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90% plus hot water boiler question

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Brad White_9
Brad White_9 Member Posts: 2,440
in THE MAIN WALL
Yes you are right, it would leave some water behind, particularly in the internal trap. It means a maintenence issue. If there is no internal trap and it is external, you have a shot at easing the process. You need the trap to prevent contaminants leaking in (such as chlorides God Forbid) and of course flue gasses leaking out.

I thought you were mothballing the boiler. Sorry.

Comments

  • PG
    PG Member Posts: 128
    Shutting down a 90% hot water boiler in a garage and not freezin

    the condensate. Can this be done? I don't always want the in floor heat on in my garage. Glycol in the boiler and pex. But waht about the condensate? HELP!
  • Brad White
    Brad White Member Posts: 2,399
    No Fire

    No Water.

    If the boiler is off and the traps are dry there would be nothing to freeze (with glycol in the boiler as you said).

    Am I missing something?
    "If you do not know the answer, say, "I do not know the answer", and you will be correct!"



    -Ernie White, my Dad
  • Norm Harvey
    Norm Harvey Member Posts: 684


    How is your condensate handled? Pump, neutralized into sewer, something different?

    If you have a condensate pump and are worried about the condensate in the tubing freezing, and blocking it up when you turn it on next,.. you may try a different method of handling the condensate.

    What is your set up like now?

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    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • PG
    PG Member Posts: 128
    Only using boiler a few days of the week.

    I would like to be able to shut down the boiler completly about half of the week. Wouldn't this leave some condensate in the boiler trap/piping and also the condensate pump?
  • PG
    PG Member Posts: 128
    Not mothballing but shutting off for a couple or few days in ext

    extreme weather (at times). I'm in metro Detroit so it can get cold. I am installing a Lochinvar Knight in my unattached garage/half court basketball/workout gym. I insulated the slab and perimeter with 2" Foamular and am insullating the walls and ceilings.
  • sg_4
    sg_4 Member Posts: 10
    re

    > extreme weather (at times). I'm in metro Detroit

    > so it can get cold. I am installing a Lochinvar

    > Knight in my unattached garage/half court

    > basketball/workout gym. I insulated the slab and

    > perimeter with 2" Foamular and am insullating the

    > walls and ceilings.



    why not just turn the temp down to ~freezing, rather than off completely?
  • Brad White_9
    Brad White_9 Member Posts: 2,440
    Maybe

    you should consider a deep reset especially if you have any mass in the system rather than just turning it off. The recovery times have to be steep as it is but at least you can keep a higher baseline for not much more fuel. This will of course keep the trap above freezing which you want.

    Just a thought.
  • PG
    PG Member Posts: 128
    The slab is 5\" thick, and 34' X 28\"

  • hr
    hr Member Posts: 6,106
    I'll bet a 60W

    light bulb under the hood of the Knight would keep all the components above freezing. Might help keep moisture out of the microprocessor also.

    A guy might even put the bulb on a thermostat.

    The farm stores around here sell this inexpensive stat/ plug in device.

    hot rod

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  • Joe Brix
    Joe Brix Member Posts: 626
    How about

    some heat tape? Most are thrmostatically controlled. Just
    wrap around the drain line.
  • jp_2
    jp_2 Member Posts: 1,935
    why?

    if you are using it 2-3 days a week just set back, letting the slab cool towards freezing is going to cost a lot to reheat it, set back to 50-55F.
  • PG
    PG Member Posts: 128
    Lot's of good ideas.........

    I did think of the heat tape, but the light bulb sounds like another good idea. As far as running it at 50 or 55 degrees I guess I'll experiment with it. I don't have any first hand experience, and I have fear of large gas bill!

    On another note any ideas on how to insulate the slab from the driveway? I plan on pouring the drive next summer. My under slab is insulated, as is the perimeter, all but where the garage door is and the man door is.
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