Really could use some advice oil boiler with hot water coil troubleshooting

Noluck

I really need some advice on what to do
with my oil boiler with internal hot water coil.
I have a house that is located on Long Island Ny that has an old American Standard Acroliner oil boiler with hot water coil inside.

Here is the breakdown of what has transpired since last year.

Boiler is old but has always run strong hot water coil fed into a 80 gallon true acuabooster tank. I lived in the house for about 5 years and rented it out 4 years ago. When me my wife and 2 kids lived there we always had good hot water there was never a ton of pressure but hot water was fine.

Last year I was away and old acuabooster split open so tenants had a friend come who assured me that he would be installing a acuabooster or true storage tank and not a hot water heater being only used for storage. He installed a electric hot water heater as storage tank and disappeared.

Tenants said that hot water was never as long or as hot after it was installed. Last week they were complaining that hot water was running out after 1 shower. I went to house and ran shower boiling hot for 30 min at the same time I ran kitchen sink witch was also boiling hot.

I left and called and assumed that they were describing it wrong and must have been talking about the water pressure because when 2 faucets ran at same time pressure dropped in 1 of them.
I also made sure the boiler was kicking on when I had the water running and it was.
I get a call an hour after I left that there is no hot water And boiler was not comming on at all. I really thought they were messing with me and just wanted a new boiler.

Had oil company come in next day that I have used before and explained exactly what was going on an my only issue was with hot water running out. I assumed it was the coil. The tech said the chamber was deterating and that was causing all the problems with hot water. The chamber has been in that same exact condition for over 5 years and it was never a problem. I explained that to him and said could it be the coil and or the storage tank and he said no chamber was the cause but I should maybe replace the coil after just because it is old. Not the answer I felt comfortable with.

Next day had someone else come that agreed the chamber would not affect it. He found the old stat relay was shot and it was making the boiler come on and off at random times. He said it was dirty inside boiler and cleaning it and replacing the relay with newer cat eye style would make boiler run fine and there was nothing wrong with boiler.
This made sense because day before I had hot water when I was there and then I guess the boiler kept turning off. He seemed very knowledgeable he did a really good cleaning and replaced the sensor. He said boiler was running great but now it was midnight and couldn't stay to wait for storage tank to fill and warm up to check heat. Next morning tenant called and said hot water still was not good enough. He called me first thing the next morning to check hot water and I took him he said he had drawn diagram of how hot water heater ws plumbed and the way it was it would never keep hot water.

So he is back again I told him I wanted the coil checked he cut lines and flushed and it was not clogged and should be working fine.
I suggested not using the coil and just connecting the hot water heater as a hot water heater and be done so I didn't have any more chance of it not working.
He insisted on just bypassing tank and running water from coil directly to hot water lines.

5 min of hot water and still nouthing. I asked if aquastat was checked and working and if mixing valve was working correctly and he said everything was working fine and tested I also asked about shower heads and they are all 2.5 coil rated at 5gpm

No he says coil must not be working correctly and be corroded around outside of tubing. I did my research and now I can still get a replacement coil. He said it was a waste of money and they are impossible to screw out and not worth doing.

So I spent a bunch of money for nouthing now I need to figure out what to do

1st. Stop using tankless coil in the boiler and install a on demand electric hot water heater

I am no longer renting the apartment and need a price to have system disconnected and installed 100 feet away.
Every thing on the boiler is brand new including burner

2nd. Wire and connect the hot water heater and not use the coil
I could really use a diagram of the correct way to wire and plumb a electric hot water heater to only be used as a storage tank fed from boiler coil

3rd. Shoot myself lol

4th. Have someone else try and troubleshoot the cause

I have some cash and

I am sorry for this long explanation it just has been a long week with a lot of time and money wasted.
I appreciate you taking the time
Jeff

JohnNY

Why are you not replacing this 40-plus-year-old, problematic boiler?

Noluck

It has run fine and still heats house perfect. I am not in the position to be able to switch the complete system

Bob Bona_4

You want to relocate boiler, etc, 100 feet away?

Noluck

I would rather use the boiler that is there now for just heating the baseboard and bypass the coil and have the brand new hot water heater that is being used as a storage tank connected and wired the correct way.

If it is not to expensive I would have the brand new boiler that I installed last year in the detached garage but is not being used now moved to house to replace the system that I am having problems with hot water

Noluck

Any local Suffolk County ny that wants to do some work that is recommended

Bob Bona_4

Got it. Don't spend another penny on that hog, and try to move the other boiler.

STEVEusaPA

Have you determined the temperature of the domestic hot water coming out of the coil? If youre getting hot water out of the coil then it appears to be working. If that's the case, take a look at a similar thread regarding piping and controlling:
http://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/149254/hot-water-storage-tank
Best would be to use an indirect tank and pipe it like another zone (with priority if you want). Then when it's time for a new boiler, you could go with a triple pass and forget the coil

Noluck

I know an indirect is nice but expensive
Why wouldn't I just use and connect the electric hot water heater and cut the coil out of the picture for now and save a ton of money

Noluck

I have the coil and a hot water heater that is not wired using the elements it is only being used as a storage tank

Why can't I just stop using coil and have the electric hot water heater wired and plumbed correctly no using the coil

Robert O'Brien

At 23 cents/ Kwh vs. $2/gallon. What savings?

Noluck

I am not concerned about electric bill

Indirect will cost 2500
New coil take a chance it still sucks at least 600

Hook up hot water heater to electric 200 tops

And iIwill save some on oil not using the coil

rick in Alaska

When the hot water is being drawn off the storage tank, you should check to see if the pipes coming out of the storage tank are hot. Then, when the temperature drops off after using it for a while, see if they are still hot. If you have some kind of a cross connection going on elsewhere in the system that is diluting the hot water, then the pipes at the top will still feel hot.
You might also pull the dip tube in the new water heater and make sure it is ok.
One other thing I would check is to see if is piped like it should be.
Rick