For residential heating, one of the most noticeable movements we’re seeing is the fine-tuning of hydronic systems for precise temperature control — whether for residential heat or commercial radiant cooling. The technology behind the trend is the use of zone mixing valves — specifically the iSeries Mixing Valves (aka “iValve”) —for load reset.
Originally designed with radiant heating systems in mind more than a decade ago to help lower the high temperature coming from high mass boilers, these valves eliminated the fixed water temperature going to radiant floors, and the “flywheel effect” in air temperature that happens so often.