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Article: Estimating heat loss from copper tubing: a new approach to calculating heat released by copper tubing can yield improved accuracy in sizing hydronic heating systems.
- Article from:
- PM Engineer
- Article date:
- December 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 BNP Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Although not specifically intended as heat emitters, the copper tubing connecting the components of many hydronic systems certainly does release heat to its surroundings. Sometimes designers disregard this heat output, assuming it's trivial relative to the heat released by the real heat emitters. Some might point out that if the tubing travels through heated space, the heat released is not really "lost" heat, it's heat delivered to the space by the tubing rather than the intended heat emitter. That may be true at times, but it still compromises an important and fundamental benefit of hydronic heat--the ability to deliver heat precisely when and where it's needed.
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