Not getting enough heat.

Joeneedsheat

Hi, I am having problems with the heat in my house. The outside tep was about 30 and the inside i set to 75. from lastnight to this morning the temp only went up by 1 degree in the house from 72 to 73 and does not seem to go any higher. I don't think there is enough heat emanating from the baseboard. Also the reset button on the aqua-stat kept tripping like 2 or 3 times per day. Where is what i have done and tried so far: I changed the pump ( cuz i had problems with it the previous year ). I changed the aqua-stat ( cuz some one advised me to,  but that did not work, wasted $100). And i played around with all settings and ended up with Aqua-stat being at 195, High limit being at 180 and bleeding the boiler like 3 times ( as recommended by some people, and it didn't work). I also increased the psi and it kicked out all the water like 3 time till i gave up and left it to fill up to default. If someone could help me with this problem i would appreciate it. Just need to get the heat up so it can emanate more from the baseboard and actually heat up the house. What i have is a Pennco gas boiler 15B120FV0.

JStar

Heat

You're asking the system to do too much. 72F indoor temperature is about all you can expect during these cold snaps, unless the heating system is way oversized. Sorry.

Joeneedsheat

not enough heat

when the temp outside decrease to like 20 the heat does not even push the temp inside the house to remain on 72. it actually decreases and the base board is still warm. i had to go and reset the aqua-stat last night also.

JStar

Heat

Looks like the circulator is upside-down.



What size boiler? The pipes looks too small as well.

Tom_133

New Problem?

Is this a new problem, in the past could you get the system to 75? Oh and IF that is a manual reset high limit then you need to set it a bit hotter than 195, it needs to be around 220.

icesailor

Black thing:

What is that black thing above the circulator?

That High Limit Thermostat with the manual reset is a code required high limit safety and is supposed to be set higher than the other High Limit. The manual one can be set to 220 degrees. The other one at 195 degrees or 200 degrees. Its only a safety controller.

ALL valves on the return should be FULL OPEN!!!, None partially.

Go measure ALL of the baseboard heat in the house. Multiply it by 600. Measure the baseboards and if you measure from end cap to end cap, round it off to the closer even foot ( 77" equals 72" or 6') If the number is 50', and 30,000, that is approximately the installed radiation. If the number is more than 60', the boiler is piped too small with 3/4" and should be 1".

But if you are in Maine or some cold place and it is designed to zero degrees, with 70 degrees inside, and it is 30 degrees out and not windy, your installed heat and boiler are oversized.

Make sure that the circulator ISN"T installed upside down. The arrow on the boiler MUST face or point back to the boiler when it is installed on the return. On the supply, it is also pointing back toward the boiler.

I would like to gently point out that sidewalk experts are not professional hydronics installers and technicians. They have already cost you far more money in un-necessary parts that haven't solved your problems. Call an experienced professional. You wouldn't call a Proctologist if your car won't start.

And WHAT is that black thing above the circulator with the wires coming out of it?

LPGasman

Should get interesting

When the bladder goes bad on that extrol tank

Joeneedsheat

to all

The black thing is to let me know if the water supply is lo and refill the tank I believe. Every thing was working fine for the last 2 winters and for 1 month in this winter. Then the reset problem started happening. I believe the pump is installed correctly it flows in an upward direction. I live in NY. Did not get a chance to measure baseboard.

kcopp

if it...

flows upwards its backwards. Should be down going back into the boiler.

Harvey Ramer

It certainly

looks as though the circulator is pumping up and reversing the flow through the boiler. But riddle me this, if the return water from the system is coming into the boiler supply why is the high limit locking out?



And yes the near boiler piping is to small.



Also, that is not even close to the correct way to set up circulation and flow control for your system.



I am to tired to draw and explain tonight. Maybe tomorrow unless one of the other wetheads picks me up.



Harvey



PS. Looks like the gas supply line is a larger size than the boiler supply ;-) Can't say I've seen that before.

Unknown

your

Your heating system been installed and serviced by someone that doesn't know a damn thing about hydronic heating... yes , you can call that comapny and tell them I said so.. hope you can find someone here from contractor list. That black thing is a low water cut off..

Unknown

your

Your heating system been installed and serviced by someone that doesn't know a damn thing about hydronic heating... yes , you can call that comapny and tell them I said so.. hope you can find someone here from contractor list. That black thing is a low water cut off..

Unknown

furthermore,

This boiler job shall be added to the hall of shame site..

Ironman

Not enough heat

1. Circulator pumping in wrong direction.

2. Valves partially closed on what would be the return line if the circ was right.

3. No air scoop or MBR on system with bladder tank.

4. 120k btu boiler with 3/4 in supply line which is good for 40k btu's.

5. Manual safety high limit set lower than limit.

6. Homeowner mistakenly thinks that the LWCO signals him to manually fill the boiler until the relief valve dumps. He's tried numerous DIY repairs based on advice that's been given him by Knuckleheads.



Anyone wanna take a shot at what's wrong?



Joe, what part of NY are you in? Let us know and we'll try and hook you up with a real pro.

Joeneedsheat

Update

I'm back. So here's whats happened since i left. I called a guy who charged 150 just to bleed the system a little and raise the pressure in the tank. Everything was fine for a while until the temperature stared dropping again. Then i realized that the pressure went back down after a week or so. any ways i set back the pressure to like 15. It still didn't work. then i raised the temp on the lower aqua stat from 180 to 190 and on the upper aqua stat with the reset button from 210 to 220. Then everything started working fine. Except for the reset button on the upper aqua stat. that keeps resetting and cutting the heating system off like 2 or 3 in the morning. Then when i reset it everything comes back on.  I tried a new thermostat but it was the same. Also when the system cuts off i can hear the water in the pipes falling back down to the boiler and it makes a loud noise. And i can hear bubbling like water falling on hot metal. If any one can help me with fixing the issue with the reset button so i don't have to get up like 2am in the morning to reset it to get some heat  i would appreciate it. Thank you.

Tim McElwain

What is your location

in New York?

Snowmelt

Pressure reducer

Your pressure reducer may be clogged

Expansion tank on wrong side , most likely need a new one.

Near boiler piping is to small which is said numerous times

Is the boiler able to heat the place when it's 50 outside?