Electronic Heating??

Ray Weatherdon

My old house has big old gravity fed radiators. The temperature swing is getting more unbearable as I get older. When heat is called for, the boiler starts, takes an hour or more to put any heat in the water at all, then when finally satisfied, it shuts off and for the next hour the room is sweltering.
Is there a system that will allow me to "Set it and forget it" I am thinking something that will pump tempered water costantly and so keep the room at 70 degrees all the time. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Perfect solution exists

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs), constant circulation of water and probably outdoor reset.

Fuel use will most likely drop significantly and you can have each and every room whatever temperature you desire regardless of the temperature in other rooms. They generally maintain the temperature in a space within a few 10ths of a degree.

Cost is reasonable and the valves are very reliable and fully self-contained. It's generally fairly easy to do on a gravity system and doesn't require much in the way of piping change. Your present boiler will work as well, but remember an old gravity boiler is not particularly efficient.

tombig

Ratio reset

My guess is that at this time of year, Ray, you feel cold and turn your stat up(or on)from a cold boiler. A gravity system will invariably over shoot in milder temperatures. A simple cap. tube ratio reset(indoor-outdoor) will help. By decreasing water temps at this time of year you won't be cranking that 180* water until your thermostat is satisfied. You could even "strap on" the boiler temp. bulb until you opened the system and installed a well. It's a simple add-on to a simple boiler and it works.