High gas bills

ttekushan_3

I have a funny feeling you will have a chance to return to that job with a camera!

Someone must have been thinking "air eliminator" with hot water on the brain. All that water really cramps steam's style.

Is this an atmospheric gas boiler? Some boiler manufacturers claim as high as 4:1 turndown, but I can't imagine being able to control excess air at that level even if you install a two way barometric damper instead of a draft hood.

I don't know If I should say this out loud, but out of desperation, I once downsized an atmospheric sectional cast iron boiler by a) plugging two of the burner orifices, one on each end of the boiler, b) baffling the two unused spaces with the kind of silicate insulation you find around the base, then c)baffling the now-too-large flue pipe with sheet metal (as instructed in many boiler installation manuals) to control draft so the excess air doesn't kill you. I wrapped up the project by touching up or down (down a little, as I recall) the manifold pressure.

This isn't as efficient as a properly sized boiler, of course, but you can't beat the results for the price of admission.

World Plumber

High Gas Bills

I need a camera in the truck! Hum I imagine so. Steam system. The boiler is 2-1/4 times the radiant load. The piping #@# side take off elbowed around to back of boiler and teed back to the return then up to the mains. I cann't see any concievable way for the vents to work they tapped into the wet main at the back of the boiler and ran 1/2 inch copper tube up to the ceiling then installed Gorton #1's there are 4 of these. How is the air supposed to get through the 12 feet of water filled pipe to get to the vents. Is it me or would you agree this boiler has some issues? This might be a good place to try out what I learned at Dead Man's Steam school.
The steam load is 219.5 feet and the boiler is rated at 465 feet of steam. Should I even attempt to try and get this boiler to work. I had the thought of down firing the boiler as much as possable and installing main vents. If that works then going back and repiping the boiler. Is it worth the try? Maximum down fire will still be double what is needed.

World Plumber

Downfiring

I know the people don't want to buy another new boiler right off. I was able do drop 40,000 btu's on a simular sized boiler but a little larger load. To repipe this boiler It'll only be the vent pipe and gas line still connected. I'm leaving for France Monday so I'll have time to maul it around in my head.(It'll be heat pump mode for the next 40 days anybody have a magic granite drill)[the walls are 32 inches thick of granite] I'm thinking of going back and adding vents. Down fire as much as I can with the gas pressure and see if I can get the house to heat. If the boiler will cycle at a reasonable rate and the back of the house heats then recomend the repiping. If not suggest changing the boiler. (other down firing options) I could change the orfices and baffle the air. I'll be back Chrismas week then they will probably want to wait till after the new year. I'll have to remember the baffles you suggested. I tried plugging before but the unit didn't boil right. I guess I could buy some plug orfices do the calculations for the needed btu's and drill the orfices to the coresponding rate. Not sure how that will work with the extra cast and water. It would probably be experiment and go up one drill size till it filled the system in a reasonable time with out excess steam pressure.