Best Of
Re: Radiator below waterline on 1PS system
I think that radiator was salvaged from somewhere else and just had a bleeder on it, I don't think it is necessary for it to work. The radiator should fill to the water line of the boiler and the air vent out through the mains and vents on the system until it is full to the water line.
Be careful about giving them a replacement with similar EDR. The part that is below the water line is what will heat and its output will only be whatever the hot water output of that area is at whatever temp the condensate is. Might be important that it has similar volume below the water line.
It is going to be cold until enough condensate has been produced by the system so it will heat a significant time after the system heats and stay warm after the system shuts off (or maybe just stay warm the whole time depending on what the cycle rate and duration of the system looks like).
Since there is no place for the air to vent out at the radiator, that riser to the main will trap a column of air and keep steam from getting to the water in the radiator and causing water hammer.
If you were to move the radiator above the water line that would require re-engineering of how it is connected to the system so that it can get steam and get rid of condensate without the condensate from the system running through it and possibly doing a 2 pipe on a 1 pipe sort of setup to allow the condensate to drain below the main.
mattmia2
Re: Mini split condenser fan intermittent
All valid points! I was under the impression that the ability to turn off the "auto" function was effectively an override for the "get to work you lazy machine" people, which in this case, I am. When in auto, it'll idle all day and eventually get where it needs to go, but typically if I push enough buttons it will consent to doing what it's capable of. I can't hear the compressor at all and never could, but maybe I'm just hard of hearing. It would stand to reason that the two are synced, but I'd find it hard to believe that the compressor is stopping along with the fan while there is a tremendous load on the other side of the wall. I do suppose it's possible that the inlet sensor is picking up a cooler temp than actual, but I have a thermometer on the wall 2 feet from the head and another across the building 40 feet away which both are within 1 degree of the remote's reading regardless of the remote's location in the space so I'd like to think that's not the case. I have not had a chance to open it up again yet, but I will certainly keep you posted when that happens. Thanks again!
GroundUp
Re: Can Pex be fished through copper ?
You can run it at 190 f. You may get more expansion noise the hotter you run it and the more it cycles on/off vs just an outdoor reset temp matched to the load.
mattmia2
Re: Radiator below waterline on 1PS system
Nick_Castrads, I believe this arrangement is a variant of what Holohan called a "Brooklyn Special" He mentioned this about 7 years ago.
Re: How an intermittent problem avoided a catastrophe, this Fridays case
I had a job once where a carpenter had an HVAC contractor pull a permit for him so he could install an LP gas fired furnace. The carpenter ran the fuel line from the LP tank, which happened to be the size of a train car and hooked it up to the furnace with no regulator. Fortunately, the gas valve blew apart internally and failed to open otherwise that would have been a tragedy for anyone in the building and around the site. The scary part is the carpenter had no idea of what he was doing and no idea of the damage he could have caused. We are in a dangerous business and always have to keep our eyes and ears open, they could be our best tools that we own.
Bob Cermignano
Re: Distance between outdoor second stage regulator relief discharge and interior appliances - code
What @mattmia2 said.
Keep the regulator away from air intakes , flue outlets, electrical meters etc. Anything indoors is not considered.
Putting the boiler inside and the reg outside on the same wall will only be a problem if the flue and air intake are near the regulator.
Re: Please Criticize My Boiler Install
Ideally, the condensate drains outside into dirt. Use a condensate pump to lift it if it's below grade.
If you can't get it outside and need to drain into the sanitary system, code says - at least in my area - you need a trap, indirect waste and vent. A pain in the tokus and if this is your lowest fixture and if the drain clogs further down the line, you will have a flooded boiler room and won't know about it until it starts smelling upstairs unless you put a backflow preventer on the drain.
If you plan ahead, you can also drain it into a branch tailpiece on a bathroom basin or kitchen sink if nearby.
Re: Please Criticize My Boiler Install
or dump it into them foundation sump / drain tile if available.
PC7060
Re: Dumb Question About Chilling Water
As far as just a circulator and a fan, I would disagree.
At best you've got a dew point of 55F and that's probably unrealistic.
If you could manage to drop your air temperature to 60F that gives a RH of 66% at 72F.
In my opinion you'll need some good old refrigeration no matter how you look at it.
ChrisJ