Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Uh-Oh: Polar Vortex Collides With Chlorides

Options
New England SteamWorks
New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
in Strictly Steam
What to do when you're faced with a chloride hole the size of a golf ball and the temperature is headed for single digits,



the existing header is unacceptable,



and the returns have no venting?



You get real busy real fast!

New England SteamWorks
Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
newenglandsteamworks.com

Comments

  • DavidK_2
    DavidK_2 Member Posts: 131
    Options
    If I did this for a living I would carry around a bunch of portable electric heaters I could loan to my clients. Looks like that job might need them
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Options
    He'll have a new boiler in there and running in a matter of hours! He's good, that way.
  • DavidK_2
    DavidK_2 Member Posts: 131
    Options
    :)
  • Gilmorrie
    Gilmorrie Member Posts: 185
    Options
    What appears to be the relief valve discharge line has a shutoff valve - not acceptable. Clearly, maintenance has been lacking - a bit late now, though. Maybe go to a motel?
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Options
    Gilmorrie said:

    What appears to be the relief valve discharge line has a shutoff valve - not acceptable. Clearly, maintenance has been lacking - a bit late now, though. Maybe go to a motel?

    The PRV is before that shutoff valve. I'm sure he has to use that same tapping for a skim port too. I have to have the same set up but I put a plug in the port end of mine just so it doesn't accidently get opened.
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    Options
    It's cold!


    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • DavidK_2
    DavidK_2 Member Posts: 131
    Options
    That is why when you need a professional, you hire one.
  • DavidK_2
    DavidK_2 Member Posts: 131
    Options
    :cheers:
  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    Options
    very cold..supposed to be minus 20 or lower here tonight/tomorrow..
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    Options
    A long day, but she's running!



    A little better too, than the last time around. She has venting now:


    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    kcoppSWEI
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    Options
    In the "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" category:

    Gauges:



    Here is the original from which I copied, but neglected to note the author:



    I am sure he will step forward so proper attribution may be assigned! And thank you in advance.

    Now I am going to try and thaw out...
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    RomanGK_26986764589
  • EzzyT
    EzzyT Member Posts: 1,295
    Options
    Beautiful install as always @RI_SteamWorks, no need to thank me.
    E-Travis Mechanical LLC
    Etravismechanical@gmail.com
    201-887-8856
    RomanGK_26986764589New England SteamWorks
  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 644
    Options
    nice work
    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager,teacher and dog walker
  • Sailah
    Sailah Member Posts: 826
    Options
    I hope they brought hot cocoa for you that was a nice install on short notice
    Peter Owens
    SteamIQ
    Canuckerdelta T
  • Boon
    Boon Member Posts: 260
    Options
    Some people buy a house near their work or in a particular school district for their kids. My next house will be within the service area of @RI_SteamWorks [or one of you other pros]. And the house I buy better have a crappy, broken, ill-conceived scrap-heap of a heating system so I can get a real one installed.
    DIY'er ... ripped out a perfectly good forced-air furnace and replaced it with hot water & radiators.
    New England SteamWorksSailah
  • Mark N
    Mark N Member Posts: 1,115
    Options
    Has the water been tested for high chlorides? What is the level? What is the plan to protect the new boiler from graphitic corrosion?
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    edited December 2016
    Options
    They were very kind (and so are you guys). No hot cocoa, but plenty of eggnog!
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
    SailahTim Potter
  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    Options
    Mark N said:

    Has the water been tested for high chlorides? What is the level? What is the plan to protect the new boiler from graphitic corrosion?

    It's a bizarre story. The current owners are new. The old boiler was 8 years old. But after moving in they found photographic evidence of a different, very old, steam boiler, that had been there in the past year or two.

    So the thinking goes that the boiler was purchased used and installed to speed up the process of selling the home. Whether they knew it was holed is another question.

    At any rate, the area of the install is very close to our shop and it's not a chloride ravaged area, so it makes sense, all in all, that the boiler failed somewhere else.

    But we installed a VXT and the religion of absolute minimal water consumption was suitably conveyed. Nothing like a holed boiler to make for speedy converts!
    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • Fred
    Fred Member Posts: 8,542
    Options
    Wow! Just Wow @RI_SteamWorks . It is a thing of beauty.
    New England SteamWorks
  • GregWeiss
    GregWeiss Member Posts: 30
    Options
    @RI_SteamWorks what brand of boiler had the hole?
  • hvacfreak2
    hvacfreak2 Member Posts: 500
    Options
    Really nice !!! That is how I piped my skim tapping ( boiler drain on the bottom ) , I connect a hose and come back later.

    What mesh size strainers do you use for the vents ?
    hvacfreak

    Mechanical Enthusiast

    Burnham MST 396 , 60 oz gauge , Tigerloop , Firomatic Check Valve , Mcdonnell Miller 67 lwco , Danfoss RA2k TRV's

    Easyio FG20 Controller

  • New England SteamWorks
    New England SteamWorks Member Posts: 1,505
    Options
    GregWeiss said:

    @RI_SteamWorks what brand of boiler had the hole?

    Burnham...

    New England SteamWorks
    Service, Installation, & Restoration of Steam Heating Systems
    newenglandsteamworks.com
  • hvacfreak2
    hvacfreak2 Member Posts: 500
    Options
    Planned obsolescence or cost saving effort in the cast iron raw materials versus " chlorides ". It seems Burnham V7 and 8 are the only boilers that are chloride sensitive. The company name change leads me to believe that someone has something to hide.
    hvacfreak

    Mechanical Enthusiast

    Burnham MST 396 , 60 oz gauge , Tigerloop , Firomatic Check Valve , Mcdonnell Miller 67 lwco , Danfoss RA2k TRV's

    Easyio FG20 Controller

  • Mark N
    Mark N Member Posts: 1,115
    Options
    Its not really known if chlorides did this boiler in. According the RI Steamworks it might have been bought used and reinstalled here. It might have been done in by excessive feed water because of a leak in the system.
  • GregWeiss
    GregWeiss Member Posts: 30
    Options
    No surprise there

Categories