Best Of
Re: Wrestit wrench
no, but i have a guillotine type pipe vise I bought off ebay for like $30 that i've been meaning to bolt to a couple foot long piece of 2x.
mattmia2
Re: Calling Peerless 63-series Owners: A Venting Mystery
So now I'm not only having trouble procuring a mystery part, I'm also not having any luck finding the three-burner bracket I need to support the burner tubes on the far end of the gas manifold. There are none in stock, even at the factory.
When I gently pointed out that they need to be made for the 63-03L model, I was told that Peerless was moving to the '63x' model — which I think™ is the Burnham clone I've read about on the forum recently.
I just hope I'm right in thinking I've got a lifetime supply of Peerless boiler in my basement right now…
As far as the bracket, I might be able to work something up using vent pipe and tin snips. If that looks iffy, I'll just leave everything as is.
mattmich
Re: When to NOT use sharkbite? A question
What happens if the earth stops spinning tomorrow?
hot_rod
Re: When to NOT use sharkbite? A question
Jamie, I too work in Historic homes (some 250 yrs plus) for 40 years now. Never burned a house down or even got close. I use qaulity Torches & Tips (Turbotorch) . I have tiny tips to huge. I also have a steady hand and a big bucket of water next to me. Never an issue. What did all these Deadmen & Old Time plumbers do without Propress & Sharkbites?
Jamie..they make non asbestos pipe torch shields for "impossible" spots. They work. Mad Dog
Re: When to NOT use sharkbite? A question
I have 3/4" Sharkbites on either side of my whole house water filter and they feel the abusive torque when I spin the filter housing off and on monthly since 2019. They still hold water. The reason I use shark bites here is if the filter housing starts leaking, all I have to do it remove it and install a piece of precut copper to keep the water flowing while I look for a new housing.
Propress is nice because at work, I don't have to fulfill the requirements of a burn permit. And, as we found out, damn nice to have when you find a 3" tee brazed during construction leaking and a valve 50 ft away that wont hold water. We still got wet but we replaced the tee and no longer had a leak. Can't do that with a torch and my freezer only goes up to 2".
99% off my home is sweated copper but if I make changes, I'll use a propress to eliminate the risk of a fire.
SlamDunk
Re: When to NOT use sharkbite? A question
I was not a believer of shark bites when they first started on the market. I am probably the biggest none believer / cynic when it comes to new stuff being introduced in the trade. Believe-you-me, I have, and have seen many get burned by some new shlock that is "the next best thing". I also have not seen one blow off, blow up disintegrate , evaporate, etc… I have not witnessed said failures because they were most likely installed properly. So maybe for a DIY'r? It's a way out and a way in to get a job done. I certainly would not do a large job with them or as a contractor use them as a go-to fitting, but as much as I hate to admit it, they have there place.
Intplm.
Re: A Casual Survey: Homeowner GC'ing their job
Actual professional experience in one trade is a big plus, but I've had DIYrs & Corporate Office types that were brutal. What I have found is that the HO/GC leans on the "subs" too much because they are not knowledgeable enough & frustrate them. Mad Dog
Re: Excessive Water Hammer / Knocking trying to find source
Hey guys! Update after the boiler guy came.
Hartford Loop is within spec, he showed me in the book and the height, he agreed it did look off and they probably shouldn't have cut across the boiler but it is working. He saw the surging and heard the knocking, water in my sight glass is far too low he suggested to keep it 1/2 filled and see if the surging stops, he filled it to 1/2 glass and ran the boiler for about an hour, no knocking or surging. it's been about 24 hours and the only knocking we've heard is the small "knock knock" that the rads do, nothing like the surging or violent banging we've been hearing.
The other issues, he agreed 100% there needs to be another vent on the main going from the second pipe. Problem, the cap is basically fused into the pipe, they'll have to cut it off and refit it. Going to do that in the summer. The current main vent is old and should be replaced. Again that'll go in the summer.
Pitch on all but 1 radiator is correct, but the bigger issue with the rads is the air vents are on the top instead of the middle of the last piece, making them close way too early. They're going to correct that. One of my rads is leaking, the ball/socket is misaligned, they'll fix that.
The last thing he did was a very long skim and refill, he did put more stuff in it because the water was having a hard time turning clear, he told me let it sit in there for a week or two then flush it out again.
All and all they can do all these fixes in the same day, just need to schedule it, going to aim for May/June to do it, he said all in all the only cost would be the fitting for the capped pipe shoulder about $ in total for the part/labor, everything else hits my new boiler's warranty and no cost to me.
Thanks for all the insights guys absolutely appreciate all the help here. It's always great to be able to bring something to the table and have the repair guy listen to you.
Re: A Casual Survey: Homeowner GC'ing their job
I am a GC. Still, I've had clients who wanted to keep costs down. If they have the right skills for all the different parts of project management and if I know them pretty well, I'll help them do the job as needed. Some people can't take guidance and only want what they want now, with no ability to look longer term. I won't even refer people for those jobs.
Yours, Larry
Re: A Casual Survey: Homeowner GC'ing their job
I've GC'd before and things turned out well. I wouldn't have any problem doing it again.
