Two-Thirds Reduction in Total BTU input (Gordo & Steamhead)

Empire_2

The only thing I would change is the weights at the first Barometric damper to have it open first with the excessive stack draft. It will surely be there with or without the boiler firing until cool down. As you establish more neg. draft inside the chimney, then the one closest to the boiler opens to compensate for the increased stack affect....??? This is just my opinion. With the near BRD open, it directly effects the setting on the first and basically defeats the purpose unless you get a major increase in draft... What do ya think.?

I guess what I am thinking is have the first BRD be the decider of if and when the second one opens at all.....:-) I think this way you can avoid the "T taught-er" movement of the dampers.



Mike T.

Steamhead (in transit)

We replaced this 1930s Richardson & Boynton boiler

and 40-gallon gas water heater with a Solaia SL375 and a Phase 3 Smart 40 indirect. The R&B originally had a tankless which the water heater superseded, and was firing 2 GPH with a Beckett AF for an input of 280,000 BTU per hour. The water heater had the usual 40,000 BTUH burner.

This boiler was a rather tight fit in the space it sat in. We think Ron Jr.'s grandpa must have installed it ;-)

The third pic was taken as the asbestos and demo crew was beginning. We used ARC Construction Services on this job, and will use them again.

The previous oil "techs" had left the chimney base full of soot, and the old burner would pulsate when it ran. It took us quite a while and a bunch of Sootmaster bags to get it cleaned out all the way down to the cleanout opening. What a mess. The owner plans to fire this oil company.

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Steamhead (in transit)

Here's the new one

we did a vertical primary-secondary manifold this time, with a B&G Airtrol setup. With an input of 0.75 GPH (105,000 BTUH) and a net rating of 79,000 BTUH, this boiler is a good match for the house's heat loss.

The more we install these Solaia boilers, the better we like them. This version of the Beckett AFG burner is so well matched to this boiler that it's almost impossible to make it generate smoke. You get just a slight trace with the band and shutter completely closed. It runs with a slight positive draft over the fire, but still required two barometrics- this chimney rises four stories and was designed to draft thru a coal boiler!

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[Deleted User]

Nice job Frank!!

I passed through Baltimore on my way to the Isle of Rhode last month, and thought about giving you a ring during our 2 hour lay over, but lost track of time.. Maybe next time.

Question for you. I see in your first picture that one barodamper is wide open and the other is standing shut. Do you guys adjust them to be staged? If yes, how DO you do that.

Reason I ask is that we're looking at an older system with the same problems, and the owners don't want to pay to replace the boilers, just want to make what they've got more efficient.

I've never seen anything in any of the damper manufacturer literature saying how numerous dampers in a sitch like this should be set.

TIA, and keep up the great work.

ME

Steamhead (in transit)

Yes, it's difficult

to exactly synchronize them.... ideally they should open the same. These almost do, but not quite. But the draft remains right where we want it, so I'd say they're working OK.

There are two other ways that I know of to cure excessive draft: a single oversized barometric, or a "neutral pressure point" which is a piece of metal stuck into the flue pipe to restrict it. I prefer barometrics since if the chimney or draft conditions change all you usually have to do is re-adjust them. With the NPP you have to completely rework it.

As an aside, this was one of many houses that has had three heating systems. First came fireplaces and/or stoves, then a gravity scorched-air system. The hot-water system was either "accelerated gravity" with a basement tank from the beginning, or it always had a circulator. The rads date from the mid to late 1920s.

Tell me about this job you mentioned.....

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Constantin

Wow, what a difference...

.... the new boiler looks positively puny compared to the beast you guys ripped out. My back hurts just thinking of the sections you probably had to pry apart.

Moving the circs into the corner certainly opens up a lot of room to service the Solaia. That should make life a lot easier for anyone who has to brush and clean it... Not a lot of headroom in that place...

One thing that struck me is the lack of shutoffs around the circulators. It's something I miss in my system, so I tend to notice things like that.

One thing is certain however, the missus in this place is going to love the new boiler/indirect combination since it'll provide a lot more hot water. The plumbing is exemplary, as usual, though I would consider insulating the lines... a lot of tank loss otherwise.

Stories like this where people pay good money to have their systems cleaned and maintained is a pretty persuasive reason to know a bit about the process and to fire the companies that can't be bothered to cross the t's and dot the i's. Of course, that presupposes that the homeowner actually cares...

Steamhead (in transit)

Actually there are shutoffs

to change a circ, you just close the valves on both secondary loops and the water feed and expansion tank, and drain the primary loop.

The Solaia is serviced entirely from the front- it's a 3-pass, with a single door that exposes everything when opened.

The owner will insulate the piping later.

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Larry Weingarten

insulation?

Hello Frank: I've seen quite a range in the quality of insulation jobs over time. Some, the installer cared and took time to use good, heavy insulation fitted closely and well fastened. Other jobs have been cheap stuff, literally falling off the pipes. Will you go back and critique the insulation job after the owner finishes it? Shabby insulation on your nice job doesn't cut it. ;~)

Yours, Larry

Steamhead (in transit)

Once the chimney warms up

they're fairly stable. Also it was rather windy the day we started it up so sometimes they'd both close completely, sometimes they'd both open, sometimes one would close and the other would open when the wind blew. This is a rowhouse neighborhood where all the roofs are about the same height, and there aren't many trees. This seems to amplify the wind's effect on the chimney- there's nothing to break up the wind.

Larry, I think this HO will do a great job insulating.

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Mad Dog_2

Nice man real nice....

Mad Dog

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David Sutton_6

Gordo and Frank !!

Nice job !! how did this one slip by with out me seeing it .What a change! how do you feel after luging that beast out, nice touch with the twin draft regs.What was your draft reading with just one?

How many time you bang your head on the celling :-)

Sweeet job !!

David

gerry gill

thats sweet!!

nice work Frank..

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Steamhead (in transit)

My daughter kept count

of how many times I hit my head on the low beams the one day she was on the jobsite...seventeen. I was wearing a hard hat, thankfully.

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Unknown

Nice install guys

But , no way either of my grandpops installed the original - both were lifelong NYC residents . I think I'm the 1st to be in this trade .

Any way you can track fuel usage for this house ? I'd love to see the numbers around April .

Steamhead (in transit)

I'm shorter than Gordon

so I didn't bump my head ;-)

We had two barometrics installed from the get-go. One look at the chimney and we knew it was strong enough to pull small children up to the roof.....

We subbed the demo and removal, to the same contractor that did the asbestos.

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Steamhead (in transit)

I think the HO

will be watching his oil consumption closely. We'll see...

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