Heating Help

plumbing quote

@ May 19, 2013 5:19 PM in By special request.

righty tighty lefty loosey

williamson boiler

@ February 5, 2013 7:35 PM in Willaimson GSA125 vs GSA150 steam boiler

A williamson steam boiler is a weil mc lain boiler painted green A 125 weil and 150 weil have the same size block. the 150 has 1 extra burner. I wouldnt plug a burner i would get a manifold for a 125 and problem solved.

boiler size

@ January 31, 2013 7:50 PM in Sizing a boiler with a tankless heater option

When sizing steam boiler with tankless coil for heating, Size the boiler for steam only. For the heating from the tanklesscoil, you can only use up to the pickup factor of the boiler. The pickup factor is usually 1 third of the steam load of the boiler. A pickup factor is an extra allowance for steam heat loss in piping between boiler and radiators. If you use more than the pickup factor the steam side will suffer. If you size the boiler bigger for the coil the steam side will be oversized.

boiler size

@ January 30, 2013 7:47 PM in Sizing a boiler with a tankless heater option

Size boiler for steam only. You can only use pickup factor for tankless. Hot water zone can not exceed that.

pig tail

@ January 20, 2013 9:48 PM in Pigtail modification

Extend wires and remove relief valve install tee for pig tail. much better location, less likley to clog

new boiler

@ January 3, 2013 10:46 PM in Steam Boiler Decision & Approach

I would go with # 2. Steam boiler with tankless coil. I did it in my house. Boiler costs more and more material but much better choice. Pipe like hot water system,pump away from spiro vent and expantion tank and you will have quiet baseboard and be happy.

shut off rad

@ December 19, 2012 7:01 PM in How best to completely shut off steam radiator?

Are the steam pipes in the basement insulated?  If not, they heat up the basement witch radiates to 1st floor, and 2nd floor will be cooler.

boiler replacement

@ December 8, 2012 9:18 PM in labor hrs

Did you say 30 hrs. I would kill to have 30 hrs.

new installation

@ November 25, 2012 8:08 PM in My second floor is not heating up after installation :(

Is that pipe cut off at the block wall the old oil fill? If so i would remove it, ive herd horror stories of oil companies pumping oil right into basements.

Is there a steam boiler under 75,000 btu

@ May 16, 2012 8:45 PM in Is there a steam boiler under 75,000 btu

A customer of mine wants me to convert their carrage house boiler to gas. The problem is the house only has 3 rads, about 93 sq ft of steam. A 75,000 btu boiler is way too big, and that is the smallest boiler i can find. The current boiler is about 30 years old and piped in complety wrong,no header no equilizer, just straight out of the block up to the main. so the boiler needs to be replaced. My only other thought is to rip out the steam and install hot water.

just a thought

@ November 10, 2011 8:31 PM in just a thought

Just a thought, Would an annode rod keep a boiler block from rotting out? Say if i took out the plug on the return side im not using , install a bushing, then an annode rod,  what would happen.

coil on gas

@ February 16, 2011 8:26 PM in Hotwater coil on gas

Weil mc lain does. I have an eg 45 with a hot water coil. I dont use it for domestic water, but a hot water loop of baseboard it works great.

age of boiler

@ January 26, 2011 8:35 PM in What is this?

My guess would be 1981, due to the date code on the pressure control. It says 80 50 . The pressure control was made in the 50 th week of 1980.

vaporstat

@ January 11, 2011 10:47 PM in vaporstat

Im looking to buy a honeywell L408J - 1009 vaporstat and the spec sheet says it is rated for 120 volts, will it work at 24 volts.

green water

@ January 7, 2011 9:12 PM in Leaky Joints On New Steam Piping Install

The green stuff in the water is steam clean. Its color coded when it turns green you added enough. However its main ingredent is sodium carbonate, The same stuff that is in washing soda.In dans book it says sodium carbonate turns into carbonic acid in a steam system so drain and flush it out.

water pressure

@ December 7, 2010 8:45 PM in Can I increase water pressure to 2nd floor

Did you check pressure if so how much. Do you have galvanized water piping.

new boiler

@ November 29, 2010 9:05 PM in New Steam Boiler Issues

There is no drain on return piping. No backflow protection on water feed and looks like they reduced smoke pipe at vent damper.

pex

@ November 16, 2010 8:39 PM in Is pex safe

Pex is rated 100 lbs at 180 degrees for domestic hot water

no heat upstairs

@ November 13, 2010 10:52 PM in No Baseboard heat upstairs?

If you can hear the water in the pipes it is probably air in the lines. You have to bleed the air out.

burnham vs weil mclain

@ November 3, 2010 9:50 PM in Weil Mclain vs Burnham

I like weil mclain and peerless for their 3 inch tappings vs burnham 2 inch. If the push nipples bother you go with the peerless. Peerless is also the heavyest of the 3. I my opinion thicker block.

water pressure

@ October 25, 2010 7:53 PM in water pressure issue

If when he turns on a faucet and there is high pressure then it dies off in a couple of seconds he needs a thermal expantion tank.

adding chemicals

@ February 26, 2010 8:13 PM in How long should a boiler last?

You can siphon them into the boiler. Add whatever you want to go into boiler into a clean bucket. Then put a small piece of hose on a boiler drain, I use an old washing machine hose with one end cut off. Then start draining water from boiler through hose into bucket, when you have a few inches of water in bucket keep hose below surface of water and lift bucket above water level in boiler. The contents of bucket will be siphoned into boiler.