Best Of
Re: Roll up the sleeves on this one
The Webster "Modulation" system didn't use a Return Trap. The "Type R" system did. Both used Vent Traps.
Re: Is my plumbing wrong
Why bother ? Since (unless I missed it) there are no radiators from where the smaller 'Copper Main' connects into the larger normal Main to where the loop seal is, you don't need steam there, It is like a dead end street with no houses that still needs storm sewers so the unused street won't flood allowing the water to migrate out into the other connecting street.
Now if you want to also put a steam trap there or an additional vent to enhance overall system venting (which the system probably needs) I am fine with that too.
I would not just remove the loop seal as others suggested, unless that section of the Main is pitched to drain away from the newly made dead end (basically counter flow). Since there is no other drips to a wet return in that area where is the condensate in the Main going to go ? All the way back to the boiler through the Main. The normal Main would be 1/3 ish full of condensate by the time it would drain into the smaller 'Copper Main'.
It is hard to tell but the Main looks like it fairly level and I believe it was intended to be parallel flow. So you need to deal with the condensate at that part of the system and not allow steam to enter the dry return.
EDIT: Presently the Loop Seal vents no air, unless the steam pressure is high enough to push it through the loop seal, maybe by design ? It definitely would not vent any air if removed.
Vent #3 in the pictures looks like a radiator vent anyways, not a main vent.
109A_5
Re: Gas fired boiler no heat
Spaghetti works, especially when there isn't a BBQ lighter handy.๐๏ธ "โ" Try it.
Intplm.
Re: Gas fired boiler no heat
Hi, I wouldn't be surprised if someone here would be willing to use something like Facetime to walk you through the process of figuring it out. Most important is staying safe. I like having tools around. A simple analog volt-ohm meter is probably under $20 and if you had one, it would make the troubleshooting process safer and go better. Then you would get to have this nifty tool to keep and show off! Just a thought. ๐
Yours, Larry
Re: She canna take any more, Cap'n! She's gonna blow!
I'm listening to all of this, not sure where that comment came from. I have piped the air elimination exactly as B&G specifies with the IAS (Internal Air Separator) piped to the Airtrol on the compression tank. And I have stated this before in a different post "In Praise Of Airtrol" - because this setup has eliminated the air accumulation at the top of the system the plagued me for years.
Believe me when I say there are no other air elimination devices installed. Zip, nada, zilch. The boiler does not have one, and I did all the near-boiler piping and it's just black iron pipe and fittings, zone valves, ball valves, and a Caleffi thermostatic valve.
I simply don't see any difference between emptying the tank completely then filling it back half-full with fresh water, and doing what I did which was to simply reduce the water level to half-full. And I don't see any difference between pressurizing a half-full tank by hand versus using water into an empty tank to pressurize. At least this way I am starting from a known state: 12 gallons of water, 10 psi. Either way you end up with 12 gallons of water and 12 gallons of air at a certain psi.
Yes the psi is not 18 as it should be. But for operational purposes, with the system filled with water, I don't see that it's needed. The circulator is moving water through the system just fine. And this is just temporary to see if the pressure will now stay below 30 with a setpoint of 170 and the correct amount of air in the compression tank.
Probably the root cause is that with the additional piping and radiators added over the original installation, I have exceeded the capacity of the compression tank. That is my working theory right now anyway. This problem has only been exposed because I a) eliminated the air in the system, which in the past was allowing some extra room for water to expand, and b) I am hitting a higher setpoint of 170 than I was in the past. So one easy solution might be to simply reduce that setpoint to say 165. That might well work even with a cold PSI of 18.
โEric
Re: Gas fired boiler no heat
Never met a pilot, that could not be reached with a BBQ lighter.
Re: Smoke smell in house with oil boiler
how close are the neighbors?
are you smelling their burner ?
do you smell this outdoors?
neilc
Re: Smoke smell in house with oil boiler
If you're getting the odor even if the boiler has not run on a number of days then I'll wager it's not the boiler. It could be related to the boiler but it's not combustion related. I would look for an old buried fuel line, contaminated soil in the cellar an oil leak. An old spill etc
Grallert
Re: Gas fired boiler no heat
Where are you located? Maybe we can find a benevolent soul. I really don't think that you should be doing these things yourself. There's an awful lot of risk involved. That wire has nothing to do with the pilot light.