mr.

grumpyjoe

I have a repco la1001r boiler. through the weatherization program, the old box draft hood was replaced with a barometric draft control. the chimney is an 8x12 brick with liner. they also replaced the 3" hot water flue with a 4". now I have a flue gas problem that did not exist before. all tests show adequate draft. but yet the smell of burnt fuel builds in the house to a point that I must air out the house.

the only way I can stop most of the smell is to disconnect the hot water, plug it's input, and choke the gas valve back to reduce flame in the boiler. the guys working on it say everything is o.k. and they have all the right tools to test draft co2 etc.  help.

Gordan

What does burnt gas smell like?

I'm not suggesting that you don't have an issue, in which case I'd be very concerned about the health and safety of the inhabitants, so make sure you at least have CO detectors in your living quarters AFTER you have a pro check out draft, but - is it possible that it's something simple, like air inside the house not getting drawn out the flue (and replaced with outdoor air) at the same rate due to the weatherization, and air inside the house simply being stale?

grumpyjoe

mr.

I had thought of that. The smell is similar to t5he exahast of a catalitic converter on a car(similar). I have a back up electric furnace and if I turn it on, and the gas off , the smell is gone. The smell is exactly like the smell of a gas oven that doesn't have a range hood. I have no doubt it is flue gas. yes I have co detectors, the co reading at the boiler is 21 parts per so it isn't too dangerous?????

also this problem started the day they changed the draft controls. before the house was weatherized.

Gordan

Are you referring to the CO numbers from the combustion analysis?

The ones that were measured when no inadequate draft condition existed?



Unless you live in a yurt or a teepee with a hole at the top, I can't imagine that spilling combustion products into your living space is a good idea. (And it might be a bad idea even under those circumstances, though CO poisoning death statistics might be spotty among hunter-gatherer populations, and death from freezing might have been a greater concern.) If there's inadequate draft, then there could be inadequate combustion air supply, as well, and then those CO numbers could be expected to go up.



You mention a range hood. Do you have one? Or some other type of fairly beefy mechanical exhaust?

grumpyjoe

mr.

The co numbers were done with the "worst case senerio". i.e. dryer, vent hood, hot water heater all running. 

the tru problem is so vexing because the draft #'s are sufficient at all times.

I have a vent hood, and it was on when the readings were taken. When I described the smell, I was at a friends house and recognised the odor, they were baking without a hood. the biggest difference I can see in this problem, is that in the original configuration, the boiler relied on thermal rise to draft into an open bottom box with a baffle and now it is under a constant vacuum from the new configuration. they also extended the vent pipes about to the middle of the flue.

Is ther such a thing that the chimney is too big and flue gas is cooling and falling back into the home?

icesailor

Gas Odor:

If you can smell any form of flue gas, you have a serious problem. The fact that you didn't smell it until they did the weatherization project is the proof.

You do not understand the draft issues, The issues are very complicated and it will take a skilled technician to solve your problem. You do not have enough combustion air or free air for draft. The people that did the install of the new draft damper system don't understand either.

It sounds like you have a gas boiler and a gas water heater. Both had draft hoods. Now, only the water heater has a draft hood. The boiler has a double acting Model "M" draft damper. If they tightened up the house, and there isn't enough make up air, and the two vent terminations enter the chimney separately, you can have a circular draft situation where the boiler gas enters the chimney, then enters the water heater flue, and comes out the draft hood. It then goes into the boiler and gets recycled through the boiler. It is a very dangerous situation. CO,Carbon Monoxide is a serious consideration.

Get this fixed.

grumpyjoe

mr

Thank you very much. that is exactly what I have (boiler, water heater, and new m- double draft hood. I do understand the recirculating theory and is what I have told them from the start. They are proffessionals, but sometimes these guys don't listen to customers. I am a disabled construction company owner and I have installed over 50 heating units and serviced countless more. I also beleive that by them extending the flue pipes 6" into the chimney has made that problem even worse. the other thing they did was install the draft control right on top of the boiler instead of the optimal place at the elbo to the chimney.

Once again thanks

do you think that it should be put back to a hood type flue draft?

also , since they also put on a new circulator pump, It sounds like base balls in the boiler. we have bled all the air possible and the sound is in the boiler. they say it is because of the hard water. It never did it in the last 10 yrs. It gets loud enough to wake me up. what do you think?

RobbieDo

NEC Bonding Gas Lines

(B) Other Metal Piping. Where installed in or attached to a building or structure, a metal piping system(s), including gas piping, that is likely to become energized shall be bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the service, the grounding electrode conductor where of sufficient size, or the one or more grounding electrodes used. The bonding jumper(s) shall be sized in accordance with 250.122, using the rating of the circuit that is likely to energize the piping system(s). The equipment grounding conductor for the circuit that is likely to energize the piping shall be permitted to serve as the bonding means. The points of attachment of the bonding jumper(s) shall be accessible.



FPN: Bonding all piping and metal air ducts within the premises will provide additional safety.



This is from the National Electric Code Book. I always follow this rule, the inspector allows looks for it or I show him that it is all bonded. Might sound stupid but these regulations are here for protection. I do ALL of my electrical work per the NEC code, I'm also an Electrician/HVAC tech.

grumpyjoe

mr

thanks rob, but what does this have to do with my problem?

grumpyjoe

mr

the boiler I have is an atmospheric burner that used to have a draft hood.

Now with a barametric control hooked directly to the boiler, I get fumes in the house.

grumpyjoe

mr

the boiler I have is an atmospheric burner that used to have a draft hood.

Now with a barametric control hooked directly to the boiler, I get fumes in the house.

RobbieDo

Mis-posted

I'm sorry, I mis-posted this NEC Code this morning on this thread which was the wrong thread, sorry..