Very old gas boiler drains very rust-colored water

Tina_2

I have a gas furnace. It looks like it's covered in plaster, which is falling off of it. On the door it says American Radiator Company ARCO series No. 19-1B, size 3-19-S. It has a Timken silent autogas burner and a Watts Regulataor Company boiler water level control, type 89A model 1000. That has a glass gauge that has a black line in the middle that I am to keep the water level at. I am also to drain or bleed water from that system often. My question is, why is the water always so rusty? There are actually what look like crystal growing all around the bleed valve where the water comes out. There are rust-colored flakes floating around in the gauge. Is this safe? And as far as heat, we have radiators with valves that you can turn to open or close them and a small what looks like steam release on the sides. The first floor heats great. The second floor, only one radiator works and that is in the front of the house (the furnace is in the back). So, if I turn up the thermostat to about 80 (this is where it needs to be to even get heat to start kicking in the upstairs radiator), then the downstairs roasts, especially in the basement where the furnace is! Any suggestions?

Steamhead

That's a one-pipe steam system

The "steam release" units you mention are air vents. When the boiler starts making steam, it develops a few ounces of pressure which pushes the air out the vents. When steam reaches the vents, they close.

You probably have bad vents on those radiators that don't heat. These are easy to replace but must be the proper size. There should also be vents at the ends of your steam mains in the basement. These also must be properly sized. This is best handled by a pro.

I think you have an old round boiler that originally burned coal. These boilers were not the most efficient on coal, and were not efficient at all on oil or gas. One of my old books stated they cannot be expected to run at more than 40% efficiency. If you replace such a boiler, you may cut your fuel consumption by as much as 50%. If you're not ready to replace it yet, it may be possible to add baffles to improve the boiler's performance and efficiency, but it will never do as well as a modern boiler. This also is a job for a pro.

The Timken burner and Watts low-water-cutoff were added to your boiler after it had been in service awhile. The LWCO must be flushed out every week to keep dirt from building up in the chamber where the float is. If too much dirt gets in there, the float won't drop with the water level and stop the burner if it gets too low. If the burner continues running with no water in the boiler, the boiler will crack.

Since you're getting so much dirt and rust, try flushing the LWCO every day. This will get rid of the dirt more quickly. If this doesn't help, have a pro come in to flush out the boiler and the piping.

The "plaster" on the boiler is asbestos-based insulation. You really should have this encapsulated or removed, since it can cause lung damage. This must be done by a licensed asbestos contractor in most states.

If the steam pipes in the basement have no insulation, you should have it installed. This will help the heat get upstairs and not be dumped in the basement.

So how do you find someone who can make your system work perfectly? Simple- go to the Find a Professional page of this site and follow the instructions. If you're in the Baltimore area, e-mail me.

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

Mark Walnicki_2

Rusty water

The water that comes out is rusty, because that's exactly what's in the water - rust!

A steam system is an open system, and as you know, you must add water ocassionally to keep the water in the boiler at the proper level. Fresh water has oxygen in it. Your system is constructed primarily of cast iron.

Iron + oxygen = rust.

The "plaster" you mention is asbestos. Do not disturb it under any circumstances.

Suggestions: You need a professional to come out and inspect and assess your entire system. Start making calls now, and schedule something for after the first of the year. You may need to work the cost of a new boiler into your budget. At the very least, you will need main vents, radiator vents, maybe supply valves re-packed or replaced, and a general good going over.

When was the last time this system was inspected?