Should I fire the oil heat? Hear me out

[PoolGuyinCT]

I've kicked this thought around for a while.

When I take a shower the oil is burningnfor my hot water. So I am wondering if I should kick on the baseboards tstat since I'm burning anyway?

Will i reap more efficiency with the same burn, radiators and hot shower?

I'm already paying for the oil to fire while I'm in the shower.

Thoughts?


Ty
Ray

 

[Mr. Spock]

My parents would just fire the furnace long enough to have hot hot water and shut it down. I think kicking on the baseboards would use more oil.

 

[mepellet]

Likely will just keep the burner on for longer resulting in more oil usage.

 

[bill3rail]

Seems to me that it may draw more heat from your shower supply as it will be pushing cold water through the burner while you're showering.
You may or may not notice it...
Give it a try!

Bill

 

[PoolGuyinCT]

I kicked shower head over to low flow to slow flow , had a hot shower, immediately hopped out & shut the hot baseboard.

Saw 3 degree rise on room tstat.

Boiler ran for about 20 min, 15 of those min hot water running also.


So have I been robbing myself of room heat, while paying to create hot showers all along?

 

[imacman]

If you want to recapture some of that lost heat, try installing one of these....I have one, works great. They guarantee 10-15% savings....I can attest to that. Paid for itself the first winter.

(broken link removed)

 

[john193]

How much was it if you don't mind me asking?

 

[imacman]

How much was it if you don't mind me asking?

I paid $297 on '05, but the price has come down. And mine doesn't have the digital display, just indicator lights. I installed it myself, and I'm no electrician.

http://www.pexsupply.com/Intellidyn...l-Economizer?gclid=CM2Yg4WJgLUCFQSg4Aod0QIAPQ

 

[Mike D]

If you want to recapture some of that lost heat, try installing one of these....I have one, works great. They guarantee 10-15% savings....I can attest to that. Paid for itself the first winter.

(broken link removed)

I have one of those that I installed, but I can't it to get a savings reading unless I turn the heater tstat on, which I haven't done in over a year. The burner runs to heat the hot water, but not for my heaters. Have you had the same experience? Before I stopped running the oil burner for heat it used to display a savings percentage.

 

[imacman]

I have one of those that I installed, but I can't it to get a savings reading unless I turn the heater tstat on, which I haven't done in over a year. The burner runs to heat the hot water, but not for my heaters. Have you had the same experience? Before I stopped running the oil burner for heat it used to display a savings percentage.

Mine is an older unit that doesn't have the digital display.

How do you expect it to give a reading if the burner isn't running?? It won't.

 

[Mike D]

Well, the burner runs to maintain the hot water heater temp, but I don't get the 'avg savings' display if the burner isn't running for the heat.

 

[imacman]

Well, the burner runs to maintain the hot water heater temp, but I don't get the 'avg savings' display if the burner isn't running for the heat.

If you don't think it's running as it should, call Intellidyne. I bought mine direct from them, and they were real nice people.

 

[Mike D]

If you don't think it's running as it should, call Intellidyne. I bought mine direct from them, and they were real nice people.

Yeah - I'll give them a shout to see what they say. I bought mine directly from them too, saved about $100 over what the local oil dealer wanted.

 

[briansol]

I don't understand what exactly that unit does?

 

[Mike D]

I'm not an expert, but in layman's terms here is how I understand it: The unit is connected between your hot water heater and boiler. When your t-stat calls for heat, as long as the temp in your hot water heater is above the minimum temp you set it for the unit will prevent your boiler from firing up and will instead pull the water in the hot water heater, saving you oil because your boiler doesn't fire on and off as frequently. It basically gets more out of the hot water in your HW heater. Again, I'm not expert but that is how it was explained to me a couple years ago. Here is the web site if you want to look into it:
(broken link removed)

 

[jlupi]

I paid $297 on '05, but the price has come down. And mine doesn't have the digital display, just indicator lights. I installed it myself, and I'm no electrician.

http://www.pexsupply.com/Intellidyn...l-Economizer?gclid=CM2Yg4WJgLUCFQSg4Aod0QIAPQ

I think a tekmar outdoor reset may be even better.

 

[imacman]

I'm not an expert, but in layman's terms here is how I understand it: The unit is connected between your hot water heater and boiler. When your t-stat calls for heat, as long as the temp in your hot water heater is above the minimum temp you set it for the unit will prevent your boiler from firing up and will instead pull the water in the hot water heater, saving you oil because your boiler doesn't fire on and off as frequently. It basically gets more out of the hot water in your HW heater. Again, I'm not expert but that is how it was explained to me a couple years ago. Here is the web site if you want to look into it:
(broken link removed)

You are correct. The unit allows the circulator pump to run, but not the burner IF the water in the boiler is above that set temp. When the thermal sensor reads a certain point, it then allows the burner to fire.

In essence, it's forcing the burner to come on less often but with longer runs = more efficiency.

Then when the stat is satisfied, it goes into standby mode, until the next call for heat, and circulator pump goes on, etc, etc. The computer chip "learns" the house needs and adjusts the unit as needed.

 

[briansol]

I need to look into that more. due to the 3 zones in my house, plus water, the furnance blips on for 5 - 10 seconds some times, and then off for 15, and then on for 10, and then off again. it's stupid.
a central regulator would probably solve most of that.

 

[heat seeker]

the furnance blips on for 5 - 10 seconds some times, and then off for 15, and then on for 10, and then off again.

Sounds like something is wrong with your furnace controls. It shouldn't act like that.

 

[briansol]

AFAIK, it's original from 97 when my house was built.. The t-stats on the wall are manual and cheap lever things. There's 3 remote 50's style microphone looking things coming in with wires (i assume from the t-stats) to the all on 3 dif hot pipes from the furnace. Theres a 5-gallon on the fly hanging tank too. The furnance keeps that at the ready.

I assume that since the 3 are independant of each other, they can call it as they need it? i don't know.

I have it serviced every year as its free with my oil company (i get just enough on their auto delivery to qualify) and the output is good... 87% efficient i think last time around and over all good condition according to them.

I always thought it was cycling too much, especially after reading about the waits on the new prog thermo's to not let it cycle more than once every 30 min or something.


I'm beginning to care less and less about my house.

I want to move to NH and get some acreage. tired of ct liberal politics and 48% of my income going to other slobs and roads full of pot holes and bridges that score D- ratings.
my mortgage is upside down like 100 grand thanks to the market tank. I can't sell if i wanted to.
i can't refi because of it either.
and top top it off, i'm stuck at 7 1/8% on my loan.

i'm REALLY considering stopping paying my mortgage and see if that will let me qualify for all those gov't assistance programs to help stop forclosure and re-fi. it sucks that there's nothing for those who are up to date. but the second you start to fail there's ways to get money.

if i could pocket 6 months mortgage in the mean time, it would take care of basically all my other outstanding debt too.

but this is getting off topic... sorry for ranting. just fed up with the damn system.

 

[heat seeker]

output is good... 87% efficient

That's probably just the burn efficiency, not the overall efficiency of the unit.

The hanging tank is most likely the expansion tank, not a storage tank.

Typically, each zone can start the burner up when it (the zone) calls for heat. That helps prevent a lag while the furnace tries to cope with the slug of cold water coming back to it from the zone.

Perhaps your lower and upper limits on the aquastat are too close - they should be about 20 degrees apart.

You might want to get another company's tech to look your system over. Something is not right. My FIL lived for decades with a situation where, if the furnace kicked on while he was in the shower, total lost his hot water for some minutes (no fun in the shower!). His granddaughter's new husband was an oil tech, so he looked at the system. It was wired wrong from day one. The circulating pump is supposed to shut off if the boiler temp goes below a certain point, to prevent just this situation. His circ pump was wired wrong, so it kept on running even though the water in the furnace was really cold. A simple wiring change cured that, and my FIL thought he was in heaven.

I share your frustration with CT. We have said we'd never leave the area, but are now considering moving to a state more friendly to people who actually work for a living and don't want to be punished for it.

 

[mepellet]

I need to look into that more. due to the 3 zones in my house, plus water, the furnance blips on for 5 - 10 seconds some times, and then off for 15, and then on for 10, and then off again. it's stupid.
a central regulator would probably solve most of that.

Might be thermostat related. One of my zones would cause the boiler to do the same thing (on for a few seconds then off for a few seconds then keep repeating). It was the only zone with one of those cheap Honeywell round dial thermostats. I changed it out to a programmable thermostat and it doesn't do it anymore. Might be worth a shot to just change out a thermostat instead of a service call. Especially since it doesn't sound like a programmable thermostat. Nice upgrade if nothing else.....

 

[briansol]

That's probably just the burn efficiency, not the overall efficiency of the unit.

The hanging tank is most likely the expansion tank, not a storage tank.

yeah, i'm no expert with these things... lol

Typically, each zone can start the burner up when it (the zone) calls for heat. That helps prevent a lag while the furnace tries to cope with the slug of cold water coming back to it from the zone.

Perhaps your lower and upper limits on the aquastat are too close - they should be about 20 degrees apart.

I just adjusted these a few weeks ago, as the water was too cold in the morning show.... low is set to 175, high is set to 220 now. low WAS on 160 and high was on 210. I might bring the high back down to 210 as its scorching hot now.

You might want to get another company's tech to look your system over. Something is not right. My FIL lived for decades with a situation where, if the furnace kicked on while he was in the shower, total lost his hot water for some minutes (no fun in the shower!). His granddaughter's new husband was an oil tech, so he looked at the system. It was wired wrong from day one. The circulating pump is supposed to shut off if the boiler temp goes below a certain point, to prevent just this situation. His circ pump was wired wrong, so it kept on running even though the water in the furnace was really cold. A simple wiring change cured that, and my FIL thought he was in heaven.

I have no other issues with it other than it runs weird, sometimes. hot water is hot, it runs fine while in the shower (and not the whole time either).

Might be thermostat related. One of my zones would cause the boiler to do the same thing (on for a few seconds then off for a few seconds then keep repeating). It was the only zone with one of those cheap Honeywell round dial thermostats. I changed it out to a programmable thermostat and it doesn't do it anymore. Might be worth a shot to just change out a thermostat instead of a service call. Especially since it doesn't sound like a programmable thermostat. Nice upgrade if nothing else.....

I do have the old honeywell i took off the pellet stove due to no swing temp setting. Not sure if that will work on the wall mount. i'll look into it (it should, but i think it takes actual voltage, not millivolt).

I share your frustration with CT. We have said we'd never leave the area, but are now considering moving to a state more friendly to people who actually work for a living and don't want to be punished for it.

yup. it's getting to be rediculous. my town is raising the mil rate AGAIN on top of it all because everyone is leaving. it's just a matter of time.... i don't want to be the last rat.

 

[heat seeker]

My zone valves have switches in them that control the boiler. The valves operate thermally, which means they open and close slowly, so cannot cause the problem you're having. Yours, of course, could be entirely different, perhaps controlled by a separate relay, which could do just as mepellet says.

Yeah, people leave because the tax rate is too high, so they raise the taxes on those who stay. Sounds a lot like California, which is losing about 200,000 people a year, I hear.

 

[gbreda]

I paid $297 on '05, but the price has come down. And mine doesn't have the digital display, just indicator lights. I installed it myself, and I'm no electrician.

http://www.pexsupply.com/Intellidyn...l-Economizer?gclid=CM2Yg4WJgLUCFQSg4Aod0QIAPQ

I put one in back around 2006 or so. It does work and has saved me money from day 1. Prior to installing the pellet stove, this little bugger saved at least half a tank per heating season. Digital display claims it is saving 28-30% in burn time of the furnace.