I bought and installed a Empyre Elite II 200, questions.

[Roundgunner]

I bought and installed a Empyre Elite II 200 and 2-50 plate 11 X 4.5 X 5 heat exchangers with a friend but had advice from a plumber who has done a older style (hotter) outdoor boiler. I used to be a crew member on a nuclear sub so I have a good grasp on plumbing theory.

The way I got to sell this project to my wife who holds the purse strings at our house is that this would heat our 2500 square foot house, my 82 year old mother in laws 1000 sq ft house that is attached on the other side of a 3 car garage and the 1200 sq ft daughters apartment that I’m building above a second 3 car garage that also has a small pool house attached.

Part of the agreement was I would set it up so if the wood boiler could not keep up with demand the oversized oil boilers (one in each house) would come on and there would be no interruption in heat.

The way the dealer described the install I should use 2 closely spaced tee’s on the supply manifolds on both boilers so I would not be heating the boiler and be letting some of the heat go up the chimney. I’m working on a shoe string budget (that I already went over) so on my mother in laws side I went thru the boiler right away as her domestic hot water is thru the boiler. I can’t really afford to buy another water heater right now. Our side has the type that is heated from boiler water as another zone.

My wood boiler is up a hill so I used a Tyco 0014 at the boiler, 90 feet of 1” pex into a manifold then split to go into the two separate basements. I have a second and third Tyco 0014 in each basement just before a strainer then into the heat exchanger and back up to the manifold and finally back to the boiler. The secondary loop (oil) has a Tyco 007 on each of the loops so I think I have plenty of pump.

On our side I hooked it up as closely spaced tee’s but found out right away when it called for heat in 2 or 3 zones at once there was no way it could get enough flow to meet the demand. It also did not keep our oil boiler warm enough to keep from coming on. I really don’t want to hear the oil dragon roaring for more food at all so I switched the plumbing around to run thru the heat exchanger into the oil dragon, out to the supply manifold just like it was being heated with oil.



This way works and seems to be the best answer for us as the boiler stores a small amount of water incase all zones call at once.

Here is the problem. My controller was telling my oil boiler to fire up every time a zone called for heat no matter what the water temp was.



The aqua stat that was originally on the boiler was the type that was high limit only and would not cut off until water was at 190. I replaced it with a Honeywell triple aqua stat that I set the high and low limit at 130 & 155. Now when the controller turns on a zone and sends the signal to the boiler to come on it will only come on between those limits. I feel like that is a good fix except I think the heat exchanger is to small because the water temp going thru the oil dragon is hardly ever over 155-160 but normally 145-150.

The primary loop (wood) has about a 10 degree spread in temps, it is set at 180 so it will drop to 170-168 before going back to 180. I took these temps when the boiler was at a low 170. Water was going into the HE at 166 and comes out at 157. The secondary loop (oil) goes into the HE at 148 and comes out at 158. The Viessmann oil dragon was sitting at 152 (that gauge may be questionable). I wish I could bring the Empyre up to 190+ but it is limited to 180.

It seems like I may need a larger or more efficient heat exchanger. The two I got have no documentation (BTU) in the boxes or on the label, they are labeled refrigerant but nowhere does it say hydronic heat.



I’m not sure if they are too small or just not the right type but the people who sold them to the dealer who sold them to me said they have sold lots of them and never had a complaint. I’m new at this and don’t know if they are blowing smoke or what. I’m considering buying larger HE’s or buying 2 more and plumbing them in series. I just hate to throw more money at this until I get a better handle on it.

I also wonder if I should just let the dragon roar some, we really have not used much oil and it has been pretty cold here. Very indecisive.

I welcome your opinions.

Warren

 

[Willman]

The 1" pex will be limited on flow. Prolly won't be enough for your combined loads.

 

[Roundgunner]

I just got a e-mail from the dealer, he said the HE's are rated at 200,000 BTU. My ground is frozen over pretty well so I hope The 1 inch pex is OK. It only seems to drop 4 degrees even after the split at the manifold and 150-160 foot run. It is all insulated. I may just be expecting too much. A plumber told me that the air handlers don't like the water below 150 but 140 seems to work here. It was in the single digits here last night and this morning so the water temp was not over 140-145 much at all today.
Warren

 

[pelletdude]

I just got a e-mail from the dealer, he said the HE's are rated at 200,000 BTU. My ground is frozen over pretty well so I hope The 1 inch pex is OK. It only seems to drop 4 degrees even after the split at the manifold and 150-160 foot run. It is all insulated. I may just be expecting too much. A plumber told me that the air handlers don't like the water below 150 but 140 seems to work here. It was in the single digits here last night and this morning so the water temp was not over 140-145 much at all today.
Warren

Have you had any luck getting the boiler going? I thought I would revive this post.

 

[arbutus]

The GEA Flatplate website has a great hx calculator to help you find target flow rates, temperatures, and pressures. If I remember correctly you have to register, but it is free.