Fireplace vs boiler

Benjikittens

So here my meter from on night if use with my boiler system reinstall. The low last night around 22 degrees. The top photo was taken around 8:30pm and 2nd was was around 620 am. Trying figure out which is more efficient. Hear a photo of my meter before I started with the boiler this was on Saturday. The other photos were on Sunday and Monday.

Hear is the reading nov and oct to see how long they are between readings

Intplm.

Okay.

Benjikittens

So with that all said is the boiler looking better then the 2 fire places or is it lookin worst

ChrisJ

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1878581#Comment_1878581

There's not nearly enough information to answer your question.

The other problem is you're not looking at efficiency, you're looking to see what's cheaper to run. Also, the fireplace is heating one area, and the boiler is heating the entire building.

Chances are, the fireplace is going to lose regardless.

What kind of fireplace is it? Where does it get it's combustion air from?

What kind of boiler do you have?

Benjikittens

Yeay mostly seeing which is cheaper. They both heat about the same and keep the whole house around the same temp. Im mostly looking to see if that boiler usage is crazy high or just average. The is an inefficient coal model thats is a gravity system thats been converted to natural gas. The biggest different is the gas fire place will change in flame size for temp and cut off some time but for the most part they run constantly. The boiler however takes alot to heat up but then it shuts off.

pecmsg

boiler using a little outside air for combustion

Or

A fireplace that uses a lot of outside air

Are we going back to the mid 1800’s?

Grallert

The boiler is going to win in the efficiency game and the comfort game in the end. The fire place is a reasonable though inefficient t space heater while the boiler is designed to make the whole house comfortable. If the boiler is truly a gravity system the radiators can be adjusted for each space.

Fireplaces are really nice to look at and warm a space but as far as efficiency numbers it really depends on the type of gas insert you have. Is it sealed? does it have a fan.

Benjikittens

So one fire place in enclosed with a blower and ther or is in the original fire place with chimney blocked. I tried to run a comb but they were fighting each other. We used the fire places for year all the house stayed warm except one room. It very large 2 and half story house

Benjikittens

Here are boiler pics

EBEBRATT-Ed

A fire place is a hole in the wall. It provides heat but pulls in a lot of outside air which is cold and needs to be reheated. The boiler brings in less outside air and is more efficient. However, your boiler and burner are old and the efficiency may be around 60% at best.

When you say fireplaces I am assuming they are gas fired.

Benjikittens

Yeah 2 gas log fire places bot on the first floor. The one with the blower is in the back corner of the house so it heats the ground floor. The other is near the stair so most the heat travels up to the 2nd floor. The radiator from the boiler are running between 120 to 130.

Eastman

You say one chimney is blocked. Are you keeping the damper closed? Or is it a vent-free unit of some kind?

Benjikittens

Its vent free with a metal sheet that blocks it

HVACNUT

What thermostat is being used for the boiler? Does it have an anticipator setting? The right thermostat with the right CPH on a gravity system would be much cheaper than the fireplaces.

"The boiler however takes alot to heat up but then shuts off."

"The radiator from the boiler are running 120 to 130."

If the aquastat is set to 130, raise it to 180. Set the correctly anticipated thermostat to your comfort level, and don't touch it until spring.

Benjikittens

This is thermostat I have now. On the pipe that coming out the boiler there is device that set to 200 i think is the other thing you mentioned. Its wire to the same spot as the thermostat.

pecmsg

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1878650#Comment_1878650

Get yourself a few "Low Level" CO Monitors.

I won't use Vent Free fireplaces!

Grallert

You posted a week or so if I recall. Something about the boiler and fire place debate. I think the recommendation was to replace the burner? I don't know much about that burner btu surely there are other far more efficient gas burners that could be retrofit to that boiler. The boiler appears to be functional although with some outdated features. There's always a rock and a hard place. Updating the boiler will in the long run be more efficient and likely more comfortable. But I will cost some, while the space heaters are doing the job now. It's a cost benefit thing I guess. We hate to see a nice old hydronic system gathering dust.

Benjikittens

Yeah posted trying to see about what all need to upgrade and I might be able change out burner by next winter. The system is heating every evenly thru out the house and didnt have much work to get it back up and running. Ill be honest I dont see me being able to do full swap for some time. If i would swap the boiler what would be a good one that will still work with the radiator

Bob Harper

Any open hearth fireplace is grossly inefficient. The Canadians measured a typical 36" woodburning fireplace firing with a face velocity of 0.8 m/s and a draft pressure of -0.04 wci, you would typically lose 400-600 CFM up the stack of room air you already paid to heat.

Vented gas logs require the damper blocked wide open 24/7/365 or removed. They typically fire at 50 mbh or greater.

Ventfree logs are 99.9% efficient but, YOU are the chimney. Breathe deeply. Every 3 hrs. you dump a gallon of water into the home. They stink, can legally emit 200ppm CO, produce aldehydes, NOx and they stink.

A direct vent gas insert is typically about 65% AFUE, uses 100% outdoor air, zero indoor emissions, is a great zone or supplemental heater, typically fire at 30-40 mbh, and are heater rated so they can run thermostatically. During a power outage, you can run the burner on batteries. If you have a forced air duct system, you can circulate heated air throughout the home instead of turning down the burner once the room heats up.

A boiler of any kind is typically a primary heat source, unlike any type of fireplace.

Comparing a fireplace to a boiler is sort of like comparing apples to bananas.

Benjikittens

HHow Could I cover this hole. Found out that this wasn't sealed at all. Also the little hole does it need sealed also. It looks like maybe a place for a damper. Doubt i can find any orginal pieces

Grallert

The big opening was a draft regulator and the small hole was likely a damper. These were removed when the boiler was converted from coal to gas. These will be addressed when a modern burner is installed.

Benjikittens

So with current burner should plug up both of them

Grallert

Maybe. Let the installer determine that after a combustion test.

Benjikittens

Any ideas in the mean time cause im using this now as my main heat source. Been working fine but the way the previous people had it seals wasn't safe at all. They used a no trespassing sign with wire to block it

Grallert

"They used a no trespassing sign with wire to block it" I think that would be fine for the time being if your chimney is clear. that boiler will be making enough heat that there should be a vacuum at both of those openings. With the boiler running you can check this with a candle. Hold a lit candle to the opening and you'll see the flame get pulled inwards toward the opening. Try with the boiler off for a while, I bet you'll see a draft as well.

Get a co detector and put it down there.

Benjikittens

I did a dust check on earlier and saw it was sucking air into it pretty strong. Im definitely gonna pick up co detectors after work. My previous one in the bed room hit its end of life today. That what had me checking all this cause i was scared I had hive levels of co. Found out it was just at the end of its life

Grallert

I would imagine that flue would suck your hat right off, especially while the boiler is running.

Benjikittens

Another random question this is my thermostat

Whats the small dial for.

HVACNUT

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1879864#Comment_1879864

Yes, most reputable thermostat manufacturers supply plastic wall anchors and screws in the box. That's plaster, so pre drill with a masonary bit. You supply the pocket level. Set CPH to 1.

ChrisJ

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1879905#Comment_1879905

I am so confused right now……..

Larry Weingarten

Hi, I think the small dial you refer to, just under the main dial, is called the anticipator. It's used to regulate heating cycles and prevent overheating. 😰

Yours, Larry

Benjikittens

Ive never had one of those how would I set it

Grallert

You very likely don't have to worry about that setting at this point. That anticipator is there to adjust/ prevent over or under shooting the thermostat set point.