Looking for boiler help/advice in Jersey City NJ

212Degrees

Hi, new here. Checked the "find a contractor" section but no one listed is very close by, so just reaching out here. (please contact me if you do work in the area)
2011 Crown BSI boiler is using waaay too much water and no radiator/return leaks i can find. Boiler basically runs until Cycle-gard water cut off shuts it down. Refills, and starts all over again. Water goes from about 3 inches up on glass to empty line in about an hour. Thanks in advance for any help.

EBEBRATT-Ed

There are a bunch of good contractors in NJ. @clammy & @EzzyT

EBEBRATT-Ed

If you can't find the leak, shut the boiler off and let it cool. When it is luke warm or cold (not hot) overfill the boiler until you feel the supply riser coming out of the boiler get cold, then shut the water off. let it sit for and hour or so and look for leaks.

Then drain it down to normal and re start

212Degrees

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

There are a bunch of good contractors in NJ. @clammy & @EzzyT

thank you for quick reply. yes, i see they are both in NJ, but both are quite a ways from here (easily over an hour during the week). I would assume they have plenty of work to keep them busy nearby without the added headache/expenses of NYC traffic.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@212Degrees

If you talk one of them into making the trip it will be well worth it to you. You may not get the cheapest $$$ from them but you will get a first rate job that will work

212Degrees

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

If you can't find the leak, shut the boiler off and let it cool. When it is luke warm or cold (not hot) overfill the boiler until you feel the supply riser coming out of the boiler get cold, then shut the water off. let it sit for and hour or so and look for leaks.

Then drain it down to normal and re start

not sure if i understand all that (i.e. what's a riser?) so a bit hesitant to proceed for fear of breaking stuff. However, in my digging here, i saw it mentioned about looking for "white smoke" coming out of chimney. Took this video today while boiler was on. Not sure if that is just a normal cold weather thing (38 degrees today) or something else. Again, thanks in advance.

video of chimney: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lbuA5bAL-lE&feature=youtu.be

lockdown_lou

Yikes. Doesn’t look great on that steamy chimney. 

ethicalpaul

Looks pretty steamy. But to be clear: if you were to turn off the auto feeder would the water level return 15 minutes after the call for heat ended?

212Degrees

ethicalpaul said:

Looks pretty steamy. But to be clear: if you were to turn off the auto feeder would the water level return 15 minutes after the call for heat ended?

thanks for reply. haven't turned off feeder (nor do i know exactly how... (i.e. i'm a professional musician currently unemployed due to covid ) however, from my observations the past few days.... once the cut off shuts down the boiler, the water feeder (uni-match wfe-24) blinks green for a minute or 90 secs then adds some water for about 30 secs to a minute then stops and blinks again. this process repeats several times (10 mins total?) until the water in the glass is roughly 3 inches above the cutoff line, then the boiler kicks in again. hope description that makes sense.

EzzyT

@212Degrees I work in jersey city all the time, you can reach me at 2018878856

JohnNY

NYC traffic in Jersey City? That's not really a thing.

212Degrees

JohnNY said:

NYC traffic in Jersey City? That's not really a thing.

when you live 2 blocks from the holland tunnel it kinda is

EzzyT

So we replaced the leaking boiler upgraded the main venting installed wet return flush valves and replaced the radiator vents.
Thanks to @clammy for helping us out on this one.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Well, that was quick!!
Nice job

Amazing how one can rot out in 10 years, Too much make up water?

ethicalpaul

Congratulations @212Degrees you stumbled across one of the very best steam installers in this country. 

thanks for reply. haven't turned off feeder (nor do i know exactly how... (i.e. i'm a professional musician currently unemployed due to covid  )

I’m an iPhone app developer 😅

JohnNY

212Degrees said:

JohnNY said:

NYC traffic in Jersey City? That's not really a thing.

when you live 2 blocks from the holland tunnel it kinda is

Ha. I live 2 blocks from the other side of the Holland Tunnel. I hear you.

clammy

As always it’s nicest when you work w guys who work ,know how to work and this is why we get and how it gets done in what seems no time it’s called getting a real professionals in who not only look at the job but are there performing the work not sending there lackies to do there bidding who may and will not really care there just employees this isn’t the case w Ezzy is always working just as hard as I am to get it done correctly and timely . If your a little crazy like myself and a perfectionist in what you do it’s a rare instant when you get the pleasure to work w those who hold what they do for a living in high esteem it really motivates ,at least me to get her done and do her right . As I always say when where getting close is I just want to thank everybody for coming in today and doing such a wonderful job you all deserve to pat your self on the back so go ahead Ps we always have a great time working lol peace and good luck clammy