Best Of
Re: Help choosing a new boiler (part 2)
I'm not a pro, just a homeowner, but since you're considering a Lochinvar, you might want to read the positive comments about the Lochinvar Noble in this earlier thread:
In fact, the heating pro @hot_rod who posted the comment above mine also mentioned in this earlier thread that he has (or had) a Noble 120 that he was happy with.
But if your DHW flow requirement is too high, I personally would rather go with a smaller boiler better suited to your small heating load, like a Lochinvar Knight 85 with an indirect tank. That would modulate down to about 8,000 BTU/hr in the shoulder seasons. My sister has a Lochinvar Knight with an indirect tank, and she has been very happy with it.
jesmed1
Re: is 1/2 fiberglass insulation on steam pipes useless?
”Need” is a strong word.
If your basement is still warmer than you’d like it, you can consider 1” thick insulation which will be a better insulator.
But even your 1/2” is way better than nothing
Re: Help choosing a new boiler (part 2)
Yes HPWH are more costly to purchase and more costly to install stay with an indirect. Stay away from Navien.
I would only use a HPWH if your electric rates are low. Failures with a hPWH are a problem. They have a refrigeration system that makes them a throw away appliance. They are expensive and if they fail they are probably not worth fixing. Unless you electric rate are really low they are not worth the problems
Re: New-ish local boiler install
What happens at the ultimate end of the main? Unless it is pitched away from the end, the end of the main needs a steam trap or a drip to a wet return to drain the condensate out of the main.
The main could be vented through a crossover steam trap to the return, through an air vent, or the main could just vent through the emitters and their steam taps to the return. It looks like this is just a conventional 2 pipe system, it wasn't some sort of vapor system.
The return needs to have a vent somewhere (or be open)
mattmia2
Re: New-ish local boiler install
The takeoff for the mains and the equalizer are in the wrong order so any water is going to tend to get thrown in to the mains instead of draining down the equalizer. the pressure is too high. fix the near boiler piping in the off season but it should mostly work if the water quality is good so it isn't priming or surging.
my bet on the not heating would be that there are bad steam traps letting steam in to the returns and/or keeping it from venting. also look for connections that should be under the water line that aren't. at the higher pressure they will need to be far under the water line so turn the pressure down.
mattmia2
Re: Burnham Boiler - Aquastat Issue?
A boiler that size should have 2 high limits wired in series. 1 should be a L4006A and the manual reset control should be a L4006E (I believe that is the correct #)
You should have this fixed and the wiring check. Runaway boiler system is not good.
You aquastat in the picture set for 160 looks like it may be a strap on aquastat (strapped to a pipe). If that is the case that is not good the high limit should be an aqua stat with a well inserted in the boiler water.
Re: Burnham Boiler - Aquastat Issue?
Hello ElvisWashington,
The pressure part of the gauge may be broken.
Do both aquastats serve as a redundant boiler high limit ?
Aged pitted electrical contacts can stick closed.
109A_5
Re: Help choosing a new boiler (part 2)
I know I will get disagreement, but you’re asking for opinions.
I would never do a combi, they are always a compromise IMHO.
I wouldn’t do an indirect either. Why run a boiler if you don’t need to? I’d do a heat pump water heater, in Canada, based on my limited knowledge, I would think this is the way to go. I fully appreciate the electric rates are regional. That is unless you need mountains of hot water for hours on end? The domestic hot water decision comes down to lifestyle, it’s not really a system decision. I’m betting none of the contractors have discussed lifestyle with you? They probably just want to provide you with something that no one, regardless of lifestyle, complains about. So, you will get recommendations based on people who take 45 minute showers at the hottest temp they can stand, for 3-4 people back to back.
For the heating side I’d get the smallest boiler available and have that put in. With your low load, I believe all of them will be oversized, so in my opinion it’s 100% about the lowest output, not the maximum, in your case. Considering you said no cast iron is allowed in your area.
KC_Jones
Re: Help choosing a new boiler (part 2)
Combi boilers are made for apartments , you would find them in the kitchens in Europe where they also use radiators for heat , low temperature heat .. You have a basement with baseboard which is high temperature heat . A condensing boilers efficiency is peak at low temperature . Running it for baseboard the smaller savings gets eating up by the service , besides the aggravation of getting it running again up there with the great moose of the North way :)…. Go low as they allow you to go, as far as tech would be my recommendation …
Big Ed_4