DELCO DB4S HOT WATER OIL FIRED BOILER COMBUSTION CHAMBER REBUILDING

ww

I took off the boiler cover plate and found the combustion chamber debris on the bottom and disintegrated bricks. I can't find a specific kit for this model since it is most likely too old. How should I rebuild this..with some fire bricks and the matting kits..any suggestions? I'm sure some replies will be to replace the boiler...in time yes..but this is what I am working on now and intend on using the boiler.

I put everything back and am just using the boiler to heat hot water. I have taken off the side plates and cleaned out all the caked debris there. After cleaning this up the boiler water at the same low temp is very hot and heats up quickly due to the cleaning. It would be nice if I could get a cover that swings open for inspection but I guess they didn't have them at that time.

I would also like to know suggestions on new boiler for the future as well as whether I should switch to gas heat. Thanks.

Steamhead

That's definitely been there a while!

Post some pictures, including the burner and where all the pipes connect to the boiler. They still make standardized chambers, but we'd need to know if this is a "wet base" or "dry base" boiler to pick the right type.

You'll probably want to replace the boiler at some point, but unless it's in really bad shape, now might not be a good time since it's getting cold outside.

ww

This is the only photo I can post at this time of the boiler.

BobC

I had one of those boilers (steam version) when I moved into this house in 1981 and one in the apartment I lived in before that. My sister lived in a house that was built in1948 and it had a brand new DB4s so that is coming up on 70 years - damned good service.

Bob

SWEI

This shows ratings for it. There's a photo of the original manual in this thread. We probably should have pestered the owner for a scan of the manual for the library!

ww

ok..i downloaded those spec sheets from the heating museum in the past...and was just as mad as you when i saw that photo without the manual. I have to look around here again..i wonder if the person who had that manual still has it and will scan it?

maybe that manual is somewhere. thanks. too bad the specs don't show what size insert for chamber...i measured it and probably will have to fix it with some generic kit and some firebricks..will see what happens here. thanks

SWEI

ww said:

I put everything back and am just using the boiler to heat hot water.

Not quite clear what you mean by that-- are you using it for domestic hot water only and not space heat? What heats the house?

ww

right now i don't need heat...when it comes to temperature i'm not like the normal person...the thermostat is set below 60 degrees...that's why i want to get this taken care of before i need heat. what i meant by that is i need for hot water is that it is all i'm using. the heat works fine but not needed yet.

Steamhead

This boiler has a tankless coil. Looking forward to more pics.

ww

What other things do you need to know in order to figure out what I need to rebuild the chamber?...I have a beckett af burner ...80 degree 1.25 gph nozzle...taco circulator...house is two family..cannot post any more pictures at this time.

read this on heating help from a 2004 posting...i thought i had a dry base according to this since the firebox is at the bottom of boiler...

A wet based boiler has the boiler water surround the burner flame. Of course it doesn't always have sectons like a steel boiler (Laars Max, Energy Kinetics, Burnham LE, etc)
And a refractory is usually not needed or wanted since the cast iron/steel is absorbing the heat directly and being kept from burning by the cooling effect of the boiler water. A dry base boiler has a fire box under the boiler and will need refractory material oposite the burner (target wall) to absorb and help distribute the heat back up into the bottom of the boiler. Since the fire is under the boiler, most dry based boilers are vertical tube to get the exhaust gases past the boiler and out the top mounted flue. This adds to the stand by loss, puts all the heating stress on the bottom of the boiler vessel and of course refractory material breaks down over time.
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Steamhead

It might be a wet base, if the return lines enter the boiler below the firebox.

billtwocase

Oh I have worked on many of those. Pound upwards on the clean outs to get them off, and made some chambers. The inspection door is opposite the burner. You will need some firebrick, Mica pellets, furnace cement, maybe some wetpack, and some patience. Those things were far from efficient. I would start saving for another boiler

ww

ok..thanks. i was at the brickyard the other day and saw some thinner firebrick..looks like that would be good. i have to look at the chamber and make sure it's nice and dug out to make the chamber. most charts say about 12 inches length,width and depth..and say larger won't cause a problem. these mica pellets...have to read about them as well.

i saw some videos but will look at more. comparing this boiler to a new one what is efficiency and savings i could expect with new one? i guess if i really put my mind to it i could pick up a boiler and put it in..doesn't seem like too many pipes to hook up.any good ideas for boiler? i know how to put burners in and all the other stuff and helped put in some other boilers...but guess after cleaning this one and all working great thinking of dealing with it in the spring. any thoughts on that?

Bob Bona_4

My thoughts are why waste more $ on this boat anchor.

ww

Steamhead and other fellow members, Here are some near boiler pipe photos. Please get back to me on this one so I can get this going and make determinations.

I know this boiler will be used in the future to be an anchor for something..but now I have to get this chamber going. I would also like ideas on doing this with some firebrick as well and how to do it..maybe some instruction resources. Thanks.

BobC

make sure that leak is the pipe and not the connection into thye boiler.

Bob

ww

What leak are you referring to?..There is none.

BobC

My error, in the 3rd picture what I thought might be signs of a leak is apparently soot on the floor.

Bob

Steamhead

Looks like a wet base. You'll need refractory on the burner mounting plate and the inspection plate opposite the burner to keep these from overheating. Also a "rug" on the floor of the chamber, to keep the flame temperature up.

How high up the sides did the old firebricks go?

ww

the 10th post above which i copied led me to believe it was dry since it requires a combustion chamber..if that statement was correct at all. it's about 13 inches hi,deep and wide and would take some positioning to make a brick chamber. i used refractory cement to seal up where the burner meets the flange. it has a flue,etc and seemed to match the description above. please read and give feedback on conclusion. thanks..either way it has a chamber that is somewhat collapsed.

billtwocase

If you are pulling off the front plate, you might be able to get a Lynne Quickie 100 or 200 in there, preferably the 200 with a buck and a quarter nozzle. That is a preformed bathtub chamber.

ww

i took the cover of boiler off and these are some of the photos. notice on the back of cover where burner tube inserts top is worn away...this chamber looks like it is the shape of a u and it looks like it can be totally removed..sides are thicker though..are these kits designed to leave all this in and just insert over this old one?

ww

it appears that by looking at the photo of combustion chamber that this would benefit by the quickie 200. Since the nozzle is 1.25 now and the efficiency would increase with the new insert it seems that the 200 is for 1.35 and above. Read that an increase in size of the insert isn't a problem. Also read that firebrick takes five times as long to heat up than the insert material.

Should I stick with the 1.25 nozzle or go below since efficiency increases...it seems this would be better than the wet blanket since it would just slide in and could be aligned with the burner tube easier after trial and error. The fire bricks are disintegrated.

Do you figure that this boiler will heat faster and be somewhat more efficienct than it is now..and also cleaner since the chamber will heat up five times faster plus or minus?

ww

The opening in the front of boiler is 16 inches in diameter...it seems the 200 quickie chamber may fit in.

The centerline of the nozzle when installed in boiler is too high and it wouldn't be in the center of the quickie chamber once installed...so the chamber would have to be raised up when installed in the chamber.

The quickie instructions show that the bottom of tub is next to the water jacket on bottom of boiler as well as the sides.

Seems that putting something underneath and along sides would insulate the heat from hitting the water jackets..but on the other hand the original chamber is a couple inches thick and goes right against the bottom and sides of the boiler.

Take a look at the photos and let me know if i should leave what's in the chamber...chop it all out..not bother with quickie..use a blanket and target wall..etc

Please let me know what you think.