Need a steam expert in Cincinnati

ATM

I'm still having issues with a 5 year old installation and need someone to evaluate and fix as the original installer has never been able to remedy completely the issues. Thanks

Hap_Hazzard

You might just have to try calling local heating contractors and asking if they have any steam men working for them. I had someone come out to do a combustion analysis a few years back through an offer on Angie's list, and when he arrived and looked at my boiler, he was thrilled to see I had a steamer and he mentioned that he had attended some of Dan's classes. His company isn't even listed here, but I found him anyway just by dumb luck.

ATM

Thanks. I've got a number of calls out to neighbors of my mom to see who they use. You can find more under a couple of threads I started in 2014

ATM

Weil McClain rep was fine with the piping but originally the problem was a very dirty boiler going off on pressure. Now it's going off on low water. 2 pipe low pressure Duham system in a 1920s Tudor house. Had the original coal boiler taken out and a 1960s gas one that had been added in 2014 and the Weil McClain put in their place. Much less water in the system than used to be so thinking of adding a reserve tank or condensate pump

Fred

@ATM , I've not had reason to use these people but you might want to check them out. I've had a couple neighbors who use them speak highly of them and their webpage seems to say the right things. They are in Dayton but I would think Cincinnati is in their coverage range:
http://www.findglocal.com/US/Dayton/520096018006294/HeatingWithSteam.com

Steamhead

The owner of that company, @Christian Egli_3 used to be a regular on here. Hopefully he will see this, but call them anyway.

ChicagoCooperator

Freaky, my great (or great-great) grandfather was named Christian Egly!

ATM

My mom called me to say the boiler wouldn't start this morning. Installer sent a tech who removed excess water and moved the pressure from .5 to 2 lbs., ugh

ATM

I did get a hold of Christian Egli in Dayton who I'm hoping to get a second opinion of the system. Installer tech is going to have Weil McClain rep come and evaluate addition of a condensate tank and pump.

Steamhead

That guy set the pressure way too high- and you do not need a tank and pump. You need someone who actually knows what they're doing.

MilanD

Good afternoon gents, it's been a while....

It is hard to find people in Cinci who know what they are doing. Call Jeff Murden with Murden Technical. 513-681-7404. Or Midwest Mechanical's owner Tom - 513-528-3034. I'd start with Jeff.

As I mentioned in the DM to you over the weekend, your wet return, despite being newer, may be clogged with schmutz from the excess water (you mentioned to me that you had some kind of leak that resulted in boiler section being replaced a few years after the install). I'm assuming this has been corrected.

One think I'm also thinking - your vxt (or what ever the automatic feeder you may have) may be letting water in or not closing all the way after the low-water call. This would also flood the boiler.

With you being there to watch the operation of the boiler, try closing off the automatic feeder and see what the boiler does over the few hours. Then, preferably from cold start, feel how quickly the hot condensate stacks in the wet return. If the boiler header is piped properly and if the wet return is not gooped-up, you should not have issue with "slow" returning condensate.

There is no other reason the boiler would flood that I can think of at the moment. Either the autofeeder is not closing all the way or letting water in when not needed (could also be a bad low water sensor), or the return is gummed-up which eventually gets the water back, but only after the boiler has filled with fresh water.

Good luck with this. We are getting snow tonight and 28 F high for tomorrow. Definitely want to get this figured out.

MilanD

And as Steamhead said, the pressure is now too high for no reason other than to make Duke Energy more money from the unsuspecting seniors.

Do not call the same company again.

MilanD

And lastly, if the system worked fine for, oh, 60-70 years without the condensate tank, the likelihood of one needed now is slim to none. Correct slow return or leaky vxt. Extra water does not just magically appear in the boiler.

ATM

Thanks all. I'm going down the path of getting someone else to address. I'll keep you up to date with the progress