Gas Boiler Question

Sounds like your boiler is either oversized or you need more venting. Shut the boiler off and when the supply pipes have cooled (not steam hot) start it up. When the supply pipe coming out of the boiler gets hot start timing with a stopwatch. Then go to the far end of the mains. It doesn't matter how many mains you have 1, 2 or 3 and see how long it takes for steam to get to the end of each main.

Coming out of the boiler is the supply steam pipe that feeds the steam mains. The supply pipe may split (tee off) and you might have 1,2 or 3 mains. If it is a small house you might have only 1 main.

You have air vents on the radiators. In addition to that you should have vents either at the far end of the main(s) or they could be near the boiler if you have dry returns.

Pictures will help of the piping around the boiler and the end of the mains. We need to see if the boiler is piped properly.

Also was the boiler water skimmed after the install?

Caution: homeowner, not a pro

if your main vents are not getting hot I would pull them off and test them (hold in upright position and blow into the pipe fitting). If you can’t easily move air through them they are blocked or defective…put them in near boiling vinegar for 5 minutes. Retest / replace

I bet that's why it's shutting down like that. Next time it does, go see if the green light on the CycleGard is on. It's probably on the right-hand side. If it's on, it's doing an intermittent level check which stops the burner.

Also try putting more water in the boiler. You should be at 1/2 a glass full unless the boiler MFG labels it differently. The water level in your gauge glass looks to be down near the cut off level although pictures can be deceiving.

@Mystic Thanks for the Radiator pictures. Can you take the measurements I asked about? I would like to know what the dimensions of the recessed wall radiators are. How high the radiator is, and how deep it recesses into the wall. That will help me to the size calculations needed.

If the measurements line up with this chart, then I believe these may be your radiators. Thatis why I need the dimensions

@Mystic , I think your radiators are newer than that. The red one, and the similar white one are American-Standard Sunrads, and are covered in @DanHolohan 's book "E.D.R.". The other two are similar to the ones OCS sells- find them here:

https://ocsind.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/15981-OCS-Catalog.Updated15-6.pdf

I don't have enough information to be accurate yet. A picture of the radiators that are still not shown, with the measurements associated with them is necessary to be accurate. But from experience I took some educated guesses as to what your total EDR square foot is for the existing connected radiation. I believe that it is more than 170 sq ft but not more than 200 sq ft.  

 The Crown Boiler that you have in your home is rated for 354 square feet of radiation.  That boiler may be double the size that your home requires.   That is part of the problem.   I guess that it is paid in full but now you have very little recourse with the installing contractor.   I would contact them anyway and let them know that you are going to need to know how they determined that size, and what they are going to do about the problems their boiler installation is causing.   Unless of course YOU are the installer, then you have only yourself to blame.

How old is the install? What does the contract say about the installation? if there is nay wording that states something like "according to industry standards". or any reference to the "manufacturers instructions" then they did not abide by the sales contract and you have recourse. That boiler is NOT installed "in accordance with the manufacturers instructions" or "by industry standards". A good letter from a lawyer will let them know that you are serious about the contractor getting the job done correctly.

It is not operating properly and it never did and you paid for a system that was supposed to be installed properly and that operates properly and you did not get what you paid for. If you don't make a thing about it, then they will just go on making the same mistakes and other customers will have your same experience.

You actually need a new boiler that is the correct size to fix your problem and no one else is going to do that for you for free. Are you prepared to spend the same amount of money or more to get it right? Do you think that it is fair that your contractor did it wrong and got paid to do it wrong? Your contractor has insurance that can cover their "on the job" learning experience at your home. If the proper lawyer sends the right letter, you can win this and get a new boiler. you have heat now so if it takes a few years to get your money back, at least you won't be without heat all that time.

Just so you know, on page one of the installation manual it clearly states that the installer has the responsibility of selecting the correct size boiler

From Page 1

SIZE THE BOILER PROPERLY relative to the design heat load or, if using domestic hot water priority, the peak hot water load, which ever is larger. A grossly oversized boiler will cycle excessively and this will lead to premature failure of the boiler and its components. Our warranty does not apply to damage from excessive cycling.

Your contractor clearly did not follow this important instruction.

I might compose a letter if I were you, that indicates that the contractor did not install the boiler according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Then report this poorly installed job to the state licensing folks.  When a contractor gets a letter from the State licensing people, the contractor listens.  

You can do this yourself at very little cost to yourself.

I see no aquastat.  I see a Low Water Cut Off (the black box) and a Pressure control With the cleat plastic cover).  Both of those parts come already assembled from the factory.

EDIT: After closer examination, there is something that looks like an aquastat near the bottom of the boiler Directly under the Site Glass.

I have no Idea what that would be there for. The boiler does not need a water temperature control in order to make steam and there are no obvious reasons for maintaining a minimum water temperature, or anything else that needs to be operated when the water reaches a certain temperature.

I see nothing that would point to the use of an aquastat

Open the cover and look at the wires and how they are connected.

disconnect one wire and see if the boiler makes steam.

Leave it disconnected and see if your problem goes away.

Take a picture of the wires and post it here, Thanks.

Also take a selfie with the boiler in the background in order to see what a BOT might look like. LOL

Either one. It's just a fancy on/off switch.

Yep. If boiler doesn't fire, just reconnect them. It's not clear the aquastat is wired in circuit.