Hot Radiators

MrMark

Last year converted from oil to gas. Our home is steam heat, radiators. Had local 'experts' company to installed Burnham Boiler along with Megastar Indirect Water heater, water feeder, etc. Great system, great savings with gas. Last summer, and now this spring/summer, noticed the radiators are hssing, hot to touch? Yesterday, 80-degrees outside, AC running, yet radiators warm again. The pipes leading away from boiler are hot, basement warm. Is this normal? The only thing I noticed was hot radiators after a few showers have been taken - reheating tank ? but...I asked 'experts' to solve- as I don't think this is normal or acceptable? Shouldn't be. Upon their inspection last week, they instucted me to turn off heat at thermostat, OK...but I had thermo locked at low temp ? 60-degrees anyway. So that didn't solve. What should I look to, or have the 'experts' look into to solve this warm radiator in summer issue? I had earlier issues with this companies installation specifically their piping when they first installed the system. A few things seemed 'wrong' and after posting my concerns and pictures- the folks at HelpingHeat outlined various concerns with installation that had taken place and solutions. The company returned, corrected, and all seemed well, until spring/summer...when i thought the radiators would be on summer vacation...Thoughts? Suggestions?  

Snowmelt

Aquastat

I'm not 100% sure, but I would be looking at the aqua stat on the boiler, it shouldn't be going over 180 degrees, I'm trying to think out load , if the indirect water is going on your producing steam I'm going to have to think that the boiler is calling for steam instead of just hot water, that I believe can be triggered by the aqua stat, it may be a triple aqua stat.

MrMark

Close

The aqua stat -on boiler- is set at the top (12 o'clock) ~ 140 yet the catch post is all the way at 280. I can't seem to pry post closer to 170. Ideas? I believe this probably is the culprit.

Snowmelt

Call the manufacture

Get there tech on the phone and try to solve it. Make sure you have an ohm/volt meter.

Kinda hard to do it from here.

Steamhead

It may have an adjustable differential

remove the cover (WITH THE POWER TURNED OFF) take a picture and post it here. 

MrMark

Solution

My 'experts' now tell me to drop temp on aqua on boiler ? to 130-degrees. Thoughts?

MrMark

Q

Sounds like sound advice. In picture 1 - the setpoint indicating dial need to be turned to 130. Does the other part of the dial that is stationary - appears past 240-degree marking need to be moved, or lowered or is it non-functioning? I hear about setting highs and lows and not certain if this clip needs to move to within 10-15-degrees of the 130-degree setting.  

MrMark

Advice

Turned aquastat on boiler to 130, pipes hot, basement hot, and hissing from radiators; yet radiators not really hot. What options whould i be looking to. The 'experts' installation company is sick of hearing from me. Should I get a local HVAC person in to review sitaution, make recommondations, pay bill and services along to initial installers? Is there such thing as a shut off value - in situations like this- that in summer i can shut off steam to pipes and radiators? Advice?

KC_Jones

Professional

If you look up the meaning of the word all it really means is you get paid and you have been trained.  It doesn't say anything about not being a shyster or a thief or just a jerk.  This is a common misconception in society.  People assume 2 things a professional is good at what they do and they will not "hurt" you.  A friends wife says flat out a "professional" always does it better because you pay them.  Now to me that is funny.  No offense intended towards anyone, but I always feel the need to point this out to people.  Personally on my house if I am paying you I don't want a professional, I pay you to be the EXPERT.  If I know more than you or I even feel like I know more than you, you won't be getting my money.  Oh and just to clarify, if you are an expert there is no way I should possibly be able to feel like I know more than you.  Just my 2 cents as a homeowner.

Steamhead

Another possibility here

is a lack of heat-transfer grease in the aquastat well, resulting in the aquastat bulb not getting the full effect of the heat so it wouldn't shut off the burner.

SWEI

Thermal grease

Got a brand you like?  I'm looking for some and the computer type is $$pendy.

MrMark

Storage tank

Is Storage Tank considered the Indirect Water Heater-tank -if so..it does connect. The temp on the aquastat on tank is set at 118-120. Thoughts?

ChrisJ

Dow Corning 340

I use Dow Corning 340 on everything, including my CPUs and I do a lot of overclocking and gaming. We buy tubes of it I think for $30 or so ea.



Don't get caught up in PC "high end thermal grease" B.S. I've tried artic silver and didn't see a difference.

SWEI

Dow Corning 340

Thanks -- we'll give it a shot.  Gave up on the magic silver stuff years ago and have been using the tiny tube of something Intel sent way back when. 

ChrisJ

grease

Here's a link to a place that has it, never dealt with them though.

http://www.skygeek.com/dow-corning-dc340-5oz-silicone-compound-5-oz.html



It's just standard white grease. I'm even using it on my 1.8GHz pc at work that has been running at 2.7GHz for 3 years now.