Pic Gauge question?

chowchow

If i have a Hydrostat installed on my boiler do i really need a pic gauge? My old pic gauge is broken so i got a new one on amazon and my HVAC guy told me he has to drain the boiler before installing this is this right? On my last post i explained how my pic gauge was broken and the red was reading ok but the water side the blue was at zero. My HVAC guy told me i really dont need a pic gauge because i have a Hydrostat with a low water cut off or something so the pic gauge was and is not needed. I'm just a bit confused any answers thanks in advance.

EBEBRATT-Ed

The hydrostat does have a low water cutoff built in. But you still need a gauge. Without it how do you know what pressure is in the boiler? Should be 15psi.

Tell him to stop crying and install it. You could drain the system and do it yourself if you know how to drain, fill and bleed.

pecmsg

chowchow said:

If i have a Hydrostat installed on my boiler do i really need a pic gauge? My old pic gauge is broken so i got a new one on amazon and my HVAC guy told me he has to drain the boiler before installing this is this right? On my last post i explained how my pic gauge was broken and the red was reading ok but the water side the blue was at zero. My HVAC guy told me i really dont need a pic gauge because i have a Hydrostat with a low water cut off or something so the pic gauge was and is not needed. I'm just a bit confused any answers thanks in advance.

If it's not needed why would the factory install one?

How do you know what pressure its running at before the safety releases!

Get a boiler guy, the HVAC tech is Lasy!

chowchow

Ok thanks i thought so. And i dont know how to do this myself, wish i did but its beyond my pay grade lol.

chowchow

also if your boiler and burner are running clean do you need to change the nozzle and strainer every season if its clean?

Dave Carpentier

chowchow said:

also if your boiler and burner are running clean do you need to change the nozzle and strainer every season if its clean?

How do you determine "clean" without a servicing ? If the thing gets a service, then nozzle and filter are amongst the very basic items to do. Annually, my oil boiler gets an exchanger cleaning, a new oil filter, new nozzle, clean and check the electrode gaps. Other parts could potentially fail mid-season, but keeping those serviced reduces the odds of a "no heat" situation when its cold out.

STEVEusaPA

chowchow said:

also if your boiler and burner are running clean do you need to change the nozzle and strainer every season if its clean?

Depends. It really should be determined by a number of factors-history, proper set up, proper draft, proper combustion air, oil filtration, and also importantly, number of gallons burned.

STEVEusaPA

Dave Carpentier said:

How do you determine "clean" without a servicing ? ...

You could check it with an analyzer and compare it to the readout from when it was cleaned. You could also have a vacuum gauge on your filter housing.
If the combustion numbers are the same, and the filter isn't showing any signs of starting to get clogged, there's not a whole lot to do.
This of course applies more to modern equipment, properly set up.

chowchow

Well i have a fairly new set up it was put in a the tail end of 2020 got a new peerless boiler and beckett burner and new oil tank. Also they got rid of my 30 gallon hot water tank and now i get all my hot water directly from my boiler. I dont know if that makes any difference and its not a "tankless" the hot water is filled on demand they say direct from the boiler. My system is 2 years old roughly.

HVACNUT

chowchow said:

Well i have a fairly new set up it was put in a the tail end of 2020 got a new peerless boiler and beckett burner and new oil tank. Also they got rid of my 30 gallon hot water tank and now i get all my hot water directly from my boiler. I dont know if that makes any difference and its not a "tankless" the hot water is filled on demand they say direct from the boiler. My system is 2 years old roughly.

First, your calling a tridicator gauge a pic gauge. I've never heard that term. Yes you need one. And you don't need to drain the boiler, just drop the pressure to 0 psi. If you prep and do it quick, you'll lose about 2 ounces of water.
What do you mean you get hot water directly from the boiler but it's not a tankless?

STEVEusaPA

I think he means an indirect...

vhauk

It’s amazing what a year or two of high pressure oil flowing through an orifice will do to erode the working part of the nozzle. And an oil flame impinging on metal can cause distortion or cracking. I had to pull the guns on both my boilers and replace the nat gas orifices because the boss was too cheap to buy new oil nozzles. If you’ve never pulled the gun on a 100hp boiler…..

chowchow

HVACNUT said:

chowchow said:

Well i have a fairly new set up it was put in a the tail end of 2020 got a new peerless boiler and beckett burner and new oil tank. Also they got rid of my 30 gallon hot water tank and now i get all my hot water directly from my boiler. I dont know if that makes any difference and its not a "tankless" the hot water is filled on demand they say direct from the boiler. My system is 2 years old roughly.

First, your calling a tridicator gauge a pic gauge. I've never heard that term. Yes you need one. And you don't need to drain the boiler, just drop the pressure to 0 psi. If you prep and do it quick, you'll lose about 2 ounces of water.
What do you mean you get hot water directly from the boiler but it's not a tankless?

A lot of people call it a pic gauge from where im at in NY so i never heard tridictor gauge but thats neither here nor there lol. 2 people i spoke with a HVAC guy and a plumber both told me the boiler needed to be drained of all its water before pic gauge can be installed. I have NO idea im just saying what they said to me.

chowchow

Ok thanks guys for every ones input.