Heating Help

Hydronic access port

@ October 30, 2011 10:57 AM in Hydronic access port

I want a port for pouring boiler cleaner/inhibitor solutions into my boiler piping system. My baseboard emitters have no vents. My thought is to obtain a T-fitting type of device that has a screw in cap  to allow access to the system. My piping is 3/4 copper, so I guess a sweat fitting would be required. Anyone know if such a port is available? Otherwise, how can get the needed access? Thanks for any input, Bill

Reply to Larry

@ September 26, 2011 8:13 AM in indirect water heater

Clear as ultra-filtered spring water. Great explanation. I thank you. Don't ever go into politics, as you probably wouldn't be good at giving nebulus answers, which is a job requirement.     Bill

Reply to Tim

@ September 26, 2011 8:05 AM in Boiler exhaust piping

Both boilers come with inducer fans ( W-M CGi-4E, Burnham PVG4 ).

Boiler exhaust piping

@ September 25, 2011 2:59 PM in Boiler exhaust piping

Non-condensing power vented ( side exhaust ) boilers I am considering require an annual removal of the vent connected to the inducer fan outlet to check for any soot buildup as part of preventive maintenance. Their manuals don't specify how this is accomplished, and it seems to me that the sealed integrity of the vent system would be disturbed. Is there a special beginning connector assembly to facilitate disconnect without undoing several sections? What can I contractually specify to address this?    Thanks for any suggestions,  Bill

Reply to Larry

@ September 25, 2011 2:41 PM in indirect water heater

What you describe makes sense to me. Unfortunately, now you have me wondering what becomes of the residue at the heat exchanger ( I assume you mean the boiler )? Perhaps the sediment stops precipitating sometime after the initial boiler fill, unless new water is introduced. I am assuming a "permanent " boiler fill with no leaks, etc. Am I thinking correctly?  Thanks to you, and to all others who have commented.   Bill

reply to Billtwocase

@ September 21, 2011 9:30 AM in indirect water heater

I understand about the piping to enable sucking/syphoning the water. W-M seems to only mention doing so if winterizing the heater. There is no requirement for PERIODIC DRAINING ( monthly or annually )such as with a directly fired unit. My question is " why can this periodic maintenance be eliminated for an indirect?"

indirect water heater

@ September 20, 2011 3:28 PM in indirect water heater

Conventional water heaters usually require a monthly drainage of water from the bottom drain spigot to I suppose help eliminate any sediment , etc. An indirect with tank within tank construction, such as a W-M gold plus series 40, doesn't seem to require or have means to do same. Is this usual for an indirect, and why is this maintenance procedure of yore not necessary? I sent e-mail to W-M, but have received no explanation.

Flow Switch

@ August 27, 2011 10:16 AM in LAARS EBP hot water problem

Agree with NYPlumber. I unfortunately have the same unit. My flow switch acted up and had similar symptoms. You can easily check the switch by disconnecting the 2 wires from the switch and TEMORARILY jumpering them. This should cause the unit to circulate hot water from the 20 gallon tank thru the plate heat exchanger. Open up a tap and soon you should have a steady flow of hot water. LAARS has a product improvement version of the original switch which was located inside the cabinet near the plate exchanger. The revised switch is a paddle switch that mounts outside the cabinet, but requires a minor plumbing mod. Don't wait to verify switch operation! I was on vacation, and my original flow switch acted up, causing the boiler to think a call for DHW. This ran for several days, and the domestic water trapped in the heat exchanger built up so much pressure that the switch eventually started leaking. Thank goodness the house water supply had been turned off!

Clicking thermostat

@ July 5, 2011 2:33 PM in Clicking thermostat

I had a 9 yr old Honeywell thermostat to control my hydronic heating system and central A/C. It quit on me last week. It worked well, made no noises, and as far as I know contained no mercury. It was programmable, battery operated, had an LCD display, etc. The only model info was a sticker reading TB8112D1005 which may have been a contractor special model.
 I have replaced it with a Honeywell RTH 6350D unit which works ok but makes a muted double clicking sound whenever it operates. I had tried a LUX thermostat first, and returned it because of the same sound. I've contacted Honeywell tech support, and was told all their units make that sound, and is caused by a relay. I asked why my original did not make that sound, and no one knew unless it was a mercury type ( which I doubt it was, what with the electronics inside ).
 If I must, I can live with this sound, but it seems that with tech advances it should be quiet. Has anyone experienced this or know of a modern silent thermostat?

Boiler fired tankless DHW heater

@ May 7, 2011 3:01 PM in Boiler fired tankless DHW heater

New to this, so please excuse if this is a dumb question. Is it possible to have a wall-mounted tankless DHW heater that receives its heating source from a gas-fired hydronic boiler? I am considering a Weil-Mclain CGi unit, but they only offer indirect tanks for DHW. If the ansewr to my question is yes, any recommendations would be appreciated.  Thanks

Reply to Chris

@ April 10, 2011 2:48 PM in Gas boiler choice

Yes, Chris, I've considered condensing units. I am apprehensive about them because of lack of trained techs  for needed extensive annual servicing, plus I have 122 lineal ft. of slantfin copper tube/aluminum(?) finned baseboard emitters that I believe are more efficient when hotter water passes through them. My home is 1800 sqft and is well insulated and has standard double pane glass. Load was calculated as 65 MBH. The W-M unit is rated 67 MBH net, and the Burnham 78 MBH net. A smaller SCG-3 is rated at 52 MBH net, but I thought that might be too small. Is it better to err on smaller size ( 78 MBH too much)?   Thanks.

gas boiler choice

@ April 10, 2011 11:26 AM in Gas boiler choice

Thanks Chris and Tim for the heads up. Unfortunately, my Laars boiler combustion chamber needs replacing, and the cost is too great. I've had my share of problems with this unit, and I've lost confidence that it will get me through another heating season. Thus, while not an emergency, I want to replace the unit with either the Burnham or Weil-Mclain soon and thus before 2012. Present unit is power vented to the side, and I have no chimney. I'd still appreciate all comments on the 2 candidates. Thanks again.  Bill

Gas boiler choice

@ April 9, 2011 11:57 AM in Gas boiler choice

I have narrowed my search for a replacement gas boiler for my 2-zone SlantFin radiator system, and have picked a Burnham SCG-4 and a Weil-Mclain CGs-4E as candidates. DHW will be supplied by an indirect. The 2 units have similar attributes as far as I can tell. The Burnham heat exchanger has steel nipples, whereas the W-M has elastomer O-rings. Please give me your thoughts on which unit may be better with regard to reliability, longevity, and ease of annual maintenance. Assume proper installation by trained technicians, in accordance with manufacturer instructions.  Thank you,Tim, for this wonderful web site, and thank you users for your comments.

Zone valves

@ April 7, 2011 10:56 AM in Zone valves

I plan to have my boiler replaced soon, and want to specify trim components to be used. Is there a good quality zone valve that is easier to replace, perhaps that uses compression fittings or some other features that would minimize labor cost, etc.? I see Taco has a valve that allows replacement of the motor without having to undo a sweated pipe Tee.  My present system uses Honeywell valves, but they don't appear repairable. Any suggestions?  Thanks, Bill

SlantFin type emitters

@ March 1, 2011 9:58 AM in Condensing boiler & home heat loss sizing for baseboard heat

I've always wondered about this. HVAC contractors seem always wanting to replace boilers with high efficiency condensing units, without regard to existing baseboard radiation. Unless one can add more sections, and knowing that condensing boilers need lower water temperature to be efficient, wouldn't a non-condensing boiler be better assuming fin-type emitter efficiency is temperature dependent?

Most/least reliable gas boiler

@ February 28, 2011 11:59 AM in Most/least reliable gas boiler

What make/model boiler seems to be the most reliable? Least reliable? Please assume installation is correct, and a non-condensing unit to be used with slant fin baseboard emitters. Thanks in advance

Best Hydronic heating system?

@ November 7, 2010 11:02 AM in Best Hydronic heating system?

I have a low mass ( Laars EBP 110 ) boiler with slantfin baseboard radiators. They radiate quickly, and cool down quickly, and I assume this is partly because they are low mass( if I understand what that means correctly ). I rented a house years ago that had a gas boiler w/cast iron, and cast iron baseboard radiators. I assume that system would be deemed "large mass". It included a manual adjustment for water temperature for varying outdoor climate. That system was the most comfortable I've ever experienced, with very little variation in temperature between the few circulator operatings. I was toasty warm all the time! I again assume it was due to "high mass" of the cast iron in both boiler and radiators.
I've come to the conclusion that the most comfortable hydronic system is to have a cast iron boiler w/cast iron baseboard radiators and an outside temperature reset. Am I correct , or am I missing some factor here? I realize cast iron baseboard radiators may be old fashioned, and they certainly are more expensive. Your thoughts, please.

Reply to Slimpickens

@ August 17, 2010 10:34 AM in Boilers w/DHW capability

I posted the major problem entitled "hydronic system noise" on 1/25/2010. I've had other problems that were cured by parts replacement ( water flow switch, anti-condensing valve, ignitor, inducer fan, gas valve). I have a service contract with my gas supplier which covered some of these parts, and they have not been able to adjust the combustion to spec. Laars has been contacted multiple times, and their position is that the coil assembly is clogged, which won't allow for proper combustion adjustment. Gas company reps say they have had much trouble with these units, and as the replacement part is 2-3 thousand dollars, plus installation ( complicated, time consuming ) they recommend replacement of the boiler. The noise it makes is loud, and last season I once thought the thing was about to explode.  I agree with you that it is a nicely designed boiler, but my experience so far is that its not as reliable as I expect a boiler to be.

Boilers w/DHW capability

@ August 16, 2010 9:57 AM in Boilers w/DHW capability

I may have to replace my unreliable Laars EBP 110 gas boiler, which has domestic hot water capability (DHW). I am considering a Weil-Mclain Gold CGt unit which has a small internal tank which provides DHW. I don't have a need for great quantities of hot water, and such a unit would save the expense of a separate water heater. Do any of you have experience with this model or type of gas boiler, or have any bias either way?  Thank you kindly in advance for any guidance you may offer.

Boiler cleaning plan

@ June 29, 2010 3:44 PM in Boiler cleaning plan

This Fall I want to use a Rhomar Hydrosolve 9100 boiler cleaner to clean up my hydronic closed loop baseboard system. I must drain 1 gallon, and add the 1 gallon of cleaner. The fresh water supply valve must of course be closed. I plan to open up my Spirovent air extractor to vent the system temporarily, then drain off water at bottom of unit. After draining off the water, I plan to slowly pour the cleaner liquid into the open top of the Spirovent and hopefully minimize any trapped air. After replacing the top, the boiler will be placed back on line and system run in heat mode for several days before draining and refilling with fresh water. I don't think I can drain much water unless I do the above venting ( water in a straw effect ). Any comments on this will be appreciated. Thanks

Weil-mclain ultra boiler maintenance reply to JD

@ May 2, 2010 2:22 PM in Weil-mclain ultra boiler maintenance

Thanks for the link, JD. After reviewing the service technician maintenance requirements, and especially the need of a first maintenance"kit", I doubt that most service people will have the required training and knowhow to do correctly all that is required. To me, as with many of our new highly technical operating systems, a problem creeps up in finding someone who honestly understands them. Its like having a sophisticated foreign exotic race car that local mechanics have little if any experience and expertise in maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing. Good luck with your new Ultra, and I hope you can find someone who knows that boiler. Please let me know how you do. Thanks again.

Weil-mclain ultra boiler maintenance

@ May 1, 2010 11:49 AM in Weil-mclain ultra boiler maintenance

I'm considering replacing my gas fired hydronic heating system boiler with subject condensing boiler. I've heard that condensing boilers require considerable annual maintenance which should be considered. Compared to the maintenance of an efficient non-condensing unit such as that company's GV-4 boiler, is the maintenance of an Ultra condensing unit that much greater, and what specifically is required above that of a lesser unit. Any help on this will be greatly appreciated. Weil-Mclain has not responded to this query.   Thanks much.  Bill