Help us solve this mystery smell!
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Yeah, we have that on our list because skimming seems to come up a lot in discussions about furnace odors. Thanks for noticing that the port is still closed.EzzyT said:And it looks like the boiler was never skimmed either seeing that the skim port was never removed.
That boiler installation will fail inspection due to the part that the backflow preventer is after the automatic feeder.0 -
I never wish this smell on anyone else. It gets into your hair and clothes and is just awful. Like, if you've ever smelled beans that have gone rotten in the fridge--that kind of pungent.0
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The Webster system, The handles allow you to set the amount of steam needed to heat the room without filling or over-filling the radiators. I believe there is an orifice in the return side of the radiator to control how much air is vented into the return pipe. Typically, once you find the "sweet spot" on adjusting the handle, you don't mess with them again. Steamhead and Jamie will be much better able to explain the system to you.
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Thank you!0
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FYI, we did smell the floor in the basement to check if the water coming up was the source but it wasn't. The only things that smell are the furnace and the pipes in certain spots. There's a room in the basement made of mason blocks that does not smell at all. The smell is so specific yet spread out that it's confounding.0
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I don't think you said if the previous boiler was a gas fired boiler or not. If so, was a new liner installed in the chimney?0
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I can almost bet the smell is due to the boiler not being skimmed.
And your plumber should’ve piped the boiler using both supply tappings into the header.
The boiler also needs a vaporstat and a 0-3 psi gauge.1 -
I'd say it's that "new boiler smell". Wait a year and it'll be fine.
It could be something in the jacket of the boiler. Maybe an animal got in there before/after it was purchased; feces, dead vermin?8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour
Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab
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Okay, That eliminates that possibility. Was the old oil tank also removed? No open oil pipes or fill pipes left in place, right?melmel02 said:
Previous boiler was oil. We converted to gas when the new boiler was installed, and the chimney liner was changed 11 days later.Fred said:I don't think you said if the previous boiler was a gas fired boiler or not. If so, was a new liner installed in the chimney?
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Plumber will take apart the boiler on Tuesday to check if anything got in there, because he said he's never smelled this smell coming off of a boiler before. The previous owner had a lot of stuff down there and was clearing out when the boiler was installed, so there could have been vermin that got disturbed. We didn't find any droppings in the basement but we also demo-d the ceiling so we might have missed it in the mess.I'd say it's that "new boiler smell". Wait a year and it'll be fine.
It could be something in the jacket of the boiler. Maybe an animal got in there before/after it was purchased; feces, dead vermin?
The idea of waiting a year made me laugh out loud. This is not a smell you can live in. Your clothes and hair reek after about an hour in the house.0 -
I have had a squirrel die in my flue pipe before. Not a pleasant smell at all!0
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Old oil tank was removed. It was in the driveway, and there are still thin pipes running along the wall but we have not checked to make sure they are capped off. We can check that!Fred said:
Okay, That eliminates that possibility. Was the old oil tank also removed? No open oil pipes or fill pipes left in place, right?melmel02 said:
Previous boiler was oil. We converted to gas when the new boiler was installed, and the chimney liner was changed 11 days later.Fred said:I don't think you said if the previous boiler was a gas fired boiler or not. If so, was a new liner installed in the chimney?
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If the plumber is coming back have him skim the boiler. Could take up to a couple hours to properly skim and rid the boiler of oil.1
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We'll put it at the top of the list. I'll be relieved if that does the trick. It has to be something like this bc the smell coincides with the new boiler. I don't think some other coincidence happened.EzzyT said:If the plumber is coming back have him skim the boiler. Could take up to a couple hours to properly skim and rid the boiler of oil.
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> @Fred said:
> This is a two pipe steam system. The old boiler looks like it may have been an oil fired system. The new one looks like natural gas. Is that correct? If so, and they vented it into the chimney without a new liner, what you smell may be old oily soot in the chimney burning off.
> @Alan (California Radiant) Forbes said:
> I'd say it's that "new boiler smell". Wait a year and it'll be fine.
>
> It could be something in the jacket of the boiler. Maybe an animal got in there before/after it was purchased; feces, dead vermin?
I have installed a lot of new steam boilers. Never ever takes a year. Few days usually. Week max0 -
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New boiler was installed Dec 27th. It's been running every day since then.STEAM DOCTOR said:> @Fred said:
> This is a two pipe steam system. The old boiler looks like it may have been an oil fired system. The new one looks like natural gas. Is that correct? If so, and they vented it into the chimney without a new liner, what you smell may be old oily soot in the chimney burning off.
> @Alan (California Radiant) Forbes said:
> I'd say it's that "new boiler smell". Wait a year and it'll be fine.
>
> It could be something in the jacket of the boiler. Maybe an animal got in there before/after it was purchased; feces, dead vermin?
I have installed a lot of new steam boilers. Never ever takes a year. Few days usually. Week max0 -
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South Orange0
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@Fred and others are right. This is a Webster Vapor system. The radiator traps look like either 502 or 512 model traps. We can still get parts to rebuild them if needed.
Vapor was the Cadillac of heating in its day, and is still one of the best systems out there. Maintain it and it will outlast all of us.
The steam piping coming off the boiler looks like the installer came up from the boiler with 3-inch pipe and then reduced it to 2-inch where it turns horizontal (the "header"). Not good. I don't have the piping diagram for that boiler but I'd bet it says to keep the same pipe size for the header. Improper piping can cause banging, reduced efficiency and other issues- but not that smell.
Is there another, larger cast-iron thing in the piping around the boiler?All Steamed Up, Inc.
Towson, MD, USA
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Consulting1 -
All my money is on dead thing. $0 is on “blue tape”
NJ Steam Homeowner.
Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
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Thanks for all of that detail! I don't recall another cast-iron thing, but we're going back over to the house today and will take more pictures of the pipes and surrounding area. Now that we have daylight it'll be easier--we were using construction lights in the dark last night.Steamhead said:@Fred and others are right. This is a Webster Vapor system. The radiator traps look like either 502 or 512 model traps. We can still get parts to rebuild them if needed.
Vapor was the Cadillac of heating in its day, and is still one of the best systems out there. Maintain it and it will outlast all of us.
The steam piping coming off the boiler looks like the installer came up from the boiler with 3-inch pipe and then reduced it to 2-inch where it turns horizontal (the "header"). Not good. I don't have the piping diagram for that boiler but I'd bet it says to keep the same pipe size for the header. Improper piping can cause banging, reduced efficiency and other issues- but not that smell.
Is there another, larger cast-iron thing in the piping around the boiler?0 -
All Steamed Up, Inc.
Towson, MD, USA
Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
Oil & Gas Burner Service
Consulting1 -
@Steamhead Said: Is there another, larger cast-iron thing in the piping around the boiler?
@Steamhead, @melmel02 , I believe if you blow up the 7th picture on the first page of this string you'll see the components you asked about, just to the right of the boiler.1 -
some more pictures for you guys0 -
We had a ton of rain yesterday, and now there's some water in the basement, but the smell seems less intense! We have no idea why. There's also a pile of debris that we can see under the boiler, and we were wondering if it could be burning as the element is right there. Or maybe it's the incinerated remains of a critter? So many possibilities. Plumber is coming Tuesday morning.0
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It's a canned ham!! Boiler return trap and alternating receiver. At least they didn't rip that out
What's the water around the boiler? Could a leaking sewer pipe be causing the smell?1 -
There's water all over in the basement. It came up through the slab which is badly cracked all over...we have very high water table right now and no sump pump. Need to put one in now that we know the basement leaks (previous owner claimed it was dry but whatever, she didn't maintain anything for 30yrs). Sewer isn't near this area. We checked all the sewer lines and the vent stack and found no leaks, and the water is clean other than an oily sheen on top. It's not a sewer smell, though, it's more chemical-ish and rancid smelling. Like old vomit.EBEBRATT-Ed said:It's a canned ham!! Boiler return trap and alternating receiver. At least they didn't rip that out
What's the water around the boiler? Could a leaking sewer pipe be causing the smell?
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Looks like it's piped decently and to the minimum manufacturer's specs. Wonder why there's a pile of debris under the boiler. I'm sure the installer would not have installed the boiler over that. I'm wondering if something nested under there and when the burner kicked on it killed it/them???1
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Different problem. With out a means for water to be removed your slab is cracked from hydrostatic pressure of the water table underneath.
Insure the grade is pitched away from the foundation at least 10’ outside.
Insure gutters are functional, and down spouts carry the water away from the foundation perimeter at least 10’ away.
80% of water issues in the basement is due to poor drainage, and disfunctionl gutters, and down spouts.
The oil slick on the water could be spilled fuel oil from past history if the old system was oil fired in the past. Old fuel oil does smell rancid.1 -
The pile is tapered to the top, like it came from above, but who knows. Either way, we need to get the debris out of there!Fred said:Looks like it's piped decently and to the minimum manufacturer's specs. Wonder why there's a pile of debris under the boiler. I'm sure the installer would not have installed the boiler over that. I'm wondering if something nested under there and when the burner kicked on it killed it/them???
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Absolutely! The property needs grading all the way around, but especially on this side. There is water pooled in the yard all along this side of the foundation. Gutters appear serviceable and our inspector said they are bringing water down just fine, but the water is being deposited right next to the house so we need to run the lines out. Agree about the oil. The smell's not coming from that or the water, which just smells wet and a little oily.Gordy said:Different problem. With out a means for water to be removed your slab is cracked from hydrostatic pressure of the water table underneath.
Insure the grade is pitched away from the foundation at least 10’ outside.
Insure gutters are functional, and down spouts carry the water away from the foundation perimeter at least 10’ away.
80% of water issues in the basement is due to poor drainage, and disfunctionl gutters, and down spouts.
The oil slick on the water could be spilled fuel oil from past history if the old system was oil fired in the past. Old fuel oil does smell rancid.0 -
Hopefully no underground leaky tank with the oil pushed inside with the ground water1
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