Lochinvar Power-Fin User manual

HIGH EFFICIENCY COMMERCIAL BOILERS
www.Lochinvar.com
DESIGNER’S GUIDE POWER-FIN®BOILER
Up to 87%
Thermal Efficiency

Dear Design-Build Contractor / Project Manager / Design Engineer,
At Lochinvar, we have long recognized the importance of innovation to any
product or service. Those who share in this business also face the challenge
of meeting constantly changing needs and energy efficiency demands.
The designer’s guide you are now holding has been designed to make it more
convenient for you to select the perfect Lochinvar boiler for your projects
and provide correct specifications for your teams.
All information has been organized and presented in a succinct, easy-to-use
manner, so you can use and share information confidently and with minimal
effort.
However, it is important to remember that this guide is not intended to
replace our installation manual. Installers should refer to our installation
manual for specific installation instructions and more detail. This guide will
make regular reference to other documents like the Installation & Operation
Manual that are available on the Lochinvar website, www.Lochinvar.com.
We hope this manual will make your work easier and more productive.
Thanks again for specifying the Lochinvar family of quality standard and
custom-built water heaters and boilers.
Sincerely,

3
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Table of Contents
Combustion Air …………..…..……………………… Page 5
Venting ….…………………………………………….. Page 8
Gas ….….…………….……………….………………… Page 21
Water …..……………………..……………………….. Page 23
Electricity & Controls ……………………………….. Page 28
Other Details ..……………………………………….. Page 33
Appendix A ….……..…………………………………. Page 36
Appendix B …………………………………………… Page 41
.

4
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
At Lochinvar, we know that designing a boiler is hard work. Designing a boiler system is
no picnic either. Demands for greater efficiency and elaborate system control have
made systems more complex.
This designers guide will break down the system requirements that match the Power-fin
boiler to assure safe operation, highly efficient heating and long life.
There are five major elements of boiler system design:
Combustion Air
(See page 5)
Venting
(See page 8)
Gas
(See page 21)
Water
(See page 23)
Electricity &
Controls
(See page 29)
Plus many other important details:
Locations Available Options
(See page 34 for “Location of Unit”) (See page 35 for “Options”)
High Altitude Requirements Suggested Piping Diagram
(See page 35 for “High Altitude Applications”) (See Appendix Section “A”)
Gas
Water
Electricity
&
Controls
Air
Venting

5
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
Chapter 1 –Combustion and
Ventilation Air
Everybody’s gotta breathe. Even boilers need air. Air seems easy enough. You stand in the
equipment room and you breathe comfortably, don’t you? Open a door. Open a window. This is
a big room. There’s lots of air in here for the boiler.
The average person inhales 400 to 500 cubic feet of air in a 24 hour period. A one million Btu/hr
boiler will draw 226.38 cubic feet of air every MINUTE! A 20 by 20 by 8 foot equipment room
holds 3200 cubic feet of air. That’s a volume of air to last you or me over six days. A one million
Btu/hr Power-fin will consume 3200 cubic feet of air in 14 minutes.
Therefore, a good, easy flow of clean air is 100% necessary for clean, efficient combustion. So,
we need to provide a permanent and uninterrupted flow of air to the boiler. The Power-fin boiler
is designed to receive combustion air by one of TWO methods. The boiler may draw combustion
air from the room or have the air ducted directly to the boiler from an exterior space.
This chapter explains the methods for “air from the room”. Chapter 2 explains “air ducted directly
to the boiler”. Again, this chapter lists several techniques to size the air openings that will deliver
room air. If there are other appliances in the room
requiring air, their air requirements must be including
when sizing the air openings.
Provisions for combustion and ventilation air must be
designed and installed in accordance with “Air for
Combustion and Ventilation”, of the latest edition of the
National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z223.1, (in Canada, the
latest edition of CGA Standard B149 Installation Code for
Gas Burning Appliances and Equipment) or applicable
provisions of the local building codes.
NEGATIVE PRESSURE IN THE EQUIPMENT ROOM
It is important to NEVER have a negative pressure on the equipment room. Exhaust fans are
popular in equipment rooms to exchange the air. If the exhaust fan pulls air OUT, then a negative
pressure occurs in the room. The combustion and ventilation air must be sized to supply all the
equipment PLUS the air for the exhaust fan.
COMBUSTION AND VENTILATION AIR SIZING CALCULATIONS
The sizing calculations in this section are based on “Free Area”. The louvers or grill used on the
air openings must have a net free area equal to or greater than the value derived in the
calculations. The Free Area in a louver or grill is defined as the open, unblocked area. The
louvers, grills, mesh, blades, all will block a given amount of space in the louver’s overall
dimension. Consult the louver manufacturer for exact net free area of the louver.
Air

6
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
1. COMBUSTION AIR FROM OUTSIDE
If air is taken directly from outside the building with no
duct, provide two permanent openings to the
equipment room:
(a) Combustion air opening, with a minimum free area
of one square inch per 4000 Btu/hr input (5.5 cm²per
kW). This opening must be located within 12" (30 cm)
of the bottom of the enclosure.
(b) Ventilation air opening, with a minimum free area of
one square inch per 4000 Btu/hr input (5.5 cm²per
kW). This opening must be located within 12" (30 cm)
of the top of the enclosure.
2. COMBUSTION AIR THROUGH DUCTS
If combustion and ventilation air is taken from the outdoors using
a duct to deliver the air to the equipment room, each of the two
openings should be sized based on a minimum free area of one
square inch per 2000 Btu/hr (11 cm²per kW) of input.
3. COMBUSTION AIR FROM INTERIOR
SPACE
If air is taken from another interior space,
each of the two openings specified above
should have a net free area of one square
inch for each 1000 Btu/hr (22 cm²per kW) of
input, but not less than 100 square inches
(645 cm²).
THE POWER-FIN COMES WITH LOUVER CONTACTS AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT. THE CONTACTS
WILL OPEN AND CLOSE A MOTORIZED LOUVER ON EACH CALL FOR HEAT.
Did you Know?

7
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
4. DIRECT OUTSIDE AIR, SINGLE OPENING
If a single combustion air opening is provided to bring
combustion air in directly from the outdoors, the opening
must be sized based on a minimum free area of one
square inch per 3000 Btu/hr (7 cm²per kW). This opening
must be located within 12" (30 cm) of the top of the
enclosure.
COMBUSTION AIR FILTER
The Power-fin has a built-in air filter as standard
equipment. Located at the combustion air inlet, the air
filter is provided to help ensure clean air is used for the
combustion process.
The filter size on models 502-1302 is 16" x 12" x 1"
(40.6 cm x 30.4 cm x 2.5 cm) and on models 1501 -
2001 is 16" x 16" x 1" (40.6 cm x 40.6 cm x 2.5 cm).
You can find these commercially available filters at any
home center or plumbing supply store.
THE COMBUSTION AIR MUST BE FREE OF ANY CONTAMINANTS OR CHEMICAL FUMES. SALTS,
REFRIGERANTS AND SOLVENTS INTRODUCED INTO THE COMBUSTION PROCESS WILL RESULT IN
THE FORMATION OF CORROSIVE ACIDS THAT WILL DAMAGE THE APPLIANCE AND THE VENT.
Caution

8
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
Chapter 2 –Venting
Venting is a difficult design element for the installation of a gas fired appliance. It has a variety of
choices, it has several available vent configurations, it has the important rules and regulations
that govern the installation and most important of all, it bears a requirement for human safety.
Lochinvar offers twelve different vent configurations on the Power-fin boiler to meet the building’s
requirements. There are six layouts or footprints across three different vent categories.
They are…
Vertical Vent with Air from the Equipment Room Category I, Category II or Category IV
Vertical Vent with Air from the Rooftop Category I, Category II or Category IV
Vertical Vent with Air from the Sidewall Category I, Category II or Category IV
Sidewall Vent with Air from the Equipment Room Category IV only
Sidewall Vent with Air from the Rooftop Category IV only
Sidewall Vent with Air from the Sidewall Category IV only
That’s a lot of choices. Plus there is an important
new consideration about specifying the correct
Firing Code. Allow me to overexplain.
Part 1
Vent Categories
Here is the traditional vent category diagram, standard throughout the industry. Lochinvar offers
twelve venting options that allow the Power-fin to be installed in any of three categories -
Category I, Category II and Category IV. Depending upon the “Firing Code” chosen, the Power-
fin boiler will be factory trimmed for direct connection either Category I or Category IV venting.
Part 2 explains “Firing Codes” and their relationship to Category I and Category IV.
We’ll explain Category II later.
CATEGORY I
Non-Condensing
Non-Positive Pressure
CATEGORY III
Non-Condensing
Positive Pressure
CATEGORY II
Condensing
Non-Positive Pressure
CATEGORY IV
Condensing
Positive Pressure
SPILLAGE OF FLUE PRODUCTS AND CARBON MONOXIDE EMISSIONS PRODUCED BY THE
COMBUSTION PROCESS CAN CAUSE SEVERE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.
Warning
Venting

9
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
The four basic Vent Categories are determined by two characterisitics, Condensation and
Pressure.
CONDENSING VERSUS NON-CONDENSING
The possibility for condensation to form in a stack is based on the temperature of the flue
products. If the temperature of the flue products remains consistantly above dewpoint,
condensation will not form. If the temperature drops below dewpoint, condensation will form.
So how does condensation apply to the Power-fin? Easy. The Power-fin’s firing rate determines
the stack temperature. Depending upon the model, the Power-fin may operate at a high firing
rate producing a high stack temperature to stay above dewpoint or it may modulate down to a low
firing rate producing a low stack temperature that allows the flue gas temperature to drop below
dewpoint. This is explained further in Part 2, “Firing Code”.
POSITIVE VERSUS NON-POSITIVE
Positive or non-positive pressure in the vent is determined by the capacity of the applinace’s
blower AND the diameter of the vent in order to PUSH the flue products. If the same appliance is
connected to a larger diameter stack, the blower CANNOT PUSH the flue products. The positive
pressure goes negative, or non-positive.
So how does pressure apply to the Power-fin? Again, easy. Depending upon the model, the
Power-fin boiler’s will be factory trimmed for a small vent connection to positive vent or a large
vent connection to non-positive vent. This is explained further in Part 2, “Firing Code”.
Part 2
Firing Codes
The model number for all Lochinvar products has a “Firing Code”.
Example: PBN0752-M9
“PBN0752” is the basic model number / “-M9” is the Firing Code.
This collection of letters and numbers has a specific meaning. The Firing Code is important
because it specifies a particular feature set that is factory trimmed to match the planned venting
system. With the correct firing code, Lochinvar will factory trim your boiler to fire at correct input
rate and provide the correct vent connection to meet your needs.
There are THREE basic firing codes. Here’s how they work.
F9 models / Power-fin 0502-1302 only
“F9” means “Full Fire” or 100% Full Fire with no modulation. (No Turndown)
Temperature –Firing at 100% of input rate, the Power-fin 0502-1302-F9 models will always
produce a high stack temperature. Non-Condensing.
Pressure –The Power-fin 0502-1302-F9 models are factory trimmed with a large diameter vent
connection. The blower CANNOT PUSH the flue products through a similarly sized stack
therefore creating a non-positive pressure. Non-Positive Pressure.
F9 models are Category I.
B9 models / Power-fin 1501-2001 only
“B9” means “Bi-level Fire” or 50% to 100% firing rate. (2:1 Turndown)
Temperature –Even firing at the lowest input rate of 50%, the Power-fin 1501-2001-B9 models
will produce a high stack temperature. Non-Condensing.

10
LOCHINVAR CORPORATION
300 MADDOX SIMPSON PKWY
LEBANON, TN 37090
www.lochinvar.com
Designer’s Guide / Power-fin Boiler
Pressure –The Power-fin 1501-2001-B9 models are factory trimmed with a large diameter vent
connection. The blower CANNOT PUSH the flue products through a similarly sized stack
therefore creating a non-positive pressure. Non-Positive Pressure.
B9 models are Category I.
M9 models / Power-fin 0502-2001
“M9” means “Modulating” Fire or 20% to 100% firing rate. (5:1 Turndown)
Temperature –When the Power-fin 0502-2001-M9 models modulate down to their lowest input
rate of 20%, they produce a comparatively low stack temperature that will likely cause
condensation to occur in the stack. Condensing.
Pressure –The Power-fin 0502-2001-M9 models are factory trimmed with a small diameter vent
connection. The blower CAN PUSH the flue products through a similarly sized stack therefore
creating a positive pressure. Positive Pressure.
M9 models are Category IV.
Part 3
Choose your vent configuration
Now, that you know your vent category and the matching Firing Code, it’s time to choose the vent
configuration or system layout. Let’s start with Category IV venting.
Category IV Venting
This is likely to be the most common because it offers modulation and it offers the largest variety
of vent configurations. All six layouts listed on page eight can be installed as Category IV
venting. The following pages offer a diagram of the six layouts, important design information and
a list of the available vent kits that are required to install some of these configurations.
Vertical Vent with Air from the Equipment Room Category IV
Vertical Vent with Air from the Rooftop Category IV
Vertical Vent with Air from the Sidewall Category IV
Sidewall Vent with Air from the Equipment Room Category IV only
Sidewall Vent with Air from the Rooftop Category IV only
Sidewall Vent with Air from the Sidewall Category IV only
CATEGORY I
Non-Condensing
Non-Positive Pressure
F9 or B9 Models
CATEGORY III
CATEGORY II
CATEGORY IV
Condensing
Positive Pressure
M9 Models