Heating Help

.

@ October 26, 2011 8:26 AM in Can I replace with a blank?

Just remember: If you take that coil apart and the mating surface of the boiler is badly pitted it will never seal. You will then be forced to replace the boiler if you want heat.

Likely to happen? I have no idea. but I have seen it before.

you could

@ October 25, 2011 8:07 AM in Can I replace with a blank?

but why? In my experience, the metal under the coil plate starts to rot. If you pull the coil out the bolts may snap and the mating surface may be corroded to the point that a blank out plate won't seal. You are then stuck with the only solution being boiler replacement. And given the age of that boiler is a good thing to think about.

but

@ October 25, 2011 7:58 AM in Tjernlund blower wheel disintegrated?

I think the SS-2 has a different type of blower that is less susceptible to those problems.

As far as the SS-1 goes, don't replace the blower wheel, get the motor kit which is the motor and the wheel. I think the wheels are stainless now, or else that's Field.

The biggest culprits are combustion and lack of make up air. See it all the time. 

What I've seen

@ October 24, 2011 8:12 AM in electronic ignitors

We did have lots of problems with ignitors a few years ago, but I've noticed much less lately. Maybe they are getting the quality right. And problems we saw were with every manufacturer. Lastly, If we put on an ignitor, we will change out the primary to one that has interrupted ignition. Seems to make a difference.

Same here Gordy

@ October 17, 2011 11:42 AM in Update on my Girls.

Keep the happy thoughts and the laughter going. Focus on the future. Has always worked for me.

Ahhh

@ October 14, 2011 12:44 PM in Is oil-fired boiler more effective for steam than gas-fired?

Gotcha. Makes sense now. Thanks, Tim.

Tim

@ October 14, 2011 7:34 AM in Is oil-fired boiler more effective for steam than gas-fired?

I still don't see the advantage of the L type. I understand the wet time and the possibility of condensation. Are you talking all the vent pipe, right from the unit, or just where the Y is? If at the Y and into the chimney, it's only about 3' of pipe. Seems like a waste of time. And the oil fired water heater would be a help since the stack temp of those units is typically 450 - 500°.

Hadn't heard about needing the chimney cleaned a year later. Is that just after the first year, or every year?

no

@ October 13, 2011 1:53 PM in Is oil-fired boiler more effective for steam than gas-fired?

The Smith, if I am reading this right, is fired at 1.35 GPH (low input rate) and should be about 190,000 BTU input. I guess that's the same with a gas burner. The Toyotomi's input is about 1.05 GPH, or 148,000 BTU's.

I don't understand the need for type L vent pipe. There is no problem with clearance to combustibles. I think the current vent set up is correct, except for the damper installation for the gas.

wait

@ October 13, 2011 12:27 PM in Is oil-fired boiler more effective for steam than gas-fired?

The vent connector that's there now should work fine, I think. It should be hooked up the same way as the oil boiler and water heater, just need the different gas type damper.

Post a picture if you can. It's a Y connector at the moment.

Great

@ October 13, 2011 10:02 AM in Is oil-fired boiler more effective for steam than gas-fired?

Great news on the chimney. They do get ideas at the building department that may not be correct. You handled that well.

And a great idea to hang onto the existing burner. Just put it on a shelf. When and if the day comes when oil is cheaper than gas, you can always switch back.

Just so you other guys know, we are his current oil company. I'll be interested to see how this conversion turns out, from an economy standpoint. Hopefully good for John.

cut off

@ October 6, 2011 10:15 AM in OIL BOILER ROLLING FIRE AFTER TURNING OFF?

It sounds like a bad pump cut off. It's built into the oil pump and is supposed to cut off the flow of oil as soon as the output pressure starts to drop when the burner shuts down. The way we check is to put a pressure gauge on the nozzle line, check the running pressure, and then watch the pressure as the burner shuts down. I think it can drop up to 20%. If it drops way down the cut off is bad.

Our usual fox is to replace the pump, but an electronic oil valve can be installed.

.

@ October 3, 2011 2:11 PM in High co

We see this every so often. Most of the time, if everything else seems right, it just needs a day to settle down. In that case I usually blame it on loose soot that the vacuum didn't get. When we first had the electronic kits we'd send someone back the next day and everything would be fine.

Other possible causes we have seen are air leaks between cast iron sections and a unit wet from condensation. No guarantees on those causes, but that's what we've seen.

If we get bad readings we double check everything. If all checks out we let it go. I think there are times when you will never find a cause.

supply house

@ September 26, 2011 8:44 AM in Pipe ?

Sounds like you need to eliminate the hanging at the supply house from the equation. For hot water heat we always run copper, maybe a few black fittings just to get things to line up easier. Make sure you have a nice supply of fittings and pipe on board so you don't have to run to the supply house for more parts.

weird

@ September 15, 2011 3:35 PM in A\C stops working when cool outside

Does the condensing unit outside, and the compressor, continue to run even though it's not producing cooling? 

nozzle adapter?

@ September 2, 2011 11:10 AM in Anyone Run Across This?

If the seat of the nozzle adapter (where the edge of the nozzle sits) is deeply scored it won't seal properly. Then, when the pump is making pressure, oil will leak out, drip into the end of the tube and flow to the chamber.

Not familiar with the name Korth.

.

@ August 31, 2011 3:21 PM in taking mains apart

I usually attack these pipes with a sawzall. I'd cut them just under the upper elbows, leaving about 1/4" of nipple sticking out. Once the pipes are out of the way I stick the sawzall blade into the fitting and cut flat and perpendicular against the remainder of the nipple inside the pipe, being careful to keep the blade as flat against the pipe as possible and trying not to cut so deep that I damage the threads. I make 2 cuts, about 1/2" apart, take a punch and knock out the chip, then bang the rest of the nipple in on itself to loosen it, then spin it out.

I have always found this easier than trying to spin everything out, only to resort to this method anyway. If there is any damage on the threads, wicking, teflon and dope usually take care of any leak potential. Hopefully you can follow what I'm talking about.

AS I recall

@ August 25, 2011 4:27 PM in Need a pro's help with threaded fittings

It's just thin thread. You wrap it in the valleys. hold the free end against the pipe and run it forward to the end thread, then wrap in the valleys working your way back. Used to use it for old fittings and when I cut with the sawzall a little to deep and nailed the threads. Used to use wicking, with teflon on that, with prodope on that. never a leak.

true

@ August 25, 2011 7:58 AM in Need a pro's help with threaded fittings

more than once I've found the can of Rectorseal on it's side, sometimes coating my tools. What a mess. But I do like how easily it can be applied. Used to use Pro Dope, but now prefer Rectorseal #5. A lot of our guys are using Gasoila.

And I hate GRIPP, at least I hate trying to take a fitting apart that has it on there. Might as well weld the pipe together.

.

@ August 24, 2011 3:54 PM in Need a pro's help with threaded fittings

Everyone has a different way of doing fitting.

My way is a thin coat of Rectorseal #5, then 2 wraps of teflon over that. And you have to solder the pipes to the the fitting before threading it in. If you thread in first, then heat it to solder, the joint will fail.

This is the way I do it and it has served me very well for nearly 30 years.

I've got to tell you

@ August 10, 2011 1:14 PM in Condenser Fan Motors and Blades

In 30 years in the business, I can't remember a single call back due to a bad fan blade when a motor was changed out, from any tech. I've change some fan blades because they were rusted to the shaft, a few that were damaged because the motor mount failed. I completely agree with changing the capacitor every time, but not the blade just because. It might be nice, but then why stop there. Why not change the mounting bracket too, because it may be weak. Or the sheet metal on the top of the unit. Or the coil.

I am a firm believer in doing the job right the first time, but  I don't think many customers what to pay for me to go find the right blade when the motor was the only problem.

Agreed

@ August 10, 2011 9:50 AM in Condenser Fan Motors and Blades

Yep. It would be great to put a new fan blade on every motor change, just that no one has them on board. The techs mistake was not attempting to remove the blade before going to get the motor...and not having the motor on his truck.

?

@ August 10, 2011 8:59 AM in Heating statistics source?

I find it interesting that 14% of the houses in the US are un-occupied. That's a huge number of homes!