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Steam Boiler - Oil Fired - NEW! On or Off for Summer

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Bobby D.
Bobby D. Member Posts: 39
in THE MAIN WALL

Brand new installation of a Peerless ECT 3 Oil fired Steam Boiler with 2 additional hydronic zones added from coil.

Boiler has been cleaned ( with washing soda) and skimmed, drained refilled, then Rectorseal 8 way was added. (Full Bottle big mistake) , Boiler was blown down, via manual blow down, countless times

Boiler then was drained fully, and only 4 ounces of Rectorseal 8 way was added to maintain a boiler water Ph of 9, via Ph paper tests.

Last consideration the gaskets around the coil, which will heat and cool over summer dry out, and eventually crack. Should this be considered a reason to leave system on for summer.

Now the million dollar questions?

  1. Should I completely shut down the boiler until next heating season?
  2. Should I monthly fire up the boiler to steam, blow it down, and then re-shutdown.
  3. Should I leave the boiler on to heat the water to about 180 to maintain coil hydronic temperature?
  4. Should I lower the boiler aquastat for coil to 120 degrees for summer and leave system on for summer?

Thanks for any wisdom on The Wall.

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Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 27,468

    Of your options, I'd pick 4 — but I have a question about the coil gaskets. Presumably that coil and its gaskets are below the boiler water level? If so, why would they dry out? So why keep them warm?

    So what I'd probably do is just leave the boiler alone. I might turn the thermostat down so it won't run on a cold morning… I might not (actually, I don't — I never touch the thermostat for my system, and for the seasonal houses I care for I turn it down to 50 when they aren't occupied and to whatever the owner wants when I hear that they are coming). I would certainly not blow the boiler down. Once a year should be ample for that.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 7,152

    The hydronic hot water jacket id remove each bolt and never seize it.

    I dont have an issue firing it once a month to around 180°F.

    Retighten those bolts every month as well

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 8,910

    1

    The coil is for a hot water loop?

    4. Should I lower the boiler aquastat for coil to 120 degrees for summer and leave system on for summer?

    For what benefit?

    I dont have an issue firing it once a month to around 180°F.

    For what benefit?

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 7,152
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1896312#Comment_1896312

    I like to go in the basement and run the equipment. Is it working, any excessive noise, vibrations?

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 8,910
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1896317#Comment_1896317

    Ahh thanks! I do that too, but I just go down once in the early fall

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 20,327

    I agree with @pecmsg about the tankless coil bolts. They should be removed 1 at a time and coated with never seize. They should be checked for tightness yearly.

    If you see and stains or dripping around the coil gasket in the future don't wait too long to get it fixed.

    Other than that keep the boiler off if you don't need to run it.

    Congrats on finding a good installer. Looks like you got a good job from what I can see.

  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 12,399

    Tankless coil bolts are something contractors often forget about, and homeowners usually do not discover the problem until it looks like something from the Coral Sea has been growing there for years. By then, it is often too late.

    When I installed a tankless-coil boiler (which I rarely recommend for domestic hot water), I would go back after 6 months and snug up the bolts. Sometimes I could get a full half-turn on them just from gasket shrinkage during that first 6 months. I would check them again at the 1-year mark. After that, I would still inspect them every year, but they rarely needed any adjustment.

    That is one of the advantages of selling service agreements—you get the opportunity to go back and correct things like that while performing the annual tune-up.

    I applaud you for taking the initiative in this area.

    As far as leaving a boiler operating and burning fuel just to keep an unused tankless coil warm, that is a waste of money. When you do not need heat, turn the thermostat down and let the boiler sit unused in the basement all summer. It will not burn any oil that way, and therefore you will not spend money on fuel being wasted up the chimney for no reason.

    I think of it like this: After spending $$$$ for 18 years of keeping the boiler at 140° all summer (or what ever temperature you choose) and you find that your coil gasket has leaked anyway, think of all that money you could have saved by turning off the boiler in the summer, so you could afford to repair the leaking gasket.

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

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