Best Of
Re: NTI TX151c bad Integrated Water Control
Looks like that automatic air vent comes apart for cleaning, probably clean whatever is in the seat out of it and the problem goes away. It isn't a standard vent so you'd need parts from nti to rebuild it. Don't do it during the heating season in case you have to find what size o-ring is in it and order one rather than buy it from nti.
mattmia2
Re: Heating Pros: Please Help Us With This Quick Survey About Boilers
it seems having a floor stand accessory might be better for everyone involved instead of having 2 separate boilers to stock for each boiler size and combi/non-combi combination.
mattmia2
Re: How Do I Connect This Wire?
Here is one that I really liked working on. Someone wanted to connect a TAM7 air handler (American Standard/TRANE with Variable speed fan) with the AS Hydro Coil kit for heat, to a Navien ModCom combi boiler
First diagram I did some crazy relays to operate the two circulator pumps and came up with this in order to prevent the fan from blowing cold air when the boiler stopped the CH circulators for priority on the DHW. this shows only one for the two Taco SR501 relays and the R4222 general purpose relay to stop the two pumps from operating, is also missing
The I looked closer at the Navien NCB wiring and found that the boiler control could handle up to 3 circulator zones. I was able to accomplish the same thing without the Taco Switching relays and made this diagram.
Now the circulators for both air handler zones will stop for DHW priority while the AH terminals stop the fan on each air handler using the general purpose relay (Like an R8222A) And The OP liked the drawing but followed up with the fact that the first floor air handler was 2 zones by way of a duct damper zone control. So there are 2 zones on one air handler and one zone on a second air handler. All connected to a ModCon boiler that has ODR and DHW with a priority. And you don't want to blow cold air thru the duct work on a call for heat while your teenaged daughter takes a 20 minute shower. (yea I know 20 minutes is short for a teenager)
So I came up with this one:
Now connect the thermostats to the zone control for the first floor duct zones. The zone damper will connect to the TAM7 air handler that is turn will connect to the boiler control with the Hydro Coil accessory, using the boiler zone feature to connect the circulators for zone 1 and zone 2. On the second floor connect the thermostat directly to the TAM7 as shown in the diagram in the middle of this post. then follow the same diagram to connect to the boiler zone 2 with the Hydro Coil accessory.
Now if someone does this for their customer and does not make this diagram so that it can be posted with the equipment somewhere, then they are no completing the job properly. How is the next guy supposed to figure this out?
I hope this helps someone with a variable speed air handler that wants to connect to a hydronic heat duct coil using only one thermostat that will figure out everything by just setting the heat/cool switch and setting the desired temperature. That is all the customer wants to do. They don't want to become an electrical engineer in order to switch over from winter operation to summer operation.
Re: Seeking Engineer for Off-Grid Religious Facility Heating in the Mountain States
I think a two-pipe district steam might be the easy way. The boilers can be in an outbuilding, depending on how your customer feels, you might be able get away with modern controls in the outbuilding, and TRVs or manual controls in the main buildings. Even if that's not viable, consolidating the boilers in one location should make managing them easier. Or orifices in the radiators and manage the output by controlling pressure. Might even be able to find a steam-powered vacuum pump for a vapor system.
ratio
Re: Rebuilding old radiator valves or replace?
If you remove the valve and put it in a vise with some wood or plastic you can probably get it apart with a socket without damaging the plating. you can try a socket or adjustable wrench on the nut with it in place counter holding at the part with the wrench flats where it screws to the pipe with a large adjustable wrench or open end wrench.
mattmia2
Re: Rebuilding old radiator valves or replace?
Get some big adjustable wrenches or a socket the size of the hex on the nut. You could replace valves with modern valves and orifice plates but good valves aren't going to be much less than the rebuild kits. You coudl use the rebuild kits and orifice plates if the valves are actually broken in some places. I believe that they are packless so in most cases cleaning and lubrication should get them working.
mattmia2
Re: oil tank foot valve
You have an air leak. Either at fittings,pump or tank. All a check valve will do is raise vac. and clog up after enough gunk gets stuck in it. Hope this helps ED
Re: Vintage thermostat relays and temp controller scale
Perimeter heat with a VAV air system is/was a very common system with office buildings. The perimeter heat around the outside walls offsets the heat loss. The interior heat that comes from electric lights, copy machines, people is usually enough to make all the interior zones a cooling load year-round.
We used to find that in the summer for cooling we ran the discharge temp off the ac at 55 degrees. If we ran 55 year round people would complain about cold air blowing on them in the winter (especially with overhead distribution and low ceilings) so in the winter we would raise the discharge temp to 60 degrees.
The 55 or 60 deg air is usually off roof top units supplied by refrigeration or and economizer in the winter.
Re: Steam Mains Insulate or not?
That makes a lot of sense Ethical Paul. Its ten feet of pipe. Some of the radiators probably produce a lot more condensate than that 10ft of pipe, especially the larger ones I have. Thanks for the feedback!
Re: Steam Mains Insulate or not?
Im a BIG believer in insulation. However. Removing some to create a living space that works best for you is fine.
Make sure the insulation is fiberglass and not asbestos. If its fiberglass remove it yourself. If it's asbestos you should have a remediation company remove it, and have it removed first before remodeling. It can make a big mess.
Steam boilers need a mechanical room/basement for maintenance. Do not build your boiler in so tightly that when service is needed it will make a mess of the adjoining room(s). Not to mention your boiler needing the proper amount of air to function safely. People have died from building things too tightly. Suffield Ct. comes to mind. Many a rec. room has been ruined by having a boiler in an adjacent room.
Intplm.