Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
If our community has helped you, please consider making a contribution to support this website. Thanks!

Boiler / hot water circulation problems

Options
john torhan
john torhan Member Posts: 1
in THE MAIN WALL
I have a 4 zone hot water boiler with a series loop system.
3 out of 4 zones are ok. The 1 zone that has the problem has a Taco VRTX200-3 air seperator located after the pump on the supply, the other 3 zones do not have an air seperator. On a call for heat the pump is energized and my pipes are warm to the pump (180 deg water in boiler @ 16 psi), luke warm across the pump, and cool at the outlet of the air seperator. When I remove the plug at the base of the air seperator (bleed it if you will) I get heat to my zone. This is an intermittant problem. Any thoughts?
Thx.

Comments

  • Byron
    Byron Member Posts: 6
    hot water heat - circulation problem

    I just bought a 1930's home w/ the original hot water /boiler heating (one pipe) system. The problem I'm having is getting the pump to circulate the "hot water" I'm pretty certain that the pump works, however, when the switch for the pump is on the burners shut off. If the switch is off the burners stay on and heat the water. What is going on ????? I'm definately new at this!
  • Brad White_9
    Brad White_9 Member Posts: 2,440
    Hey Byron- Deja Vu or what?

    Ahem. :)

    A number of things and without a photo of the boiler and near-boiler piping and controls, all one can do is guess.

    You say "one pipe" so I will assume a monoflow or series loop system, hot water and not steam. Is this correct? Let us assume it is hot water.

    It may well be that the pump operation and boiler firing are coincidental. The boiler may fire based on an aquastat and the pump may run on an aquastat of it's own. Is the cause and effect of switching the pump on and off and the boiler going on and off absolute? Or is it "sometimes"?

    For example of typical operation, the boiler aquastat, in it's simplest form, only wants to maintain the boiler at a fixed temperature, to make domestic HW or to heat the house; regardless.

    The pump on the other hand wants to operate based on your space thermostat calling for heat but it also may have in addition to this an aquastat that keeps the pump from running of the boiler is below a certain temperature. This ostensibly is to protect the boiler. Old hat, inefficient but for the 1930's it was all the rage.

    I would find a professional, either a heating contractor or an electricial familiar with boiler controls. This could be messed-up wiring, crosses (mis-matched) setpoints, any number of things.

    After all of this, it may well be a one-pipe steam system with a below the waterline hot water zone. Another situation that would still require a pro if you have any doubts whatsoever.

    My $0.02

    Brad
  • Mark Wolff_2
    Mark Wolff_2 Member Posts: 76
    Switch

    One rather obscure but potential cause would be an on-on switch being installed rather than an on-off switch.

    A more likely scenario would be improper wiring of the system, which can only be determined by a heating professional. Either way, you should call one.
  • Brad White_9
    Brad White_9 Member Posts: 2,440
    You really should

    post this as your own thread rather than "piggy back" onto another poster's thread. You will get your own set of responses too!

    Go to the "Questions" page ("The Wall"), click "New Topic" in the upper right, and paste away.

    Cheers!

    Brad
  • Bill Davis
    Bill Davis Member Posts: 2
    Winterizing boiler

    I have my house up for sale, and will be moving the first of the year. My question is if I turn the water, gas, and electric off, can I do anything to winterize my boiler so the water does not freeze in boiler?
    Any helpful hints much appreciated.
  • Brad White_145
    Brad White_145 Member Posts: 17
    You really should

    post this as your own thread rather than "piggy back" onto another poster's thread. You will get your own set of responses too!

    Go to the "Questions" page ("The Wall"), click "New Topic" in the upper right, and paste away.

    Cheers!

    Brad
This discussion has been closed.

Categories