old American Standard boiler

SomeTradesJack · December 27

vintage natural gas boiler in 2 unit rental property. I originally planned to replace, but plumber said it's fine with some updates. New gas valve, pumps, relays, etc. Firebox door is missing and flames are rolling out on left side. I used compressor to blow out soot from bottom, but rollout continues.

Should I have a door fabricated? Take off the lid for a real cleaning? Check the flue? I can post more pics later, if needed.

Replace? Thanks for any direction.

mattmia2 · December 27

if there is soot, something is wrong, frequently return water temps that are too low. it shouldn't be operated until the reason for the rollout is fixed. if it is sooted up some of the jacket and the flue collector need to be taken off and it needs to be cleaned with brushes to remove the soot then whatever caused the soot needs to be fixed.

Steamhead · December 27

The missing "firebox door" is called the "Rollout Shield". It is there to keep the flames from rolling out. I would not operate that boiler the way it is.

That boiler dates from the 1950s or so, and the rollout shield hasn't been made in decades. There's a chance you might find one on a boiler that's being replaced, but I would simply replace the boiler.

Where are you located? We might know someone who can help………………..

EBEBRATT-Ed · December 27

Where is your plumber who said it was fine? You can probably have a new shield fabricated. Look around the basement maybe it is there.

pecmsg · December 27

Tell your "Plumber" to stick with plumbing!

Get someone that knows heating.

SomeTradesJack · December 27

Thanks, everyone. Location is rural Wyoming—so not a lot of local resources for cleaning/repair. Plumber is a semi-retired friend of friend (you know how that goes….).

Steamhead · December 27

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1879346#Comment_1879346

I've visited Wyoming so I know what "rural" means out there. What part of the state are you in? You might want to check with suppliers, say, in Casper, Cheyenne, Billings etc. to see if they know anyone.

Big Ed_4 · December 27

Make sure you have enough fresh air for combustion . I hear rental and I know the boiler is shoved in a closet … Plug in a few CO detectors …

RTW · December 28

Greetings Wyoming

As a younger man I climbed the Grand Teton - Exum route. At a later date I spent part of my honeymoon hiking in the Wind River Range and summited Fremont Peak, then the remainder was spent in Jackson Hole. Nice country you have out there and excellent fly fishing too

Back to my thoughts on your dilemma. Not sure of your spending limit, but you may want to consider flying in a competent, experienced steam heating guy with a proven track record to either repair or replace that boiler once you make a decision. Chicago area comes to mind where steam is still used and serviced ( even the east coast NYC area if plane fare is comparable). In my case, I would fly into Denver then rent a car to go to Wyoming from there. I suppose Denver is a consideration, but that state is Not listed in Find a Contractor on this site

All the best,

RTW

TheUpNorthState88 · December 28

I would not spend that type of money on “upgrades” to a boiler that old for a rental property. It’s time to bite the bullet and upgrade. If this was your private residence, do as you please, but you have liability of tenants. I would not be operating this unit with this issue happening. Safety first.

mattmia2 · December 28

is this hot water or steam?

old American Standard boiler

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