steam management system/thermostat

Travis_F

Hi all- We are a 70 unit NY coop with single pipe steam. We're in the midst of properly venting our system and have benefited over the years from this forum's expertise and Dan's books. Now we are hoping to upgrade our very basic (and old) heat timer with a unit that monitors and fires the boiler based on inside temperature, instead of outside temps. We are hoping to better heat the building and mostly better hoping for efficiency during the not-so-cold days. I have three questions:



1) What controls should we be looking at? My basic understanding is that there are units that monitor, for example, 8 apartments and fire the boiler based on the average temp, etc. Make, model?



2) Suggestions for NYC contractors to install it? We are asking our usual guys, but wanted to branch out as well.



3) I also understand there are federal/state rebates available… Would love to know more as simple google search hasn't turned up much.



Thanks as always!

Unknown

best control

Best control I've installed for steam in apt building is Tekmar 279 set up.. I was told they've seen 30 percent less fuel uasge and windows stayed closed.

JohnNY

Nevermind

Have a nice day.

nicholas bonham-carter

control system

Tekmar has a good reputation, and with the addition of some of their Internet enabled options, everyone can log on and see what the system is doing [on a bad television evening!]. The Tekmar is capable of averaging several indoor sensors, and using information from them, in addition to an outdoor sensor to calculate when to fire the boiler, and for how long. do a search here for tekmar 269, or 279, and see what people have said.

All of these control systems seem to get installed as band-aids for deferred maintenance. the venting, and over-pressure problems must be fixed first, before they can do their best job. get your steam pro to install an additional 0-3 psi gauge on the boiler, or on the radiator, of your unit so you can see when you finally have the right amount of venting, by monitoring the back-pressure of the system during the venting phase [should be a few ounces].

how many floors is this? Is this one-pipe or two-pipe steam? what sort of boiler? the boiler may be capable of high, and low firing. in this case, the boiler would fire at 100%, until a certain pressure in ounces is reached, and then cut back to 75, or 50%. all this saves fuel, and increases comfort, and the cost, when divided by 70 units, is negligible in comparison to the possible waste of fuel if this work had not been done.

Remember, it's not the hardware, but the person who knows what to do with it. This will determine your best choice of contractor. if your man is a regular on this site, that will be a good sign. do a search for what various contributors from NYC say in their postings, and from that you can tell who is a good communicator, and steam engineer, and who is not.--NBC

JohnNY

Internet?

Not with the 279.

nicholas bonham-carter

Internet boiler control

Is that what Tekmrknet is all about-connection to other Tekmar options (including internet access)?

Maybe the Ecobee then, which can have at least 2 remote sensors.--NBC

The Wire Nut

Larger building controls

Knowing a little bit about controls, I can tell you that tekmar makes great systems, but if you want to be able to monitor, control and track the operation locally or remotely, the tekmar is not the best way to get there. They do make a new controller that has BACNet and Modbus interfaces, but that presumes you have some sort of Building Automation System that talks those lingos.



You may want to look at the Taco iWorx system, which is a modular system that can handle pretty much anything that makes heat or cold. In addition they have a module which will let you monitor the system locally and/or remotely and provide trending, etc.



Not the cheapest system out there, but its a quality product and has great support.



Alex "WireNut" Marx

nicholas bonham-carter

Lowest pressure

Have you made any trials to see how low you can set your pressure, and still have good heat? We would all be interested in the results. Under 16 ounces surely, but by how much?--NBC