aquastat low setting during summer months

moey

I have a Burnham V-14A with a indirect hot water setup. What are the optimal settings in the summer months on the aquastat to not have the boiler cycle as much maintaining temperature. I currently have the low set to 140 with a diff of 15 and it cycles every 2-3 hours if there is no call for heat. The aquastat is a 8184H with high/low/diff settings.



Is it ok to turn the low settings on the aquastat down further in the summer? My thinking is that the coldest water coming in would then be from the indirect and it would be around 110 and the boiler would fire off at that point getting above the condensation point quickly.



I understand in the winter the low settings would have to be turned back up again as the water coming back would be colder.

Mark Eatherton

Oil or gas?

It will make a difference in recommendations...



ME

moey

oil,

system is oil

Mark Eatherton

I will defer to the oil experts...

BUT, based on my observations here, cold start oil boilers are extremely maintenance intensive.



Now, and again I would defer to an oil boiler expert, but it is my humble non oil opinion, that if you can incorporate an anti condensing valve into the design of your system, you COULD possibly turn the boiler completely off when the tank stat is satisfied.



I hear what you are saying about heat from the DHW tank helping the boiler get above condensing point sooner, but based on some of the photos I've seen here of cold start oil boilers, I don't think you EVEN want to go anywhere near condensing.



But I know when I am out of my comfort zone, and you could fit what I know about oil burners in the corner of your eye, and you wouldn't even know it was there...



You might want to take your question further down the Wall to the Oil section. Some of those guys don;t wander far away from that block :-)



ME

moey

not suggesting cold start

Im not suggesting a cold start basically 120 F was what I was thinking for a low setting with a diff of 25.



But Id like to have someone say "oh yea that would be ok" or "oh no thats not a good idea". Its a old cast iron boiler so Id rather not rock the boat but it runs a lot right now just staying warm and it annoys me

Steve Whitbeck

Oil boiler

I work on oil all the time - I have a lot of customers with oil boilers, and most of them cold start. I wouldn't have a problem with turning the low setting way down but it will cause lower and slower domestic hot water output. The boiler will be cold even with the warm return water from the indirect. If you are worried about condensation just upsize the oil nozzle to the next size up as long as the rating plate allows it.

do you have cast iron or fin tube radiators. There isn't really any reason to maintain a low limit temperature in the boiler. Low limit aquastats were mainly installed if the boiler had a tankless heater element installed. ( you had to maintain boiler temp so when the domestic hot water was turned on there was hot water surrounding the tankless heater element.)

billtwocase

this is also in the oil heating threads

As I said there, turn the low limit all the way down. Your Amtrol is tied into Z-R, so you are good to go. I would consider a stack damper for stand by loss. Didn't mention it there though