Heating Help

I wouldn't

@ April 17, 2012 9:37 AM in flushing evap. coil

May not get it all out since there are many paths through the various distributors. If you want to change gases, I'd blow the daylights out of it with nitro and go for it. We would use a dry unit and stay 22. 

Usually

@ February 23, 2012 10:29 AM in problem with carrier heat pump

frosts at the point of the restriction. Might want to investigate the outdoor piston. I'd think if the issue were indoors, you'd see frost on the outlet of the TXV. 

We've

@ February 23, 2012 10:27 AM in At a loss with a Bryant Heat Pump

seen some issues with the defrost boards having internal shorts causing a big voltage drop. Might take Y off the defrost board and straight to the contactor and see what happens. Or leave it unwired, call for compressor and see if you get 24v.

I had one couple years ago where I thought the short was in the defrost board and it turned out to be 1 wire to the defrost thermostat nicked shorting a bit.

blower somewhere

@ February 23, 2012 10:21 AM in Dual zone: Zone 2 only works when Zone 1 is running

Gotta be an air handler or heat pump somewhere to serve your apartment. Beyond that they could have typical zone panel and dampers. Might look in closets and see what you find. A picture of the setup could help us help you. 

stat for each?

@ February 23, 2012 10:11 AM in Two thermostats running one boiler

Seems to me, each air handler should have its own stat. When that apt needs heat, the blower turns on, zone valve opens or pump comes on and boiler fires. When satisfies, blower shuts off, zone valve closes or pump shuts off as does boiler. I can't see why it would be wired with 1 stat controlling both air handlers.

If there aren't zone valves and both coils get hot water regardless of need, the stats for each could control the blower. At least that way each apt. would have their own comfort and you wouldn't be paying to overheat 1 of them. Then have to use relays as has been discussed to bring on the boiler if either apt needed heat.

You'll be dealing with 3 transformers, 1 each AH and the boilers so the relays keep them all separate.

DIY?

@ February 17, 2012 10:06 AM in Heat Loss Calculator

http://www.hvaccomputer.com/

If you want to do your own load calc, download and pay the $49 homeowner registration. It's an easy program and Don has good support if you need it.

Easy for a pro

@ February 1, 2012 9:54 AM in Nest Learning Thermostat

If you want this stat, call your favorite heating dealer. This is not a hard project for a PRO. Hardest part would be getting a new wire from the boiler to the stat location if the Nest needs a common. I agree with the rest, not a DIY job but if you want it, go for it with a good tech. 

Remove the intake and vent

@ January 14, 2012 6:19 PM in American Stanard 90% Furnace

If the inducer isn't even trying or if it still doesn't run with vent & intake off, tell the HO to bend over. Bad inducer and only way to replace is buy an expensive kit which includes board, inducer and all new wiring harness. Have to replace the current inducer with new 3 phase model, new board and all the wiring. Allow several hours.

Now, you might get lucky and she fires. Then all you have to do is figure out what's blocked and what to do about it.

If you want to be scientific, see if vent is pulling enough vacuum instead of removing the pipes.

Here's one

@ January 11, 2012 11:01 AM in No Drip legs allowed???

My young boss bought a new/used house and we changed the equipment this year. Someone tapped CSST into the drip leg of the furnace for the gas log. I piped in the new furnace and changed it. 

Want a laugh?

@ January 11, 2012 10:13 AM in Want a laugh?

Actually it is pretty sad to see:

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=1003321

Dan, if I'm not supposed to post links to other sites, kill this!

Old but works great

@ January 8, 2012 2:58 PM in Old but works great

Been meaning to post these pictures. Ancient boiler, Crane I believe, services a big old house in an historical area of Indy. The house has big old radiators built in the wall plus it has an air handler with a hot water coil. Can be heated either way. I think the current owner uses both. The air handler had an electric air cleaner built in which is dead. There's a 4 ton A coil above it. AH runs 24/7, line voltage stat in bedroom cycles the compressor. 2 original low voltage stats turn on the pumps. We replaced 1 pump with a new Taco couple hears ago, other one is still purring though the owner called last week and said he squirted a little oil in it and it quieted down. We talked about replacement but his gas bill is amazingly low for the size of the house and construction so it would be a very long payback. So as long as the boiler holds out...

The refrigeration condenser is for a walkin built with the house, not being used at the moment anyway.

Hot water

@ January 4, 2012 12:42 PM in How's this beauty?

There's a B&G 100 hiding behind the boiler.

Trying again

@ January 4, 2012 8:55 AM in How's this beauty?

See if these show

Try again

@ January 2, 2012 11:35 AM in How's this beauty?

I'll try again tomorrow. They are jpgs but could be too big, I'll reduce before sending. 

Help!

@ December 30, 2011 2:26 PM in How's this beauty?

Where's my pictures!

How's this beauty?

@ December 30, 2011 2:04 PM in How's this beauty?

Beautiful old house amongst the mansions of Carmel, Indiana. He wants a quote on a new boiler. Scary for us, everyday work for most of you.

Also need to replace the radiator valves. I'm guessing a R E Michel 2K324 is what we need?

No

@ December 14, 2011 8:43 AM in return duct into back of furnaces

Check the manufacturers instructions. I'd guess  you'd really be hurting on airflow doing it that way since the air would hit the back of the blower housing and be greatly restricted. As short as today's furnaces are (I know, coils are tall) build a box under the furnace and come in the box. 

Flame sensor

@ December 14, 2011 8:36 AM in Rheem Imperial 90 Plus (75,000 btu Propane furnace) 2 of 3 burners not igniting

Originally, the ignitor functioned as the flame sensor. The metal rod which is likely over burner 3 was tapped into the ignitor wiring as a supplemental sensor. What Rheem found was that over time, the ignitor would not do well sensing flame and shut the furnace down. So this kit was available to be added if someone was having nuisance problems. The ignitor is still functioning as the main flame sensor so as long as that burner lit, the board  saw flame sense current.

Check for some kind of blockage in the crossover. Soot, dust, spider web. That is the usual culprit in these things not lighting fully. Back in 1991, there was an issue with these burners needing to be replaced. If the installing dealer didn't do that, might be wise to replace them.

Or the whole furnace, based on age. No cracks?

Help is here

@ December 9, 2011 9:55 AM in It's cold. Poor Unico install. Want to re-use 3rd fl. radiators

Seems to me if you found a Wallie that serves your area, check into his services. 

Intermittent

@ December 3, 2011 5:32 PM in gas furnace is keeping us cold

Very frustrating for tech & HO to not have a unit act up when we are there. Know a model #? Probably  G16 if 80% and a Pulse if 90% (vented with 2 white pipes). They work totally differently. The 80% would have a draft inducer start first. Once the draft is proven by a pressure switch, the spark ignition should light the pilot. Once the pilot flame is proven, the main burners should light and the soon after, the fan comes on. Hopefully the tech cleaned the pilot and flame sensor as that is usually the culprit of problems.

Anyway, next time it quits, go to it, turn off the switch on the side and back on again. Look through the louvers or take the louvered door off and watch it. See if you can tell at what point it goes no further. This would be a big help in a tech's diagnosing it.

The original company should come back with no trip charge if it acts up more, at least we would.

BTW

@ December 3, 2011 5:27 PM in heat exchanger changeout

Do it more tactfully than I put it  

Crawl?

@ December 3, 2011 5:26 PM in heat exchanger changeout

If you have to pull it out of the crawl to do it, wouldn't be much more to go back in with a new one! Time to educate the customer on the stupidity of replacing the heat exchanger in that POS.