Hydrolevel 3150 3250 - Thinking about Buying One
- skobydog
- Member
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon. Jun. 10, 2013 9:53 am
- Location: Greenfield MA
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: Nut Anthracite
I need a new aquastat. I have an old Honeywell but it never dials in correctly. The boiler usually runs too hot and the temp never matches the aquastat settings.
Anway, I was thinking about the Hydrolevel (I know some have had issues with them). Overall are people satisfied? What is the warranty? Is customer service good? Thanks
Anway, I was thinking about the Hydrolevel (I know some have had issues with them). Overall are people satisfied? What is the warranty? Is customer service good? Thanks
- nepacoal
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- Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
- Location: Coal Country
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
- Coal Size/Type: Buck
One came with my Kaa-4 and it has worked perfectly for almost 2 years. Very easy to set and adjust plus the digital display is a bonus!
- skobydog
- Member
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon. Jun. 10, 2013 9:53 am
- Location: Greenfield MA
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: Nut Anthracite
Well I made two calls to the company today. One was support and the other was tech. Both times my call was answered without any wait time so that says a lot to me.
I just want to replace my old L8124A. I need to do this quickly. From what I'm understanding is I can use the old well? I understand I won't have LWCO but I am not worried about that right now.
I just want to replace my old L8124A. I need to do this quickly. From what I'm understanding is I can use the old well? I understand I won't have LWCO but I am not worried about that right now.
- Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 17981
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
Yes, you can use the old well. It might be a good idea to pull the well and make sure it is not covered with gunk.
They have made a lot of improvements to the 3250 since it first came out. I have installed 5 of them, and the only one that gave me any issues was on my own boiler. I was having some problems with mine sensing a high temperature condition and locking itself out - this is a safety feature. Their tech. support said since I was running a high limit close to the maximum allowed by the control, he thought after a heat call I was getting some temperature "stacking" in the boiler that the control was sensing. He said reducing the high limit setting should resolve it, and that my control was one of the early models - the current ones would automatically reset themselves after sensing this sort of condition. My brother's EFM runs the same settings I do, and his 3250 has never had a problem - I suspect because it is several years newer and has the improved logic.
With that said, depending on your boiler installation you may or may not be able to make use of the features on this aquastat. e.g. if you keep the boiler at a constant temperature and circulate continuously through it, this won't do much for you.
They have made a lot of improvements to the 3250 since it first came out. I have installed 5 of them, and the only one that gave me any issues was on my own boiler. I was having some problems with mine sensing a high temperature condition and locking itself out - this is a safety feature. Their tech. support said since I was running a high limit close to the maximum allowed by the control, he thought after a heat call I was getting some temperature "stacking" in the boiler that the control was sensing. He said reducing the high limit setting should resolve it, and that my control was one of the early models - the current ones would automatically reset themselves after sensing this sort of condition. My brother's EFM runs the same settings I do, and his 3250 has never had a problem - I suspect because it is several years newer and has the improved logic.
With that said, depending on your boiler installation you may or may not be able to make use of the features on this aquastat. e.g. if you keep the boiler at a constant temperature and circulate continuously through it, this won't do much for you.
- swyman
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- Location: Blissfield, MI
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
My boiler came with one, screen went black but that was my doing. Was warrantied and has worked flawlessly the last 2 years. I only use it to control the boiler temp though, not using all the cool features that it will do.
- coal stoker
- Member
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- Joined: Tue. Feb. 17, 2015 5:07 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1986 EFM DF520
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: oil fired boiler
Have had no problems with mine, coming up on 3 years soon.
Easy to set up and adjust, i also love fuel saving features on the unit.
Good luck
CS
Easy to set up and adjust, i also love fuel saving features on the unit.
Good luck
CS
- Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 17981
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
In that case, you could benefit from the heat-purge feature of the 3250. Basically it will purge the heat out of the boiler before starting the stoker, which stops it from bouncing off the high limit all the time.
- skobydog
- Member
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon. Jun. 10, 2013 9:53 am
- Location: Greenfield MA
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: Nut Anthracite
After the Aquastat hits the high point it will only drop appr 5 degrees before it turns the burner on again so, it's short cycling my boiler. The high temp also creeps up over time and I end up running boiler temps over 200 degrees.
I have an electronic temperature sensor with a 40 amp relay that I bought for a different project. I taped the probe to the top of the boiler. I have it set to turn off the stoker blower at 160 and back on at 140. I have to spend a little more time on it to make adjustments and hope this will get me by.
Hopefully this works until my aquastat arrives.
I have an electronic temperature sensor with a 40 amp relay that I bought for a different project. I taped the probe to the top of the boiler. I have it set to turn off the stoker blower at 160 and back on at 140. I have to spend a little more time on it to make adjustments and hope this will get me by.
Hopefully this works until my aquastat arrives.
Last edited by skobydog on Fri. Dec. 29, 2017 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- skobydog
- Member
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon. Jun. 10, 2013 9:53 am
- Location: Greenfield MA
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: Nut Anthracite
Any thoughts on this? I would set the hi side of the aquastat above the break set point of the electronic temp. control. The temperature controller would act as the high set point and the low would be controlled by the aquastat itself.
It's the high side on the Aquastat that's screwing me up.
It's the high side on the Aquastat that's screwing me up.
Last edited by skobydog on Fri. Dec. 29, 2017 6:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- skobydog
- Member
- Posts: 275
- Joined: Mon. Jun. 10, 2013 9:53 am
- Location: Greenfield MA
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: Nut Anthracite
The temp sensor will break power to the burner so the aquastat doesn't see the high set point. Once the aquastat gets to the high set point I'm screwed. It only allows temp to drop 5 degrees and turns the stoker motor back on so it ends up short cycling every 5 mins.
The high side seems to be screwed up. The low side seems to be ok.