4 weeks away - turn off heat or not?

Charles_8

I'm leaving town for four weeks. The heating season hasn't started in northern Maine (although it's coming very soon :) so the boiler, an older Burnham V75, is only making hot water (40 gal heated by the coil and stored in an electric water heater tank).

There has been some discussion in this forum as to whether to turn the boiler off or not for short periods (corrosion from sweating?) In my system there may also be a consideration of bacterial growth in the hot water storage tank as it cools down to room (basement) temp. It's fairly damp in the basement, too.

So should I leave it on? It won't fire very often anyway since the storage tank probably loses only a degree per hour or so. Opinions appreciated...

-Charles

Al Letellier_9

turn it off or not

Being an older boiler, guarenteed it will be leaking at the gaskets when you get back if you turn it off. Lower the low limit to 130 or so and leave it on. Better to burn a little fuel and keep things warm and leak free than to have a large service call bill when you return. Hope you're leaving for some R&R. Good luck.
Al in So. Maine. (It was 49 here last night !!)

Maine Doug_65

Hmmmm. I have been

turning my twin Biasi's (QHC version) with E44 Ergomax off when I am in Steamhead land. They smoke a bit till they are hot again but that has been the only issue apparent so far. Otherwise one of the primary 007's must run all the time the way it is set up now so that if one fails the other picks up.
Must think about this.....