Heat Exchangers Page

Heat exchangers such as air handlers, air over radiators, baseboard fin, indirect DHW tanks, low mass radiant, room radiators typically are typically designed for 160 degree supply fluid with a 20 degree return differential in order to delivery the Btu they are rated for, if this temperature is lower they will not be able deliver enough heat!

Heat exchangers such as shell in tube and plate exchangers that transfer heat to an indoor hydronic system will typically require 170 degree (or higher temperatures) to transfer the heat to the indoor system.

The newest trend in hydronic heating design is to oversize the heat exchanger (this should be calculated by an experienced hydronic heating professional) - thus allowing for  cooler supply temperatures larger temperature differentials and still delivering the same amount of heat to the building. The up side is that smaller circulating pumps can be used consuming less energy. The down side of this is increased cost of larger heat exchangers.

The intention is to design a hydronic system with a colder return temperatures which maximizes the performance of the newer conventional condensing boilers. Care must be taken when using a conventional non-condensing boiler to not have a return temperature of less then 140 degrees!

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