Hot water boiler question

[mmeyer]

Hey Everyone, I just moved into a different house and I'm not real familiar with the boilers. When I have the thermostat all the way down the boiler still heats but the pump doesn't run. It seems like even with the thermostat down, I can't get the house any cooler than 70 degrees without turning off the burner. Is this right? Seems to me that with the thermostat down it shouldn't run at all.

I'm renting but I'd like to have some info before I call the property manager so I'm more educated.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

[soldoncass]

You are right...if the thermostats are not calling for heat, the boiler should Not be running. Check all the zones...turn the thermostats all the way down...the boiler should shut down(heat will still radiate out of the radiators). A few years ago I had one zone stick...even disconnecting the thermostat didn't shut it off. It turned out that the little switch inside the zone control was stuck, and had to be replaced. My boiler has electronic ignition, maybe yours has a pilot light, that gives off a little heat?

[BoxMN]

I have small "mini-boiler" electric boiler that heats my basement floor. When first put in, it was always on, regardless of thermostat setting. I was new, the plumber said it was hooked up wrong, the electrician said it was a bad t-stat. After bunch of back and forth I just put a new t-stat in and it has worked ever since. FWIW.

[mmeyer]

Alright, so that confirms my thought that something wasn't right. I guess I'll call the property manager and see if I can get something done.

Thanks again!

[chad austin]

If you have in floor heat you wouldn't notice a temp difference right away as the floor will radiate for quite some time.

Does your boiler heat your potable water too? (is there a water heater in the utility room?)

If the boiler serves as a water heater as well, it would run when the t-stat isn't calling for heat.

[nobody05]

Must be an old boiler or an oil fired boiler? Sometime they used what they call a "hot" boiler. Meaning the water in the pot was always 180 degrees and the burner kept it that way 247/7 365 unless you shut the boiler off. When you turned a t-stat on then zone valve or pump kicked in bringin in cold water to the boiler and the boiler started. In simple tearms the burner is not controled by your thermostat it is controled by a auqustat in the boiler keeping the water "hot" at all times.

[WallEYES]

+1 on the last comment

[mmeyer]

This seems to be exactly what's going on. I didn't think it looked that old but this explains my situation perfectly. So, I guess this is something I have to live with.

Must be an old boiler or an oil fired boiler? Sometime they used what they call a "hot" boiler. Meaning the water in the pot was always 180 degrees and the burner kept it that way 247/7 365 unless you shut the boiler off. When you turned a t-stat on then zone valve or pump kicked in bringin in cold water to the boiler and the boiler started. In simple tearms the burner is not controled by your thermostat it is controled by a auqustat in the boiler keeping the water "hot" at all times.

Thanks for all of the replies!

Mike