Can this boiler be saved?

AdamSwapp

I've got a 90-year-old coal-gas conversion (see attached picture) that has a small leak in the chamber above the firebox.  It's located inside the section where the door has been removed in the picture (left side of the opening), and looks to be right around the water line. It seems to have been there a while, as there's a good amount of mineral deposit collected around it (see 2nd picture).  It's hard to tell how much water it's losing, in part because there's another leak in the fill pipe/return that loses maybe 1/2 gallon per day just sitting cold. ;(



There are a couple of other issues with this boiler: the aforementioned leaky pipe, the ca. 1922 autofill was bypassed decades ago, there's no low-water cutoff, and it needs to be resealed.  That work is doable, if not cheap -- but is much cheaper than a new boiler. ;)



I'd like to keep the old girl if I can (because it's so cool, and has worked so well for so long), but I don't want to throw a bunch of money at it just to have have it crap out for good right down the road.



It needs to be at the point where it can run unattended for a couple of weeks in the dead of winter.  Is this the kiss if death?  Is there any way to reliably predict if it will keep getting worse?  Can it be fixed by any method short of disassembly?  Are there any good boiler guys in northeast Ohio (Canton area) who would know their way around one of these?



If it matters, it's an Ideal boiler made by American Radiator Company,  size S-25-5, series 2525-2B.  It has a 320,000 BTU burner in it now (from the 1930's conversion).



Any advice or comments would be more than welcome.  Thanks.

lchmb

cheaper

Either now, or shortly down the road, you will need a new boiler. I would opt to invest in the new system now. Not throw money at that old timer. Spend your time looking for someone who does steam work, who can size the system properly and follow the manufacturer install manual. Replace all steam vents (add if needed) and get your self ready for winter the right way..

btw, you will not save any money fixing this old girl. You will simply be spending a lot of money for  a short time..and then spending more to do it again...

Mark N

NO

Try Gerry Gill his web site is gwgillplumbingandheating.com. He is located near Cleveland.

crash2009

Probably not

But it sure would make a nice decoration for the rec room.  If it were mine, I would try to save the front section and the information plate.  Get it sand-blasted and painted and hang it on the wall for future generations to look at.  It would be a shame to just send it to the scrap pile. 

Joe V_2

she is beautiful

but unless you are wealthy, I think you should replace it for fuel cost savings alone. New boilers aren't that expensive to have installed. At least with a new boiler, the fuel savings alone will pay for the invest within 3-5 yrs. A restoration will not.

moneypitfeeder

Exfoliation

The second picture you posted is a poster child for exfoliation corrosion. From what that pic shows, there is no structural integrity left to at least that hunk of metal. If any other areas are that bad it is bad news for the old girl. I think she has had a long life, and will enjoy a rest...while you enjoy hopefully lower fuel bills with a new "properly piped" boiler. Dee