Best Of

The boiler looks good. The field MG1 is double action vent regulator designed to protect against downdrafts. As long as the face is plumb and the hinge, level, it can be adjusted to maintain the proper draft over fire. There should be a test hole to measure draft on the flue pipe between the regulator and the boiler breach. However the best place for a hole is 12" from breach, elbows and regulator which cannot be here so it has to go in the middle between both. Draft over fire from a warm flue should be about -.02" WC. and at the flue breach about -.04" WC. In these old boilers overfire may be hard to get to -.02" as the boilers internal path is fairly wide open. But if it is not making any soot, the combustion should be correct. The water stain on the right may be nothing or a sign of age and leaks on a section or two. Otherwise, it is tough to let the old girl go. Remember the longer it lives, the cheaper per day its life cycle cost is. So if you put a new boiler in and all you save is 10-20% over the fuel bill, you might consider which is cheaper. Divide projected fuel cost savings into the price of replacement and factor where you will be. If I pay $7,000.00, more or less to save 20% off of $1,600.00, 370.00/ year aver price over say 6 years it may take a 17 years to make up the difference. But if the boiler fails, its times to renew. Just remember there are a lot less parts to fail on this boiler than some of the new ones, which need more maintenance. Some new Weil Mclain boilers recommend service every year which costs at least 400.00 or more.

Water level looks ok. There are two levels to watch. 1 is when it is off and all water is drained down. The other is when on and there is water in the system above. The key to water is it clean, does it seem fairly steady when on. Water level if manual needs this reference, if automatic it needs to done right to meet the system demands. One thing I have always had to deal with is if the burner shuts of by low water cutoff when needing to fill. It changes the action. I always liked a fill control to feed water at a rate and time to keep the burner running as long as the stat calls for it. But it depends on boiler design. Of course most of my work is in a cold house. Best way to test is if the house has been maintaining comfort.

My previous comment on another field control in another pic did not show me if it was dual acting.

Mad Dog

Most people don't have any historical idea of what lead to the first Thanksgiving in America at Jamestown in 1610 and the Pilgrims in 1621. It was rejection of Collectivism and the acceptance of Capitalism which led to prosperity, which our forefathers gave thanks, after two years of a subsistence struggle under Collectivism.

I don't know about you, but I have a lot to be thankful for and am thankful every day.