Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

First cleaning in 9 years.

STEVEusaPA
STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
edited February 2019 in THE MAIN WALL
Can't believe this boiler was installed 9 years ago and never cleaned. First time at this house.
Chamber collapsed, full of kibbles and bits. Flue pipe rotted out. Chimney base over 1/2 blocked. Heat exchanger...well you see the pics. Usually only see a Riello able to power thru that blockage.
5 hours (1.5 to run and get chamber kit).
Can't believe Crown boiler charges 4x for their kit over a Lynn kit for practically any other boiler. No one carries them but at least they were close by.
Glad they have heat, the bill was pretty huge. Hope they don't try to go another 9 years...lol

What fun did you have today? :)





steve
Mark NkcoppTinman

Comments

  • kcopp
    kcopp Member Posts: 4,418
    Wow... Since you asked. We pulled out this Weil 66-6 section oil boiler converted to gas. Installed about 1978.. cracked last week. Been after the owners to replace for 5 years. Had a Wayne conversion burner. Bottom on the boiler was plugged 80%.
    STEVEusaPATinman
  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Member Posts: 2,138
    I've had three worse than that in the past week. The worst being a hallmark furnace that almost filled the soot vacuum twice. Wrong nozzle, wrong pump pressure, wrong burner head! Producing 400+ PPM CO upon arrival for a "tune up" that took me six hours and left me looking like a chimney sweeper.
    I should really start taking pictures, at least then one good thing will come from it. It will make for good story telling.

    The Hallmark furnace was seven years old, blocked chimney, rotten flue pipe. The air filter looked like it could have been from the original installation, plugged and sucked on to the blower assembly.
    kcoppSTEVEusaPA
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,452
    Back when I used to do residential stuff like that if I ran into a bad one like that I would do the same as you guys did, suck soot, replace parts fix it up good. But that was it. I told the owner they had to maintain it.

    If they didn't call me to maintain it properly after 2 years was my limit. I was done they could get someone else. I only suck soot one time /job if they made no effort to maintain it
    SuperTech
  • delta T
    delta T Member Posts: 884
    Ran into this one last week....that was fun. I am so sick of clothes dryers being installed in mechanical rooms. Don't care how well it's vented, still will screw with boilers, especially when no tune ups are done in 20 years.....



    kcoppSolid_Fuel_Man
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    Last Friday.
    EK -1 Frontier. Agreement lapsed after the first year, 8 years ago. Hasn't been touched since. Pulled the chamber, brush and vac. Down fired. New chamber, Pac Man and amulet on order.
    The Soot God has unleashed its wrath on us. Customer sacrifice?
    LeonardSuperTechkcoppSTEVEusaPA
  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Member Posts: 2,138
    edited February 2019
    @delta T That's a real good one you got. I didn't realise how severe it was until I scrolled down and saw it was gas. I'm surprised you are dirtier! Gas soot is the absolute worst.

    @HVACNUT I've never seen an EK soot up like that. Other than owner neglect what was the primary cause of the mess? Cracked amulet? Plugged nozzle/strainer?

    Customer sacrifice is a good idea. I think Steve posted a perfect example of how it's done 😀
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    These are only the latest in a long, long, LONG line..........

    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/146509/quot-serviced-every-year-quot-we-were-speechless

    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/132567/one-of-the-worst-maintained-oil-fired-boilers-weve-seen

    .... ad nauseum.

    @kcopp , I know that burner. Betcha that poor old 6-66 was wayyyyy overfired. This would explain the soot, and possibly the crack too.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • kcopp
    kcopp Member Posts: 4,418
    @Steamhead You are probably correct. The end cone was partially melted off. The burner was installed in 1980. I took one look at the pilot a couple years back and was petrified about the long pilot it had. 6" long. I told them I knew nothing about it and didn't dare touch it.
    This is the largest steam install I have done.
    Im just a small system guy.
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    > @SuperTech said:

    > @HVACNUT I've never seen an EK soot up like that. Other than owner neglect what was the primary cause of the mess? Cracked amulet? Plugged nozzle/strainer?
    >
    >
    I've never seen this on an EK either.
    As of now, I have no idea what the cause is but I can say it's not the fuel pump. First thing I checked. I have it down fired and I'm safe with my numbers until the repair. Puff switch works and I have one in the van if needed. Another good vac, put back a .75 and then see what's what.
  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Member Posts: 2,138
    I'm glad for the homeowners sake that the puff switch works! Keep me posted on what you find out. I'm guessing that it was a combination of issues causing that mess.
  • Roger
    Roger Member Posts: 329
    Thank you for you post and photo, @HVACNUT .

    The chamber is a near perfect burning environment that incinerates the fuel so it is extremely clean burning. To have the results you showed, something most likely interfered with the burner nozzle atomization or spray pattern and caused it to burn extremely poorly (possibly some blockage in the nozzle orifice or some impingement or build up on the burner head/nozzle that occurred over time, etc.).

    After your quality cleaning and tune-up as you described, I'm sure that system will be restored to efficient and reliable operation for the long term. This is a good example of why customers should insist on an annual tune-up, even on the best equipment.

    Thank you for restoring this boiler to good working order and all your positive work to keep people warm and happy!

    Roger
    President
    Energy Kinetics, Inc.
    HVACNUTErin Holohan HaskellSTEVEusaPA
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 1,880
    Maybe it's time for another "UGLIEST BOILER" contest.
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Wasn’t ugly when I was finished! :)
    steve
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 1,880
    No doubt☺︎
  • Jean-David Beyer
    Jean-David Beyer Member Posts: 2,666
    This is a good example of why customers should insist on an annual tune-up, even on the best equipment.


    The first year after my new mod-con was installed, my heating contractor sent a "techie" to do the annual service. When he got here he had to ask me if it was oil or gas. (Did you ever see a drip-leg on an oil supply pipe to an oil burner?} He did not have a combustion analyzer, nor the necessary gasket kit and igniter. He said he did not have time to read the manual and was only scheduled 15 minutes to do an annual service. He protested that gas boilers did not need to be serviced anyway. I am just a home-owner, but I had read the installation and service manual on that boiler before it was installed. I sent him away. In the past, that had been a very good heating contracting company, but they merged with one competitor after another, and I imagine the size of the company got too big to manage properly.

    Then I got a new heating contractor.
    Adolfo2
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    This thread makes me glad my time in the trenches is done.
    Steve Minnich
  • rick in Alaska
    rick in Alaska Member Posts: 1,457
    hopefully this came through. This was still running. I took the entire boiler outside as we had to replace a large chunk of the floor that was also saturated in fuel oil.
    I thought this looked pretty cool though.
    Rick
  • rick in Alaska
    rick in Alaska Member Posts: 1,457
    edited April 2019

    This was a Weil Mclain 68 series with a Riello on it. The homeowner worked on it, which had fuel oil all over the floor, the entire room
    blackened with soot from 5 feet up, and the primary control did not shut it down. It was an awesome sight.
    Rick
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    That's awesome. Are you installing a new boiler?
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    edited April 2019
    That one should earn you enough money to get to Wetstock and back!
    LOL, a Riello on a 68. Goes to show you that Riello with its high static pressure will keep running until it's a mess.
    I wonder if the Riello is too forgiving in its maximum ohm range to lock a burner out.
    steve
  • rick in Alaska
    rick in Alaska Member Posts: 1,457
    HVACNUT said:

    That's awesome. Are you installing a new boiler?

    Actually just cleaned this one out. Homeowner did not have the money for a new one, but he did build a little bumpout on the side of the house and we reinstalled it in there. The soot was so dry it actually cleaned out very well. I did replace the chamber and blanket though.

    That one should earn you enough money to get to Wetstock and back!
    LOL, a Riello on a 68. Goes to show you that Riello with its high static pressure will keep running until it's a mess.
    I wonder if the Riello is too forgiving in its maximum ohm range to lock a burner out.

    I was shocked to realize that it had kept running. You should have seen the room it was in. The only reason I was called in from the beginning was because of a fuel smell. The room was just nasty. In addition to the ceiling and walls absolutely black from the soot, there was about a 5 foot ring on the floor from the leaking diesel. I don't know why the place didn't burn.
    That was only the third Riello primary that I have changed out on oil. The first two got under water. Now a gas primary on a Riello, that is another story. Not sure what went wrong with that design.
    Rick
  • loran5582
    loran5582 Member Posts: 2




  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
    edited April 2019
    Cant solder? No problem!

    What is going on with the smoke pipe above the damper? Is it reduced in size to add more fun?

    Edit: I see the power venter now!
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
    SootBoy
  • Leonard
    Leonard Member Posts: 903
    edited April 2019
    Black soot room------ sounds like inside of black oil tank, sucks up all the light from even powerful flood lights :)
  • brandonf
    brandonf Member Posts: 205
    Boilers are supposed to be cleaned? 🤔
    Homeowner, Entrepreneur, Mechanic, Electrician,

    "The toes you step on today are connected to the butt you'll have to kiss tomorrow". ---Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
    Intplm.
  • Dave0176
    Dave0176 Member Posts: 1,177
    loran5582 said:





    And that’s why I wish supply houses wouldn’t sell to DA jack of all tradesmen.
    DL Mechanical LLC Heating, Cooling and Plumbing 732-266-5386
    NJ Master HVACR Lic# 4630
    Specializing in Steam Heating, Serving the residents of New Jersey
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/dl-mechanical-llc

    https://m.facebook.com/DL-Mechanical-LLC-315309995326627/?ref=content_filter

    I cannot force people to spend money, I can only suggest how to spend it wisely.......
  • bob eck
    bob eck Member Posts: 930
    In the original photos on this tread there is a oil boiler and a gas water heater. Are they being vented into the same chimney?
    Is it ok to vet oil and gas into the same chimney?
  • SootBoy
    SootBoy Member Posts: 14
    Hi Folks. just came across this page, Still a licensed oil burner tech in Boston area.. i left the job because of a fall off wall when doing an oil delivery back in 2004 had two operations and ACL replacement..i did boiler/burner work for 24 years.. I started in 1979 i can relate to all the awesome photo's in here. Did night call to for a company that had over 6 thousand accounts was always a challenge .. The plugged chimney bases and collapsed chambers were my specialty lol.. i love when plumbers would install a boiler then pipe the return across the swinging boiler door. I'm doing X Ray now i am still working in dark places..
  • SootBoy
    SootBoy Member Posts: 14
    bob eck said:

    In the original photos on this tread there is a oil boiler and a gas water heater. Are they being vented into the same chimney?
    Is it ok to vet oil and gas into the same chimney?

    Gas flues were always suppose to be above the oil in my area but wasn't always the case

  • SootBoy
    SootBoy Member Posts: 14
    Dave0176 said:

    loran5582 said:





    And that’s why I wish supply houses wouldn’t sell to DA jack of all tradesmen.
    That is BAD ! they probaly charged the home owner a fortune too then changed contact number
  • SootBoy
    SootBoy Member Posts: 14
    So that boiler with the red Rex on it . Some people have no pride in their work.. So what is limit for temp on Pex? i believe the Red is for Hot water and the bursting pressure is high enough for a closed system like a heating system but what if the boiler makes 180 degree water? Isn't it suppose to be for domestic HW? i am just asking Thanks~

  • SootBoy
    SootBoy Member Posts: 14

    Cant solder? No problem!

    What is going on with the smoke pipe above the damper? Is it reduced in size to add more fun?

    Edit: I see the power venter now!

    I saw that Draft Inducer after my second look too at that mess.! So it has a motorized damper and a draft inducer. They probably left the chimney base plugged too~