Best Of
Re: Rinnai CX119iN tankless water heating units - leaking exhaust seal
Sometimes, you have to do things to serve your clients and not get paid full rate. We changed out 15 Viessmann HX's on their recall - good money at $1,000 each. But the recent Triangle Tube safety recall at $350 ea. doesn't really pay well for 3-4 hrs. of labor, but lends itself to summer work when it's slow here. It also builds confidence with your customer base.
Re: Axeman-Anderson oil fired boiler vs. Burnham oil fired
You don't need a new boiler, you need a new oil company. If your oil company suburban propain?, if so get rid of them, I can personally vouch for thier poor service.
You will be spending money on a new boiler that you do not need. The Axeman family still runs their company and they are very good business people with a strong reputation for quality work, coal stoker boilers, oil boilers and parts.
Try the replacement part and find a new oil company with good burner techs.
Re: Confused by basement runs in school 2 pipe system
The pressure control on the left the PA404A is the operating pressure control
The middle control is a Manual reset high limit….it should be set higher than the PA404A it is a back up if that control fails.
The control on the right is a L91 A or B it does not start or stop the burner it only controls low-high fire
Re: What are the most well-established US manufacturers of residential electric boilers
A comment relating to @pecmsg 's comment on electric baseboards… um, yeah, but electric baseboards cost just as much to run as an electric boiler, and the wiring would be a nightmare.
Now on the electric boiler. Do do your sums carefully. In some areas an electric boiler might be competitive in running cost. In most of the northeast, no way. In Connecticut at least it will be triple what oil would cost.
And on electric upgrades. You will almost certainly need a panel upgrade, and very likely the entire drop from the power line, main entrance, main breakers and panel. That is not going to come cheap.
Re: Glycol failure
did the fluid degrade and make that with the metals in the system because the inhibiters weren't maintained?
Re: Glycol failure
i have never seen that before! I wonder if someone added stop leak at one point?
If you get any flow at all, maybe an acid cleaner.
We here is the blockage? Are they serpentine or ladder style absorbers ?
hot_rod
Re: Glycol failure
Hi, If the collectors are the normal header and tube style, you could use a rod or smaller pipe to clear the headers. Then hook up water so you can pressurize from one side, and then the other side. This back and forth approach has worked for me in clearing solids from plumbing.
Yours, Larry
Re: Steam-one boiler or two, and, Atmospheric vs Gun
Not that you asked but according to many people on this site and at least a few low pressure steam boiler manufacturers, all three boilers should not have lasted with the near boiler piping. We see boilers piped in similar fashion often and they often last a long time despite the welded piping. The best example may be the Weil McLain 78 with the steel welded risers welded directly to the header. There is certainly no room for expansion, no flanges, no swing joints, etc. Despite the piping, the boiler appears to have lasted roughly twenty five years. For the record, Weil McLain made the 78 series from 1993 through 2002.
With regard to your question(s), I would not install a gas power burner in the existing 78 boiler. I think you will regret it. Due to the age of the boiler and the controls I think you are on borrowed time. Replace the boiler with a W/M 80 series with a gas power burner. Measure the standing radiation and size the new boiler accordingly. Might want to follow the installation manual for piping to prevent warranty issues. I think the fuel savings will be substantial.
The SGO boilers look to be in better shape, but I believe they could be as old as 1996. If money is real tight, install a gas line and replace the oil burners with gas power burners. When the boilers finally fail, replace them with two atmospheric boilers. You might lose a little efficiency but there are less moving parts and less noise. Oh, and don't forget to follow the installation manual or some of the "Wallies" won't sleep at night.
Re: What would cause such rapid destruction of valves?
Most hydronic components are rated for 30- 50% glycol mix. I don't know that that fill valve is glycol approved?
Some of those Watts had a little rubber flapper as a check on the discharge, but it looks like glycol was inside that fill valve.
Hopefully there is a BFD as that glycol then could enter the homes water piping in the event of a low or no pressure condition.
hot_rod
Re: Air to Water Heat pump controllers
What size are these 3 units?
What is there now for controls?
I'd let the manufacture control the air to water temps.
pecmsg


