SpacePak Systems: Where Running Hot and Cold is a Good Thing
/Small Planet Supply is pleased to bring you another option for heating and cooling spaces in your home. SpacePak is our newest addition to our hydronic products. SpacePak and their parent company Mestek have been providing quality products made in America for over 70 years. While these two companies offer a variety of HVAC technologies, Small Planet Supply is only focused on providing the best heat pump hydronic systems that SpacePak has developed.
SpacePak’s Hydronic Systems rely on water to transfer heat energy from the heat pump into your home. These systems consist of 3 parts, the heat pump, a buffer tank, and the heat delivery method, which can come in several forms. Heat delivery can be in the form of traditional underfloor coils, or in a variety of fan coil wall units. Choice of delivery method is based on design parameters and preference, and all work with the same heat pump and buffer tank components. What’s more is that SpacePak’s hydronic systems are capable of heating AND cooling, meaning this single system can condition your home year-round.
Why Hydronic Works Better Than Air
SpacePak Hydronic Heat Pumps work by using a self-contained refrigerant to produce heating and cooling from the air and transfer the energy to water which is then pumped through the heating coils. By using this “air-to-water” approach, you get the combined advantages of contemporary air-source heat pumps coupled with the highly touted comfort and versatility of hydronic heating and cooling systems. Water is used as the heat transfer medium because it has a higher density and specific heat capacity than air. One kilogram of water can carry almost six times more heat energy than the same mass of air at a constant volume. Since less medium is needed for the same energy transfer, hydronic piping requires less space (over 800 times less) than traditional air ducts. This saved space can be used for other systems in the building, or to expand the size of living spaces.
Pumping water rather than forcing air through vertical ducts is also much simpler and more efficient, improving overall system performance. In homes with furnaces, you will find vertical ducts where hot air is forced through to get to individual rooms, which work ok for small distances of one or two floors. These are not as feasible in buildings with a great number of floors. As the distance to the vent increases, air cannot be delivered as efficiently because the static pressure becomes too high. You end up only getting effective heating at the bottom most floors. Hydronic pipes and water pumps are a much better choice for efficiency and effectiveness when you are looking to condition upper floors. By using the combination of hydronic piping and chosen heat delivery method, you end up with one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems available today.
Another benefit of hydronic systems over forced air is how much healthier they can be. With traditional forced air systems, pollutants and odors can be spread to other areas since the air ducting system covers the entire building. This an especially large concern in today’s world where ventilation and air quality are paramount to a healthy building and healthy inhabitants. Hydronic heating and cooling systems address this concern by using separate air handlers for independent areas of the building, meaning harmful items like dust and mold are easier control and keep from spreading. In fact, with radiant systems, the heating coils are embedded on walls, ceilings, and floors. In this configuration heating and cooling are done directly through these surfaces, meaning no interaction with the ventilation system is needed, leaving a zero chance of spreading air pollutants.
SpacePak’s Components Available Through Small Planet Supply
Small Planet Supply now distributes the major components you need to put together a hydronic heating and cooling system of your own. As mentioned before, the main components are a heat pump, a buffer tank, and a delivery method. Let’s break down each of the main components available and why they’re such a great choice.
SpacePak Heat Pumps
While several models of heat pump are available from SpacePak, the units available from Small Planet Supply are the Solstice SIM series of inverter monobloc air-to-water heat pumps. These heat pumps, as their name suggests, use inverter compressors and DC driven fan motors to optimize load matching for efficient operation. Inverter heat pumps work by continuously pumping refrigerant between the compressor and the condenser, which fluctuates between liquid and gas. The heat energy this expansion/contraction generates or uses is what is heating and cooling the hydronic loop. For a cooling scenario, liquid expands to gas and heat is drawn from the hydronic loop by the phase change then expended to the ambient air, providing a cooling effect to the loop. The cooled water in the loop is pumped to the hydronic loop and cools off the space, which in turn warms the water as it is sent back to the heat pump to start the process over. Reversing circuitry in the heat pump allows it to go between heating and cooling scenarios, in a heating mode, the opposite phase change, gas to liquid, produces heat which is absorbed into the hydronic loop and transported to the interior space.
These Solstice SIM series heat pumps are a monobloc design, meaning no on-site refrigerant charging is necessary, and all refrigerant is kept outside. With heating capacities ranging from 13,200 Btu/h to upwards of 70,600 Btu/h, there is a heat pump available to fit most scenarios in North America. These same units also provide a cooling capacity max rating from 3-5 tons, meaning a single heat pump can provide cooling all but the largest houses in the hottest climates. Even in those cases, you can set up multiple heat pumps to handle dedicated zones. All of this heating and cooling is provided quietly and efficiently thanks to the design and low amp draw of the system, with a heating COP of up to 5 and a cooling EER efficiency up to 12.97, depending on model size. Featuring sophisticated freeze protection and low ambient cooling capabilities, these heat pumps are extremely reliable and feature a 5-year parts and 10-year compressor warranty when installed by a certified contractor.
SpacePakBuffer Tanks
The second component in a SpacePak hydronic system is a buffer tank. This is an insulated tank that acts as separation and additional storage for the loop and heat pump. Their purpose is to separate the heat pump source loop from the distribution system. This means multiple flow rates and variable pump speeds can be used in a single system to serve multiple zones with different heat loads. Buffer tanks also allow for additional storage volume of energy not being used during current load calls and keep it ready for additional heat when needed. This setup leads to an overall more efficient system and keeps the equipment running longer.
Use of a buffer tank also allows for more flexible system design. With four total piping connections, a variety of piping and operation strategies can be utilized depending on the needs of the building. These tanks offered by SpacePak are of a durable design, made from stainless steel and insulated with polyurethane resin foam to an R12 value. These tanks also feature up to two 3kw heater elements for edge case scenarios where a little extra heating capacity is needed to augment what is provided by the heat pump alone. These buffer tanks might seem very similar to an electric water heater, but it is important to note that these are not suitable for potable water, hydronic loop water and domestic hot water should always be separated.
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SpacePak Distribution System
Finally, the last piece of the hydronic puzzle is the distribution system. These come in several formats which can be used depending on the requirements of the building. The big three are hydronic underfloor radiant loops, hydronic air handlers, and hydronic fan coils. SpacePak works with all of these, and even in combination with different distribution systems thanks to smart controls and the use of a buffer tank. Currently, Small Planet Supply only carries the hydronic fan coil option for distribution systems. These are offered in two forms, the highwall fan coil and the thin wall fan coil. Both of these options offer both heating and cooling and operate quietly with EC blower motors.
The HighWall unit is very much like a typical mini split blower that gets mounted near the top of the wall. The biggest difference is that these SpacePak HighWall fan coils contain no refrigerant inside, all of the heat energy is carried to and from the unit hydronically. The HighWall unit is constructed of a durable flame-resistant ABS plastic and is designed to be stylish and modern with a silver white color and rounded corners. The water coil uses a traditional design paired with advanced technology to provide efficient heat delivery while remaining a secure and reliable system.
ThinWall units are designed to be placed at the lower part of the wall. These units are a sleek space saving design that will deliver reliable heat to any interior space. Like their HighWall counterparts they contain no refrigerant inside, relying only on the hydronic loop for heating and cooling. Integrated touch controls on the glass front can be used to control the unit, or they can be controlled remotely when not next to the unit. The ThinWall units are meant to be used at a lower temperature than the HighWall units, aiming for hydronic loop temperatures 160f and below.
Both units feature a variety of operation modes and come with an included remote-control handset. With the remote-control you can set temperature and fan speeds manually. There are also timer functions which can be programmed and set from the control. Each hydronic fan coil unit has five modes available: cooling, drying, fan only, heating, and auto heat/cool. With such features, these units prove to be highly adaptive to your needs and can be set to deliver heating and cooling extremely efficiently.
SpacePak and Small Planet Supply, a Great Match for Your Needs
With the above components in stock now at Small Planet Supply, heating and cooling for your next build or remodel just got easier to source. You can schedule a consultation with one of our experts if you have questions and want help determining if SpacePak is the right choice for your project. Visit our website for more information on SpacePak here.
If you’re ready to order a system now, you can call and get the process started, sales associates are available M-F 8am-4:30pm Pacific time, USA (360)-866-8779, Canada (778)-379-8700. We can sell and ship these systems and components anywhere in the USA and Canada. Be sure to visit our webstore, USA or Canada for any other high performance building needs, or visit our Zehnder page to learn how these ventilation systems would be a great pairing with a SpacePak hydronic system.
