Water temps for efficiency

Mike Loudon

Have what I'm told is a flash type hot water system w/ cast baseboard. Flash because it sends out 130/180 degree water to baseboards when house temp calls for heating. Boiler holds these temps to supply domestic hot water(coil in boiler). Would it make sense to add separete hot water heater(electric?)and have circulator run on call for house heat, and boiler to run up to only the water temp necessary to bring rooms up to temp (satisfy house thermostate), and then shut down til needed again. On really cold month, I could see that it would'nt probably make much difference, but here in Virginia, we have long spring and fall, and boiler really works to keep high temps available for the domestic, and doesn't need high temps to take chill off house.

Big Ed

Outdoor reset


Yes it does pay.....

I would also recomend two things.

First is look into a new boiler.To run a coil the boiler has to be way over sized for heating just to maintain the coil as to produce enough hot water for a shower..





Second.... A out door reset uses a sensor to measure the out side temperature and sets the boiler to the temperature needed to heat the structure at any given time.The boiler would shut down if the day warms up....Which could be a problem with boilers coil plates. They could leak from expantion and constraction...

I would use a proper size heating boiler that does not use gaskets...