Best Of
Re: Balancing
Any ideas what could have caused this dramatic change?
How about a serious lack of maintenance with nobody to care for the mechanicals on a yearly basis and the expectation by the congregation that it will run by itself forever!!

Re: Armstrong Air Furnace GUK075D14-3A
There is a set of instructions on a plate or sticker of every gas furnace since 1950s on how to light a gas furnace. Even the ones with electronic ignition (no pilot)
Re: Armstrong Air Furnace GUK075D14-3A
It is difficult to find information on that particular model number from the usual manuals on line websites, but I believe that your furnace has electronic ignition that uses a 24 Volt Hot Surface Ignitor to start the pilot each time the thermostat calls for heat. If that is not happening automatically then you need a professional service tech to look at this.
First thing to check is to
- See if the power is turned on (at the furnace and the circuit breaker box)
- Make sure the gas it turned on (at the furnace and the gas meter)
- Make sure the thermostat is calling for heat (set higher than the room temperature)
After that, it is time for the professionals to take over.
Re: Oil Boiler Water Marks on Side of Unit Behind Paneling, Cast Iron
You should call Burnam and see what they have to say. 1-888-791-3790 Have the boiler model number and serial number handy as well as the pictures you have taken of the leak.
In the mean time, if needed, do what @Big Ed_4 says above to give yourself some time by adding a boiler seal type liquid to the boiler.

Re: Surging - different water levels eliminate surge, does that help diagnose?
Higher water level put the water level closer to the steam outlet pipe(s). The velocity of the steam/water increases going up the supply pipe. The higher water level gets caught in the increased velocity.
This will be exacerbated especially if the near boiler piping isn't right or is undersized.
Re: Surging - different water levels eliminate surge, does that help diagnose?
perhaps when the level is lower the water that erupts from the surface with the steam because of the poor water quality falls back in to the boiler but when it is higher it gets thrown in to the riser. also maybe it is priming rather than surging and when the water level is lower the foam collapses before it gets to the riser.

Re: Single pipe radiator
Sorry, but the only way to fix something this bodged is to unbodge it. ๐
Re: Observations on my old, rotted out wet return.
venting the main extensions just gives the steam more opportunity to find a pocket of water and hammer. there isn't a great reason to do it unless a vent at the end of the main will be neglected or in an inaccessible location.
there's really no reason to use black iron for any part of the system that won't see steam. dry returns that can't vent and let steam in would be fine in copper too. the black iron is just to conduct less heat and keep the steam hotter and not expand and contract with steam temps as much. of course you still need to allow for movement with expansion in either material.

Re: The "equalizer" is mis-named. It does nothing to equalize anything.
I guess my point was what was your point ? Sure the equalizer looks like the handle on a beer stein, so ?
Formally it was called a "Bleeder" and was (is) relevant to some systems. The LAoSHR describes it and it sounded reasonable to me.