Best Of
Re: Boiler replacement estimate
There’s no “us” and ”them” here, @mikedo. It’s what we’ve been doing for 27 years. It’s a community, made up of all sorts. Everyone is welcome here. It’s WE.
Re: System design
When I see a third floor radiator that doesn't get much heat, the first thing I look at is whether the water in the boiler has enough pressure to reach the third floor. The second thing I look at is making sure absolutely all of the air is out of that loop. I would check those two things before doing anything else.
Since it's old/new-to-you, we don't know if it once worked and has stopped, or whether it never worked. Eyeballing it, I'd guess the third floor was added on after the rest of it.
Are the valves marked with X's zone valves? Balancing valves?
Re: AFCI Circuit Breakers
there are lots of times where there is a nick in the insulation or stray strand of wire or metal that goes unnoticed that only touches when you move the device when you unplug or plug something in or operate a switch.
mattmia2
Re: Paint for heater water corrugated stainless steel connections
agree with Larry, tubing made from 316 grade stainless will hold up much better in salt/clorine. Used extensively in for coastal areas.
Moot point if you go with PVC or another plastic type tubing.
PC7060
Re: Looking for new LP gas boiler recommendations to replace my Buderus GB142/30
Also, newer atmosepheric boilers have just about as many controls as mod/cons and my experience is these fail as often, or more, than those on mod/cons: vent dampers, electronic pilot assemblies, control modules, etc. The only advantage that I see is that a CI boiler generally has a longer life expectancy.
I realize that the common wisdom is that CI boilers are more reliable and cost less to repair, but I believe that's out-dated thinking and it's not been my experience.
Ironman
Re: Looking for new LP gas boiler recommendations to replace my Buderus GB142/30
A condensing boiler (mod/con) is what you have in the gb142 that vents with PVC or PPL plastic pipe. A new mod/con would vent the same and could likely use the existing venting.
Ironman
Re: Working around gull nests on flat roof ?
Dump Ducks are a federally protected species blanks in a "9" ????????
gunn308
Re: AFCI Circuit Breakers
Edited to fix the colors of the test buttons
I think QO and Homeline breakers have more or less the same innards just in a different package. I have 2 QO AFCI breakers that I installed about 20 years ago and I don't think I have ever had them nuisance trip. They are on the 2 circuits that run most of the lighting and general purpose receptacles on the main floor of my house so they are the bedroom, living room, and the 2nd bedroom that has my ham shack in it. When I had an issue with an antenna that wasn't balanced that put a lot of RF in the shack that tripped a couple GFCIs, caused the CO detector to save a reding of like 486 ppm, caused the thermostat to reboot and caused the garage door operator to lock up, they didn't trip. They are whatever type has the light blue test button.
I did have an AFCI receptacle trip a few times with a dehumidifier plugged in to it but it isn't clear that there wasn't a problem with that dehumidifier, it ultimately had its refrigerant escape and it has never tripped on the Aprilaire dehumidifier.
In the last 5 years or so I added a circuit for a bidet seat in my bathroom that is on a afci/gfci breaker and that has nuisance tripped but only when there is a power outage, either something about the power going out or coming back on causes it to see something it doesn't like. The last time it tripped there was nothing connected to the circuit, it was just romex to a single receptacle but it was when the power went out and came back on. It has a purple test button.
mattmia2
Re: AFCI Circuit Breakers
I use Square D QO breakers. Only the one issue noted previously with one breaker not liking one particular vacuum cleaner.
PC7060
Re: AFCI Circuit Breakers
Back to the OP. I think Eaton has some odball designs of AFCI breakers. They I think have a breaker that has a neutral connection for the breaker but not for the load. I didn't look in to this too far, maybe i will now, but they may be for use for the rule in the code about a certain type of breaker in the panel allows you to use an AFCI receptacle to meet the requirement in combination or they may have just been trying to get away with not having a neutral load connection. Of course everyone has a bad batch of product sometime too. I don't know that I would take accounts of people having problems with specific models of AFCI breaker as an inherent problem with the technology.
Also, refrigerant and oil are nonpolar. There should be no leakage current in a properly designed compressor. I more suspect that issues with refrigerators and GFCI trips have to do with wiring and terminals that aren't adequately protected from condensate and ice.
mattmia2