In the past we've used our pellet stove to heat our basement and as supplemental heat to the first floor. We have two oil fired boilers, one heats the first floor, and the other heats the second & third floors, plus handles the indirect hot water needs. For this coming winter I'm going to be installing a pellet stove on the first floor with the hope of pretty much eliminating the need for the first floor boiler. My concern is the pipes freezing in the walls during extreme cold spells if the first floor system is not active or circulating. Is this an irrational fear, or should I plan on occasionally using the boiler during really cold periods? FWIW, we have blown in insulation and I have no idea how well (or complete) the job was done where the pipes run.
On a semi related note... I've turned down the temp limits on my first floor boiler for the summer. I've always heard it's not a good idea to shut them down completely, but since I don't plan on needing this one much in the future, is this something I might want to consider doing? What happens if you do shut them down, rust and other internal corrosion issues?
On a semi related note... I've turned down the temp limits on my first floor boiler for the summer. I've always heard it's not a good idea to shut them down completely, but since I don't plan on needing this one much in the future, is this something I might want to consider doing? What happens if you do shut them down, rust and other internal corrosion issues?
