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Author Topic: Add a loop (zone) to existing system  (Read 2058 times)

ralphxj

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Add a loop (zone) to existing system
« on: November 22, 2017, 12:56:48 PM »

Ok, my house is currently on 3 zones, one for each level of our split level house. The main level of the house is our kitchen, dinning room, main living and also a sun porch on the back of the house which is now our sons playroom. The thermostat is in the living room at the front of the house. The entire house system has a single pump and then there are 3 zone valves that are each connected to a thermostat on each level.

We have baseboard heat with an oil boiler that runs as a backup if the OWB runs out of wood. Everything works really well, except the sun room tends to be really cold. It's all Windows and with the thermostat on the opposite side of the room, it's hard to keep it warm without over heating the rest of the house.

I would like to pull that room off the main floor loop and put it on its own thermostat. That way we can warm it up when he is back there and not over heat the rest of the house. What is the best way to add a loop without completely reworking the whole system? Should I add it to the main system and add a new zone valve? Should I add a new small pump just for that zone? I've done all the install work on my system so I'm not worried about doing the work, just want to know the best way to do it.
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wreckit87

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Re: Add a loop (zone) to existing system
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2017, 01:24:28 PM »

Can you just add more element? Sounds like it's undersized as it is, baseboard should heat evenly everywhere using the size and quantity of element to match the load- unless of course you're underpumped or that room is at the end of a loop after the rest of the zone has sucked away all the heat. In that scenario, you should be able to tee into the main right alongside the other 3 zone tees and add a 4th for this one, along with a 4th zone valve and separate thermostat. However if you're underpumped, an extra circ may be more favorable. If you go that route, be sure to either use isolating flanges or some other method of balancing flow in that loop or it will starve your other zones of flow. Closely spaced tees for that loop would be another option, hard to say without looking at it
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ralphxj

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Re: Add a loop (zone) to existing system
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2017, 02:38:32 PM »

It's at the end of the loop. The baseboards that are there do ok, just doesn't get much above 60-64 when the rest of the rooms are at 72. I think it's a combination of being the end of the loop and being all windows.
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E Yoder

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Re: Add a loop (zone) to existing system
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2017, 03:04:01 PM »

Ideally would be on its own zone I would think. Solar gain, wind, etc will make it hard to control otherwise. Like wreckit said baseboard probably is undersized in comparison. Checking return water temps on the existing zones while all are running would tell you if you have enough flow to do another zone.
My father-in-law has a sunroom with the same issues.  May need a slightly larger pump or it's own pump, just depends.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2017, 03:20:56 PM by E Yoder »
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shepherd boy

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Re: Add a loop (zone) to existing system
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2017, 04:52:50 PM »

 My opinion: Pump a loop after everything else. You won't starve the rest of your house and it can run all it wants to. Sun comes up and it can cut it's self off. It's got a whole different heat draw at times because of the solar gain.
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