Antique steam heat boiler/radiators

Rina · November 1

I live in a house built in 1880's. The boiler is original to the home and worked perfectly until last week. I'm having a heck of a time trying to find someone to work on it. I don't even know if parts are available.

A wire in the gas conversion burner has basically burned up/ has come apart.

I used the electric gas valve to manually start it, it warmed up the house and turned off automatically like it should. The second time I manually started it, it didn't shut off, the temperature of the house rose above the thermostat setting, and had to manually, turn it off. I haven't touched it since.

So far, new parts are impossible to find. It's been recommended that I upgrade to a new steam heat boiler.

Is there any chance that I can find new parts out there? Where do look?

I live in Michigan, so it's cold already. And a new boiler calls for asbestos remediation.

Is it time to bite the bullet and upgrade? I assume I need to get a new steam heat boiler. Any recommendations?

Does anyone have any advice whatsoever? I will take it!

Edit- By manually, I mean that I saw the thing with the yellow sticker on it. The two arrows pointed to a button and a lever. When I pushed the button and pulled up the lever, the boiler started right up like it usually does. It warmed up the house and then turned off automatically, like it should.

The second time I did it, the house just got warmer, ten degrees warmer than the thermostat,s so I pushed the lever back down to the off position. I haven't touched it since.

Edit- the part that says, "gas conversion burner" has a broken wire. Everyone says that parts aren't available.

mattmia2 · November 1

What do you mean by "manually started"?

It should be replaced but someone that understands it probably could fix it. Hutzel had people that understood them 30 years ago, don't know about now.

If the valve is sticking it could be replaced with a modern combination valve. the whole conversion burner could be replaced with a gas power burner. If a safety/operating control is bad, those are common off the shelf parts for someone that knows steam heating. You should not operate it without being right at the boiler watching the sight glass and the pressure gauge until the problem is identified and fixed.

Jamie Hall · November 1

That, as ou have surmised, is a gas conversion burner fitted to a very elderly boiler which was originally coal fired.

Yes, the boiler should be replaced — sometime, and probably only because the efficiency is not very good. In the meantime, however, surely there is someone around who does power gas conversion burners who could replace the burner. It's not an integral part of the boiler — you can remove that burner that's in there and install a new one. It's not a DIY job, however.

Rina · November 1

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/202490/antique-steam-heat-boiler-radiators

Rina · November 1

I'm not sure how to properly respond to people who asked me questions. I've edited my post to try to answer the questions. I've called at least a dozen places. Most of these have looked at this boiler and said, they've never seen anything like it. Some are too busy or don't work with steam boilers. I would love it if the part could just be replaced. But the three people who seemed to know what they were talking about, didn't believe it was possible. Largely, because they don't know where to find the parts anymore that haven't been made in fifty years.

Jamie Hall · November 1

I doubt that you can find the part — athough stranger things have happened.

What you can find is someone who can take that burner out and put a new power gas fired conversion burner in.

Rina · November 1

I live halfwayI live half way between chicago and detroit. Would you happen to know anyone I could call?

mattmia2 · November 1

I don't know who is around grand rapids and kalamazoo. maybe @GGross knows.

Steamhead · November 1

Might try @The Steam Whisperer - he's in Chicagoland but might come that far, and if not he might know someone. Also ISTR @dabrakeman is in or near Detroit.

That boiler was designed to burn coal, and many such boilers were later converted to oil or gas firing. During the fuel-rationing days of World War 2, they were often fitted with baffles to slow down the exhaust gases and extract more heat from them. It would be interesting to see what's inside.

And ISTR @Tim McElwain has the manual for that Republic Gyroscope burner.

mattmia2 · November 1

also you can save some time for everyone by telling them you have a steam boiler with a gas conversion burner on the phone, if they don't know what that is, move on.

mattmia2 · November 1

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1870394#Comment_1870394

that appears to be a multi pass boiler, if whoever did the conversion put some baffles in it to slow the products of combustion down it might not be awful.

SpenceSS · November 2

I have a boiler system in my house that was installed in 1954. It has always worked great but this year when my stepson was checking it out before we re-lit it for the winter, found that the by-pass from the regulator (American District Steam Co, AR-1) is causing the boiler to burn rich and causing a lot of soot. The boiler heats from the ceiling and since the coils are copper, I am not sure if it is worth trying to repair or not because the life cycle of the copper may be coming to an end. Would I be better off converting to something else. Thanks, Spence

mattmia2 · November 2

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1870538#Comment_1870538

you should start a new thread for this.

if the regulator vent is emitting gas, the diaphragm in the regulator is bad. do you have pictures? if it is an ordinary valve and regulator yo can have someone replace it with a modern combination valve that will contain the regulator, gas valve, safety valve, and pilot control.

SpenceSS · November 2

Thanks for the info. I'm new to this type of question thing. I'm not at the house right now so I can't get a picture, but the regulator has a tube coming out of the top of it that exits near the pilot light. And when the gas comes on there is gas coming out of that tube.

mattmia2 · 12:43AM

@HeatingHelp can you make this a new thread?

the vent on the regulator is to reference the diaphragm in the regulator to atmospheric pressure. if the diaphragm is intact there should never be gas on the vent side. the vent is run to the pilot to burn off the gas if the diaphragm fails.

SpenceSS · 9:22AM

Thanks again, I guess I need to find a new regulator

Antique steam heat boiler/radiators

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