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Re: Weird bathtub trap

nice one, never seen that, been at it for 40 years

Re: Sad day at work - wall mount toilet tank hole

i think that is going to happen sooner or later where you have to rip the wall open to fix something if you bury a toiler rank in a wall.

mattmia2

A photo and the part number of the valve or the model number of the heater please. I have found that most gas valves are not field repairable. The manufacturer does not recommend disassembly of gas valves. You may be better off with a replacement that works in a similar way, can be set to the same specifications and has not been taken apart.

As a Professional that likes to tinker and take things apart to see how they work, I have never in my 40+ years of hands on repair work, taken a gas valve apart and replaced any internal part, then put it back in service in someones home. I just don't want that kind of liability.

EdTheHeaterMan

Re: Replacing 30 year old Vesta oil boiler….

The boiler you are thinking of is a very good boiler. Normally I would say that the first thing one should do is determine the actual heat loss of the house and also the type and amount of radiation to properly size a boiler, and I'm a little concerned that that may be a bigger boiler than you need. But otherwise the general plan you seem to have in mind should work well for you.

That said, particularly with the newer boilers, it is essential that the contractor really knows what he or she is doing. They are not just a matter of dropping it off the truck and attaching a couple of fittings. To get the kind of efficiency and satisfaction of which they are capable, some time and expertise is required — so pick your contractor well (if you tell us where you are, we may know someone…).

I'd avoid a contractor who says you don't need a permit like the plague. I know of very few jurisdictions where you don't, and being willing to suggest slipping by without one does not encourage me…

As to the tank and lines — if the lines don't leak, they're fine, though replacing them is cheap. Your oil company should be able to test the tank for integrity for a nominal price — you really can't tell just by looking (or even tapping!).

The chimney? If you have a wood stove, you also have a chimney sweep I hope. Have him or her look at the chimney and advise you.