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[RSI]

Can the boiler just be turned off? Can you just have your aquastat cut power to it so it can't fire?

[MTJAG]

This may be a question that has already been asked , but is the pipe from your OWB going into your heat exchange really hot?  Like too hot to hold. 

[mingom]

Yes it is, so to me, I'm getting good, hot flow from the boiler.

[Bill G]

     When I first fired up my new OWB, the propane boiler would fire briefly when a zone called for heat.  These fine gents schooled me on how to simply turn my Weil Mclain boiler's aquastat down so this would not occur.  Work just fine now.  I wanted my propane boiler online as a back up system.  It is all set up now, but the power remains off to the propane boiler.  No need for me to keep it on now as I'm never gone from home for too long a period of time.  But it is set-up.  I can tell you, it will run and run, to try and keep the OWB warm!

Bill

[mingom]

Talked to the boiler install guy today (not who installed this unit), his thoughts were that its either my pex lines bleeding heat into the ground, or my pump is not working correctly at the boiler. I'm hoping its the pump. I took temp readings using a thermocouple hooked to the copper line right after the pex and got readings around 160-164 pretty constantly (with a few drops here and there to 145 ish, i think it was just how I was holding it). The boiler ETC was reading 169, so no huge loss there it seems. So hopefully its the pump, does anyone have any ideas on how to check it/ how to change it with the boiler running?

Thanks

[RSI]

Is the propane boiler on it's own loop? I am kind of confused how your system is setup.

[mingom]

Sorry for the confusion.  I have the OWB, which comes into the basement via pex lines to a water to water heat exchanger.  From there the water is plumbed back into a system tied into the crown propane boiler which provides backup heat and hot water as needed.  Both systems tie into 6 zones.

[MTJAG]

Talked to the boiler install guy today (not who installed this unit), his thoughts were that its either my pex lines bleeding heat into the ground, or my pump is not working correctly at the boiler. I'm hoping its the pump. I took temp readings using a thermocouple hooked to the copper line right after the pex and got readings around 160-164 pretty constantly (with a few drops here and there to 145 ish, i think it was just how I was holding it). The boiler ETC was reading 169, so no huge loss there it seems. So hopefully its the pump, does anyone have any ideas on how to check it/ how to change it with the boiler running?

Thanks

If you have a TACO pump, I don't know how to tell how it's pumping.  I have Grundfos Alphas and they have a digital display on the face that shows the GPM and Watts.  Regarding changing the pump out...I'm pretty certain you will have to turn off the systems and drain the water in the return pipe (estimate about 2 gallons), to change out the pump on your propane boiler, if that is the one your are talking about.  I'm not a plumber, but I helped to change out my TACO pumps on my propane boiler a couple of years back.

[RSI]

So, did you add another pump when you added the plate heat exchanger? Is there continuous flow through the gas boiler and heat exchanger?

What you have to do to change the pump depends on where you have valves. I like to put one on each side of the pumps so you can just close them and pull the pump.

If you do have a valve after the pump you can usually close it down slowly and hear sound change if the pump is working. A lot of times you will hear noise change at the pump too.

[mingom]

Sorry the pump I'm talking about is the pump at the OWB.  Its a Taco 0011 mounted right at the woodmaster.

[RSI]

If the pipes to the house are hot then that pump is working.

[MTJAG]

So, the pump on the OWB is good and you have hot pipes going into the heat exchanger.  Sounds like something is not connected right, but I'm no plumber.  If you can turn off your propane boiler that sounds like the best solution to see if you still have plenty of heat throughout the house. 

[RSI]

Can you make a diagram of how the heat exchanger and gas boiler are piped? Or post a picture of it?

[mingom]

Here is a rough sketch.  MTJAG, this was a rough measurement of temps, I just don't know what else could be set wrong.  I might try unwiring the low level on the propane boiler to dummy it out, I think if I hit the kill switch to it it might kill all my circulators.

[RSI]

If I am looking at the diagram correct I can see why the boiler is running.
Does the pump after the plate heat exchange only run when one of the zones is calling for heat?