Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
If our community has helped you, please consider making a contribution to support this website. Thanks!
Best Of
Re: Bridge Collapse
What defensive measures are you going to use against 99,000 tons moving at 8 knots?Actually, @ChrisJ , there is a defensive measure which more recently constructed bridges use: basically an artificial island around the piers (the replacement Sunshine Skyway uses this, as do some other bridges in similar situations). The idea being -- quite correctly -- that running aground on such a thing will be quite effective in slowing and stopping even bigger ships.
Actually I think that's wrong.
How much does that ship weigh empty and how much can it carry?
Sadly, this could have been done for the Francis Scott Key bridge. I imagine that cost factors -- though relatively speaking not that great -- scuppered the idea. This is, after all, a government/highway department bridge. As it was, there was no -- repeat NO -- defensive structure around the piers. None. Not even an old tire.
Re: type of thermostat for simple oil furnace (heat)
Hi Jaime.That primary control does not have a place to connect the C wire from a smart thermostat. If you really, really, really, really, really, want a WiFi thermostat there is a way to do it, but if WiFi is not mandatory, then the T4 that @HVACNUT suggests is your best option.
In process of 'Macgyvering' one out of stiff wire for the Chrontherm- we'll see
Hi EdTheHeaterMan - It seems that I have only a 2 wire (Red and White) connecting to a Carlin 60200-02 box that has TT TT terminal indicators. White is connected to one Terminal and Red is connected to the other 'T' terminal. Looks like no third wire as expected....
Just be sure to change the batteries every year. they might last 2 years but you don't want a No Heat service call one evening because the batteries died.
Funny Story, (but not for this customers son)
I got a No Heat Call from a customer and at the time My minimum service call was $39.00 (yea... a long time ago). I found that the batteries in the thermostat were dead, I had a Flat Rate for replacing batteries when I supplied them. It might have been 10.00 at the time. It included parts and labor. Like maybe $2.00 battery cost and 3 minutes labor, the automatic markup and overhead costs were included in the $10.00.
The homeowner was not home ( a single mom) and the middle school child gave me access. I called the owner at work to get an OK for a $50.00 repair, and got it. Within 15 Minutes I was on my way to the next call. Easy Peesy... Right?
That evening I got a call from that customer in a rage. She had just replaced the batteries a month earlier and was questioning my $10.00 charge for batteries. That was outrageous for something she already replaced last month, Do batteries go bad that fast?. I explained the flat rate includes the labor to make the repair. and that for such a short repair like 3 minutes the labor was only $8.00 plus the minimum service call fee of $39.00, so the total was $49.00. I apologized for not telling her over the phone at work all the details, but it appeared that you were very busy at the time and since you were a regular customer, I didn’t want to bother you with emailing the invoice so you can approve and sign it, then email it back. And it was only $49.00.
Two days later she called me to apologize. It seems that her son helped her with the thermostat battery replacement. And her son’s Gameboy® batteries died. Knowing where he could find some relatively new batteries, he swapped the dead batteries in the Gameboy with the thermostat batteries. Who needs heat anyway when you can’t play on your Gameboy?
Re: Pipe Pitch and Pipe Insulation
Oh @EdTheHeaterMan , is that the circle of fifths on that pitch pipe? Maybe we can get the steam whistle pitched to a tune? LOL.
Intplm.
2
Re: Pipe Pitch and Pipe Insulation
As far as insulation goes, it depends on the quality of the studio construction. I hate it when you are trying to make a recording and you get the noise of a firetruck siren going by, on you demo tape
Re: Adjusting Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV)
At the request of @EdTheHeaterMan for full system pics, here are two shots of Boiler #1. Boiler #2 is partially visible. I'm leaving him for a separate thread
OMG, we may have another @Jamie Hall, Calling boiler #2 Him! Is Boiler #1 a Her? or perhaps, Non-binary? You may want to have your boilers meet Cedric. Have you named them yet @JHMartin?
I guess I could name the boiler at my old home BUD (My sons home now). It's a Buderus from the 1990s. LOL
Edit:
Or "RELRUS" RiELlo budeRUS
Re: Newly Installed Smart Thermostat Blinking On/Off
Had you called a competent, professional HVAC person it would installed quickly and correctly, and could've solved your C-wire issue. And you would've had your wifi thermostat.
I'm more offended that you blamed your wife.
I'm more offended that you blamed your wife.
Re: Do old radiators lose efficiency?
Good point @Mustangman, but the radiator is not the inefficient thing. The crud in the piping was the “inefficient thing”. So a replacement radiator with the cruddy pipe would still have a problem heating the room. Hence my Question “After you replace that expensive part, What will you check next?
However if that inspector IS correct, my information may be flawed. Since I am in my 60s that would by default make my repair ideas inefficient. But I still think my ideas would be better than @Jamie Hall 's advise, he is way older than me!
However if that inspector IS correct, my information may be flawed. Since I am in my 60s that would by default make my repair ideas inefficient. But I still think my ideas would be better than @Jamie Hall 's advise, he is way older than me!
Re: A Circulator Is Not A Pump
Years ago there was a motoring program on extreme vehicles. In one (I think Iceland) they were climbing snow/ice covered mountains with customised pickup trucks with massive tyres at low pressure. One of the tyres deflated and the solution was to spray in lighter fuels (butane) and then a match. Very fast and effective and saves money on a barber.
John
John
JDHW
1
Re: System considerations for hydronic system spanning 40 ft height
Greetings all! Bit of a physics thought experiment I guess, but I don't want to make any assumptions... I'm planning a 40 ft tall addition build with hydronic heating (and I will attempt cooling). Hydronic will be in the insulated on-grade slab, plus ceilings in the upper levels. Each level is small, at 25x19ft interior floor footprint, with 1/4 taken up by stairs/pneumatic elevator that won't have hydronic. So the lowest point of the system will be at almost 0 ft, and the highest point will be at about 37 ft height. Theoretically, when the system is full of water there shouldn't be any impact from gravity ( I think...) since the downward force will equal the upward force almost exactly- aside from minute differences from density caused by temp differences. The question is whether that is true in practice, and whether I would need to make any special system design considerations for the height, when compared with a system that is "flat". Thanks in advance!==================================================================================================================================
You don't have to fight with this and try to overcome gravity, you make gravity work for you.
A top fed gravity hot water system like top fed steam is the Cadillac of heating systems and does not require a circulator or bladder expansion tank, the only requirement is a small steel open to air expansion tank.
My home had an open to air expansion tank that was saddle mounted in our laundry room ceiling and had 5 gallons of water in it and a water level gauge tube in the end of the tank.
Why are you not considering making it a top fed gravity system for this place and take advantage of the fact that heat rises and cooler water sinks and does not require a circulator?????????????????
The single riser pipe from the boiler steam chest could be routed up the staircase opening to the open to air expansion tank and the hot water would be directed from the tank to the third floor with an OS fitting and the cool water return to the cool water return stand pipe from the third floor to the second floor and then from the second to the first then to the boilers 2 sump tapping's to start heating it again for its trip upward to the third floor.
In Mr. Holohans excellent book "CLASSIC HYDRONICS" in Chapter 4 provides the reader with an excellent side view drawing of a bottom fed gravity hot water system.
The top fed gravity hot water system elminates air bubbles as all the hot water rises to the top in the single hot water riser to the open to air expansion tank and then is fed to each floor starting at the top floor and then the second floor and then back to the first floor using a common drop pipe with OS fittings.
The great thing about this method is that there is no circulator nor the need to bleed air out of the system BECAUSE THERE IS NONE.
With a top fed steam system all you would need is three small radiators connected in series top to bottom using a single steam riser pipe and one drop pipe feeding the top radiator as they would be connected in line with each other if my memory of the flow of the dry steam is right and there is no need for return piping or a circulator.
leonz
1
Re: Boiler Piping question
@EdTheHeaterMan- Well the crew came today, but I could not be there due to work commitments, and they did the job, but not as you said.
When I got home they were still there and had just packed up the truck. I asked him about the combustion anaylsis and they said they did not know anything about that, I should call the office.
They totally missed the point about the 18" of strait pipe, and put the air scoop between 2 elbows. This is like a clown show, this the 4th time they were here.
When I got home they were still there and had just packed up the truck. I asked him about the combustion anaylsis and they said they did not know anything about that, I should call the office.
They totally missed the point about the 18" of strait pipe, and put the air scoop between 2 elbows. This is like a clown show, this the 4th time they were here.
docbar99
2