Our Early Contributions

When we became the new HVAC contractor, the general contractor, Bosi Construction, started to finish the basement. They were building custom benches around the game room, and Mark Donovan wanted to ensure that people sitting on the benches didn’t feel the cool temperature of the stone foundation.

We added copper fin tubes inside of the benches. Each bench was custom-made with an air slot along the floor and another along the back. When this zone is on, it trickles heat along the back wall as the guests enjoy a comfortable game of pool.

Around the same time, Donovan contracted with us to cool a wine cellar that he wanted to build. We installed a small refrigeration condenser in one of the laundry room cabinets.

We also installed a Daikin mini-split high-wall evaporator altered to work with the condenser. The design hid every part of the system with custom cabinetry that would make most carpenters look like mere apprentices.

Mark had one complaint about his system during the heating season: he always heard circulator pumps running in the basement.
We discovered the sound came from the many small zones, plus several circulators to accomplish different tasks within the system.

I am embarrassed to say how long it took me to understand the idea that there is thermal comfort and overall comfort. Sound plays into people’s overall comfort and is almost as important as thermal comfort in some circumstances.

Another related complaint was the watt draw of the heating system while it was operating. Donovan identified the usage with an Emporia Vue energy monitor system.

This watt draw wasn’t surprising. The system had four B&G PL-36 circulators installed on the heating side and another Taco circulator on the domestic re-circulation loop.

Since the zones were so small, they also had B&G differential bypass valves installed on low- and high-temperature circuits.

One by one, we replaced the original circulators with Grundfos ECM circulators. By doing so, we removed the differential bypass valves. The new circulators could ramp down when only one or two zones were calling. They could match their speed to the system’s demand.

This fix will be a long-term solution for system watt draw and a drastic reduction in overall sound.

The Final Chapter of The Project

After completing work in the basement, the second floor was the only thing left to do. At the beginning of 2023, Mark Donovan and his family moved out of the home, and Bosi Construction started the demo work on the second floor.

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