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Here's one invaluable boiler service tool for you.

JohnNY
JohnNY Member Posts: 3,298
edited December 16 in Oil Heating

Of course there are several ways to do this but when running into a difficult low-voltage, transformer-blowing, no-heat service call, this breaker protected external power supply is a fantastic tool for providing temporary power that trips instead of burning anything.

A customer's boiler stopped working this week when there became an issue with their neutral/grounding in a sub breaker panel. I'm not qualified or insured to diagnosed or deal with much of that so running an extension cord to this device from RIB which gave us the power we needed to keep the home from freezing during this week's cold weather.

I'm so happy I bought these things I just had to tell someone. That's you. Thanks for reading.

-JohnNY

Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
Consulting & Troubleshooting
Heating in NYC or NJ.
Classes
PC7060ethicalpaulmattmia2IronmandelcrossvEdTheHeaterManHVACNUTGGross

Comments

  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,298

    Never mind that the boiler piping is a disaster. That's a different conversation.

    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    mattmia2PC7060
  • trivetman
    trivetman Member Posts: 206

    ive thought about the nightmare scenario of an extended winter power outage, and Ive got just enough electrical knowledge to be dangerous. If desperate, Ive thought I would disconnect the boiler wiring from the house supply and find a way to connect it to a portable generator. Awful idea?

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 6,814
    edited December 15

    I think it's an awesome idea, but I would check out those lithium battery power stations. No noise, no fumes, no fuel, no problem. Recharge on your car if necessary.

    https://www.amazon.com/BLUETTI-Portable-AC180-Generator-Off-grid/dp/B0C1SMJTDT

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

    hot_rod
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 11,029

    yeah, if it is a steam boiler you can run it off a small inverter or ups. iuf it is a hot water boiler with a smallish circulator you can run it off a larger battery and inverter.

    for my furnace i found the molex plug that the power from the junction box uses so i have a cord where i unplug that plug and plug in the cord and can plug it in to a generator. the utility was about 6 years behind in their 4 year tree trimming cycle so i was having several day power outages a couple times a year.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 11,029
    edited December 15

    @JohnNY another thing i would add to that is a lampholder and 1 24v incandescent lamp or 2 12v lamps i could switch in series so when looking for a short the lamp would limit the current without tripping the breaker so i could look for what was shorted with a meter. Maybe just make it a 3rd terminal on the terminal strip.

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,984

    I was going to mention the lamp idea. Very useful! And better yet, wire it so you can use 2 12 volt lamps in series, as you can get them at any autoparts store and a lot of hardware stores…

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    mattmia2
  • TKPK
    TKPK Member Posts: 52

    I have hooked mine up to a boat battery with an inverter hooked up to the disconnect. Of course it was disconnected from the house.

    Ran for days when the house had no power and sub zero temps. Now I have a generator but not then.

    ethicalpaul
  • fentonc
    fentonc Member Posts: 288

    @ethicalpaul - I have a Bluetti AC200Max that can probably power my boiler + circulator for a day or two (and I can recharge via an inverter connected to my car). Being able to leave it inside (and not having it make any noise/fumes) is a very nice property. I re-wired my boiler to use an "EZ Generator" transfer switch that lets me just plug the battery into the boiler and throw the switch.

  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 6,814

    Nice. Keep in mind you don't have to leave the inverter powered up the whole time. You could let the temp drop a couple degrees, then power up the inverter, let it heat up the place a few degrees then power it down, it should last much longer since the inverter itself probably uses more power than the boiler (at least in the case of atmospheric)

    NJ Steam Homeowner.
    Free NJ and remote steam advice: https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/new-jersey-steam-help/
    See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el

    ratio
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,588

    3 x 2 reducers on the boiler supply to copper no less. I don't see any issue with that LOL😊

  • delcrossv
    delcrossv Member Posts: 1,437
    edited December 15

    Worst hack I've done recently was to use the transformer from boiler A to run boiler B that had a smoked power supply.

    2 for 1 until the supply house opened on Monday.

    Oldest son rigged a failed relay with a screwdriver, but that's another story.

    Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
    ethicalpaulJohnNY
  • mattmich
    mattmich Member Posts: 132

    I'm not the first to say this, but man, that too me back a few years…

    » If desperate, Ive thought I would disconnect the boiler wiring from the house supply and find a way to connect it to a portable generator. Awful idea?

    Great idea.

    That's what I wound up doing in the winter of 2013, when a freak storm happened where everything was frozen and dry and then it warmed up enough to rain, causing trees to be encased in a thick — and heavy — coat of ice. We were without power for 8 days and I took a battery from one of the cars and used an inverter to power the boiler.

    Thankfully my employer has their own power station — and underground lines — so they stayed on and I could charge the battery when needed. We had heat, we had internet, we had hot water, and even watched TV occasionally. Felt quite luxurious. I've kept a spare battery around ever since.

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 23,507

    I live a few miles from Goal Zero. Once a year they have a warehouse sale. I picked up an open box 1500 for 1/2 off. I use it in my camper


    its nice to have the inverter and charge controller built in. Recharge from solar, 120v or a car charger

    USB plugs also

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,763
    edited December 16

    Hello JohnNY,

    When troubleshooting electrical issues it is nice to have options and your own, easy to set up and use equipment. Having your own 24 VAC power source that you don't have to cobble together every time it is needed is nice.

    The 24 VAC worth of incandescent lamp(s) as mentioned above, I am a strong proponent of Dim Bulb or Dim Lamp testing, good visual indication of an over-load or not, limits the circuit current to a safe level, keeps the circuit live for troubleshooting and self resetting (automatic resetting, since it is never really off).

    I would also have a Lil popper like device or two POP3 & POP5 or the equivalent. To me the Lil popper is just a circuit beaker with a rating appropriate for HVAC equipment and has some specialized wires added to it. Similar circuit breakers are a lot less expensive without the wires.

    I got a bit lost with the OP stating " running into a difficult low-voltage, transformer-blowing, no-heat service call " and " A customer's boiler stopped working this week when there became an issue with their neutral/grounding in a sub breaker panel. " were these two different service calls ?

    Was there an open neutral back to the utility ? If so what did you plug your PSH100AB10-EXT2 into that would not have the same (over-Voltage ?) issues. JohnNY any further details on that situation ?

    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 11,029

    The neutral to a subpanel was bad so he plugged this in to a circuit out of a different panel.

  • retiredguy
    retiredguy Member Posts: 982

    I once used a 120 volt wall receptacle for the 120 volt control power to 2 hot water boilers in a school since the union electrician and I had an argument over how he ran that designated power supply. He had little idea what he was doing and when I tried to help he went ballistic since he "knew it all". They ran those 2 boilers that way for 2 years until I came back and pulled the wiring I needed after the job was finalized.