Engineering ToolBox - Resources, Tools and Basic Information for Engineering and Design of Technical Applications!

Design of Hot Water Heating Systems

Calculate gravity and forced circulating hot water heating systems.

Sponsored Links

Gravity Circulating Heating System

In a hot water gravity heating system the circulation of water is a result of the density difference between hot water in the supply lines and cold water in the return lines.

Gravity Circulating Heating System

The hot water tends to flow upwards and cold water tends to flow downwards. The elevation of the supply and return lines are therefore important for proper functionality.

The low differential pressure in the gravity system requires increased pipes and valves dimensions. The gravity system has a relative low heating capacity due to low medium temperature in heating elements.

The gravity system is simple and limited to use in smaller hot water heating systems.

With a reversed return pipe the length of the supply and return pipes for all heating elements are more or less the same. This makes it easier to select proper piping dimension for balanced flow.

The expansion of water (4.7% from 0oC to 100oC) can be collected in an open expansion tank above the rest of the system or inside a closed pressurized tank close to the boiler and safety valves. In modern systems closed tanks are preferred.

Forced Circulation Heating System

In forced systems the circulation is forced by pumps.

Forced Circulation Heating System

Water is circulated by the pump regardless of temperature forces between hot and cold water. It is not necessary to be careful with piping elevations. Pipes, valves and heating elements, radiators and air heaters, can be downsized because of higher flow and higher mean temperatures.

Forced circulation systems are in general the only practical alternative for larger systems.

Sponsored Links

Related Topics

Related Documents

Sponsored Links

Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - Online 3D modeling!

3D Engineering ToolBox Extension to SketchUp - add parametric components to your SketchUp model

Add standard and customized parametric components - like flange beams, lumbers, piping, stairs and more - to your Sketchup model with the Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - enabled for use with the amazing, fun and free SketchUp Make and SketchUp Pro .Add the Engineering ToolBox extension to your SketchUp from the SketchUp Pro Sketchup Extension Warehouse!

Translate
About the Engineering ToolBox!

Privacy

We don't collect information from our users. Only emails and answers are saved in our archive. Cookies are only used in the browser to improve user experience.

Some of our calculators and applications let you save application data to your local computer. These applications will - due to browser restrictions - send data between your browser and our server. We don't save this data.

Google use cookies for serving our ads and handling visitor statistics. Please read Google Privacy & Terms for more information about how you can control adserving and the information collected.

AddThis use cookies for handling links to social media. Please read AddThis Privacy for more information.

Citation

This page can be cited as

  • Engineering ToolBox, (2003). Design of Hot Water Heating Systems. [online] Available at: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/hot-water-heating-systems-d_475.html [Accessed Day Mo. Year].

Modify access date.

. .

close

3D Engineering ToolBox - draw and model technical applications! 2D Engineering ToolBox - create and share online diagram drawing templates! Engineering ToolBox Apps - mobile online and offline engineering applications!

Scientific Online Calculator

Scientific Calculator

3 10

Sponsored Links
.