Propert Boiler Pressure

Steamhead

but still a bit high. 12 pounds is normal for a 2-story house when the system is cold- it will rise a bit when hot.

The noise in your pipes can have several causes. You really need a pro to diagnose and fix this, especially since the cause of the noise may not be in the same place as the noise itself.

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ekodish

Proper Boiler Pressure

I have a forced hot water baseboard heating system. What Pressure should the boiler be set on? Currently It stays around 50psi and temp is 160-190.
two story house plus basement(boiler in basement) approx 3000 sq ft.

Earthfire

pressure

Cold fill pressure should be 12+- psi. max 25 +- psi hot. Emergency pressure relief is supposed to open at 30 psi and dump nasty black boiler water all over the floor in your boiler room. You have a couple of SAFETY issues here. Get a pro to look at and fix this ticking time bomb NOW.

ekodish

the warning line is 60 psi

I will give someone a call but the warning mark is around 60 psi.
When i look at the web I see pressure close to what you wrote around 25 , is that the same for steam and hot water?

Thanks

Mark J Strawcutter

psi vs feet

are you sure you aren't reading the "feet" or "altitude" scale instead of the psi scale on your pressure gauge?

Mark

Earthfire

boiler pressure

water boiler relief pressure for your application should be 30 psi. steam boiler emergency relief is 15 psi. Operating water pressure (residential) is 12 psi cold fill , for steam your house should operate on less the 8 ounces of pressure.From Your other posts you are new to a boiler. Please got to Find a Contractor ( on the left) or the phone book and get a pro to fix this thing and explain your system to you and how it should work. According to what you are describing you have a SAFETY ISSUE. Get the thing fixed and then you can learn how to keep it fixed.

ekodish

double check

I will double check tonight and post if i am incorrect or reading the wrong gauge.

Mark J Strawcutter

same gauge, different scale

the pressure usually has two scales for the same (pressure) reading - psi and feet/altitude - make sure you're using psi.

Mark

ekodish

My mistake

The pressure is about 22 psi. I was looking at the altitude.

My upstairs pipes are still banging around like mad. Not sure what else to look at.

Thank you all.

Larry (from OSHA)

things that go bump in the night

to start with, i'm not a wet heat professional. as a home onwner i've had the opportunity to learn a lot from making my own mistakes and from advice from people who do this stuff for a living. it sounds like you have air in your system and you may have some pipes moving from expansion. these things can make some creepy sounds. i had the same experience 12 years ago when we moved into our current home with fin tube baseboards. that said, my own personal opinion is that you find a heating professional who knows systems like the one that you have. pay a few bucks, pick his brain, and live happily ever after.

Good luck,

Larry

ekodish

pipes

The pressure is about 22 when it is at full operating temp about 160-190 degrees.

I am about to give in and call a professional but what ergs me is the noise is all over the house. So i don't want to believe the pipes are too tight in their wholes all over the place.

Nickk

noises

As was already said, the proper cold operating pressure is 12 psi. As water heats, it expands, which causes your pressure to rise. If the sound you hear is at the begining of a call for heat, it is your cold pipes taking on the hot water, and causing the pipes to expand. (Think of a hot frying pan you put into cold water, what does it do? your pipes are doing the opposite from cold to hot) Also for your pressure to climb from 12 to 22 when hot, your expansion tank may be partially filled and not draining completely when cooled.

All of this is just a few blind assumptions. You really should get a professional over to look at it, so he can point out the problem, and tell you what he can do to fix it, and how you can possibly prevent it in the future. Better to pay a little now, then a lot later.

Mark Eatherton1

Just guessing...

I'm guessing that your pump is on the return line pumping toward the boiler/expansion tank...

A common problem.

You need to seek professional help.

ME

ekodish

I am looking into finding a qualified prof. People don't seem to have all that much experience with boilers anymore. I am central NJ and couldn't find anyone on this web page.

My pressure seems higher then 12 to start. It might be because the water comes in hot from the water heater for the rest of the house.

ekodish

oh yeah. Banging seems to happen through the whole cycle not just the first 2 seconds.

ekodish

could you elaborate a little.
The circulator motor is part of the boiler.

Cliff Brady

I will jump in here

since Mark is probably at work. He means does the pump pump water toward the expansion tank or away from it. Briefly, pumping away from the expansion tank is prefered so the pump isn't working to compress the air in the tank at the same time it is moving water. System noise can be a problem when not pumping away. Do you have any other circulators on the system?

ekodish

I don't believe there are any other circulators except the one that is part of the boiler. I know the compression tank sits above so I guess what you are saying could be the problem. So should the compression tank be on the return side before the water reenters the boiler?

Cliff Brady

Relationship to the pump

This would be correct if the pump is pumping into the boiler and the tank is on the near upstream side of the pump, i.e. not between the pump and the boiler.