Pressure Prob, Any thoughts?

[pinesawyer]

Burning wood and coal in a Harmon 250 and pressure is at 35psi @ 190 degrees. Talked to a reeeeeeeeeaaaaaal knowledgable guy who says I need a bigger in-line pressure tank. Period. Wood/Coal boiler tied into oil boiler with five gall. tank not big enough. Been trying to burn coal, and can't keep it going with aquastat set at 180. If I turn it up I pop my cap because of pressure. Some say 180 aquastat good enough, others say not-so-much. Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[hanniedog]

Do you have an auto fill valve that adds water to the system? I am running a Harmon 360, just went to garage and checked it. Was at about 190 with 12 psi burning just wood. My system has two expansion tanks one at the Harmon and one at the propane boiler, probably 5 gallon each I am guessing. I would bet on a faulty auto fill valve.

 

[hanniedog]

Any luck with your problem?

 

[pinesawyer]

No luck.

I have not addressed it, but I think I am going to put a second pressure tank in-line @ the wood boiler. Only one five gall. tank in line at the oil boiler, s which is in the house. My wood boiler is in the barn, about a hundred feet from the house. My Dad thinks this is why my pressure is so high, because of the distance the water has to be pushed by the Taco pump at the wood boiler.

As far as the me ake-up valve, I don't know. Another person told me that it may be a faulty valve, or something may have got in the line during installation that has the valve jammed open, bleeding aqua in to the system constantly. But the valve is brand new. Could be faulty. Don't know how to test it.

I have had some people say having presssure is good, means the system is tight. But most folks I have talked to say this way t oo high, 30 psi @ 190 degrees.

Going to try adding an expansion tank at the wood boiler, see if that fixes it. The single five gallon tank perhaps just is not enough.

 

[Bricks]

I have not addressed it, but I think I am going to put a second pressure tank in-line @ the wood boiler. Only one five gall. tank in line at the oil boiler, s which is in the house. My wood boiler is in the barn, about a hundred feet from the house. My Dad thinks this is why my pressure is so high, because of the distance the water has to be pushed by the Taco pump at the wood boiler.

As far as the me ake-up valve, I don't know. Another person told me that it may be a faulty valve, or something may have got in the line during installation that has the valve jammed open, bleeding aqua in to the system constantly. But the valve is brand new. Could be faulty. Don't know how to test it.

I have had some people say having presssure is good, means the system is tight. But most folks I have talked to say this way t oo high, 30 psi @ 190 degrees.

Going to try adding an expansion tank at the wood boiler, see if that fixes it. The single five gallon tank perhaps just is not enough.

You do need another expansion tank and I would check and make sure the tank in the house is not flooded (liner went bad ) should sound hollow when knocked on. Max boiler pressure should be about 12 pounds normally.

If your make up valve is bad you could be back feeding boiler water into your drinking water. I would close my auto fill valve until I had this problem figured out. Keep an eye on your water level if you close it don`t want to destroy your boiler by running dry.

 

[lfnh]

You do need another expansion tank and I would check and make sure the tank in the house is not flooded (liner went bad ) should sound hollow when knocked on. Max boiler pressure should be about 12 pounds normally.

If your make up valve is bad you could be back feeding boiler water into your drinking water. I would close my auto fill valve until I had this problem figured out. Keep an eye on your water level if you close it don`t want to destroy your boiler by running dry.

yup. and yup. likely the autofill is not seating completely.

 

[pinesawyer]

Thanks for the advice. I am going to install an expansion tank soon.
Right now I am busy digging out.

Four feet of snow in the last three days here in central New York!!!!!!!!!!