New Steamer Install by Steamhead and Gordo

JohnNY

Couple of quick questions:<BR>
1. How many sections is that boiler?<BR>
2. Is the efficiency gained by the power burner negated by the increased electric consumption over a natural draft boiler?

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Steamhead (in transit)

Old Boiler Removal

The "old" boiler lasted only 15 years. My son and I took it out. It is now on its way to China.

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Steamhead (in transit)

New Boiler Install

We installed a VXT feeder with counter to act as a tell-tale to find any leaks that would kill this boiler prematurely.

We also make it a rule to install a blown-down valve on the sight-glass and mount the pigtail way above the water-line.

The factory instruction manual calls for a 2" header. We install a 3" header and get much drier steam.


We like the Smith 8 series boilers because they are factory approved to burn either oil or gas.

The Carlin EZ gas burner sets up nice and the unit, due to the tighter control of the air/fuel mixture and the wet base design of the boiler, burns with a significantly greater burner efficiency than an atmospheric type boiler.

We believe that increasing fuel costs will consign the atmospheric type boiler to its justified doom.

We earnestly hope that this boiler will be providing heat long after we are Dead Men.



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steveex

correct me if im am wrong, its looks like a brooklyn basement to me

Steamhead (in transit)

No, it's in Baltimore

The largest small town in America.



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Ross_7

Capped riser?

Did you guys cap one of the risers? Or am I looking at that picture right? TIA
Ross

Bruce M_2

Great Looking Installaton

Gordo, you should send those picture to the folks at Smith, I am sure they would appreciate seeing one of their boilers done correctly. Is there a reason for the three separate water heaters? Maybe a large house converted into apartments.

Steamhead (in transit)

Answers

Ross, the 5-section G-8 steamer only requires one 2-inch riser to the header. We use nipples and caps instead of plugs so if we have to open them up for flushing out or some other reason, it will be much easier to do. You can see we did the same with the skim tapping and the extra return tapping at the lower left front of the boiler.

Bruce, you're right- house was converted to 3 apartments.

John, it's the 5-section model. The PSC motor on that EZ-Gas is only 1/15 HP so its consumption is even less than the 1/7 HP PSC motors used on oil burners these days. Not sure how much current it actually draws but it can't be much. And these boilers make steam VERY quickly, so the running time would be a bit less. No doubt the wet base and the power burner's lesser excess air contribute to this.

The thermal efficiency (DOE output BTU as a percentage of input BTU, before AFUE and the Net ratings are calculated) of the typical atmospheric boiler is about 80%. On the G-8 (and the Solaia which we prefer for hot-water) it is 86%. That 6% difference makes quite an impact with fuel costs as high as they are. And the fact that it can still use the existing chimney simplifies installation, especially in houses with lots of windows and insufficient snow line clearance.

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JohnNY

Well done.

Thanks for your thorough answers.

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Bruce Stevens_2

Gr8 looking

job as always, you two are an inpiration to us all

Steamhead (in transit)

We did our homework

before deciding to use these boilers on gas. The first one we installed is nearing the end of its first heating season. I'll have to get in touch with the owner and see what his usage has been, I suspect it's lower than his neighbors ;-)

I should also note that the 8 series boilers are quite heavy. The 5-section weighs in at roughly 750 pounds, good thing we made sure we had extra help that day!

I suggest that if you install these boilers, you keep a stock of EZ-Gas burner parts- motor, gas valve, ignitor, primary, ignition electrode, flame sensor rod, differential pressure switch- if they are not normally stocked in your area. We do.

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bob young

good show

the blow down ball valve on sight glass is a beautiful thing. now that should be code.

Steamhead (in transit)

CSD-1 Code

Requires it, but you are right, it should be code on ALL steamers.

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Ross_7

Smith G8

I see, Frank. Two risers are only necessary if the G8 is 6 sections or more, per the install manual. I have never installed any Smith Boilers, so thanks for the insight!
Ross.

Steamhead (in transit)

Some more pics

Photos 1, 2 and 4 are views of the boiler. Photo 3 is the vent for the long main, about 55 feet of 2-inch pipe, vented with a Gorton #2 that replaced a Hoffman #4A.

Photo 6 is the vent for the short main, something like 25 feet of 1-1/2" pipe, hiding behind the backer board for the electric panel. This vent is a straight-shank Gorton #6 with a 1/8" connection, bushed into a 1/4" riser and it replaced what I believe was an old Warco vent that was stuck shut. The owner didn't even know there was a vent back there.

The long main serves the front of the house, and the radiators in front now heat up properly.

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Steamhead (in transit)

Old vent pictures

Here are the pictures of the old vents.




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bill_97

Very sweet install

Bringing in the system mains separately is what makes you guys fantastic . How loud is the gas gun compared to an oil burner in that boiler ?

Steamhead (in transit)

Sound level

is about the same. Not objectionable at all. Thanks!

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Steamhead (in transit)

John, I looked up the motor info

the 1/15 HP 3450-RPM PSC motor on the EZ-Gas draws 1.25 amps at full load. A 1/7 HP 3450-RPM PSC oil burner motor draws about 1.7 amps, depending on the brand. By comparison, an old-style 1/7 HP 3450-RPM split-phase oil burner motor draws around 2.8 amps, again depending on the brand.

Our Carlin rep says the Carlin PSC oil burner motor will fit the EZ-Gas in a pinch.

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BRIANJ

Sight glass blowdown

Did the blowdown on the sight glass come with the boiler? Do you have a close up picture? I would like to add it to my Peerless 63-06 because of all the magnatite in my system I'm concerned that the nipples may become clogged.

Thanks, Brian

Steamhead (in transit)

No it didn't

I've never seen a sight glass assembly come with anything other than a drain plug in that location, which is worse than useless. The ball valve in the pic is 1/4-inch on one end and has a hose connection on the other. Not sure who makes it, there's nothing on the handle but there is an M on the body so it might be Mueller.

"Steamhead"

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BRIANJ

Ball Valve

Thanks Steamhead. I'll look for one at my local supply house or possibly McMaster-Carr.