Best Of
Re: Weil McLain, second wall mounted combi unit leaking.
There are several good mod/cons: Lochinvar, HTP EFTU are the ones we primarily sell and install. I’d recommend those in a heating boiler + an indirect.
Let me also add that the installer is more important than the brand; he’s 95% of the equation.
You probably have other issues in your system that are causing the premature failures of the heat exchangers. A good tech will find and correct those issues before simply swapping out the boiler.
Ironman
Re: need advice on scary steam boiler - no water in sight glass, running high pressure
You're looking at replacing the whole gauge glass assembly, pressuretrol and pigtail at a minimum. Probably the PRV too.
And installing steam vents, not water bleeders as @ethicalpaul noted.
It'd need a cleaning and combustion test as well. Unless you're really well versed in boiler maintenance, leave it to a pro.
Can the boiler be saved, maybe. But I'd start saving for a new one.
Where are you at? One of the pros here may be nearby.
Re: need advice on scary steam boiler - no water in sight glass, running high pressure
Water level unknown; boiler pressure unknown; a hot water coin vent on a steam system.
I’d shut it off and get a STEAM pro to look at it immediately. She’s literally got a potential bomb on her hands.
Where is this located? We may be able to recommend a reliable stem tech.
Ironman
Re: New Boiler Overfilling After Warm Weather
Yes. The Hartford loop should connect at 2"–4" below the normal water line. Yours is about 2" below the return, which is essentially the bottom of the boiler. If the water drains to the bottom of the Hartford, your boiler will be empty.
As long as they're re-doing it, consider a Gifford loop instead.
Re: Way overfired boiler
Most … do a good job of hiding…
You can say that again. You really have to go looking for the mechanism on a Hoffman valve!
Re: need advice on scary steam boiler - no water in sight glass, running high pressure
Probably the gauge glass is clogged at the bottom and not displaying the true water level. Or the valve is shut because the glass was leaking, it looks incredibly bad.
But because of that you don't know the water level and you should be scared.
Forget leveling the radiators, that doesn't do anything anyway. If it were my house I would shut it down until I could get it serviced by a professional.
I like homeowners to know how their systems work and even to be able to do some simple maintenance on them, but this boiler is too scary to mess with.
That radiator has an air relief vent of a hot water system on it I think. Inappropriate for steam.
Re: Converting from oil to gas Eastern PA
Please… before you spend close to a grand on each "new modern window" (if you're spending less that that, you aren't getting a product as good as what's there), listen to @Hap_Hazzard and make sure you are fixing a problem. Those double hungs, with a small amount of work, can be made quite tight, and replacing the outside storm sashes (I think that's what I'm seeing?) (which, I agree, are a first class pain) with quality interior storm windows (I use this outfit:
Interior Storm Windows For Older Homes, Churches & Buildings
but there are others) will do the job — and last.
Re: Converting from oil to gas Eastern PA
There's not much you can do about the lack of insulation in your walls without spending a lot of money and often not getting the results you hoped for, but fixing drafts can do a lot to lower heating costs and improving comfort. But, to fix 'em, first you gotta find 'em. I have a low-cost, low-tech method for doing this.
Close all your windows and outside doors, get some insense sticks, light one and walk around the house trying to detect air currents. You don't need to do this in the winter. You can wait until it's warm enough to do whatever work you might need to do on the outside. For best results, do it when no one else it walking around the house disturbing the air. Patience is key. If you try to hurry, it's easy to get frustrated and confused.
When you detect moving air, keep moving towards the source where the air is either coming into the house or exiting, so be aware of which way the wind is blowing outside. Since it's usually easier to find where air is leaking into the house, you may need to repeat the processs over several days where the prevailing wind direction is different.
When you locate the source, you just need to figure out how to address it. Sometimes it's just a matter of some caulking; sometimes you need to replace or install some weather stripping; sometimes you need a new window or door. Do the easy/cheap stuff first, then prioritize what's left.
Re: Observations on my old, rotted out wet return.
But we're only discussing dry returns on one-pipe systems here.
Re: Near boiler piping
I think you should post pictures along with some of the comments you make. The lowest horizontal return pipe is the one I marked in red in this picture, so without pictures of what you are talking about, that is the pipe we are envisioning when you say "lowest point horizontally.".
KC_Jones