Red Lion Timer for Boiler

Frank_63

I've read posts on this board about hooking up a Red Lion timer to the gas valve of the boiler to measure the amount of gas used just by the boiler. My gas meter also is hooked to my hot water tank.

I was talking about this with someone who would help me install it, and he suggested just hooking it up to the wire in the t-stat that calls for heat. Is that an acceptable alternative? It might save me from having to go into the basement whenever I wantedt to get a reading.

Doug_7

Red Lion

I use Red Lion CUB7T100 Timers that time whenever a 10 to 300 volt signal is detected. They are connected to the 24 vac gas valve of the ON-OFF boilers and hot-water tank in the boiler room. Allows me to do a "heat balance" on the building.

Red Lions could be connected elsewhere - as long as they are able detect a voltage signal equivalent to a call for heat.

If your thermostat is supplying a voltage on a call for heat - then that would work. If your thermostat is only supplying a contact closure - hmmm. There are other Red Lion models that time on contact closure, such as CUB7T000 - but I don't use them.

Doug

Frank_63

Thanks

Thanks. Your posts are what I was thinking about. I'll make sure to check it out. I have a Honeywell VisionPro t-stat.

Joannie_15

Remember

The call for heat from the thermostat is there all the time the space is calling. Your boiler does not run that whole time. The boiler turns on and off during the call for heat, so hooking that up to the thermostat will not tell you how much the gas valve is energized.

Frank_63

Good Point

This is why I post these questions. There are obvious things that I overlook that others don't. The vaporstat or pressuretrol will turn off the boiler due to pressure. Thanks.

Frank_63

Burner Capacity

Is burner capacity the same as MBH per hour? I'm looking at the literature for my Burhnam IN 11. If so, do I use MBH input (349) or output (287.92)?

Doug_7

Burner Capacity

Burner capacity is the same as MBH per hour. That is the amount of fuel used when firing.

The output is less because of efficiency and heat losses. The efficiency works out to 82.5% at steady state - full firing.

The actual overall efficiency will be less when the burner is cycling OFF and ON.

Red Lion firing hours x 349,000 Btu / Hour = Fuel used.

Doug

FJL

Got It

thanks.