luke warm water

1peezal

Hi, I have a  Peerless cast iron boiler #WB-3 with 30 gallon hot water. It has been working great for 15 or so years, but lately the hot water is not hot or is speratic. I was thinking the Honeywell Triple Aquastat relay, type L8124a might be the issue. I have it turned to 160 and 185 where its been for years. If you run the shower it use to be hot all the time,  now its warm, burner comes on and its hotter for a minute, then warm again.

any one know if that would be the cause

Paul Fredricks_3

Some possibilities

It could be that the aquastat is out of calibration. You'd have to compare what it's set for with the actual water temp in the boiler.



A better bet may be that the coil in the boiler (I'm assuming the hot water comes from a coil in the boiler) may be getting a coating on the inside of the tubing. Turn on the hot at a sink. If the water is plenty hot for a few seconds, then cools down, it's probably a dirty coil. It can be cleaned out with acid, but there is a risk that a hole will form in the coil. If the mating surface is in good shape a new coil could be installed. Or you could put in an indirect water heater and have more hot water than ever before.



Just my opinion.

SteveOhh

Indirect Fired Hot water heaters have dip tube

It sounds like you have a plus 30 indirect fired water heater. If so the domestic  cold water inlet nipple in the heater probably has a dip tube in it. im pretty sure the peerless partner has one. It may be cracked and allowing the cold water to mix with hot at top of tank instead of at the bottom. check that out by removing cold water line and pulling out dip tube.

Paul Fredricks_3

AHH

I missed that it was a 30 gallon tank, I'd assume indirect. What Steve said makes sense. Let us know the make and model on the water heating unit.