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Re: Guidance on gas steam boiler sizing when experts can't agree?
Not sure what brands are being suggested, but in the Weil Mclain line the EG-75 would fit your EDR well. Honestly I could even make arguments for the EG-65 which would still give you 13% pick up factor, but I doubt you get any contractor to go there.
Whoever is recommending the 125 seems a bit crazy to me. I'm all for sizing down as the systems can run really nice (I'm firing slightly below my EDR and it's awesome), but 125 is nuts.
Whoever is suggesting the 300 is even more insane that the 125 suggestion.
It's not so much there is disagreement among professionals, there is disagreement among people who aren't doing their job correctly. So if they aren't doing their job correctly they should be discounted.
Sizing is important, correct piping is just as important. There is a picture in every manual showing what's proper, and plenty of them still do it wrong. Having the new install properly skimmed so it will run correctly is also important. Whoever does it, need to make sure all those points will be addressed, and get it in writing.
KC_Jones
Re: Guidance on gas steam boiler sizing when experts can't agree?
Conversion burners are great but only if set up properly. Unless you have somebody whom you are comfortable is competent with conversion burners, I would stay away. Much easier to mess up a conversion burner then the standard atmospheric boiler. Same reason I tell people to stay away from oil. I work with the assumption that most technicians working on these things, are somewhat incompetent. Better to have an incompetent working on atmosphere gas boiler, then an oil or conversion gas burner.
Re: New gas fired steam boiler: Williamson vs New Yorker
Installer should know how to calculate radiator heat output. Would be sad if they didn't. Doesn't say much for their competency.
Re: New gas fired steam boiler: Williamson vs New Yorker
Can't justify boiler replacement just because gas valve is leaking. That is crazy.
Re: New gas fired steam boiler: Williamson vs New Yorker
Gas leak? Why do you have to replace the boiler? Where is the gas leak? Only way to know what size boiler, is by determining the heat output of the radiators. If either of these contractors do not do that, do yourself a favor and show them the door. And not the inside of the door.
Re: Gravity Boiler?
You should take the gauge glass off the expansion tank and clean and reinstall it with new washers. Have a spare gauge glass or two they are easy to break. You can buy a gauge glass cutter and the other stuff on supply house.com if you can't find it locally.
You want to get the water in the gauge glass about 1/2 full and mark the level on the glass with a sharpie or a wire ty. Once you get it halfway mark the pressure on your pressure gauge with a sharpie. Then you will now if you have enough water in the system by checking the pressure. You may want to put a second pressure gauge on the boiler drain valve temporally just to check the boiler gauge
Re: Gravity Boiler?
They apparently turned the tank upside down and used the dome connection for the riser pipe to the tank and the pipe on the side for the drop pipe to the basement.
The pipe you have circled in blue is the cool water return from all the radiators to the boiler sump where it will be heated and rise again.
You should map out how the radiators are routed or ask the plumber to do it do you what is what and where.
You need new gauge glass and a glass cutter and new gaskets as Ed has said.
leonz
Re: New Oil Tank outside?
- Inside the tank, from condensation
- Pour point suppressant on every delivery to be safe, some people only do fall/winter but it's cheap insurance
Re: Guidance on gas steam boiler sizing when experts can't agree?
Is this one pipe or 2 pipe?
If you go the gas power burner route and if your measurements of the radiators are close, you probably want to downfire the power burner as much as Weil McClain will allow for that boiler/as much as it can be done and still get proper combustion.
mattmia2
Re: Guidance on gas steam boiler sizing when experts can't agree?
Compare your 729 number to the "net sq ft of steam" number that each boiler manufacturer publishes for each boiler. Don't do any extra math or conversion. The net sq ft of steam number is already overly-inflated so "round down" to the smaller boiler if you are in between.
