How to run a hot-water zone off a steam boiler

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How to run a hot-water zone off a steam boiler

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uscav82

In order to see 170 water in the hot water loop, the aquastat has to be set between 210/215. I feel like this is not normal. The feed comes from the front of the boiler on the left while the return feeds into the condensate return that is located on the left side of the right panel. Any thoughts?

markusriva

You could use a water-to-water heat exchanger or the boiler's tankless coil if you'd like, that will give you a first-class installation. However, if you follow a few simple piping rules, you can get the job done without the heat exchanger.

continuous flow hot water systems

EzzyT

@uscav82 I set the aquastat at 180 on all my hot water zones off a steam boiler jobs and don't have any issues with the water not reaching temp. Are you sure the piping set is correct?

BillAllen

Where do I install the aqua stat on this system? What port do I use or can it be install in the HW zone piping and if so where?

Snowmelt

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1344&bih=728&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=YN5lW_PFG4bGjwTQ6b-QCA&q=add+a++loop+steam++hot+water+&oq=add+a++loop+steam++hot+water+&gs_l=img.3...2694.9692.0.9915.24.22.2.0.0.0.188.1636.16j4.20.0....0...1c.1.64.img..2.1.84...0i24k1.0.S8OJY5pBGCU#imgrc=4lHYSpBLgC0rfM:

is that what we are talking about

RomanP

Well, this was very informative. I would always install HW loop using heat exchanger and a separate feed and will continue doing that. However, I saw quite a few systems piped in without it and now I know the things to look out for.

Thanks a lot!!!

Big Ed_4

What temperature to set the boiler ? Depends what works ... Remember the steam side will be calling in the cold weather too and temperature depends on what type of radiation will be installed ? ... I would rather hang a panel radiator over running baseboard anyway ... If you are talking about baseboard , you really don't need it at 180* until the coldest day of the year... You can also tie an aquastat to the end switch of the circulator relay ... And you don't want to set it too high to break steam either ... Run extra baseboard to run at a lower temperature for a safety margin ... Basements not needed ...

Condensation loops without a heat exchanger are great for basements , maybe just above the boiler ... As you climb , I would be installing a heat exchanger .... Cheaper in the long run

brada526

can you bleed the radiators in this system?

curiousburke_2

Very interesting! What are your thoughts on running the condensate returning from the radiators in a one pipe system through baseboards in the basement to add some heat? I realize the room temperature wouldn't be controllable, but is there any issue with doing it?

da13ear

Hey guys, I have this setup in my place and am dealing with one fairly painful issue. The water comes out of the boiler very low and brings a lot of sediment / rust with it. It goes directly to a plate heat exchanger with a circulation pump behind it pulling the water through and pushing it back into boiler return.

My problem is that the plate heat exchanger gets clogged really easily by the sediment in the boiler and i dont have a good solution for it. I dont have a good place for an isolation valve so the only way i can reverse flush it is to flush the entire boiler.

Any thoughts about how i could best improve the heat exchanger clogging situation?

thanks,

Chris

Jamie Hall

curiousburke_2 said:

Very interesting! What are your thoughts on running the condensate returning from the radiators in a one pipe system through baseboards in the basement to add some heat? I realize the room temperature wouldn't be controllable, but is there any issue with doing it?

Sounds lovely, doesn't it? The sad truth is that there isn't anything like enough flow to make a differenece at the temperatures the water returns at. a 50,000 BTUh boiler running at full song is around 1 gallon per minute. If we assume the condensate returns at 120, and you can get a delta T of 10 out of it -- optimistic -- you have a whopping 5,000 BTUh. About the same as one 1500 watt plug in heater.

ethicalpaul

da13ear said:

Hey guys, I have this setup in my place and am dealing with one fairly painful issue. The water comes out of the boiler very low and brings a lot of sediment / rust with it. It goes directly to a plate heat exchanger with a circulation pump behind it pulling the water through and pushing it back into boiler return.

My problem is that the plate heat exchanger gets clogged really easily by the sediment in the boiler and i dont have a good solution for it. I dont have a good place for an isolation valve so the only way i can reverse flush it is to flush the entire boiler.

Any thoughts about how i could best improve the heat exchanger clogging situation?

thanks,

Chris

Do you have a strainer on the input side of the heat exchanger?

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-WYET100-1-Bronze-Wye-Strainer-Lead-Free-Threaded

Big Ed_4

I would not recommend a plate type heat exchanger on a steam system . A tube type I will recommend .