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Dry vs. Wet condensate return woes
Henry_3
Member Posts: 6
Well it is finally DONE. My 40 year old pitched dry condensate return is officially gone. Replaced by a wet return that fits nicely along my floor/wall perimeter leading back to my boiler entry point entering a few inches below the boiler water level. All the radiators heat up well, with minimal venting...however they do take a bit longer to get cooking. I seem to remember the old dry return
would heat up more quickly.
Another major difference between my old dry return and my new wet return is that my boiler is acting differently.
My new wet return system causes my boiler to cycle for 10 minute intervals cutting off when the boiler pressure guage reaches 5.75. After a brief 2 minute resting period {while the boiler guage drops to 2.75} the system begins another 10 minute run , etc, etc. But I really cannot complain cause the house is warm .
Under the old dry return system, for the past ten years, my boiler would always cycle for only about 5 minute periods and I never recall seeing the pressure guage go any higher than about 1.75
Is ther anything wrong with my new wet return conversion ??? ps I have not yet installed a vent on my new wet return system...my old dry return system never had a vent either.
would heat up more quickly.
Another major difference between my old dry return and my new wet return is that my boiler is acting differently.
My new wet return system causes my boiler to cycle for 10 minute intervals cutting off when the boiler pressure guage reaches 5.75. After a brief 2 minute resting period {while the boiler guage drops to 2.75} the system begins another 10 minute run , etc, etc. But I really cannot complain cause the house is warm .
Under the old dry return system, for the past ten years, my boiler would always cycle for only about 5 minute periods and I never recall seeing the pressure guage go any higher than about 1.75
Is ther anything wrong with my new wet return conversion ??? ps I have not yet installed a vent on my new wet return system...my old dry return system never had a vent either.
0
Comments
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gravity return???
With your wet return you are now dropping much cooler condensate into your boiler and affecting the steaming rate (My old system had a pumped return which would totally stop the steaming everytime in pumped.) Exactly how that is interacting with what I assume is the anticipator rate in your thermostat is hard to say (assuming that is what's shutting down the boiler and not your pressuretrol). Actually you shouldn't need to ever go to 5.75 psi or want to since that will back water up into the return lines (unless you have a pumped return - do you have a pumped return or just gravity?) 2 psi should be more than enough to run a residential system and stays within typical headspace limits of a normal basement (2 psi = 56 in H2O plus 28 inch boiler water line equals 84 inches.)0
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