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Old 11-11-21, 07:22 AM   #4
Xringer
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Location: Woburn, MA
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My hot water circulating pumps don't need to be running, to get heat.
When I set the system for free-flow, there is enough natural circulation to heat the baseboards, so they won't freeze up.
The heat comes up very slow, but it also doesn't cool down the boiler(76 gallons) as fast.

It's the large AC motor on the burner that uses too much power. It runs the oil pump and blower. The nozzle uses 1 gal per hour. That little Chinese heater can make a gallon last a LOT longer than one hour.
My goal would be to use less electrical power to keep the warm water flowing in the baseboards using the exhaust.
The main heater hot-air output would provide some space heating. It should be enough to keep us warm.
This back-up heating mode would not used, until there was an emergency.
A long grid failure, rolling blackouts or when #2 oil prices hits $8 a gallon.
All of these things seem likely to happen before 2024.
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Last edited by Xringer; 12-18-21 at 07:00 PM..
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