Watch this video of a boiler with nearly catastrophic results from a failed heat exchanger.

JohnNY

https://www.facebook.com/gatewayplumbing/videos/441672956714460/

EBEBRATT-Ed

Could have been a disaster

RayWohlfarth

Wow that's scary. Glad you were able to find it before something happened

ethicalpaul

Thanks for the video, @JohnNY--

Can you explain how the failed heat exchanger caused that to happen?

JohnNY

Yeah sure. The heat exchanger is cracked above the water line. When things get going in there, water spills out of the crack and into the burner tubes and gas can’t get through. Thus, the campfire.

ethicalpaul

Thank you! Absolutely terrifying

D107

And there's really no safety switch, sensor or device that covers that and can shut down the boiler is there? Did you ascertain the cause of the cracked heat exchanger? How old was the boiler?

JohnNY

I installed it in 2011!
I haven’t laid eyes on the split yet but the Gateway guys will strip it down today and I’ll report back soon.

Grallert

I don't have face book. I wonder if there is another source for the vid?

ChrisJ

@JohnNY
What is the typical life you are seeing from the Burnham IN series in your area?

Solid_Fuel_Man

Wow.... that is scary indeed!

JohnNY

ChrisJ said:

@JohnNY
What is the typical life you are seeing from the Burnham IN series in your area?

Hi Chris,
I don't want to start any unjustified negative buzz on a manufacturer but I've had a few of the IN series boiler come back to me. They were all installed between 2008 and 2012. I've got many Burnham boilers installed in the early '90s out there still going strong.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Good for roasting marshmallows. The only thing that could have saved it is a rollout switch.

I don't know about other states but MA requires an electrical firomatic on the ceiling for oil...but not for gas.

Wouldn't be a bad idea for any boiler or furnace. I know of 1 house that it saved

STEAM DOCTOR

Wow. Seen endless leaking boilers. Never seen anything like that.

STEAM DOCTOR

Personally, I have seen lots of Burnham In's not make it past 15 years

SlamDunk

Fingers crossed. My IN-5 is on year 10

Steamhead

Grallert said:

I don't have face book. I wonder if there is another source for the vid?

This.

ChrisJ

> @SlamDunk said:
> Fingers crossed. My IN-5 is on year 10

Steamaster or equivalent water treatment. I'm betting they would have no problem lasting.

ChrisJ

> @Steamhead said:
> (Quote)
> This.

Get Facebook.
There are many that wish you and Gordo were there.

Intplm.

I was just going to ask the same thing. Is there another place to see that video? I would like to and do not want to become a facebook person..... Facebook seems to intrusive to me. @JohnNY🤔 ?

Leon82

I looks like it was cought soon. I can't imagine it would be that clean with a huge flame running up those wires and gas line

Hap_Hazzard

ChrisJ said:

Get Facebook.
There are many that wish you and Gordo were there.

I've tried Facebook three times and had bad experiences every time. Among other things, I did not approve of what they were doing with my personal data. I didn't even know the half of it. I would never encourage anyone to trust Facebook with their personal info. It's just not worth it.

ChrisJ

> @Hap_Hazzard said:
> (Quote)
> I've tried Facebook three times and had bad experiences every time. Among other things, I did not approve of what they were doing with my personal data. I didn't even know the half of it. I would never encourage anyone to trust Facebook with their personal info. It's just not worth it.

If you had problems with Facebook, that you apparently didn't even know what they were, I recommend starting another thread and not derailing this one.

Steamhead

ChrisJ said:

> @Steamhead said:

> (Quote)

> This.



Get Facebook.

There are many that wish you and Gordo were there.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

STEAM DOCTOR

Do what I did. Make account with fake info. Allows you access to other peoples videos and the like

Hap_Hazzard

ChrisJ said:

If you had problems with Facebook, that you apparently didn't even know what they were, I recommend starting another thread and not derailing this one.

If you want to shill for Facebook, I recommend YOU start another thread.

Hap_Hazzard

STEAM DOCTOR said:

Do what I did. Make account with fake info. Allows you access to other peoples videos and the like

That's what I did the second and third times. It helps, but they will still track you, because they can still access any cookies that were set on their domain or partners' domains. Facebook is a very dangerous place to be.

ChrisJ

> @Hap_Hazzard said:
> (Quote)
> If you want to shill for Facebook, I recommend YOU start another thread.

What I said was in regards to the original post.

SlamDunk

It was 70 today, Jan 12. Who needs a boiler?

ChrisJ

> @SlamDunk said:
> It was 70 today, Jan 12. Who needs a boiler?

But what is today but yesterday's tomorrow?

SeanBeans

I also am not on Facebook and would like to view the video. Facebook is addicting and takes up too much time, which will take away from my time here on heating help!

ChrisJ

> @JohnNY said:
> (Quote)
> Hi Chris,
> I don't want to start any unjustified negative buzz on a manufacturer but I've had a few of the IN series boiler come back to me. They were all installed between 2008 and 2012. I've got many Burnham boilers installed in the early '90s out there still going strong.

Do you feel the roll out switch would catch this issue even if on the opposite side? Or would two switches be better?

JohnNY

Try this link, Facebook paranoia sufferers: https://flic.kr/p/2ieci3t

JohnNY

ChrisJ said:

> @JohnNY said:

> (Quote)

> Hi Chris,

> I don't want to start any unjustified negative buzz on a manufacturer but I've had a few of the IN series boiler come back to me. They were all installed between 2008 and 2012. I've got many Burnham boilers installed in the early '90s out there still going strong.



Do you feel the roll out switch would catch this issue even if on the opposite side? Or would two switches be better?

I guess one rollout switch between every two burners would be best according to the unusual and unfortunate condition caught on this video but at some point, I guess manufacturers need to weigh cost and benefit. Bad sitch.

SlamDunk

ChrisJ said:

> @SlamDunk said:

> It was 70 today, Jan 12. Who needs a boiler?



But what is today but yesterday's tomorrow?

It is also tomorrow's yesterday: )

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

@SlamDunk Happy Birthday! I'm just a couple of years behind you and not ready for the pasture just yet.

I had to go on my wife's Facebook account to see the video. I have never seen anything like that. Even if I did, I don't think I would have come up with a good explanation. Thanks, @JohnNY!

Facebook may be cool, but not a place for me. I don't like the way they do business. HeatingHelp is my Facebook.

Hap_Hazzard

Wow! No wonder they're called "burn 'em."

Steamhead

JohnNY said:

Try this link, Facebook paranoia sufferers: https://flic.kr/p/2ieci3t

Thanks, @JohnNY . Never saw one that bad- did the burners rust shut from all the leaking water?

JohnNY

Steamhead said:

JohnNY said:

Try this link, Facebook paranoia sufferers: https://flic.kr/p/2ieci3t

Thanks, @JohnNY . Never saw one that bad- did the burners rust shut from all the leaking water?

Hi, Frank. No. The water kind of got stuck in the gas slots in the burners and closed them off. Everything inside looks like new including the burners. This is a freak occurrence I'm sure. I've never seen anything this bad caused by a section leak.

ratio

I gotta ask, @JohnNY, about the Gortons on the TRVs. Did they, …ummmm… work? Do anything?

Two pipe air vent system? I'm confused!

JohnNY

Those pics aren’t related to the boiler issue but yes, that was a 2-pipe air vent system that I controlled with 1-pipe TRVs.