pennco boiler

eltin

My 16 series, an older model 1604 has just cracked. I believe the lwco failed. I want to keep the same type of boiler footprint. I have researched a bit and found that Dunkirk and Utica have similar if not the same boiler, but different jacket colors. My question is; does it matter which "brand", or should I just stick with pennco ?Reason I asked is that I wanted to know if one is a better build then the other.

nicholas bonham-carter

The most important thing is the competence of the installer:
Does he know how to read the installation manual?
Is he knowlegeble about steam?
Is there a stocking distributor in your area?
I believe these boilers, are side discharge, and as a result are very sensitive to improper piping, which may throw much of the boiler water up into the supply piping while steaming. This lowers the water level at the worst time, and subjects the sections of the boiler to thermal shock.
Post a picture of your current piping, and boiler and we can tell if that was your problem.--NBC

eltin

nicholas bonham-carter

That piping looks alright, however, I wonder if the piping is large enough in the header to avoid the high steam velocities which can shoot too much water up into the supplies with the steam. Some experts here will suggest that both side outlets be used to prevent this.
Were you in the habit of checking the LWCO weekly before this happened? A float type LWCO should be drained, and its ability to stop the burner verified regularly.
Some leaks are caused not only by dry-firing, but also by rusting out of the sections. This is often caused by the feeding of too much fresh oxygenated water into the boiler, as a result of some uncorrected leaks in the whole system.
In addition to oxygen, there are now other chemical compounds, such as Chlorides, in water supplies which can shorten the life of steam boilers. This problem can be overcome by filling the system with demineralized water.
When your steam man is replacing the boiler, some forensic examination of the leak, and its cause should be undertaken, so you will get the full life out of the replacement.--NBC

j a_2

As far as exhaust venting, what's the chimney size...It does not appear lined....What's the local code on venting,locations,generally speaking its smaller over the larger....How much free space do you have for make up air....What size is your gas service,and is the inside fit sized correctly....Just a few possible questions for your installer...

eltin

yes, i checked the lwco every week. As far as chimney size, I am not sure. But I am curious as to which brand to go with

Robert O'Brien

eltin said:

yes, i checked the lwco every week. As far as chimney size, I am not sure. But I am curious as to which brand to go with

The casting is the same for all three

Dave0176

I do not like Dunkirk boilers with there side outlets.