Outdoor reset/timer for steam system question (Steamhead)

Steamhead (in transit)

for all the help!

Steamhead (in transit)

I know this has come up before

but I seem to be having some serious brain cramps today..... We may have to replace the outdoor control unit on the large steam system we just did the vent upgrade on. I haven't worked with these things much so am looking for comments. I know Tekmar and Heat-Timer make these units, any others? Any problems you've run into with them?

Thanks in advance.

clammy

honeywell

Did one many years ago and we used a honeywell controller it was for a air plane hanger and offices .if i remenber it had a condensate sensor also .It worked pretty well because years later we where back doing more work like replacing steam unit heaters about 40 ft up real fun and roping them down like ja's .I remenber using the honeytwell system ina few other places and never really heard of any promblem related to them hope that helps peace clammy

RonWHC

The last real MH Steam

Controller I saw used a vacuum tube. The Centra went bye-bye several years ago. Tekmar & Heat-Timer are the only others with which I am familiar.

Have grown to like the Tekmar 269. The adjustable cycle length feature is the biggest plus. However a clock must be added, and to get real nite set back, (not shut down to a pre-set temperature) you have to install a space sensor. That is in addition to the condensate sensor. You can also set early shut down & AM boost.

So far, no product problems w/ the 269. Can't say that for the EPU. Don't know how long H/T is going to manufacture & support the EPU. They cull more & more serial #'S each year.

ChrisL

two more controllers...

Here are two more options as far as for steam with setback.

http://www.rdcontrolsystems.com/index.html

http://esicontrols.com/

I am using an esi control in a medium sized apartment building...works pretty well. Both of these companies offer steam controls with a bit more sophistication than tekmar or heat timer.

Christian Egli_2

And two more...

Well, just trying not to be outdone, here are two more companies that make controls, all the great suggestions were already taken.

Erie controls and their boilerboss, which we've never used on steam but I was once explained at a show that it could.

Foxboro which makes controls for large installations, including one particularly interesting for optimized performance taking its continuous feedback from a combustion gas analyzer, perhaps too much for home heating.

But choice is good.

http://www.invensysbuildings.com/erie.shtml
http://www.foxboro.com/us/eng/Homepage