General question on getting a boiler downstairs ...

BG1167

Hello all, I'd like to ask the guys doing this for many many years the best ( safe & smart ) way to get a boiler down a flight of stairs. The boiler is a Buderus G 115 WS 3 , brochure says 330 pounds, the crate label says 438 pounds, I understand the crate, the box and the "B" kit have some weight but 108 pounds?? Its a ranch, through the living room or from outside, hard left or right turn, down stairs, hard right turn, no wall to right, rail removed. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Bob Bona_4

I don't risk it anymore. I have a moving company on my speeddial. A few hundred bucks and the old ones out, new ones in.

Abracadabra

powered stair climbing dollys work wonders

j a_2

strip it down to the block…then reassemble in the basement…don’t split the block…Sections…Most manf. offer it sold that way..

kcopp

The proper hand truck w/ removable wheels and tracks on the back.... and a ratchet strap to hold the boiler on the hand truck.

http://www.handtrucksrus.com/searchplus.aspx?term=yeats

kcopp

Buderus actually has this neat hand truck....

http://www.manualslib.com/manual/702717/Buderus-Logano-G115-Ws-Us-Ca.html?page=13

icesailor

Abracadabra said:

powered stair climbing dollys work wonders

Unless they are winders with no platform.

Abracadabra

@Hatterasguy OP said 400ish lbs. I've seen guys move a 1000lb safe into a basement. Granted, this is most likely impossible if you've got a winder stair like ice says. Tried to find a video online of someone moving a boiler with a stair climbing dolly... all i found was this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO6FJQoi0H8

Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with moving assembled sectional boilers as everything I've done is knockdown, which is how I prefer it.

Harvey Ramer

I just pulled a 50 gal water heater still full, out of a basement with this http://www.escalera.com/
It really works well.

BG1167

Thanks for all the great responses guys, kcopp I did notice the Buderus hand truck as well and may modify a hand truck, Hatterasguy "prevent the thing from going to china" thank you!! I needed that laugh ( that was great!!! ) Funny thing, Buderus has cuts outs on the bottom to carry the unit ... maybe I need a few Germans!!! I must be getting old!

GW

Buderus has always been fun to move, we stripped then down many times. If you can't leave it on the pallet - in the box, you run the risk of damaging the blue sheets.

We also have been using Escalara for over 10 years. We are on our second one, we beat the snot out or our first one. We stopped relying on the seat belt strap years ago, now we add a secondary ratchet strap for safety.

It's always a two person job, don't be silly

If you're new to moving beefy blocks, you may want 3 or 4 guys.

When we first got the Escalara, we had a few employees take a ride....luckily no one got hurt.

Gary

BG1167

Very glad no one was hurt, I'm one of those safety first guys, comes with age. I've actually moved heavier machinery long ago, I think going down can be arranged safely, the turn will be challenging. The boiler came as an assembled unit, I did hear of break down units, but this was not one. Fortunately this isn't a very heavy/large boiler.

AlCorelliNY

When I was younger.... We used to lower the cast iron blocks down a 2 x10 plank with a 2 inch rope.

Transported a Peerless JOT6 on a Tonka dump truck (YES, one of those) when my helper forgot the hand truck on another job. It was only for about thirty feet, but the old Tonka came through with only a couple of small bends.

Had an Escalera. LOVED it. It would definitely take a full 50 gallon heater upstairs, no problem.
The guys in the shop didn't use it because it was bulky in the truck. They preferred the plank and rope.

Ahh, memories...

Paul48

I slid my 750 lb, 5 section series 8 down my basement stairs on the skid, using my truck and a rope. I used braided nylon rope, so I knew it wouldn't break. The only problem was, once it gets to a point, it is no longer pulling because it is going downward. I was sitting in the truck and had it teeter tottering. I told my buddy to give it a push, and all I heard was this whoosh, and pressure on the truck. My buddy said it was the damnedest thing. It took off like a shot, the rope stretched, and it came to a stop just before it hit the basement floor. Ya can't fix stupid, but occasionally the stupid get lucky.

KC_Jones

When I moved my block ~400lbs into the basement I had 4 guys on hand. I laid a "ramp" along the stairs and screwed it down. Had straps attached to the block 3 guys on top one on the bottom. Once it was on the "ramp" we actually almost had to push it. The wood offered so much resistance it was literally a cake walk. If I was less safety conscious I think 2 guys could have easily done it. I don't do it regularly, but if I did would probably have the specialized equipment this was a one time deal (I hope) for me so I wasn't buying any equipment. My basement stairs are tight and all those devices for moving a block I don't think would have fit.

BobC

Nylon rope is really strong but it stretches further than you would think.

Bob

billtwocase

I have ones like Kcopp linked first. That and manpower. Those big wheels are sweet, and holds up to 750 LBS

Paul48

Braided nylon is amazingly strong rope. I pulled 12" leaning tree back over with 1/4", and spun the tires on the truck. The stretch part worked out, luckily, and I looked at my buddy and said," just like we planned it, where's the beers".

SWEI

A friend of mine owns an elevator company. He and his guys are wizards at moving stupid heavy stuff into insanely difficult places. He turned me on to these a few years back. Small family owned company that's been making them for 50+ years and you can still get parts. Fantastic tool.

wogpa67

If you're in the mid-atlantic columbia heating will put it in the room for you for like a $120. Scrap guy will rid you of the old one.

Fred

wogpa67 said:

If you're in the mid-atlantic columbia heating will put it in the room for you for like a $120. Scrap guy will rid you of the old one.

Well worth the money!

BobC

Two years ago I had my v75 replaced with the Smith G8-3. While the installers were piping the new boiler into place I noticed a couple of people out in the driveway where the old boiler sections were piled.

The young woman and her teenage son asked if I would like to have it carted off. After checking with the installers, who were glad to have it done for them, they took it all away. They carted it away as though it was made of balsa wood.

Bob

Paul48

Times are tough......Metal, any metal is gone in 10 minutes when I put it at the curb.

vaporvac

Paul48 said:

Times are tough......Metal, any metal is gone in 10 minutes when I put it at the curb.

or even if it's attached to your house. Had my copper downspouts stolen last week.

I wastn going down stairs, but up. I used a winch, but would have loved the automatic one.

KC_Jones

Right off the house? That is crazy. When I worked for the power company some guy tried to steal the LIVE copper wires off a transformer at a substation. He got in, but didn't leave under his own power.

SWEI

Hatterasguy said:

SWEI said:

http://cordem.com/

Nice little winch.

The only problem is that you need an anchor for it. Would be fantastic on the back of a truck but otherwise...

Rigging is an art. I'm learning more over time, but when you see an actual pro doing the job, it can be a beautiful thing. We find ways.

clammy

I do them with a appliance hand truck another guy and one extra strap to hold the boiler on the cart.If you have experence handling a hand truck and it has good stair rollers is not a big deal and i m not a big guy i m a mini .It sjust a matter of doing aloyt of them and knowing how to use a hand truck properly.With only 2 guys we got a peerless 63 04 down a flight and did not lay her down and thats alot heavier then that g115 .It s not being big and strong its being smart and have experence in doin it .I ve been dragging in and out for close to 30 years and now at over 50 it seems there getting heavier but we usually always get them down with 2 guys and always safely .Peace and good luck clammy

DZoro

escalara with forks is awesome. Never leave home without it. Wall hung boilers/ one man job hanging the boiler, most of the time!

michaelb0315

A few years back I asked a buddy of mine to help me get a steam boiler into a basement. He was as big as an ox and spent most of the day in the gym. I have never seen him so nervous with so many veins popping out of his neck. Sometimes technique is stronger than muscles. To this day I bust his chops and ask if he can help me, but he refuses.

BG1167

I thank everyone for the great responses, what a great forum! After taking the jackets off ( looks like an old short fat radiator now ) I'm not near as concerned as I was to get it down safely. now to post the next question ...

EBEBRATT-Ed

You need some muscle to move boilers but brains are better. Sometimes your better with 3 weak guys with brains.

rick in Alaska

I have to move all my boilers by myself. But rarely down a staircase. We don't have many basements around here that are not daylight basement style. But, I still have to be able to get boilers up on platforms, or in the case of a G115, sitting on top of the water heater. Definitely requires thinking ahead as to just using muscle power. You can do a lot with proper leverage and blocking.
Also, I have noticed most of the time the bulked up weight lifters can't move much. They are used to lifting a certain load in a certain way, and if that changes, they have a hard time doing it.
I am only running about 175 lbs, but can handle most jobs by myself. Irish stubbornness and leverage!
Rick