HYDRONIC HEATING AND COOLING HANDBOOK

Design hydronic systems that work as a complete system.

This practical engineering handbook connects building loads, water-side hydraulics, heat sources, terminal units, controls, installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting. It gives residential and light-commercial designers, technicians, contractors, students, and building professionals a rigorous path from first principles to field verification.

Work through clear derivations, technical diagrams, comparison tables, and application-focused examples covering boilers, air-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps, radiant floors, walls and ceilings, panel radiators, fan coils, domestic hot water, expansion tanks, air separation, glycol, pumps, valves, and hydraulic separation.

Inside you will learn how to:

• Convert room loads into design flows and water temperatures.
• Calculate pipe, fitting, valve, and critical-path pressure losses.
• Read pump curves and locate real operating points.
• Apply outdoor reset, zoning, staging, and differential-pressure control.
• Protect condensing efficiency and heat-pump performance at part load.
• Size expansion, pressurization, storage, and heat-exchange equipment.
• Commission sensors, safeties, flow, capacity, and sequences of operation.
• Diagnose low heat, poor temperature difference, cycling, hunting, air, and corrosion.
• Plan phased low-temperature electrification and net-zero-ready retrofits.

Each chapter includes governing equations, fully worked calculations, two focused teaching figures, review problems, and matching answers. The result is both a structured learning text and a durable desk reference for design reviews, equipment selection, construction coordination, startup, and optimization.

Use this handbook to move beyond isolated component choices and produce hydronic plants whose loads, temperatures, flows, pressure drops, controls, and acceptance tests agree.