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Posted by HeatPro on September 03, 2004 at 13:01:27:
In Reply to: questions on natural gas boiler for heating hot water radiators posted by marc on September 03, 2004 at 11:07:39:
: 1- is 20 years old for a natural gas furnace and can it be unefficient because of it's age ?
Definitely; the 1990's brought the minimum AFUE's up to 80% efficiency. Before then atmospheric gas boilers were in the 65% range.
A new boiler, like the Weil McLain Ultra (or two) can drop your bills 30%.
: 2- Should I keep the water warm in the radiators all the time during winter or is the use of an automatic thermostat (shut off during day then start at night then shutt off then start in morning ect...) is energy : efficient ?
The fewer hours during the 24 hour day you burn the gas, the less the bill. However; will your tenants stand for not having heat, will you still have tenants after that?
: 3-Is the use of gimmicks like thermnostatic radiator valves are cost efficient ?
A thermostatic radiator valve isn't just a gimmick, it is a very steady way to control heat by temperature ate the point it is used. If it encourages tenants from opening windows because the water temperature was too hot, then it is a great money-saver.
Outdoor reset controls that prevent the water from getting too hot according to the weather do a similar task. Outdoor reset and sophisticated controls are built into the Weil Ultra.
I use an outdoor reset to control my boiler temperature and have thermostatic readiator valves on my baseboard in every room. The heat stays exactly steady and has done so for the past 20 years. I don't have an electric thermostat in the house.
what about econoJet see :http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20598&item=5918042116&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V
IMO technojargon confusion bunkum. Swirling raw gas or letting it flow naturally still gets it to the orifice before it mixes with air to burn. Laminar flow is a restriction to gas flow along the 1/8th or so nearest the pipe wall. The engineers accounted for that in the original design (it was there, and is still there, wasn't it?) If there is restriction, the pipe feeds just so much gas, you aren't going to get more or less at the orifice before it gets to the burner, or the combustion changes for the worse. If the jet reduces the amount of gas that gets out of the burner, then you got less fuel to the burner, pretty much the same effect as lowering the gas control pressure; that doesn't necessarily make it burn better unless the fuel ratio was maladjusted to too rich to start with. If the burn is too rich, put in the right orifice and/or adjust the air. After the fuel is burned it is how much that is absorbed by the water through the heat exchanger that makes efficiency; swirling won't fix that.
Get the special auto carburetor that gives 200 mpg, with the fuel tank pills and the magnetic fuel filter while you are out shopping. Hype depends on taking the most technically confusing term and building on it. Einstein found that pushing the refined dirt called Uranium together in a confined space makes it heat up or blow up. Doesn't take Greek symbols to catch on; but it sure makes piles of money.