limiting heat

John McArthur_2

We have a 4 fam with a Burnham 209 gas boiler. Its 5 zones - one per apt and one priority for a 40 gallon indirect super store (great item!).

Every winter we go over there someone has a window open with the heat set at 75 degrees. After all they do not see the 500, 600, 700 plus heat bills monthly. We do a budget on the heat.

Has anyone ever come up with a way to limit the heat going to one zone? I know that I could close the full port ball valves some but does anyone have any other ideas? And if I were to reduce the flow wouldn't that prematurely wear out the taco 007's as they would be running probably all the time?

I jsut do not want to spring for 3 more boilers right now.

Bill Nye_2

Reset

Steve Ebels, a contractor from Mich. who posts here had a project where he used out door reset.

Maybe he will see this and respond. You reset the boiler water temperature with a weather responsive control. It limits the water temp. . If it gets colder outside the water gets warmer. The people will have to close the windows because they are only going to get so much heat.

The landlord saved a bundle and got his investment back in a very short time.

John McArthur_2

I was thinking of that too. However this is one boiler for 4 apts. Then too if the boiler is over say 150 it will certainly work for the indirect.

I am almost thinking of limiting the boiler output so there is only say 75 percent of possible btus for the entire building. Would it all work the same if I were to say shut down the main gas valve say a quarter turn? I mean a lower level of heat from burners would equal less btus.

Bill Nye_2

You don't

You don't want to mess w/the gas valve. You could change the combustion set up and risk CO poisoning!

You could use a 4 way valve or injection mixing for the system and still have the higher temp for domestic hot water production.

Many controls have features that allow this. Look at Tekmar, or Buderus logomatic, or Viessmann. You do not need to have a Viessmann boiler to use the control or the mixing valve. Taco has a new mixing block and zone valves that do amazing things.

The technology is there, you just need to find someone who can apply it. TRV's, non-electric thermostats for every radiator. With a little re-piping and a little imagination.......... but again, nobody wants to pay for it. Good luck.