steam boiler

ernie_3

Robert O'Connor_7

Ernie??

Whats the problem????...Robert O'Connor/NJ

ernie_3

OK here goes...
I own and operate a small mechanical business out of Arlington Ma. I installed a Weil-Mclain
PS-4 w' Beckett two yrs. ago. I piped a 2" riser, a 2"
header w' a 2" equalizer. Have had repeated success w' the
100+ boilers I've done this way. The take-off is on a 45`
the Hartford is piped full size, 2" w' a 2" equalizer.
It heats quietly and efficiently and maintains a stable water line. I've done over 10 service calls of the nusiance variety over the first year. Didn't like the noisy Beckett, I swapped it w' a QB-i80 (W-M). Many of the calls were just plain bogus, Tstat off 2`...
Three weeks after the install, the customer fed water to the boiler and then the phone rang...you know the deal. I got the call that one of "my" pipes must have burst. They shut the main water supply. I responded, shut the manual water feed valve, opened the main and drained 50-60 Gals. from the system. I also sopped up the puddles under the rad. vents and explained the potential chronic
damage he had caused.
One year later (hadn't heard from him since) he called and complained of banging and hammer. I responded expecting to find a surging water line, it was stable. I nosed around the front of the basement and found a one pipe return pitched incorrectly. This is where the pipes were banging even thiugh the perception was as if all the rads were banging. Shimming and/or rehanging was not an option due to the length of the run. I quoted him 350-400$ to repipe this return line, he balked. I'm now being sued for "improper installation of a steam boiler". I've bent over backwards out of good faith for this customer. He may be awarded a judgement in his favor due to the Weil-Mclain installation manual calling for a 2 1/2" header. This is not the problem, however......Any help?

Constantin

Well, I hope you took lots of pictures...

... without those, I doubt that the folks at the courthouse are going to understand what you're talking about. IANAL, but I doubt someone in the trade would ding you for a 'header problem' when the real issue is a pipe elsewhere in the system that you did not touch.

Do you have a daily log that you keep service calls on? This too could be useful since you could then point out the issues you've had with only this customer vs. all your other customers. For example, if you can show that 99% of your customers only see you yearly for PM after a install and this guy shows up as an outlier, that may undercut his position that your installation caused his issues, not his own misdeeds.

The last bit of documentation I'd think about is a book like Mr. Holohans that explains in plain english what causes steam systems to bang. Don't assume that the courts understand anything about heating systems. The more authorative the text (like the IBR book, for example), the better.

However, coming back to a picture of the pipe, it's the proof in the pudding. A level held next to it showing the incorrect pitch would probably cause any 'expert witness' hired by the opposing side to concede that this was the most likely source of the banging. Bring a 4' level and a high-res camera (w/flash) to graphically show the pitch issue. Then take enough pictures to show where the pipe should be pitched to. Good Luck!

Matt Undy

Expert witness? Get a PE that knows steam to testify about what cuses water hammer in one pipe steam. Do the math for the header, do the math for the weight of the water in the line that had sagged, if the system was flooded up to that pipe the weight of the water likely sagged it. Ask questions about the banging before and after the flooding. Get a good lawyer if the cost of the lawyer is less than that of the setttlement. At very least talk to a lawyer. Possibly get some sort of afidavid from weil-mcclain. Go to www.nolo.com, lots of legal self help books for small claims courts, it'll help if your knowledgable in determining if a lawyer has sufficient expertise in the area if you have some understanding of the applicable law and court procedures. If you do not use a laywer (i highly recommend you get one, court is high pressure and they can help make sure all the procedures that can help you are employed if you want to win).

Good Luck...

Matt

bob young

ball pien time

you should go over to the guy's house and simply crack him up side of the head with a ball pien hammer. oh ;i forgot we are not supposed to do that anymore. guess you just gotta let him rob you. too bad.