Best Of
Re: Boiler water quality
Others will comment but iMHO if the water level is steady (not bouncing over an inch or so) when steaming and the water is only tea colored then I would leave it for now.
If it was me I would boil it out with TSP or washing soda in the spring. 1lb/every 50 gallons of boiler water.
You might check the PH with some PH strips.
Re: Peerless 63 Series... Discontinued???
but I have a strong distrust of Burnham just due to the fact that they are STILL offering the IMO flawed Independence line which again, IMO, should have been re-engineered or cancelled years and years ago given how fast it seems to rust out.
Me too.
There was a post here just a few days ago about an independence that failed installed in 2013 I think the op said.
They (all the mfgs) design a boiler that then go with that design for 20, 30, 40 years or more.
The HB Smith 28 the first one I saw installed was 1977 and they still make them today. A few changes but the sections are interchangeable.
Once they go with a design they ride it to the bitter end . If its bad they will still sell it and will only drop it if it will not sell.
The Weil McLain Gold oil fired is basically the same boiler they have made since the at least the mid 80s. Even though it is rubber gaskets it seems to hold up pretty well.
Utica/Dunkirk have been around for years as well. Any boiler can fail if neglected but they seem to hold up as well as anything.
Peerless (or the Boyertown Foundry whoever that is) has been making the boiler sections for Smith & Peerless ever since Smith closed their foundry in Westfield which must be 35? years ago.
Don't know what is going on with Peerless.
Re: At my whit's end with banging pipes, squirting vents and No heat! Please help!
I do thorough steam heat evaluations for NYC mid-rise and multi-family buildings all season long. Nearly all of them have the same complaints you list here. I'm not cheap, but neither is throwing money at the inexplicably uninformed people who are frequently hired to work on these old systems and never get it right.
JohnNY
Re: Heat exchanger between wood boiler and propane boiler?
It does seem odd to have a high sq footage HX with small diameter tube. Typically 3/4 copper is good for 4 gpm
Are you taking that one connection down to 1/2” tube? Or are the HX connections 1”?
hot_rod
Re: Grundfos Pump Housing Temperatuire
if you pop that black label off, some models have a large screw below that you can purge some air.
Or loosed the top flange bolts and burp it. Be careful if it has been dead headed there could be a steam discharge
The checks can sometimes fail inside that volute and cause a blockage or restriction.
The motor will run a bit warmer than the fluid it pumps
hot_rod
Re: Grundfos Pump Housing Temperatuire
The motor will add some heat it is a 42W motor, some is pumping energy, some heat.
hot_rod
Re: Radiant heat plumbing design
Was there any sort of heat load calculation and design done for the job.
If so that spells out what needs to be installed as far insulation, tube lengths and spacing, pump sizes, etc, etc. An example below.
Also from this Uponor design manual their slab on grade method.\
i would start with a call to the building department in your town. Ask the plan check people or the mechanical inspectors what is required for a radiant installation.
In my area they need an official manual J load calc sheet. In some areas they have an insulation requirement. Also ask about an energy code that would cover under slab insulation.
With this info you meet with the builder for his thoughts on the system installation and cost of operation.
I would give him the opportunity to make suggestions for the fix.
Read through this manual to learn the terminology and proper design and installation steps.
hot_rod
Re: Runaway Boiler- One Zone Only?
It could be the expansion tank has failed. As such the relief valve discharges and if no fill water replaces that, the boiler temperature could rise if some of the water has discharged from the boiler?
Easy enough to check the tank and fill valve operation. Push in the schrader, tire stem valve at the tank. Do you get air or water coming out?
If you drain some water from the boiler via a purge valve does fill water enter?
You may need to sit by the boiler and catch it in the act. Usually if the heat call from the zone valve goes off the boiler shuts down.
hot_rod
Re: CycleGard LWCO & Heat-Timer - Bad Match?
I would say that the Cyclegard is not gong to be a problem — or even if it were, a minor adjustment to the Heat-Timer would take care of it.
Too many other, bigger variables for it to show up.
Re: newer wall furnace with one sided heat.
you would need a non-listed co monitor or the nighthawk with an led display to see any meaningful readings but the utility or the fire department can test for CO. listed co detectors with only alarm when it is pretty much about to kill you.
mattmia2