This weeks Boiler Room Detective case, The Case of the Squealing Boiler

RayWohlfarth

In this Friday's case, I was called to a church and the complaint was the hydronic boiler squealed when it operated. It sounded like a loose belt. The boiler was an old Peerless 211 cast iron boiler with an atmospheric burner and a standing pilot. I'll let you know what I found on Friday morning. If this were your service call, what do you think is causing the squealing?
Have fun detectives

retiredguy

This is a stumper and more information may be needed. My first thought is that someone installed a draft inducer on the breeching or stack similar to a Tjerlund, that should not have been there. I have seen instances when a gas regulator or gas valve malfunctioned reducing the gas input to the burners and causing a high pitched whine or squeal.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Squirrels or birds in the breeching. They only act up when the boiler fires up. LOL

Larry Weingarten

Hi, Any chance they have one of these on the roof?

Yours, Larry

mattmia2

the vents go in to something weird. im going with some sort of draft inducer, either electric or the wind turbine type

EdTheHeaterMan

Was this church next to a pig farm? Perhaps the pigs were doing all the squealing.

On a serious note... Squealing could be a defective circulator bearing assembly or defective circulator coupling.

But there was the story of a church pastor that was selling a mule that was no longer needed. A member of another church from the neighboring town heard of the sale and decided to purchase the mule. Once the deal was final, the priest told the purchaser that this mule was taught to go on the command of Hallelujah, and stop on the command of Amen. The man then sat on the mule and gave the command Hallelujah and the mule started to walk. The man gave the command Amen and the mule stopped. Feeling that he's made a good purchase, the man rode the mule home.

A few hours passed and the man saw that the mule was approaching a cliff with a 1000 ft drop. The man could not remember the command for stop and started to say anything he could think of to stop the mule… Woah! … STOP! …Slow down! NO NO NO it was something religious … Jesus! … God! …Bible! Nothing was working so, believing that he was going over the cliff the man said one final prayer

“Holy Father in heaven please forgive me for all my sins thru your holy name AMEN!” At that moment the mule stopped with only one step to go before falling over the cliff! The man rejoiced and thanked God by proclaiming aloud “Hallelujah”

Big Ed_4

Gas pressure or dirty burner . Run the burner with no call ..

Canuck_3

I've seen quite a number of atmospheric boilers making this type of noise. I suppose the main issue is low flow through the boiler, which causes steam to 'just start' to develop, (which is the noise). A cheap cure for the issue is to increase the system pressure a bit, which stops the steam from developing. Ultimately, though, increased flow through the boiler would be a permanent solution.

sbachman7117

I'm a small-scale landlord, not a mechanical contractor, so my experience is pretty limited. However, I did have a squealing hydronic boiler a few months ago. It was hard to tell the source by listening. Some oiling of the circulator pump seemed to fix it. Mine was 1980's era and much smaller than the one shown in this post.

mrlarson

Interesting problem, I would look at the flue passages to see if it is restricted causing harmonics creating the noise. Anxious to hear about what it was,

JUGHNE

I had a new boiler with gas valve squeal. Lowering the pressure by just a very small amount made the noise go away.

OuterCapeOilguy

In the absence of more info, I’m going to go with a dry or bad bearing on an open drive circulator. Second choice would be a gas valve issue.

metrosilo

Gas pressure. I’ve seen this problem several times. It’s strange how you get that sound with improper gas pressure. 

Bill_Kitsch69

1. Gas valve/regulator/burner harmonics. Clean the burners & orifices. Check manifold pressure. Clock input.
2. A circulator squeal is carrying through the system and sounds as though it's originating beneath the draft hood. (not likely)

HomerJSmith

What's been said pretty much covers it. This is where a mechanic's stethoscope might come in handy.

One thought is air going up the draft is squealing as it is pulled thru a small space in the cabinet.

This reminds me of a story about a squealing boiler. The Tech was called out and looked at the problem. He took out a hammer and tapped the side of the boiler and the squealing stopped. He gave the customer a bill for $100. The customer was taken aback at the cost and demanded an itemized bill. The Tech wrote...Tapping the boiler $5.00. Knowing where to tap $95.00.

HomerJSmith

Ed Young, you're a funny guy, I appreciate it.

SuperTech

Circulator bearing gone bad. Perhaps a wet rotor circulator running in a dry boiler?

RayWohlfarth

Thanks all @EBEBRATT-Ed was the closest The chimney had bats inside and they would squawk when the burner started. It sounded just like a loose belt on a blower. I was completely stumped by it until a retired building maintenance manage found the issue. I love the pig farm answer LOL The link to the video is below
https://youtube.com/watch?v=aYJyN36yupM

Kickstand55

What? Did the Church have no Belfry?
Well, the Bats, in this case, improvised!
It's nice to know of Church going Bats. Bet more of them go than People!

EBEBRATT-Ed

Animals coming down a chimney with no cap on it is pretty common in the winter. They want to be warm too.

But actually, what I posted was more of a joke. It was just a wild guess.

Big Ed_4

Get the #@%& out of here .... I have a bat house at the cabin , not happen there ...

RayWohlfarth

@Kickstand55 LOL
@EBEBRATT-Ed You must be psychic LOL what's tonights powerball numbers
@Big Ed_4 bat house? like the superhero?

Big Ed_4

OK