Best Of
Re: Our emergency steam boiler replacement in Brooklyn last week looked like this:
it’s true. The fittings are obscenely expensive.
Re: Our emergency steam boiler replacement in Brooklyn last week looked like this:
Beautiful heavy work, John. You should be proud to be doing work that nice after so many years at it!
Now that's one fine wrench. Probably cost more than my truck.
Love the press fittings.
Re: 1950's Furnace Gas Valve Replacement - Honeywell
Actually, looking at that safety chain, i think you have to press and hold the red button while you light the pilot.
Re: Boiler Replacement Quote
The fact that he didn't mention the Hartford loop, especially after you brought it up, is concerning. It’s also odd that he didn’t know about skimming, which is critical for removing oils from a new boiler, especially with steam systems where clean water is essential. His reliance on chemicals instead of skimming seems like a shortcut.
Re: Repair small section of 3/8 oil line?
Brake lines are double flare with reverse nuts. The flange of the flare is double the thickness, the edge is on the inside so a crack can't form from it, and the reverse flare nut exserts a lot more force on the flange than an ordinary flare nut.
Re: Repair small section of 3/8 oil line?
Standard flares properly done are used on refrigeration where they can't leak and have been used for years.
The only time I ever had trouble flaring was sometimes old tubing that you were connecting to had become work hardened when flared.
This could easily be fixed by either heating the tubing to anneal it, Turning the flaring tool back and forth so as to flare it a little at a time and not all at once and using a drop of oil on the flaring tool. Also remover the burr on the inside with a jackknife or reamer before flaring and make the flare as large as possible for more sealing surface. If you make it to big so the nut will not go on just file the outside of the flare a bit.
Re: Repair small section of 3/8 oil line?
I have made that particular repair more than once. if it is leak free once you have made the repair, then I see no problem with it. this is most likely a Post inspection type of repair @Jamie Hall. I have repaired many heating systems that have been inspected after the job was completed years ago, and there has never been any cause for inspection after that initial commissioning of the system.
Even if it was inspected and you were to attempt to Red Tag that repair, I might ask this: What if the fuel line needed to be more than 50 feet ling, and only 50 foot lengths of tubing were available, What would you recommend to put the two pieces of copper together in order to make the full run from tank to burner? I might think you would recommend a Flare Union. So what makes your union acceptable and my union not acceptable?
Re: Control assistance
Wouldn't adding that return have the potential to negatively affect the draft on the chimney for the wood stove? If you are pulling more air out of the room then the furnace fan is adding to the room I can see it causing a back draft problem.
Re: X-pando used on pipe 10 years ago...
I'd go with RTV. At the pressures we run, it should seal, provided there is enough decent thread left to hold the thing in place mechanically.
Re: Weil McLain steam boiler and water treatment
It might take some time to get all the sludge out, but 8-way will help, just don't overdo it. Add a little, let it free up some gunk, drain a little mud out the bottom, repeat. Eventually you want to get to where you don't have to drain very much.
It has basically the same ingredients as the old Steammaster tablets had. I never have heard anyone have any problem in a Weil-McClain with typical boiler treatments.