Best Of
Re: Any Roth Oil Tank Downsides?
I don't know what that means. Care to explain.
But what I meant is that people think if they run that old oil thru a filter (or two) it will get rid of all the bacteria, microbes, sludge, etc. It won't. You would need to run it thru a commercial fuel polishing machine to bring it back to a quality that won't give your new steel tank a head start on corrosion. But people will do what they want, and they may be ok, or they may not.
Re: Flexible faucet/lav connector for hydronic exp tank
even then there will be little flow other than briefly
mattmia2
Re: The nuance of steam heat balancing: Why theory isn't always reality
also why you can't tee multiple mains togther but must connect them individually to the header.
mattmia2
Re: The nuance of steam heat balancing: Why theory isn't always reality
One probable cause of this is the installer didn't properly ream some of the pipe after cutting it.
But, almost always when I size main vents by the amount of air in the mains, they work as expected.
Re: Low water cutoff and water feed Suggestions
My idea is leave it like it is and have a friend check your house once per week.
Re: Proper way to vent water heaters and boiler together?
Hi, This thing in the water heater flue… is it open underneath? If so, it could be messing up the draft. Is there a reason for it being there?
Yours, Larry
Re: Ohms and draft
Never had this problem. You get back pressure because the heat exchanger isn't properly & completely clean, or a venting issue. Downfiring almost always leads to poorer combustion/efficiency.
I haven't installed a pin boiler in at least 30 years. Worse to properly maintain.
Re: Single Pipe Steam Heat Radiator Vent ID and Replacement Rec
yes having connections at both ends, while helping to drain condensate, can lead to early closure of the vent because steam comes up from the steam main and quickly gets to the vent just above that pipe connection.
Fixing the situation may be tough. Do the baseboards adequately heat the spaces they are in?
Gsmith
Re: Gravity boiler to forced water conversion
Speaking as a homeowner, I guess I have to ask this first as you have given us very little information:
What problems have been identified and exist or are perceived by the owner to be a problem??
I much would rather see you invest in a copy of CLASSIC HYDRONICS and learn more about how gravity hot water systems work reliably and silently for decades before you make a massive change/butcher this heating system that would very well ruin it by disrupting the flow of hot water using a circulator.
Is there an open to air expansion tank at the highest elevation or are the radiators used as a point of no pressure change with an air charge in each radiator?
Is the old boiler leaking?
Installing a circulator would disrupt the flow of thermal mass I.E. the entire hot water volume in the system.
If this boiler has been working reliably for 66 years why not replace it with a better more efficient boiler with the same size tapping's only IF it is leaking and install TRV's on each radiator and leave the functioning and working gravity system intact?
PICTURES are better than a thousand words as all the fuel delivery system and burners may need is simple cleaning and perhaps installing Wyes at the very top to clean the risers of any buildup of rust/dirt on the joints using boiler brushes.
Changing the system may very well affect its ability to heat this home/business etc. as it may have very little insulation in the walls and very old windows and doors that leak heat as gravity hot water systems were designed to use hot water to heat the home slowly and evenly during the heating season with a great deal of hot water rising and heating the thermal mass of the pipes, radiators, floors and walls of the home.
My thoughts on a lousy rainy day.
leonz
Re: Replacing wet return on 1-pipe steam system
hi meticulousmike here,20 year vet in plumbing,steamfitting,electrical with no formal schooling except in the field training .In my opinion i would use all steel.dissimiliar metals always gunk up where they meet especially with oxygen in the water.typing this comment now coming to mind why not use dielectric unions just like on hot water tanks? this way if you want to run copper you can since the boiler and it's local piping is steel.i always like to keep it all the same piping.could unions handle the heat from the piping and effectively do their job for many years to come?i believe they would.what do you think?
