Aquastat placement for boiler circ. pump

[huffdawg]

Where is the best spot for the boiler circ. pump aquastat. On the boiler outlet pipe, or on the buffer tank top, middle, bottom ?

I have a 150 gal primary buffer tank just behind my boiler.

Huff

 

[Gasifier]

Where is the best spot for the boiler circ. pump aquastat. On the boiler outlet pipe, or on the buffer tank top, middle, bottom ? I have a 150 gal primary buffer tank just behind my boiler. Huff

Huff,

I am no expert, for certain. But I think you want your aquastat that runs the boiler circ. pump to "sense" the temp at the top of the boiler and turn the circulation pump on when the boiler gets to a certain temperature, say 170? My aquastat that runs my circulation pump is on the back of my boiler at the top. Some of the more experienced guys will chime in sooner or later. But I don't think you want it on your buffer tank, your boiler may get to hot and go into shut down mode then.

 

[taxidermist]

I was sold a aquastat with my eko and never installed it because I never figured out what it was for. Your controller turns on and off the circ pump at what ever you set your pump launch temp at.


Rob

 

[goosegunner]

I was sold a aquastat with my eko and never installed it because I never figured out what it was for. Your controller turns on and off the circ pump at what ever you set your pump launch temp at.


Rob

Most likely a secondary over temp safety to interupt the fan.

gg

 

[taxidermist]

I was sold a aquastat with my eko and never installed it because I never figured out what it was for. Your controller turns on and off the circ pump at what ever you set your pump launch temp at.


Rob

Most likely a secondary over temp safety to interupt the fan.

gg

who knows? the guy I got mine from did not know much.

Rob

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

My wood-fired hydronic is NON-pressure, so I have an HX. The stat goes between the HX and the oil boiler inlet. Keeps the oil boiler from heating the wood boiler in an out-of-fuel situation.

Prolly not what ya had reference to.

 

[HeatFarmer]

Taxidermist,

I got an aquastat control with my EKO as well. I have been debating on how to use it, if at all..... It seems like a good idea to have an over heat boiler protection plan, and the aquastat could work for that. I am thinking of putting mine on the out-bound supply pipe....Just not sure how to wire it. Do I interrupt the whole boiler circuit? or just the fan? What is best to shut down?? It would be nice if the manufacturers came up with a plan...... & BTW...what the heck is the boiler protection loop built into the EKO--the 2 pipes sticking out the top--& why isn't it used in the US??

 

[taxidermist]

Taxidermist,

I got an aquastat control with my EKO as well. I have been debating on how to use it, if at all..... It seems like a good idea to have an over heat boiler protection plan, and the aquastat could work for that. I am thinking of putting mine on the out-bound supply pipe....Just not sure how to wire it. Do I interrupt the whole boiler circuit? or just the fan? What is best to shut down?? It would be nice if the manufacturers came up with a plan...... & BTW...what the heck is the boiler protection loop built into the EKO--the 2 pipes sticking out the top--& why isn't it used in the US??

HF,

Remember the eko has a a built in overheat that shuts the fans down when you get a over heat. Remember you never want to turn off the pump in a over heat. I guess you could use it to open a zone valve for a over heat loop of base board registers hanging on your ceiling.

The pipes are used as a cooling loop. You buy this http://www.newhorizonstore.com/Products/136-thermal-safety-valve-sts-20.aspx install it in the well port on top of your eko. When you get a over heat it opens and your well/city water flows thru it and into a drain to cool off your boiler.

Rob

 

[HeatFarmer]

Taxidermist,

I got an aquastat control with my EKO as well. I have been debating on how to use it, if at all..... It seems like a good idea to have an over heat boiler protection plan, and the aquastat could work for that. I am thinking of putting mine on the out-bound supply pipe....Just not sure how to wire it. Do I interrupt the whole boiler circuit? or just the fan? What is best to shut down?? It would be nice if the manufacturers came up with a plan...... & BTW...what the heck is the boiler protection loop built into the EKO--the 2 pipes sticking out the top--& why isn't it used in the US??

HF,

Remember the eko has a a built in overheat that shuts the fans down when you get a over heat. Remember you never want to turn off the pump in a over heat. I guess you could use it to open a zone valve for a over heat loop of base board registers hanging on your ceiling.

Rob

Rob,

thanks for the reminder about the EKO controller. It's easy to loose the small details in the panic to get the system going..... It's been in the teens here this week...miserable to work on the outer-barn parts of the system. I've even been tempted to light a few small fires to warm the unit up.......

I suppose the aquastat could be a fail-safe for the EKO controller....I'm on the fire department and redundancy is a way of life..... but I'm now thinking I will use it to control my barn slab circ. pump for now as I haven't invested in any other controller for it.....

 

[taxidermist]

Taxidermist,

I got an aquastat control with my EKO as well. I have been debating on how to use it, if at all..... It seems like a good idea to have an over heat boiler protection plan, and the aquastat could work for that. I am thinking of putting mine on the out-bound supply pipe....Just not sure how to wire it. Do I interrupt the whole boiler circuit? or just the fan? What is best to shut down?? It would be nice if the manufacturers came up with a plan...... & BTW...what the heck is the boiler protection loop built into the EKO--the 2 pipes sticking out the top--& why isn't it used in the US??

HF,

Remember the eko has a a built in overheat that shuts the fans down when you get a over heat. Remember you never want to turn off the pump in a over heat. I guess you could use it to open a zone valve for a over heat loop of base board registers hanging on your ceiling.

Rob

Rob,

thanks for the reminder about the EKO controller. It's easy to loose the small details in the panic to get the system going..... It's been in the teens here this week...miserable to work on the outer-barn parts of the system. I've even been tempted to light a few small fires to warm the unit up.......

I suppose the aquastat could be a fail-safe for the EKO controller....I'm on the fire department and redundancy is a way of life..... but I'm now thinking I will use it to control my barn slab circ. pump for now as I haven't invested in any other controller for it.....

I too am a fireman and thats why that thing is nowhere near my house.LOL


Rob

 

[goosegunner]

Taxidermist,

I got an aquastat control with my EKO as well. I have been debating on how to use it, if at all..... It seems like a good idea to have an over heat boiler protection plan, and the aquastat could work for that. I am thinking of putting mine on the out-bound supply pipe....Just not sure how to wire it. Do I interrupt the whole boiler circuit? or just the fan? What is best to shut down?? It would be nice if the manufacturers came up with a plan...... & BTW...what the heck is the boiler protection loop built into the EKO--the 2 pipes sticking out the top--& why isn't it used in the US??

HF,

Remember the eko has a a built in overheat that shuts the fans down when you get a over heat. Remember you never want to turn off the pump in a over heat. I guess you could use it to open a zone valve for a over heat loop of base board registers hanging on your ceiling.

Rob

Rob,

thanks for the reminder about the EKO controller. It's easy to loose the small details in the panic to get the system going..... It's been in the teens here this week...miserable to work on the outer-barn parts of the system. I've even been tempted to light a few small fires to warm the unit up.......

I suppose the aquastat could be a fail-safe for the EKO controller....I'm on the fire department and redundancy is a way of life..... but I'm now thinking I will use it to control my barn slab circ. pump for now as I haven't invested in any other controller for it.....

I too am a fireman and thats why that thing is nowhere near my house.LOL


Rob

+1 It is nice to have piece of mind that you will still have a place to sleep if something goes wrong in the boiler shed. Yesterday i was talking with my brother in law about his new wood stove. He was commenting on how little wood it used to heat his remodeled farm house. It made me wonder about my decision until I reflected on the other issues, mess, safety, my pool heat.

I also try to remember that many people have a tendency to understate their wood use. It is amazing how they complain about using 1500-2000 gallons of lp to heat their home but then claim to heat house for 24 hours on 6 splits of wood. The math does not work.

Econoburns use the aqua stat wired into the controller wiring block. The controller itself has high temp shut down. The auqua stat is there for additional safety.

gg

 

[huffdawg]

I guess using the cool domestic water as overheat protection would be a fairly cheap alternative . and might save a lot of time if you had to replumb your boilr circ. to put one in.
Right now i'm lighting small fires and I have a generator ready to go, but would like to install a UPS.

How would you wire in the aquastat to control your slab ?

Huff

 

[woodsmaster]

I guess using the cool domestic water as overheat protection would be a fairly cheap alternative . and might save a lot of time if you had to replumb your boilr circ. to put one in.
Right now i'm lighting small fires and I have a generator ready to go, but would like to install a UPS.

How would you wire in the aquastat to control your slab ?

Huff

I think you want a thermostat for that or if you dont mind a little fluctuation in temps you could run it manually or put it on a timer to come on a few times a day for a 1/2 hour or whatever it take for the desired temp. Thermostats with a floor sensor are around $80.00 U.S. I've been running mine manually with a timer and keeping the temp within 5 degrees of my desired temp easily. Just haven't spent the money. It would be nice to have but is not necessary in my application.

 

[huffdawg]

I guess using the cool domestic water as overheat protection would be a fairly cheap alternative . and might save a lot of time if you had to replumb your boilr circ. to put one in.
Right now i'm lighting small fires and I have a generator ready to go, but would like to install a UPS.

How would you wire in the aquastat to control your slab ?

Huff

I think you want a thermostat for that or if you dont mind a little fluctuation in temps you could run it manually or put it on a timer to come on a few times a day for a 1/2 hour or whatever it take for the desired temp. Thermostats with a floor sensor are around $80.00 U.S. I've been running mine manually with a timer and keeping the temp within 5 degrees of my desired temp easily. Just haven't spent the money. It would be nice to have but is not necessary in my application.

Thanx woodmaster, the timer is a great idea for the time being.

 

[taxidermist]

I also try to remember that many people have a tendency to understate their wood use. It is amazing how they complain about using 1500-2000 gallons of lp to heat their home but then claim to heat house for 24 hours on 6 splits of wood. The math does not work.

I too always get a chuckle when talking wood with other burners. " My OWB is awesome I can get a 36 hr burn off a box of tooth picks" LOL

 

[HeatFarmer]

How would you wire in the aquastat to control your slab ?

Huff

My aquastat is meant to tie onto piping. So, I was thinking, in the slab situation, of using it to kick on/off the pump at a certain temp. Because the shed slabs are heating up the foundation---I have a shallow foundation system which relies on the heat from the building to keep it from heaving--more than to provide heat in a workspace, I have the manifold plumbed to the return line of the boiler. This is also out of practical necessity. I was thinking that the aquastat could read the temp on the feeder line to the manifold and only kick the pump on when the return line was over 150º, say. This would keep the slabs from stealing & diluting heat from the main system, and as they only need to be kept above freezing plus a bit unless I am doing a project or something out there, in which case the I would have the boiler going anyway.

At least this is my theory on a way to use the aquastat "outside the box"....however, I have a spare wall timer.....that seems like it could work really well to turn the slab circ on and off too......say 15 min every hour for 12 hours?

 

[woodsmaster]

How would you wire in the aquastat to control your slab ?

Huff

My aquastat is meant to tie onto piping. So, I was thinking, in the slab situation, of using it to kick on/off the pump at a certain temp. Because the shed slabs are heating up the foundation---I have a shallow foundation system which relies on the heat from the building to keep it from heaving--more than to provide heat in a workspace, I have the manifold plumbed to the return line of the boiler. This is also out of practical necessity. I was thinking that the aquastat could read the temp on the feeder line to the manifold and only kick the pump on when the return line was over 150º, say. This would keep the slabs from stealing & diluting heat from the main system, and as they only need to be kept above freezing plus a bit unless I am doing a project or something out there, in which case the I would have the boiler going anyway.

At least this is my theory on a way to use the aquastat "outside the box"....however, I have a spare wall timer.....that seems like it could work really well to turn the slab circ on and off too......say 15 min every hour for 12 hours?

If I run my floor heat that much It would be 90 deg F in my shop.