Zone valves and indirect water heaters? I'm guessing most guys would rather drink warm beer than install an indirect with a zone valve. Why? The answers given are usually the standard ones given about zone valves in general—slow recovery, not enough flow, bad practice, no domestic hot water (DHW) if circulator pump fails—but in reality the real answer is the same as it most often is in this industry: "We always do it that way." I also felt that way, but over the course of years I ran across many jobs with a zone valve on the indirect, and by and large the customers weren't complaining. I assumed they thought the reduced performance was normal, so I asked them and they proceeded to tell me how long their teenagers were in the shower and how happy they were with their decision to buy an indirect. How can this be? After doing a little research, I decided to switch sides!
展开▼
