Hi, my house originally had a hot air furnace (oil burner) and an
electric hot water heater. around 15 years ago we replaced the electric
hot water heater with an oil fired hot water heater. everything was
working out fine. My oil company guy never said that there were any
problems with this setup, in fact, they installed it. Well, the company
was sold a year ago and the new tech guy is having a fit saying that my
flow is too low and my chimney is shot and its gonna be $1000 to line my
chimney. So, I talk to a guy in the business and he tells me that even
if I reline the chimney, I will still have the problem because it is not
big enough (will only fit a 6" liner) for 2 units to run at the same
time. So he suggested a priority valve that shuts down the furnace when
the hot water heater needs to run. He wondered why the other guy hadnt
mentioned this. Does anyone know what this switch is called or where I
could get one? I googled some stuff but Im apparently not using the
right terms. Thanks.

user22 wrote:
Hi, my house originally had a hot air furnace (oil burner) and an
electric hot water heater. around 15 years ago we replaced the electric
hot water heater with an oil fired hot water heater. everything was
working out fine. My oil company guy never said that there were any
problems with this setup, in fact, they installed it. Well, the company
was sold a year ago and the new tech guy is having a fit saying that my
flow is too low and my chimney is shot and its gonna be $1000 to line my
chimney. So, I talk to a guy in the business and he tells me that even
if I reline the chimney, I will still have the problem because it is not
big enough (will only fit a 6" liner) for 2 units to run at the same
time. So he suggested a priority valve that shuts down the furnace when
the hot water heater needs to run. He wondered why the other guy hadnt
mentioned this. Does anyone know what this switch is called or where I
could get one? I googled some stuff but Im apparently not using the
right terms. Thanks.

Assuming that the guy is even right about "the flow" being low,
a priority control wouldn't need to be any more complicated
than a single relay.

The relay coil is energized by the water heater burner control
whenever the heater is firing. The relay contact opens,
killing power to the furnace burner controls.
Add refinements to further complicate the thing at will.

No valves...


Jim

Speedy Jim wrote:
user22 wrote:

Hi, my house originally had a hot air furnace (oil burner) and an
electric hot water heater. around 15 years ago we replaced the
electric hot water heater with an oil fired hot water heater.
everything was working out fine. My oil company guy never said that
there were any problems with this setup, in fact, they installed it.
Well, the company was sold a year ago and the new tech guy is having a
fit saying that my flow is too low and my chimney is shot and its
gonna be $1000 to line my chimney. So, I talk to a guy in the business
and he tells me that even if I reline the chimney, I will still have
the problem because it is not big enough (will only fit a 6" liner)
for 2 units to run at the same time. So he suggested a priority valve
that shuts down the furnace when the hot water heater needs to run. He
wondered why the other guy hadnt mentioned this. Does anyone know what
this switch is called or where I could get one? I googled some stuff
but Im apparently not using the right terms. Thanks.


Assuming that the guy is even right about "the flow" being low,
a priority control wouldn't need to be any more complicated
than a single relay.

The relay coil is energized by the water heater burner control
whenever the heater is firing. The relay contact opens,
killing power to the furnace burner controls.
Add refinements to further complicate the thing at will.

No valves...


Jim
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know if this is something that is
made for this purpose as a kit or specialized part, or is it just
something that would have to be fitted using standard components.

George

"user22" wrote in message
...
Hi, my house originally had a hot air furnace (oil burner) and an electric
hot water heater. around 15 years ago we replaced the electric hot water
heater with an oil fired hot water heater. everything was working out
fine. My oil company guy never said that there were any problems with this
setup, in fact, they installed it. Well, the company was sold a year ago
and the new tech guy is having a fit saying that my flow is too low and my
chimney is shot and its gonna be $1000 to line my chimney. So, I talk to a
guy in the business and he tells me that even if I reline the chimney, I
will still have the problem because it is not big enough (will only fit a
6" liner) for 2 units to run at the same time. So he suggested a priority
valve that shuts down the furnace when the hot water heater needs to run.
He wondered why the other guy hadnt mentioned this. Does anyone know what
this switch is called or where I could get one? I googled some stuff but
Im apparently not using the right terms. Thanks.

I have never heard of a priorty switch, but if someone told me that, I would
get several competitors in to look at it. Good chance there your chimney is
just fine.

It would just be a standard single pole relay with 120 volt coil and
normally closed contact good for around 15 amps. The burner guy or and
electrician can wire it



"user22" wrote in message
...
Speedy Jim wrote:
user22 wrote:

Hi, my house originally had a hot air furnace (oil burner) and an
electric hot water heater. around 15 years ago we replaced the electric
hot water heater with an oil fired hot water heater. everything was
working out fine. My oil company guy never said that there were any
problems with this setup, in fact, they installed it. Well, the company
was sold a year ago and the new tech guy is having a fit saying that my
flow is too low and my chimney is shot and its gonna be $1000 to line my
chimney. So, I talk to a guy in the business and he tells me that even
if I reline the chimney, I will still have the problem because it is not
big enough (will only fit a 6" liner) for 2 units to run at the same
time. So he suggested a priority valve that shuts down the furnace when
the hot water heater needs to run. He wondered why the other guy hadnt
mentioned this. Does anyone know what this switch is called or where I
could get one? I googled some stuff but Im apparently not using the
right terms. Thanks.


Assuming that the guy is even right about "the flow" being low,
a priority control wouldn't need to be any more complicated
than a single relay.

The relay coil is energized by the water heater burner control
whenever the heater is firing. The relay contact opens,
killing power to the furnace burner controls.
Add refinements to further complicate the thing at will.

No valves...


Jim
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know if this is something that is made
for this purpose as a kit or specialized part, or is it just something
that would have to be fitted using standard components.

George

User,

It's odd that this system seems to have been trouble free for the last 15
yrs and you have no complaints but the new tech has found all these
problems. have the new tech document the problems he sees with the system.
Get some one else to look at the system. If the problems are as bad as the
new tech says speak with a lawyer, the company may need to make some repairs
at their expense.
This priority switch is not a good idea.
Dave M.

David Martel wrote:
User,

It's odd that this system seems to have been trouble free for the last 15
yrs and you have no complaints but the new tech has found all these
problems. have the new tech document the problems he sees with the system.
Get some one else to look at the system. If the problems are as bad as the
new tech says speak with a lawyer, the company may need to make some repairs
at their expense.
This priority switch is not a good idea.
Dave M.


Thank you all for your suggestions. Yes, I thought it odd that suddenly
the new guy has all these problems with my system.

George

Unless your systems are controlled with a simple on/off control, and
there are no shut-down functions such as a timed cool-off fan-run, I
would be very careful about just switching the AC power on and off.
Rather, a controller for the thermostatic functions would be better.

RBM wrote:

It would just be a standard single pole relay with 120 volt coil and
normally closed contact good for around 15 amps. The burner guy or and
electrician can wire it

"user22" wrote in message
...

Speedy Jim wrote:

user22 wrote:

Hi, my house originally had a hot air furnace (oil burner) and an
electric hot water heater. around 15 years ago we replaced the electric
hot water heater with an oil fired hot water heater. everything was
working out fine. My oil company guy never said that there were any
problems with this setup, in fact, they installed it. Well, the company
was sold a year ago and the new tech guy is having a fit saying that my
flow is too low and my chimney is shot and its gonna be $1000 to line my
chimney. So, I talk to a guy in the business and he tells me that even
if I reline the chimney, I will still have the problem because it is not
big enough (will only fit a 6" liner) for 2 units to run at the same
time. So he suggested a priority valve that shuts down the furnace when
the hot water heater needs to run. He wondered why the other guy hadnt
mentioned this. Does anyone know what this switch is called or where I
could get one? I googled some stuff but Im apparently not using the
right terms. Thanks.

Assuming that the guy is even right about "the flow" being low,
a priority control wouldn't need to be any more complicated
than a single relay.

The relay coil is energized by the water heater burner control
whenever the heater is firing. The relay contact opens,
killing power to the furnace burner controls.
Add refinements to further complicate the thing at will.

No valves...

Jim

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know if this is something that is made
for this purpose as a kit or specialized part, or is it just something
that would have to be fitted using standard components.

George




--
Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio 44555

The relay would be wired to interrupt the power to the burner only. All
other functions would still work normally



"Phil Munro" wrote in message
...
Unless your systems are controlled with a simple on/off control, and
there are no shut-down functions such as a timed cool-off fan-run, I
would be very careful about just switching the AC power on and off.
Rather, a controller for the thermostatic functions would be better.

RBM wrote:

It would just be a standard single pole relay with 120 volt coil and
normally closed contact good for around 15 amps. The burner guy or and
electrician can wire it

"user22" wrote in message
...

Speedy Jim wrote:

user22 wrote:

Hi, my house originally had a hot air furnace (oil burner) and an
electric hot water heater. around 15 years ago we replaced the electric
hot water heater with an oil fired hot water heater. everything was
working out fine. My oil company guy never said that there were any
problems with this setup, in fact, they installed it. Well, the company
was sold a year ago and the new tech guy is having a fit saying that my
flow is too low and my chimney is shot and its gonna be $1000 to line
my chimney. So, I talk to a guy in the business and he tells me that
even if I reline the chimney, I will still have the problem because it
is not big enough (will only fit a 6" liner) for 2 units to run at the
same time. So he suggested a priority valve that shuts down the furnace
when the hot water heater needs to run. He wondered why the other guy
hadnt mentioned this. Does anyone know what this switch is called or
where I could get one? I googled some stuff but Im apparently not using
the right terms. Thanks.

Assuming that the guy is even right about "the flow" being low,
a priority control wouldn't need to be any more complicated
than a single relay.

The relay coil is energized by the water heater burner control
whenever the heater is firing. The relay contact opens,
killing power to the furnace burner controls.
Add refinements to further complicate the thing at will.

No valves...

Jim

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know if this is something that is made
for this purpose as a kit or specialized part, or is it just something
that would have to be fitted using standard components.

George




--
Phil Munro Dept of Electrical & Computer Engin
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio 44555