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40 NOVEMBER 2015 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com HVAC/ HYDRONICS BOILER EVOLUTION By using oxygen more efficiently, the human body adapts to higher eleva- tion in relatively short order. If you fly from NYC (13 ft. above sea level at JFK airport) to Aspen, CO (7,900), you might get winded walking up a short flight of steps. But you're not nearly as likely to notice it after a few days in town. The K2 performs in a similar manner. Proprietary technology and combus- tion components provide high altitude performance while maintaining proper operation at all elevations, and with little or no de-rate at high elevations. Apprentices Ben Dunn and Neil Wagner helped Valenti remove the old LP-fired, State water heater and "near-water heater piping." The new 100 MBH boiler was hung on the wall and the existing vent penetrations were re-used. Named after the world's second highest mountain, the K2 is available in five sizes from 80 to 180 MBH, offers up to 95 percent efficiency and is compatible with most types of vent terminations. The boiler and materials were supplied by Shawn Samuelson at Salida Winnelson. IDS accounts for an average snow load of nine feet, so venting in the mountains can be tricky. At the job in Fairplay, the vent penetrations are nine feet above grade on the leeward side of the house, with two or three additional feet of pipe used above that. In mountainous regions, tempera- ture can rapidly fluctuate with sun exposure and changing pressure sys- tems. This makes outdoor reset invalu- able, especially when super-low design temps are needed. In town, IDS uses a -7°F design temperature. A single Taco ECM (electroni- cally commutated motor) circulator was used for distribution to all mani- folds. Using a variable-speed circula- tor allows IDS to run numerous zones off one pump, lowering upfront and operating costs. Taco manufactures two different residential-size ECM cir- culators. The VT2218 is a Delta-T circula- tor, responding to the temperature differential between supply and return water. The VR1816 is a pressure-sens- ing model (Delta-P), with six pre-set modes. ECM motors are capable of cutting power consumption by up to 85 percent when compared to a similar conventional motor. COMFORT, QUICKLY In and out in less than two days, IDS used Milwaukee's M12 ProPEX expan- sion tool to speed up the installation. Aside from the boiler, Dunn, Valenti and Wagner were familiar with all the components they had selected. A Taco SR504 Zone Control was used, and they installed a Webstone primary/ secondary loop purge tee. Despite trying a new boiler model, it wasn't a snagging point. "I was surprised by how light and compact the K2 is, but it doesn't come at the expense of any room inside the cabinet," said Valenti. "The touch- screen control walked us through setup very easily." The job was done in early March, just in time for a few more cold snaps to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new system. "We immediately noticed how much more responsive the radiant sys- tem is," said Webb. "I'm also no lon- ger concerned about the water heater leaking while we're away. We made a great decision hiring IDS." Next winter, the Webbs are likely to see a reduction in propane con- sumption in addition to the major comfort improvement. And with folks in the High Rockies paying upwards of $3.00 per gallon, gas savings are welcome. The home has a 500-gallon above ground LP tank. Since their first K2 application, IDS installed another one in the ski town of Breckenridge, which rests at 9,600 feet above sea level. This time, they said, they didn't need to look around for the right boiler. l F O N