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Re: Please Fact-check Retired Plumber's Advice Re: TRVs & Lockshields
Mainly a TRV offers automatic temperature control for individual radiators or groups of radiators. By design, balancing comes along with some TRV assemblies
Lock shield is just the brass valve itself. It is a manual valve that in most cases can be upgraded with a TRV head
You do not need a valve on both ends of a radiator, as the system you have now works with one valve, and that valve can slso manually balance.
so unless you are adding TRV functions now or later really no need to just add a lock shied
It really comes down to your wants or expectation first. Do you need or want radiators controlled automatically? For comfort and fuel savings?
Next us it worth the time and money to do the upgrade?
I agree with the plumber that it will be a bit of a job upgrading. Working with old threaded pipe, things can go bad. Id find a plumber with a lot of threaded pipe experience. It will probably be an older guy or gal👳♀️👳♂️
While not a common in the US, millions of TRV are sold yearly in Europe and other parts of the world, they work great with modern boilers
Lock shield is just the brass valve itself. It is a manual valve that in most cases can be upgraded with a TRV head
You do not need a valve on both ends of a radiator, as the system you have now works with one valve, and that valve can slso manually balance.
so unless you are adding TRV functions now or later really no need to just add a lock shied
It really comes down to your wants or expectation first. Do you need or want radiators controlled automatically? For comfort and fuel savings?
Next us it worth the time and money to do the upgrade?
I agree with the plumber that it will be a bit of a job upgrading. Working with old threaded pipe, things can go bad. Id find a plumber with a lot of threaded pipe experience. It will probably be an older guy or gal👳♀️👳♂️
While not a common in the US, millions of TRV are sold yearly in Europe and other parts of the world, they work great with modern boilers
hot_rod
3
Re: Peerless Coil Replacment
@ethicalpaul The coils are only 2-4 years old. Tankless coils usually last a lot longer than that. Most coils get changed because the gasket leak because the torque on the bolts is not maintained. Then the gaskets leak and deteriorate.
I admit a tankless is not the best way to heat hot water but for a small family they can be ok. I can see spending thousands for a HPWH or a new boiler or indirect when he may only need a gasket bolts and some labor.
I admit a tankless is not the best way to heat hot water but for a small family they can be ok. I can see spending thousands for a HPWH or a new boiler or indirect when he may only need a gasket bolts and some labor.
Re: Oldest steam boiler still in use
They are fire tubes. The brick directs flue gates up the outside of the boiler shell about 2/3’s of the way then allows it to travel back over the top of the boiler to the breeching. There are “smoke shelves” inside arch to guide flue gases. Definitely attempting to improve efficiency.
Scott Fewer
Re: Oldest steam boiler still in use
I was asked to look at a boiler and make a replacement recommendation. What I found was a 95 year old American Radiator Ideal 2098 series 5K cast iron, originally coal fired converted to oil fired beauty still in use.I can't even begin to tell you how many of this very boiler that I replaced in Hudson County, NJ. It was always an adventure as well as a sooty mess. Thankfully, we were able to provide the homeowner the proper service and size the replacement boiler with something MUCH smaller and certainly more efficient. It has been many years since I have seen one. Thanks for the memories!!
This monster is over 5’ tall and the size of a small SUV. (Note the size of the oil burner in the bottom of the photo.). Thankfully the domestic hot water side arm heater had been capped off.
Re: Oldest steam boiler still in use
Mr. Scott Fewer, are those fire tube or water tube?
I have seen these brick vaulting boilers and wondered what the bricks do.
Are they holding in the gases or just insulation?
Having worked on some baby Kewanee boilers and ridden the Amtrak thru Kewanee Ill. enroute to Chicago I get nostalgic as we pass thru that city.
It has said that Amtrak takes you thru the back yards and down the alleys of America.
I have seen these brick vaulting boilers and wondered what the bricks do.
Are they holding in the gases or just insulation?
Having worked on some baby Kewanee boilers and ridden the Amtrak thru Kewanee Ill. enroute to Chicago I get nostalgic as we pass thru that city.
It has said that Amtrak takes you thru the back yards and down the alleys of America.
JUGHNE
2
Re: Oldest steam boiler still in use
Attending NEFI School in the 1950's, the Smith-Mills Rep boasted they had the oldest operational boiler in the country. A Mills Steam Boiler installed in a Cotton Mill in 1835 had been recently refitted. It had been fired with peat, cotton waste, corn stover, coal, wood and oil in it's lifetime, and was still going.
Have wondered since if it has yet survived? Would make a good story .....
Have wondered since if it has yet survived? Would make a good story .....
Re: Just to stir the pot...
Its no secret that the hydronic and radiant industry in the US has been declining. For years now. Mini splits have had a lot to do with that trend.
Heat pumps, air to water and water to water have the potential to save or possibly grow the hydronics industry.
With hydronics in the heat pump picture you can glue, solder, weld, press, groove, thread to your hearts content
So the trade stays in the game.
In new construction HP are certainly possible with the key being low loads and low water temperature distribution. As demonstrated in this upstate NY home recently built.
We will cover this more with some actual examples in next months Coffee with Caleffi it is such a hot topic.
Heat pumps, air to water and water to water have the potential to save or possibly grow the hydronics industry.
With hydronics in the heat pump picture you can glue, solder, weld, press, groove, thread to your hearts content
So the trade stays in the game.In new construction HP are certainly possible with the key being low loads and low water temperature distribution. As demonstrated in this upstate NY home recently built.
We will cover this more with some actual examples in next months Coffee with Caleffi it is such a hot topic.
hot_rod
2
Warren Webster 712 hb, lb & rb rebuild
Hey all, this was the apt bldg we were going to orifice but now the owner is not going for a full remodel, ie new windows, wall insulation etc. I checked the output on radiators and they are not quite big enough to derate them to 70% of edr so no go.
1st, anyone have any input on what the hb, lb & rb denote or is it inconsequential.
2nd, What are all your preferences, replace element with Barnes & Jones replacement elements or go Tunstall capsules?? Per Barnes & Jones, no new cap. remove orifice.
Thanks in advance,
Tim
1st, anyone have any input on what the hb, lb & rb denote or is it inconsequential.
2nd, What are all your preferences, replace element with Barnes & Jones replacement elements or go Tunstall capsules?? Per Barnes & Jones, no new cap. remove orifice.
Thanks in advance,
Tim
Re: Just to stir the pot...
Heres my take for WIW if anybody care about my take:
Water source heat pumps in any climate:
I would say they have a really good chance of heating a building except if the ground water temp is too low in an extreme location.
Air -Air:
Not going to make it. It will always require supplemental heat of some kind. Their efficiency goes down the colder it gets. Maybe ok to heat an interior space with little heat loss but I am considering only complete buildings here.
Insulation of the building only affects the size of the unit installed and does not determine if an air-air heat pump will heat the building to 70 degrees in a cold climate.
Water source heat pumps in any climate:
I would say they have a really good chance of heating a building except if the ground water temp is too low in an extreme location.
Air -Air:
Not going to make it. It will always require supplemental heat of some kind. Their efficiency goes down the colder it gets. Maybe ok to heat an interior space with little heat loss but I am considering only complete buildings here.
Insulation of the building only affects the size of the unit installed and does not determine if an air-air heat pump will heat the building to 70 degrees in a cold climate.