Adjustment
Im new here so I have posted this ques several times/places. I need to adjust the circulator/timer on a yellow flame coal stoker. Very cold 40 degrees outside cold in house. what should my adjustments be? please reply as soon as possible,
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Richard S.
- Mayor
- Posts: 15243
- Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
- Location: NEPA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite
Not sure about your setup but the circulator/timer on mine is for making sure it doesn't go out or doesn't overheat. There's an additional setting for high and low.
The timer runs the furnace for a few minute each hour/ half hour etc. year round to insure that it doesn't go out. It's not really needed in the winter as there is plenty demand for heat. We run ours year round to heat the hot water before it goes into the hot water heater and because it's cheaper to keep it running that the repair bills you will incur by allowing it to go out. the larger furnaces are meant to run constantly. In the summer time the timer runs every hour since it wouldn't run otherwise.
The circulator will run the water when it reaches a certain temp. Ours is set up very high, around 220 degrees or better I think. This will run the water through the baseboard regardless of whether there is demand for heat or not, it's a stopgap so it doesn't overheat. Other wise the emergency relief valve would eventually go off which isn't really a big deal but it is something to be avoided if possible.
There's also a high and low setting, in the winter the high is set at 180 degrees. The furnace will run until it hits this temperature, once it does it will turn off but the water pumps will continue to run. It won't start again until the temp drops below 180 providing there is a demand for heat. The low is set at 140, any time the temp of the water gets to 140 it will run until 140 is achieved. This is rare since it never goes that low in the winter, the only time that kicks in is in the summer and that's not very often.
Do you have a thermostat hooked to your furnace? If you do I'd suggest that is your problem, that's what really controls whether or not it pumps heat.
The timer runs the furnace for a few minute each hour/ half hour etc. year round to insure that it doesn't go out. It's not really needed in the winter as there is plenty demand for heat. We run ours year round to heat the hot water before it goes into the hot water heater and because it's cheaper to keep it running that the repair bills you will incur by allowing it to go out. the larger furnaces are meant to run constantly. In the summer time the timer runs every hour since it wouldn't run otherwise.
The circulator will run the water when it reaches a certain temp. Ours is set up very high, around 220 degrees or better I think. This will run the water through the baseboard regardless of whether there is demand for heat or not, it's a stopgap so it doesn't overheat. Other wise the emergency relief valve would eventually go off which isn't really a big deal but it is something to be avoided if possible.
There's also a high and low setting, in the winter the high is set at 180 degrees. The furnace will run until it hits this temperature, once it does it will turn off but the water pumps will continue to run. It won't start again until the temp drops below 180 providing there is a demand for heat. The low is set at 140, any time the temp of the water gets to 140 it will run until 140 is achieved. This is rare since it never goes that low in the winter, the only time that kicks in is in the summer and that's not very often.
Do you have a thermostat hooked to your furnace? If you do I'd suggest that is your problem, that's what really controls whether or not it pumps heat.
Hi thank you for the info...I was told by the guy that installed it that if the farther section of the house away from the furnace gets cold to adjust my hi/lo to 220 high 190 low in order for the circulator to move the heat (heated baseboard) throughout the house and thus making it warmer in the house. I did this and now I had to turn my thermostat in my hall way in house back to 62 degrees because now my house is much warmer. mu timer is set at about 4 1/2 (it is numbered 2 4 6 8 10 (I have it between 4 & 6) I get nervous because I don't want it to over heat or explode or something drastric like that. This site is something I stumbled upon tonight and I made it one of my favorites already.
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Richard S.
- Mayor
- Posts: 15243
- Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
- Location: NEPA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite
You should have a pressure releif valve on the furnace as I mentioned above. It's standard on any heating unit where water is involved, should even be one on your hot water heater. If the pressure becomes too much within the unit, it will release it.em wrote: I get nervous because I don't want it to over heat or explode or something drastric like that.
It will look similar to this, probably has some open ended copper tubing pointing at the ground:
Attachments
ok, yes I do have this valve. but I still worry. again, thanks for the info. Since I made the adjsutments mentioned above by me it runs pretty good/steady with no problems with preassure or water temp getting too high. (I experienced in the recent past where my water temp went very high.