Help with old indoor boiler

[tjmortenson]

I posted a thread a week or two ago and didn't have any replies. I have since put the boiler in place and hooked up all the plumbing, still working on the electrical. My question is, should the blower have a damper flap to close it off when it isn't running to keep air out of the stove?

 

[brenndatomu]

I couldn't tell you the first thing about that specific boiler, but generally when they use that kind of blower for combustion air you have to find a "happy" spot for that flap...closed enough so that things don't overheat when it is idling, and open far enough that it can still build a hot fire when there is a call for heat and the blower kicks on.
I had a wood furnace with that blower on it...I kept the flap about 2/3 to 3/4 closed. YMMV.

 

[tjmortenson]

I couldn't tell you the first thing about that specific boiler, but generally when they use that kind of blower for combustion air you have to find a "happy" spot for that flap...closed enough so that things don't overheat when it is idling, and open far enough that it can still build a hot fire when there is a call for heat and the blower kicks on.
I had a wood furnace with that blower on it...I kept the flap about 2/3 to 3/4 closed. YMMV.

Ok, exactly what I needed to know. Thanks!

 

[salecker]

i think you need to rotate your pump 1/4 turn so the motor is level

 

[E Yoder]

My guess is it will suck air when it's off through the fan and boil unless it has a solenoid and flap to close it off tight. I'm sure you can load carefully and make it work, but it might be a modification worth making if it gives you issues.

 

[maple1]

My guess is it will suck air when it's off through the fan and boil unless it has a solenoid and flap to close it off tight. I'm sure you can load carefully and make it work, but it might be a modification worth making if it gives you issues.

Hopefully there is a heat dumping function somewhere in this setup so there will be no boiling.

 

[tjmortenson]

i think you need to rotate your pump 1/4 turn so the motor is level

Good call, but it's actually the ball valve that isn't level, the pump is level. I took the pic at a weird angle

 

[tjmortenson]

Hopefully there is a heat dumping function somewhere in this setup so there will be no boiling.

I'm working on wiring up one of the aquastats to dump heat if it gets too hot. I know a lot of people use a long baseboard heater, but is there any reason I couldn't wire it so if it overheats it will run the circulator to the heat exchanger and run the furnace blower? And what is a good temp to set the heat dump to? Maybe around 190°?

 

[salecker]

Good call, but it's actually the ball valve that isn't level, the pump is level. I took the pic at a weird angle

I think your motor position on the pump isn't in the right position.it looks 90 degress out.
the face of the motor shold be 90 degrees to the ground.Yours looks 180 degrees to the ground.

 

[tjmortenson]

I think your motor position on the pump isn't in the right position.it looks 90 degress out.
the face of the motor shold be 90 degrees to the ground.Yours looks 180 degrees to the ground.

Ok now I see what you mean. I will turn it. Thanks!

 

[maple1]

I'm working on wiring up one of the aquastats to dump heat if it gets too hot. I know a lot of people use a long baseboard heater, but is there any reason I couldn't wire it so if it overheats it will run the circulator to the heat exchanger and run the furnace blower? And what is a good temp to set the heat dump to? Maybe around 190°?

Ideally it would dump heat without needing power. A sudden outage can lead to temp spike. A normally open zone valve and a zone right above the boiler are key components for that.

 

[E Yoder]

Some kind of tight fitting solenoid or actuator flap on the fan intake could bring it up to the 21st century and make it safer too.