AERCO Buffer Tanks - Manual (Page 7)

VD2: 08/27/12 Page 7 of 14 AERCO International, Inc. • 100 Oritani Dr. • Blauvelt, New York 10913 • Phone: 800-526-0288
AERCO Buffer Tank Installation and Maintenance
Technical Instruction Document
TID-0006_0B
4. BUFFER TANK FIELD PIPING
An AERCO boiler system should be piped in one of four arrangements, depending on your
system design requirements and the boiler specified. Benchmark boilers can be installed with a
2-port buffer tank. Modulex boilers should be installed with a 4-port buffer tank. For illustration
purposes, AERCO SmartPlate water heaters are depicted in the piping diagrams presented in
these instructions.
Select the appropriate piping diagrams for your application from the following drawings:
NOTE
Each AERCO boiler requires a minimum flow when used in DHW
combination systems – see figures below for specific minimum
flow requirements for each boiler model.
• Figure 2 shows the buffer tank and SmartPlate heaters piped as a zone with the Benchmark
boilers and the heating system.
• Figure 3 shows the buffer tank and SmartPlate heaters, piped as a zone with the
Benchmark boilers and the heating system, and a separate zone, or summer pump. In this
arrangement the system pump supplies the buffer tank/SmartPlate zone during the heating
season. When the heating season ends, the system pump can be shut down and the zone
will be serviced by the separate summer pump to conserve energy.
• Figure 4 shows the buffer tank and SmartPlate heaters piped with Benchmark boilers
dedicated solely to domestic water heating.
• Figure 5 shows the 4-port buffer tank and SmartPlate heaters piped with Modulex boilers.
The location of connections on the 4-port buffer tank, and natural stratification will ensure
that the hot outlet water for the boilers will pass through to the system and the colder return
water will pass through back to the boilers and allow condensing.
• A non-AERCO low mass boiler system should be piped as shown in Figure 6. In this
illustration, SmartPlate water heaters and a 4-port buffer tank are piped as a zone of the
heating system.
IMPORTANT!
The piping schematics shown in these installation procedures
illustrate only the piping between the water heater and the
AERCO tank. SEE THE APPROPRIATE WATER HEATER
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL FOR COMPLETE
WATER HEATER INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.