Information About ideal 2 Redflash Boiler

glife4me

First off Im new to the forum and to radiant heat. So please bear with me as Im no professional. We recently moved into an old house. Whether we are buying it is still up for debate. This house was built in 1895. And is beautiful. But has a radiator system as its sole source of heat. Upon moving in i was impressed with the heat as it was equal warmth throughout the house except for one upstairs bedroom. Which was later solved by bleeding all the radiators. For a full month of heating the house with thermostat on 68 ( average temperature for the month was 46F) we have received a bill for over 400 dollars. Which strikes me as high. The house has been neglected for a long time. So im wanting to know what all maintenance should be done to the heating system and what could make it more efficient. What needs to be checked and any helpful information overall. I can tell you the obvious things and can provide any more information that i can be told how to find.

Boiler is American Radiator Ideal 2 Redflash Boiler

12 Radiators in the house all american radiators. (all bled 5 turned off)

Stanflame conversion burner ( for running on gas as it used to be oil)

And beyond that im clueless. Any help is appreciated. Thank you. 

Attached is a picture of the boiler

Charlie from wmass

Yes I would say that is higher than a properly installed

modern boiler would cost to run. You have a Gravity heating system which is good as the system was designed for the water to move through it simply by the density difference as it warms. A modern boiler would require pumps to distribute the water and to keep it flowing through the boiler at the proper speed. The Modulating Condensing boilers do well with the large volume of a gravity system like you have. Also the design of your system should allow nice low water temps which translate to lower energy usage. A proper heat loss will need to be done to size the boiler and set an outdoor reset control. Service on the boiler is a basic clean and vacuum of the combustion side and inspection of the chimney and breeching. The water side could use a good flushing and making sure the expansion tank is not water logged.

glife4me

Instructions Please

Any instructions on how to do this safely and a proper method of which to flush it out.

glife4me

waste of time thanks

i bet if i had said i have large amounts of money to pay someone i might have actually got an answer. what a helpful forum

Charlie from wmass

Sorry about your boiler

It has everything to do with your money, I do not want to waste your money. If you flush the boiler you may expose leaks that are simply being held together by 60 years or more of sludge. There is no good way to flush your system due to the lack of provisions by the original install. Brush and vacuum the inside and save for a new boiler. That is the most practical advice I can give you.

Brad White

Instructions

There is always a danger thus a reluctance to give instructions unless we get a sense of your abilities. There are jobs specifically for the professionals which include but are never limited to combustion adjustments, burner service, cleaning of flue-ways, etc.



Flushing a boiler sounds simple and often it is, but we get stories of folks going about it by hooking up plastic garden hose and not waiting for the hot boiler to cool. Common sense stuff, but we have to draw a line of comfort in asking if one knows what they are doing.



I will offer this about gravity HW systems as you seem to have. They are about as sweet a find as you can hope for, when matched to the right boiler and controlled right. Silent, effective and very comfortable if they were designed right. Yours seems to be, venting that one radiator took care of your cold spot, from what you said.  But trying to flush a gravity system, because of the large pipes, takes lots of water OR chemicals to loosen the debris that may have formed. Large pipes means low velocities, so it is not as if you can hook up a hose and get to 3 feet per second velocity or more. Just an example.



What is your confidence level and experience and do you know when to call a professional? Venting the radiators is a good start, but let's have that conversation first.

Brad White

Do I detect sarcasm?

I sense a certain tone here coming from you, am I wrong?



You got two good responses within 20 to 24 minutes of your posting, yet you imply that our helpfulness is predicated on the wealth of the person asking the question. There is no such litmus test and that, frankly, is insulting.



As for your money, none of us get paid to be here. We do want to help and love to do so, but it is also a two-way street. We go well out of our way here, with pride, love of what we do and without any thought of compensation.



If you do not get the answers you like for whatever reason, no harm in asking again. Just be nice.



Thanks.

altamira

American Boiler Red Flash #2

I'm looking for someone in San Antonio who can work on my old boiler. It has passed inspection ever year and heats the building nicely, but the water level has begun to go down rapidly, so that I have to add water to the system every cold day when the boiler is kept active.

eric62

1928 coal converted...American Radiator Company Red Jacket....using original Gas Burner in 2024

eric62

After asbestos abatement 

eric62

These were 65% efficient......now 95% efficient.....house was built in 1876, is getting a new Rannai on demand combination unit.  Bill should be cut in half.  Home is blown insulation and energy rated windows. This ran like a champ and I have mixed feelings. Feel like I took grandma for icecream and I'm dropping her at the nursing home. I will be never get the life out of the new one, I did this. One appliance running 96 years.

ChrisJ

eric62 said:

These were 65% efficient......now 95% efficient.....house was built in 1876, is getting a new Rannai on demand combination unit.  Bill should be cut in half.  Home is blown insulation and energy rated windows. This ran like a champ and I have mixed feelings. Feel like I took grandma for icecream and I'm dropping her at the nursing home. I will be never get the life out of the new one, I did this. One appliance running 96 years.

The Red flash that was converted to oil that I saw tested at 80%

They were 3 pass boilers and are never 65% unless something is really really wrong.  Personally id recommend against a combi boiler.