Radiant heat pump recommendation

[Ed Norman]

What is a good brand and model pump for a small ~500sqft maybe 2-3 zone infloor radiant heat system? One loop goes to the second floor, if that matters. Is the pump 110V usually?

Also, what do I need for a manifold or zone control setup? I'm done with the research and thinking, and ready to start ordering and building.

[ericjeeper]

if so then most components need to be copper brass or bronze.
I would go with a taco bronze 007. My setup is basically all pretty simple. I use two pumps.. one from the water heat through a heat exchanger. and the other feeds the loops. I have stats in every room. and I use zone valves,.
I am tying a solar system into my mix.

[ET1 SS]

I use Taco pumps in our Apartment buildng down South.

But for our homestead, I am putting in all 12 volt pumps. connected to a bank of car batterys, charged by 110VAC. So we should be fine if we lose utilities for a few days.

[Ed Norman]

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

I use Taco pumps in our Apartment buildng down South.

But for our homestead, I am putting in all 12 volt pumps. connected to a bank of car batterys, charged by 110VAC. So we should be fine if we lose utilities for a few days.

I just got done googling and was reading the taco pump info. That's what you two use, that's what I'll use.

While I've got you here, would the heated towel rack be alright if I soldered it out of copper pipe? Screwing it together from pipe would take alot of unions.

[ET1 SS]

Yes, the heated towel racks that I have made, were all 3/4 inch copper pipe.

Basically four pipes of ~9 inches long fitted together with 'T's, standing vertical, the top is not a 'T' but a 90 degree elbow with the air-bleed fitting.

Four rungs of whatever length. One at ~ 1 foot high, a second ~2 foot high, a third ~3 foot high, and the top rung at ~4 foot high.

And the other end piece: of four pipes of ~9 inches long fitted together with 'T's, standing vertical, the top is not a 'T' but a 90 degree elbow with the air-bleed fitting.

Our towel racks not only heat and dry towels, but they make the greatest air separator units. All air that gets into the system will collect in that top rung.

I did mine with copper, MAP gas, that brush-on flux that self tins, and solder.

That tinning flux has got to be the greatest invention of the century for handling copper pipe.



The only problem that we have experienced, is that it looks ugly. I tried painting them with silver rustoleum paint. and my wife hates their look. Though she would never trade them away, she likes having heated towel racks. But we have to think of a way to make them look better.

Our are in the city, so it power goes down everyone in the city goes without heat. So I do not feel so bad for the renters, as a loss of heat would not be isolated to just their apartments, but the entire city.

Now for our homestead, I want our pumps to be 12Volt DC.

If you are doing this for your home, I would recommend that you use 12 volt DC pumps. So if you do lose power, you can still circulate the water.

Does TACO offer pumps in 12volt? Right now, I am still installing windows and insulating, I will not really be working on the water parts for another week.

[Ed Norman]

I don't see a 12V pump on the page I'm looking at. Our water heater is electric for the time being so I guess I'll go with 110V. We have a propane heater in the front of the house so we will always have heat.

Couldn't you get the towel rack powder coated? You can get any color and it is tough stuff. Trouble is, I think they bake it hot enough to melt the solder.

What does an air bleed fitting look like, a tire valve?

[ET1 SS]

Like a 1/4 inch nipple with male thread sticking out of the elbow, it has nothing inside it and a tire valve cap screws onto it. part way down the threads is a hole going inside. So you back off the cap, and let the air hiss out, but the cap stays threaded. So after the air hisses out, and you get a stream of water squirting out you can just tighten the cap and your done.

[bill not in oh]

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

Yes, the heated towel racks that I have made, were all 3/4 inch copper pipe.

Basically four pipes of ~9 inches long fitted together with 'T's, standing vertical, the top is not a 'T' but a 90 degree elbow with the air-bleed fitting.

Four rungs of whatever length. One at ~ 1 foot high, a second ~2 foot high, a third ~3 foot high, and the top rung at ~4 foot high.

And the other end piece: of four pipes of ~9 inches long fitted together with 'T's, standing vertical, the top is not a 'T' but a 90 degree elbow with the air-bleed fitting.

Can you post a picture of the towel racks?

[ET1 SS]

Right now we are living in the new house that I am building. When I have made the new towel racks, I will take photos and post them. I have made them before and we have them in our apartment building down in Ct, my next trip down there I can take some photos.

I first saw these while skiing in Austria. The ski-lodge that I stayed in had them. And that was where I first was convinced that from then on, every home that I re-conditioned or built would have them.