Heating Help

fog horn

@ October 28, 2009 8:59 PM in Howling Knight

I used to have that same problem with some of my TT installs...
The fix was to bring the O2 on low fire up which will also lower you CO2..
Is this a Honeywell gas valve? if so you may want to Adjust your Offset screw just a little bit as well to get your values from high to low fire tighter. Good luck.

@ July 27, 2009 8:05 PM in Viessmann Vitodens Boilers

Yes and Thank you

@ July 23, 2009 8:20 AM in Viessmann Vitodens Boilers

Are we talking about the Vitodens 200 ? 6-8-11 or 15-60? where are you located?

@ June 29, 2009 1:29 AM in 100% solar heat and HW??

Sounds like Low E design...Shall work..

Pri/sec Injection

@ June 29, 2009 1:04 AM in How to best maintain temperature

How about using a Pri/Sec Injection type of control like a Tekmar on the recirc line ? Good luck with this project... Richard

Freezing Batteries...

@ May 16, 2009 11:16 AM in those !^#%$!#-* milwaukee

I have owned and beat on Makita;Dewalt;Milwaukee 9.6V;12V and 18V Cordless tools.. I was not happy with the Dewalt Tools so i switched to Milwaukee and have been satisfied with the Tool and the batteries. In conjunction with the Milwaukee i use Makita Drivers to set Roof jacks for solar systems. the 18V Makita kicks butt... Are you leaving discharged batteries on your Truck in Freezing conditions? This condition just KILLS Batteries!That is something i had to learn the hard way! Good luck... Richard.

Try \"Analog\"

@ May 16, 2009 2:16 AM in Modulating zone valve

Have you checked TRV's ? They are Modulating and do not require AC or DC power... the temperature can be held within a degree. Auto Delta tee/Delta P circs or ODR can be a addition benefit. Noise can be reduced with this setup because of low temp fluctuations. Good luck.. Richard.

sales are up !

@ May 16, 2009 2:00 AM in Solar Sales

Going to be done with a 6 panel system next week.. starting a single collector system in two weeks... and another 6 panel system to follow soon after that....I am also going to be toying/bidding with a 110 panel system here in Colorado, in other words it looks great...

Closet/ Garage Install?

@ April 22, 2009 4:20 AM in Your Ideas, Please

Why not install it in a closet or garage upstairs? That may be better for service and equipment,How many zones,Sqft,Indirect waterheater?

@ April 22, 2009 4:07 AM in Load caulc variation

I have not used slat fin's programm in Years but have found that the heat loss was allways unjustified higher compaired to Siggys,Watts or wrigth softs Programms...may have something to do with sales on equipment?? What is a "Pick up factor"?

Wet and heavy(Widow maker)

@ April 22, 2009 3:42 AM in Colorado guys? (Dan H.)

Yes we had a big dump near the divide. We had to shovel snow off of a roof today to get a head start on a solar install. My potted tomatoes may be visiting the deck under supervision in July cause even then we get "freak" snow storms..

Mr Anderson !....(Eric)

@ April 19, 2009 1:00 PM in zoned manifold with Eco

has done a great job in promoting the Wilo Stratos and Ecos and is again one of the leaders in distributing and supporting "European LOW ENERGY consuming Products" on the US Market! Ecos has become a standard stocked item on my trucks.. Just think.... Broken 007 Circ and no Pressure bypass = ECOS thats' a nobrainer...

Take a Class

@ April 19, 2009 11:41 AM in Solar Spreadsheets

Like with any Tool: Owning it is only half the battle. Using it is something that someone needs to show you how too or you can just "struggle" and try to figure it out without guidance...So a good Teacher is Allways welcome.. Back to Retscreen: About 7 Years ago i "monkeyed around" with it.... I just went to a class on it this Saturday and must say that with some guidance of Bob Kingston (because it has some weird things/setting) it is a good program for "Payback" information.. I Still prefer the T-sol The "Design Tool" which Eric Anderson has Thought me how to use, but the Payback/Financing/Maintainace part is not as user friendly or shall i say i maybe need some "German" guidance on it! Maybe it is time for a trip to Berlin for a class or the Valentin group need to launch a N.American tour.. So for now i guess i will be jumping between the both BTW Retscreen works with Vista but you must change some of your Macros settings.. Good luck Richard..

T-sol

@ April 17, 2009 10:59 AM in Solar Spreadsheets

Retscreen is OK. i also use T-sol from Valentine.. Poly sun is also a solar Programme..

@ April 17, 2009 5:07 AM in Aluminum HX, Condensate and Corrosion

Erik,Yes i have also mixed options about the usage of Aluminum , I myself have serviced some large commercial 1.700.000 PKs' and was very pleased to find very clean none deteriorating heat exchangers! These boilers are made in PA USA and are a very nice! It is very strange that most of my calls are due to someone not following installation Instructions or does not play "Match maker" (Like you mentioned certain boiler for each situation!) I myself was raised in Germany not to far form Buderus! I went to Trade school as a Heat tech in Bad Homburg near Frankfurt and all we installed were Buderus, i was on the "Blue Team" and the boilers back then were nice work horses',In fact my parents still have a woodboiler made by Buderus which is great! I do not what really to "bad mouth" Buderus but i have got this bad taste in my mouth! When Buderus first introduced the GB series in the USA i had some concerns about the glycol! Buderus back then was NOT supporting the Usage of Rhomar! In fact i was told to use Hercules AL or i would Void the Warranty! Due to my Concern i only installed 4 boilers! After about 5 months Buderus GB series were seeing some serious Premature deterioration of the heat exchangers due to improper fluid quality !Buderus did not pay for any Labor to flush install Rhomar 9100 and wait; flush again and then install the 922 on these boilers,in fact i was told by a Buderus tech on the east coast to install the 922 to clean the system and use the 9100 as a treatment which is exactly the reversed way! I had to argue with that tech and go above his head to have his supervisor correct him!...VERY BAD! AS per the combustion side of the heatexchanger: Not on any of my installs but of others which no longer help the customers i have removed Bags of Aluminum Oxide! these boilers were adjusted with a combustion analyzer by the Dutch connection! In my opinion they were very disorganized and did not do enough Field testing or R&D before they lanced this boiler into the US market!These are just my opinions ! At the ISH this year i was talking to Weishaupt germany www.weishaupt.de and years ago they apparently had some "Growing pains" with the aluminum wallhung condensers as well! After some R&D they since changed the design and have a pretty nice boiler! (Not for the US yet!) Let me close with something positive and back to the SS boilers: I have got a VIESSMANN Vitodens 200 at 11.200 feet,and yes it is on Propane! i service it every year and i am always happy to see a Heat exchanger that looks like new! No harm intended just my Opinions... Richard

All kinds

@ April 16, 2009 7:43 PM in Solar

just getting into it or been into it for a while?Drain back? closed system? Check out Viessmann, Schueco,Heliodyne,Thermomax,Buderus and much more... As per tanks: like the Stieble Eltron some Heat flo and Viessmann also buderus has some nice Conical tanks. Contols: Stecca. Resol... Check:AAA solar in New Mexico(Old school and very cool),Solar Pro,AAE, Also check:Solar rating as in Btus per panel per day and ease of installation i.e. mounting hardwear and connections because it sucks having to tango with altering stuff on the roof when a crane is on standby and costing $150 to $220 per hr. good luck. Richard

@ April 15, 2009 9:10 AM in Aluminum HX, Condensate and Corrosion

I guess Mark can tell by your E-mail address. BTW visiting the Big V in Allendorf was great And i agree that aluminum shall not have a place in Condensing boilers under certain situation i.e. the Buderus design. Did you see the Weisshaupt Condensers at the ISH ? Mark and i talked about a past post and i wanted to Apologize for that,I guess i did not know the whole story, nice to see you here...Richard

@ April 14, 2009 9:07 PM in Foam core PVC pipe use?

although it is approved for combustion air it is best not to even have foam core on site so that there is no mix up or confusion!

Did the right thing

@ April 14, 2009 8:52 PM in Rudd Furnace Jet Engine

by changing the furnace out and lowering/adjusting the speed to the required delta tee from the supply to the return air duct...less noise = happy customer and some lessons learned! Thank's for all the replies Richard..

@ April 10, 2009 8:14 AM in Rudd Furnace Jet Engine

Thank you Brain! will do

Vacume!!!

@ April 9, 2009 12:11 AM in So What's the trick?

I have done this many times as the following: 1. Shut off electric power to the Waterheater 2. Shut off the water... 3. Relief the pressure. 4. Make sure that none opens a faucet so that the vacume will remain 5. Set up all the tools/some towels. 6. Change the element Quick, do Not hesitate when changing it! it will gurgle JUST DO IT and get er done! 7. Repressurize the waterheater, reinstall all the power. 8. And think about all the time that you did not waste waiting for the Waterheater to drain. Key is that the faucets in the house stay closed!!!!! Good luck Richard

Lessons Learned !

@ April 8, 2009 1:28 PM in Rudd Furnace Jet Engine

I will start using Manual J/D from now on! Especially in a retro, but most of the times the duct work is under cover! So i guess that in these chases i will no longer offer ECM driven furnaces. One more small trick i was thinking of is to install a Bypass type Humidifier to reduce the airflow to the registers? hence reducing the noise level! Could this work? If this does not work i am changing the furnace and will "eat" it..this is also very embarrassing! I have been starting to see air movement Differently now ! Just like everything planning and having the proper tools is half the Battle ! Again respect to the Air guys and thanks for all the input !