Am I getting a raw deal from my new steam boiler?

lost in steam

My wife just gave birth 3 weeks ago, and we also have a 22 month old. My old steam boiler was done--it had a major steam leak I got diagnosed right before her due date. I live in upstate NY, and I figured I would have my oil delivery company give me a quote and just get it done. i just didn't have time to price compare, etc., and I figured the big oil company who installs a ton of these know what they are doing.

the history of my system is that i have a one pipe steam system. there used to be 3 bigger radiators downstairs (like 15 or so sections per radiator) and 4 upstairs, each like 3 or 4 sections. the previous owner took out one from downstairs and 2 from upstairs, leaving me with 4 total. dispite that, i really didn't have trouble with hammer or anything, and my heat was good.

well, i told the install guy that, but he felt i should get the same size bolier, b/c it wouldn't be a problem with a few radiators missing, and i would have enough power if i wanted to add them back in later. now, when the heat comes on, the last radiator in the chain hammers like nuts. and, the air rushing out of the vents in each radiator makes it feel like they are going to blast off into space. it seems to me the boiler is too big for what i needed, but the guy still says no. the only thing different about the install is the tech said they did a true "hartford loop" or something like that, so i don't know if that is needed or causes this problem. guess my old system didn't have it.

unfortunately, i think my only option is to pay a second company to come in and give me advice so i can go back to the original and make them fix it. are there other issues i should know about when getting a new boiler? could the radiators need to be cleaned? could it be something else?

any help would be appreciated. i am really frustrated......

Unknown

Can you tell us

the brand boiler and model number ? With a total of 4 rads , I would think the smallest oil boiler would work fine , even with the option of adding back the missing rads .

I know it must be very hectic with the new baby , but if you can post some pictures of the new system it would be very helpful for us to diagnose the situation .

Congrats to you and your wife for the new baby .

todd s

Where Upstate?

lost in steam

i will do the best i can. i have just been woken up by how loud this my radiators are. i would give my oil guy $1,000,000 if he could sleep through this racket. absolutly unreal. i am 10 minutes outside of downtown albany.

my contract says it is a burnham pv85sc steam boiler with riello burner. my old one was a wells-mclien (sp?), but this company claims these are better.......

Mark Hunt

Anthony


You live in my area.

Call me AFTER you exhaust all options with your oil company.

Mark H

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

gehring_3

I believe that boiler is rated for 512sq.ft.of steam (connected load) which seems much greater than what you actually need based on your rough description of the radiator count. i.e. the boiler appears too large.(would need to acutally measure all of the radiators to know for sure) But also, the way you describe the air rushing out of the radiator vents might imply that there is insufficient venting of the steam mains (piping in the cellar). Were the main vents replaced and/or up-graded? Was the boiler properly cleanned and skimmed after installation? Is that problem radiator you mentioned properly pitched so as to not collect water and allow the condensate to drip back to the boiler?

m_3

sizing

Anthony,
Start by measuring your radiators. How tall is each one?
Count how many sections it has, sections are what you see looking at the radiator from the front. Finally, look at it from the side. How many tubes do you see? For example a radiator may be 38" tall, 6 sections, 3 tubes. With this info, somebody here can easily tell you how many square feet of radiation your boiler should be rated for. With any luck the boiler just needs some more cleaning or better venting, as this will be much faster and eaisier for you and your oil co to work out.

Good luck with your new family members.

lost in steam

thanks

thanks all for the help. the oil company is coming today. i don't have a digital camera, so it is tough for me to take pics. i will ask my dad to drop his off so i can take some. i don't think there are any vents in the basement.

i have 4 radiators. if i could approximate, there is one big one--like 11-12 sections, maybe up to my knee, like 2.5 feet. that is the one that bangs like crazy. i tried shimming it with a paint stir stick, but that didn't really work. that was the biggest thing i could get under there.

the other 3 are taller--like to my waist, maybe 3.5 to 4 feet but only 5 sections or so (from memory). i would possiby like to add another big one in my kitchen to replace the one that was removed, so this may be a good time to do it.

thanks for the help, i will keep you posted as to my results. i found another contracter that is from long island, where supposedly there is a lot of steam work (i see dan is from there). so i may pay him a $50 fee to tell me what is going on.

th

Firedragon_4

You can call Burnham

and they'll check it out for FREE!

Mark Hunt

On second thought


Let the guy from Long Island drive to your house for $50 and tell you what is wrong.

My company is 20 minutes from you and we know steam.

Good luck.

Mark H

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Mad Dog

Gas, Tolls , and lunch cost more than $50

To go from Long Island to The Capital Region. Don't waste your time with that dude...Mark Hunt is right in your backyard and he knows the steam. Mad Dog On Long Island

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

lost in steam

too funny!

no-he is ORIGINALY from long island. he now owns a business here in the albany area. sorry, i didn't mean to offend anyone. thanks for the offer mark, but so far i am taking your advise and exhausting my options with the oil company and so far they are doing everything they can. i was very frustrated at 2:00 am the other night, but things have improved.

thanks again for the help, i will keep you posted if you remain interested.

Mark Hunt

That explains it!


No offense taken.

I hope it all works out well for you.

Merry Christmas!

Mark H

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Wes Weber

PV85

Congrads!!!!


We installed the same boiler last week for a large twin 3 story housewith about 17 radiators ( we did a take off w/Burnham and sized the boiler for this house. It does soud a little large. Did they use two pipes up out of the boiler? If they left you the paperwork there is a great diagram of how the piping should be. Very easy to read. Be sure that they installed as per installation instructions. That is an exellent boiler.

I am sure you need all the sleep you can get.

Wes Weber

PV85

Congrads!!!!


We installed the same boiler last week for a large twin 3 story housewith about 17 radiators ( we did a take off w/Burnham and sized the boiler for this house. It does soud a little large. Did they use two pipes up out of the boiler? If they left you the paperwork there is a great diagram of how the piping should be. Very easy to read. Be sure that they installed as per installation instructions. That is an exellent boiler.

Order Dans book for homeowners i think its Weve got steam. It is great for a simple homeonwner who needs to tune up the rads.

I am sure you need all the sleep you can get.

Wes Weber

PV85

Congrads!!!!


We installed the same boiler last week for a large twin 3 story housewith about 17 radiators ( we did a take off w/Burnham and sized the boiler for this house. It does soud a little large. Did they use two pipes up out of the boiler? If they left you the paperwork there is a great diagram of how the piping should be. Very easy to read. Be sure that they installed as per installation instructions. That is an exellent boiler.

Order Dans book for homeowners i think its Weve got steam. It is great for a simple homeonwner who needs to tune up the rads.

I am sure you need all the sleep you can get.