Is It Time for More Wholesalers to Get Hot about Hydronics?

For HVACR wholesalers who want to set themselves apart from competitors, hydronics is fast becoming a way to establish that difference. With clean and comfortable heating, instantaneous hot water and energy efficiency, hydronic systems are poised for growth in the U.S. market.

Hydronics is a different way of thinking about HVACR, says Chuck Brewer, vice president of sales for NY Thermal (NTI), a St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, company that manufactures hydronic boilers and furnaces. Thinking differently requires lots of educating, training and marketing by Brewer and his team of salespeople. They have to explain the benefits of hydronics for consumers and the success that wholesalers and contractors can enjoy by selling and installing such systems. Once they understand the value of hydronic systems, they become true believers.

“It's a more elegant heating solution for any home rather than most of the alternatives in the market,” says Brewer. “It's about comfort, health and efficiency.”

When wholesalers and contractors understand hydronics, they also become believers of NTI products. The company has been in the hydronics business for more than 40 years, and its laboratory and training facilities continue to develop home heating and commercial hydronic equipment that is innovative and energy efficient. NTI also maintains a robust network of sales and technical support for wholesalers and contractors.

So what is hydronics, and why does it perform so well for homeowners? As its name implies, hydronics relies on water, more specifically hot water, to heat the home. A gas-, oil- or wood-fired boiler heats water, which then circulates through the home via underfloor tubing, slim baseboard radiators or decorative wall panels. The water then returns to the boiler for reheating and recirculation. Water is the most efficient way to transfer heat, says Brewer, and therefore high-efficiency boilers can save homeowners up to 40 percent on their fuel consumption.

Because water is an excellent conductor of heat, it releases heat gradually when it passes through the radiator in each room, creating heat that is comfortable and evenly distributed. “When you look at a standard system with a gas furnace, the contractor must add humidifiers to the system to maintain comfort and healthy humidity levels because you're taking humidity out of the air due to the method of heat exchange,” Brewer notes. “With a hydronic system, you don't take the humidity out of the air. It's radiant heating.”

The 95%+ AFUE NTI Trinity Lx 200 and 400 boiler.

Many of NTI's gas boilers also offer the dual benefits of being the source for efficient, instantaneous domestic hot water without taking up additional space. NTI “combi” boilers with brazed-plate heat exchangers provide domestic hot water more efficiently than having a separate hot water heater for homes or commercial needs. There are also dual-rated boilers that are certified as high-efficiency boilers and large-volume flow-through water heaters for large-load domestic needs or commercial applications, such as laundromats and car washes.

Hydronic systems have come a long way in recent years, and NTI has been a leader in these innovations. The Matrix, which NTI introduced three years ago, is an integrated mechanical heating system that incorporates a 95%+ AFUE condensing instantaneous water heater, a 95%+ AFUE condensing hydronic furnace, a 95%+ AFUE condensing boiler and a heat recovery ventilator. It is also pre-wired to integrate third-party indoor coils for matching condenser or heat pump combinations.

Such innovations are “creating a lot of excitement” throughout the supply chain, Brewer says. Contractors and engineers in nontraditional hydronic markets like the South are beginning to embrace the possibilities that hydronics offers and are asking wholesalers to carry hydronic systems. “Hot water is required everywhere,” he adds.