Best Of
Re: Another cold climate home with hydronic piping in exterior walls. Who does this??
In general, the efficiency hit of glycol is way overstated. It doesn't make your burner burn any less efficiently. What it means is that slightly more fluid needs to be pumped to get the same heat transfer. Your system will have a slightly lower maximum output, but unless it's undersized that shouldn't be an issue. The circulator pump will consume slightly more energy having to pump more fluid but that's the extent of the energy penalty.
Re: Another cold climate home with hydronic piping in exterior walls. Who does this??
It is an ongoing fallacy that hot water freezes faster than cold water. Personally, I believe the fallacy is developed from the fact that hot water cools faster than cold water. People without any intelligence then extrapolate that hot water must freeze faster because its temperature is falling faster. Nothing could be further from the truth.
With regard to piping in the exterior walls, I restored one house to get the iron piping out of the living space. The look is less than desirable.
Since the wall was open, I utilized 2" styrofoam, 14.5" width for the entire height of the bay. The styrofoam was cut slightly large so it was pressing on the studs without any gaps. The copper lives in the 1.5" space between the sheetrock and the styrofoam. The copper is not insulated and the intention is for the line to warm the fairly small space left in the bay.
The system works perfectly down to -3F. However, it has never suffered a power outage at that temperature to verify that it would be successful under those conditions. I highly doubt that even interior piping will survive more than 24 hours in the event of an extended power outage at -3F ambient.
LRCCBJ
Re: Flame Retention Head for Weil Mclane Boiler
Sadly that oil burner was manufactured by Weil Mclain in an unsuccessful attempt to make a "BETTER" oil burner. And this particular part 643-900-110 no longer shows up on any supply house inventory searches and no longer shows up on the Weil McLain Parts Finder. You are SOL trying to find that thing. You will most likely need to replace it with a Beckett or Carlin or Riello burner that is approved for that boiler. I even looked on eBay for the part. NADA!
Sorry for the bad news, but your contractor is correct, you can not operate that burner without that part. My son is currently operating that particular burner in his Buderus boiler. I can ask him if he may have one in his junk oil burner pile.
Re: Correcting my 2 Zone Monoloop System (Need Help)
You are correct. His system has the diverter T's on the "supply" side, which is counter to the recommendations. However, it is correct and the system should function properly. Of course, the arrow on the supply side will be opposite to the direction of flow.
Since it is piped correctly based upon the T's, the problem remains. It simply cannot be attributed to the circulators on the return. That's not sufficient to cause the issues that he has.
To the JW:
There is no benefit to repipe the system to flow the opposite direction. The system was originally designed properly, although a bit unconventional. Ed is correct.
LRCCBJ
Re: Viessmann cast iron boiler replacement.
I believe that is a Verticell indirect water heater
GGross
Re: ISO a very accurate thermometer to be certain my large steam heated Hse is properly heated
There will always be a +/- rating on any temp sensor. The accuracy that you are looking for can be found in more process control type sensors. Depending on how elaborate you want to get you can use a power supply/ 4-20mA sensor and a display to make a custom one. Here is a link to a website that should have what you are looking for. Tekmar also makes some controls for steam systems.
Re: Our emergency steam boiler replacement in Brooklyn last week looked like this:
Nice looking project. Love the drop header
Re: Our emergency steam boiler replacement in Brooklyn last week looked like this:
Beautiful heavy work, John. You should be proud to be doing work that nice after so many years at it!
Now that's one fine wrench. Probably cost more than my truck.
Love the press fittings.
Re: Control assistance
Back draft may happen ONLY if that new duct causes a negative pressure in the room. So if the wood stove room has the doors shut and any supply register are sealed off, then that room may have a negative pressure. However I see the wood stove room as one that has the entry way from the rest of the house always open, with an open floor plan to the rest of the house. There is most likely no closable door to that space. But that is just my thoughts on that matter. @SuperTech, you are correct to point that out, just in case I am wrong about my floor plan assumptions.