Criticize my Hot Water Boiler install!

Bcos17

Hi everyone,

After a lot of research and many hours reading posts on this forum, I finally re-piped my hot water boiler. When I moved into the house it was already installed but had several issues including no air separation, pump on the return, etc. There was a massive amount of air in the pipes at all times and you could hear the water sloshing around whenever the heat turned on. I decided to go with a cross manifold to limit some of the work (no need to build a supply and return header, wiring, zone controller, etc) and I added a 3rd zone to separate a downstairs laundry room from an upstairs bedroom. The Grundfos 15-58 alpha was chosen so that I could adjust the flow to the zones if I wasn't getting enough heat due to the 1/2" pex piping. I tried to orient the plumbing so that my dirt separator and demineralizing filter were in easily accessible locations for servicing. Full disclosure, I did the full install over a weekend a few weeks ago but discovered that I had placed the Magnaclean and demineralizing filter in less than ideal locations, so I redid it this past weekend to fix those issues. I changed everything except the gas piping, the vent, and I kept the old low water cutoff. Everything else is new. I ordered most of my supplies from Supply House and rented a pro-press tool from a tool rental company in Northern NJ (Taylor Rental). How did I do? Any obvious piping issues? servicing issues? areas for improvement?

Criticize away! but please be kind, this is my first boiler and the first significant plumbing project I've ever done beyond changing a faucet or swapping out some steam vents.

mattmia2

Looks good. The only question I have is if that boiler is ok with being over that gap in the concrete blocks. Some boilers rely on the floor to close off the bottom of the combustion chamber, others do not so that is something to check in the installation manual. The MC cable for the circulator could do with some more support but that is getting a little nitpickey.

STEAM DOCTOR

If I remember correctly, the Williamson has a plate on the bottom of the boiler, so gap is irrelevant. Only issue on boilers that are open beneath the burners (Williamson steam boiler for example).

mattmia2

Is the gas piping supported somewhere such that someone can't just grab it and have it twist at one of the elbows? If it dropped straight down and were supported at the ceiling it would be fine but if someone leans on one of those 2 ells in the horizontal section it will rotate at the joints.

Bcos17

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1801803#Comment_1801803

I wondered the same, but as the other poster pointed out, the bottom of the boiler is solid, so there's no issue as far as air or combustion. I wanted to slide another block in there to make it look cleaner but the space was too narrow so I just left it. As far as the MC cable…I just barely had enough length to make it to my new circulator, and I didn't have extra cable or metal jacket, or do the research into the type of cable I needed, so I was happy to just get it connected with the old length of cable.

Bcos17

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1801805#Comment_1801805

It's strapped in at the ceiling and comes off a much larger gas pipe. I had not considered the possible vulnerability of the elbow above the gas valve. I guess I could strap it into the diamond plate/plywood board using some 3/8 rod and maybe a 1 inch hanger like I have on the 1 inch copper supply and return. Thanks for the comments.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Just those few minor things others have mentioned. Not going to criticize it looks better than 85 1/2% of all the so called contractors out there.

I would give you a B+

nice job