Heating Help

Good Luck from Raleigh!

@ January 13, 2012 4:46 PM in Steam-savvy Contractor near Greensboro, NC?

 You can try to post questions here.

Your best bet is to find a transplant plumber /mechanical service from a large northern city with some gray hair.
I have had several contractors tell me they cut their teeth installing boilers "up North" only to figure out that they were probably helping someone who knew what they were doing.
Hardly a qualifier.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, and Happy New Year!

@ December 25, 2011 8:04 PM in Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, and Happy New Year!

Thanks for everything you have shared and thought me. Peace

If everyone's

@ December 8, 2011 11:41 AM in I thought I was doing everything right

 math is correct---including my own, you are overfiring by 2% and I don't know if that is significant,  when comparing to an old, oversized boiler.
 Also, the formula is dependent on the local gas btu content-which may be close enough  to the number used to be insignificant.

yeah, i have a trane

@ December 7, 2011 9:42 PM in I thought I was doing everything right

vapor system on an In 5 that heats the house in less than thirty minutes. are your main vents working? sounds like they are not closing. (Im assuming you used the gas fireplace last year too)

sounds like

@ December 7, 2011 8:06 PM in I thought I was doing everything right

you DID do everything right...I have an similar story to yours but my usage went down by 30%. is your burner dialed in correctly. did you clock the meter?

scroll to the right page on this document

@ November 7, 2011 11:19 AM in Combustion Gas Analysis

http://www.tsi.com/uploadedFiles/Product_Information/Literature/Handbooks/CA-basic-2980175.pdf

i wouldnt call them out

@ October 28, 2011 8:37 PM in PLEASE HELP --- WAS THIS PIPING DONE CORRECT

but I would call them back and hand them the manual. if they refuse to make good on this, you have a legal course of action.

no

@ October 27, 2011 3:01 PM in If you flood your boiler above your pigtail/pressuretrol

no

@ October 27, 2011 3:01 PM in If you flood your boiler above your pigtail/pressuretrol

 I have done it with no harm.  In fact, I think p-trls can be used for water

that black thing

@ October 13, 2011 2:21 PM in Trying to understand my Vapor-Vacuum system

might be a heat exchanger for the homes hot water.  I had one but I don't recall a pipe coming from the top like yours.

she is beautiful

@ October 8, 2011 5:44 PM in Can this boiler be saved?

but unless you are wealthy, I think you should replace it for fuel cost savings alone. New boilers aren't that expensive to have installed. At least with a new boiler, the fuel savings alone will pay for the invest within 3-5 yrs. A restoration will not.

boilers are economical and wonderful

@ October 8, 2011 5:32 PM in boiler age and a few others

when installed correctly. it sounds like you are right about nr boiler piping. the best thing you can do is google installation and operation instructions for you boiler and have it repiped-preferably by a knowledgable contactor. when correctly installed, it shouldnt take but 20 minutes to heat the radiators.

I think i might have had that exact model!!!

@ October 4, 2011 7:00 PM in Correct Water Level

I think you should trade it in for a younger model! you will save a boat load of cash.

Each section must weigh five hundred pounds because even when I broke it down with a sledge hammer it was still really heavy.

I ran that boiler at two thirds in sight glass too. Maybe that is where I got it- from the previous owner

Black sludge

@ October 4, 2011 2:21 PM in brown sludge vs black sludge

http://www.mde.com/publications/MDE_MIC_LR.pdf
That sulfer smelling black water is from Microbial Influenced Corrosion.
About the only practical thing you can do to slow it down is to fill and drain as stated earlier and boil during heating season.  But, during warmer weather, summers, it will be back.  I say live with it and try to manage.  Chemical treatment is an expensive alternative.

It is likely

@ October 4, 2011 8:08 AM in brown sludge vs black sludge

to be microbes growing in stagnant water with rust and even, possibly, oil.  That is why it has a strong smell.  Drain, fill, boil, cool, drain, fill, boil, cool, and drain again.   Any impurities will work against your ability to steam efficiently.

Yup!

@ October 3, 2011 7:08 PM in Correct Water Level

I looked it up when I got home and measured the NWL given by burnham and it was slightly higher than half way so I drained some water. I guess I'll get steam faster now. Glad I caught this thread.

Why?

@ October 3, 2011 2:58 PM in Correct Water Level

Why half way or less?  I confess, I have been filling my boiler more than half-about 2/3's in the sight glass.
I can't remember why I decided that this is the fill level. I might have chosen this level based on the slow rise and fall of the level when heating (about +/- 1/4 of an inch).   But more likely,  I chose this level because more than half is better than less than half full.  It is an IN-5.

i am a homeowner

@ September 27, 2011 7:07 PM in Best Boiler

My opinion is to find the one that is closest to your radiator load. I have a Burnham IN5 and am very happy with it. it is reliable and on a Trane vapor system. My brother has a Pennco that he is very happy with on a single pipe system. I think the installer will have the largest impact on reliability and performance. The near boiler piping quality and correcting any wooly boogers out in the system will determine how the boiler does.

Pennco is owned by Utica and Crown is owned by Burnham. There are likely to be more consolidations but truly, the installer will have a lot to do with how well a boiler will perform. Good luck!

Sound like you are on the right track

@ September 21, 2011 8:01 AM in Best access for skimming

I have a Burnham IN5  and I removed the pressure relief vave and replaced it with a nipple and a downward pointing elbow to drip into a bucket.  Hope this helps.

under pressure

@ September 18, 2011 6:17 PM in Is my steam boiler really leaking?

will yield for the fastest results.

under pressure

@ September 18, 2011 6:17 PM in Is my steam boiler really leaking?

will yield for the fastest results.

I would

@ September 15, 2011 12:15 PM in PVC jacket for old asbestos insulation?

Have asbestos removed and pipe insulation done properly.  Vinyl jackets may mislead someone about the potential to xposure.