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Speaking of boiler ages...

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Hap_Hazzard
Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
in Strictly Steam
I still haven't been able to find out how old my boiler is. Here's what I do know:



Model Number: G-561-W-S

Serial Number: 61-19188



The information given on their web site says, "If the boiler was manufactured from 1984 to 1999, the serial number ends in a four digit date code. '123456-1284' would be manufactured in December, 1984. If the boiler was manufactured from 2000 to present, the serial number ends in a six digit date code. '123456-200505' would be manufactured in May, 2005."



Since my serial number doesn't fit either of these patterns, I have to assume it was manufactured before 1984, and that the last five digits are probably just a serial number.



The oldest IOM they have online is for the series 61/62. It appears to have been scanned from a printed document rather than produced from an electronic document. While the description of the 61-05 is very similar to my 561, there are some differences. For example, there's no skim port where the IOM says it should be.



My IOM says "series 61" on the cover, but doesn't mention series 62, and all the model numbers are G-#61 instead of 61-0# (where # is the number of sections). It only mentions 24-volt and Powerpile control options, while the series 61/62 IOM mentions only 24-volt and 120-volt. The ZIP Code is 19512, not 19512-0855.



Probably the most telling difference is that, on page 1, my IOM says, "This installation must conform with the National Fuel Gas Code ANSI Z223.1 - 1980." This fixes 1980 as the earliest it could have been made, but I don't know how frequently this standard was updated. Recent history suggests every 3 years, but extrapolating back from 2012 doesn't get you to 1980. The series 61/62 IOM is no help here. It says "The equipment shall be installed in accordance with those installation requirements of the authority having jurisdiction or, in the absence of such requirements, to the current edition of the National Fuel Gas Code ANSI Z223.1/NFPA54." No year is mentioned.



So the best estimate I can come up with is somewhere between 1980 and 1987, meaning it could be anywhere from 25 to 32 years old. Can anybody help me narrow it down?
Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24

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  • TomM
    TomM Posts: 233
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    call and ask

    call peerless.  I'd bet $20 it was in '88. 
    beautiful Conshohocken PA
  • TomM
    TomM Posts: 233
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    oh yeah,

    oh yeah and make sure that you tell them you work for Hap_Hazzard Mechanical, and your "customer" wants to know the age of their boiler.  You'll get a lot better feedback that way. 
    beautiful Conshohocken PA
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
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    Peerless

    I haven't tried calling but I did e-mail them and got no response. The chances of the person answering the phone knowing are pretty slim, and we all know what "we'll get back to you" means.



    As much as I'd like to take your money, I don't think I'm going to get an answer from Peerless, and even if I do, I'm not sure it will be right. When I e-mailed them about the skim port they swore up and down it was where the series 61/62 IOM said it should be, but I took the jacket off and it is definitely not there. For that and other reasons I'm pretty sure this is not a 1988 model, and that the "88" at the end of the serial number just means it came after 61-19187 and before 61-19189.



    I mentioned that the ZIP Code in my IOM was four-digit, and I think that's a significant clue. The Postal Service started using ZIP+4 in 1983, and while not everyone started using it immediately, most businesses did, and Peerless seems to use it pretty consistently on all their literature since the mid-80s.
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,673
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    boiler manufactures talking to custiomers

    Though this won't help you I would like to mention one of the reason I bought a Weil-Mclain was they were the only ones willing to talk to me (a homeowner).  Burnham could care less while not only did a WM sales rep talk to me before I bought the boiler regarding features and tapping sizes, their tech support responded to one of my emails when my brand new gas valve was buzzing.  Even Honeywell who manufacured the valve basically told me to go scratch. 
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Hap_Hazzard
    Hap_Hazzard Member Posts: 2,846
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    Sadly, I have to agree.

    I was a lot more inclined to buy another Peerless before I tried to get any information out of them. I've never understood why companies will pour millions into advertising and put "contact us" forms on their websites so they can either ignore you or treat you like some kind of idiot if you ask them a question.



    When I asked the about the skim tapping they told me I should get a "qualified" technician to do it for me, but they didn't say what the qualifications were, how they knew I wasn't qualified, or how a technician would be able to find that skim port if I couldn't. I wouldn't want to waste somebody's time calling him out to skim my boiler if I couldn't tell him where the port was--and I was pretty sure it didn't exist. (I've been using the tapping directly under the relief valve. It's only 3/4", but there's no alternative.)
    Just another DIYer | King of Prussia, PA
    1983(?) Peerless G-561-W-S | 3" drop header, CG400-1090, VXT-24
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    It depends on whom you talk to at peerless

    I had quite a different and very positive experience with my peerless 211a. I found a tech support number and was able to talk to someone of the caliber of a "Willie".

    Of course my "mysterious migration of water" problem was more involved than could be solved with one phone call to tech support-(the problem was bad dry return piping from 1952!).

    At least talking to someone who had a steam background was a comfort, which gave me courage to continue here to find a solution, rather than merely stitch a one way valve in the return to prevent the water being blown out into this bad return. Finally Noel helped me light the light in my own head.--NBC
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