Cast iron boiler off for the summer

Unknown

That's a clear advantage of a pilot over spark ignition.

JP, the boiler isn't sitting at room temperature, it has an active tankless coil in it. If the water flowing through the coil is hot, no problem.

If the water going through that coil is street temperature, that boiler will become the dehumidifier of all of that air that goes up the chimney all summer long.

The whole casting drips sooty mud into the bottom of the boiler.

Been there, done that. It's ugly.

Noel

mark schofield

shut off CI boiler for 5 months

I have a relatively new WM WTGO3 boiler(tankless coil) presently supplying DHW and heat (hydronic base board). I am fortunate to have a solar system (2 panels, 60 gallon storage tank)which feeds the boiler tankless coil with pre-heated hot water. On sunny summer days the solar tank can get up to 150 degrees. I put a timer on the boiler burner and during the months of may thru september, the boiler runs 10 to 12 hours/month, primarily to maintain temperature at low limit (130 deg). Which means about 60 gallons for the 5 month period. At an anticipated cost of $5/gallon I spend about $300 over the summer to maintain boiler low limit. I feel that I can make do with the hot water obtained from the solar system and would like to shut the boiler off for the summer. A one time shut down. I understand the problems with on/off hot/cold cycles and temperatures in a boiler (leaks, soot, expansion, contraction) but this would be a one time off and then on 5 months later. Similar to a yearly 2 day power outage. And I can always add a small (20-30 gallon)propane DHW heater for the times when there are 4 rainy days in a row. The near boiler piping is insulated well as is the boiler jacket, so I don't know any other way to minimize stand by loss of heat. Field Controls is currently developing a vent damper for oil boilers, but it won't be available for 3 or 4 months. I worry what the one time off/on might do to the system. I have the oil company tune the boiler yearly, ODR on the boiler with warm weather shut down. All runs well. I know this isn't a cold start boiler, but can it be safely shut down for a continuous 5 month span. Thanks for any thoughts. Mark S.

Al Letellier_21

boiler shut down

Sure you can, Mark. The Weil boilers use "rubber" seals between the sections and under the coil plate. They do a better job of staying leak free in the summer. Go ahead and shut it down, but have it cleaned and tuned when you do it. Don't let a boiler sit all summer without that annual maintenance being done the day you shut it down. You'll be happy you did when you go to flip the switch in the fall.

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Leo_12

Be Careful

"You'll be happy you did when you go to flip the switch in the fall."

That was talking of having it cleaned the day it is shut down. I cleaned one last week that did not have this done, had to keep it apart overnight to dry out. Messed up my vac, and had to keep heating the boiler up, open it up clean some, heat back up etc etc. The money saved on oil is going to the service cost.

Leo

Norm Harvey

Agreed.

I tell my customers to run the boiler once a day for a minute or two over the summer.

I try to get my customers into a routine where they flip the switch when they go down to do laundry, then trun it off when they go upstairs again.

Leaving it off all summer casusts condensation to form in the flue ways. That condensation mixes with the products of combustion and makes for a big mess.

Robert O'Brien

Why

not just turn the low limit all the way down? Cloudy day?turn it up

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Leo_12

I didn't read close enough

Given this particular boiler has a timer, 5 minutes a day should be enough to keep it clean and still reduce oil consumption.

Leo

Jim Franklin

Where does the moisture for this condensation come from when a boiler if off all summer? I would expect running it for only 5 mins/day to dump much more condensation moisture into the flue system.

jim

Leo_12

It comes from

It comes from the basement, how many people run dehumidifiers in the basement in the summer. It can also weep in from the boiler itself. As one who cleans many boilers in the course of a year the ones that stay off all summer can and most often take twice as long to clean. If you talk to Timmie he will tell you on gas do not turn off the pilot as it can cause rust and spiders messing up the burners. Moisture and heating equipment are not a marriage made in heaven.

Maybe I was wrong to say five minutes a day, ten to fifteen may be better. It takes finding a happy medium to keep the boiler clean yet conserve on precious fuel. I am all for people conserving fuel and yes I work for an oil company.
We make the bulk of our money on fuel but if you don't work with the people to conserve and keep their equipment in good shape someone else will then we have less customers.

Leo

jp_2

i think it depends.

you need high humidity to have condensation forming on near room temp surfaces. so the basements needs to be a lot colder and humid in the spring than warm up quite a bit in the summer.

seems to me if your basement is that humid a dehumidifier is needed and would solve both problems at the same time. humidity leads to mold and mildew.

personal I've never seen condensation form on a room temp surface.

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

What about pilotless spark ignitors

On a gas boiler? Would I expect condensate and rust to build up on the flueways during the summer?

Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

No Coil

So, if I had no tankless coil in the boiler I would expect it to be room temp and no condensation on the flueways. Is that correct?

Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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