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To get hot water boiler only runs for a minute used to run for at least 3 minutes

bobbyromano
bobbyromano Member Posts: 8
edited October 2019 in Oil Heating
Had a tune up 3 weeks ago from a neighbors oil company who did it on the side. he screwed up because the boiler ran rough after he did it and i even told him it was running rough and his words were " I used the same nozzle that was on it". I ended up getting someone qualified who now has it running smooth but now when i use hot water the boiler only runs for about a minute when it would always run for at least 3 - 5 mins. Something is off as the boiler runs even when im NOT using the hot water for about a minute it will run and when i do use hot water the boiler will come on more often than usual to make hot water where in the past it would run a few mins stop and i was able to get a good amount of hot water and now the boiler has to run more frequently. Any ideas before I call this guy back?

Thanks

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,600
    One thing you don't mention. Is the water, in fact, hot? That is, do you get hot water?

    From your description I would be looking at a control problem -- aquastat, perhaps -- rather than a burner problem.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • bobbyromano
    bobbyromano Member Posts: 8
    Yes the water does get hot.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,600
    Probably the aquastat then -- misadjusted, bouncing off high limit, or just plain not working right.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • bobbyromano
    bobbyromano Member Posts: 8
    Ok. thank you. Will have someone look at it.
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,242
    You can look at it and post back. There should be a box with a grey cover on the boiler. Inside are temperature dials. Hi and Lo. What are the settings? And differential if there is one.
  • bobbyromano
    bobbyromano Member Posts: 8
    edited October 2019






    this is all i see thats a gray box
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,600
    That's the pressuretrol which controls the steam pressure. There should be another one somewhere... is your hot water generated by a coil within the boiler, or is it an indirect tank?
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • bobbyromano
    bobbyromano Member Posts: 8


    its on 160 but i dont think anyone touched that
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,600
    Found it. They may not have touched it -- but that doesn't mean it's working properly. Have it checked.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    bobbyromano
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,242
    Inside the aquastat cover is a white wheel with numbers. If it's at say, 5, then the burner runs until 160°, then when the temperature drops to 155° (5° differential) the burner starts again. Is it possible the differential was at 10 or 15 before the service was done?
  • bobbyromano
    bobbyromano Member Posts: 8
    I was pretty much there with people I had look at it so as far as I know no one touched that. I think because i was getting a ton of soot because someone screwed up the boiler was getting very hot. You think if the boiler got too hot it couldve screwed up the aquastat? If i take the cover off do i shut the power to the boiler?
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 6,242
    Yeah, shut off the boiler first.
  • bobbyromano
    bobbyromano Member Posts: 8


    This is all I see
  • bobbyromano
    bobbyromano Member Posts: 8


    looks like that dial is on 5

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