Burnham Question and Oil - Gas Steam Conversion

Joyce7

Hello all,

So I have a 13 yr. old Burnham steam boiler which now has a water leak into the firebox. I had heard that Burnham had issues with manufacturing this model : PV 73SN-SBUR so I called them, they admitted this but said they will do nothing. So...I have heat now but have to add water to the boiler twice a day. I want to convert to a gas heating system now as I have gas coming into the house already. My three questions are:

Is there anyone online here that has had the same issue with Burnham and actually got them to do anything about it?

Can someone recommend a company to me that can do an oil - gas conversion for me?

And is it possible to use my existing burner (it is 2 yrs old) on a gas system?

Thank you very much for reading and happy holidays!

Joyce7

Sorry - forgot location!

I am just south of Boston, MA

nicholas bonham-carter

Warrenty work

Even the best car warranties stop at 10 years, so you probably will not have much luck in getting any manufacturer to replace his product after such a long time.

Now is the time to start measuring your radiators for their radiation capacity (known as EDR). From this figure the new gas boiler can be sized, and not from the ratings of the old failed one. Installing an improperly sized boiler can result in shortened life, unbalanced heating, and noisy operation. Do a search here for how to measure the radiators (EDR).

Get a real steam pro to do this replacement, and not just any old plummmmer with the cheapest price, as you are buying a service, and not just a piece of metal.

Post some pictures of your present boiler and it's piping and we can tell you what should not be duplicated with the new boiker.--NBC

Mark N

Rotted out boiler

This is caused by the boiler taking on too much feed water. The feed water brings with it oxygen and in some places chlorides. This causes the boiler to rot out at the water line. Make sure all the leaks in your system are fixed. If you have buried returns they could be leaking. Do you have to add water manually or do you have an auto feeder? If you add manually how often were you adding water before the hole developed?

Joyce7

Thanks!!!!!

Wow, thanks gentlemen for your quick replies - - I will figure out my radiator size soon and

I will post some pics as soon as I can -

Also, yeah, I kinda figured that a warranty would probably not work on a boiler at this age plus with steam....so I'm ok with that. I just thought I'd maybe get a new roof before having to replace a boiler!



I used to add water once every six weeks during the summer ( I don't have a water heater), and probably once every three weeks during the winter. Also, I don't have a automatic water feeder. I will check for leaks now too.



I really am appreciate for your help and suggestions!!

Mark N

Boston Area

According to "Greening Steam" the suburbs south of Boston are prone to problems with high chlorides in the water. You might want to consider having your water tested.