New Boiler--but still having problems. Pressure?

Boston_2

I am just a home owner, but I have been exactly where you are not to long ago (we converted from oil to gas with a new Burnham IN6. My suggestion is to take a few pictures of the boiler and near boiler piping and let some of the professionals on the site critique the installation.
Allowing the system to build more pressure is defiantly not the answer. Single pipe steam systems are designed to run on low pressure steam and the more pressure will actually slow things down (sounds counter intuitive, I know) .
We got the same feedback from our installer who kept turning up the pressure until steam started pouring out of the valve stems

My other suggestion is to purchase one of Dan’s books, it’s worth the investment.

N McDaniel

New Boiler--but still having problems. Pressure?

Hi everyone.

I recently switched from an oil-fired steam boiler to a new Burnham gas-fired one. It's a single-pipe system with two mains. I had end-of-main vents installed at the same time as the boiler. I also interviewed no fewer than 14 companies until I found one that sized the boiler properly and would do the installation with all hard pipe. Even so, it hasn't gone smoothly.

I've had the company come back once already because we were without heat (turns out the damper wouldn't open and that was replaced, but now it sounds like a horror movie sound effect whenever it opens or closes because of the metal scraping). It's been working since then, but cycles on and off every 5 minutes or so (which we notice in particular because of the horrific noise).

Then they came back a couple of days ago to do the service (skimming, etc) and to balance the system. In the process, they turned up the pressuretrol (to 2 psi) and installed 4 new air vents at some of our more troublesome radiators. Those radiators heated up much faster when we turned the system back on. But...

The next morning we had no heat again. I called the company, and they came right over and turned up the pressuretrol (now it's at 3) saying that sometimes these pieces are not "accurate." The heat's working again, but it still seems to cycle on/off rapidly, the radiators with the new air vents are venting steam (feels like a jungle in those rooms), and I'm more than a little concerned that we're not fixing the real problem.

Thanks to many hours spent on this website, I'm already perceived as one of those customers (the warning was literally "she's read the book") who thinks they know everything. I don't, of course, but we just made a significant investment in this boiler and I want to make sure that it works the way that it's supposed to and that we're not shortening it's life or reducing the efficiency with these repairs.

I'd appreciate any advice or guidance that you could give me. Many thanks...

Nikki

N McDaniel

Hi Boston,

Thanks. This is exactly what I was thinking. I have several of Dan's books and so I KNOW that the pressure should be lower. The problem is that turning it up seems to have "fixed" the problem with the heat not coming on at all. I'm sure that there is some other underlying problem, in fact. But I'm not sure how to direct the installer to look for/fix it since I really can't be sure where the problem might be coming from.

David Nadle

Are your mains vented and insulated?

N McDaniel

Both mains are insulated (well, except for the pipe joints...haven't gotten to that yet) and vented (both new).

David Nadle

Post some pics of the boiler piping and the main vents. It will help a lot.

Rich_47

section 8

Sound like you guys are section 8 and have no problem but your selves. If you need summer tempatures move to Florida...

nicholas bonham-carter

steam probs

get them to take off the vents, and put on ball valves temporarily.then you can fire up the boiler [at lowest pressure possible on the pressuretrol] with the valves open, and observe how the steam comes out-is it full of water?
close the valves, and check the radiators-are they evenly hot?
you will sooner or later need a vaporstat-why not now?don't forget a good low pressure gauge so you know what the pressure really is.in my 60 rad system the vents have removed the air at 2-3 ounces and my high limit cut-out is 10 oz, and you can too!--nbc