Steam boiler and Hot water tank give luke warm water during spring and fall

wedgemoose

My boiler and stand alone hot water tank are brand new and beautiful. Only about 5 years old. And when it is heating season the hot water is perfect. Also during the summer when you barley need it hot it works perfect. But during spring and fall OR when the house isn't calling for heat but it's a little cool outside 55 to 63-ish the shower water is luke warm at best and gets colder as the shower goes on. Only a few week of these two seasons but it sucks. If i remember it i will kick the heat on 5 minutes before the shower and it's perfect again. But i don't like kicking the heat on when you shouldn't have to. could it be they have my steam boiler feed, stand alone Hot water tank temp too low? it's at 140 right now.

or is is something else? Again it works perfect the other 10 months of the year. and it's not every time this happens during spring and fall. But too much for my liking. I spent big money getting a new boiler and Tank and they are both over sized(or correctly sized) for the house and for only two of us. So it's not like i'm running out of hot water because of multiple people taking showers in the morning. And it is only in the morning. So boiler doesn't run all night unless tank calls for it i assume. I'm hoping since it's steam you guys tell me to just turn up the Tank temp a few degree's? But don't want to do that without asking first. Of course when i tell the boiler cleaning guy each year he just blows me off because he is there during the times it works great(heat on in the house). P.S. right now is the time it doesn't work great. Massachusetts and about 50 to 55 when i wake up. But not heat on in house because house temp stays at about 65 to 67


help and thanks in advance

wedgemoose

thanks Hatter. Is the Aquastat the dial i turn? it goes in 10 degree intervals. with lines in between the numbers. I think a couple years ago i did crank it up to 150 and i think it solved my problem (i would lower it during seasons i didn't need it raised)

I get makes and brands tonight. its a Weil mclain boiler though


thanks again though. maybe it is off and not actually 140 like you say. Don't have to worry about anything being hot like you asked. I can touch anywhere on the tank and it's cool to the touch. I know it's a good one. Just can't remember brand. But will have for you tomorrow

wedgemoose

Oh out of the faucets you were saying. Sorry i don't know the technical terms for heating and plumbing. But yes that's not a problem. Two adults only. and honestly it comes out piping hot already(at 140). So we have to be careful now. I'm saying though it shouldn't be like this. Everything brand new and huge for two people, i should never even have to think about hot water. But turning a dial twice a year is not a big deal. Here are the pic's i promised.

wedgemoose

When i was reading up on this problem trying to find a solution i did read something about what that was commonly supposed to be set at. I can't remember now but mine wasn't as high as everyone said. You can see the dial through a window.

I will get that for you!!!!! thanks again.

wedgemoose

got it!!!! on it sir!!!

wedgemoose

i only see the one dial in the box? I also took a pic of the PSI box thing. in case you cant see in pic it's set to 165. Also i was wrong on my hot water tank. It was originally at 150. So i had to crank it to 160 now. Just doesn't seem right to me, Maybe the boiler being at 165 is the problem? If that is even what that setting is for?

wedgemoose

I understand. Few things though first.
1st- thanks very much for your time with me
2nd- Don''t ever say "please" again!!!!! your doing this for me and no please necessary.
3rd- We are kind of out of my trouble season now. It's warm now and i might not be able to tell. It only happens about 4 weeks out of the year. But those 4 weeks are hell

i have a rotary Delta shower valve. I use it like a clock that turns counter clockwise. 12:00 is off and then turn counter clockwise all the way around to 12:00 again the get full hot. My normal showers the valve handle is at 5:00(nice and hot and last all shower no matter how long). On these situations where i tell you it's luke warm here is how it goes. I have to start the shower at 4:00 and rapidly turn it to 12:00(which is full hot). Its never cold per say but it's not hot. But i would say it takes about 5 minutes before i am at full hot(From the starting point of 4:00 to 12:00). Sorry but does this make sense?

I don't know if "cold start or not". But i can tell you during the summer(when the heat is OFF) the boiler kits on and off all day. Usually for only a few minutes. and and hour or so apart.

I will get you the rest.

wedgemoose

All right sir. I bumped up the boiler to 180 and lowered the Hot Water Tank back down to 150. I will feel the boiler for you next couple days. I attached the pics of the Tank aquastat.(both sides in case what your looking for is hidden)

wedgemoose

I can tell you already that cranking up the boiler helped ten times more than raising the hot water tank. Only after one day i can tell you this. It is so much better and nice and hot and i never have to turn the dial up. It stays consistent just like it does during the seasons where the heat is running all the time.

But now the question is: do i turn it back down during the summer and winter? or did they have it set too low as it was. what is the downside to keeping it at 180. And why didn't my heating company know this!!! i have told them the problem a hundred times and they just look at me like i have three heads


The boiler doesn't seem to be running more than usual or anything. I can't see any downside to keeping it at 180

also i wasn't able to feel if it was hot in the morning for you yet. the wife gets up first and showers. So might be a while before i can do that. But again I know that raising the boiler temp made it a thousand times better

wedgemoose

AND!!!! i want to thank you very much for taking all this time with me. You are a scholar and a gentleman. You really saved me. You saved me and a well known professional heating and fuel company couldn't. (or at least they didn't even try)