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Rebuild the Firebox or Replace a No.16 HB Smith boiler?

Firedragon_4
Firedragon_4 Member Posts: 1,436
the Texaco TFR was a red Beckett AF and the Texaco TWJ was a Ducane (yuck)!

TFR = Texaco Flame Retention (3450 rpm)

TWJ = Texaco Whisper Jet (1725 rpm)

Comments

  • Joe_62
    Joe_62 Member Posts: 3
    Looking for advice on Rebuild the firebox or replace boiler

    I just found The Wall and thinks it's great!
    We have a classic in our basement, a No. 16 HB Smith single pipe steam boiler. It's kept us warm for the 15 years we've been in the house, using 1130 gals of No2 heating oil last season and 1150 gals the year before. My oil company told me its junk and should be replaced. It leaked water, but I think thats now solved with Hercules Boiler Liquid. The firebox is the question. See the pictures. Can a firebox be rebuilt? By whom? Any recommendations for a good Dead Man that will travel to Swampscott/Marblehead?
  • John@Reliable_10
    John@Reliable_10 Member Posts: 99
    Joe,

    I only looked at first picture and know it's time is past!
    Spend your $$ on a replacement,boiler seal is only a temp. repair.
  • Firedragon_4
    Firedragon_4 Member Posts: 1,436
    Great boiler in it's

    day and so is the Texaco TFR burner. The burner's 30-35 years old, the boiler's pushing 50-60, time to say bye-bye to two ole soldiers.

    Look up Scott Milne in the contractors section, if Chris Aiello does your job you'll be quite pleased. You can get a second opinion and price from your oil supplier (Petro) and one more and that should do it.

    Happy heating!
  • Steamhead (in transit)
    Steamhead (in transit) Member Posts: 6,688
    And be sure

    to save the old damper motor mounted on top of the boiler- it's a true museum piece!

    FD- Texaco TFR = Beckett AF?
  • Steamhead (in transit)
    Steamhead (in transit) Member Posts: 6,688
    Who made

    the Texaco Fuel Chief?
  • Firedragon_4
    Firedragon_4 Member Posts: 1,436
    Fuel Chief

    was Texaco's heating 'brand'.

    My wet-kit that I bought in 1968 and still use is a Fuel Chief in a green metal box.

    The furnaces were Dukane, the iron boilers were Dunkirk Blue Circle's and the water heaters and boosters were made by Traegeser. I don't remember who made the steel dry-base but that's never been a big seller in the Boston market anyway.
  • J.C.A._3
    J.C.A._3 Member Posts: 2,981
    Thanks for the plug,

    Firedragon, but I don't think Joe would like to pay the travel time associated for getting to and from Marblehead every day of the job, especially during the Salem Hallowwen Extravaganza.

    Chances are, I've worked on this puppy before. I'm going out on a limb here, but am guessing it's in the "Clifton" section of town. There were a ton of those installed in the area when the homes were built and Everyone is right. It's lived a good life. Get thee a few estimates, and make sure there isn't an "flame retardeant material problem" that needs to be addressed before proceeding any further. (It totally sucks when a job gets shut down because someone overlooked any of the dreaded stuff and the company won't be able to get there for a week or so....trust me on this one!)

    The company I used to work for, in town there, was a Texaco installer. We worked on lots of them and had our share of chamber replacements after the high speed ones went in. BTW, that is a backfilled brick chamber with a round Lynn chamber installed inside of it to take the heat off the bricks that are behind it. The high speed burners were hell on old firebrick and that was ONE approved method of dealing with it. The other was to fill the whole chamber in with vermiculite(sp), and cap it with "Stick-On" then place the burner in the door over the firebox. Big drill and a universal mounting plate.

    Joe, Wave bye-bye. That boiler did its job well for a long time and by my recollection, you're going to save about 250-350 gallons of oil per year. Chris
  • Joe_62
    Joe_62 Member Posts: 3
    Replace with Oil or Natural Gas ?

    Firedragon O-T-R thanks for the referal to Scott Milne, I've emailed him.

    On the replacement, the "rock or hardplace" question.. oil or natural gas? My father-in-law says natural gas because it burns cleaner, I have a constant 24x7 supply of fuel coming into the house, and I can remove the oil tank in the basement. Those are three positives, but also get one big negative: I'm tied to one and only one supplier.
    I'm interested in what others have to say here.
  • Leo
    Leo Member Posts: 770


    Hi Joe,

    You will find with a new oil system it is clean. The 24/7 argument holds true until there is a gas line break. If oil has been good to you why change? One last thing if gas is so much better why do they have to give free equipment to get people to switch?

    Leo
  • J.C.A._3
    J.C.A._3 Member Posts: 2,981
    Fuel choice,

    That's a tough one. The prices are running neck and neck right now, btu's to dollars wise.

    The other things to consider is the cost of ridding yourself of the oil tank, and ROI.(return on investment) My first thought goes to the area. There were multitudes of homes built in that area with no bulkheads, and do you want the cut up and cleaned tank dragged through your home, if it is one of them? On top of this, please also consider the cost associated with the cover material "abatement", and recovering the steam pipes that will be needed.Also throw in the cost to line the chimney!(it Will be needed if you convert) It would be nice to be able to leave it "as-is" but think longterm here. Not too many banks will write a mortage for a home with the dreaded A as part of the deal,even if it's in good shape!

    In our area, Gas and Oil have always been a guessing game. When the price of oil goes up, the price of gas is sure to follow and generally will keep pace on the cost/btu basis. According to sales rules, (uh-oh, here it comes the effluent is about to hit the air movement device!!!!)you can SHOP for oil if you desire. With gas, you're roped in to 1 supplier for the most part.

    Dollars to donuts,I'd consider sticking with oil. Seems to have historically given the best bang for the buck in this area. ALSO, consider that...an oil boiler can USUALLY be converted to burn gas if the costs get out of hand, whereas a gas boiler will never be able to burn oil if the trend goes the other way.(JMHO) Chris
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