Background:
We've lived in this home for nearly three years (two Minnesota winters...temps in negative teens/twenties for days in Jan/Feb) and just love the hydronic system. Small house. Well insulated. A lot of passive solar (many windows with a high insulating factor) during sunny days. We have a wood burning fireplace. Just over 1100 sq ft, 2 floors.
Prior to our purchase, the original owners replaced the heat exchangers and the pumps (Grundfos, I think those are pumps). We have hard water (also have ourselves replaced the water softener to pre-empt a recurrence of whatever issue the prior owners had). We replaced the gas water heater (large tank) as the motor went out and as it was COVID times, we were told <cough> that it would be a long wait to get the motor repaired and the water heater was closing in on 10 years old in a hard water environment (who knows how diligent the prior owners were in maintaining the salt levels in the water softener).
System works great. It is an open system. We figured this out when we discovered we could get more hot water to the shower/tub/elsewhere if we crank up the downstairs thermostat for a bit. That seems odd...but manageable.
We want a backup system. We're going with EcoFlow batteries/smart home panel (eventually)...can recharge with solar ... and lest you go pshaw on the solar...winter days in the -20's typically have clear skies and bright sun...just not as many hours of the day. We're just not into a large rooftop system. Temporarily drag some solar panels out into our yard.
Otherwise, the batteries charge up over normal AC in preparation for being called onto the stage.
We're gonna eventually have a contractor in to install the smart home panel, which will manage the cutover from main power to the battery(ies).
I'm looking at the components that will need power (water heater, TACO ZVC403, pumps, actuators?...have no true idea of how many electrical widgets there are requiring power). I _think_ the zone controller is hard wired and everything else.
Finally, here's the question:
As we all know electricians are hard to get for small jobs, and some electricians spend most of their time on the phone with their supervisor getting guidance in how to accomplish the work. And there are GREAT experienced electricians. Wonderful field and people!
In the time between when we get the batteries and can get the system installed, the batteries will accept a plug in (many). It occurs to me that I could plug in the water heater (needs juice to supply the igniter, controller and fan) and...in a power outage...perhaps the Nest thermostats/TACO would remain in whatever flow situation they were left in before the outage? Of course the pumps (I think those Gunderfos thingies are pumps) wouldn't have electricity).
If the system remains in the state when power was lost, is it possible the water heater alone (if powered via the generator system) would enough circulation through the system to maintain some degree of heat? As in passive flow? Or would all the water heater be good for is hot showers and washing dishes?
I would think we could get an electrician out here and set up the smart panel before hard winter sets in, but just don't know.
The downstairs floor is slab, no basement (completely unusual for MN, but this house is a re-built 1930's era carriage house), so I know the slab will retain a lot of heat over several days, and we can maintain indoor comfort with the wood burning fireplace.
We've lived in this home for nearly three years (two Minnesota winters...temps in negative teens/twenties for days in Jan/Feb) and just love the hydronic system. Small house. Well insulated. A lot of passive solar (many windows with a high insulating factor) during sunny days. We have a wood burning fireplace. Just over 1100 sq ft, 2 floors.
Prior to our purchase, the original owners replaced the heat exchangers and the pumps (Grundfos, I think those are pumps). We have hard water (also have ourselves replaced the water softener to pre-empt a recurrence of whatever issue the prior owners had). We replaced the gas water heater (large tank) as the motor went out and as it was COVID times, we were told <cough> that it would be a long wait to get the motor repaired and the water heater was closing in on 10 years old in a hard water environment (who knows how diligent the prior owners were in maintaining the salt levels in the water softener).
System works great. It is an open system. We figured this out when we discovered we could get more hot water to the shower/tub/elsewhere if we crank up the downstairs thermostat for a bit. That seems odd...but manageable.
We want a backup system. We're going with EcoFlow batteries/smart home panel (eventually)...can recharge with solar ... and lest you go pshaw on the solar...winter days in the -20's typically have clear skies and bright sun...just not as many hours of the day. We're just not into a large rooftop system. Temporarily drag some solar panels out into our yard.
Otherwise, the batteries charge up over normal AC in preparation for being called onto the stage.
We're gonna eventually have a contractor in to install the smart home panel, which will manage the cutover from main power to the battery(ies).
I'm looking at the components that will need power (water heater, TACO ZVC403, pumps, actuators?...have no true idea of how many electrical widgets there are requiring power). I _think_ the zone controller is hard wired and everything else.
Finally, here's the question:
As we all know electricians are hard to get for small jobs, and some electricians spend most of their time on the phone with their supervisor getting guidance in how to accomplish the work. And there are GREAT experienced electricians. Wonderful field and people!
In the time between when we get the batteries and can get the system installed, the batteries will accept a plug in (many). It occurs to me that I could plug in the water heater (needs juice to supply the igniter, controller and fan) and...in a power outage...perhaps the Nest thermostats/TACO would remain in whatever flow situation they were left in before the outage? Of course the pumps (I think those Gunderfos thingies are pumps) wouldn't have electricity).
If the system remains in the state when power was lost, is it possible the water heater alone (if powered via the generator system) would enough circulation through the system to maintain some degree of heat? As in passive flow? Or would all the water heater be good for is hot showers and washing dishes?
I would think we could get an electrician out here and set up the smart panel before hard winter sets in, but just don't know.
The downstairs floor is slab, no basement (completely unusual for MN, but this house is a re-built 1930's era carriage house), so I know the slab will retain a lot of heat over several days, and we can maintain indoor comfort with the wood burning fireplace.
source https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/threads/2243217-Purchased-home-with-zone-controlled-hydronic-in-floor-heating-solar-backup?goto=newpost
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