I Want One!

[wkuhns]

Reply to this topic to initiate discussion about ordering or building a controller. If an order is created, it will become its own thread with the unit serial number.

[Inniswhe]

I couldn't find any pricing info so I assume I send this message to get an estimate .
Could you please provide some pricing info for a controller on a new home project I am designing.

Major componts:
Wood boiler ( Tarm or Orlam)
Solar Panels
Storage tank ( 800 usgal) probably closed tank but maybe open) . WIll have solar coil, domestic preheat coil
Cold Start CI backup boiler ( Buderus or Biasi)
Dual coil indirect water heater for use when wood not online and also for solar as the first stage load. The large storage tank will be charged when the indirect heater is satisfied.
Several Pumps, zone valves
Approx 8 temperature sensors required ( wood boiler LWT, storage tank, Indirect heater upper level, indirect heater lower level , oil boiler , solar panels LWT, solar panels EWT, Outdoor air)

Thanks

[wkuhns]

Sent you an email. If you have a diagram of your proposed plumbing that you'd like to post, that would help in determining what you'll need.

[medman]

Well, here we go...

My Setup:

I have an EKO 25 with 500 gallons of storage plumbed in the "Simplest Pressurized System" configuration. Boiler and storage, expansion tank, etc are located in my insulated shop 140' from the house. The EKO controller runs the boiler circulator, a Taco 007.
The system feeds the house on demand from the heat loads, which are a sidearm DHW heat exchanger and a water-to-air heat exchanger in my furnace plenum. The piping is set up such that if only DHW calls for heat, flow is to sidearm only. If plenum is calling for heat, then water flows through both sidearm and plenum hx.
Plenum has it's own circulator in the house.
Currently I control this system with assorted relays and snap-disc sensors but I have been having intermittent relay problems and issues related to lack of flexibility in control of the system.

I want to be able to control this system using the NFCS. In the house I would need:
Incoming hydronic temp sensor
DHW tank temp sensor
Plenum hx input temp sensor
House air temp sensor

Sense call for heat from thermostat (relay closure on Tstat board)
Control for Plenum circulator (Taco three speed pump)

In the shop I would need:
Boiler out temp sensor
Boiler in temp sensor
Storage top temp sensor
Storage 2/3 temp sensor
Storage 1/3 temp sensor
Storage bottom temp sensor
Shop air temp sensor
Outdoor air temp sensor (outdoor reset?)

Control for loop circulator (sends water to house on demand) - Taco 0014 pump on/off
Datalogging of all of the above.

NCFS would be located in the shop, as would the PC for control/datalogging. This PC will only be a server for the NCFS and it will not be connected to a network or the internet for now.
It seems pretty simple on paper, and the rules for control seem simple as well. Failsafe controls are all hydraulic/mechanical for power-out and overheat protection, and I have two large UPS systems in place to run the boiler circulator and control in the event of a power failure. In the event that the boiler and storage are both cold, the system needs to do nothing; the thermostat will escalate the call for heat through the four heat stages and engage the electric backup elements in the plenum.

I would like to use the most expandable system possible, since I may add drainback solar for summer DHW heating. I will need the controller, enclosure, power supply and breakout boxes for sure. I can source any sensors you recommend, as well as cable, from here.

Let me know what you think!

Ryan

[wkuhns]

It all looks good - I don't see anything that would be a problem. The only system limit that you're getting anywhere close to is temp sensors - the NFCS only supports 16 in standard configuration.

The NFCS does datalogging internally. You need a PC or other web-enabled device to set up the NFCS, to monitor the system, and to view logged data. You don't need the PC for the system to operate.

You can make your own sensors, but there are no off-the-shelf sensors (other than my own) that plug directly in. If you want to build your own, I can suggest components. There is a page on my site that has sensor connector pinout data: http://www.nofossil.org/index.php?choice=pinouts

You may want to consider stringing an extra Cat5 so that the NFCS can be accessed from your house (or from the Internet if you ever want to). That could also provide the opportunity for easy software updates.