Best Of
Re: Experience I had with a boiler tech and what I learned along the way.
Well done! I'm more of an installer than a service tech, but I try to service boilers that I install which has taught me a great deal more than any book ever would have. I usually turn down service calls from others simply due to the fact that I'm not a service tech and don't know enough to be good at what I do, but, on occasion I will take calls from folks who are at their wit's end with salesmen telling them they need a new boiler even though theirs is only 5 years old. I recently came across an old Weil McLain CG-4 system that had been "serviced" by 2 small local shops and one big corporate operation within a month's time but still had a terrible noise coming from the system on occasion and the basement never warmed up. One of the small shops replaced a relief valve, expansion tank, and tridicator gauge and said it was good to go, but small shop #2 and the corporate shop both told the homeowner (a 21 year old girl, first time homeowner) that she needed a new boiler to the tune of $11k and $18k. The burners were full of cat hair from the previous owners so I know none of them cleaned it, the original Taco 007 was squealing due to bad bearings, and the basement thermostat was bad. Somebody monkeyed with the gas valve and had the CO up to nearly 8000PPM (yes, eight thousand) which obviously was causing some issues, but I was able to clean it out, replace the circ, flush the system, replace the faulty stat, and adjust the gas valve back to proper spec in a matter of 4 hours. According to the homeowner, she had spent several thousand dollars on these "service" calls already and whether the previously replaced components were actually bad I don't know, but the original call was for the basement being cold and the noise which obviously none of them could figure out. Basic common sense is no longer a requirement to become a service tech, apparently… It's scary how many of these guys are running around performing "service" like this.
GroundUp
Re: Options for increasing gas pressure without using local gas company
Ask everyone who is diagnosing gas pressure to to tell you the pressure values they measured at the unit. Check incoming at the units gas valve, static, at ignition, high fire, and lockup. 4 values needed. If the gas pressure is deemed insufficient generally it is a gas pipe sizing issue and not a maxed out meter but without a bunch more info I wouldn't know that, and either way you need to actually know those 4 values to diagnose a gas pressure issue. If you have someone else do it either write down or take a photo of the manometer for each value, do not just accept an answer of "the gas pressure is good" or "bad" you need to actually measure it and record the values
GGross
Re: System 2000, nearly double the cost of Weil McLain, is it worth it?
@riny said:
Using 1/3 less oil sounds pretty extreme. Is that actually realistic?
I'm not a heating pro, but I am a mechanical engineer who has done a fair amount of number-crunching on boiler efficiency in general, and in particular on the two Weil McLain boilers heating our 4-unit condo building near Boston. And IMO the answer is no, expecting a 33% reduction in oil use from an EK without DHW is not realistic in your situation. If your boiler is cold start like ours, it's probably running at around 70-75% overall efficiency, including combustion and latent heat of vapor losses. A non-condensing EK boiler might get you up to 80% overall efficiency, so let's give it the benefit of the doubt and say you'd get 10% better efficiency. You are absolutely not going to get 33% improvement, and IMO you're not even going to get 17% improvement.
So don't believe whoever is blowing sunshine up your butt. EK's are great boilers and can save big $$ in certain situations, but yours is not one of them.
And by the way, our two Weil McLains are 30+ years old, still in good condition, and we let them sit idle all summer.
I live in NY State in an old drafty house…
If I were you, I'd start there. Even if you do install an expensive EK boiler, you'll still have a drafty old house. I would buy the Weil McLain and spend the money you saved on air sealing the house first. For example, having the old windows professionally weatherstripped with spring bronze seals along the sash sides and silicone rubber bulb seals at sash tops, bottoms, and parting rails. Or consider replacement windows. Then insulation in attic and walls.
Your real problem is that your house is leaking heat like a sieve. Once you fix that, even the Weil McLain will run less often and save you money.
jesmed1
Re: System 2000, nearly double the cost of Weil McLain, is it worth it?
EKs are good but
"It will make up the cost difference in savings in 2 years"
I doubt that.
Re: Options for increasing gas pressure without using local gas company
Has anyone actually measured the gas pressure? What were the results of their measurements?
If no one has measured the pressure, they're all assuming. There could be several other reasons why the water heater is underperforming.
jesmed1
Re: System 2000, nearly double the cost of Weil McLain, is it worth it?
HVACNUT is on the money. A replacement W.M. is cut and slide, nothing gained but cheaper. We have installed EKs for 15 years, big savings for customers. I love 'em.
Re: Replumbing: Solder or Threads for Ball Valves
Maybe, maybe not, if we're talking water quality. Yeah ,Chicago may be exceptional, but it's not the only place where copper would have a century+ lifespan.
Re: Experience I had with a boiler tech and what I learned along the way.
"many technicians haven't read since high school"
Are you sure about that??
From the installs we see on this forum I don't think they can read at all LOL
EBEBRATT-Ed
Re: Monoflow Tee vs Diverter Tee
No. Monoflow will not work with gravity.
There was an old fitting similar to a Monoflow that was used on gravity (OS fitting I think) but those installed at the radiation.
Monoflow fittings have too much resistance for gravity.
Re: Peerless
There's no need to be so aggro, and yes your point is now clearer.
I see both the old 63 and 64 lines on their website, in addition to this new 63-x model. I'm not familiar enough with the Steam Max to be able to say myself that's what it is, but I don't doubt you.
They could might have chosen to license it to rebrand it so they could have a higher-efficiency steam model? Scratch that, the efficiency is only 82.0%
It would be cool if there were a press release announcement, but they are a strange company in some ways, even though they make my favorite steam boiler. The internet is completely silent regarding the Peerless 63-x
