Baseboard heat not keeping up with set temp?

[obj]

Hello, just had a question regarding baseboard hydronic heating. The system is not keeping up with the set thermostat temp (ambient temp not matched to set temp). I am not sure if this problem is common place, but I have the thermostat set to 68 and it is registering 64 in the room....granted it is 3 degrees outside and windy as I type this. The house is not terribly old built in the early 90s so I imagine it is insulated fairly well. I am not too sure what if anything can be done to address this issue? Any input would be appreciated

BTW about the system: Hot water baseboard heat system Burnham boiler, oil burner (beckett), 3 zone, working well...replaced many parts myself over the summer but seems to be working well....just not keeping set temps in really cold weather.

 

[HotRodKush]

Having the same issue today in my place in NY, it's sub-zero temperatures tonight - output temp set at 190, thermostats set at 68, house is still only getting up to 62. Adding a ton of insulation is my next project, it's just a drafty house.

 

[mygarageone]

A couple things to check , water press should be at least 10-15 # , is circulating working , what the temp gauge read when the burner shuts off , what's the tempiture set for ?
If you have air in the lines , you hear a grugeling noise at the rad's , if you set operating temp is less than 180 , it needs to be bumped up , if your pressure is low ,that makes a diff.
If your circulating pump is bad it may not be moving water like it should.
But your operating temp should be checked first.

You can safly bump your operating temp to 200 degrees if necessary

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Has the boiler been serviced,Has the water ever been flushed out/rust inhibitor added?
If I had a dollar for every old boiler Ive been called out on over the years because it wasn't heating right or costing too much to run.
One of the 1st things I do is walk over to the drain and open it to see what comes out of it,more often than not it seems to be something that looks more like rusty mud than water!Especially on big old apartment buildings with steam boilers.
Its like Ive said for years a hot water boiler is nothing more than a water heater with a bad attitude and a recirc pump,a steam boiler is the same thing with superheated water that has turned to steam running at around 1/2 the pressure and a pump on the opposite side of the system.
That's a very basic explanation of course!

 

[brewchief]

Is the fin tube in the baseboard clean? If it gets covered with pet hair and other dust bunny stuff then you will not get as much airflow and will have reduced heating capacity.
Did it work properly in the past?
What all did you replace?
Is the boiler running constantly or is it cycling on and off?

 

[anthony666]

these lads have covered all the bases, another i'd do is download the manual from burnham, see if the controller is outdoor reset compatible and if it is, make sure the lazy installers put it and that its exposed to ambient outdoor

i got called in on a boiler doing a very similar thing not too long ago, the installer had wound up the outdoor reset wiring and jammed it behind the boiler so the controller thought it was 65c out, when really it was -10c

probably a long shot both worth a few minutes of checking

 

[obj]

Thank you all for the replies. The system is 3 zone, psi is around 20-23, and temp is 180 degress and does cycle on/off. I didn't know **** about boilers before this past summer, but between my uncles help (used to work in HVAC) and youtube went to town on this sucker ...between issue with not keeping temps and pipes banging when certain zone valves open/close.,works well,from what it is was before...here is a list of all things that I replaced,system was really messed up!!!:

-transformer
-pressure reducing valve
-pressure relief valve
-expansion tank
-aquastat
-circulator pump
-zone valve-all the guts,motor,ball valve,etc
-o-ring for yet another leaking zone valve
-not really needed but decided to replace all thermostats w/ touchscreen honeywells

and maintenance stuff:
-changed filter
-cleaned fins/burning chamber
-new electrodes/set gap - accidently dropped one, crack, doh!!

I am waiting for the oil burner to take a **** next think i just jinxed myself