Why am I heating the basement in summer?

Jack M

I recently moved into a 1920's house in New England with steam heat. During the summer the gas fired hot water heater could never generate enough hot water for two (short) showers in the morning. When ever I would go down to the basement to raise the hot water temperature, I would notice that the basement was unseasonably warm and dry (remember this is New England). My gas bills in the summer have been double what I was used to and I wasn't even around on weekends. OK
So I closed a ball valve to a hot water line that connects the gas fired hot water heater to the steam boiler. (I felt comfortable doing this because the system was shut off for the season). After I shut that valve the house had more hot water than I knew what to do with. The hot water heater subsequently ran less often and my gas bill dropped to half of what it was. On top off all this, the basement returned to what I would consider normal for these parts, cool and damp.

What's up?
I've never had a place with steam heat. Should my hot water heater be heating the basement?
Signed,
Confused

Dale

Low limit

Sounds like your steam boiler had an old domestic coil in it and that there was a low temp limit installed on the steamer which is why the basement stayed warm. As fo you feeling you had the boiler shut off I wonder how it ran. There may be a leak in that coil and possible water contamination concerns. If you are happy with the amount of hot water for showers that you now have I would get a plumber/heating person in to permanently disconnect the extra pipes and make sure the controls on the steamer are what you want them to be. Safety first before it get cold outside.

Big Ed

I think ....

......some one connected a direct fired hot water heater to a old generator set up. The hot water heater was maintaining the boiler on temperature through gravity current .. Keep those valves shut .

Jack M

Closing valves from domestic hot water to boiler

Thanks for the insight. I would love to keep this valve shut and just let the seperate gas fired domestic hot water work all by itself.

What function would a low temp setting have on the boiler?
I guess what I'm getting at is why would these seemingly seperate systems have this connection? I was shown by the previous owner how to top off the boiler by opening a second valve and adding water. Maybe someone just never remembered to close the valve. In any case there is a second line that returns from the boiler back to the hot water heater. I worry about contamination. Should that be a concern worth mentioning to the heating contractor?

Thanks again.
Still a lot to learn about this system