Heating Help

Copper Header after 25 years

just ripped this out today.  Took a picture to show the effects of not having any swing joints and piping in copper.  Notice the plumb line i dropped to the left of the riser for effect.  Looks like it was resoldered quite a few times throughout the years.  Surprisingly, it worked well.

That never should have worked at all

and I'll bet even though it was thought to be "working well" you were still getting some real wet steam.

What are you going to replace it with?

suprisingly...

yeah, when i moved in it took about 1 hour for steam to get to the farthest radiator.  After adding tons of venting, i got it down to about 20 minutes.
The existing is sized to 469 EDR, when i only have 239 EDR! 
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To answer your question on replacement:, i wanted to put in a wet based boiler with a power gas burner.  The Slant-Fin TR30 has slightly too much EDR (421), so i was thinking about the Smith 8 series 3 section at 283 EDR.  However, i recently found out that my chimney is too small for a 5" liner, and i would have to power vent out the sidewall.
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I don't have much ceiling height, about 60"-65", so the shorter the boiler, the better.  The Smith is only 35" high which would afford me the most 'A' dimension. 
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Then i was looking at the Burnham Independence power vent series gas atmosperic.  IN4PV.  It comes with an integral power vent, so i wouldn't have to engineer the power venting system too much. 
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However, the atmosperics have a higher water line, due to the nature of their design, so i would lose a lot of A dimension.  I also see a lot of steam atmospherics rotting out quickly, so i am apprehensive about that. I touched on that topic in previous posts.
-I also really wanted to add a fresh air intake which i can't do for an atmospheric.  My house is really drafty, and the basement is a confined space, so when the oil burner used to run, it would suck air from everywhere little hole in the house.  Its counter productive.  And the piping is another story, but we'll touch on that later.   Anyway....... 
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So which do i go with?:
Smith 8 series wet based 3 section w/ Carlin EZ gas burner (#1 orifice) w/ Tjerlund HS1 power venter 4" flue
OR
Independence IN4PV power vent atmosperic.
??? 

I'd go with the Smith

since it is more efficient.

Smith

DV-8? http://www.smithboiler.com/html/direct_vent_boiler_home_heat.asp

I don't think they offer the DV-8 in gas

I'd use a G-8 with power venter.

DV8

yeah, the Direct Vent series 8 is only approved for gas at this time.  That would have been perfect.  Smith also said that their series 8 boilers are not recommended for use with power vents.  That was weird.
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off topic)  not sure how the heck you guys break apart boiler sections everyday and carry them up flights of stairs to your truck without getting a ton of old oil soot everywhere! The whole house smells like a chimney. 
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still pondering my options here. 

wedge

I unbolted the sections and drove a steel wedge down in between the sections using an 8lb sledge hammer.  Watch your feet!


I then vacuumed everything and carried the sections up out of the basement with a friend.

Now

you can take them to a scrap dealer, and get paid!

Or

Let the friend take them and keep the money as a thankyou.  :)