The Hydronic Heat Exchanger
Providing heating to your home or business can be expensive if you are using an outdated or unreliable system, but deploying a hydronic heat exchanger will not only save you thousands of dollars in heating bills each month, but you can consolidate your hot water needs for bathing and other uses as well.
What is a hydronic heat exchanger?
The basic principle extracts the heat from hot water flowing through copper piping that is placed inside a frame of thin copper fins that resemble the shape of an automotive radiator. As heat from the water radiates outward it heats the fins of the exchanger, and can be then utilized to power a water to air system that can provide space heating via air ducts, or directly in the form of hydronic baseboard heaters.
Depending on the heating needs and size of the areas that require heated water, a hydronic heat exchanger can range from a single wall mount system, to a complex array of boilers tied to multiple exchangers and air handlers that can easily supply hot water and space heating for large commercial buildings and industrial areas. The typical exchanger uses copper tubing and fins because they are more efficient in absorbing heat and are resistant to corrosion. The frame of the exchanger and boilers utilize stainless steel construction that is durable and rust resistant.
Forced air heating systems are common in many homes as well as business and industrial applications that require reliable heat that is manageable from a centralized location. These systems often include hydronic heat exchangers installed in many remote locations. This approach allows delivery of hot water via insulated pipes directly to a single or multiple heat exchanger units. The design of these systems can be in the form of single use to heat areas, or as an intricate heating and cooling solution. Tankless hydronic heaters are also becoming popular due to their energy efficient nature.
The most common uses of a Hydronic heat exchanger can be found in many homes as the primary heating solutions for water to water and water to air systems. Many homeowners in rural locations take advantage of outdoor wood burning boilers that can easily heat a home using cordwood or pellets made from wood or corn. Once heated the water is sent into the home. A central air handler regulates the flow of heated air from the heat exchanger to the ductwork within the home. Hydronic heat exchangers make home, business and industrial heating solutions simple, cost effective and easy to manage and maintain.
