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[juddspaintballs]

I bought the 30 plate 5x12 from Badger. 

[E Yoder]

The pressure drop across a 3x8 30 plate is 17 feet of head at 7 GPM versus a 20 plate 5x12 with 2 feet of head at the same flow rate. A 3x8 will destroy the flow rate in any system if piped in series, and unless you're living in a doghouse you'll need more than 2 GPM. The extra $30 you spend on a 5x12 will be recovered in 2 months of electrical usage by using a smaller pump

Interesting, I looked up the same 3x8 30 plate and am seeing 1.4 psi at 7.2 gpm.

[wreckit87]

The pressure drop across a 3x8 30 plate is 17 feet of head at 7 GPM versus a 20 plate 5x12 with 2 feet of head at the same flow rate. A 3x8 will destroy the flow rate in any system if piped in series, and unless you're living in a doghouse you'll need more than 2 GPM. The extra $30 you spend on a 5x12 will be recovered in 2 months of electrical usage by using a smaller pump

Interesting, I looked up the same 3x8 30 plate and am seeing 1.4 psi at 7.2 gpm.

My Xlyem/ Bell & Gossett chart says otherwise. What brand plates are you using and where could I find that data?

[E Yoder]

Actually I was using the B&G chart on supplyhouse. It's no big deal, I may have been looking on the wrong model? I'll try to look it up tonight, got a crazy week ahead with a show going on.

[E Yoder]

This is what I was looking at, 1.4 psi pressure drop at 7.2 gpm. ?

[juddspaintballs]

Flatplate and fittings are all here, now.  I need to anchor a 2x8 to my basement wall and bolt the flatplate onto that (brackets included with the flatplate).  I already put the 1" PEX crimp fittings and the 1"x3/4" bushings and 3/4" nipples into the flat plate.  I bought two lengths of braided stainless line in 3/4" for connecting from the house water to the flatplate and back to the water heater inlet.  I have two tee's and three ball valves for the pex so I can run the boiler water through the flatplate or bypass it as needed. 

[E Yoder]

I'm curious what water temps you have going into the water heater. Should be around 140.

[juddspaintballs]

Right now it's about 65 degrees going into the water heater.  After the flat plate, I hope it'll be nice and hot. 

[E Yoder]

After the flat plate is what I meant.

[juddspaintballs]

I'll explain the pictures.  The flat plate had to mount horizontally because of the space I had. 


Boiler water comes in the right side of the flat plate and out the left side.  I have a bypass valve setup there just in case.  Cold domestic water comes in the left side and out the right side.  There's also a mixing valve on the hot output of the water heater so it doesn't come out as hot.  Boiler water that exits the flat plate goes to the water/air heat exchanger in the furnace and then back to the boiler.  I fired the boiler back up after this, so I'll know if I get hot water from the flat plate or not in a couple hours.

[wreckit87]

Very strange Eldon, your chart says very different from mine for some reason. Even if you look at the technical specs on supplyhouse for that same plate, it says 8.6 PSI at 6.2 GPM. Odd they'd have 3 different sets of specs for the exact same plate!

[juddspaintballs]

It appears I have unlimited hot water, now.

[slimjim]

Can you by any chance, turn it 90 degrees, they should be mounted vertically for cleaning and draining purposes.

[juddspaintballs]

No room.

[E Yoder]

Very strange Eldon, your chart says very different from mine for some reason. Even if you look at the technical specs on supplyhouse for that same plate, it says 8.6 PSI at 6.2 GPM. Odd they'd have 3 different sets of specs for the exact same plate!

Don't want to derail this thread, we could start a new one.  I noticed the discrepancy on supplyhouse too, I checked and got  some numbers from GEA, they're saying 1.2 psi pressure drop for 7 gpm using a 3x8 30 plate. I dunno.