water for a few minutes for it to kick on and then wait for it to finish heating. And then shower. It has a Sparco Mixing valve that is stuck (we did unscrew the set screw and tried turning it every way possible). A plumber came by to take a look and we are looking at $250-$300 to replace the mixing valve and some parts. But he said it may not fix the problem because the heater is so old and has lost capacitance. Changing the water heater would cost something like $3000. I think this may be worth it our water heater is near the end of its life. Without any leaks yet, would you recommend replacing it at this time? I believe we would go with a Bradford unit which he says he has replaced Apollos with with good success. Is this the most cost effective solution? I read this article here: http://calgaryhydronicssolutions.wordpr ... placement/ It mentions sanitation issues with mixing the bathing water with the space heating water. But since the Apollo heater has pipes on both the top and sides, isn't the Apollo currently isolating the bathing and space heating water? I was just curious whether we have been bathing in unsanitary water all this time! I wasn't sure if that article was talking about only certain styles that don't apply to my case. In any case, I hope the Bradford would also isolate the water adequately? Thanks for any advice on the best way to handle this situation. I am tempted to replace the mixing valve but would rather just take care of the whole replacement at this time if it is recommended. Thanks!
