Another Philly Steamer

Long Beach Ed

Here on in New York, homeowners are being squeezed so much by massive 100% tax increases that most seem to be shopping just by price. A huge flock of immigarnt handymen have taken to the newspapers and offer really cheap work.

Fortunately we have a great reputation among the high-end customers. Between them and the cheapskates to call us to fix the problems that their oil company and Russian handymen installers made, we're holding our own.

Our problem is with supply houses. We fight every day for domestic supplies. We simply can't afford to repipe a boiler when the Chinese elbows leak. Italian and Malyasian ball valves woun't hold pressure in a gas line to pass the City tests. Yet suppliers keep trying to push the import junk on us.

Burnham has taken to supplying Chinese elbows with their boilers. We love the boilers, but the trim goes right in the garbage or we sell it back to the supply house. When they stop taking the crap back we'll have to go elsewhere. Can't stress to a customer the superiority of your work and have him read CHINA on the fittings and see the rust build up on the sand holes.

I know this is a rant, but it's difficult to charge top dollar, promise the best and then fell like you're shopping for supplies in Equador.

Ed

Jamie_6

I Just Don't

I just don't understand how people do not educate themselves about the purchase of a heating system. Before I buy anything I do as much research as possible so I can determine if I am spending my hard earned money wisely. And you would think that such a large purchase as a heating system you would definitely dot your i's and cross your t's.

Unfortunately the following homeowner purchased a house with this boiler that was only about 25 years old. The entire control side of the boiler was rotted out and I'm sure you can see why. Fortunately for us he was an educated consumer and came here to "Find A Professional" and hooked up with us on this one.

The funny thing is that today I lost out on a nice size Peerless residential Steamer. The other contractor is doing it for a little under 5,000 dollars. That's almost 3,000 dollars less then my bid. I'm sure that contractor will not have 2 LWC, an automatic feeder, skim tappings, a properly piped header (let alone dropped.) I try to explain the importance of all this to potential clients but the price is so appealing to them I guess.

Jamie

Steamhead (in transit)

I remember that one

it had an 1-1/2-inch copper "header" feeding into a Webster Modulation Vapor system. Kind of like a BMW with tires off a Chevette.

The Gorton #2 is still on the vent trap, right?

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

Christian Egli_2

It's the flashy rims that count

A BMW with the Chevette tires, that's sexy. Whatever gets you off the lot, I guess. Too bad for driving it down on the Autobahn.

You'd end up getting a speeding ticket anyway...

With scrap copper price hitting the roof, it should soon be possible for homeowners to finance their new boiler out of the salvage value of the old metal. That's a lame sales argument don't you think?

clammy

nice save

Nice save this system must run alot quiter and finally producing some dry steam for the first time that at least 3ataboys .Don't feel bad about losing one i lost one the guy came in with a price 1/2 of mine all i could do is scrach my skull cap and wonder .peace and good luck clammy

Boilerpro_3

Funny Thing

I just was on the phone with a homeowner that from how he described the piping (and I pushed for details) was piped just like this one and was having all sorts of problems. He called the boiler manufacturer and the tech told him it was piped correctly and told hime how to adjust the pressuretrol. Aparrnetly the system is heating fine now, but it sounds like an old Richardson system, so we'll see when it gets colder.

Boilerpro

Ken D.

Steam

One thing I have learned is that people get the types of jobs they deserve- and pay for. We all know how much a first class job costs. When a customer pays too little, you can bet they are not getting value.And that is one of the problems. Consumers no longer know the difference between price and value.When the system breaks down or does not run right or is unsafe or something worse, the installer probably won't be around to take care of it. If his pricing was inept, he won't be able to afford to stay in business. If he is still in business, he can't afford to rework it properly. Or maybe they were just quick sell artists. Sell the job quickly and never go back. Whatever, the customer lost with they're eyes wide open.

Ken D.

LBE

We have the same problem. We can't get our suppliers to carry a quality fitting or valve, among others. Leaking seams, sand holes, poorly machined threads, sizes that aren't true, etc., etc. We are always told by a number of suppliers that made in USA is not available. The Chinese are cheap, but when there is a problem, which is usually, all the supplier is obligated for is the replacement of the fitting. $1.00 fitting and $200 in labor to replace it. The contractor eats the rest.I used to throw away fittings in the same condition these guys are selling as new. 40 years ago, Americans would have never tolerated the terrible quality of materials, appliances, consumer goods that are the only things available today. Again, price and value. The dumbing down of America continues.

Bob W._3

My installer used Ward fittings on the new steamer. They will get my return business.

adayton_2

thread QUALITY

aint what it used to be. As a former machinist specializing in threads, I cringe when I see "modern day" threads on various devices. Poor thread geometry is common BUT worse yet, even CRIMINAL is the inferrior grade metal used. Take a quick look at the Cobra Brand "molly" bolts offered by Lowes and other hardware purveyers. The ORIGINAL MOlly bolt was made from decent quality steel. The Cobra Brand equivilent has BOTH poor thread geometry AND inferrior quality steel...The net result is that even gentle torquing down during installation results in stripped thread FAILURE of these fasteners. Not too good for a fastener that is supposed to be holding up weight securely...:-).

Alfred

Long Beach Ed

Made up my mind when ...

We were horsing a 2" elbow upon which were cast the letters C-H-I-N-A. We pulled the thread and bashed the vaporstat with the 36" wrench. So that piece of crap cost us $150.

I'm no Hercules and not on a good day with a three foot breaker bar could I wreck the threads on a Ward fitting, so that crap must have been made of pot metal.

We've even found fittings with the threads cast into them where the threads on the two sides of the casting done line up.

Last year we had to drop our 20 year supplier when he simply stopped carrying domestic materials but charged domestic prices for the Chinese crap. We've had black pipe from the "PUSAN PIPE COMPANY" whose seams lit up like a gas burner when checked for leaks... the stories go on and on.

Find a good supplier and be loyal to him. SHow him you'll back him up if he does the right thing. Pay the bills on time and don't cry when his prices go up.

Some people know the difference and will pay the premium for good materials. And you woun't be pulling apart a 4" header because of a sand hole in an elbow.

Ed

bob young

weld system

This a reason it is practical to go with welding on sizes above 2 " . stripping down a 3 " or 4 " line because of a sandhole or leak on a threaded joint is enough to commit suicide.