Best Boiler

Wendell

It's time to replace my 20 year old Burnham. It's attached to a Moline vapor system. We're looking at Burnham IN5, Weil McLain EG-40, or maybe a Utica MGB 100 series. If you Google reviews for each of them, it doesn't look good! I'm guessing it's because unsatisfied people are more likely to ****, and satisfied people keep it to themselves...



Is Burnham's cracking problem a thing of the past? Does Weil McLain really use rubber seals? I understand Utica uses cast iron push nipples. Any opinions from the pros are welcome.



-Wendell

Joe V_2

i am a homeowner

My opinion is to find the one that is closest to your radiator load. I have a Burnham IN5 and am very happy with it. it is reliable and on a Trane vapor system. My brother has a Pennco that he is very happy with on a single pipe system. I think the installer will have the largest impact on reliability and performance. The near boiler piping quality and correcting any wooly boogers out in the system will determine how the boiler does.



Pennco is owned by Utica and Crown is owned by Burnham. There are likely to be more consolidations but truly, the installer will have a lot to do with how well a boiler will perform. Good luck!

moneypitfeeder

homeowner as well,

I have a Utica Peg 187 boiler, and I can't speak for the quality of other manufacturer's, but I have a few small gripes with the Utica. First there doesn't seem to be much insulation around the boiler.  The tappings for the risers are on the side, I'd prefer them to be on the top of the housing, as I've read it can make slightly drier steam. The damper motor has burnt out 4 times in 3 years (which isn't integral to the boiler, its a different manufacturer, but I question why they don't play nice together). And lastly, I know this is extremely nit picky, but, I'd like it to have had a tapping on the front to have the required 30 psi gauge mounted on the face to free up space on the pigtail for my low pressure guage, vaporstat, and ptrol. It would have been one less thing to balance on the pig. Good luck in your choice! 

ChrisJ

I'm also a homeowner

And I decided to go with a WM EG-45.  This is the same as the PEG-40 / 45 except it comes in pieces.



I was also considering a Burnham IN5.  Truth is I think all of the boilers from any quality manufacture will work well when treated properly.  Whether its a Burnham or a Weil-Mclain, Smith or Slant Fin.  I also feel they will all FAIL just as fast when treated incorrectly as my Burnham V83 did as its previous owner ignored 3 serious leaks.



I agree with Joe in regards to matching to your load.  There were two reasons I went with an EG-45 over an IN5 and they were the EG-45 has a lower water line and was easily avaliable from a local distributor.  The water line was a concern to me as the IN5 would have barely gave me 27-28 inches from my lowest steam pipe. The IN5 would be slightly undersized for my load but close enough in my opinion.

As far as Weil-Mclain and rubber seals, I'm not concerned about it.  My understanding is they rarely fail and are far easier to fix than a push nipple if it does.

lchmb

I like

the Smith with a power gas burner also. Seems to be a good combination, but of course as stated, the boiler is only as good as the install. Make sure whoever does it know's steam..

Wendell

Not only steam...

but vapor systems!

Steamhead

What boiler size

do you need? Has anyone counted up the radiation on your system, allowing for any radiators that may have been removed? 

Wendell

The good folks at

Charles Garrity and Son Plumbing sized my system. They recommended the Burnham IN5 and the Weil McLain EG40. I was wondering what other pros were using...

Rod

Boiler

Charlie Garrity is a very experienced steam pro and he will recommend the size and model boiler which best suits your needs. You can consider yourself lucky that he is local to you. Good steam pros are hard to find!

- Rod

crash2009

You lucky devil

You can't go wrong with Charlie.

Wendell

Thanks, Rod

They actually gave me choice of a Burnham or a Well McLain. The rubber seals in the Well McLain made me nervous and was wondering what others thought.



-Wendell

Wendell

Yup!

I was very impressed with his knowledge.



Nice people.

Wendell

Settled

I just had a conversation with Charles and he put my fears of nitrile seals in a cast iron boiler to rest.



We're going with the Weil McLain EG40.



-Wendell

lchmb

did anyone

mention we like pics..Specially of a nice new steamer...;)

ChrisJ

Nice!

Great choice. The EG\PEG series of boilers have been around a long time and seem to be a really solid boiler.

Wendell

Happy to oblige.

Here's the before... after soon to follow.

crash2009

I have said it before,

But I sure like how those returns are done. 



How is Helge coming along?  You just about done?

Wendell

I'm looking forward to floating...

I work full time as an auto mechanic and only part time on the boat. I manage an honest two hours each night and several more on my one day off. My progress is slow, but I love it. The running joke among my friends is two more years until launch... I've been saying that for almost a decade.



It's the journey, not just the destination, right?



www.sshelge.com

Jean-David Beyer

We had a joke where I used to work.

"The running joke among my friends is two more years until launch... I've been saying that for almost a decade."



The first 90% of the job takes 90% of the time.

The last 10% of the job takes the other 90% of the time.

Wendell

Out with the old...

.

Wendell

New returns below the waterline...

.

Wendell

Piping complete...

.

crash2009

Wow

Looks good.  I am glad Charlie allowed the returns to stay.  Hope its not running, your King and Return Valves are closed

Wendell

Yes, closed valves would be bad ;-)

we're waiting on the electrician. The old Burnham was powerpile only (I will miss the old girl and her disconnection from the grid).

Wendell

Finishing touch...

auto-water and skim tap.

Wendell

Skimming day

Two hours per bucketful...

Charlie from wmass

Wendell that was my job.

Guess I will find something else to do when I am waiting for the inspector. How did the water look? Was there much in the way of oil and pipe dope?

lchmb

nice

job Charlie..you and your company do this buisness proud...

Wendell

Hi there!

Only a few specs of dope and minimal amounts of oil. The sheen gets thinner by the bucketful.



I decided to skim it myself while we wait for the new chimney liner.



No one will sign off on the cracked flue despite it's isolation by the fireplace support bricks.



They agree with me that the crack is from the original construction 100 years ago, and that it's not causing a problem, but they're not willing to commit to it. That's understandable.



We're steaming much quieter now than with the old battle-axe!



I'll give you a ring when the new liner is in.



-Wendell

Wendell

Ain't

that the truth?

Wendell

What are the chances

of finding parts for a Moline radiator valve. I was having trouble adjusting one of my radiators and found its "plunger" piece shattered. The attached photo points to an intact plunger from a different radiator...

Charlie from wmass

I have not seen any

parts for them. Which radiator was it? Are all the parts still there? If you do not adjust it often an orifice of set size may be able to be used with a plain radiator valve.

Charlie from wmass

Thanks.

I had the whole "crew" on this one.

Wendell

I was looking

to shut down one of the two front hall radiators (foot of the

stairway). I inverted the metering sleeve and it seems to have done the trick.



These Moline valves are rather cleaver. They have interchangeable sleeves with slits cut into them. One simply balances the system by adding more or less slits to each of the radiators. Once balanced, you can only subtract heat from a room, not add.

Wendell

Is it safe

to grease the threaded portion of the plunger? (high temp. wheel bearing grease)

crash2009

Thanks for sharing the pictures

 of the metering sleeves.  It is nice to see what is inside.  Helps me appreciate the quality of The Moline System.  I noticed the four sleeves you showed have a different number of slits in each one.  Is it possible to just simply rotate the sleeve to adjust the amount of steam?  What kind of metal are they made of?

Wendell

They appear

to be made of brass/ bronze? They sit in a cylindrical chamber. Their rotation in the chamber doesn't affect the steam. When the valve is turned down, the "plunger's" edge closes off the slits. As the valve is opened, steam from underneath is allowed to flow through the slits into the chamber, then into the radiator. I'm guessing the system would originally be set up for even heat with all the radiators full open. If one gets too hot, less slits would be installed. The radiator at the top of the stairway had only one slit. Two radiators are at the base of the stairs... heat rises!

crash2009

I get it now

When you turn the handle, the plunger moves in and out.  (I was thinking it rotated the sleeve) Thanks. 



So you got some noise in there, and were thinking about some kind of lubricant, to stop the friction?  Is the noise the plunger rubbing on the inside of the sleeve, or something else?

Wendell

No noise

just a little sticky when being moved... a few of the valves require jiggling their handle to get the plunger to slide. The reverse screw clearances are sloppy (reversed so turning clockwise pushes the plunger down, making it more "natural" to adjust).

crash2009

What would

Charlie think about using graphite?  We use it on valve stems everyday.

Long Beach Ed

Why

Why did you replace the Independence in the first place? 



What was wrong with it?