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[sumptersmoker]

I hate to make this my first post for the site.... but 

Im kinda in the middle of a install. I went with a CB 6048 to run thru DHW and 2 forced air furnaces on one loop. My shop on the other ... I have the furnace wired and plumed, 160' of thermo pex in the ground 30" deep. I know how the heat exchanger are plumbed that is fairly stright. My question is how do you tie in the domestic hot water heater to the braze plate exchanger ? I have seen the side arm diagram form the CB website but no diagram for just a braze plate.. does anyone have a    ?

I also picked up a tempering valve as I dont want 180 deg. water for hot water in the house

thanks Don from Michigan "GO BLUE"

[yoderheating]

Flat plates work as a preheater. One side is the furnace water, run the cold domestic line that fills the hot water heater through the other side. For best results have the water flowing through the heat exchange at opposite directions.

[sumptersmoker]

With out a picture or diagram Im having a tough time figuring this out ... Do I need to connect to the bottom of the water heater ? or just run the house supply side (cold) going to the water heater thru the plate and exiting the plate to the supply on the water heater (cold)... then the tempering valve between the hot side of the water heater (exiting) and the cold supply from the house before it gets into the plate heater ...

I didn't think I was this  to plumbing but I guess so

[Scott7m]

Your water plate has 4 outlets, hold it up vertically, with the outlets facing you.  Choose which side you want to be for domestic water and which side you want to befrom your furnace.  It's left and right that determines the sides, never hook it up where your furnace lines are side by side on the same end.  They have to be on the same side, but on the opposite end

Go to your cold water supply line going into your tank, it's labeled "c" go up in the line where you have plenty of room and cut it, then run that line over and to the plate exchanger, then come out of the plate exchanger and tie back into the line you just cut. 

The water will be preheated as it is used, instead of 55 degree water entering your tank, it will now be preheated to 130 or better, keeping your water hesterfrom ever kicking on

Hope this helps, it's really simple, so simple it's confusing lol

[muffin]

With out a picture or diagram Im having a tough time figuring this out ... Do I need to connect to the bottom of the water heater ? or just run the house supply side (cold) going to the water heater thru the plate and exiting the plate to the supply on the water heater (cold)... then the tempering valve between the hot side of the water heater (exiting) and the cold supply from the house before it gets into the plate heater ...

I didn't think I was this  to plumbing but I guess so

You can hook the plate exchanger up before or after your tank.  Unlike a side arm, it has nothing to do with the tank.  If you put it before, then it pre-heats the water so your tank only has to maintain the temperature.  This provides a more controlled temperature at the tap with no fluctuation.  If you put it after the tank, then you can turn the tank off or bypass it completely as you don't need it at all.  Downside is if your boiler drop temperature, you don't have hot water anymore.  You will also tend to have fluctuations at the faucet, a little.

I had mine after the tank at first, but decided I like it better before.

[sumptersmoker]

If I hook this in before the hot water heater ... this would make the water coming out of it about 170 deg.. how does the tempering valve come into play ?

[Scott7m]

Your not understanding how a plate exchanger works at all, give me a call tonight and I'll explain it to you.  It's probably easier to tell you over the phone vs in writing, but feel free to call 606-316-9697

[yoderheating]

The heat exchanger isn't going to turn your 50 degree domestic water into the same temperature as the furnace water. Well I guess it could come close if you had a very large heat exchanger. If you are using a 20 or 30 plate flat plate heat exchanger it will make your domestic water in the 120 to 130 range in most cases. This will vary with water flow ect.

[kj5036]

I cut my closest cold water line and put a T in it, then put in a ball valve, then ran it to top left of plate ex. like this....


Then I cut my closest hot water line and did the same thing. Ran it from bottom left to hot water line. So cold comin in top and hot comin out the bottom.


Your boiler water you want the supply to run opposite of your cold so I put my boiler water inlet on bottom and comes out the top.
I recommend puting in a bypass also. Ive noticed with mine that you dont need much flow through it at all. Ive got my bypass wide open and the discharge (boiler side) cracked half back and cant even tell a differance in water temp out faucet


Hope this helps

[Scott7m]

My goodness........what a bunch of valves/fittings... Go to www.heatmasterss.com and look at there diagram, it's very vague but you can see a plate exchanger on the wallin a pic or two

[boilerman]

sumptersmoker, this is getting way to complicated for what it is. Some companies pre-heat the water on the way in to the water heater, but I think you would need a good size exchanger because you are only getting one pass through it. CB thermocirculates it multiple times through the exchanger and water heater. I'm guessing your dealer sold you a 6 plate exchanger. That is what I have as well. It should mount vertically (long way up and down). Install it just like the tube and shell in the CB diagram, but instead mount the exchanger as low as you can near where you would tee out of the drain valve and instead of going into the bottom of a tube and shell, go into the bottom right port of the plate exhanger, out the top right port just like if it were coming out of the top of the side arm, then continue as pictured in the diagram on the domestic side. On the boiler side, bring the supply into the bottom left port, rather than the low side port and out of the top left port and back to the boiler. The water will continuously thermocirculate through the exchanger and water heater and yes you will end up with a tank of 170+ degree water, which is why the dealer sold you the mixing valve. I also used brass unions on the exchanger ports so I can take it off occasionally for cleaning.  I am very pleased with this set up and never run out of hot water, while leaving my breaker off so spending no $$ on electric to heat my water.

[husky 555]

My dhw is currently hooked to my owf with the stock heating coil (i.e. 50' of rolled copper).  It circulates with a taco pump.  For years it has not worked.  I think the problem is the electrical connection b/w the dwh thermostat and the pump. I have read about a side arm hx and not sure which is better for the dhw.  Are there any sites and or links I could look at for the installation?