How To Install a Sidearm Heat Exchanger | Tube & Shell Heat Exchanger
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- In this video, Jeff Luff of Alternative Heating & Supplies will teach you how to install a Sidearm Heat Exchanger and a Tube and Shell Heat Exchanger on your domestic hot water tank!
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very well explained thanks
I can understand why you cannot use a DHW tank with heat exchanger coils built in, just like we use here in Ireland. They are standard here in either copper or stainless steel, with one , two or three coils , depending on your requirements. I have a dual coil tank myself, for solar and oil fired boiler , and I made a heat exchanger like the one you show here about 10 years ago to connect a solid fuel stove for water heating. The stove also heats a large fan coil unit to heat the air supply from a heat recovery ventilation system before distribution to the rooms in the house.
The water does drop when it's a closed circuit. Used many salvaged tanks with SA and plate exchangers this way.
Very informative. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Can you use this setup by wrapping a 3/4-in copper pipe around your 6-in flue on your wood stove? The wood stove I speak of is a high efficiency catalytic converter wood stove.
Not really sure, never done it. Good luck... Jeff
Why will you get a thermal siphon with a plate exchange but not a sidearm? It would seem the same pressure equalization principle would apply either way.
Much more surface area in a plate and less space as well. More pressure.
With this setup, do I need a mixing valve somewhere? On the top of the heat exchanger or on the hot outlet to the house? I guess I'm wondering how hot the heat exchanger will heat the water and if my electric water heater can handle it, so should it be tempered before it enters the water heater.
Can you add a water circulator pump to continue the flow of water through the heat exchanger?
It does that on its own like a block heater.
high I have been in the h vac for 40+ years he i right the side arm can not be conected to the hot and cold conections otherwise you end up with hot cold mix as he suggest this is the most comon mistake if you have circ pump best to dump into bottom if you have high temp heat source| but with geothermal heat pump you want the coldest water at the heat exchanger in the heat pump so the reverse at least 75% are hooked up wrong creating all kinds of probems hooked up right they work great
I'm thinking of installing one of these, but I'm concerned about the tee on the pressure relief. The valve has a probe for sensing temp, so it can vent if the tank overheats. I've read this is supposed to extend into the tank, and one needs a valve with a longer probe if using that port with a tee, so it can extend through the tee into the tank. Is this required by codes, or just a good suggestion, or nonsense?
PRV and be purchased with all different lengths prob, not a bad suggestion, but you will have plenty of water flow
Is the boiler water going in the top or bottom on the side arm mine comes in the bottom and goes to the top then to my furnace
It isn't that important, but i try to always have the waters traveling opposite directions. So I come in at the top. Jeff
Thank you Jeff I will give that a shot I have a new water heater and a new sidearm I’m trying
I set mine up just like the one in the video and I have to say thank you I have the hottest water I’ve ever had
What are some manufacturers that make domestic hot water heaters with those special "side ports" like you have in the video? I've never seen that option before, but I guess I haven't looked real hard because I wasn't aware of their existence. Manufacturer and model number if you know it. Also, do these ports exist on small and large water heaters? I'd want one in the 55 gal range for my household. Thanks!
Not really sure who makes them like that. Sorry
Rheem i guess lol
Thank, Jeff. Wish I saw this before the install was done. Contractors made this mistake. I don't have a side port and I have a sidearm. Any alternative to switching to the plate exchanger? The sidearm has now been used and installed as well as the new water heater.
Which is the preferred.... Side Arm or Plate ?
+vogelkj2001
we recommend the Plate exchanger as it is easier to install and less expensive.
can i use this for radiant floor heating?
Which works better, thermosyphon or thermopressure? Can I use a plate style exchanger as a side arm exchanger? Thanks.
I think thermo pressure
I put one in recently and it did not work. At all. I walked away and came back the next day and tried one thing. I operated the tpr valve hoping an airlock was causing the issue. That sucker hissed like an angry cat before i felt any liquid come out. After that the top pipe was too hot too touch. Before it was hardly warm. Just wanted to mention this possibility.
Also mine is attached to the drain on bottom, and tpr on top. It works stellar with a very quick recovery. But the capacity is so huge recovery time is not an issue. It does need a mixing valve to temper the heat to a safe potable level. Which is the case with most wood fired water heaters of any kind.
Is it better to have the heat inlet pipe on the top or the bottom of the exchanger? I see it is on the bottom of the plate exchanger but on the top on the side arm exchanger, please explain.
I have a wood boiler and use this type of heat exchanger on my hot water heater, mine comes over the top and drains down on top. Like you said not to do. I have plenty of hot water though, and no problem with it, would I gain anything by plumbing it to the side? I just bought the house a few months ago and this water heater has been in place since 2019. Would you recommend re plumbing it. Or leave it since I have no issues?
If it is working and keeping up with the demand... Leave it alone. Don't F_ck with if it is working good! LOL
Can you use both, the top plate and the side loader? On a scale of overkill, how much overkill is it?
What if your boiler significantly exceeds safe water temps i.e. 180+ and should you power off your water heater or just reduce the temp to a lower level?
The domestic hot water tank shouldn't get much hotter then 120 to 125 degrees. If it is getting hotter something is not correct.
I have a side arm hooked up but I don't have any hot water why is this.it worked great last winter
I have my side arm installed on my hot water heater and keep getting lots of air? How would you fix this problem I put a boiler air blead valve on the top of the tank
Never heard of that issue before... do you have any idea where the air is coming from? I can't be micro bubbles...
Can I install a heat exchanger to my forced air furnace connected to the water heater , will it have enough heat to heat the house at -20 👀🥶
Probably not, You need water temps to heat air is about 170 degrees, much less then that feels like cold air coming out.
Very interesting, i made the ajustement. Can you confirm that hot water from the furnace is entering by the bottom ?
Yes, correct. It will allow air to flow out easier.
When will the plate exchanger vid be up? Your vids are good, glad to have found the channel. There isn't a lot of quality informational videos out there. Another good vid would be of the proper setup for Dw heater with also a water to air(exchanger)furnace.
humphreyyy Thanks for comments and suggestions. The Plate Exchanger video should be up later today.
Are plate heat exchangers with a pump more efficient than a thermosiphon tube and shell??...if you take into account the electricity for the pumps required for plate heat exchangers if not using thermosiphon.
using a pump with plate works great and will still save you a lot of Money. pumps are about $10 a month to run and domestic hot water bill is about 25% of your energy bill
When bringing hot water from boiler to sidearm do you bring it in to top or bottom of sidearm?
I go to the Bottom, But it doesn't really matter much.
Maybe sizing and installing water to air units into furnace.
I have a water heater with a heat exchanger built in for adding hydronic heat to base boards to use the water heater as supplemental heat can I run the boiler lines through the top and bottom ports already built into the heater in replacement of the side arm heat exchanger?
No, i won't get hot enough to heat base board heaters or will be very slow to heat.
Can you please tell us the brand / make and model number of the water heater w built in heat exchanger ,its what I'm looking for ,thanks m
Can anyone comment on the use of a plate heat exchanger in the same place as a sidearm heater ?
I have a video that also shows the plate exchanger on the hot water tank.
Love to see a full mockup, OD boiler to HW, furnace, shop etc.
Me Too. Unfortunately no 2 are the same.
Does it matter if the hot water supply on the shell side goes into the top or bottom of exchanger?
Not really, just a little better the other way, little more heat exchange
Is this used in place of a plate exchanger?
Yes.
How would you plumb it with 2 hot water heaters because I have off peak water in summer.
Crickets
I just did this and it seems to work great.
Can you take out the top and bottom heating elements and use those two points for connecting your exchanger?
sure you can...
yes have seen this done also works well
I have been using a side arm heat exchanger that I purchased from the company that sold me my wood boiler. We have a 105 gallon Marathon hot water heater and the only inputs are on the top of the tank, not on the side like your video shows, so I have the return going into the pressure relief port. I also installed a circulating pump to help keep the potable water flowing, but we still run out of hot water or it doesn't heat up past luke warm. I keep hearing a little "ticking" noise under the relief valve like the water is trying to flow against a valve of some kind and I'm wondering if I've installed something wrong there or if I just have a bad exchanger. Really frustrating. Any ideas? Great vid by the way.
a plate exchanger is much more efficient and will fix that issue..
altheatsupply.com/heat-exchangers/brazed-plate-heat-exchangers/5-x-12-stainless-steel.html
I agree about the plate exchanger but it sounds like you may have an air lock, I would recommend pushing the pressure relief valve to see if air or water comes out. Just press it until water comes out and see if that helps
We're can I buy a plate heat exchanger
altheatsupply.com/heat-exchangers/brazed-plate-heat-exchangers/5-x-12-stainless-steel.html
My sidearm isn't putting out sufficient hot water from the tank.Not enough to fill a tub. The domestic hot water comes out of the drain and goes thru the sidearm, and then into the hot water outlet. Trouble is the sidearm is slightly taller than the tank, so in order to return thru the pressure relief hole as you suggested, the hot water would have to drop, which might create another thermal block. Any suggestions? Great video.
this is hooked up wrong you are getting cold mix with hot outlet water runs eazer threw side arm than hot water tank
Hard to take an expert seriously that does not know how to pronounce a primary term of his trade, POTABLE.
Both pronunciations are acceptable english. Look it up.
Googled everywhere - you don't say it right - YOU Look it up
@@jeremysmith3729 Some people just have to try to show how "educated" they think they are, but are really just assholes. Is that you? If you don't like how he says POTABLE, go somewhere else where experts meet your silly standards.