Heating Help

Sometimes I catch an employee...

@ June 19, 2013 1:56 PM in Dumb

....on the job wearing a shirt with the logo and phone number from a plumbing company they used to work for.

"What're you stupid?" is my usual retort.

Gennady,

@ June 17, 2013 10:45 AM in How the Europeans do it?

Would you tell us who the manufacturer was?

Why, I oughtta.....!!!!

@ June 17, 2013 10:42 AM in How the Europeans do it?

:-)

Charlie,

@ June 14, 2013 8:59 AM in How the Europeans do it?

I just promoted two guys who have been with me for 10+ years to middle-management positions: Project Manager and Service Manager.
Both have witnessed the revolving door of employees throughout the years and neither wastes an opportunity to let me know the best guys we have are the ones we took in as pups and trained from square one.

Best to you and yours,
John

Back to Europe...

@ June 13, 2013 2:02 PM in How the Europeans do it?

Some of these posts are far too long for my college-less, tradesman brain to read through right now, but I can speak to the Europe thing.

I've also wondered about the validity of using Europe as an example of how things ought to be done in the US.

I go to Western Europe every year, mostly Italy and Spain, and I have never once seen a piece of heating equipment, be it a boiler, water heater, radiator, whatever, installed like someone gave a crap about what it looked like or how to service it.

Granted, I have no trouble believing Germany is different because they seem to be a more technically-savvy, or at least aware, society.
So, while they may be putting up better efficiency numbers in Europe, *my experience* is that installs in the US tend to me more serviceable and longer-lasting.
Perhaps the idea that every boiler is going to be replaced within 10 years over there makes everything a temporary installation.

I think we install components and systems with an eye on the long term here.
You may disagree with good reason.

I could be wrong or biased because I'm mostly looking at commercial installations in hotels, restaurants and the like, but that's my frame of reference until some nice European families want to let me check out their boiler room while I'm on vacation.

While I'm at it, nearly every plumbing installation I've seen is absolute garbage. Why is it still ok over there to use toilet bowls that don't clean themselves? Is water really that scarce? Then come up with a grey water system or something. Geeez Louise.....

Finally getting back to this:

@ June 7, 2013 3:46 PM in Sandy still haunts my home!

There are two zones on this system.
One is a monoflo system with several radiators removed without the tees looped together and uses a Taco 007. The plugged monoflo tees are reducing gpm and adding resistance to flow that can't be spared.

The second zone uses series loop baseboard fin-tube radiation, 3/4", about 120' total and uses a Taco 0015, 3 speed pump.

I did a quick head calc and, working with what I had, switched the two pumps. It worked for the most part but there is still one radiator in the house not getting sufficient flow.

I advised to have the monoflo tees looped together and ascertain proper pump size for the 1-pipe zone. I suspect the 0015 is fine, but the piping needs alteration and the pumps should be repositioned to pump away.

Happy I could help.

Ya' see!

@ May 23, 2013 3:31 PM in Troubleshooting/wiring classes?

That's what I'm talkin' about.

Thanks, Steamhead.

Troubleshooting/wiring classes?

@ May 23, 2013 3:20 PM in Troubleshooting/wiring classes?

Any seminars coming up in the NYC Metro area?

I've got a few guys that would benefit by some professional training.

'preciate the heads up if you've got any info.

Never having met him...

@ April 29, 2013 2:08 PM in Remembering Gil Carlson

...my debt and reverence toward Mr. Carlson lies in my appreciation for his having inspired my mentor, Dan Holohan.

Thank you, Gil Carlson, and Dan, for bringing an awareness and understanding to my every workday that I may not have otherwise achieved.

Thanks for thinking of me, Tim.

@ April 23, 2013 2:29 PM in Sandy still haunts my home!

I'll wait to hear from the poster.

Thanks Charles.

@ April 22, 2013 2:27 PM in Sandy still haunts my home!

NYC is a pretty big area, so I'm not sure the home will be in an section I travel to, but let's see what happens.
I'm always willing to help, but I suspect the problem with this install has at least as much to do with the system as it does with the near-boiler arrangement.

Chat window.

@ April 22, 2013 11:00 AM in Hey Dan

This is not a terrible idea at all, but it should be limited to two people at a time or else others wouldn't benefit from the discussions that normally public here.

I'm new to this thread, but Tim Smith just asked me to check it out.

@ April 22, 2013 9:31 AM in Sandy still haunts my home!

First, where in NYC is this home?

Second, this post is very telling to me:

"I found a "boiler expert" who took a look around and told me there shouldn't be any issues with the boiler. He told me he needs to take down the walls to reveal the piping below the rooms that aren't receiving heat. I agreed and he's on vacation now. He said there's a single switch that needs to be on and that'll make it work, but cannot find it unless the walls come down.
This is getting really frustrating and I'm surprised at the lack of knowledge on such an issue from the "experts" that have been coming to my home."
------

It seems to me the original poster has a big problem with the "experts" who have given her guidance that she neither understood, cannot repeat accurately, and doesn't offer the silver bullet she hopes will solve her problem.


What makes the OP think that guy has some "lack of knowledge" that must be avoided. I have ZERO idea who he is/was, but is it possible the guy was right in saying some walls must come down to expose something in the system that will help it make sense? Of course it is.

Not knowing what transpired during that conversation, you're probably not helping by suggesting she not let that person back in her house.

The helpful threshold for troubleshooting this via internet postings has clearly been met and now she needs to contract a reliable company who carries insurance and is licensed to work in her home.

To lob out suggestions from the hip just prolongs this condition and makes her feel distrustful of the people who are actually available to help.

Ladies and gentlemen, please do forgive my tone here, but I did about 60 houses under the Rapid Repairs Program here in NYC and it's been a disaster in its own right.
We were told on January 4th that our first check would be 6 weeks from then, then progress payments every 2 weeks.
We got our first payment after 13 weeks. Yes, thirteen. We're still waiting for our second check and we've spent close to $500,000 on materials, labor and admin costs to get this work done in the time frame we did.
It's not something I can recommend to anyone.

Fitting thousands of nearly destroyed homes with electric, heat and hot water was an unprecedented program and it came in with a lot of problems and left with a lot of lingering pains...for everyone.

Keep this in mind when listening to homeowners dump on the "experts" involved.
Our installations went well, but a lot were very challenging given the conditions, time frame allotted, and temporary labor we were under the gun to hire and monitor.

That's all the venting I've got for now.

Best to all.
JC

edited for grammar

This is one of the hardest things about my job (the one when I'm wearing the Salesman hat)

@ April 10, 2013 5:38 PM in Burnham Megasteam sizing

The size of the old boiler means absolutely nothing. Put it out of your head.

The EDR calculation represents the system's ability to convey and condense steam effectively and efficiently.

The number it gives you is the number you need with a little bit of fudge factor built into the boiler ratings.

Install the right boiler, insulate your pipes, and never think again about that old, oversized hunk o' junk you've been using for way too long.

Capeesh?

Birthday boy.

@ March 4, 2013 4:29 PM in Alex Marx!

Let me know when you want to buy me a drink for your birthday.

Whoops

@ February 27, 2013 2:40 PM in 2013 Long Island BIG UGLY....who's in?????

Duty calls.

Sorry, Matt.

Major client needs me in Amagansett of all places on Saturday morning and is putting me up overnight for consultation meetings with his builder over the weekend.

Measuring efficiency on your own...

@ February 19, 2013 2:56 AM in High efficincy steam heating boiler

...is not the same as factory-published ratings. Has anyone successfully gotten a qualification for a gov't rebate based on their own efficiency measurements?

No high-efficiency steam. Just water.

@ February 18, 2013 7:45 AM in High efficincy steam heating boiler

http://www.weil-mclain.com/en/weil-mclain/pd-eg-gas-boiler/

3

@ February 16, 2013 8:14 AM in What business lessons did you learn from the Great Recession?

Lessons learned:

1. Don't take jobs you know may have great potential to go bad just because it's all you've got.
Jobs for impossible clients or that may otherwise only be resolved with great difficulty will do nothing but take from you.

2. Don't give employees more than they're entitled or have bargained for when times are good because you'll wish you had those resources when they're gone. So will they. But they'll be gone

3. In extraordinarily difficult times, it's ok to dumb down your work just a bit. When people don't have money, they look at nothing but the bottom line. Your picture perfect work costing 50% more than the other guy's is not an option to an unemployed family man. Maintaing your company's productivity is your single goal.

Lessons NOT learned from the recession.

See numbers 1, 2 and 3 above as I seem to forget these points at every opportunity.

OK.

@ February 15, 2013 8:37 PM in Sizing issue for replacement steam boiler for single pipe steam system;

Here's the Weil-McLain EGH 125 info:
http://www.weil-mclain.com/en/weil-mclain/pd-egh-commerical-gas-boiler/

Enjoy your 550 thousand BTUs and your steam expert who can't source your boiler for you.

I think you're trying to avoid this kind of answer, but ....

@ February 15, 2013 4:12 PM in Sizing issue for replacement steam boiler for single pipe steam system;

Why are you even talking in terms of BTUs and not square feet of steam? Every boiler is different and the matching the BTUs is not as important as matching the sq. ft./EDR

Looks like about an hour from NYC.

@ February 15, 2013 2:38 PM in Gas Training

I would be there for sure. I've wanted to take one of your classes for years, Tim, but it's just been too far of a trek.