Looking for steam-pro and advice

Dollr

I am looking for a steam-pro in my area to do maintenance service and cleaning on my steam system. I’m in Honesdale, PA 18431. I used the search on your site and the closet hit was 75 miles away. Anyone closer? If we can’t find anyone here’s my situation.

My story - we bought a house 15 years ago with steam heat. I know very little about steam heat and nobody fills you in when you buy a house. The new furnace was installed in 1990 so it’s been operating for about 25 years. We have never had any issues with the unit. No water hammer or spiting valves. It is always reliable and the radiators heat within 20 minutes so I never really thought about it much. The only maintenance I do is blow-down the boiler about once a week or two and drain and fill each summer. Also, I replaced all the radiator vents 15 years ago with Hoffman #40’s. Not because I knew anything about them but because they looked “cool”.

So one of the vents finally failed and in searching for a replacement found the adjustable Hoffman A-1. Great. Ordered those and found your great site and bought and read two of Dan’s books. It got me to thinking, is every thing as wonderful as I’ve been thinking?

Well, I put those vents on and suddenly the boiler stops short-cycling just heats to temp and stops. Before I read the book I thought that short-cycling was normal boiler behavior. Thanks Dan. So now I’m guessing main is under vented. Well it has one Gorton #1 for about 66 feet of main (if I measured correctly). How many more vents needed?

I checked the pressuretrol and it is set to 0.05 and the differential at 2 if I’m reading it right. Change it?

Additional facts: I have a Parallel Flow/Up-Feed Dry system (if I understand the book) with 9 radiators. Peerless Boiler Model G-661-5

As I said the system has been great but now it needs to be better and thoroughly cleaned and inspected. Here as some pictures of the system. What do you see that looks wrong? Anyway, sorry for the long post Dan’s books got me going. Great site. Any advice is welcome.

BobC

If the main is 66 ft long a gorton #1 is woefully small, that length main needs about 3 Gorton #2's. Be warned those are large vents that need about 7" of headroom above the mounting port.

Turn the white wheel inside the pressuretrol down to 1, lower pressure is best.

Your boiler is piped with what they call a colliding header, the steam comes out of the boiler risers and collides as it fights to go up to the steam main. The header should have been built so the takeoff for the steam main is between the equalizer and the two boiler risers.

Bob

Fred

On your forth picture, if they had installed that right rise out of the boiler over to where the riser up to the main is and installed the riser up to the main where that right boiler riser is, they would have gotten it right. I assume, after 25 years it is working OK for you though. Should be corrected when the boiler is replaced.
On a 66 foot main, ther should be at least 3 Gorton #2's at the end of the main, just afterr the last radiator run out. Maybe 4 if that is 2-1/2" main piping.
The McDonnell Miller #67 LWCO where you blow the boiler down doesn't look like it has been taken off and scraped/cleaned out in years. That should be done annually. You need to blow the boiler down during a heat cycle. If that LWCO is working, it should shut the boiler down in less than a minute. If it doesn't, it really needs to be cleaned mabe replaced.
Also the pigtail that the Pressuretrols are mounted on looks like it hasn't been off ever. They get clogged and the Pressuretrol can't see the boiler pressure. That needs to be done when you do annual maintenance.
The Pressuretrols look pretty rough. Are you sure they are even working? They need to be checked/maybe replaced. Set that white wheel to "1"
Hopefully you can find a Steam Pro that will come and go over the system for you.

Dollr

Thanks Bob and Fred. I'll turn the pressure down to 1. As to the colliding header, I saw that in Dan's book that's why I asked if something looks wrong. Guess I'll just leave it since it seems to work. I'll check the headroom for the vents. What can be done if they won't fit? The McDonnell Miller #67 LWCO works and does shut down the boiler on blow-down which I do about once a week. And yes, it all needs to be cleaned thoroughly and checked by a pro. Thanks again.

Fred

If you don't have the headroom for the Gorton #2's you can use either Hoffman #75's (they are about 5" tall) but you will need six of those (2 for every Gorton #2) or you can use gorton #1's (they are the shortest) (3 for every Gorton #2) to get the equalivant amount of Main venting as the 3 Gorton #2's.

BobC

Take a picture of the pipe and main vent so we can see what your dealing with.

Bob

Abracadabra

The backup (i assume) pressuretrol on the right is set too high

Dollr

Here's a picture of the vent. Not much room above it only a couple of inches. Also, not sure why I have 2 pressuretrols. The one on the right seems to be connected to the water cutoff and water filler. But what do I know. Thanks for all your help.

BobC

If you were to replace that nipple on the 45 with a 90 you could run some nipples and T's that would let you put a few Gorton #2's in place of the Gorton #1. Just make sure whatever you do has a bit of pitch so water can drain back to the main.

Bob

ChrisJ

@Dave0176 may be the closest person I can think of.
Honesdale is a beautiful area.

Abracadabra

Dollr said:

... Also, not sure why I have 2 pressuretrols....

one is a backup in case the primary one fails. You need to lower the settings on it.

Dollr

Thanks ChrisJ, I'll contact him. It's been 25 years with no thorough going over. Not an emergency but needs to be looked at by someone who knows what they are doing. Abracadabra - so I'll just set both pressuretrols the same. And thanks BobC, for the advice on the vents. Will try that when I get some time.

Fred

ChrisJ said:

@Dave0176 may be the closest person I can think of.
Honesdale is a beautiful area.

He already said it was to far for him.
EDIT: I must be thinking of another post. I don't see his response on this one. Sorry.

Dollr

No problem. Won't someone please come to the boonies!

WithrowPlace

I feel your pain! I'm 24084

EzzyT

Im about 2 hours away from you Dollr send me a private message

Dollr

WithrowPlace said:

I feel your pain! I'm 24084

That's in VA right? We drive near there on our way to NC and usually stop at the Roanoker Restaurant (in Roanoke) on the way.

Dollr

EzzyT said:

Im about 2 hours away from you Dollr send me a private message

Will do EzzyT. Thanks.