Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Steam boiler replacement with a low ceiling

One of the worst steam installs I've ever seen . Pipes everywhere , transitions from iron to copper to iron on the header , a Spirovent on a loop of baseboard connected to the bottom of the steam boiler , 4 inches of water on the floor - the list goes on and on . The basement was only 5 1/2 feet high to the joists . The header was only 5 foot . Everyone left with a head scrape .

Comments

  • We used a Peerless once again

    I didn't plan on using a drop header ( some of you know why ) , but in this case there was no choice . The steam main was way too low . We also reconnected the loop of baseboard , installed a coil for hot water and an auto feeder , making this a hands free steamer for the homeowner , which is the way we want it . When we go back to clean the system we'll neaten up the wiring and change that pigtail - what a wacky angle .

    The floor had water on it all day . It kept the pit where the old boiler sat filled . I'm very glad we decided to move the boiler on more firm ground , about 2 feet to the right .
  • eleft_4
    eleft_4 Member Posts: 509
    NNNNAAASTY steam image!

    Ron, I am curios as to the puke bucket and rust all over in almost every steam picture I see???

    al
  • Kenny's steam main repipe

    We had to move the 1 1/4 inch steam pipe connected at the boiler . The pipe had 2 radiators on it and it dripped right back into the boiler . Kenny took apart the end of the main and added a few tees to reconnect the rads where they're supposed to be . He also threw in a main vent where it's optimal . He was proud of this one .

    The last pic is the piping before it was all redone .
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,248


    Ron Jr:

    Not only copper but they look like DWV fittings?? Looks like it ran with no/poor draft or was overfired?? Is that a Steam tankless on the side for the hot water zone.?? Whoops just saw the second post -new install-- nice job as usual Ron
  • I didn't get a good look at the copper

    I was too busy contemplating the job as a whole . What a mess . I hate working on red hot boilers with the drain cock plugged solid . What's another 10 gallons of water in a basement flooded with hundreds of gallons already ? I just knocked off the drain and let it fly .

    The coil was used for hot water and the loop of baseboard was off the bottom of the boiler . Thanks Ed .
  • clammy
    clammy Member Posts: 3,150
    nice job

    Nice job ron from the looks of it looks like some where i ,ve been a nightmare,only kidding great job 1000 times better ,quick question or sugestion i,ve always tryed to use a series 100 pump instead of the wet rotor circ and i usually always put a 4006 aquastat to shut the pump off should it start getting to hot ps i do notice the by pass for tempering but i always put that hi limit aquasta even a strap on just asking buddy i know every body has there limits to what they can get done under the gun and in budget .That system must perform alot better and quiter then before .On a different note went to one today with a 40 year old AS streamer with the ge 1725 rpm burner and dwv header with take off back pitched to the boiler and a 8 nipple on the hartford loop ps no insulation tha ho asked why the system makes so much noise when it runs hahahaha they never get service only when there no heat and no water side or fire side cleans oh well .Back to your job ron as alkways you are # 1 with a bullet take a break and slam a few beers for your aching back and most likely your brused skull caps from the cieling peace and have a great weekend peace clammy

    R.A. Calmbacher L.L.C. HVAC
    NJ Master HVAC Lic.
    Mahwah, NJ
    Specializing in steam and hydronic heating

  • C'mon Al

    You know what kinda of filthy spooge comes out when flushing the 67 . This is typical of what we see though - many homeowners don't flush them out regularly . I replaced another Peerless a few days ago , the homeowner told me they NEVER flushed the 67 !!! Their excuse , " noone told me I hadda do it ! " .

    That's why we switched to probe LWCOs .
  • That's a good idea

    I was thinking of prioritizng the steam zone so the pump wouldn't run with that high a temp , but I was afraid the steam zone would run too long , making the BB zone cold . Might happen the same way with an aquastat on the piping too . I usually have the circ pumping away from the bottom of the boiler , but we were under the gun like you said . The homeowner came down 5 or 6 times asking when we'd be done . I got the hint that quality wasn't on her agenda . Kenny got it the worst - he musta banged his head on that pipe 10 times , and they were nice ones . This job was a nightmare in the truest sense .

    Thanks alot Clammy , I'm gonna take your advise and drink myself to amnesia .
  • clammy
    clammy Member Posts: 3,150
    aquastat

    I use the aquastat as ahigh limit just for the circ either wire it into the circ relay low voltage or the circ 110 i also always use them on any and all radaint systems weather there slab or staple up i,m both paranoid and want to avoid futher promblems /lawsuits .I usally set the by pass after i get the boiler steaming then i get the baseboard zone kickin set the bt pass and then let her cool a litle and cycle her on a well aquastat just for the baseboard just personal stuff .I took one this week on the skull 4 ci waste line dropped me like a bad habit to the cold cement floor got right back uo called myself a dumb a** and ducted the next couple of times to clip it one more before leaving but she only dropped me to the floor once thank god peace clammy

    R.A. Calmbacher L.L.C. HVAC
    NJ Master HVAC Lic.
    Mahwah, NJ
    Specializing in steam and hydronic heating

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,248


    " When are you gonna be done" You must have more patience than I do and the older I get the less I have. That kind of tells the story. Unfortunatly the new boiler will probably resemble the old in about 5 years. They will be on their 10th SUV by then. After they neglect the hell out of it they will complain" We just put it in 5 years ago"

    People like that don't deserve the great job you gave them. "When are you gonna be done"?

    Sorry, but that stuff pisses me off!

    Ed
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,312
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • eleft_4
    eleft_4 Member Posts: 509
    Okay Okay!

    Ron, You sure do make a place look nice, It's like putting a bouquet in the basement. Kenny's work is very very neat also.

    as always great stuff, al
  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    oh my

    Now my head is aching just looking at that. As to drinking to amnesia I would think after beating yourself to death down there you wouldn't remember a thing!! Nice job per the norm. You can tell they were very concerned with upkeep all those years. Probably felt the poor performance was the oil supplier's fault. Bad oil...:( I love that old oil tank sitting in the corner. Probably hold's more sludge than oil. One of these day's I'll have to make a trip out to your area just to buy you a cold one (or two)..
  • The kicker is

    they were without heat for a total of 1 1/2 days . I've heard of some people around here waiting 2 weeks minimum for a steam boiler replacement ( not our company ) . I try to explain this to the homeowner who is always asking when we're gonna be done . Funny thing is I brought a 2 inch copper coupling - it was very tempting to make this a block replacement ...... Thanks again Ed .
  • Al Gregory
    Al Gregory Member Posts: 260


    Is that an old aluminum oil tank with the diamond plate? Great looking job. What state is that in? Here we would fry for not installing an automatic mixxing valve for the tankless and not protecting the oil line. Amazes me how things can be so different from one state to the other..

    I see lots of steam boilers here with DWV fittings. I guess saving 20 bucks is more important.
  • I took a pic of the tank

    Diamond plate style . I'd hate to be the guy that has to cut that tank out of there . And it's gotta be cut - there's no maneuver room at the top of the stairs .

    I'm gonna start my drinking tonight . It was Kenny's wifes B-day yesterday and mine today . Our whole gang goes out to forget we're a year older . And make sure you let me know if you're on the island , I'll be sure to meet up for a cold one or 10 . Thanks alot Lchmb .
  • Yep , it's diamond plate

    but that's good ol' steel . Kenny told me he had to cut one up and went through ALOT of sawzall blades .

    We are required to install a mixer , but the type is not specified . We always ask the homeowner if they want us to set the mix for them , and almost all say they want the hottest water possible . I know , we should be looking into auto mixers , but we had many failures in the Watts brand we used to install on every job . Can you recommend a good mixer that'll last more than a year ?

    The oil line will be cemented if the inspector wants it done . The codes are open to different interpretations by the different inspectors . I personally like to see the oil line . Ever try to work an oil line thats been cemented over for a period of time ? Turns brittle pretty fast .

    Thanks alot Al .
  • Bruce M.
    Bruce M. Member Posts: 143
    Come on Ron JR

    Stop showing us these impossible installs in hard to get to places. I want to see a nice easy install that took 3 hours in an easy to work on location. Nice work as usual.
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
    Ron, once again

    you've made a silk purse from a pigs ear...great looking install..tear the house down and build a new one around your boiler install..very well done, indeed..
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • Constantin
    Constantin Member Posts: 3,796
    Beautiful work as always, Ron!

    When I see the before pictures, I wonder how the system worked at all... a testimony if you will to the engineering in the boiler that functioned despite being installed by someone who seems to have gotten their steam-fitters license at the Nintendo Mario-World convention...

    As usual, the after pictures demonstrate your and Kenny's craftsmanship in glorious detail. I hope that the homeowners appreciate how much better their system now (undoubtedly!) runs.
  • Kal Row
    Kal Row Member Posts: 1,520
    hey... i can use the old spirivent ;)

This discussion has been closed.