Hydro Smart Radiant System At Menards - Thoughts on Recommendation

[lovebohn]

I have decided this is going to be my setup in a 40x36 garage that was constructed a few years back. It has the needed 2" insulation under the slab along with 1/2" tubing in 5 runs of 1370' total. I only want a single zone. I would like to use a Ecobee thermostat so it can be monitored on my phone like the house is.

Let me know your thoughts on if the included parts are acceptable or should be replaced or items added.
If anyone has an idea who makes their boilers or has a better option with similar specs and price let me know.

​

HSPS120LT - One Zone Master Panel

Hydro Smart
Menards


HS120CON-LP Condensing Microboiler

Hydro Smart Boiler
Menards



Manifold 5-Zone

Hydro Smart

 

[fitter30]

1370 feet = 43,840 btu's. 32 btu per ft.
Boiler freeze protection ( do not use automotive) 30% in minimum 50% max concentration. These glycol have two charts freeze and slush both will give you freeze protection. Might have to call the manufacturer tech line for slush chart. Glycol is harder to pump the higher the concentration.
Need to call Hydro Smart going to need a panel to power the thermostat 24vac and with whatever boiler is picked it might use 120vac to turn it on and the two pumps. They make a single zone panel but didn't see a manual on it.

 

[lovebohn]

Thanks for the input. They recommended the Hercules Cryo-Tek-100 in the 30-40% range. Yes, I believe both devices are just a standard 120 volt connection which I have ready.

 

[Dagny]

We sell both navien and viesman but they are a lot more money. I am interested in how long the menard ones last and if they stand behind it.

 

[Firebrick43]

I have decided this is going to be my setup in a 40x36 garage that was constructed a few years back. It has the needed 2" insulation under the slab along with 1/2" tubing in 5 runs of 1370' total. I only want a single zone. I would like to use a Ecobee thermostat so it can be monitored on my phone like the house is.

Let me know your thoughts on if the included parts are acceptable or should be replaced or items added.
If anyone has an idea who makes their boilers or has a better option with similar specs and price let me know.

​

HSPS120LT - One Zone Master Panel

Hydro Smart
Menards


HS120CON-LP Condensing Microboiler

Hydro Smart Boiler
Menards



Manifold 5-Zone

Hydro Smart

The pump panel you linked has a salus wireless pump controller and can not be hardwired to a thermostat so the stat and controller must be linked to a network.

If you want to hardwire to the thermostat you would need this panel

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/hydronic-radiant-heat/radiant-heat-control-panels/hydro-smart-trade-1-zone-radiant-in-concrete-system/6959772/p-1471978652456-c-8521.htm

It has a taco sr501 controller instead of the salus

 

[lovebohn]

I wonder why that's not spelled out better in the description.

 

[Firebrick43]

I wonder why that's not spelled out better in the description.

 

[lovebohn]

Hydro Smart replied back to the question...

They are both the same panel and both would include the Salus control. You can wire a thermostat to that control. The image for the other panel with the taco control is wrong and hasn’t been updated.

 

[lovebohn]

I asked them to double check. I agree the single zone Salus doesn't have the needed wiring options.

 

[steves_001]

I have both the boiler and the panel along with a 3 zone panel. Been very happy with it so far. Year 3 this season. I mistakenly had the glycol mix wrong so had to correct that. 50/50 distilled water-glycol mix. If you don’t, the boiler will have cavitation and cause low heat performance. My stats are all hardwired but WiFi remote access as well. Honeywell.

 

[lovebohn]

More updates.....

The control on the panel will be the AKL01P not the AKL01PRF. The AKL01P allows for a wired stat connection, whereas the AKL01 PRF is for wireless stats.

 

[jlv03]

Interesting pump relay, I like that it has an Exercise function for the pump: "Exercise – pumps turn ON for 30 sec. after 72 hours
of inactivity"

www.braeburnonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Spec_-_AKL06P.pdf

 

[finn]

I have two of the predecessor to that panel in my house. We upgraded to Taco E series pumps since the electric company was offering them for free as long as you had them professionally installed. My hvac guy essentially did the installation for what the power company kicked back to him, so no cost to me. They were bolt in replacements.

I did convert to Taco controllers since the Nest thermostats we’re using weren’t compatible with the Danfoss thermostats our panels came with. One of the Danfoss thermostats was failing anyway and that model was NLA.

We also bought a boiler from Menards at the time of installation. Problem with those off brand boilers is that nobody will work on them. The company that imported mine went belly up, so I ended up with an orpha. I replaced it with a brand my local hvac sells, and the Menards boiler is sitting in the utility room at the shop.

Bottom line is that I pretty much replaced everything electrical or gas after maybe ten years. You can probably get everything you need but name brand for less than the panel costs. My panel didn’t include the tank or manifolds so it fit in the 25% off paper bag sale Menards used to do in January, so I’m not a disgruntled customer, but knowing what I know now, I’d piece together my own kit, with the guidance of my HVAC guy, if required, although he’s buried in work. He’s pretty good about stuff like that.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Interesting pump relay, I like that it has an Exercise function for the pump: "Exercise – pumps turn ON for 30 sec. after 72 hours
of inactivity"

www.braeburnonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Spec_-_AKL06P.pdf

Can’t log into link.

 

[lovebohn]

I'm pretty sure the boilers are Takagi brand and Hydro smart does have all the parts for them. I did look at a Rinnai but just bought their brand. I agree we might need to upgrade or replace, but it's just a garage If I can get a generous 10 years out of the current setup I'll be happy.

 

[Modoc]

Just installed and commissioned an Navien nhb80h in my shop. Single zone with six loops and just under 1800’ of 1/2” per. The nice thing about the Navien is you can run up to three zones and circulators with out needing a separate controller.