To Keep or Not To Keep, That is the Quest, Chum.

Big-Al_2

Last year I installed a new boiler and decided to re-use a 10-year-old mercury type Pressuretrol.  Everything is working great. In fact it's working so well that I have neglected to even check in at the wall much since then. Anyway, the boiler is sized right, so the system almost never builds any appreciable pressure. 

 

I still have the brand-new in-the-box non-mercury Pressuretrol that came with the boiler.  I hate hanging onto stuff I'll probably never need.  What's the typical lifespan of the old Mercury-type Pressuretrols? . . . . basically forever?  Should I hang onto the new one just in case or put it up on eBay and try to recover a few bucks?



What say ye ladies and gents?

ChrisJ

Ah

This question sounds a lot like one I had a few years ago.

I ripped a rotted boiler out and installed a new one that came with a new mercury free pressuretrol.



The end result is that one is on the shelf and the mercury type is on the boiler. I found it to behave far nicer than the newer non-mercury type.



As far as I know mercury switches last a very long time due to the lack of air around the contacts. With no air you don't get oxidation and burning. If its still working good I would leave it.



I test mine occasionally by closing my king valves and watching how it behaves because also like you mine pretty much just sits there never doing anything.

Fred Harwood_2

Keep or Not

Costs nothing to keep.