removing old cast iron steam boiler from cellar

Jeff_56

I need to remove an old Sears Indestructo cast iron 3 section boiler from my cellar. My home is over 100 years old and I do not have an outside access. Access is only from inside the house. They had to of built part of the walls to the basement after they installed this boiler, unless it was assembled there 66 years ago. I will have to break the old boiler apart to get it out. Can I smash it with a sledgehammer or is that just wishful thinking. Will removing the sections be easier? Those bolts holding it together sure look like they don't want to move. I need to move this boiler as the new steam boiler is going in the same spot. It will not move as it sits as it is sitting on a dry base where the combustion chamber is.

It took me all day to remove all of the old 2" piping around the boiler and all the wet returns. Now - How do I get this "Indestructo" out of my house?????? HELP!!!!!

ed wallace

boiler removal

so the company thats replacing the boiler is not removing the old one? call a look in the yellow pages for a company that does boiler removal

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bob young

boiler removal

slege hammer,chisel,pry bar sawzall,hand truck & MUSCLE. or call a plumber or boiler junk removal contractor.

carl_14

Boiler Removal


I busted up and removed a 5 section Arcoliner by myself in a few hours with a 16 pound sledge hammer. Be sure to wear safety goggles and/or lay a towel or drop cloth over the sections before hitting them to prevent pieces from flying around the cellar. I didn't need to go to the gym that day after that workout. Once you get going it moves right along. The first few swings are the hardest.

ScottMP

First advice

Call a company that does this work. Still want to play ... O.K.

1) Cut the ties rods with a sawzall.

2) Use a medium sized cold chisel and drive it between the sections to split the sections from the puch nipples.

3) Carfully ( these guys are heavy ) lower the sections to the floor. These should be a two man job.

4) With safty glasses and heavy gloves, break the sections up with a sledgehammer and break your back carrying them outside.

5) Figure out how to get the pieces to the local dump. If your going to use the wifes Lexus give her a small project to do so she dosn't see you.

Good Luck

Scott

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Guy_6

Lexus

Scott, please tell me that the last comment wasn't born of experience!

Do you know what the one type of food that we all have either eaten, or will eat, that will cause us the most distress?


Wedding Cake.

Sorry, I had to.

Guy

Jeff_56

The Ol' Indestructo

I really appreciate all of the suggestions that I have received from my posting.

Sunday Night: Insulation off, electrical disconnected, oil line disconnected, burner removed

Monday night: Removed all of the piping around boiler and removed old tankless heater, cut my hand on the copper pipe (that I had just cut) on top of the tankless heater that came towards me when I finally removed the final 2" union, then the 2" pipe fell on my head. OUCH! Extra Tylenol and some ice helped the head and the sore muscles. Those pipes did not want to come apart! Never do this alone!

Tuesday night: removed shell from boiler, removed bolts and rods and spent the next hour getting one of the sections loose. Finally got one to drop on the tires (THANK YOU Wallace Heating - GREAT Suggestion!) Cold beer and some more tylenol and I called it a night.

Now I need to bring home from work the large sledgehammer and get my workout. Pictures will be posted tomorrow.

I give you guys a lot of credit. I would not want to take this on by myself ever again, and I still haven't removed the Ol' Indestructo from the cellar, whch unfortunately for me is up through the house and out! (no bulkhead)

Oh yeah, if my wife had a Lexus then I sure wouldn't be doing this!!! One of you guys would be.

Thanks again guys, you made a difference and made it easier (even though it still is hard!)

Jeff

bob young

emergency room

when you get home from the hospital you should probably get a pro to complete it. [ one with workman's comp. etc. ]

ace

Loose the tires - just let it fall on the concrete floor (if you have one) and maybe a section will crack on its way down. The whole, point is to break it up, not protect it. You gotta think like a DIYer not a pro. Pros is worried about being sued. DIYers just want to get the job done as fast as possible. Big difference in productivity results when you don't have to worry about the homeowner on your case for leaving a mess.

Jeff_56

Tires

I agree with your assesment of not using the tires, but there was a reason for having this suggestion brought to my attention. You see my house, which is 126 years old, has a concrete floor in the basement that was poured over a bunch of large rocks. I witnessed this a few years ago when I cut through the floor to install a pit for a sump pump due to a high water table. The concrete is thick enough to support a heavy boiler like the one I am destroying, but the fall of one of those sections on my floor would leave me with a MUCH bigger problem without a doubt, and as much as my kids have been bugging me for a swimming pool I don't want one in my cellar.

So the suggestion for the tires was probable a god send because without it I would not have been able to drop it safely. I know you didn't know this and under different circumstances I would have let that sucker fall as hard as it could, and it did (see picture).

Tonight I release my frustration out on section #1.

Thanks again for all your suggestions, and comments.

Oh Yeah, I've got a pro installing the new boiler. Part of the agreement (for me to save some $$$) was that I do the grunt work and get the Ol' Destructo out.

Scott Kneeland

boiler removel

First, I would show a contractor the door if he was not going to remove the old one. I own a small heating & a/c company and do this type of work all the time, we section them out use a electric hand truck to get up stairs and your done. we have done too many thru the house jobs and they all went off with out a hitch.DON'T do business with a guyn that wants YOU to remove the old boiler.

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mp1969

Saving $$$$$$

> I need to remove an old Sears Indestructo cast

> iron 3 section boiler from my cellar. My home is

> over 100 years old and I do not have an outside

> access. Access is only from inside the house.

> They had to of built part of the walls to the

> basement after they installed this boiler, unless

> it was assembled there 66 years ago. I will have

> to break the old boiler apart to get it out. Can

> I smash it with a sledgehammer or is that just

> wishful thinking. Will removing the sections be

> easier? Those bolts holding it together sure

> look like they don't want to move. I need to

> move this boiler as the new steam boiler is going

> in the same spot. It will not move as it sits as

> it is sitting on a dry base where the combustion

> chamber is.

>

> It took me all day to remove all

> of the old 2" piping around the boiler and all

> the wet returns. Now - How do I get this

> "Indestructo" out of my house?????? HELP!!!!!

mp1969

Saving $$$$$$

Contrary to some of the posts here I give you credit for trying to save money by doing the removal yourself. I for one would never criticize anyone for being ambitious. The only concern is the one of safety, don't lift improperly, wear eye protection and hearing protection.Those who gave you advice covered all the bases. .
Good luck and be careful!!!

MP 1969

ed wallace

boiler removal

ok guys i told jeff to use tires to drop the boiler in order to save his floor from cracking i always use tires when dropping boilers its less noisey

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Jeff_56

Free Cast Iron - You Pick Up

OK Guys, the project, at least the removal is almost over. Only thing left is removing the iron from the basement. I wish someone had thought to put in a bulkhead in 125 years ago. Anyway the ol' sledgehammer and blanket trick worked better than I had expected. That was quite the workout I must say, but once it started to break up it got a little easier, I sure made one heck of a mess though.

Just so everyone knows, I had asked the pro who is installing the boiler, (who is a good friend of mine that will be getting me the new boiler at his cost), if I could do all the grunt work to save him from having to cut into his busy schedule and he obviously thought that was a good idea. It was MY idea to do this myself, not his, but I didn't want to wait another 2 weeks to have him help me so I tackled it myself, with all of your suggestions and comments of course. He offerd to help in a few weeks time, but with the cold weather fast approaching I wanted to get a jump start. If he lived a little closer to me I know that he would have been over after supper to help me, but when your getting home at 8:00, it is difficult to do.

So chapter #1 is complete, my question has been answered on how to dismantle and break up this beast.

I hope I won't need any further help from all of you after I get the new boiler. I have been reading through this great site and have learned quite a bit.

Thanks again to all of you for your help, it made a huge difference!

Jeff