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Re: Gas valve/solenoid stuck open on old Janitrol boiler
If you have this information ready for an experienced gas heat technician, you can ask them what it might cost to remove the old standing ignition parts and install this electronic ignition kit to make the old boiler more reliable. Y8610U Kit
It will replace all the parts in this photo
There may also be a 1/4" aluminum pilot tube that comes from the manual shut off valve the will need to be removed and capped off. This is the Cadillac repair, however there are less expensive repairs available. Just remember the price you pay at SupplyHouse.com is the wholesale price and if the contractor provides you that kit. It will be marked up and include labor to install the parts. It is a time consuming job and will also need additional parts and fittings to make the piping connections. The professionals are entitled to make a profit on both the parts and labor they pay the technician. So don't be shocked at the total price. Safety with a guarantee is worth the cost in my opinion.
Re: Gas valve/solenoid stuck open on old Janitrol boiler
Since I cleaned the sticky solenoid switch it has cycled on and off several times on its own and is working fine,
I have a problem with that statement because of this statement:
This doesn't happen every time, but it has been happening more frequently lately. The radiators heat up and the gas continues to heat the boiler even when I turn off the thermostat…
If the boiler is that old that the most important part of the safety devices on this boiler is failing dangerously more than once, what is to say that some other old part will not fail. What if the relief valve happens to be the part that fails? What if it happens at the same time, when you can't be there as a result of an unscheduled event that takes you away from "If I don't notice that the gas has not turned off," because you are hospitalized or at a funeral or your Lottery ticket that wins takes you the the Governors Office for "photo-op"
What happens to this water heater, could happen in a very short time with your boiler.
This water heater is only 40 gallons of water, and it happened in less than one hour. Your heating boiler with all the radiators has much more water and therefore much more explosive force when something gives way, and all that water that is over 300 PSI and end up well over 400°F, rapidly changes to steam as the pressure drops to zero PSI where 400°F water flashes into steam instantly, and becomes 1700 times larger than it was when it was water.
To put this in perspective. TNT increases about 900 times its size when it explodes. Water becomes 1700 times larger when it explodes. That is almost two times the explosive power that Dynamite!
As a person that has no training on how to play with fire inside your building, can I suggest that you SHUT THAT BOILER OFF NOW and listen to the professionals who have been trained in this "playing with fire" in your building, while you still have a building.
Just some ramblings from an old guy with over 40 years in the trade. Probably worthless information. But If it were me… I would aer' on the side of caution
Re: 1920s Steam System - How to Add Main Vents
It should have a taller riser, ideally around 8"-10"
mattmia2
Re: Gas valve/solenoid stuck open on old Janitrol boiler
It'll likely possible to replace the gas valve & ancillary parts with modern components, but it may take some looking to find the right person to do it. Try the "Find a Contractor" link in the blue bar above.
Given the age, replacement might be the correct answer.
You still shouldn't operate it until it has been serviced. Gas stuck on is a serious failure. If the pressure relief fails, a boiler explosion is the next step.
ratio
Re: Gas valve/solenoid stuck open on old Janitrol boiler
Being as it's a boiler & not a furnace, it may be worth the effort to find someone to replace the gas train. You'll have to work to find the right person, but you might come out in the black.
I'm glad you understand that there are risks here.
ratio
Re: Gas valve/solenoid stuck open on old Janitrol boiler
That is a very dangerous condition. You need to immediately turn off the gas and electricity to the boiler & call to get it serviced before you end up killing yourself or someone else.
ratio
Re: Reanimating Frankenstein - a gravity heat story
your running this in an apartment building?
I hope you have good insurance.
pecmsg
Re: Am I blind? Not seeing the gas shut-off valve.
@sjh said "I lifted the lever on the pressure release valve, thinking that would increase pressure in the system. Did it slowly and carefully, only lifting it a little at a time. Gauge showed no increase in pressure. I increased the pressure I was adding to the system at a faster pace. Still no difference. Then I added it a bit faster, still no difference in pressure showing on the gauge. Then, the release valve for the boiler started shooting water out:" and showed us a photo of water pouring out of the relief valve white safety drop tube.
In reading this thread I believe that @sjh is calling this valve a pressure relief valve. In fact this is a pressure reducing valve NOT a pressure RELIEF valve. There is also a photo of a Tradicator or boiler gauge that has three scales on it. One of the scales is for the boiler water temperature and that appears top be near 100°F. The other dial points to the water pressure and height the static pressure (boiler pressure at the gauge location) of zero PSI and zero Feet. The boiler pressure gauge is reading ZERO and the water flowing out of the pressure relief valve indicates that the gauge is bad or the gauge is not in connection to the boiler gauge location.
I believe this is the same job we talked about last week when the fuel oil dealer was going to be there soon to remove an old oil boiler and install this new gas boiler that the gas company is paying for through some sort of grant program where the homeowner does not get to select what they are installing and who gets to install it. We offered advice on how the best way is to install the replacement boiler and if they were going to re-use all the old circulators.
The installing company assured @sjh that they were not going to make a mess of piping behind the boiler and that they would follow the manufacturer ’s diagrams like this one when installing the new boiler and cleaning up the existing circulator mess. This obviously was said just to satisfy @sjh at the time and they had all intentions of making a mess of the piping behind the boiler because it was the easy thing to do . Use as much of the old piping and circulator locations as they could to get it to run. Now there are problems and @sjh is looking at what they can do to make it work themselves , rather than let the contractor solve the problem. The only way that @sjh has leverage is if the final payment to the contractor has not been received yet and he does not sign off so that they can get paid . If @sjh already signed the completion certificate for the grant money, then there is no leverage. I hope the contractor will stand behind the work they have completed.
I'm going to study the photos of the old oil boiler and the new system and see exactly what is going on there. This may take some time and may reveal why the gauge reads 0.0 PSI and the 30 PSI relief valve is blowing off pressure at the same time.
Re: Am I blind? Not seeing the gas shut-off valve.
if there is water supplied to the pressure reducing valve it should automatically keep the pressure up. is there a valve near it that is off? it is also possible that the backflow preventer or something is stuck.
mattmia2
Re: Am I blind? Not seeing the gas shut-off valve.
it has no pressure. is the valve ahead of that pressure reducing valve you showed turned on? It should automatically regulate the pressure and it isn't for some reason. sloshing means there is a lot of air in the piping so there is not circulation.
mattmia2