I'm on my third winter with my Tarm Solo 30, using 670 gallons of unpressurized storage which also houses my DHW coil. I have my old oil furnace tied in as a backup, using a Johnson setpoint controller which I turn down in the summer and up a bit in the winter. The furnace occasionally comes on, but I typically have another fire going before I expect much out of it. Yesterday was the first time I've left overnight in the winter with the expectation of the oil taking over, so I bumped the setpoint up to 160 and left a full fire going in the Tarm. Today, although the house was warm, my tank was only 126 where the Johnson was reading while the furnace was stalled with 180 degree water in the jacket. It doesn't seem as though it's able to transfer the heat into the tank quickly enough. The oil furnace is close to my tank, while the Tarm is about 50 degrees away. I'm wondering if the pump at the Tarm should kick in with the oil furnace circulator, or if the resistance of the water to the Tarm should allow flow from the oil furnace through the heat exchanger in an efficient manner.
Please don't ask me to print a diagram of the setup, as I don't know where it is.
Any thoughts?
Please don't ask me to print a diagram of the setup, as I don't know where it is.
Any thoughts?