June Scavenger Hunt

Starting June 3, 2013, we will be giving away daily prizes on our website. We're calling this our June Scavenger Hunt and it lasts all month long! By correctly answering a multiple choice question, you are entered to win a daily prize and a grand prize of a pair of Red Sox tickets! We're giving away some great stuff and you won't want to miss it. Bookmark this page: http://www.emersonswan.com/scavenge.html and be sure to stop by everyday in June to play! Learn more in this short video.

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We're Hiring!

At Emerson Swan, our greatest asset is our people. We employ the most technical and service oriented professionals in the industry. We are always on the lookout for talented people that can help make our team even stronger. Stop by our website to learn more about our company and browse available positions in our careers section. Apply online and you could be the next person to join our team! 

http://www.emersonswan.com/contact-us/careers.html

Flexcon Mixmaster: The Safe Reliable Way To Disinfect Potable Water

Flexcon "Mixmaster" baffle tank

OPTIMIZES RETENTION TIME FOR WATER TREATMENT

 

The Mixmaster baffle tank by Flexcon is a revolutionary design which increases the retention time for water treatment in up to four times greater than a standard contact tank. This is achieved by our patented internal baffle in conjunction with a diffuser which redirects the water and increases the mixing of water and injected chemicals. The turbulence created in the baffle increases the treatment time by a baffle factor of .8, close to four times more effective than other non-baffled tanks. Results have been confirmed by third party testing from the Water Quality Association laboratories. Available in two sizes, 80 and 119 gallons, these tanks are installer friendly and easy to maintain. This and the reliability and toughness synonymous with all Flexcon tanks makes the Mixmaster the first choice in retention tanks.

• Polypropylene internal baffle increases retention time to a .8 baffle factor
• Internal riser with diffuser to ensure proper mixing
• Internal polypropylene tank wrapped with epoxy coated fiberglass for a durable, corrosion resistant finish
• Durable base engineered to withstand maximum loads and extreme environmental conditions
• Top connection with stainless steel reinforcement ring is encapsulated in a precision molded dome to withstand the harshest environments
• Durable PVC water connection

Click here to download the brochure.
See the baffle factor report here.

Introducing The Geofinity ORB Controller

The ORB heat pump controller is a patent-pending fully integrated equipment intelligence system offering complete operating, monitoring, control, and diagnostics capabilities. It performs the functionality of a total system management and reporting platform that provides real-time data trending and analysis, whether on-site or via email or website information transfer. The ORB provides real-time calculation of kWh consumption, COP, EER, and CO2 emissions.

With off-site real-time troubleshooting information provided directly to the contractor and the manufacturer via e-mail reporting, the owner is also offered significant savings in terms of equipment servicing costs. The reporting gives the contractor the ability to call the end user to notify them of a service requirement before the end user even knows there’s a problem.

To download the brochure, please click here.

For more information on Geofinity, please visit http://www.geofinitymanufacturing.com/

Vent-Rite: How Steam Vents Work

In the latest installment of our "Getting It Done Right" series, Bruce Marshall explains how steam vents work in a residential system. Bruce walks us through each type of vent, where they are installed and what their functions are. The video features vents manufactured by Vent-Rite. For more information on Vent-Rite, please visit our website http://www.emersonswan.com/manufacturers-products/vent-rite.html.

Emerson Swan Expands To Canada

PRESS RELEASE: Emerson Swan is pleased to announce their expansion to Milton, Ontario. This new business venture, to be known as Emerson Swan, Canada, will serve the engineering community of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with the same quality products and service that has made Emerson Swan successful in the United States for over 80 years. Emerson Swan will initially be representing products from Flow Design, Taco HVAC and Twin City Hose.

"We are excited for the opportunity to bring our product and systems knowledge to the engineering community of the Greater Toronto Area and hope to bring practical solutions to meet the needs of our customers" says Jeff Dirksen, Sr. Vice President of Emerson Swan's Engineered Products Division.

Founded in 1932 by Thomas J. Swan Sr., Emerson Swan is a nationally recognized, stocking manufacturer's representative organization serving the northeastern United States and now the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with quality heating, plumbing and HVAC equipment.

Emerson Swan, Canada
8450 Lawson Road Unit 3
Milton, ON L9T 0J8
(855) 664-6723 Phone
(905) 864-0156 Fax

For more information about Emerson Swan, Canada, please visit www.emersonswan.ca

Understanding Expansion Tanks

One of the most overlooked and misunderstood components of a hydronic heating system is the expansion tank. When a heating system is designed the heat loss and boiler sizing are usually carefully calculated. The circulator is sized based on the length and heat carrying capacity of the piping. When it comes to the expansion tank, most guys just install the same size tank they have always used. The phrase, “We’ve always done it that way.” comes to mind. Oddly enough, most of the time it works. It’s when it doesn’t work that the problems arise. The most common symptom of an undersized expansion tank is the relief valve blowing off. To avoid this, the installer should understand the function of the tank and the importance of proper sizing.

Let’s start with the basics. We all know that things expand when they are heated and contract when they are cooled. Water is no different and this becomes a major factor in a closed loop hydronic heating system. Upon installation of a new system, you fill the pipes with 40 to 50 degree water and purge the air. Then when you fire the boiler and heat the water to 180 degrees, the water expands. As the water gets hotter the volume increases. Without compensating for this expansion of the water, the pressure in the system would go up and at 30 pounds, the relief valve would open. An expansion tank is designed to accommodate this increase in water volume in a closed loop system. Water is not compressible but air is and the expansion tank uses a cushion of compressed air to accept this increased volume of water as it is heated.

Old style expansion tanks mounted between the floor joists in the cellar ceiling were made out of steel and had tappings for water, air inlet, and a water level gauge. When the system was filled, the water entered the tank and compressed the air at the top. As the water heated, the level in the tank rose and the air compressed even more. Eventually, the air cushion would be absorbed into water and the tank would become waterlogged. This of course caused the pressure to rise which set off the relief valve and always led to a service call.

In the early 60’s the modern diaphragm tank was developed. It uses a rubber diaphragm to permanently separate the system water from the compressed air in the tank, thus eliminating the waterlogging problem. These tanks became popular because they were small and compact, inexpensive and needed much less plumbing. This type of tank, however, still can cause potential problems if not sized properly.

Let’s take a look at the five things we need to know to properly size a diaphragm expansion tank.

Fill Pressure ---In a closed loop system, static height of the piping is a factor only when filling the system. One pound per square inch (PSI) of water pressure is required for every 2.31 feet of static height. In the average 2-story house with the boiler in the basement, we must raise that water about 16 feet which would require about seven PSI. In order to ensure positive pressure and aid in air removal, we should add another five PSI to this. Pressure reducing valves (PRV) are factory set at 12 PSI and expansion tanks are pre-charged to the same 12 PSI. Most of the time the 12 PSI pre-charge is enough but if the system height is greater than 16 feet  the pressure reducing valve must be adjusted higher and the air charge in the tank must be increased accordingly. A tire gauge and a bicycle pump are all the tools you need to accomplish this. Always remember the tank must be isolated from the system when checking pressure. When checking the tank pressure, the system pressure must first be reduced to zero and the tank isolated by means of the isolation valve. If you don’t follow this procedure, you are not reading the tank pressure; you are reading the system pressure.

Relief Pressure---We need to know this in order to size the tank. Most residential relief valves are set at 30 PSI.

Fill Temperature---When you fill the system with tap water, the temperature is usually around 50 degrees.

Average Water Temperature--- This is the normal high limit temperature of the boiler. The more we heat water, the more it will expand.

Total Water Content--- This is critical to tank sizing. Old gravity systems that have been converted to forced circulation will have much more water than a new baseboard system. Three quarter inch copper pipe contains .025 gallons of water per linear foot while inch and a half steel pipe holds .106.  Measure the total footage and multiply by the appropriate amount. Then add the boiler water content and allow a couple of extra gallons for the fudge factor.

There are many factors in determining expansion tank size and any unusual variations in any one of these areas could dramatically affect the tank size. Manufacturers have plenty of experience in this regard and have developed guideline charts based on average systems. Looking at the chart, you can see that systems with higher water content like cast iron radiators and baseboards will require a larger tank than a copper baseboard system.