Heating system zone expansion

The house is heated by oil fired hot water baseboards. There were originally had three heating zones. Three bedrooms shared one zone and a common thermostat. Invariably one bedroom was much colder than the others and attempts to regulate temperature by adjusting the vents on the heaters and relocating the control thermostat were only moderately successful. In order to provide best temperature control and maximum comfort, I decided to split the bedroom zone. Two thermostats were added, and plastic heating pipes put in place to direct heated water to the proper zones. The furnace needed the manifolds expanded and zone control valves put in place and wired. Each bedroom now has an independant thermostat.
The entire basement (except garage) is on another zone. I will move an unfinished basement room to its own thermostat in the future. There is an added output on the manifold to accomodate this. The thermostat wire is installed and ready for connection.
The entire heating system needed to be bled to eliminate air bubbles. Small bubbles remaining are automatically bled as the pump circulates water.
All thermostats are programmable types. Temperature is automatically reduced overnight.

Click thumbnails to enlarge

Start of project. Three heating zones.

Original 3 port return manifold.

Assembled 3 port expansion manifold.

3 port return expansion manifold mounted.

3 port return expansion manifold with two new lines attached.

Assembled 3 port source manifold.

3 port source expansion manifold mounted.

3 port source expansion manifold mounted and wired.

Rear view of 3 port source expansion manifold.

Completed project. Two zones have been added and a third port is available.

Orange pipes are newly added. All lines are held to beams with copper straps.

Typical splice used for splitting heating zones. Four splices were required to split the single bedroom zone into three.

Cold water enters the furnace from the 1/2 inch pipe, through the ball valve (turned off), one way check valve, and pressure regulator. I leave the ball valve turned off. If there were a leak in the system, it would be limited to the water in the furnace. With the valve open, water leaking would be immediately replaced and the flood could be disastrous. I occasionally open the valve to ensure the system is operating at proper pressure, but have never noticed a problem.

Hot water exits the furnace and flows through a ball valve, past the drain valve, and circulating pump. The expansion tank is green (tank has been relocated to allow easier access on side of furnace, compare to other pictures), above is the automatic air purge screw at the very top. From here the water will flow through the source manifold, through the zone valves, and warm the room. Cooled water returns through the return manifold to the base of the furnace where it is heated and recirculated.
To bleed air from the system, turn off the furnace AC power switch to prevent the furnace from running constantly. Attach a hose to the drain valve and turn off the ball valve beneath the drain. Open the ball valve to allow cold water to enter the furnace. Open the drain valve and push the lever at bottom of the zone valve to allow water to flow. Watch for bubbles at the end of the hose. When there are no more bubbles close the zone valve and move to the next one.
After all zones have been purged, close the drain valve and cold water intake valve. Now open the ball valve beneath the drain and the system should be ready to go. Any small bubbles remaining will be automatically purged. Make sure the black screw above the expansion tank is loose to allow air to escape.

Further energy savings

I place shrink plastic on windows to reduce draft and heat loss.
Becket Heat Manager claims to save 10% on fuel consumption. After reading the product specs, I adjusted the thermostats on the furnace to operate between 155F and 175F.
If that's all the device does I can do it more inexpensively and easier.
(Spec sheet originally downloaded from http://www.patriot-supply.com/files/beckett_7512_data_sheet.pdf)
Here is a picture of the thermostat and the new settings.
Click for a larger image.

From Nova Scotia Power - Top 10 hot tips to stay warm & reduce energy costs

This Spring, after hearing the furnace cycle several times during the night to keep its internal tank heated I decided to do something about this apparent waste of energy. In summer the sides of the furnace are noticeably warm, radiating heat into the basement. There is no requirement for hot water while everyone is asleep. I installed an electronic timer in series with the main shut off switch to automatically turn off the furnace overnight and during the day while everyone is at work. The furnace is turned on in the morning when we are getting out of bed and preparing for the day, as well as when we get home for the evening. Installation is little more complicated than putting in a light switch, followed by simple programming of the timer. I expect it to pay for itself over the course of the summer.
I bought the timer for $30 at Canadian Tire, item number is 52-9907-6. It is made by UPM, model ETW 350.

Conserving on your Heating Bill, from Yahoo!
Tips For Homeowners to Conserve on Heating Bills

Insulate walls, ceilings and floors as required. Savings in fuel costs in a well insulated home over an uninsulated home will pay for the cost of proper insulation in a few years.

Install storm windows and storm doors. These items of good quality and properly installed are a major factor in fuel savings as the reduce both heat transmission and air leakage.

Caulk all cracks around door and window frames and at the foundation.

If storm window and doors are not installed, use good weatherstripping to reduce air leakage.

Close outside doors promptly and securely.

Keep doors of an attached garage closed.

If the garage is heated, maintain the temperature at about 40F.

If the basement is to be heated, or there is no insulation in the floor above the basement, insulate the walls and seal cracks at the foundation, windows and doors. If possible install storm sash.

If the house is built over a crawl space, make sure the ventilating grills are closed and air tight during the heating season. Insulate the walls of the crawlspace if possible.

Closing the damper in the room with the thermostat can cause the rest of the house to overheat.

Lower the thermostat settings in unoccupied areas and close doors to those areas. A 10% setback overnight will save fuel.

For best performance a thermostat should be located on an inside wall where it will not be affected by sunlight. Do not locate on an outside wall, on a chimney wall, over a radiator or in direct drafts.

Keep the windows closed and locked when not opened for ventilation.

Close the fireplace damper when the fireplace is not in use. With the damper open, the warm air in the room will be drawn up the chimney. Install a set of glass doors on the fireplace which can be closed when the fireplace is not in use or when the fire is very small.

Have your heating equipment serviced and kept in top working condition. A dirty furnace wastes fuel.

Insulate heating pipes or ducts in an exposed or unheated space.

Make sure inspection doors and cleanout openings on your furnace are closed. Prevent air leakage into the combustion chamber.

If an automatic draft regulator is supplied on the flue pipe, make sure the damper swings freely.

Replace or repair hot water faucets if they drip. Always close securely after use.

Do not let carpeting block the bottom air opening of a baseboard heating unit.

Periodically examine the fins on the pipe inside the baseboard heating enclosures. If they have a lot of lint or other material on them that will restrict air flow vacuum or otherwise clean them.

A major source of air infiltration into homes is through wall outlets and switches. To stop the infiltration, install wall plate gaskets and safety plug covers.
While building our home, I discovered that I could save many dollars by manufacturing my own gaskets rather than buying the "prefab" gaskets. I went to the local building supply center and purchased a roll of 1/8" sill plate gasket. I took a plug and a switch cover plate and traced them onto the gasket material then cut them out with a razor knife. I was able to make all of the plug and switch cover gaskets for the house (over 100) in about two hours and at a cost of under $4.00.
I also shopped around for safety plug covers that completely cover the plug and its joint with the cover plate. This helps to reduce the amount of air infiltration throught the plugs by 95% or better.
To help prove my claim, I had our local electric cooperative conduct an air infiltration test on my home and we had to put our hands within two inches of a plug or switch before we could feel any draft. When we removed the cover plate gasket and safety plug covers, we could feel the air draft with our hands at eight to ten inches away from the plugs and switches.

Another heating or should I say heat saving tip is, in older homes, I have had I have found it very easy and economical to take the trim off from around the windows and stuff insulation in or purchase that expanding foam spray and seal around the windows. I have noticed a big difference in the comfort level and when it is -30c outside you sure notice the difference with the amount the furnace operates. The cost of doing this little job for me was only about $10 dollars for the whole house and I bet it saved me $50 in my heating cost over one winter.