Taco FloPro Team members from throughout New England, New York and the Mid-Atlantic

states—from Maine to Virginia and as far away as Illinois—took their hy-dronic knowledge to a new level of expertise recently as participants in the opening session of Taco Factory Training for 2008.

The contractors traveled to Taco head-quarters in Cranston, RI, to join FloPro Team Trainer John Barba for the inten-sive, two-day course, The “Compleat” Boiler Room, an advanced training program including classroom instruc-tion and hands-on experience cover-ing the latest in controls and prod-ucts.

“After a day and a half of lecture the FloPro Team members got a chance to take everything we talked about and

FloPro Factory Training Off to a Good Start

apply it,” explains Barba. “They wired controls and programed an outdoor reset [Taco’s Radiant Mixing Block] and got to see what happens. I think the guys had the most fun with that part,” he adds.

The group included business owners and employees with a wide range of HVAC experience and expertise in-stalling hydronic systems, “although no one was what you would consider a beginner,” Barba explains. “These guys have all been around for some time and all were extremely knowl-edgeable.”

All enrolled in Taco Factory Training for the same reason, to expand their skill set, learn interesting ways to make their jobs easier and their systems better so they can add more value for

SPRING 2008

FLOPRO Team News is a quarterly publication of Taco, Inc. and is intended for FloPro Team members only. Contents ©2008 Taco Inc. Visit www.taco-hvac.com

See Good Start page 3

Warming Up to Geothermal?According to the EPA, geothermal heat pumps are the most energy efficient, en-vironmentally clean, and cost-effective heating & cooling systems available.

Geothermal can reduce energy consump-tion anywhere from 25% to 75% when compared to fossil fuel based systems.

A case study by the U.S. Department of Energy showed a 3,400 square foot home in Minnesota (hot, humid in the summer, cold and windy in the winter) was heated and cooled quite comfortably for a shade over $44.00 per month.

The EPA further states that for every 100,000 residential geothermal systems installed, more than 37.5 trillion BTU’s of energy used for space and water heat-ing can be saved. That translates to a reduction of over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions, and energy savings of over $750 million over a 20 year span. With this type of data, it’s clear to see an opportunity for FloPro contractors.

For training opportunities and more in-formation on geothermal energy, visit: www.igshpa.okstate.edu orwww.radiantpanelassociation.org

How to Choose a Circulatorfor Radiant HeatingPicking the right circulator for radiant floor heating can be tricky. Radiant systems tend to have higher head losses than baseboard systems, so the circulator that works great in one application may not perform as well in the other. John Barba cuts through the complexities. See page 2.

News you can use.

HOT

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HOT

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New ReleaseNEWS News for the Taco FloProTeam • SPRING 2008 • PAGE 2

LTR Series Low Water CutoffThe Taco LTR Low Water Cutoff takes the advanced signal process-ing technology from our com-mercial Low Water Cutoffs and puts it into a 1-piece, sealed design for use with residential hot water boilers. The LTR comes complete with a test button, wiring harness and LED lights to make installation, wiring and service fast and easy. The LTR is so smart it will even tell you when the probe should be cleaned, eliminating the need for yearly maintenance.

• Plugn’Playwiringharness• Enablesboilertostay compliant with the CSD-1 code and ANSI Z21.13 wiring requirements• LEDcomesonwhenthe probe needs to be cleaned• 24VAC,AutoReset• TestButtonverifieswiring, operation (burner shut-down and restart) and installation was done correctly• ModelLTR0243-1

For complete information on the entire line of residential and commercial Low Water Cutoffs see Taco Catalog# 100-8.1

Circulator selection for radiant floor heating is a little different than for other hydronic applications. A flat curve circulator, such as the Taco 007, is perfect for baseboard

applications, whether you zone by circulator or by zone valve. Radiant systems, however, tend to have higher head losses than baseboard due to several factors, including: 300-foot loops of 1/2-in. PEX, long runs to remote manifolds, glycol concentrations and low Cv (high head loss) mixing or tempering valves.

Generally speaking, a high head, lower flow circulator such as the Taco 008 or the Taco 00R 3-Speed are better choices for radiant. Each can handle the higher head losses caused by the above-mentioned factors while still providing the required flow.

Both the 008 and 00R 3-Speed are fixed speed circulators, mean-ing they run along a single pump curve. Yes, the 00R 3-Speed is a fixed speed circulator; it simply has three separate fixed curves in one unit. And both are excellent choices when your radiant system is zoned by circulators. But what should you do when you have multiple zones on a single manifold, and use manifold actua-tors? Zoning by actuator is far-and-

away the most comfortable and least costly way to properly zone most residential radiant systems, but it does create concern when using a high head, lower flow, steep curve circulator.

First, understand that all heating systems operate where the system curve intersects the pump curve (see Figure 1). Energy in is equal to

energy out, after all. When one cir-culator services multiple zones on a single radiant manifold,

you’ll have several different system curves, depending on how many zones are calling (see Figure 2). When using a flat-curve circulator,

such as a Taco 007, these changes in flow lead to very small changes in system pressure. When using a steep-curve circulator, such as a 008, these changes in flow will cause large changes in pressure (see Figure 3) as the system curves “back up” along the pump curve. This can cause significant velocity noise in the system as the circula-tor tries to pack all its energy into fewer openings in the radiant manifold. Think trying to pack ten pounds of you-know-what into a 5-pound bag.

When Does Variable SpeedMake Sense for Radiant? By John Barba

NEWSNews for the Taco FloProTeam • SPRING 2008 • PAGE 3

their customers, Barba says.

“Itdefinitelyseemedlikeallthepeo-ple were there because they wanted to learn,” says Joel Tognarelli, presi-dent of Tognarelli Heating and Cool-ing, Turners Falls, MA.

Tognarelli, who’s been in the plumb-ing and heating industry for more than 20 years and has taken a num-ber of training courses, was pleas-antly surprised to findnone of theone-upsmanship or grandstanding he’s encountered in other training. “It was organized, under control and entertaining enough that it kept you involved,” he says.

Tognarelli attended along with two employees, “to get them more in-volved in proper piping and circula-

tor sizing so they would have those job skills and could make those deci-sions on the job themselves. There’s not a lot of training out there on this material. Everything I’ve learned, I learned myself, often by doing it wrongthefirsttime,”headds.

Vito Dygus, owner of V&L Mechani-cal, Westmont, IL, who traveled the farthest for the training, also found it well worth it, as good

as or better than expected, he said. The best part for him was the tour of the Taco factory and a chance to see the attention to quality and the dedication of Taco employees. The two-day program, “builds your con-fidence,”hesays,“andIfeellikeI’llgoafter bigger jobs,” he adds.

Taco Factory Training will be avail-able exclusively to FloPro Team members several more times this year. For complete course

Good Start

“the next time I go on a job I will definitely look at the job differently based on what I learned in the class.” —Tim Lewis, US Navy

Continued from page 1

One solution to this problem is to install a pressure differential bypass valve, such as the Taco 3196. The bypass valve acts as a detour, allowing increasing amounts of flow to pass through the bypass piping rather than forc-ing the pump to operate at higher pressures. A pressure differential bypass, in effect, turns a steep-curve circulator into a flat-curve circulator, eliminating velocity noise. A better solution would be a Taco 00-VS Variable Speed Circulator. Any

information and schedules, or to enroll, visit www.taco-hvac.com/Flopro_training.html or call Judy Colarulli at Taco, 401 942-8000.

00-Series Circulator is available as a VS variable speed model. When set up to operate on a fixed Delta T the circulator will speed up or slow down based on the temperature difference between the radiant supply and radiant return.

As manifold actuators close, the Taco 00-VS will actually slow down, maintaining a fixed pressure rather than forcing the system curve to back up a fixed pump curve (see Figure 4).

A variable speed cir-culator, in effect, has an infinite number of pump curves and will always

provide the system with the appropriate flow, without increasing the system pressure or creating velocity noise.

The Taco 008-VS is a great choice for a radiant systems with multiple zones on a single manifold. Its high head, lower flow curve is perfect for radiant applications. When you add the variable speed functionality you provide your customer with smooth, and quiet, system operation.

“The circulator will speed up or slow down based

on the temperature difference between the

radiant supply and radiant return.”

Years in Business: Doran founded his pres-ent company in 2007. He was, “born in the industry,” he says. His father was a master plumber for 44 years. In the 1990’s he formed a company that manufactured radiant panels. Most recently, he was technical services man-ager for Uponor.

Business Description: The business is 100% hydronic. About “85%-90% of our jobs have at least some radiant component,” he adds. With just two employees and himself, the company did 38 “sizeable projects” in 2007, plus several boiler changes/upgrades. Duran services only what he installs.

Chief Selling Point: “We think we are the best prepared to do it right. We start with system design, do the math, figure out what the homes needs. We don’t just go in there slinging pipe. We emphasize our craftsmanship, too. Our boiler rooms are very organized, our work is consistent and repeatable.”

What are some of the important changes you’ve seen in the hydronic industry? “There have been a lot of small changes: The migration towards condensing boil-ers is significant, improving efficiencies, being smart about how we spend our energy dollars, some interesting developments in geothermal, the whole green movement and reducing our carbon footprint.”

What’s the greatest challenge facing plumbing & heating contractors today? “There are two of them and they are parallel. One is the whole labor situation, finding the help to grow the business, as well as labor costs. The second is the supply chain. It’s fragmented. Distributors are focused on the top 15%-20% of their products and if what you want doesn’t fall into that category, there’s a good chance they won’t have it.”

What is the contractor’s greatest opportunity? “In hydronic, it goes back to integrated heating and cooling systems. Anything related to energy conservation. You want to develop your system design and integration capabilities. The biggest opportunities are for the guys who can solve the problems and present the total package in an intelligent, articulate way.”

NEWS News for the Taco FloProTeam • SPRING 2008 • PAGE 4

Trade Council ProfileTim Doran — Warmfloors Radiant Heating, Bridgehampton, NY

John Barba’s roots in the plumbing and heating in-dustry go all the way back to the family business his father started outside Boston in 1938. He ran that business for a while, then worked as a rep for a radiant products company before becoming a lecturer and trainer in 1995.

Since then, John has established himself as well-known name in the radiant heat-ing industry and one of the industry’s top trainers. John’s approach is strictly practical with a healthy dose of fun thrown in. “Our programs show con-tractors how to deal with the chal-lenges they face every day in the field and to offer some unique and effective solutions. From what the contractorssaidafterourfirst‘Compleat’Boiler program, we’re right on target,” he says.

Factory TrainingBuild your business, develop your hydronics expertise, learn from Taco, the leader in hydronic systems and components.

Trimester 2

June 5 – 6 ............... Hydronic Heat Loss and Design (HHD)

Trimester 3

June 19 – 20 ............................Compleat Boiler Room (CBR)

July 24 – 25 .................................................Strictly Radiant (SR)

July 31 – Aug 1 ... Hydronic Heat Loss and Design (HHD)

Get complete details and register now at www.taco-hvac.com/floproor call Judy Colarulli at Taco, 401 942-8000.

The Taco Trade CouncilTaco Trade Council represents you and makes sure your voice is heard at Taco. The Trade Council gives us valuable input on a host of busi-ness, contractor support and prod-uct issues. The nine members of the council are from every region of the U.S. and they’re ready to represent you and also answer your questions on line in the Taco FloPro Community (FloPro.TACO-HVAC.com). The full list of council members is available on line.

You can also hear Trade Council members and other contractors in the FloPro Roundtable of Hydronic Experts. The spirited discussions take on some of the big issues facing contractors today, like finding the labor you need and how to face ever stiffer competition. Audio files of all Roundtable discussions are available on line at FloPro.TACO-HVAC.com.

FloPro Team TrainerJohn Barba