Startup Procedure After Flood

jalcoplumb_2

Call your insurance company. Most of the time depending on your coverage they will pay for the repair less the deductible of course. This is a very dangerous situation. If you do just clean out and start up the equipment and there is a problem later you are liable.

Rick W.

Startup After Flood

Water in basement is still rising here in N. Westchester County,N.Y.. Level, at present, is about 8 inches above burner(Carlin 99FRD). Was hoping to get some opinions on a procedure for restart after this place dries up. Thanks!

-Rick W.

Mitch_6

Check with the manufacturer.

Most boiler manufactures recommend everything mechanical or electrical be replaced if exposed to water in some cases they want "all" the electrical replaced since something submerged could have shorted and effected something that was not under water. They also want the combustion chamber and insulation changed.

You can usually find a service bulletin on the subject at the manufacturers web site.

Mitch S.

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Jim Bennett

Pics...

Cut and paste this:

http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&&Message_ID=257662&_#Message257662

Here you will find some pictures posted that will show you what can happen with flooding.

Good luck,
Jim

Unknown

Gets to where you might as well just yank the whole thing and replace with new.

Mark Hunt

Excellent


let's hyper-link it.

Mark "knee deep and bailin'" H

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Rik

There is hope

Because this is flood related damage, a homeowners policy will almost definitely not cover anything. Your only chance for insurance coverage would be if you have a federal flood insurance policy. If you do, great. If not, I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it. It is pretty lousy insurance - would only cover the depreciated value of the boiler, and I bet wouldn't be worth the deductible plus one or two years premiums.

I wouldn't give up on your current boiler. As others have said, you should have electronic components replaced (controls, flame detector eye, transformer, probably motor), and get someone in there ASAP to clean or replace the nozzle, electrodes, and fan. Definitely don't let things sit there for weeks and start corroding, or they probably will start to look more like the pictures referenced above (although those mostly look like they just haven't had the silt cleaned off.) Get the burner fixed and fired so it can thoroughly dry the boiler & insulation out. The good thing is it sounds like groundwater seeping through your walls/floors, which should be relatively free of mud compared to surface water running in.

Granted, I'm no expert, but I did have an oil-fired steam boiler flood last summer. We were lucky enough to get a good professional in within 48 hours and haven't had any problems since.

Gas and LP appliances are a whole different story, I did not hear of any flood victims last summer who were able to get flooded LP appliances going again without complete burner replacements (myself included.) But oil boiler can be saved. My motor didn't even need to be replaced, so it amounted to an hour of labor and a couple hundred in parts. Definitely less than a complete replacement.

Rick W.

Oil and water definitely don't mix! Thanks for the replies - as a "cash oil" customer, hadn't many options today other than attempt restart myself or face the wrath of my wife should another cold shower greet her in the AM!
Dried out, cleaned out; that old Carlin seems to be humming along (primary and CAD too).

-Rick W.

John@Reliable_14

Rick W be perpared.............

most of the time they will work, for a little while that is. As long as they didn't try to start under water, and you dryed them out real good, all may be good. Most of the time sorry to say something will fail in the next month.

Leo

In some cases

In our area insurance won't cover flooding but will cover water damage, I know it sounds strange. That being said if were repaired now it's covered but wait a month or two and too late. If parts were submerged just firing it back up isn't the best idea.

Leo

Mitch_6

It may work for now but

you may also have an unexpected and serious problem in the future.

I would assume your wife would be more concerned with her safety than being cold. You should have someone that know what they are doing or at least contact the manufacturer for proper advice.

Mitch S.

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Dave Yates (GrandPAH)_2

GAMA link

There's a link here to the GAMA site & their position.

http://www.contractormag.com/articles/column.cfm?columnid=570

JoeV_2

I just returned from a dr's visit. The office wants cash up front and lets the patient deal with insurance. He has a plaque in his office that says:

" The insurance industry is the only industry that wants you to pay for their product but not use it".

Pat_26

Mine was flooded too

My heat went out at 10:30 last night. I checked the basement and we had 1.5 feet of water. I went out today and got a pump, cleared the water. The boiler (oil) will not restart. There's a red telltale that has popped out on the side of the motor and it won't stay in. My oil tech said that a safety feature on our unit is that if the motor gets wet it will burn out to prevent fires etc. He said that the motor has to be replaced.

FYI (and good luck, W'chester! We're in Northern Orange County)
--Pat