After speaking on-site with a local customer about his system, he inquired as to what else we were doing. A mistake on his part.
Both of us having differing, but technical backgrounds I launched into an inspired dissertation of our application of Delta-T ECM Circulation to Residential FHW Heating Systems. Obviously very interested, a running Q & A exchange of increasing technical depth ensued to the point of my noting he was developing that “deer in the headlights” look of incomplete understanding.
We engineering types have a terrible habit of technically overloading our audiences, not as an “ego-trip”, but to inform them as effectively as possible — we think!
Needing to salvage the situation I paused, desperately searching for that inspired “bolt of lightening” to strike and clarify the atmosphere. By seeming grace, it came immediately! “I’m putting Automatic Transmissions on Boilers.” Yeah”, he responded, “that makes complete sense. Good idea!” Our further conversation became an analogy of FHW Heating Systems to Automobiles, surprisingly clearing our technical disparages. To expound …..
After all, hot water boilers and automobile engines are both truly “heat engines”. An automobile engine must convert as much fuel combustion energy into mechanical propulsion power as possible via pistons, crankshafts, etc. Less than 60% becomes useful power, the remainder is dissipated as waste heat. The hot water boiler on the other hand necessarily converts its fuel combustion energy directly into useful heat at up to 97% efficiency!
The automobile uses a transmission to adapt its mechanical power to control vehicle propulsion. A variety of gears, pumps, valves, etc. are used to accomplish this. The hot water boiler conversely needs only to move heated water (via a pump) exactingly to ideally acclimate our heated areas and (optionally) our domestic hot water (DHW).
The Delta-T ECM (Differential Temperature) Variable Speed Circulator (Pump) is that ideal “boiler transmission” that delivers heated water most efficiently to maintain our comfort. So efficiently does it do so as to reduce system fuel consumption by up to 15% and electrical consumption by up to 85% as documented by Taco, Inc. Published Testing Results.
No longer is heating system efficiency measured solely (and inaccurately) by the Boiler AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) Rating, but the aggregate of Boiler, Distribution and Radiation Efficiencies. There are THREE (3) Elements in a hydronic heating system! Just as in Sulky Racing, it’s the combination of the horse, the jockey and the buggy that wins races.
Even more exciting is the opportunity provided by the Delta-T ECM Circulator to most efficiently configure a FHW Heating System, which we have done very effectively. Refer to our other, recently published Delta-T Blogs on this site that detail our development, field testing and observations of our systems.
Our “Packaged Delta-T ECM Hydronic Heating Appliance™” (Patents Pending)exhibits the following attributes in direct comparison to the typical “conventionally installed” system:
- Has a higher Combined Boiler AFUE and Delta-T ECM Distribution (System) Efficiency than achievable with any “conventional” system configuration.
- Consumes less fuel and electrical power than any equivalently sized system.
- Our Integrated Boiler/Indirect Water Heater System occupies 1/3 to 1/2 the floor-space of others.
- Our proprietary Fully-Iron & Cast near-boiler piping maximizes durability and distribution performance while using fewer materials.
- Further, combining a High-Mass Boiler with an All-Stainless Indirect Water Heater assures a dramatically projected economic life (30 years or more?).
- A truly universal, multi-fueled Appliance. Just change the burner —– not the system!
- Provides, Simple, Durable, Efficient and Cost-Effective FHW Heating.
So yes, we do put “Automatic Transmissions” on Boilers!
Author’s Note: Updated 01/12/2023
