OWB supply/return lines switched

[modn]

I have read it here before, but I was looking at the panel where the lines hook into the boiler. It is clearly marked supply and return. I have red and blue pex lines and they are hooked correctly as the pump is on the red side. I know there is a theory of pulling water from the bottom rather than the top. It works fine it just bothers me that this was done. Question is should I leave well enough alone? The burn rate is very good as I can go 24 hours without a problem and at least 18 hours normally. I was heating 2000sqft at 73 degrees but started opening the registers in the basement for an additional 1000sqft and everything is still fine.My installer said he has been doing it that way for 4 years now and everything has worked fine. I don't think he wanted to explain the theory and I wasn't willing to keep pressing the question as I think he would get defensive questioning him on it. He is knowledgable and does many installs with every source of heat and he did a great job for me in the past also. He said he can switch them if it really bothers me, but wondering if I should even bother as it works fine.

 

[jeeptj19992001]

mine is hooked up bass akwards, pulls from the top. my heatmor dealer set it up, and when i asked him, he side it was better this way

 

[Slick]

I've seen a couple heatmors hooked up pulling from the bottom and returning to the top, I'm beginning to wonder if Heatmor suggests it?

 

[NC4AB]

If it works and you are happy then don't mess with it.

The main advantage of pulling from the top is you get hotter water and have less chance of picking up sediment that is laying in the bottom of the OWB.

The disadvantage of pulling from the top is that you work the pump harder by having less head on the suction and the water is hotter.

The factory setup with my Hardy H2 has the suction coming from the top of the OWB and returns to the bottom, which actually generates a pretty good (in other words free) thermo-syphon flow when the pump isn't running. If I leave the furnace blower running on mild days the house temperature will overshoot 5 or 10 degrees just from the water thermo-syphoning through the system.

The more important place to make sure the piping is correct is inside the house, as piping it backward through the water to air coil it can reduce your ability to transfer heat to the air.

 

[modn]

If it works and you are happy then don't mess with it.

The main advantage of pulling from the top is you get hotter water and have less chance of picking up sediment that is laying in the bottom of the OWB.

The disadvantage of pulling from the top is that you work the pump harder by having less head on the suction and the water is hotter.

The factory setup with my Hardy H2 has the suction coming from the top of the OWB and returns to the bottom, which actually generates a pretty good (in other words free) thermo-syphon flow when the pump isn't running. If I leave the furnace blower running on mild days the house temperature will overshoot 5 or 10 degrees just from the water thermo-syphoning through the system.

The more important place to make sure the piping is correct is inside the house, as piping it backward through the water to air coil it can reduce your ability to transfer heat to the air.

That was the 1st thing I made sure of, and it is correct. The temp is off as far as what the boiler says and what I actually get. I won't bother screwing with it until I'm unhappy, which I highly doubt. Thanks all of you for the input.

 

[cleanburn]

I have a Heatmor and I pull from the bottom. I believe they suggest it because some people don't buy good pumps and if your water level gets low you burn your pump out pulling from the top.

 

[modn]

I have a Heatmor and I pull from the bottom. I believe they suggest it because some people don't buy good pumps and if your water level gets low you burn your pump out pulling from the top.

The more I think of it I think I will install a temp gauge at the boiler and in the basement. I will then know for sure where I am as I know it isn't pulling the 180 degree temp it is indicating, but then again I'm only putting the probe thermometer on the metal 90's so that is inacurate to start with.