Psi

daveamir

Hi guys it's very cold here in NYC my. Oiler keeps shutting after about 45 minutes of running once it reaches 1 psi it has been running pretty much non stop during the last / weeks of this sever cold spell is my boiler working correctly or should I raise the psi very slightly in this cold thanks

hvacfreak2

I'm having the opposite , my radiator vents were screeming at me this morning ( this is all factory wiring too , I need to figure this out ) . With the run times being longer as it gets colder I can imagine that in certain systems the pressure will be slightly higher than normal. But I have said in other threads that it would be ok to increase the pressure and some others made it sound like horrible advice. So , ...

1) Is the pressure confirmed ? This means a gauge with a scale that can display increments less than 1 psi and a clear passageway to the gauge and control.
2) How long are the mains , and what size ? No it really doesn't matter but someone will say that it does.
3) Are you of sound mind ? 2+2=4 ?

If you answer yes to the three questions above ( #2 not really ) I would say that it may be ok to ease up to cut out at say 1.5 psi , keeping a watchful eye mind you we don't want to push the envelope or reach critical mass. Be safe.

gerry gill

is everything hot? the radiators i mean? if the radiators are hot, then they are hot, raising the pressure isn't going to do much more than raise your fuel bill. Yes, the steam would be slightly hotter steam, but the 'cons' of that practice are many.

daveamir

Radiators are nice and hot I was just wondering if it was ok that the radiator is shutting so often due to pressure buildup from the extreme cold

mikeg2015

The pressure buildup isn't because of the extreme cold, it's because the boiler is just slightly oversized. That's normal as you want a little extra capacity to heat everything up (called pickup factor), but once it's heated, it only has to match the heat loss of the radiators. The energy to heat everything up is about 30-50% more than the heat loss of the radiators.

This wasn't a big deal on a coal fire system as it would just close the damper, or the fire would naturally die down by that point.

However, if your house is a little cooler than usual, the radiators will put out a little more capacity.

Make sure all your radiators are open and heating fairly evenly.

hvacfreak2

Depending on the size of the boiler and the piping ( and venting ) arrangement 1 psi ( or additive .5 diff will mean 1.5 cut out ) still leaves some room to operate the burner to meet the thermostat setpoint. If it has been determined that your system should cut out at the current settings than so be it , but if the thermostat is not meeting setpoint you have some room on the pressure control to play with and still be within reason. If the space is comfortable than I would leave it alone . Venting and other improvements can be evaluated during some less demanding weather for the time being , my 2 cents.

EBEBRATT-Ed

that would be normal operation in the temperatures we are having. Leave it alone

daveamir

Thanks guys so I guess I'm ok then at this point I will keep monitoring