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[Roger2561]

Hi all - My indoor pressurized system (locate din the cellar) is separated from the non-pressurized system (OWB) by a FPHX.  My question is on the pressurized side.  My oil burner is a 129,000BTU unit heating 3 zones and DHW with tankless coil.  All 3 zones are the main living quarters on the 1st floor.  1 zone is approx. 750sqft; the 2nd zone is my kitchen, approx. 400sqft.; the 3rd zone is the bedrooms, approx. 800sqft.  They are baseboard emitters.  It has a Taco pump on the return before entering the oil burner.  Each zone's is controlled by zone valves.  Now I'm wondering if the one taco pump will be enough to provide the necessary circulation for the apartment my younger brother and I are building on the second floor.  Will I need to install a circulator pump on the zone feeding the new apartment on the 2nd floor?  It'll be approx. 800sqft.  All suggestions are welcome.  Thanks, Roger

[slimjim]

I would have no doubt that the circ would be OK Roger but the problem that you will need to address will be the transformer and control, most systems are set up with a 40va transformer and are only capable of opening a maximum of 3 zone valves at a time, without seeing what you have for controls I would have to say that the transformer will need to be upgraded and then the control will need to be expanded to 4 zones, you may want to get your oil guy to do this as it confuses the layman

[Roger2561]

I would have no doubt that the circ would be OK Roger but the problem that you will need to address will be the transformer and control, most systems are set up with a 40va transformer and are only capable of opening a maximum of 3 zone valves at a time, without seeing what you have for controls I would have to say that the transformer will need to be upgraded and then the control will need to be expanded to 4 zones, you may want to get your oil guy to do this as it confuses the layman

When the system was installed approx. 20 years ago, they installed a 4th zone that was capped off, never used.  They also installed a 3 zone controller but I have since then upgraded it to 5 zone controller which came with the transformer.  Can I assume that when the controller was built they installed the correct transformer?  In all honesty I cannot remember for the life of me what voltage the transformer is rated at.  With any of the projects I've been working on at home, I find electrical/electronics to be the easier thing to comprehend.  Plumbing however, scares and confuses me.  Roger

[slimjim]

The controller will have the proper transformer, you should be good to go, thank your installer for building your system to be expanded, if he had not done that then this would have become confusing and expensive, do yourself a favor when you add that next zone, be sure you have ball valves or isolation flanges on both sides of the circ and put a spare circ on the shelf for future spare parts!

[Roger2561]

The controller will have the proper transformer, you should be good to go, thank your installer for building your system to be expanded, if he had not done that then this would have become confusing and expensive, do yourself a favor when you add that next zone, be sure you have ball valves or isolation flanges on both sides of the circ and put a spare circ on the shelf for future spare parts!

When the installer initially installed the circ pump, he indeed did put isolation valves on either side it in the event it needed to changed in the future.  I like the idea of putting another taco on the shelf for the time when the sh*t hits the fan.  And, it won't fail in the summer when it's not in use, only when it's minus 20 outside.  Thanks for the help, Slimjim.

[slimjim]

Have a great night Roger