Boiler Setup Question

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pearlset79

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Nov 19, 2008
40
Plattsburgh, NY
so i have the setup where my pb goes through my oil boiler and then returns the opposite way. the circulator between the 2 is always on, so i feel hot water is constantly circulating between the two. circulators from the oil boiler turn on when thermostats call for heat. would it be more efficient for the one circulator to be wired so that it turns on only when the other 2 need to, and not be on constantly?? if so, how do i do this?? maybe it is just better if it is always on.....i definately need help on this one.......
 
Welcome to the boiler room.

I have a set up like yours, my boilers in series too. I am surprised your PB doesn't have a circulator control on it, are you certain?

What I did when the water going through my oil boiler gets 160º an aquastat (honeywell L6006C1018) that is strapped onto the 1 1/4 supply pipe then shuts the pump down. then the zones then are feed from the hot block of the oil boiler until more hot water is needed then the pump turns back on. also you may want to put a low limit aquastat near the PB (the same one listed above does high and low) connected in series with that one so when the PB pipes are cold it wont circulate any cold water.
 
how hard is that to install??? was looking for something that basically would cause the hot water to leave the pellet boiler when the house needed heat, not to always circulate into the oil boiler like it does now
 
You can buy a Taco SR-501 relay for your new pump and connect it to your 2 zone controller you have now, so when any zone calls it will energize the new relay and pump.
But you need to use the end switch on the 2 zone controller and put in a double pole double throw Wood/Oil (on-off-on) switch because you do not want that new pump on when the oil is calling plus when the wood is calling you don't want the the oil on. The end switch of your 2 zone controller feeds the center of the switch the top goes to TT of your new relay controller and the bottom of the switch goes to the TT on the oil controller.
 
If your boilers are in series, you will need to keep the oil one hot because that is probably where the water comes from for zones. If the circ only comes on when zones call, it will pump cold water until the oil boiler comes up to temp. The honeywell L6006C1018 fix is probably the better option so that at least your circ doesn't run all the time. You may want to look into a primary/ secondary piping in the future where hot water comes directly from the pb and the oil sits cold until needed.
 
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