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Re: Weil-McLain downfiring disagreement with my oil company
If you're going to do the conversion, installing properly sized boilers would be the wise thing to do obviously, but maybe upfront money is a concern? Are the boilers twinned? Can you get away with running only one?Yes, up-front money is a concern. This is a 4-unit condo building, and I can only convince the other owners to do something if (1) it's going to save money with a short payback period, or (2) something breaks and needs replacing.
Can't run only one boiler because the re-plumbing risks messing up two independent well-balanced hydronic loops that would then need further costly balancing/rezoning.
Maybe if both boilers broke down simultaneously we could consider replumbing to a single new boiler, but in reality one boiler is going to break first, and we'll replace that one, then wait for the other to break.

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Re: Weil-McLain downfiring disagreement with my oil company
I appreciate everyone's input, pro or con (mostly con on this thread!) and I learn from each one. But I think you can understand my frustration. I'm a mechanical engineer and former rocket propulsion engineer (not kidding) with advanced course work in combustion, heat transfer, etc, and I can ask the same question of 20 heating techs and get 10 different answers.
So imagine what the average Joe Schmo homeowner feels like. He gets 10 different conflicting opinions ranging from "Yes, you can downfire to 65% as long as you're careful" to "No way you can do that," to insults for asking his boiler tech to do what other boiler techs said it was OK to do.
SMDH...
So imagine what the average Joe Schmo homeowner feels like. He gets 10 different conflicting opinions ranging from "Yes, you can downfire to 65% as long as you're careful" to "No way you can do that," to insults for asking his boiler tech to do what other boiler techs said it was OK to do.
SMDH...

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Re: Weil-McLain downfiring disagreement with my oil company
That is a good thought, but no. There's no way to connect the separate loops without creating more problems by messing with a piping layout that works remarkably well for a building that has 4 unconnected dwelling units, on 2 different floor levels, with only 2 thermostats, and no thermostat/zone control for the 2 upper floor units. The old timers who plumbed these loops knew what they were doing. The basement looks like a spaghetti nightmare of iron pipes of varying size up to 2", branching and reducing every which way, and yet the damned thing works like magic. The 2 upstairs units stay comfortable regardless of outdoor temperature even though they have no thermostats (the Tstats are in the downstairs units) and no active control. So I don't want to mess with sucess.
EDIT: any chance you could re-pipe and run one boiler?
We'll just leave it be until a boiler goes, then replace it with a smaller one.

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Manifold leak
My parents have a boiler setup from the 60's that required a new bearing assembly and motor. After the swap one of the port on the copper manifold started to leak. The leak is due to gasket deteriorating. The issue is that i am unfamiliar with the type of gasket, the best way to describe it would be like compressed grease. Any info what or how to replace this gasket would be appreciated.







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Re: Weil-McLain downfiring disagreement with my oil company
I respect the work of professionals and the difficulty of running a business that does involve liability. And I do understand the issues involved with condensation. We have a lined flue, and what I said to the tech was, "I understand there could be an issue with condensation if the flue gas gets too cool. So let's try running it at 0.9 gph and see what the gas temperature is. If it's below 325-350 net, we can turn the pump pressure up to increase the BTU input."
I've read on other threads here where techs have said they've downfired Weil McLains to 65% with no issues. I guess I just wish one of them worked for my oil company.
I've read on other threads here where techs have said they've downfired Weil McLains to 65% with no issues. I guess I just wish one of them worked for my oil company.

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Re: Can anybody ID this German thermostatic mix valve?
Looks like someone jammed a press female adapter on the outlet? I think that is a BSP thread.

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Re: Electrical Schematic
Sequencers have a time delay between the sets of contacts closing and then reopening.
The blower contacts 4 & 5 would close first for pre-purge.
Then some seconds later 1 & 3 would close for ignition.
When tstat satisfied the 1&3 open and 4&5 opens after post purge.
The second 24 volt relay might hold the blower on after the timing out of 4&5 opens.....if tstat still calling and one of the FRS opens.
This would make the inducer fan run, possibly cooling down the FRS to reset (if auto) and then refire.
Doesn't explain the problem.....not sure if my theory is correct either. Another WAG.
What is used for for tstat, probably not the Chronotherm. (which dates the boiler BTY).
The blower contacts 4 & 5 would close first for pre-purge.
Then some seconds later 1 & 3 would close for ignition.
When tstat satisfied the 1&3 open and 4&5 opens after post purge.
The second 24 volt relay might hold the blower on after the timing out of 4&5 opens.....if tstat still calling and one of the FRS opens.
This would make the inducer fan run, possibly cooling down the FRS to reset (if auto) and then refire.
Doesn't explain the problem.....not sure if my theory is correct either. Another WAG.
What is used for for tstat, probably not the Chronotherm. (which dates the boiler BTY).

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Re: Ramblings on Reliability
Some are familiar with the Peak Oil Theory. After a certain point Oil would become more expensive because it would become harder to find. It was a sound theory when postulated. Later Fracking changed everything, but that is not my point here.
I have my own Peak Tech Theory. Some Tech is good, but more is not better. I believe we are well past the point where Tech has reduced total cost of ownership (TCO). We hit Peak Tech at different times with different products. I personally like General Motors GMT800 Trucks 1999-2007. I think the amount of tech on those was just right.
The problem is unelected bureaucrats who make increasingly unrealistic efficiency and pollution demands on manufacturers. The manufacturers rarely push back, partly because of their conflict of interest in selling more product. (Planned Obsolescence). Many consumers don't know enough to push back, and become stuck with poorly engineered products that were rushed to market to meet a new unelected bureaucrat demand.
Next year The Supremes will review the Chevron Doctrine. That may change some of this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevron_U.S.A.,_Inc._v._Natural_Resources_Defense_Council,_Inc.#Opposition
I have my own Peak Tech Theory. Some Tech is good, but more is not better. I believe we are well past the point where Tech has reduced total cost of ownership (TCO). We hit Peak Tech at different times with different products. I personally like General Motors GMT800 Trucks 1999-2007. I think the amount of tech on those was just right.
The problem is unelected bureaucrats who make increasingly unrealistic efficiency and pollution demands on manufacturers. The manufacturers rarely push back, partly because of their conflict of interest in selling more product. (Planned Obsolescence). Many consumers don't know enough to push back, and become stuck with poorly engineered products that were rushed to market to meet a new unelected bureaucrat demand.
Next year The Supremes will review the Chevron Doctrine. That may change some of this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevron_U.S.A.,_Inc._v._Natural_Resources_Defense_Council,_Inc.#Opposition

2
Re: Lessons Learned Cataloging Old Pumps in the Catskills
I only know what I learned form reading people that know far more than I ever will. I would be inclined to go with a magnetic dirt separator and wet rotor ciruculator in a closed gravity conversion. Systems where you can't control the oxygen very well like a hot water loop directly off the water in a steam boiler are where a 3 piece circulator might be a lot happier than a wet rotor ciruculator.

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Re: No hot water / mixing valve replaced
Interesting screen name...Except for Erin...it's all men responding to your post.