Best Of
Re: Static Plate confusion (firing down Utica SFH3100).
"Trace of smoke" is one of those hoary traditions that refuses to die. No properly-installed and -tuned flame-retention burner has any business making any smoke whatsoever.
I was taught this way, by @Firedragon , @Alan R. Mercurio and others: When tuning a modern burner we first look for the point at which the burner starts making smoke, then open the air gate just until the smoke disappears and you have a nice clean test paper.
Then we add enough air to reduce the CO2 percentage by one point. For example, if the zero-smoke point is at 13.5% CO2, we'd set it for 12.5%.
This gives a bit of headroom, also called a margin, to allow for changes in fuel or air supply. Both air and oil get more dense as they get cooler, and if the burner is set too close to the edge of clean combustion at the servicing, these seasonal changes can cause it to make smoke or soot.
The proof that this works can be seen the next time we service that unit. There is little to no brushing and vacuuming to be done. The unit has therefore maintained its efficiency throughout the season, the customer is happy, and the oil supplier probably isn't (but I don't work for the oil company).
Re: My old Buderus
The well for the new Aquastat is the same one as where the sensors for the 2107 were.
What they did is totally incompetent.
Ironman
Re: Most reliable heating system for a home unattended for up to 3 months in winter.
wall furnaces can lose their pilot light and then you are still without heat
How much redundancy is enough?
Neighbors, friends or property managers you can at least stay in contact with.
hot_rod
Re: Does any company make slip tees in propress/copper press standard?
I have only seen couplings
Re: Most reliable heating system for a home unattended for up to 3 months in winter.
@arcticman said "Pretty sure the vented heaters and electric heaters cannot operate automatically if the power goes out even for a second. When power is restored they need to be manually activated.
Our power goes out often… while we're away if there's even a brief outage they would become useless as a backup."
The Williamson COZY heaters that are not connected to the house's electrical system will not have any problem with the electrical system that it is NOT CONNECTED TO. Well that is my experience anyway.
This model Floor Furnace will keep a good size home at 50° even at very low outdoor temperatures. It involves cutting a pretty big hole in the floor, but you can cover it with a carpet when you are home as long as you turn off the gas. When you want it as a backup, light the pilot, remove the carpet and set the thermostat to 50°
Re: Most reliable heating system for a home unattended for up to 3 months in winter.
You can get ones that don't require any power, very common for off grid folks. There are also plenty of propane fireplaces that will run off a couple of AA batteries.
Kaos
Re: Most reliable heating system for a home unattended for up to 3 months in winter.
A wall furnace that operates on LP Gas that has a 750 MV Pilot generator needs no electrical connection. Cozy Wall Furnace This model is one of that type of furnace. Set the thermostat to 50° and set the oil fired boiler to to 55°. If the oil burner ever fails to light, the Cozy will take over. They have several models that can be installed in several different configurations.
Re: Most reliable heating system for a home unattended for up to 3 months in winter.
Pretty much what @EdTheHeaterMan said… with an addition. There are other things which can go amiss with an unattended house in the winter. Such as damage to a window. A prolonged power outage (your fancy thermostat won't tell you about that). And so on. I highly recommend hiring someone reliable and local — NOTE HIRING someone — who is tasked with — and paid for — going by the place at a mutually agreed interval (perhaps not daily, but at least weekly and after any major storm) and check on it. They would have a key — and not just drive by, but actually go in and poke around…
Re: Most reliable heating system for a home unattended for up to 3 months in winter.
You could also install a couple wall furnaces or console heaters or even a floor furnace with millivolt systems that is big enough to keep the place above freezing if the boiler fails.
mattmia2
Re: Steam Boiler Gauge Always Not Working
what kind of gauge is it? a 0-30 psig gauge won't typically register the minute pressure of a properly sized boiler.
mattmia2