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[ralphxj]

New guy, first offcial post, although Marty has been posting for me.

I have had my new boiler up and running for a couple of weeks. It's an Ecomax Farm Blaster 125.

The problem I'm having is I can't seem to get water hotter then 150-160 into the house, even with the boiler at 200 (reading on both the aquastat and front temp gauge)! I have a digital temp sensor on the line where it enters the house, and get the same temp readings of 150-160 with my infrared thermometer. When I first fired it up I was getting readings of 170-180 when it was 60 outside. Now that it's cold, I can't seem to get the temps up. All of the lines and fittings at the back of the boiler are fully insulated.

The boiler is currently 35ft from the house with the insulated lines on top of the ground (it will get moved next summer with the lines burried). I currently have snow on top of the lines, so it's not losing any heat through the 5 wrap lines. I'm running a 15-58 pump and have run it on both Medium and High and seem to get the same results.

The lines into the house are 1in pex inside of 5wrap Badger pipe and then switch to all 1in copper lines. I have snow on top of and under the insulated lines (they are raised with wood slats to not kill the grass) so I don't think the is the issue. The lines are insulated where they pass through the wall of the house and the surrounding blocks are cold, so I'm not heating them.

I'm at a loss for where to check next?

[woodman]

Where does it pull water from the boiler? Top or bottom and what is the temp there? With nothing else to go on it sounds like it could be a circulation issue within the boiler.

[ralphxj]

It pulls from the top of the boiler and returns at the bottom, as per the install instructions. That's the only other thing I could think of as well, but not sure of the solution? There are 2 top ports and 2 bottom ports. I am using the 2 on the left, thinking I could try to return on the opposite side to try and get more water circulation?

[AirForcePOL]

Are you sure the readings you are getting in the house are accurate?  It seems strange that you are losing that much heat from the boiler to the house if you don't have any snow melt with the lines just sitting on the ground. 

[ralphxj]

I've tested with multiple digital monitors and my hand help, not sure what else I can try? They are all reading the same. That's why I'm so puzzled!

Reply from the manufacturer about the temp diffrence between the aquastat and water outlet: "They are 40 inches apart so that is possible. 160 degree water is plenty. Turn up the aqustat to accommodate."

Any issues with just turning the aquastat up to like 200-210? Will I boil is over if the water temp at the rear is lower then 200?

[mlappin]

Gonna have a lot more evaporation issues wit the water running at 200-210, and turning it up doesn’t explain where the heck the heat is going.

Is it possible to get an accurate reading as the water leaves the boiler on its way to the house?

[Smokeless]

Hi sounds like you may have a flow issue. Did You removed check valves in pumps. Flush boiler out maybe mice packed acorns in it ?  Just a thought.

[Smokeless]

Also what is the type of heat exchanger you r using??

[ralphxj]

I did not remove the check valve in the pump. How do I remove it?

I'm not sure how to get a more accurate reading on the water leaving then reading the temp at the rear fitting on the boiler?

If it is circulation issue within the boiler, I thought about getting a small 007 or something and running it on the other 2 ports on the boiler to keep the boiler water moving around the boiler?

I have a 20plate hx for the domestic and then a 50plate for the baseboard heat.

[Smokeless]

If it is a grundfos 15-58 Alfa there is 7 hydraulic settings for that pump. And it shows the flow on the digital readout in the back.

[Smokeless]

If you hooked in series threw the 20 plate exchanger that is your restriction I believe. Need to hook in parallel with mono flow tees.

[ralphxj]

I have bypassed the HX's and just ran it as a loop, not change. The pump is not the Alpha, just the standard 3 speed 15-58.

Edit: bypassing the HXs  again, looks like it might coming up in temp after all. So if that is the case, do I need a larger pump??

[woodman]

You lost me there somewhere. How does a small pump make you lose heat between the boiler and house. By the way I've ran to a 20 plate exchanger than to a water to air hx for the past 8 or nine years. No problem and no restriction.

[ralphxj]

The only thing I can think of, is the flow rate is low and the return water is being pulled right back into the outlet at the boiler. Bypassing the HXs increased the flow which caused the water to mix with the heated water in the boiler?? Or I have I run out of ideas and fried my brain at this point??

[woodman]

I don't know. I always thought you pulled from the bottom and returned at the top to help with circulation.