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Rusted Chambers in 16 month old oil boiler...Please Advise

hoparr
hoparr Member Posts: 3
in Oil Heating
I had a Thermodynamics S series oil boiler installed by "F" Company in 11-13. It was cleaned by our oil company, "M", in March 2014. In March 2015 we had a terrible odor coming from the boiler and called our oil company, who we are contracted with for service. They found that there was rust in all 6 chambers. They were able to clear out three of the chambers but the remaining three were too rusted to clear.
"M" says the installer caused the issue because ( we had a larger system & A very large home) he did not install a bypass valve to allow hot water to mix with the cold water. So cold water only is hitting the boiler. The installer says it is not his problem & the bypass valve was not necessary. He also said that there is no way "M" properly cleaned the boiler.
Can you please take a look at the pictures & let me know how long this heater will last us? Is it running efficiently at all?
Should we take the installer to court to get this repaired or is this expected from use? I've never seen the inside of a boiler so please excuse all the questions. Thanks so much for any help.

Comments

  • hoparr
    hoparr Member Posts: 3
    I'm not sure if it matters or not but this is a summer/winter boiler. Our water tank is not hooked up to the boiler. So the heater is not used for 6 months per year.
  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
    Looks like flue passage condensation to me. Ask the installer for the results of their combustion test. If they don't have the results, they are most likely at fault.
  • kcopp
    kcopp Member Posts: 4,472
    edited July 2015
    So a steel, high mass boiler sits idle , turned off in a basement (maybe cool and damp) for the most humid part of the year? I am pretty sure it is connected to a chimney that pulls a draft through it all the time...? I am 99% sure that that boiler usually (99.5%) is set up w/ a tankless coil in it. So most every time, that boiler stays hot all summer long. There is prob a good reason for that... How do you get your hot water?
  • Robert O'Brien
    Robert O'Brien Member Posts: 3,563
    A cold start heat only steel dry base oil boiler is a very poor idea,you're going to have to maintain temp on that thing 24/7/365.
    To learn more about this professional, click here to visit their ad in Find A Contractor.
    Bob Bona_4Zman
  • hoparr
    hoparr Member Posts: 3
    Kcopp, yes it is hooked up to our chimney. We have an electric hot water heater so it is not connected to the boiler. Our basement is very damp, like an old cellar. I run a dehumidifier year round to help but not over night.
    Robert, any ideas of how I can help prolong the life of it? I'm afraid at this rate that it will be corroded in 5 years.
    JStar, I will ask but the installer is very hostile and refuses to work with us. At this point, we feel we may have better luck with the manufacturer.
  • Marz
    Marz Member Posts: 90
    That boiler should run a low limit during the summer months. I would maintain 110-120. This will increase the boiler life by numbers of years.
    billtwocase
  • spoon22
    spoon22 Member Posts: 32
    Is there a domestic coil in the boiler? I would preheat the electric water heater with the coil and put an aqua stat on it to maintain 160 degrees for the summer so the boiler doesn't sit idle all summer and condense. Also get it cleaned before it gets shut down for the summer while it is still hot
    hoparrkcoppbilltwocase
  • John Mills_5
    John Mills_5 Member Posts: 952
    What's the radiation? If old style radiators or radiant heat, probably does need a bypass.
  • kcopp
    kcopp Member Posts: 4,472
    Boiler must be kept warm/ dry or the condensation will kill it. Burn the oil in the summer to keep it hot or turn it off and let it corrode away....
  • Kakashi
    Kakashi Member Posts: 88
    Get it cleaned at the end of the season and disconnect the flue pipe from the chimney. Plug off the chimney and keep a dehumidifier on until you need your heat. In the fall then reconnect the the flue pipe to the chimney. The only other answer is to add a plate heat exchanger and preheat your hot water tank. There are a few other ways to do it but, I think they may be the cheapest way to go without seeing how the boiler is piped.
    If the guy who cleaned your boiler heated it up and vacuumed it, serviced the burner and than did a combustion effect test I would guess to side with him from the looks of it...
  • billtwocase
    billtwocase Member Posts: 2,385
    I would check for a weld leak also. This boiler looks a lot older than 2 years old. I will show you some "S" series boilers I put in over 20 years ago that are like new. Post some pics of the chimney and piping. Are they sure that Maid O Mist is not leaking on top? I am with Jstar. Get us some combustion readings, if they even tested

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