Best Of
Re: What about HTP floor boiler system with the large tub of water--comments please
New Books by Ray Wohlfarth
@RayWohlfarth recently published two books that will help you troubleshoot problems on the job. Check them out here:
Lessons Learned Troubleshooting Hydronic Heating Systems
Lessons Learned Troubleshooting Steam Heating
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Ray!
Re: Possible DIY boiler replacement questions
To really close out this thread…
After an entire winter running with the newly replaced heat exchanger and swapping parts to make this boiler a 75kBTU I can say that this was a success. No issues since I did the work and I have used about 13% less gas in terms of Therms/HDD day than last year and even though it was a mild winter we did have 1 week that was below 10 degrees with a couple overnights down to the design temp. The boiler easily kept up on the coldest nights while still not running continually, which was expected as my calculations said I was still oversized.
Re: Tim McElwain shutting down training center - equipment available for free
Re: Tim McElwain shutting down training center - equipment available for free
Re: Your nightmare...
Many years ago I was taught the rules to be a plumber, I will mention them again for the uninformed. "Poop" flows downhill, don't bite your fingernails, and pay day is on Friday. The main reason I never became a plumber is, I bite my nails!
Re: Vintage 1909 Gravity Hot Water Heating System
The first one is a Standard Radiator Mfg Co out of Buffalo, NY and the other you mentioned (my dining room and favorite radiator) is Erie Radiator by the Jarecki Manufacturing Co out of Erie, PA.
Re: New York gas piping
Years ago, what was basically available to us was only Hercules white Teflon paste, gray Pipe Dope, and wick. We used gray pipe dope on nearly everything but if liquid were running through the pipe then we'd use wick first and brush dope or teflon over it.
The theory was always that if water reached the wick, it would expand and seal the threads, so it was a water application. Never on gas.
Years later, Teflon tape became very popular and it could be used on nearly every non-industrial-level application for gas, water, or anything else for that matter.
When I took my Master Plumber's exam we weren't allowed to use anything at all on the threads when making them up. I believe it was about 30 joints. The exam had us assembling the black pipe joints and fittings, filling the assembly with 100 PSI of air and submerging it in a big tub of water to see if it leaked (instant failure). We were told repeatedly by our course instructors when taking the exam prep class that all of the above products (teflon paste, tape, pipe dope) are nothing but lubricants that help you make the joint tighter. Only the black and terrible product Permatex was a sealant, which was obvious because it would dry and cure and be a nightmare to get apart later on.
So, I've gone my whole professional career not making a big deal about how to dress threads since it's absolutely the threads themselves that hold back the contents of the pipe.
I've read this thread and asked several Master Plumbers in my association about the claims presented and no one has heard anything about it.
Codes change suddenly and without much notification but my belief as of this moment is that pipe dope is still absolutely allowed on gas pipe in NYC.