Using My Gas Meter To Calculate Gas Usage

FJL

Burnham KIN11LNC-LL2. MEA # 154-93-E. Input BTU = 349,000. Output BTU = 288,000. Does that give you the info you need?

FJL

Is This Correct?

I want to figure out how much gas I save using a day and evening set back. My gas meter fuels the boiler and the hot water tank, so this method won't be exact, but it should give me a good idea.

Now, is the amount of gas used by the boiler when it runs constant regardless of the outside temperature? By this I mean, if the boiler runs for the same amound of time when the temp is 25 degrees and when the temp is 35 degrees, the amount of cubic feet of gas used will be the same, correct? Or is this the wrong way to do it?

Buzz G.

You need to tell us what the boiler is-make and type etc for if it modulates it won't be accurate.

FJL

From Reading the Literature on the Burnham IN

I don't see anything about this model having a modulated burner, which is what I think you are talking about.

Gordy

Yes

If your boiler is not a Modulating type. When its on its using the rated input. In your case 349,000 btuh.

Some of the newer wall thermostats have timers on how long there is a call for heat in a 24 hour period. All though not totally accurate, because this does not subtract the times when boiler reaches temp. and burner shuts off. but there is stil heat call.

Gordy

Doug_7

Red Lion Timer

I use a Red Lion Model CUB7T100 Programmable Timer,
Positive Image Reflective, 10 – 300 volt signal input.

It times when it detects a 10 – 300 volt signal input. So wire it to the gas valve and it times burner ON time.

http://www.redlion.net/Products/DigitalandAnalog/Timers/Elapsed/CUB7T.html

Very simple - works great. I set it to count in one-hundreds of an hour. Burner capacity X Burner ON time = BTU used.

About $60 which is well worth it.

Doug

Buzz G.

Original question

was whether the boiler uses the same amount of gas when the outside temp is 25 vs when it is 35- answer is yes.
Other question was whether it uses as much with nite setback as without? Measure the 24 hour usage from the meter and if you have two days that are the same, one with setback and the other without, you will have your answer by multiplying the delta use times the cost per decatherm.

Gordy

Depends

IF it were to run the same amount of time regardless of outside temp period, then yes it would use the same amount of gas......

But if the outside temps are 25* and 35* then the period of time that it runs on a 25* day should be longer than a run time on a 35* day IF the thermostat setting is the same.

It should not use as much gas with night or day set back how much less would depend on the setback used.

But there is some debate on setback, and how much. The fuel saved is then used to bring the dwelling back up to temp.

Setback to me is only worth it if the house drops more than 5* in an 8 to 10 hour period. Indicating a less than desirable envelope.

Say you are gone to work all day so you setback 5*. By the time you achieve this 5* drop its time to come out of setback. Now you have to burn fuel to reheat the dwelling, and all its mass.

Or if your out of town for a while its worth it.


Gordy

k

burnham boiler

I know the Burnham Independence series is either on or off with no modulating of the gas valve. You could add a Tekmar Boiler staging control (261)and modulate the supply water temperature based on outdoor air temp. The control will also make the boiler cycles less and the boiler on times longer which makes for a more efficient system.

FJL

Tekmar

My contractor, a fellow I found on this site, did recommend installation of a Tekmar device (I forget which one) when we put in the new gas boiler in the Summer of 2007, but my building decided against it. I live in a cooperative apt in NYC. People did not want to pay the extra cost and they were afraid of the technology -- that the reading of the outside temp would result in getting less heat inside when heat was needed. I don't know what to say about the "fear" of the technology. The reluctance to pay the extra cost was probably short sighted. Although, I must say, our heating bill seems to be less than what others seem to pay, although I don't know what part of the country they are in. But we paid about $3500 for the six months of the heating season (mid October to mid April) to heat four apartments. So my share works out to $945 for six months. From what I recall, some people on this site pay almost that much per month to heat their home.

Pictures of header attached. They are not the best pictures, but the boiler is in a confined space.

k

Control

Hold your steamboat horses-In regards to contolling a Burnham steam boiler I would recommend a Tekmar 269

FJL

Tekmar 269

Yep. Tekmar 269 is exactly what my contractor had recommended.