Been a very quiet year so far

Dave0176

Managed to get a steamer in but the warm winter has basically made people forget about their boilers. Oh well this business ebbs with the weather. Installed a Weil-McLain EG40, cleaned up some piping and that’s that.

SuperTech

That looks like a work of art! Nicely done.

I agree about the winter being a huge disappointment. I'm already doing A/C service. Much rather be working on boilers.

ratio

That's a heck of a nipple kit to carry around!

Hap_Hazzard

Does anybody do swimming pool plumbing in the spring & summer? That seems like it would be a good sideline for the off season.

GroundUp

That's unfortunate, what do you do to fill your time? I got 4 boilers and 17,000 sq ft of radiant tubing installed in January and then broke my ankle snowmobiling early February, still 3 more weeks until I can walk but I've got almost 30,000 feet of tubing and 11 more boilers sold when I can get moving again, the boom never really stopped around here. I only do radiant and I only work weekends (fulltime elsewhere) so it's a bit of a niche market.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Dave0176
Nice job as usual

ethicalpaul

Looks great @Dave0176 !

Was the old boiler in a hole? Or was that hole in the floor patched long ago? Do you usually put your boilers on blocks or set them on the floor? Mine is on blocks but I have no idea why

Tom_133

I find that from now til they light the wick on the summer craziness, I try to fit in all the clean and tunes I can. Then they are done.

unclejohn

I wish I had steam in my house just so you could install the boiler.

JUGHNE

Mine is on blocks but I have no idea why

Could have been to raise the water line if you had some drips that would have ended up above the new water line.

Probably most likely to just get the boiler off the floor in the event of wet floor.
I put all tanks and boilers up on at least 4" thick solid blocks.
Sometimes called equipment pads or housekeeping pads.

mattmia2

Oh, there was a boiler that was there before the floor at some point.

The blocks are great to help keep the boiler(or other equipment) off the floor a bit and keep it from getting damp or wet from moisture or leaks/backups in the basement.

I put my indirect on blocks so I could put a pan under it and have the pan be uphill from the floor drain. The floor sort of slopes away from the floor drain...

Dave0176

ethicalpaul said:

Looks great @Dave0176 !

Was the old boiler in a hole? Or was that hole in the floor patched long ago? Do you usually put your boilers on blocks or set them on the floor? Mine is on blocks but I have no idea why

I’d say the boiler was installed before the basement floor was poured, because under the boiler was the dirt floor.

Dave0176

ratio said:

That's a heck of a nipple kit to carry around!

Well it’s either that or thread your own nipples, which is time consuming. I have the nipple chuck for when it’s needed though.

Dave0176

Hap_Hazzard said:

Does anybody do swimming pool plumbing in the spring & summer? That seems like it would be a good sideline for the off season.

Air Conditioning will be starting up, I have three replacement jobs in que, and multiple condenser cleanings which usually start around the second week of April, the last couple years no because it was so cool, but we'll see what this springs brings.

Dave0176

Tom_133 said:

I find that from now til they light the wick on the summer craziness, I try to fit in all the clean and tunes I can. Then they are done.

Yes first 90 degree day and all hell breaks loose. Then suddenly everyone wants me to go up in their unventilated attic’s, lol.

mikeg2015

Some late start new construction projects have been keeping us busy. New construction is rare around here. Almost as rare as boilers. Been the mildest winter I can remember since moving ot Iowa in 2004. Been slow otherwise.

Hap_Hazzard

Dave0176 said:

Air Conditioning will be starting up, I have three replacement jobs in que, and multiple condenser cleanings which usually start around the second week of April, the last couple years no because it was so cool, but we'll see what this springs brings.

You probably already know this, but pools use heaters or heat pumps, and they need maintenance. When I had to repair my heat pump, I had a hell of a time getting the manufacturer to sell me parts. They wanted me to call a "qualified" service technician.

Steamhead

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

@Dave0176
Nice job as usual

This.

Intplm.

@Dave0176 Great looking job.
Like the fourty five degree angles and the drop headers.

A real clean look.

dopey27177

Really a beautiful job,

Why no pipe insulation on the new work.

Jake

caywltz

What a great job, you must be professional

New England SteamWorks

Very nice Dave!

Warm weather means steam boiler block corrosion not readily apparent. Symptoms resemble normal make up water amounts....

Those jobs aren’t gone.

They are just sleeping.

Waiting for the next Polar Vortex.

Precaud

New England SteamWorks said:

Warm weather means steam boiler block corrosion not readily apparent. Symptoms resemble normal make up water amounts....

Could you elaborate, please - why not readily apparent?

ChrisJ

> @Precaud said:
> (Quote)
> Could you elaborate, please - why not readily apparent?

In warmer weather I don't add any water so I'm confused as well.

Fred

@Precaud , he probably means during warm weather the heat cycle isn't long enough or frequent enough for an abnormal water loss (above the boiler water line) to be apparent.

ChrisJ

> @Fred said:
> @Precaud , he probably means during warm weather the heat cycle isn't long enough or frequent enough for an abnormal water loss (above the boiler water line) to be apparent.

My Burnham V8 was losing water just doing domestic hot water all summer long.

Fred

ChrisJ said:

> @Fred said:

> @Precaud , he probably means during warm weather the heat cycle isn't long enough or frequent enough for an abnormal water loss (above the boiler water line) to be apparent.



My Burnham V8 was losing water just doing domestic hot water all summer long.

I can see that happening. I was thinking heat only in the winter months. It would be more obvious when the boiler also provides hot water for the household.

New England SteamWorks

When it’s really cold out the boiler is running constantly and any leak will require constant additions of water. When the temp drops below 20 the phone rings off the hook around here with “We constantly have to add water to our boiler”.

Dave0176

Little update, just went through the last 10 days with Coronavirus and I’m now starting to feel better, however could still be a few more weeks before I can work because of still being contagious. Thank god it wasn’t a severe case. Was very tough to breath for about 7 days, thought about going to the hospital a few times but I was able to weather through it. Been stuck in my bedroom with My wife basically taking orders and leaving stuff on the floor in front of the door. Can’t wait till it’s over.

Fred

Get well soon @Dave0176 !

ethicalpaul

Wow Dave I'm glad you were able to get through it without going to the hospital!

Intplm.

@Dave0176 So glad to hear you are on the mend. Hope its over for you soon.
Hang in there.

Erin Holohan Haskell

I'm so glad you're ok, @Dave0176.

Precaud

You're an artist with the pipe, glad you're still with us.

New England SteamWorks

We need you Dave! Get well and get back!

Steamhead

Fred said:

Get well soon @Dave0176 !

ethicalpaul said:

Wow Dave I'm glad you were able to get through it without going to the hospital!

Intplm. said:

@Dave0176 So glad to hear you are on the mend. Hope its over for you soon.
Hang in there.

Intplm. said:

@Dave0176 So glad to hear you are on the mend. Hope its over for you soon.
Hang in there.

Erin Holohan Haskell said:

I'm so glad you're ok, @Dave0176.

Precaud said:

You're an artist with the pipe, glad you're still with us.

New England SteamWorks said:

We need you Dave! Get well and get back!

These!