New Boiler - Radiator Screaming

Well, I guessed correctly on everything. I come up with 277 sq ft. I didn't add the tiny baseboard in the bathroom as I don't know what the ratings are, but it can't be more than a couple sq ft so it's insignificant in my opinion.

That means they should have installed the IN4. The IN6 you have is 63% oversized, or giving you 116% pickup factor. The IN4 would have been absolutely perfect for what you have.

See attached for the calculations and comparison of the boiler you have to the IN4

It may be partly because the boiler is oversized. The banging may be related to the near boiler piping allowing condensate to carry into the mains — newer boilers, particularly, are rather sensitive to being piped correctly. The banging may also be sags or poor pitch in some of the mains or runouts.

The whistling vents are more likely caused by excess pressure than anything else, although if there are no main vents (or inadequate ones) that plays into it too.

The first and simplest thing to do is to verify at what pressure the boiler cuts out. It should be no more than 2 psig, and preferably lower if your pressuretrol can go lower.

Bigger main vent won't hurt anything and will help balancing but won't solve all your whistling issues. Less of the air will have to be forced our the radiator vents early in the cycle as more will go through the main vent likely reducing radiator whistling during this phase but once the main closes all that over abundance of steam will still then have to push air out of the takeoffs and radiators just through the radiator vents. I more of your whistling is toward end of the cycle when radiators are filled or nearly filled you can try to limit your cycle time by eliminating or breaking up setback/recoveries and depending upon your thermostat reducing swing or increasing CPM. Smaller boiler and proper near boiler piping will be needed. If someone gets out there that knows what they are talking about they may assess properly setting this up as two pipe steam and maybe get rid of the radiator vents entirely. Others would have to weigh in on the cost effectiveness of this.

where in NEPA are you located? If you’re right over the border from NJ and the contractor doesn’t make it right give me a call. I’ll go there and take a look at see what can be done to get this right.

For me, he’s either BSing, or just doesn’t know. I question the knowledge when they can’t size it correctly. There are generous factors built into those rating to cover piping. A properly sized IN4 has enough factor for 140’ of 2” piping. I’m going to guess you don’t have close to that. With the IN6, it’s hundreds of feet. Are you planning on adding an addition to the house and expand the system? If not the additional radiators comment makes no sense. Also made me chuckle, like he’s making future plans for your house, on your behalf.

One step at a time makes no sense. The piping is wrong, it’s not really a discussion topic, there’s a picture in the manual showing what’s correct and that isn’t it. So is this like trial piping and he’s going to rip it out and do it over as part of the process? That wouldn’t make sense at all.

I would also suggest you contact Burnham about them disconnecting 2 burners. That very likely will void the warranty for the boiler if the contractor didn’t get their approval for it. To be very clear on this comment, you contact Burnham, I wouldn’t take the contractors word for it.

My assessment, they are doing a few things to cover up until you go away out of frustration. And yes, I’m sure they are being super nice while they are doing it. Nice won’t make it work.

This lack of knowledge in my area is why I ended up replacing my own boiler, I just had zero confidence in any of the local contractors.

I wish you luck.

I'd be really surprised if Burnham was ok with 2 burners being removed.

Being someone that is actually out there doing this (installing boilers, working with people etc), what would you recommend the OP do in this situation?

And do combustion test after modifying burners.

stupid becomes toxic when your over 50!

You need to fix the near boiler piping. By doing what he is doing is just praying he gets the whistling down to an acceptable level to which you will agree to. Even if he can satisfy you by doing what he is doing You will still going to have high fuel bills. there is no way around it. Basements with steam boilers are always warm even insulated but having copper piping on your boiler is only going to increase the heat into the basement. Never mind the wet steam its going to generate.

And considering the manufacturer and there castings issues i would definitely get the piping changed. I don't know how anybody else feels but i wouldn't service this boiler or any boiler unless the near boiler piping was properly installed. I don't need a customer blaming me for some noise or leak that was happening before I got there but they didn't notice it until after i worked on it. I've done enough PM's on Burnham's that the first thing i do is flood them.

I think it's also useful for the OP to understand, steam, when running properly, should be silent. You shouldn't hear a bang, creak, groan, nothing but warmth. I'd say at most maybe a hair of air "noise" from a vent, but it would be at the level that you'd have to catch it in the act and listen carefully, not screaming as they state.

I think steam gets a bad reputation as making noise in some way. I think it's valuable for the OP to understand what the expectation is, and that is essentially, silence.

Stupidity becomes exceptionally resilient after 50. I see it everyday in my trade. If they haven't learned how to do it right by 50 there is a very little chance that they will change.

thanks! How low of a flue temp is too low?

If you keep it over about 300 you will get less condensation on the flue… but you don't need it hotter than that, as @pedmec said.

Copper on steam should never be used "above the water line". Copper really has no place in a steam system. It's for amateurs or lazy contractors. Although most contractors will feel the the contraction and expansion of copper is a major issue, I concern myself more with system performance. Copper has very little density. This little density increases the amount of heat transfer from the heating medium to the ambient temperature of the room in which the copper resides. In a hot water system no big deal. In a steam system its a very big deal. Your going to cause your steam to condense faster as it leaves the boiler. This will increase your "wet steam". No way around it. it's how baseboard heat operates. Now depending on how badly the near boiler piping is done this could create a very noisy system and high fuel bills.

Maybe for the boiler.

There doesn't seem to be much of a concern of steam piping or even radiators rusting / rotting.

I think "Got Steam?" Is a must read for most people. I think the Lost Art is a great resource and read for those who need ALL the information. IMHO.

Anyone heard from OP? I would like to hear how things are going.. New here and I posted once a few months ago but resolved my problem. I've been interested in OP's plight and all the great information on here.

Excellent result.

Can you post some photos?