Hi,

I have a oil-fired boiler, an American Standard DP 95/DP 105. that heats the hot water for my shower and the baseboard heating. No water tank or any other reserve for the hot water to accumulate.

I've been living in this garage apartment, on the second floor, for 12 years now. Two years ago I had the oil company that maintains the boiler turn down the temperature so that I wouldn't get scalded which I had been dealing with for that long. That winter I started running out of hot water to shower so I called them back to raise it. They did a little but it was still insufficient. It is now back to 180, which is hot but with adjusting the cold water, I can get a good temperature. The trouble is, it doesn't last very long.

Did they change something else? I'm wary to ask as they just want to sell my landlady a new boiler and will charge to come over again. Why am I running out of hot water now and I didn't two years ago?

You should know the first floor is unheated and the pipes don't seem to be insulated so I can understand that with these really cold temps, that water going up to the second floor will get chilled. The heat from the boiler is enough to keep some plants warm enough all winter long so it doesn't get too cold down there.

Thanks for any help. I do appreciate it and would be happy to add any needed info.

Cheers,

John

if the water at the faucets is too hot you don't lower the boiler water temperature, you adjust the tempering valve.
chances are the internal tankless coil that produces hot water can not kep up with the cold incoming water. it needs to be chemically cleaned or replaced or a storage tank added to it.

Thank you. I'll ask them about doing that when they come by for the annual maintenance in May or so.



Edited 1 times.

You are asking questions that cannot be answered without a personal inspection and testing of your system.

The oil company comes by every year for an annual maintenance, probably in May or so. I'll mention it to them again, though the response I usually get is, the unit is old and needs to be replaced.

Any oil boiler made by American Standard is old. As packy pointed out, you probably have a fouled tankless coil, or tempering valve that no longer responds correctly to temperature.

i usually find that tempering valves foulup and let the domestic water get waaaay toooo hot.

I think I have found a work-around. I changed the shower head and now use one that I can control better, and have reduced the flow. In today's test I got hot water through shampooing which has been iffy this and the last two winters. I've had it on full-flow up 'til now. I guess I can live with less pressure if that will guarantee me more hot water...