Heating Help

I hope you can make it

@ May 23, 2013 10:43 AM in Heatpro I would love to hook

I will have a class starting at 6 PM but will have time before class. You can sit in if you want for some of the class.

It was great having Ric Norvell

@ May 22, 2013 7:38 PM in It was great having Ric Norvell

from Homer Alaska in class last week. I am always amazed when folks on the other side of the bay here in Rhode Island say it is too far to come to my school. I wish him well with the gas side he will be undertaking in Alaska.

Have not heard from you -

@ May 22, 2013 4:31 PM in Heatpro I would love to hook

I will be at my training center for an evening class on Thursday night (tomorrow night) May 23, 2013. e-mail me at gastc@cox.net or call 401-437-0557 to let me know if you can make it or not. I will be there from 5 PM until 9 PM. Located at 338 Metacom Ave, Warren RI.

Heatpro I would love to hook

@ May 18, 2013 7:33 PM in Heatpro I would love to hook

up some time. I have been trying to reach you but no luck.

You seem to be one of the most experienced and knowledgeable people I have ever met here on Heating Help.

I have been looking for someone to take my place at my training center and with all your knowledge on everything no matter what you may be the one.

E-mail me at gastc@cox.net and I will set up a time and place to meet.

First of all are you a service man

@ May 18, 2013 7:23 PM in Bryant 90 plus furnace wont fire.

with training on HVAC equipment?

If so why not follow a systematic procedure for troubleshooting using a meter which is much better than jumpers. Jumpers work when you have by use of the meter determined a point in the system such as an open switch which may or may not be holding the unit off.

First of all are you a service man

@ May 18, 2013 7:23 PM in Bryant 90 plus furnace wont fire.

with training on HVAC equipment?

If so why not follow a systematic procedure for troubleshooting using a meter which is much better than jumpers. Jumpers work when you have by use of the meter determined a point in the system such as an open switch which may or may not be holding the unit off.

Somemore Information

@ May 11, 2013 4:27 PM in Polypropylene vents becoming the way to go

M&G DuraVent gets approval for venting systems

VACAVILLE, Calif. - M&G DuraVentannounced today that it has gotten more key approvals for PolyPro Venting Systems. Bradford White approved PolyPro single-wall, concentric, and flex for all Power Direct Vent tank -type water heaters that accept PVC, CPVC or ABS venting.


All Power Direct Vent models are approved to be vent­ed with Poly Pro. Bradford White's approval includes their High Efficiency Condensing Commercial, Power Direct Vent Commercial, Residential Power Direct Vent, and Residential Power Vent models.


"Dura Vent is pleased to have a relationship with Bradford White and others - offering the market an oppor­tunity to vent with PolyPro, an excellent venting product that is safe and easy to install and is perfectly suited for their water heaters," Brooks Sherman, president and CEO of M&G Dura Vent.

Find a Propane

@ May 5, 2013 8:34 PM in What's the proper order for oil to gas conversion?

company who will do it all. Make sure they do a heat loss on the building and will also conduct a combustion test when completed.

How old is the oil boiler? It may be a candidate for a power gas conversion burner.

More on Power Gas Burner Conversions

@ May 5, 2013 1:24 PM in More on Power Gas Burner Conversions

What do you think about boiler manufacturers taking existing design oil steam and forced hot water boilers and factory installing gas power conversion burners in them testing them and and selling them?

Charlie, I have

@ May 5, 2013 1:15 PM in Power Gas Conversion Burners

had some of those in the past with proper baffling and sealing them up real tight with total control over excess air to give 75% and a few dry base with a combustion chamber being built and using an Economite E-20 burner to get 78% and even 80% on a few.

Congratulations Mark

@ May 4, 2013 7:30 PM in Mark Eatherton to lead RPA

they could not have picked a better person to head up the association. Let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you.

These are some of the

@ May 4, 2013 7:27 PM in Power Gas Conversion Burners

things homeowners are being told when they inquire about converting.

Have also had some mechanical inspectors who state that conversion burners are not authorized unless listed in the I and O manual for the boiler. If not listed then third party testing will be required. They state they have never heard of Z21.8. I am telling installers to refer them to the conversion burner company whose burner they are installing.

Power Gas Conversion Burners

@ May 4, 2013 12:20 PM in Power Gas Conversion Burners

should they be done away with? It is estimated that 98% of plumbing and heating contractors would not install them. Some interesting rumors about them are:

1. Efficiency only around 70%

2. Gas will rot the oil boiler firebox

3. They require a special stainless steel liner very expensive

4. Most Authorities Having Jurisdiction do not approve them

5. Most boiler manufacturers will void the warranty on the equipment

7. They make very high levels of carbon monoxide

The list goes on, and on and on!

Well I am getting 20 to 30 phone calls/e-mails a week from homeowners looking for someone to install one on their fairly new oil boilers. Anyone interested in this work contact me and give me your location and phone number and I will refer them to you.

There are no springs

@ May 2, 2013 8:03 PM in Honeywell VS820 A 5204 Question

it is just a throttling crew to adjust flame height, Make sure if you are adjusting it on the VS820 that you have a millivolt meter hooked up to measure the millivolt output of the pilot generator. It should be between 540 to 750 millivolts. The higher the better. Also keep in mind all pilots on gas heating valves are on line pressure there is no regulator. On the main burner gas is regulated

Seminars at Energy Kinetics

@ April 20, 2013 10:03 AM in Seminars at Energy Kinetics

in New Jersey have gone very well. The turnout has been good and the Energy Kinetics staff have been fantastic. Roger Marran President of EK has been a very gracious host. The tour of the factory and seeing what they have planned for the future was very exciting.

The sponsors for the seminars has been Fuel Marketers Association of New Jersey. I would also like to thank them for setting up a great seminar venue and the lunches have been fantastic.

One more week to go, I am looking forward to meeting more techs from New York and New Jersey oil companies.

For the McDonald Miller

@ April 17, 2013 7:59 PM in Millivolt Boiler Controls

67 LWCO use a number 11 MV switch for millivolts.

What make

@ April 14, 2013 10:16 AM in Issues with & Replacement of Honeywell L8148E Aquastat

zone valves do you have?

Try jumping out the end switch on the zone not working and see what happens?

The relay is obviously okay as zone 1 brings every thing on.

L8148J is a Universal

@ April 14, 2013 10:08 AM in honeywell l8148j1009

replacement relay which replaces the L8148E. The L8148E has a 24 volt burner circuit. As long as your gas valve is 24 volts then you can replace the "J" with the "E". I am assuming the "E" is a new control and not one that was used previously? If your system is a powerpile system the "E" will not work.

If you can't make

@ April 10, 2013 11:31 AM in Tim McElwain in New Jersey is a

the seminars but would like to meet up in the evening I am staying at the following hotel.
 I will be staying at the Residence Inn by
Marriot located at 3241 U.S. Highway 22
East, Branchburg, NJ 08876. The hotel
phone number is 908-725-9812.

Still some room left

@ April 4, 2013 9:22 PM in Tim McElwain in New Jersey is a

I have not seen any names from the HeatingHelp gang that are going to be attending. I am sorry about that I had hoped to see some of you and in some cases meet you for the first time.

Not forgetting in all

@ March 25, 2013 6:18 PM in A good story

of this the explosive limits of CO 12.5 to 74% if a source of igntion is present.

I always instructed my techs not to enter a building if the smell of gas is present or any level of CO above 99 PPM. These were service techs from the gas company who had to follow a particular protocol on entering any unsafe environment. I do not think people in this business are operating safely most of the time. They enter buildings with a smell of gas, they do not have test equipment (too expensive), some have it and do not know how to use it, this also includes some fire departments and police. I run into it all the time. My training center is next door to a fire station and just talking informally to them tells me they are poorly informed and lack training. I have offered them free training and they have never taken me up on it.

Thanks for the info on CO levels it defintely lines up with what I have in my manuals and teach.

Send a picture

@ March 25, 2013 11:02 AM in bad burners???

of the burners and I will try to explain how to make air shutters