Best Of
Re: Does metal radiator cover affect performance? Absorbs heat or passes it along?
well it certainly blocks a portion of the radiant heat transfer. For convection, you need a slot at the bottom and top for the warmed air to pass out.
Probably not as restrictive as draping a blanket over the radiator but un encumbered would give it the best opportunity to move its output, out😗
I’m not sure it is being eaten? It just doesn’t make it into the room space.
Good news, the next radiator down the line has more heat energy available.
hot_rod
Re: 24 Volt transformer blowing
get a fuse in the secondary side if you want troubleshoot without replacing transformers
hot_rod
Re: Static Plate confusion (firing down Utica SFH3100).
I was taught 0-trace and then open the air band to drop the Co2 1 point. Just about the same thing. You have to get smoke to find out where you are. Trace to perfectly clean is a judgement. You could be too far open on the Airband. but we are splitting hairs.
I agree with modern burners little to no soot after a year. Can probably go 3-4 years without cleaning.
Margin allows for sawdust from the guy's wood shop or nasty cat hair (hopefully)
Re: Utilizing a Heat Pump Water Heater as a cold weather backup for an Air to Water Heat Pump
The HPWH takes heat from inside the building to warm hot water. So asking it to do space heating is basically asking it to be a perpetual motion machine.
Re: Steam heat vs others
Some of steams benefits.
The system isn't full of water and can easily be worked on / repaired without draining it or bleeding it.
No pumps.
No expansion tanks.
Very easy to drain to stop it from freezing.
Smaller radiation than hot water and smaller piping than gravity hot water, but that's really stretching it in modern times.
No, it's not necessarily "better heat" than any other form of heat but it's not worse either. For what it's worth, forced air heat doesn't dry the air any more than any other form of heat, drafty buildings do. Forced air's biggest issue is the constant hot / cold / hot / cold feeling as the system cycles.
As far as why are people afraid of it, I think it's just because they don't understand it and have no interest in learning it.
If you want to stick with steam and oil, and there's really no reason not to, find a contractor that will work with you. Get your self an appropriate sized Burnham Megasteam and have them install it exactly as shown in the manual for the boiler. If you have any questions, or need help sizing it there's plenty on this forum that will gladly help you.
ChrisJ
Re: Most reliable heating system for a home unattended for up to 3 months in winter.
Newsflash from today! We dropped in at one of the daily properties we monitor this morning. No hot water pressure. That's odd. Quick trip to basement. Water heater had sprung a nice leak… No big deal. Turn off the water feed, turn off the power. Nothing got soaked except the floor.
Let it go a week or two… would have been a lot worse.
So. What do you have monitoring the basement? Which fancy widget picks that sort of thing up?
Re: mpy04 air handler Humidifier
Aprilaire model 800 steam humidifier with the fan pack can be stand alone. It'll need electric, water, drainage, and some closet space. But considering the real estate, it shouldn't be a problem.
HVACNUT
Re: Snowman boiler help
I would stick a new modern burner in it if you want to keep it going for a while but re insulating and messing with the flue will be putting good money after bad. It does look in good shape but after 120 years it could lats ten years or quit tomorrow. I wouldn't door fire a burner that old.
Unless the asbestos is friable, cracked or broken leave it alone