Baseboard heat charring the floor!

[joecool85]

I was in my basement today and noticed that the pipe going from the boiler to my baseboard heat in the living room is touching a 2x4 holding up my living room floor - it is scorched black about 2" around the pipe...

This is an oil fired boiler (sorry, I guess that means this is offtopic, but you guys are smart and I need some opinions) and it was set to 190 High / 180 Low. I haven't been using the heat because it's summer, but I turned the boiler down to 180 High / 170 Low anyway. The temperature gauge on the boiler read 200F when I was down there.

Is this something I should worry about?

 

[Another Bucker]

take a close look

could it have been burned durning installation? is there a solder joint really close to the wood?

 

[joecool85]

could it have been burned durning installation? is there a solder joint really close to the wood?

I hadn't even thought about that, there is a joint right there, it's where it takes a 90 degree turn to go upstairs. That would make sense.

 

[joecool85]

I hadn't even thought about that, there is a joint right there, it's where it takes a 90 degree turn to go upstairs. That would make sense.

Well, I went down to take a look, I can't imagine they installed it like that, there is NO room to solder, it's touching the wood on one side and about 1/2" clearance on the other. They must have soldered it up then moved the piece into position and soldered it in elsewhere. I suppose it could have been a repair though.

Has anyone ever heard of baseboard heat being hot enough to scorch wood?

 

[Another Bucker]

I don't think it can get that hot. your system would make steam before it could get that hot. as long as all the pressure and temperature safety's are in place that can't happen.

 

[joecool85]

I don't think it can get that hot. your system would make steam before it could get that hot. as long as all the pressure and temperature safety's are in place that can't happen.

Just wanted to make sure, 190F is really hot! And these boards look to be old pine...not exactly flame retardent material.

 

[ray benson]

I would be concerned.Read this piece of info. Says they have documented fires with prolonged exposure to 170°
http://www.doctorfire.com/low_temp_wood1.pdf

 

[joecool85]

I would be concerned.Read this piece of info. Says they have documented fires with prolonged exposure to 170°
http://www.doctorfire.com/low_temp_wood1.pdf

It seems almost certain that it was from a repair. The lower pipe looks to be much newer than the joint and upper pipe it connects to. Also, in doing that reading, it seems highly unlikely that is the problem. The 170+ degree temperature would need to stay on the wood for a very long amount of time and the problems with combustion due to heating pipes were with high temp water systems and steam heating systems. I'd say I'm good to go, especially since I lowered the boiler temp.

 

[Husky137]

It could most likely be from soldering, but building code here in Mass requires all (hot water or heating)pipes that pass through wood framing or sheathing be insulated with closed cell pipe wrap at the point of potential contact.