Hydronic Furnaces
In a hydronic furnace, water is first heated in a boiler or water heater and then circulated through the coils of a liquid-to-air heat exchanger connected to the furnace air handler (Figure 7-23).
Heat is transferred from the water in the coils to the air inside the air handler compartment. A blower distributes the warm air through ducts to outlets in the different rooms of the house or building.
This type of installation is sometimes called a hydro-air heating system. Its operation is controlled by a centrally located thermostat working in conjunction with an aquastat or time delay. The
aquastat or time delay prevents blower operation until the water passing through the coils in the air handler has reached the temper- ature called for by the thermostat setting. In zoned systems, heat circulation is regulated by a motor-actuated damper located in or near the duct system or the air handler. The damper motor is con- trolled by a zone control panel.
A hydronic furnace must be equipped with an air filter to pre- vent dust and other matter from circulating through the ducts and passing into the rooms. The accessories used with hydro-air heating
systems include an electronic air cleaner, a humidifier, and an air conditioning evaporator coil with a condensate pump.