Will Wallace, owner of Will Wallace Construction, has been working for years with Scott Lankhorst, alternative energy specialist, Advanced Radiant Design (ARD), for all of his energy efficient buildings, so it was natural for him to turn to ARD for the mechanical systems for his own 5,800-sq.-ft. home in West Shokan, N.Y. The installation started in October 2013 and was completed in July 2014.
Although traditional in design, this house is super insulated with 8″walls employing offset double studding to prevent thermal bridging. Insulation system is high density blown cellulose that creates an air-tight barrier to infiltration. Given the air-tight design of the home, fresh air — through a Renewaire ERV system — was a priority.
The home is heated with a 2-stage, 5-ton geothermal heat pump. Two wells provide the geothermal source for the water-to-water heat pumps. Each of the two 400′ wells has dual loops of 3/4″ PE piping to optimize the heat transfer and economize on well drilling. Geothermal piping is manifolded in the basement with valved headers that give direct control & isolation of each loop.
Given the traditional design of the house, the distribution system presented challenges in getting the air distribution system installed within the framing of the structure. A Unico high velocity air distribution system with its 2″distribution ducts allowed for effective distribution on the second floor without compromising the structure.
In the bonus room, a Multi Aqua is recessed in the ceiling, providing heating and cooling with heated and chilled water from the geothermal heat pumps, without the need for any ductwork.
The hydronic control panels for the system were pre-fabricated in the ARD shop. The control panels are custom designed to the individual requirements of the specific job, while still providing ARD’s consistency in design and application.
At the heart of the system is the Tekmar 406 controller; it integrates the 2-stage capabilities of the heat pumps, direct modulation of the back-up boiler system, intelligent zone control and outdoor reset of the geothermal buffer tank. This integrated controls allows for the most efficient operation of the entire system.
Advanced Radiant Design, Inc., located in Ulster County, N.Y., is a recognized leader in the industry, with numerous first-place national awards for residential and commercial radiant heating projects in the Hudson Valley and beyond. We custom-design fully integrated radiant heating systems that deliver complete comfort, the highest efficiency and greatest reliability. For information, www.radiant-design.com.
Jobsite Snapshot
Boiler — Triangle Tube Trimax Solo 110.
Water heater — Bradford White as geothermal pre-heat from de-superheater.
Pumps — Grundfos 26-99 to geo wells, Grundfos 15-58 for boiler & domestic, Grundfos 15-55 Alpha for distribution.
Relays — Tekmar # 406 geothermal/boiler controller with 4 zones.
Piping — ViegaPex & Viega FostaPex
Hot Water Storage — Boiler Buddy BB50 for geothermal buffer tank.
Geothermal — 1-5 ton GeoComfort GWT 060 2-stage geothermal heat pump.
HRV/ERV — Renewaire EV200 ERV
Tools Used — Viega ProPress
Valves — Assortment of Webstone valves
Separators — Spirovent
Other — 2-400′ geothermal wells w/dual loops of 3/4″ PE in each; manifolded in basement with individual supply and return isolation valves.
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