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Hot showers heating whole house

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mewali
mewali Member Posts: 2
in Strictly Steam
We moved into a house with an oil boiler and steam radiators. Every time we take a hot shower our steam radiators will run and increase the house temperature 10+ degrees. We had someone come out who said this was typical for steam systems but is it really? 10+ degrees seems excessive and will be a big problem in the summer. 

Is there anything we can do about this?

Comments

  • bburd
    bburd Member Posts: 919
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    No, that is not normal for any system. Your boiler should not make steam when it is running to generate hot tap water. The most likely causes are an aquastat that is set too high or has failed, or poor thermal contact between the aquastat sensor and the thermowell in the boiler.

    You need someone who understands boilers for hot water or steam heat to look at this. Where are you located? We may know someone. Or try the "find a contractor" feature on this site.
    —
    Bburd
    WaherIntplm.PC7060
  • mewali
    mewali Member Posts: 2
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    Thank you! We’re located in the metrowest area from Boston 
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,376
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    As @bburd said -- that is not normal and is caused by a misadjusted or misinstalled or failed aquastat. Your best bet is Ryan at @New England SteamWorks (click on the name to send him a personal message). He's pretty busy, but is one of the best.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    mattmia2
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,507
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    This is a very common error that hot water guys make with steam boilers. Simple wiring fix.
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    mattmia2
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 4,873
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    New England SteamWorks said:

    This is a very common error that hot water guys make with steam boilers. Simple wiring fix.

    If they can't get that right it makes you wonder what else is wrong!
    mattmia2Waher
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,705
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    @New England SteamWorks is one of the best, he'll get it set up right. Basically if the controls are set up right it runs off an aquastat set to a temp below boiling on a dhw call so it doesn't make steam and it runs off a vaporstat or pressuretrol on pressure on a domestic heating call.
  • Sylvain
    Sylvain Member Posts: 144
    edited March 23
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    @mewali
    "Is there anything we can do about this?"
    Yes, and it is rather simple.
    Read this thread with practical information:
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/196426/thermostats-for-steam-hot-water-hybrid
    Although that was about a hot water heating circuit instead of DHW, it is the same functioning.
    mattmia2
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,844
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    Do we even know the aquastat setting?
  • Sylvain
    Sylvain Member Posts: 144
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    HVACNUT said:

    Do we even know the aquastat setting?

    or even if there is one on the boiler (i hope there is some regulation for the DHW temperature though)
    We don't know either if the DHW tank is heated with boiler water or through a tankless coil.

    @mewali
    please some pictures and more details

    Intplm.

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