How do you know if boiler is overfired?

Clueless

I just had my gas valve replaced a couple of weeks ago. A day or two afterwards I started to get water hammer during start up. My radiator vents increased their hissing noises. They were hissing before and I was planning on changing all of them but the hissing became louder. One of the air vents on radiator in the basement started spitting lots of water and one of the boiler drains started to leak water. We turned off the radiator in the basement and replaced the boiler drain with a new one and replaced all the radiator vents throughout the house. (We haven't turned the basement radiator back on because we were afraid to mess with it in the cold weather.)

The new vents throughout the house seemed to help the water hammer, there is no more. However, the vents still hiss (although they no longer gurgle)and seem to have a lot of air pressure coming out and they seem more hot than usual. The temperature upstairs is warmer than usual and as a result we have had to lower our thermostat temperature in order to compensate.

The flames coming from the burner seem to be larger than they were before the new gas valve was installed. Could this be the problem? Did the installer not set the correct pressure? Is this something that I could fix myself?

I checked the pressure last night (Honeywell w/ an inside plastic wheel). It was set at .5 - 1 psi.

Empire_2

New valve

I think you have a different problen than the new valve. Usually the manifold pressure fires @ 3.5"w.c., but it depends on the manufacturers specs. You can call him back if you like and he should have no problem with that. It is totally possible, but rare that the new valve can be malfunctioning. Ask him what the manifold pressure is supposed to be while he is there.

CHARLES_4

GAS PRESSURE

Two different pressures. The control you're looking at w/wheel is the system pressure controller. Settings should correspond to pressure gauge on boiler.
Gas pressure is different matter. No way for a civilian to check operating manifold pressure w/o test meter. But consider this: perhaps the new valve is at correct pressure and old valve was low firing. Why was the valve changed...?

Clueless

The valve was replaced because the burner wasn't igniting. The valve had been making strange and sometimes loud buzzing noises whenever it was time for the burner to turn on. After a couple of weeks of this I guess it finally died. He said that a spring inside must have deteriorated.

Timco

Get the factory recommended manifold pressure and have the installer certify that the new valve is set to the factory spec for that boiler. Accept nothing less. Ususally 3.5wc. Have the flue gasses tested when finished to show the unit is operating within specs with regards to O2, CO2, CO and stack temp...all very important. THIS will tell you if it is over-fired. Over firing can hurt your boiler fairly quickly, as can under-firing. Unless he is performing a combustion analysis, you will never know. Have the installer verify correct orifice size as well.

Tim

J.C.A._3

When you get them back,

Have them Clock the gas meter and ensure that the firing rate agrees with the input rating of the boiler. Chris

Clueless

Boiler now appears dead and unresponsive

Hey guys,
Thanks for the info. My boiler now appears dead and is unresponsive. I believe it stopped working yesterday morning around 7:30 am. I can't get it to come on at all. (tested the circuit breaker, turned thermostat up to 90, turned it on and off, etc.) Has my boiler been put to an early death because of this problem?

Empire_2

Get him back!!!

Don't hesitate to call him back. Doesen't mean it's the new valve he put in but that is what warraties are for. Ask questions so you understand what is happening. Let us know what he finds...Mike T.

EBEBRATT-Ed

get him back and have gas pressure , orfice size and combustion testing done as the other posters have correctly pointed out.

ed