AHR 2023: Resilient HVAC and Hydronics

Hydronic heating and cooling methods are resilient alternatives to traditional HVAC systems using outdoor equipment.

Feb. 9, 2023

Hydronic (hot water) heating and cooling methods are resilient alternatives to traditional HVAC systems using outdoor equipment, said Richard Medairos, P.E., of Taco at the 2023 AHR Expo in Atlanta. They are environmentally safe (do not use ozone-depleting substances), interact well with renewables (solar hot water and PV, wind, ground-source heat pumps), include flexible design configurations and are not dependent on weather issues as the equipment is housed inside buildings.

Water is an efficient material to transfer heat, and hydronic systems respond well to building modifications and various controls. Hot water can be distributed through fan coils, fin-tube radiators, panel radiators, radiant floor heating and cooling, active and passive chilled beams and air-handling units.

And hydronic technology is an ideal method of thermal storage.

“Hydronic systems can be combined with other systems to achieve HVAC needs,” he explained.

About the Author

Kelly L. Faloon

Freelance Writer/Editor

Kelly L. Faloon is a contributing editor and writer to Contracting Business magazine, Contractor and HPAC Engineering. The former editor of Plumbing & Mechanical magazine, Faloon has more than 20 years experience in the plumbing and heating industry. She started a freelance writing and editing business in 2017, where she has a varied clientele.

Faloon spent 3 1/2 years at Supply House Times before joining the Plumbing & Mechanical staff in 2001. Previously, she spent nearly 10 years at CCH/Wolters Kluwer, a publishing firm specializing in business and tax law, where she wore many hats — proofreader, writer/editor for a daily tax publication, and Internal Revenue Code editor.

A native of Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, Faloon is a journalism graduate of Michigan State University. You can reach her at [email protected].