Considerations when removing an old boiler
Hi All,
I'd appreciate some input on considerations for removing my old hydronic boiler, its a Burnham Series 22a from the mid 1970s.
How much might it weigh? Has to be taken out of a basement up a flight of stairs with a turn at the top.
Should I attempt to dismantle it at all? Might it contain asbestos, so this should be avoided?
Thanks!
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That should weigh about 500 pounds. If you are careful and have three men and a boy, you may be able to get the cast iron out in one piece. If you are alone, then you can separate each section and take them out one at a time.
That is a lot more work, and the stuff that spills out of the water side will make a real mess of your carpets.
In the 1970s Asbestos was still in many heating systems and may be part of the cement that seals the joints between the sections and in the gaskets that seal the flue collector to the cast iron. It is not as lot, but it could be there.
Edward Young Retired
After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?
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It came in in 1 piece so it can go out in 1 piece if you know how to do it. I worked alone most of the time so I would take it apart.
Drain it and cut it loose from the piping. Dump a bag of speedy dry on the floor to soak up any water, dust and soot.
Remove all the controls and jacket and burners and the cast iron sections will come off the base.
This will remove some weight then you can decide whether to take the CI block out in 1 piece or dismantle it.
Could it contain asbestos? Yes.
If it does the amount will be very small.
Your other options are a junk dealer, or an asbestos removal company will probably take the whole thing.
Find an asbestos abatement company send them pictures and they can give you a price.
a couple of hours work for 1 guy that knows how to do it.
less than 100,000 btu I seriously doubt 500# Probably 250ish.
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@EdTheHeaterMan Thank you for the suggestions, I do plan on having some help in the physical removal.
@EBEBRATT-Ed Appreciate these insights as well, the boiler is specifically 5-22a so its a bit over 100kbtu at 120k.
I am planning to have the new unit installed by a contractor but if I remove the old unit myself it would be $1200 off.
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trust me
pay the $1200
It’s cheaper than the medical bills
remember once you get it out of the building you still have to dispose of it.
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That's cast iron sectional, so it's heavy — probably 400-700 lbs assembled depending on how many sections it has.
Good news is these aren't one solid piece. They're held together with tie rods, so you can pull it apart into individual sections (maybe 60-100 lbs each) instead of carrying the whole thing up the stairs at once. Way safer and easier.
On asbestos — for a boiler this age, assume yes until proven otherwise. Common spots are the rope gasket between sections and the jacket insulation. Don't cut or grind into any of that dry. If you're not sure, get it tested or bring in someone who's done pre-80s boiler removals before.
Tom Gabison|National Boiler Supply
Tom Gabison|National Boiler Supply
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I wouldn't call it an appliance - could confuse people. It's several hundred pounds MORE. Safely removing a Boiler out of a basement is much more experience and finesse than brute force and guts. Damage to body parts and the building are much more costly than hiring guys that do this every day for a living. Mad Dog
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@Mad Dog_2 Understood, appliance is just the category its fits under for them. I confirmed they would take specifically a boiler. And it would be only from the curb so it would be my responsibility to get it that far.
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my local garbage collectors made me break down the sections. They do have weight limits
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X-2
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Just removing those cast iron burners would shave off some …
There was an error rendering this rich post.
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If its not safe to remove in one piece, a lump hammer and flat chisel will make short work of it to split the sections. Have plenty of rags and speedy dry or cat litter.
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That boiler is not as large as everyone thinks.
I had an old Crane boiler in my house 125,000 input. Crane sold-out to Burnham so it may be the same or similar boiler. The Burnham in the picture looks like the same CI burners I had. Two people could take that out in one piece without much trouble. Strip the jacket , burners and controls and base off it.
I took it apart because I was alone. I think it had 5 little sections (maybe it was 4). I was 67 at the time and I could very easily pick up a section and carry it. But I was used to moving Smith #28 sections that the front and back sections are 800# or more. We used Johnson Bars, Chain falls, come a longs and hand trucks wherever we could.
Once you strip the jacket, controls, burners and base it is not very intimidating, The amount of asbestos is negligeable. I would wet it down and scoop it up. Replaced it with this Peerless which I also moved in myself. Piece of cake the new one is a
PSCII-03 330lbs in the crate. Installed during COVID October 2020
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i mean you don't technically need it but it would look a lot better with a couple more half concrete blocks
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The boiler sections extend below the jacket, and all sections are sitting on the blocks. If I had blocks in front nothing would be touching them.
besides I sold it as soon as the boiler was installed 6 years ago.
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Having “help” is fine and in this case required. Having experience with rigging and loads is essential. Breaking this thing down is a dirty pitn but safer for the participants. Things happen fast. Do not let anyone be below the load. You look at it an say “well, I would never put anyone down there…,” and something shifts and you want to get it done and, and, and.
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Here is my experience with removing my Burnham from my basement. First, remove all attachments (skin, piping controls , burners-everything you possibly can remove from the cast iron sections). Even then I didn’t think the remaining boiler could be removed up my basement steps (about 20 steps with one 90degree turn.) So using 2 log splitting wedges and maybe a 7lb sledgehammer, I split the individual sections apart with some splitting easily and some requiring more effort. I foolishly didn’t wear safety toe boots ( which I had) and ended up with a hospital e-room visit when one section fell on my left big toe. Smashed my toe etc etc- foolish me! The split sections were manageable for me to remove. It’s going to be a mess and depending on your basement floor you may want to put a piece of plywood down to work on the sections. I live in Wyoming and my local city dump was where I took the sections placing them in the metal recycling dumpsters at no cost to me as part of the recycling program. Because I had had some difficulty with small piping leaks in my return steam condensate return piping ( return lines were seamed forged pipe and seam ended up leaking in a couple of spots and I estimated piping was maybe 40 or more years old) I ended up replacing my steam system with a forced air furnace. I enjoyed the even quietness of steam heat but my forced air has worked well for two years now and it is more efficient and I like my lower heating costs with the forced air. I looked at replacing the steam and I figured it would have cost 20K but my forced air and ducting etc etc ( I did all my own replacement work) maybe ran around 3K plus or minus a little.
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I alway wonder what happens to the boilers people advertise for sale. They are down in a basement and go out up a bulkhead. They have a price around $1000. I am temped to reply that I usually charge more.
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In soviet russia, boiler removes you!
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I'm doing my boiler next week. I've got a 3 section CI that I'm going to split, a decent hand truck, and two kids. I'll be 59 next month. I don't gamble anymore.
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For what it's worth, two guys wheeled a 1984 Weil-McLain 6-section boiler (166 MBTU/hr) out of my basement and up the narrow exterior stairs with a hand truck last year. It didn't seem like they were struggling.
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Either way a small boiler like the OP has can be removed in one piece or in pieces depending on the labor available and the basement access without much issue.
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I had to remove an old Edwards boiler (a boat anchor, no, a ship anchor). We wrestled it out of the house. but had to move it up a flight of outside stairs. No way was that staircase goinga take thata weight. Had to hire a crane to lift it up to the street. There's no easy way. In the end, it takes what it takes.
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I removed a 3 section Burnham V8 with an 8lb sledge and a wedge after unbolting the rods of course.
It came apart easy and each section was carried out by me and a friend. Probably took us 30 minutes or less all said and done.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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The little gas boilers like the OP has sit on the burner frame base. When you get the jacket off and see the size of the sections, they are not very intimidating.
he hasn't come back the boiler is probably out by now.
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I just did the same with a 3 section WM GO. Lump hammer and flat chisel. It was almost too easy. My oldest and I carried each section on a hand truck out of the basement. We used it like a gurney.
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