Specifications

7
EKO BOILER MANUAL
Hot Water Storage
For the best results, the use of a heat storage tank is recommended. A properly sized storage tank
can cut wood consumption by as much as 40%. Hot water storage allows the boiler to run at optimum
capacity regardless of the demand for heat from the building being heated. The stored heat can be
recovered later, both stretching the time between boiler re-fuelings, and as an additional source of
heat on very cold days. Generally, the bigger the storage tank the better, as the boiler is most efcient
when running at full capacity. The rule of thumb on tank sizing is that 13 gallons of water can store
about 1KW of boiler heat. Using the EKO 25 as an example: 13 gal/1KW x 31KW = 421 gallons, 421
gallons x 91% efciency = 383 gallon minimum size water tank. A hot water storage tank connected to
an EKO boiler can also be used to store hot water from a solar water heater.
Protecting the Boiler During a Pump or Power Failure
During the course of operating the boiler, there is always the possibility of a pump or power failure. It
is recommended that you install an auxiliary power supply (i.e. UPS) to power the boiler fan, pumps
and controller during a power failure. It is also a good idea to install a gravity feed storage tank above
the boiler. Typically, this would be a water storage tank connected to a normally-closed zone valve (or
at a minimum, a manual valve) that will allow hot water from the boiler to circulate into the tank in the
event of a power outage.
Other Boiler Protection Considerations
• Do not use self-contained non-electric zone valves on the main heating zone as it is to be used as
the overheat/dump zone. Such a valve would prevent the overheat control from cooling the boiler
when necessary.
• Do not use any radiant oor heat tubing that does not have an oxygen barrier otherwise you must
use a heat exchanger between the hard piping of the boiler and the radiant oor heat tubing.
• A backup power supply such as a UPS (battery-based Uninterruptible Power Supply) is required
to operate the primary loop pump and dump zone valve if it is of the electrically operated variety. It
EKO 60 with 1,000 gallons of pressurized hot water storage and
expansion tank.
be inspected and approved by qualied professionals (i.e., a chimney sweep, a licensed plumbing
and heating contractor, electrician, etc.). Another important requirement is that the chimney and con-
necting pipe need to be insulated for safety and to prevent condensation and a reduction in the draft
caused when the gas in the chimney cools too much. If there is still a problem with draft (too much or
too little), draft inducing fans or draft regulators may need to be considered.
Unit is not to be connected to a chimney ue serving another appliance.
Expansion
Tank
1,000 Gallon
Hot Water Storage Tank