Best Of
Re: Firebox heat exchanger with a buffer tank
There are trade-offs with the buffer tank size. The larger the tank the more thermal lag you have on a cold start as the tank needs to warm.
But more tank capacity gives you more "no fire" run time.
The over-heat function seems to be the tank in the attic. If you plan on boiling that for protection you will need to continually add water.
Adding water continues to add scaling minerals to the system. And wasted energy
Those heat exchangers inside the firebox can be hard to control, especially when the fireplace is running for heat also. The basic concept for excessive hot water production is "use it or lose it" same with large thermal arrays in the summer.
This is a common solid fueled beast used in the US. Large water content to buffer, open unpressurized, wood mess is outside.
hot_rod
Re: Dual oil tank line issues
Compression fittings were used all the time in the old days. People liked them because they didn't have to (or didn't know how) to flare.
Even when I started in 73 we flared everything.
Compression held up fine if put together and left alone. A lot of the old burners even came with compression nozzle lines. They leaked if repeatedly taken apart
They haven't been outlawed forever, maybe 30 years ago.
I am not so sure the valves closest to the tank are fusible they look different. Maybe they are I know they say Firomatic on them, but something tells me they are not fusible. I think I ran into those in the distant past.
I think the second valves were added because the first valves are not fusible.
The OP posts because his tanks won't equalize. A simple problem.
I don't see why he should be told "everything is wrong, "put on a tiger loop" "filter the tank" "double firomatics" "replace the tanks" "repipe the compression" and everything else.
Just fix the problem
Re: Dual oil tank line issues
@EBEBRATT-Ed They won’t equalize because of the sludge. Those tanks are probably loaded with them. It’s only going to get worse.
Cleaning the tank is not advisable. The sludge is most likely what’s keeping the tank from leaking. Spending money to have someone come out to clear line lines (over and over) is not money well spent, not to mention risking a breakdown, which will cost the OP more money. Putting in additives at this point is a waste of money.
It’s not bad advice to recommend replacement of 40-50 year old tank. Bigger costs if it starts leaking.
It’s not bad advice to point out compression fittings are against code. There’s no such thing as being 'grandfathered in'. The fact that they may be taking the oil lines on or off to try to fix their clogged lines means touching those compression fittings, which means there is an increased chance of an oil leak or a vacuum leak-more problems.
I like fixing things rather than replacing. But anything other than replacing and doing it right is throwing good money after bad. And it’s going to need to be done sooner than later anyway.
Re: Well color me impressed! (LONG post)
The zone valve connection information has been out there probably for decades but folks refuse to read the instructions and/or if they do they still decide to do things wrong. Steam boiler near boiler piping is a classic example of not following instructions.
With the White Rodgers 1361 zone valve, a relay is not needed if the zone valve is wired correctly to the system and the Taco document explains why. A transformer failing after 9 years of service is most likely just a transformer failure especially if no NEW actual underlying system issue is found.
Generally transformers are very reliable, but they do fail.
Nothing wrong with isolation relays, even if you don't need them, except you have added another device to the system that can also fail.
This below is more like Lawyer CYA speak than Electrical Engineering.
109A_5
Re: Indirect water heater as steam(water) to hydro zone HX (poor heat transfer)
you are sure both circulators are spinning?
The coil could thermosiphon from the boiler imitating a plugged coil?
hot_rod
Re: Indirect water heater as steam(water) to hydro zone HX (poor heat transfer)
what are the temps at the 4 ports of the tank?
mattmia2
Re: Oil guy couldn't fill my tank today
Modern oil is just as efficient as modern propane. A condensing propane heater can only be more efficient when condensing, which isn’t often.
Propane equipment needs service too.
Propane supply can be sketchy during peak demand and right now there’s an actual supply shortage in SE Pa.
Diesel generators run on ulsd heating oil just fine. However the price for a small whole house diesel generator is almost double.
At the end of the day, you'll do what’s best for you, I just want anyone who stumbles onto this thread to get the proper information.
Re: Oil guy couldn't fill my tank today
"…Price of Oil is about $3.15 and price of propane is $2.59 today…"
138,000/91,000=1.5165
$2.59*1.5165=$3.93 Equivalent price to get the same btu's out of propane.
Re: 1994 F.A.I.S. Aqua Heat AR-820 Boiler still in service in 2025 [Problem Fixed]
Thanks Alan! "Solar Ponics" were the installers of my system, and at the time, it was probably one of their first/earliest installs. We offered our home to be a model to other customers, should SP want to show people an installed system and see how it worked.
I learned the hard way that the system was very poorly installed, and many of the initial issues in the first couple of years, were due to that. It would function "ok" for a while after they'd come out and repair it, and then return to having issues, which I/we just lived with because by then it was out of warranty, service call fees and the work/parts were expensive….etc. It was very frustrating and disappointing. When I'd go visit my brother in Illinois and see the system he'd built himself, all laid out on a large section of plywood, mounted to the wall, all organized, and easily diagnosed and repair, I'd be even more disappointed in what had been done with my system, and how difficult it made it to work on, and poorly it operated.
Not until the big failure in 2017, and my doing the work to it, has it ever run so good, and been totally silent (until the current boiler howling). The floors never worked well, and since 2017, the work fantastic, as do all the baseboard units. Again this morning, I left the system set to 69*F overnight, and then bumped it to 72*F just to let it run for an extended period. I heard the bowler howl, but not very loudly, a couple times, and after that, the system was silent other the clicking from baseboards. So even as-is, it's still functioning very normally, and so much better than in those early years.
Re: Dealing with a colder room
Not really. The boiler may call for heat longer and the circulator pump may operate for that extra time, BUT, the heat will go the the radiator that is being cut down and return the the boiler without putting that heat into the room. That unused heat can then go the the radiator(s) that is too small during that time.
Now here is the kicker. Since the heat didn't go the overheat any rooms while you were getting the kitchen up to temperature, that heat returned to the boiler, the boiler water temperature increased as a result. That heat made the water get so hot that the high limit shut off the burner. But the circulator pump is still putting the hot water into the kitchen and the other rooms at a lower rate even though the burner is not burning any gas (or oil). Think of this as free heat for that time that the hot water is circulating and the burner is off.
There is the reason it will not waste fuel.
Your home will only use the fuel necessary to satisfy the thermostat. if it takes longer then the high limit will turn off the fuel while the home catches up.
The concept of turning down the flow in a radiator to make another radiator do more is hard to grasp. I find it easier to put the thermostat in the room that is the coldest. That will make the other rooms overheat. (and that is wasteful) so you turn down the rooms that get too hot until they are comfortable. That seems to make more sense to folks. But you don't need to move the thermostat to adjust the valves…. you can do it the counterintuitive way until the kitchen gets where you want it
