Boiler with baseboards and infloor heat, which mixing valve?!?!

[Joseph M Thein]

Hi everyone

This is my first post. I redid my kitchen last year and the final phase is to install my infloor heat. Currently, my house is single zone baseboard heat. While doing the kitchen over, I took out the kitchen loop and connected the loop together.

I bought an infloor heating kit from radiatec which includes all the parts. One of the parts included is a three way mixing valve.

My current boiler is a weil-McLain gold CGa which is a non condensing boiler.

doing some research online, there have been numerous sites that state I should have a four way mixing valve to add a low temperature zone for infloor heat. This four way valve provides boiler protection from sustained flue gas.

speaking with a couple plumbers around town, they said that a three way valve would be fine.

Additionally, my dad has the same boiler AND infloor heat in his kitchen and he has a three way mixing valve.

so what is the right answer. Is the three way mixing valve enough for the job or do I need a four way?

Thanks in advance!

 

[John Gayewski]

You just need to make sure your return water is over 140 degrees farenhiet. You can do that with tee law math.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Joseph M Thein]

You just need to make sure your return water is over 140 degrees farenhiet. You can do that with tee law math.

I have to say, I am no pro. Can you elaborate some?

 

[John Gayewski]

Mixed water from your radiant loop mixes back with your return water from the main loop. You need the gpm of the main loop, the gpm of the radiant loop, and the temperatures of those loops. When they mix back together you can figure if that will be over 140 degrees or not. If the final mixed product isn't over 140 degrees you'll need a 4 way instead of a 3 way.

Or you can just do it and measure. It is isn't over 140 then change it, but that expensive and time consuming.

 

[Joseph M Thein]

Mixed water from your radiant loop mixes back with your return water from the main loop. You need the gpm of the main loop, the gpm of the radiant loop, and the temperatures of those loops. When they mix back together you can figure if that will be over 140 degrees or not. If the final mixed product isn't over 140 degrees you'll need a 4 way instead of a 3 way.

Or you can just do it and measure. It is isn't over 140 then change it, but that expensive and time consuming.

so I guess what you’re saying is that I should just use a four way mixing valve and not worry about it. Is this the easy way out?

 

[John Gayewski]

so I guess what you’re saying is that I should just use a four way mixing valve and not worry about it. Is this the easy way out?

Sure

 

[Fitter30]

Radiate floor heat runs 5*- 10* over room setpoint which floor cover has a lot to do with it. Wood verses tile. Theres several ways to feed a radiate loop including injection. Draw piping diagram of what u have it could be crude. Some piping system can be more complicated to adapt. Take few pics of piping off boiler ex tank and pump.