Steam Cycles and Thermostat?

Jack P.

If you are only running for 20 minutes and then off for hour and half, I don't think you will gete any more ecconomy out of yours or any boiler. But if you want the cycles to run more often but run less time and not overheat the rooms you could lower the anticipator setting on the stat.What the anticipator setting does is match the thermostat voltage with the fuel valve. It anticipates when the stat should open and close the fuel valve. If it is set higher it will keep the fuel valve open longer because it does not think or believe the room temperature is high enough yet. If set high enough it will run the heating plant even higher than what the stat is set at temperature wise. Most boiler (water and steam) should be set-up that way. That is, while you are making heat, use that heat. If you want more comfort, that is a smaller range of temperature per cycle, lower it down a little at time until you get what you want. If you are not certain how to do that just post again and I will try to help you with how to do that.

John Van Hoesen

Archives...

I read through A LOT of old posts, but I'm still confused... my one-pipe steam system (Burnham V84) is running well, but I still feel like it's burning more oil than it should... don't we all. Anyway, my thermostat is a RiteTemp: http://www.ritetemp-thermostats.com/8022.html

It doesn't specifically state that it is designed for steam systems, but it seems to "work" for the most part, but after reading how other folks boilers are running, I was just wondering if I should look into another TStat... it comes on, steams for about 20 minutes and then might not come on again for another hour or 1.5 hours, the tstat is slowly dropping down over this time, seems like it would be better to keep the pipes and water a little warmer over that period (cycling once per hour???). Just a little confused about this that's all, thanks for your thoughts.

cheers
John