Hot water circulators are a key plumbing component if you are to get the hot water from the outdoor boiler to the inside of the house that you are trying to heat. Grumphos pump circulators They must be sized correctly and hopefully be VERY reliable.
They are also used extensively to distribute the heat within your home in conjunction with in floor heating systems, baseboard radiators and conversion-to-forced-air heat distribution systems.
They are an essential part of any outdoor wood boiler system, so lets start the conversation, by looking at the key design elements that you may want to consider in buying small circulator pumps.
Small Circulator pumps can be constructed of bronze, cast iron or stainless steel, with this later one being the most expensive and only typically used in pool applications where corrosive chemicals are present and stainless steel's resistance to rust is a essential feature.
Not all pumps are rated for BOILER WATER temperatures, so be sure to read the temperature spec's. Most boiler pumps havea maximum pressure rating as well, although this is rarely a problem given that most residential style outdoor wood boilers are non-pressurized systems.
Are you wired for 115 or 230 volt power. Most home applications will be looking for 115 volt pumps. Ask your electrician for help.
Built-in check valves save plumbing time and money, and built-in design creates less dynamic head or resistance in your design that add-in check valves.
Most small circulator pumps will be rated for low, medium or high "head" . This is the ability of the pump to develop pressure to overcome the weight of the water in front of it and the resistance of all the plumbing fixtures in the system to successfully move liquid forward (we will discuss this a little later in greater depth).
This gives you some simple flexibility in design. Flow rates can be adjusted after the fact and on the fly so if your original calculations were off a little these small circulator pumps can just be sped up or slowed down to meet your heating needs. This saves energy and reduces noise.
Companies like Grundfos use ceramic bearings in their circulator pumps to offer longer life, quieter operation and less energy consumption with smoother moving parts.
Always look for circulator pumps that comes with a Underwriter's Laboratory seal of approval and a warranty as signs of quality. Hot water circulators with a three year warranty will most likely be more reliable, require less maintenance and have lower power consumption. Always look for circulator pumps that comes with a Underwriter's Laboratory seal of approval and a warranty as signs of quality. Hot water circulators with a three year warranty will most likely be more reliable, require less maintenance and have lower power consumption.
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