Best settings for a heating boiler aquastat control:

Here we explain how to choose the best settings for a heating boiler aquastat - the combination control that sets boiler temperature and may also control hot water production via a tankless coil on the heating boiler.

This article series answers most questions about Heating System Boiler Controls on central heating systems to aid in troubleshooting, inspection, diagnosis, and repairs.

Questions & Answers About What Settings To Use on a Heating Boiler Aquastat Combination Control

At AQUASTAT CONTROLS and in the more detailed article AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS where most of these questions and answers were first posted, we explain how aquastats work, defining the functions and dials of the aquastat HI LO and DIFF control along with the reset button often found on these heating boiler controls.

The photo at page top shows a the "HIGH" or "HI" setting on a Honeywell R8124A combination heating control, also called an "aquastat".

[Click to enlarge any image]

Question: Summing up best Aquastat control settings: fine tuning the DIFF setting

2016/02/28 Bill said:

I have an Oil Fired Boiler forced hot water system (Hydronic) with typical baseboard radiators. Almost standard fare with 3 zones (1st for finished basement, 2nd for first floor and 3rd for second floor) in my typical New England Colonel. Honeywell L8124A Aquastat on a York AP-590 Boiler with tankless domestic hot water.

Almost normal no. 1 because the former owner installed a SuperStor domestic hot water heater. This means that there are now 4 zones, 4th being the SuperStor. This works exactly like another zone with the ‘thermoset’ that call for heat as part of the SuperStor. And while the original tankless is still plumbed up it, it was done properly such that it is cut out of the domestic hot water circuit and vented to atmosphere. Works just fine.

Almost normal no. 2 because I installed an Intellidyne IntelliCon HW+ Hot Water Hearing System Economizer some years ago. It has a feature that allows for using a SuperStor and it is all set up per the manual. Works just fine and has saved me a noticeable percentage of oil during a heating season (~15%).

In the past I had not studied nor modified my Aquastat settings. Until now. I have now read the various excellent articles on Hi, Low, Diff and disabling the Low that can be found on this site.
So ‘posting’ what I have set the Aquastat to in hopes to get comments that I did it correct or wrong.

And I think these settings apply regardless of the Intellidyne Economizer. Of note is that since I have a SuperStor, while I could conceptually disable the Low Limit, I did not want to because

(1) the concern over boiler cooling down to ambient (condensation, etc.) and then being called upon as the SuperStor called for heat and

(2) it seems that the SuperStor will produce domestic hot water sooner, as in longer to run out, with the family of 5 folks feeding off it (think consecutive showers).

Note: with the SuperStor we have never ‘run out’ of domestic hot water, even in the summer.

I have also crafted a modified version of Honeywell’s ‘set point’ diagram. It occurred to me that a lot of my confusion over the Low Limit is simply due to their diagram showing an “up arrow” for the Differential Setting. This implies the bottom ‘line’ (switch makes R-B and breaks R-W…) is the low limit and the differential takes it to the line above. In fact it is opposite. Differential ‘drops’ the Low Limit. Add to that they show another “differential” for the High Limit that I think adds to some of the confusion, when I fact that is hard wired.

So onto my setting and justification. Looking for advice that “makes sense, this is good” or “Bill, you need to go back to school”

High Limit Setting: set to highest possible WITHOUT exceeding 200 on Boiler. In my case this is ~ 185, after observing a number of cycles. Note: I have not only the Boiler temp gauge but also the Intellidyne has a senor on the boiler output. And when the circulator is running these closely track one another.

Logic from reading on this site is that the hotter the boiler water the better the efficiency and heat transfer to the air. See above in the article for this justification.

Low Limit Setting: Set to lowest possible. In my case this is ~ 110. Logic is that (1) no tankless but do have SuperStor (see my thinking on this above) and (2) do not want to deal with issues of boiler going to ambient.

Differential Setting: Set to lowest possible. In my case this is ~ 10. Logic is that do not want the boiler to drop too low in temp. Not sure what temp things will start to condense but I figure that is the boiler only gets down to 110 – 10 = 100 that is still hot enough to prevent. If NOT, then I need to raise the Low Limit NOT the Differential.

Thanks for reading and if you have some other ideas would appreciate your comments.

Reply:

Almost right in all respects, Bill.
I used to agree with your DIFF settings until I studied Honeywell's explanation of the aquastat control more closely.

But please take a look at the explanation of HI LO and especially DIFF settings found in this companion article:

inspectapedia.com/heat/Aquastats.php AQUASTAT CONTROLS - home

An excerpt from that, given below, forms an argument for setting the DIFF up rather than down.

More HI LO DIFF Setting Examples:

LO = 120 F, DIFF = 10 F: when the boiler temperature drops to 110 the burner turns on and the circulator is turned off. As the burner re-heats the boiler and the boiler temperature rises back up to 120, the burner turns off and the circulator is allowed to turn on.

LO = 120 F, DIFF = 25 F: when the boiler temperature drops to 110 the burner turns on and the circulator is turned off, just as before. But as the burner re-heats the boiler and the boiler temperature rises back up to 135 F, the burner turns off and the circulator is allowed to turn on.

We calculated the 135F as follows: LO setpoint of 120 is added to (DIFF minus 10) or 120 + (25-10) = 135.

LO= 140 F, DIFF = 25 F: when the boiler temperature drops to 130 F the burner turns on and the circulator is turned off, because the burner-on temperature is always fixed at 10 below the LO, just as before. But as the burner re-heats the boiler and the boiler temperature rises back up to 155 F, the burner turns off and the circulator is allowed to turn on. We calculated the 155F as follows: LO setpoint of 140 is added to (DIFF minus 10) or 140 + (25-10) = 155.

The effect of setting the DIFF up from 10 to 25 is that when the burner is re-heating the boiler (for example while the tankless coil is in use and you're in the shower), the burner heats the boiler temperature up to a higher level before the burner is turned off and the circulator is allowed to turn back on. This gives more heat to TANKLESS COILS and therefore more domestic hot water to the building occupants.

Question: change the aquastat settings for summer months?

14 March 2015 Karl R said:

I have an older Weil-McLain P-366 oil-fired boiler feeding my low-pressure hot-water baseboard heat registers accompanied by an Amtrol BoilerMate WH9Z indirect-fired water heater for my domestic hot water needs (set up in it's own zone)----all controlled by a Honeywell L8124G-1046 Aquastat.

My question is - I understand I can lower the upper/lower/Diff settings on the aquastat during the summer months to reduce the boiler cycling - thereby reducing fuel costs. What would be the most cost-effective settings on the aquastat to provide 135 degree temperature domestic hot-water output from the above Amtrol unit during these summer months ?

Now going further, (and I apologize for being so long-winded)- for the winter months, after intense study of your excellent informational Wiki---I have the aquastat set at 190/170 with a Diff setting of 10. I'm not sure this is the best and most efficient setting for my setup.

I find I cannot trust the OLD settings (210/190 Diff 10), as during trouble-shooting of a triggered pressure relief valve, (and the replacement of same, along with the replacement of the expansion tank, Hy-Vent, and pressure-reducing valve on the incoming cold supply---all were leaking)..

I found that the previous owner (or perhaps his oil-service technician) had cut the Amtrol water heater out of the loop (by closing various valves)

-- meaning domestic hot water supply had been coming DIRECTLY out of the boiler (and no, this is NOT a tankless-coil boiler) for at LEAST as long as I've owned the house (5 years- AND I've had the boiler inspected and safety-checked more than once in that time)...Needless to say, everything done before is suspect.

My second question is.....what is the most cost-efficient WINTER setting for the aquastat, given the above setup ?

Reply:

Hi Karl - in the Article Series Contents links above take a look at

AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS

Normally in summer when we don't call for heat the boiler is running only off of the LO and DIFF and you don't need to make adjustments.

17 March 2015 Karl R. said:

Yano...the answer to the below query was in your fine wiki site, and it might explain why the Amtrol indirect-fired water tank was cut out of the system in the first place....it's quite likely the coil in that tank has developed a leak...forcing the pressure to equalize between the street-pressure of the domestic hot water and the closed low-pressure boiler system, correct ?

That said, and if that's the case....is that coil conducive to repair (Soldering, brazing, etc) ? Or, failing that, I've seen some articles about a form of 'stop-leak' introduced into the system.....are these viable options ?

Reply:

No, probably not.

Please see TANKLESS COIL / HOT WATER COIL LEAKS

Question: setting hi to 200, low 180 and diff to 25, I have been getting sufficient domestic hot water but when the circulator kicks on there is a lot of banging of pipes

(Feb 15, 2015) Joe said:
Since setting hi to 200, low 180 and diff to 25, I have been getting sufficient domestic hot water but when the circulator kicks on there is a lot of banging of pipes and herring the hot water run through the system. I have bleed the radiators to release any air but still the banging. Any suggestions? Btw I have a Peerless boiler with tankless domestic hot water

Reply:

Joe

Usually water hammer, that can occur in heating systems too, happens when a pump turns off or when a valve closes; it's not a feature of water temperature.

See inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water_Hammer_Noise.php

 

Question: higher boiler aquastat settings vs outdoor air temperature sensors

(Sept 17, 2012) Bob said:
Raising the temperature to save $$ seems to directly contradict the reasons why you would save by installing an outdoor air reset system. What is true?

(Oct 18, 2012) Anonymous said:
"The thermal conductivity of heating water inside of finned copper tubing baseboards or through radiator surfaces is exponentially greater at higher temperatures. In other words, hotter water actually transfers heat into the occupied space more efficiently than cooler water."

So how does an outdoor air system save money if the water temperature is lowered down to 140,150, etc. and the thermal efficiency is lowered, according to AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS?

Reply:

Bob, thanks for the comment. I agree that those are two contrasting approaches operating under different principles. I'm not sure there is a true/false answer when different factors are at work. Generally, though, we learn in oil burner school that longer on cycles and higher water temperatures make for higher operating efficiency of the boiler and better heat transfer.

(Nov 7, 2012) Buddy said:

Regarding (Oct 18, 2012) Anonymous comment: The relationship between heating capacities (rate of heat transfer) and average hot water temperatures for copper aluminum-finned baseboards is actually linear and proportional.

If you simply plot, on graph paper, the performance data (hot water temperatures vs. heat capacity ratings) provided by baseboard system manufacturers that follow the AHRI rating standards, you will see that the relationship is not exponential.

Simply stated, efficiency is defined as input divided by output. For a baseboard heater the term "efficiency" is actually a misnomer and should not used when discussing baseboard heat ratings. A baseboard heater merely transfers heat.

The heat removed from the hot water is equal to the heat gained in the occupied space. There is no heat lost in this process. Thus, 100% of the heat is transferred. If the statement you quoted was a direct quote from a published source, I would be suspicious of any "technical" information furnished in that document.

The fuel savings produced by an ambient temperature reset system is apparently achieved by an improvement in the efficiency of the "total hydronic system" and not just one component.

Evaluation of this phenomenon requires a complex analysis of burner cycle times, heat transfer from burner flame to heating water, stack losses, heat losses during burner and/or circulating pump on/off cycles, etc. and is not easily quantified or explained. I trust that the manufacturers are correct in their analyses and actual system field tests and that actual savings can be realized using a setback system.

I do not have the money to install a setback system. However, using available internet information to determine the appropriate reset temperatures, I merely adjust my boiler's high water temperature setting several times during the heating season based on the anticipated ambient temperatures and trust that I am achieving some amount of savings.

Question:

(Nov 5, 2012) Ron Walken said:

I have a 1925 cold boiler likely with a heavier heat exchanger. It is controled with High and low setting. It never has heated the usable hot water. After learning what I could three years ago when we purchased the place I got a honeywell 3 degree set thermostat because it was only achieving 120 degrees during a cycle. It now reaches 160 plus on a cycle.

I am thinking I would like to raise the low temp setting on the control unit in the winter months to 120. My thinking is that I could select a thermostat with a 1- 2 degree swing and the home would be consistently more comfortable.

Today it swings from 68 to 72. It has a natural gas burner a good circulating pump and is installed in the center of the main floor so all heat generated would stays within the structure.

Question: L6006C Aquastat to control blower for combustion on my outdoor coal boiler.

(Nov 17, 2012) Anonymous said:
Im using a L6006C Aquastat to control blower for combustion on my outdoor coal boiler. 120v Power to terminal R , red wire to terminal B. Red wire from B to fan, white wire (neutral) other side of fan. Circuit complete.Aquestat set at 180F when it reaches 180f aquastat turns off blower? Do I have it correct?

Question: how much higher can I safely go on these aquastat settings?

(Jan 16, 2013) John B said:
Have 2 bathrooms, one shower gets enough hot water, other one begins to get cold after about 5 minutes. I've already raised the HI to 200 and LO is set at 180 on the aquastat, how much higher can I safely go on these settings? All the pipes are insulated in the basement. Thanks for your help.

Reply:

You can't set the aquastat HI over 200 F without risking spilling the TP relief valve. You will want to take a look at other measures for improving hot water quantity such as flow restriction or going to an indirect fired water heater.

See HOT WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT

Question: low limit differential be set for on my electronic oil aquastat L7224?

(Feb 2, 2013) Matt said:
what should the low limit differential be set for on my electronic oil aquastat L7224?

Reply:

Please see AQUASTAT OPTIMAL LO/DIFF SETTING

Question: Can I set the Low to 140 to keep the furnace from turning off and on so much in warm weather?

(Mar 4, 2013) Question about settings said:

I have an oil furnace to heat the house and part of it to heat my domestic water. It is set at Hi 180 and Low 160. Diff is 25. In warm weather I have a on/off switch on my thermstat. I turn it to off because I don't need heat after April 1st. Can I set the Low to 140 to keep the furnace from turning off and on so much in warm weather? Hopefully saving some energy costs. Thanks for any help you can provide. Cliff

Reply:

Yes

Question:

(Mar 4, 2013) Sal said:
I have 40 year old oil furnace heating my house, it also provides me with domestic hot water.
It is set at Hi 180 and Low 160. Diff is 25.
It seemed to work fine until It was serviced 3 months ago.
(Of course, the service folks have no clue.)

When it is working normal, the burner will go on, the circulating pump will kick in,
it will run for about 10 or 15 minutes at a time, once every hour or so.
The heat in the house seems fine, but the hot water does not last very long.

Then, this is what it does:
The burner goes on for 30 seconds, then it turns off,
one minute later,it will go on for 30 seconds, then it turns off.
and it will do it again, and again, and again, for half hour.
During this time the circulating pump is not circulating.

What is it doing ?
How do I fix it ?

Repy: rumbling traced to delta single knob faucet

(Mar 16, 2013) Buddy said:

John B.
I had a problem with our shower getting cold after a couple of minutes. I tried setting the HI at 220 and LO at 190. But since the aquastat sensor is located inside the domestic water heating coils, the rest of the boiler got very hot and the heating water exceeded 250 deg F at times.

At times the boiler rumbled as if producing steam. I suggest that you NOT go above your current settings.

I found a couple of items that were causing my problem. First, the faucet in our bath tub/shower is the Delta single knob that adjusts both temperature and flow.

It is about 45 years old and I have not rebuilt it in the 27 years I have owned the house. I found that even with showering at a good temperature, when the faucet was moved to the full-up high-flow position the temperature would drop.

Apparently the internals are worn and there are spots that the water mix changes. Rather than spend a few hundred dollars to try to fix the problem, we no longer try for full flow and that is working just fine. Try different positions of the faucet to see if this might be the problem.

Another possibility is that the shower that gets cold is in another heating zone. My problem was that the upstairs thermostat only started the circulating pump. It would only control the temperature around the LO setting. To make matters worse, the controls were was not wired to cut out the pump when the temperature dropped below the circulator-off LO limit.

This problem was made worse since our set-back t-stat would usually turn on for the first time when we were showering and the return water to the boiler of around 63 deg F drastically dropped the boiler temperature which killed heat transfer to the domestic water.

Also, the boiler controls were not wired to fire the boiler around the HI setting when the t-stat called for heat. I found that we were heating the upstairs around the LO setting . I rewired the controls and solved the problems but eventually put in and electric water heater to eliminate the frequent minor faucet adjustments needed because of the boiler's moderate temperature swings.

One last thing to check is the tempering valve that mixes heated domestic water with outside cold supply water to maintain a safe domestic hot water temperature. Mine went bad and I replaced only the internals with no soldering required.

(Mar 16, 2013) (mod) said:
Buddy,

Thanks for your comments above.

First, it's never a good idea to set the HI above 200F on the aquastat - you risk dumping the relief valve.

Second, if your aquastat was above 220 your TP valve should have been spilling, so I suspect you have a safety hazard at the boiler - possibly a dangerous one.

Third, ditto my second point above if you actually saw water temperatures above 250F at times - how is this POSSIBLE unless the boiler was under pressure? Water boils at 212 F. WATCH OUT for a BLEVE boiler explosion (search InspectAPedia for BLEVE explosions for details)

Usually when hot water flow rate is poor on a tankless coil system we start by checking for mineral clogging at the tankless coil.

Just go to convenient fixture (I like sinks that use a single lever Delta type faucet handle for this trick) and run cold water at full "on", then switch over to hot at full "on". If hot flow is noticeably less than cold flow then the hot water system is probably mineral clogged, usually right at the tankless coil.

If both hot and cold flow rates are the same, then there is a different problem with system water pressure or hot water delivery piping.

If the system water piping, faucets, etc, is clogging with minerals, rust, crud, setting the temperature up doesn't fix it and actually speeds the clog procedure.

About your "... shower is in another heating zone ..." - I'm a bit confused. The tankless coil is on the heating boiler. IT doesn't know about heating zones.

However it is TRUE that IF we are enjoying a nice hot shower and a heating zone calls for heat, turning on the circulator (or opening the zone valve) for that zone sends a blast of cold water (from the cold radiators or baseboards) back into the boiler, dropping its temp and thus reducing heat for the tankless coil and for your shower). That's why the Aquastat is designed to lock out the circulator at > 20 F below HI.

Search InspectApedia for tankless coil clogging for details on diagnosing and fixing the trouble.

Question: How to Disable the Low Limit for home heating only

(Nov 3, 2015) J R said:
Hi, I want to use oil boiler to heat the home only. So, I just want to know what are the best settings (Hi,Lo, diff) to heat the home only?

Reply:

JR, just take a quick look at the section in the article AQUASTAT LO & DIFF DISABLED about disabling the low limit.

Question:

(Nov 16, 2015) Terence said:
Hello i think my cir has lockout.i change my expansion tank an took the probe out (being lazy didnt want to go back up an turn the cut off switch)but now my oil boiler wont fire up an the aquastat is reading c.i.r off can u help me

Reply:

Sorry Terence I'm confused as I don't quite understand what you did, what probe, what switch. Try turning the system off and on again.

ALso search InspectApedia for AIR BOUND HEATING SYSTEMS

Question: Controlling a Peerless wbv-03 oil boiler with hydrostat and beckett burner

(Dec 26, 2015) Richie said:
Hey guys just had some questions. I purchased a new house with a peerless wbv-03 oil boiler with hydrostat and beckett burner no water heater.
When we moved in we noticed hot water in shower would last 1 min and then go to cold.

After adjusting the cartridge in single handle hot water came out more but died in 2 mins now. After reviewing this site and adjusting the hydrostat from 150lo/180hi to 180lo/200hi 25diff on both his and lo we are now able to take 7-8 min showers before the water goes warm. Now I noticed that hot water pressure in the house is very low.

If I take a shower the hot water in the house fades drastically if someone opens a faucet but cold water is strong. What could be my issue? Also if I take a shower the only way to get hot water is to turn my handle all the way to hot position anything below that water is cold. Any suggestions

Reply:

Richie

You made your boiler hotter which will give more heat to the tankless coil in the boiler, but if the tankless coil is clogging or clogged that will reduce the hot water pressure or flow rate - though not the total quantity of hot water.

Double check the boiler temperature and see if the home is heating while you're showering.

(Dec 27, 2015) Richie said:

We do leave our Honeywell heat on. Should I be turning the heat off in the house before I shower? The hydrostat heats up when I shower but I do noticed that the gauge on boiler and hydrostat do not match if the exampl. Hydrostat says 203 but boiler at about 195. It's always about 7-10off. Now by hydrostat does havery 30 diff as max. Should be setting it up that high or is 25 diff fine?

Reply:

The equipment is not lab grade precise, and measurement locations also nay vary.

You should not need to turn off heat.

 

Question: my high limit is 185 and my low is 170 is this the best way

21 Feb 2015 pat said:
I have a hot water peerless boiler with hydronic heat. hot water by air. my high limit is 185 and my low is 170 is this the best way to run the furnance?

Reply: NO

Pat

For a hot water heating boiler system your aquastat control setting is incorrect and locks out the circulator. You want to set the LO at least 20 degrees below the HI

Details are in the article AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS.

Question: boiler is short cycling

24 Feb 2015 Anonymous said:
Settings found hot water boiler which also supplies domestic hot water. Hi 180 f low 150 f dif 15 deg.going through a lot of oil,and the furnace runs for a short time and shuts off. It cycles like this often, also the thermostat temp. is not satisfied when the furnace goes off. any suggestions

Reply:

Anon

at AQUASTAT TROUBLESHOOTING inspectapedia.com/heat/Aquastat_Diagnosis_Repair.php

we discuss oil burner short-cycling and offer some diagnostic suggestions. Take a look there and let me know how you make out.

Question: Fleetline boilers: wood/coal, MF110/155 and oil, F-22, with a honeywell aquastat L8124

(Mar 29, 2013) Rau said:
I have two Fleetline boilers; one is a wood/coal, MF110/155 and the other is a oil, F-22, with a honeywell aquastat L8124.

My boiler technician pulled a bypass wire out of the L8124 and I may no longer use the wood/coal boiler to heat my home. The circulator will not turn on even though the oil gun is turned off by the wood/coal boiler. How do I reconnect the bypass to enable the use of the multi-fuel boiler.

Reply:

Rau,

Because a mistake can burn down the house or cause other unsafe conditions, I figure if your heating service technician deliberately disabled something she must have thought it was unsafe. So I can't imagine telling you to just go ahead and hook it back up.

I'd start with a call to the heating service company, speak with the service manager, and tell him your concern.

Question: 8124 aquastat set with bypass

(Mar 31, 2013) Ray said:

The 8124 aquastat was set with the bypass when originally purchased and installed and was a standard procedure for all installations so I don't think it was a safety issue at all. As of now I cannot use the wood/coal boiler at all and that defeats the purpose of having it which is not the original intent. thanks for your comment.

Reply:

Ray, I'm sorry but I can't say I have a certain and clear picture of what you have installed and thus you must understand the need for caution.

The only bypass wire I know about on the L8124 aquastat is not a "bypass" - at all. There is a wire that can be pulled to disable the LO limit - a feature that is not needed if a boiler is not making use of a tankless coil for domestic hot water. We discuss this and show the blue wire in the article above.

Ray,
What you describe is not a tankless coil (search InspectApedia for TANKLESS COIL to see what those are) but rather an indirect-fired water heater that uses boiler water through a coil in the heater to heat a tank or reservoir of hot water. (Search InspectApedia for Indirect-Fired Hot Water Heaters to see how those heaters work)

If your indirect fired water heater is properly hooked up, it runs as just another heating zone - you boiler doesn't know it's heating hot water rather than a room in the house.

The LO and DIFF are almost irrelevant to this operation and use, and that may be why your tech disabled that circuit. You don't need it. If you mess with the LO and DIFF and the tech did NOT disable that circuit then you could set the control improperly (e.g. setting the LO too close to HI) and you'll SNAFU the system and lose hot water.

If the LO is connected then turning it up too high locks out the circulator.

Leave the LO and DIFF alone - the indirect water heater runs as a heating zone just like any other heating zone.

Unless your tech did something odd.

Question: DIFF settings

(Feb 3, 2014) emes said:
lo 120 dif 10 - burner off at 120 burner on at 110
lo 120 dif 25 - burner off at 135 burner on at 110
lo 110 dif 10 - burner off at 110 burner on at 100
lo 110 dif 20 - burner off at 120 burner on at 100 etc.

(Mar 14, 2014) Anonymous said:
I set the high to 180 and low to 160 what should the diff be set at the boiler only heats base board in the house

Reply:

As the DIF pertains ONLY to operation of the lo-limit when using a tankless coil, it's not doing anything for you. You can set it down to its lowest setting and if you are not going to disable the LO - which is not needed when there is no tankless coil, you could set that down lowest as well.

Question: cycling hot water temperature drops too low

(Mar 30, 2014) Anonymous said:

I have a oil fired HWBB with an internal hot water coil. The low is at 160, the high is at 180, the diff is at 10. When we shower, the hot water takes a reasonable amount of time to get to the shower, but after 30 secs or so, the water goes to room temperature, stays there for another 30 secs, then gets hot again and stays there. Any ideas?

Reply:

Interesting; I'm not sure what's happening. On a call for hot water it's the LO and DIFF that are in control. Set the DIFF to its maximum and you should get better performance. Let us know what that does to your system.

(Oct 17, 2014) Anonymous said:

Sounds more like the water in the pipes are in a warm area then a cold area and then finally the hot water gets to your shower.... pipes carry a lot of water and if you have an efficient shower head (recommended always) then it can take some time to get to the hot water from the heater especially if they are the old pipes and your shower is a ways (by pipe not necessarily actual distance to furnace)..

You may want to trace the pipes from the shower to the furnace and see where it goes.. through walls which are on the outside of house vs inside, higher lower, etc and even turn the shower on as you hold the pipe at various places to see if what I say is true. Sometimes it is the simple obvious reason in this case just physical having noting to do with furnace, which is why some people are getting instant heaters from Europe and installing them.

Speaking of which when i was in Germany the coolest thing I saw was a stainless steal multi tubed towel rack which had the the hot water going through it in the bathroom to dry towels and cloths..

very effective and space saving in small bathrooms with toilet tanks in the wall and use half of what we do per flush and have two flushes, small flush for pee and full tank for solids.... why not [in the U.S.] ?

 

...

Continue reading at AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS FAQs-3 - more-recent questions & answers about adjusting a heating system aquastat

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• AQUASTAT CONTROLS - home
  • AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS
  • AQUASTAT LO & DIFF DISABLED
  • AQUASTAT RESET BUTTON
  • AQUASTAT SELECTION GUIDE
• MANUALS for HEATING & A/C SYSTEM CONTROLS
• SINGLE FUNCTION LIMIT SWITCH
• WATER HEATER TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENT CONTROLS

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AQUASTAT HI LO DIFF SETTINGS FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to HEATING BOILERS

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