Help

[chewy]

Can anyone tell me a low cost way to check my boiler lines for heat loss? I want to see if I can improve my situation. My setup is an owb 150ft from house and ten feet from the shop. I have two 1" lines in and 2 1" lines out of the house. Same with the shop. All insulated with 6 around closed cell foam. My brother in law has the same owb and just ran one 1" line in and out to his house, also he just bubble rapped his lines and put it in tile. The snow melts all along the ground where his lines are, mine do not. We cut wood together and usually I het more than he does. He burns probably a third of what of what I do. I can't figure it out. He keeps his temp in his house between 75 and 80, me 62 and 65. I am wondering if my second line in and out is holding me back?

Bla bla bla

Chewy

 

[stee6043]

The easiest thing to start with is a heat loss calc on your house. Google "slant fin heat loss" and run it. Come on back and give more details on your setup and the slant fin results.

 

[chewy]

Ty for the reply stee. I googled slant fin and am finding that it's no longer available.

Ty
Chewy

 

[barkeatr]

TO CHECK My boiler lines for heat loss i have t gauge on the intake and outtake of the boiler. I turn off all heat loads but keep the boilers circ running, and read the gauges. the difference is your line loss. Of course, its still running through the heat exhangers so there is probably a little loss there (not much because the water is not moving on the "other" side of the heat exchanger) when i do this i usually have the same temperature for both gauges or maybe a degree or two line loss.

 

[salecker]

Hi Chewy
I did my lines similar to you.
I measured mine with a inferred gun and haven't been able to measure a difference between them when there is no load on the system.
I have some meters coming to install to moniter temps,i'm still curious to see if i'm loosing any heat to the ground.
Thomas

 

[barkeatr]

AN INTERESTING NOTE. Im putting an addition on my house and it goes over my outdoor gassifyer line. THere was one place where i had to make a fast connection due to closing weather years ago. I connected two sections of good insul pex pipe with foam and a vapor barrier and hose clamps and filled it with foam. I didnt have the proper rubber connections on hand (thought you had to special order them) ...so I cobbed it. The foam was drenched with water when i dug it up for this addition. Im now replacing it with a good piece of pipe and rubber connectors..but it goes to show you that water can get in and drench the foams. With all that said my line performance was still pretty good. It was only a sixteen inch length so maybe it did not cause that much heat loss. just sayin.

 

[flyingcow]

Are the pipes exposed on each end? Just enough to put any kind of strap temp probe? Only need one temp probe to do a quick check. Strap on for 10 mins then move to the other and and check? Insert a beer or two in between checks and you got a good afternoon of fun.

 

[chewy]

A strap temp probe just might work!! Now to google what the hell they are and where to get!! Oh ya, beer is always a must for any weekend activity!

Chewy