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Re: Thin Tube Steam/Hot water in Barre VT

Vermont is difficult. If you can't find anyone stop at FW Webb in Barre. (they are a supply house) Ask them to recommend some GOOD contractors

EBEBRATT-Ed

Re: Best nest thermostat-Experts recommendations to choose

The thermostat is not capable of changing the heating needs of the building. You need X amount of BTUs to heat the place to X temperature when it is cold outside. If you want to save money reduce the heat loss of the building. Weatherstripping, insulation and air sealing usually do the job better than changing thermostats.

In my opinion the best choice is not using a Nest thermostat at all. Save yourself a lot of trouble in the future. If you want WiFi control get a Honeywell or Ecobee

SuperTech

Re: Best nest thermostat-Experts recommendations to choose

I will add a bit to the above. You mention that you have "issues with uneven heating/cooling". No thermostat — however smart or dumb — is going to help with that. As @SuperTech said, step one is going to be reducing the heating load — storm windows, weatherstipping and draught sealing, maybe some extra insulation (or just some!). Step two is going to be get your heating system properly balanced so you don't have uneven heating and cooling, or at least it is more even.

Step three has to do with temperature control. The thermostat. The most even and comfortable heating will come from a system, including the thermostat, which is not chasing a target. That means that the thermostat, in particular, sets a temperature target — and holds it. Now this doesn't mean you can't save (some) with a mild night setback — a few degrees. What it does mean is that you aren't constantly chasing the temperature up and down.

Which is what "smart" thermostats are intended to do.

Therefore, if you insist on a "smart" thermostat, I'd pick one of the Ecobees — and dive into its settings and cancel all the room occupancy or other similar features. Nests do work, and are even not too bad with forced air heat, but they are difficult to install on anything other than a very plain vanilla forced air heat system and they are VERY hard to configure properly to play will with any form of hot water or steam heat.

Jamie Hall

Re: Best nest thermostat-Experts recommendations to choose

What type of heating system do you have? Steam, hot water, forced air? What fuel source?

If you have an hydronic, steam or any type of modulating equipment, then a Nest is the worst possible choice.

Ironman

Re: using pex tees in hydronic hot water heat system

An old timer trick to remove air from monoflo® with convector systems where the vents were behind painted covers and not easily accessible, was to operate the circulator pump at a higher pressure and lower temperature to have the air be absorbed in solution (Boyles Law) then heat up the boiler and drop the pressure and let the air vent near the boiler. Then let the water temperature drop and increase the pressure again to absorb more air from the loops. (…rinse and repeat)

I know you don't have convectors or moniflo tees but the principal will work. The idea is that cold high pressure water absorbs air. It actually makes the air dissolve into the water. Hotter lower pressure water releases air, the air actually bubbles out of the water. This trick kept the mechanic and his dirty boots and fingerprints off of the white panted covers and light colored rugs upstairs.

If you are repiping, and you want to make Boyles Law work to your advantage. Add the air purger right after a valve on the supply port of the boiler. Then pump away from the expansion tank that is connected to the bottom of the air separator.

This piping arrangement actually puts the lowest pressure and the highest temperature of the entire system in the same place, along with the device that can remove the air when it gets there. You will be amazed at how the air just goes away after operating the system for a few hours. all of a sudden radiators that never were hot before will warm up and start heating the rooms.

EdTheHeaterMan

Re: comms between LWCO and water feed?

my bet is on solder joint to the relay and the relay is supposed to be energized when the level is ok.

mattmia2

Re: 60 PPM outside of "snowman" boiler

I respectfully disagree.
yes call them back but have your service provider there as well.
the gas company is not going to yield to a landlord.

pecmsg

Re: using pex tees in hydronic hot water heat system

you don't know that if you haven't done a heat loss calculation. the loss is only on the outside. is the 180,000 btu/hr input or output? Even the best windows are a bit worse than the worst solid wall so windows are more about how much area they are and how good the weatherstripping is. a modern house with a wall of glass of the best windows is going to be far more lossy than an old house with 100 year old windows without storms if they are in decent shape.

mattmia2