Heating Help

Massachusetts license questions

@ October 4, 2011 8:32 PM in Massachusetts license questions

What kind of license, if any is required in MA to do simple piping repairs and trap maintenance on a steam system. No boiler work or control work, just basic repiping, installing strainers and rebuilding traps. Have a good customer here in Maine interested in having us do some work in their MA property
Possible without a MA license of some kind?
Want to do it right and legal.....Please advise

2 boilers?

@ October 4, 2011 8:27 PM in When to install 2 HW boilers?

Are you sure of those numbers or is there a typo? 115 BTU/square foot is a LOT of heat. Personnally I think two boilers for 6,000 sq feet may be overkill but a lot has to be taken into consideration here. Follow the advice of the previous post and get a pro in there to help you with this project

certification

@ October 2, 2011 7:17 AM in Get Some Green! (Certification that is)

Can we assume this will be held at your location?
Any plans to do remote certifications in the future?

squick

@ September 22, 2011 1:52 PM in Is Squick safe?

I have used squick in all kinds of boilers over the years with no issues. The only thing I can think of about warranty issue is on gasketed boilers like Weil or Smith where a petroleum based treatment can harm the seals but I believe Squick is OK for them as well....check the paper work that came with your boiler or with the manufacturer directly. You should be able to locate a rep from the manufacturer's web site......nothing like getting it straight from the horse's mouth !!

piping issues

@ September 10, 2011 10:12 AM in Old pipes

Looks to me from your photos that your customer has a major problem on there hands and you are only seeing a very little bit of it. If the piping is that bad, a major water leak is not too far distant and patching is no longer an issue. You need to step back and get your client to make some serious decisions about the state of the piping system. Chilled water piping insulated with armaflex and run in tight concealed spaces with no accomodations for ventilating and drying of condensate is creating a world you don't want to enter without being totally prepared, Mold is certainly a big possibililty here and you need to proceed with extreme caution. Remember the old adage that he who touches it last owns it....be careful.!!!

good drill

@ September 2, 2011 8:52 PM in drill

When it comes to corded power tools, I've used nothing but Milwaukee since I started my first business in 1974...still have the original Sawzall, right angle and 3/8" corded drills that I bought back then......and they still work.
Enough said.

heat loss calculation

@ August 25, 2011 10:26 PM in heat loss calculation

In effect, you need a floor plan of your home, door and window sizes, type and amount of glass, room sizes, ceiling height, type of construction and materials that with house is build with, thickness of walls and insulation, amount of wall area exposed to cold air, and other minor details.
Once all this information is gathered, you need to establish insulation and infiltration values and put all this info into a computer to calculate the heat loss of each room to determine the amount and/or size of the heat emitters, then you can determine how hot water is to be made and in what amounts, then you have to select your fuel source, size the boiler and related equipment and then decide how to pipe it and control it.
Not an at the kitchen table kind of project. Best left to a pro with a computer. That is as basic as I can explain it.

after the dead man

@ August 22, 2011 9:26 PM in after the dead men and before Dan

I can't agree with you more, J A. I truly love steam work and even though I've put the tools away, I still get to see a lot of stuff and am mentoring a younger wet head to the wonders of steam heat. He is replacing a boiler in the next week that I came across with a lot of issues........cross overs in the mains, returns joined above the water line, poor wiring, bad venting, and improperly pitched returns......a great way for him to see how not to do it. I don't think it was another generation that came along and did it wrong....its more like the steam knowledge skipped a generation and we raises a bunch of new installation mechanics. Now we have to pass along the wisdom and knowledge before we joing the ranks of the Dead Men.
Carry on and pass along the knwoledge.

steamer conversion

@ August 21, 2011 8:17 PM in Looking into....

Weil has no issue with warrantee on the boiler if properly installed and piped...that goes for the burner as well....sound level with Riello in the SGO is extremely quiet....have a couple dozen installed over the last few years and NO issues.
Great combo in my book.

good steamer conversion combo

@ August 21, 2011 7:55 AM in Looking into....

Kevin, I agree with Steamhead on this one. We have been very successful with a Weil SGO fired with a Riello gas burner and an indirect.....great combo and OK with Weil...saves a lot of energy and keeps that boiler warm all summer. Highly recommended swap out set up.

buy sell barter

@ August 17, 2011 8:50 PM in A lot of Wallies asked me for this.

Great idea and long overdue Dan.......just more of the things you do for us.
If I ever find the time to clean out my shop, I will use this for sure.
Thanks!!!!!
AL

greenhouse "boiler"

@ August 15, 2011 12:29 PM in Greenhouse boiler question

Don't know your inspector or his qualifications or experience but if he thinks that's the worse thing that can happen....I'd be looking for advice somewhere else. Please listen to the pros, especially someone like Mark and those of us who have been there and seen the results.
All I can and will say from here is good luck. Your decision, your results, your possible consequences.

freezing PEX

@ August 14, 2011 9:20 AM in PEX and freezing

As Kevin stated, it depends a lot on time and temperature,but it will burst. It is not indestructible. I have done over 600 insurance claim investigations for plumbing and heating issues and have seen a lot of ruptured PEX...but surprisingly more from overheating and overpressure than from freezing. A faulty aquastat and overheat situation blows that stuff apart like an old balloon......seen this on several manufacturer's products, not just one or two.....I find that adjusters ask me more what caused it to burst, not "was it copper of PEX?". In either case, the cause is more the issue that the product itself.

greenhouse heat

@ August 14, 2011 9:14 AM in Greenhouse boiler question

Based on the insurance work I do, I have to ask you these questions:
--Where is this located?
---Is this private or commercial use?
---Is it legal (let alone safe) to build your own boiler?
You find find it tough to get advise here due to these questions. What you ask about a dump zone would be easy to answer, but the liability door is wide open if you are building your own boiler.
Just my two cents worth !!! Please be careful and check with your local authority and insurance carrier before you proceed. I"ve seen claims denied because of DIY boilers or improperly installed equipment by unlicensed or untrained personnel. Thank God I haven't seen any serious injuries but have seen a lot of property lost and claims denied for reasons like this.
I don't want to discourage you as it sounds like a great project and I wish you well with it....just be careful!!!

mdu leg drains

@ August 9, 2011 9:14 PM in Mud leg drain

Neat way to do it Crash. I usually try to use an eccentric coupling or bushing but its a crying shame that too few supply houses carry much of anything now a days, let alone eccentric fittings. We did a Weil 5 section steamer the other day, had to use 5 different suppliers and waited two weeks to get the parts and fittings to make up the header....beginning to think a welder may be the cheaper and more time saving way out.......have two six section steamers sold and it will be 3-4 weeks before we can get the fiitings thru normal channels without having to ship them in and pay $$$ for freight....we steam guys get no respect, at least here in So. Maine.

coil gasket

@ August 7, 2011 1:12 PM in Gasket tankless hot water

Everhot makes replacement coils for virtually every boiler out there and you should be able to get a gasket for it....just make sure of the boiler model

new boiler

@ August 7, 2011 1:08 PM in Oil heat boilers - Peerless vs columbia

i agree completely with Robert that going with a coil boiler is the wrong way to go. By way of explanation, a coil boiler will remain hot or at limit all day to provide you with hot water when you need it. A boiler with an indirect water heater will save tons of energy and be way more efficient. Sure the upfront cost is higher, but you could see savings as high as 40 % or in some cases more....talk to your heating guys and have them explain the differences, IF they can't, it's time to look elsewhere.

43 years

@ August 3, 2011 5:50 AM in OT- It was 43 years ago today

Congratulations to you both.....we are sneaking up on 40 years this fall and it is just getting better all the time.....amazing what can happen when the "chemistry: is right.....
All the best for many more to come.

conversion burners

@ July 31, 2011 12:30 PM in Conversion burner- which would you go with?

OF the two you mention, I would go with the Carlin, but all the conversions I"ve done in the past have been Reillo....great burner....Make sure your boiler manufacturer OKs the conversion. Burnham is one of the few that says no way, so check first.

moving pipes

@ July 31, 2011 12:28 PM in change hot water pipes in basement

 A drop in one pipe should not effect the flow in the system if properly balanced but it sounds like a lot of work, Why not repipe the system with PEX. Raising all that steel pipe is time consuming and difficult if you are not properly equipped and experienced to do so

system upgrade

@ July 27, 2011 9:32 PM in boiler replacement with radiant and hot water baseboard

Mike, it sounds like quite a challenge you have there. My suggestion would be to do am accurate heat loss of the house and sketch out the existing system as best you can and then sit down with a good heatingguy either from the field or from a supply house and CAREFULLY consider your options. The piping sizes alone make we wonder what was done. How big is this place that it needs piping that big.
The best advise I can give you, and I've done this a few times in my career of over 50 years, is too carefully consider how to fix this system, and if you can't come up with a workable solution, don't be afraid to walk away from it. If you tackle this without a good workable plan, it could haunt you for the rest of your career. Every time I have walked away from a job,another popped up to replace it.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but from your description of this system, I would be very careful.....good luck.

system upgrade

@ July 27, 2011 9:32 PM in boiler replacement with radiant and hot water baseboard

Mike, it sounds like quite a challenge you have there. My suggestion would be to do am accurate heat loss of the house and sketch out the existing system as best you can and then sit down with a good heatingguy either from the field or from a supply house and CAREFULLY consider your options. The piping sizes alone make we wonder what was done. How big is this place that it needs piping that big.
The best advise I can give you, and I've done this a few times in my career of over 50 years, is too carefully consider how to fix this system, and if you can't come up with a workable solution, don't be afraid to walk away from it. If you tackle this without a good workable plan, it could haunt you for the rest of your career. Every time I have walked away from a job,another popped up to replace it.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but from your description of this system, I would be very careful.....good luck.