Best Of
Re: Silly Question
@Intplm., I wish! I haven't been able to track one down.
If anyone is interested in district heating systems, the International District Energy Association is a great resource. They post interesting news about systems in the US and around the world.
Here's a map of the district energy systems in North America:
Re: Silly Question
I spoke to a utility worker in NYC who was fixing one of the "steam chimneys" that you can see installed on the manholes where one of these apparent leaks is.
He told me that the issue is usually not a leak in the steam system, but rather it's a failure of the storm drain that is allowing storm water runoff or some other leaking water to come into contact with hot steam pipes (rather than an actual steam leak). I found that interesting so I'm sharing it!
Re: Condensing lp gas boiler short-cycling
Many LP gas burners have a low gas pressure switch.
Are some of them auto reset? IDK
But have you monitored the gas inlet pressure as these short cycle?
Just a WAG….
JUGHNE
Re: Edr calculations for unusual radiator
@AndythePlumber , the scan that @HeatingHelp.com posted has the answer. Each ~16x13 section is 5 square feet,so 9 such sections is 45 square feet.
Re: Upgrading old 2 wire Honeywell thermostats to Honeywell T9 smart thermostat
Actually there are some particular interesting things that happen with that zone valve that make it less than a simple wire addition.
This post addresses the Taco Valve when adding a Nest. you may have a similar problem with the T9
There may be a resistor needed. @SteveSan will have the best answer for you. just know that your zone valves may not be wired according the the factory recommended diagram. That is because the factory diagram does no include the R and the W and the C terminal designations of the thermostat and the transformer, therefore they can be reversed and still work if both zones follow the same reversed wiring design.
Re: Upgrading old 2 wire Honeywell thermostats to Honeywell T9 smart thermostat
This comment tells the story of how the Taco 571 can be wired several different ways. As long as you stay consistent there will be no problems.
When you need to add the C wire for a smart thermostat like the T9 you need to be sure that the R and the W from the 2 wire thermostat are connected this way.
I have modified the manufacturer diagram on the Left to show that R from the 24 VAC transformer is connected to R on the thermostat. W from the thermostat is connected to 1 on the Taco zone valve. And the common terminal 2 on the Taco zone valve is connected to C on the transformer
With that wiring confirmed, you can easily add the C from the thermostat to C on the transformer as shown on the Right diagram. You may find that is all you need as long as you double check the original wiring before you start.
Re: Upgrading old 2 wire Honeywell thermostats to Honeywell T9 smart thermostat
It is unclear from your pictures if your thermostats are correct or reversed. On a two-wire thermostat, it will not matter. However, on a Common C wire it will make a difference. On one of the zone valves a White wire is connected to #1 and on the other zone valve a Red wire is connected to #1. The wire color does not matter because electricity is colorblind. What does matter is that W on the thermostat is connected to #1 on the zone valve. If that is backwards, then you will have a problem connecting the C terminal on the new T9 thermostat
If you make a mistake, you may let all the factory installed smoke out of the transformer or the thermostat or the boiler control. Once that happens you can never get that smoke back in. I like to use these Smoke Keepers so that will not happen.
Re: Most conservative setting for barometric damper without a draft gauge?
Over Fire Draft on a Vaillant boiler is measured directly over the fire, by removing the sight glass from the view port.
The round glass is held in by a snap ring that needs a snap ring tool to remove it. If you have a pair of old needle nose pliers that you can grind the tips into 2 small round points you can make one, or purchase one at an auto parts store.
This is when you will clean the soot off of the glass and get a new gasket for the glass to seal it to the cast iron of the boiler. Come to think of it, If that gasket is missing, that could be the source of the odor.
The view port is directly over the oil burner where it enters the boiler. look closely in the area of the Red Arrow on the photograph below. When @EBEBRATT-Ed indicated that you use a cigarette smoke or smoke from a candle, and see if the smoke gets sucked in or if the smoke gets blown away from the opening, he was talking about that over fire view port. That is also where you would measure Over Fire Draft if you had a Draft Gauge or manometer.
There are 3 places that need to be accessed on Valiant boilers when vacuum cleaning to remove the soot. The first area is the top, just under the green cover. remove the cover and the insulation to reveal the plates that cover clean-out ports and are held in by tension clips. You may want to purchase some fire proof insulation from the local supply house or wood stove dealer. The trade name for this insulation is Kaowool or ceramic fiber blanket.
The second place to open up is behind one of the front green panels. Just above the Red arrow in the photo. You may need to remove the Aquastat relay to access that second opening or it may be behind a different green panel depending on the model number of the Boiler. Manu mechanics do not know this but the pressure temperature gauge (if it is original) can be removed without draining the boiler. Just spin it out of the well that it is connected to. There is an O ring that seals the pressure portion when removed. The third thing to open is the actual burner door. That gives you access to the combustion chamber and some hard to reach sections of the heat exchanger. There may also be a removable panel behind the bottom green panel. all these panels have steel plates that cover the clean-out access and will need to be sealed with the Kaowool gasket material.
Here is a close up of that view port and what the snap ring might look like
Re: Edr calculations for unusual radiator
@AndythePlumber, that radiator was made by the American Radiator Company and was the Colonial pattern. Beautiful find! You can see it on page 8 of their booklet Radiation and Decoration from 1905 in the link below.
And here it is in American Radiator Company's The Ideal Fitter (circa 1906):
You can see the entire excerpt on the Colonial radiators here. These radiators could be configured in different arrangements.
The Ideal Fitter did not include an EDR for this radiator, but the charts in this booklet about American Radiator Co's Peerless (formerly Rococo) Wall Radiators may help.
Thanks for supporting our community and purchasing a copy of EDR!
Erin
Re: Switching from open loop to air to air heat pump
OK. Those two hose bibbs may be toast, or the pipes to them, unless it was PEX which can usually take a freeze. If the well is a submersible the drop pipe may or not be OK… you'll find out come spring when you go to use it.
