Destruction begins!

Daniel_3

Here's the beginning of the boiler removal. A 4 section Delco steam boiler. Still debating whether to go with a Burnham Independance 8 section or a Weil Mclain EG-65. Basically they are both the same price with the probe LWC and electronic ignition except Burnham doesn't come with a skim connection already installed and has two more cast iron sections for close to the same steam sqft. as the Weil 6 section. Burnham supplies 633 sqft steam and the Weil supplies 654 sqft of steam. I have 615 sqft. with the 1.33 pick-up. I'm leaning towards the Weil since I will most likely install one more rad in the attic and the Weil's design hasn't changed in about 25 years.

Christian Egli_2

Keeping history on the front burner

It's a small world, Delco when it's name still existed was a phenomenal company to be found in everyone's kitchen, under everyone's car, in every rural farm and... in your very own basement.

Messrs. Delco themselves, Charles Kettering and Edward Deeds had it all: both lived in steam heated homes and steam heated manufacturing plants and steam heated offices (all still here for the most part, one factory of which will become part of the National Parks System). Meanwhile, the ideas that came out of the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company are still being put to use by billions around the world - every time you start your engine, it goes click... vroom thanks to the starter which was a transplant of the motor that powered the NCR cash registers which go... cha ching. Both the brainchild of Kettering (the one of the Sloan Kettering Foundation).

I find it cool you had Delco steam. Around here Delco burners are still somewhat common.

Jim Bennett

One of our customers...

owns the Valeo plant in Rochester. This was originally Delco and Delco boilers and furnaces were built here.

There are six houses on the property that were originally built to be a test bed for heating products. It's a huge building! 1.5 million sq ft.

Hope all goes well Daniel! It's not to early in Boston? I had my heat running on Tuesday

Good luck,

Jim

Daniel_3

I was a little preemptive I confess yet with the windows and doors closed the radiant energy during the day should keep me warm. Right now at 22:42 in the house it is 68. The nights shall be cold for a little while longer but the day temps will take care of the night drops.

Daniel_3

I figured looking at the close up you would feel a warmth in your heart for Rochester, Jim. Take care!

Daniel_3

I love steam! This steamer will be saved. The Delco will be returned as salvage scrap for mere dollars

bob young

burnham rules

Go with the Burnham. the push nipples----- real metal vs. rubber on a steam boiler. think about it.

Unknown

weil mclains rules !

I'm a weil mclains boiler guy and not gettin paid to say this.. I never had a problem with the rubber gaskets and the ones that failed are the ones were improper installed and loaded with oily chemicals which is the death knell for all boilers....

Daniel_3

I definitely take that fact into consideration. The rubber on the nipples for the Weil Mclain can withstand the steam temperatures, can it not? If in the worst instance, down the road, there was a crack or leak it would be very difficult to remove the said section from the Burnham rather than the Weil. Of course with the correct and skilled install this shouldn't happen but nothing is flawless and without failure, so I also consider this in the choice. It's a tough choice.

Dave_4

I replaced my delco with a burnham boiler.

I've been very happy with my new Burnham boiler. Here's the link to the thread where I posted pictures of the old and the new.

Daniel_3

This is true rjbphd. No cleaning chemicals, oils, or anything else should be used in the Weil steamers upon installation. Actually Weil only uses vegetable oil in their facilities. A proper skim tapping after considering what oils reside on the black iron and standing pipes with scale and black stuff should do the trick.

Daniel_3

Looks very nice and pretty and your Delco was much cleaner than mine, much cleaner. I'm thinking the wet return portion of my dry returns will need to be copper since my wet returns now, done in iron, rotted right through. I'm not sure how many years it took but it eventually did happen. They PO's had some galvanized mixed with copper and black iron in piping configuration so that could have contributed yet this school of thought is still debatable.

Unknown

nice drop header

Nice drop header job, Tim. Been with the weil mclains since my father switched to them when National U.S. folded... Those boilers met their early death due to crazy teardowns to built the huge mc discomfort manison with sorched air system. Others that I've been servicing been going over 25 years without any problems.. Had one steam boiler that was improperly piped finally crapped out at 28 years.... The boiler dry fired due to lacks of maintenice on the low water cut off..