Looking to Install a Boiler

whistlenut wrote:A little pan of speedydri works well. IMO they all leak a little as the seals age and dry out. Not a mechanical or operational issue, but if you are the type who wants an 'Operation Room Sterility', when the demand is off, take it out and replace the seals.

I did replace the seals with Timkan.

Its now been a couple years with the VW VA 400 and I couldnt be any happier. Once every month (or 2 depending on outside temperature) I fill my 3/4 ton(ish) bin and take the ashes out every couple days or at most a full week. I keep the temps around 72 in most rooms so I cant complain about any fuel usage. Coal allows me to afford this comfortable in mesh shorts and tank top temperature in the house. Id be in sweatpants and a sweater burning oil.

Reviving my initial boiler thread....... Boiler has been a champ. Even took her for granted a couple times and thought of switching to the evil propane or oil but every year when light off takes place i listen to everyone cry of their heating bills. Im at 5 zones, all working smoothly still. Now this year will be an addition will be made. Im installing a 38.4inch finned tube in shell heat exchanger. I purchased the taco 0015 for a couple reasons. I have 007s for the other 5 zones. Im planning on a full time circulation with the 0015. Having a 3 speed setting will give me some versatility. vibration, heating, bearing wear, noise, electric use.... the 3 speed will play some forgiveness with all these. rocking the 250-300 electric bills hopefully will be a thing of the past. Between the wife and 2 daughters, daily dishwasher (tapped on hot water line) the warm setting on the daily laundry runs, and did i mention a wife and 2 daughters? they like to turn my bathroom into a private sauna 3 times a day. We'll see. pics and more posts to come.

Taco 0015 will work - but I can't imagine you would ever run it on a speed other than low. There is almost no resistance to flow through the side arm, and the amount of heat it can transfer is small - so not much flow is needed.

Take a look at a Taco 007E. Some places offer rebates on them, and they are often on ebay for a reasonable price. The ECM motor will use 1/2 as much electricity.

anthony7812 wrote: ↑

Wed. Nov. 10, 2021 12:24 pm

rocking the 250-300 electric bills hopefully will be a thing of the past. Between the wife and 2 daughters, daily dishwasher (tapped on hot water line) the warm setting on the daily laundry runs, and did i mention a wife and 2 daughters? they like to turn my bathroom into a private sauna 3 times a day.

I assume you were using electric for hot water and now you'll be heating water with the boiler?

yes, i have an electric hot water heater. It has the side mounted pressure relief valve so with some plumbing work i can mount a sidearm on the tank. Allow my 180 degree boiler water to create some natural convection and whammo. Indirect heating. Itll help i hope cure 2 items. rediculous electric bill and maybe utilize some heat drop to prevent those early and late season outfires. Im usually pretty good about it and have maybe 1 or 2 in the beginning and end of season. Outfires in the end are kinda nice.... indicator of warm weather is upon us.

anthony7812 wrote: ↑

Wed. Nov. 10, 2021 3:34 pm

It has the side mounted pressure relief valve so with some plumbing work i can mount a sidearm on the tank. Allow my 180 degree boiler water to create some natural convection and whammo. Indirect heating.

You'll use the side mounted PRV and the drain on the hot water heater to create the natural convection loop?

That is correct. I attached a photo to illustrate.

That photo isnt perfect. So ill be dropping down a couple inches coming out of the bottom drain (T fitting to remount drain) to create a cold sink. So think of a 4 to 6 inch drop out of water heater , then over 4 inches and back up 4 to 6 inches then mount the sidearm . Like a u shape. Then out of the top of the sidearm into a T fitting straight into water heater. Mount the PSV on the T. By introducing hot water inlet at the bottom and return to boiler at the top, it will create a syphon effect. This is done all over around here by the OWB folks.

anthony7812 wrote: ↑

Wed. Nov. 10, 2021 4:05 pm

Like a u shape.

You won't need the "U" shaped drop at the drain but I don't see any harm in it. I ran a convection loop on a water tank with my hand fed for almost 10 years. Water coil in the firebox. It worked really good You'll save big money on the electric bill. Hopefully the side arm can keep up with your hot water demand.

How will you keep the tank from getting too hot? Are you going to run the circulator off of the hot water tank's thermostat?

mixing valve on the discharge of the tank. Figured no hurt in keeping 180 degree in the tank. End user is the concern. Simple mixing valve on the hot water leaving the tank.

anthony7812 wrote: ↑

Wed. Nov. 10, 2021 4:36 pm

mixing valve on the discharge of the tank. Figured no hurt in keeping 180 degree in the tank. End user is the concern. Simple mixing valve on the hot water leaving the tank.

Good plan.. You'll have more available volume of usable hot water since it will need to mix with more cold water to be at a safe temp at the spigot.

Make sure you use a temperature and pressure relief valve. I would put the t and p valve back in the tee the way it was in the heater so that sensing rod does not get a false reading and possibly cause problems.

Two things I would consider if it were my install, one, based on the photo (and maybe I missed it in earlier discussion) I would reverse the input so the hottest water coming in is in contact with the hottest heated water (hot water supply in at the top return out the bottom) should make it more efficient. Two, It was always my understanding that very high tank temps had a tendency to break down the interior HW tank coating causing the tank to fail prematurely. For what it's worth...

Got it done tonight! Hopefully gooodbye to those 250+ electric bills. I’ve upgraded all my appliances, played light nazi for months. TV’s all have sleep timers and are off when no one’s home. If this don’t help , my neighbors tapped my line somehow haha.