New Weil McLean boiler banging

drainsurgeon

A customer hired a contractor for a boiler replacement because of a leaking issue, the original boiler was in a 3’ pit.
The new boiler was installed 2 feet higher rather than on the floor in the pit and now the boiler is surging and banging and flooding through the radiators on 3 floors. I remember learning that the boiler should not be raised. P.S. I am semi retired and my customer hired the replacement contractor, because it became an emergency.how do I tell the contractor it was installed wrong and how can it be corrected. This is in a 6 unit apartment building and is a 300,000 btu Steam boiler ?

JUGHNE

Is it gravity return or pumped?

nicholas bonham-carter

Was the boiler sized right?
Was the boiler piped right?
A higher install is not always wrong, but show your customer the instructions in the installation manual.--NBC

drainsurgeon

Gravity with an automatic feeder

nicholas bonham-carter

Was the boiler sized right?
Was the boiler piped right?
A higher install is not always wrong, but show your customer the instructions in the installation manual.--NBC

JUGHNE

The height of the old water line and new water line difference could be a major factor.
But many other possibilities including as NBC said sizing, piping and skimming of water being done.
Pictures showing all piping near boiler would be great.

HVACNUT

Agree with @JUGHNE
Dont ask me how to do it, but you need to create a false water line. The steam pro's can help with that.

Jamie Hall

If the new boiler was raised properly, so that the water line of the new boiler was within inches of the old boiler, that was done well. You probably do NOT need a false water line, and your contractor is to be commended.

However if the new water line is significantly either higher or lower than the old one, you may have some problems for that -- but surging and banging are not usually among them. It would be worth checking, however; go all around the heating pipes, and locate all the places where drips come down to wet returns. The wet return at those locations must be at least a few inches below the water line. If you do find the new water line is too low, then yes you may need a false water line.

The surging and banging and flooding all suggest to me that first, the new boiler badly needs to be skimmed. And skimmed. And skimmed some more. Then the pressure settings need to be checked. Too high a pressure can flood the dry returns, if you have them, which is trouble. Also make sure that your automatic feeder is set properly. They have been known to flood boilers.