Heating Help

Ideal

@ May 2, 2013 6:28 AM in ideal temp to check A/C

If my indoor wet bulb, and outdoor temperature are high enough to give me at least 5 degrees Superheat, I'll test the system. That's usually 55F wet bulb, and 70F outdoor.

Steam

@ April 30, 2013 6:45 PM in signing a contract for first time...

Make sure the piping will be black threaded pipe and fittings. We always install an oversized drop header, Vaporstat, and maxxed out main venting on every job, too.

Rad

@ April 30, 2013 6:01 AM in Name this radiator!

Can't find anything exact, just similar.

Indirect

@ April 29, 2013 8:33 PM in BTU rate Amtrol WH7L

It can "use" anything. What the right amount of BTUH's are depend on your demand. How man showers, sinks, laundry, etc. Size of boiler, and water temperatures will also greatly affect performance.

Filters

@ April 28, 2013 9:35 AM in Carlin 1150FD Flame Failures

Sid Harvey's 265-12a 30GPH bio filters.

I liked the idea of being able to see the filter after hours of use.

Leak

@ April 27, 2013 5:21 PM in ball buster

Was it the TXV equalizing?

Update

@ April 25, 2013 8:55 PM in Carlin 1150FD Flame Failures

Pump pressure stayed rock steady through all firing rates.

UPDATE
We installed 2 parallell 30 GPH filters right at the burner. Did that on Monday and haven't heard about it since. The original basket strainer had flakes and gunk after 1 day of operation. I think the tank is deteriorating, sending a whole mess of junk into the burner.

Flame

@ April 23, 2013 8:52 PM in A Steam Odyssey (Part 2): Midco Low-NOx Burner

This burner is all radiation. Really no flame at all.

Liner

@ April 23, 2013 6:19 AM in A Steam Odyssey (Part 2): Midco Low-NOx Burner

I thought about leaving the bottom blanket out. I thought that the small casting space at the bottom would cause too much bubbling and turbulence if it heated a lot faster than the rest of the boiler. It's worth experimenting with, though.

Update

@ April 21, 2013 5:37 PM in Carlin 1150FD Flame Failures

Ran for a week and failed again. Went there today. Cleaned EVERYTHING. Pump, solenoids, oil lines, filter housing.

If you dial in the numbers by the book, it won't even fire. Right now it's running. Startup/low fire flame signal in the 40's. High fire 70-80. I noticed the flame signal drop as soon as it transitions from low to high, but climbs to a good signal within 5 seconds. I think the high fire solenoid is opening slitly behind the increase in primary air, causing this to happen.

Boiler

@ April 21, 2013 9:09 AM in Boiler releases water but continues to stay on

SHUT THE BOILER OFF. DO NOT USE IT,

You have a major safety hazard right now. Don't use the boiler until you can have it fixed or replaced.

Burner

@ April 20, 2013 7:50 PM in A Steam Odyssey (Part 2): Midco Low-NOx Burner

The maintenance is rather simple. Clean the flame sensor and electrodes. Clean the burner as needed. Fire and test. I think this burner is was beyond most of the population. You would need MarkS on every maintenance/service just to go through the controls!

Boiler

@ April 20, 2013 7:38 PM in Quietest oil boiler?

Where are you located? We can recommend a contractor.

Burner

@ April 20, 2013 7:35 PM in A Steam Odyssey (Part 2): Midco Low-NOx Burner

It has a cloth burner like most mod/con boilers. It blows the gas/air into the tube and it bleeds out of the cloth. The flame is completely radial. It's a perfect match for wetbased boilers.

Boiler

@ April 20, 2013 6:35 PM in Quietest oil boiler?

Both Buderus and System2000 are dead quiet. I think I like the Buderus better from a service standpoint. Easier to clean and install. Plus, the support is great.

Compressors

@ April 20, 2013 6:32 PM in QUESTION FOR THE MONTH

I bet the company working on the system with R410A had a heck of a time charging their unit. Maybe they installed a second compressor as well?

Midco

@ April 20, 2013 6:04 PM in A Steam Odyssey (Part 2): Midco Low-NOx Burner

I have a theory...

The burner runs so damn hot, that you could probably grossly undersize the firing rate. 100K worth of ol is 200K to this burner.

You are making a hotter flame with less BTUH's.

Midco

@ April 20, 2013 3:57 PM in A Steam Odyssey (Part 2): Midco Low-NOx Burner

Do you have the new Combustion results?

Valves

@ April 19, 2013 8:30 PM in A Steam Odyssey: Midco Low-NOx Burner Oil to Gas Conversion Project

Here's the dirty truth...the valves were not in stock the first day. All of the main take offs went together so precisely that when we had the valves the second day, we installed them at their current location. Plus, two of the same sized valves looks more symmetrical. Yeah, that's my story.

Solution

@ April 14, 2013 8:40 PM in Carlin 1150FD Flame Failures

Damn, I hate to admit this, but the fuel pump strainer was dirty. Too may late nights this week, I guess. Thanks, heatpro for the good direction.

Failure

@ April 14, 2013 6:22 PM in Carlin 1150FD Flame Failures

It's always an MTFI or AUTO failure. Lights off fine, then fails during the burn.

Carlin 1150FD Flame Failures

@ April 14, 2013 11:53 AM in Carlin 1150FD Flame Failures

Carlin 1150FFD with a Fireye control in a steam boiler. We did the maintenance, changed nozzles, electrodes, etc. Now we get random flame failures hours after running fine. The new nozzles were the factory recommended Semi Solid type. They gave us almost immediate flame failure. We put the old Solid nozzles back in, and now it will run for hours before failing. Seems to always fail overnight. It also won't run steadily unless the primary air is adjusted higher than normal.

I'm thinking a draft problem as the temperature drops at night...?