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GE Boilers

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DanHolohan
DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
in THE MAIN WALL
a wonderful piece on the GEs to the Library. It's in the Oil Heat section. Look under "Go Through the Looking Glass."

If you'd like to see inside those beauties that Ron Jr. has been ripping out of Levittown for so many years, now's your chance. Enjoy!

And thanks for the bricks. They're making it possible for me to find this stuff, buy it, and share it with you. Thanks.
Retired and loving it.

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  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    Around 50 years ago...

    GE printed a serviceman's guide to all the boilers, compressors, nozzles and components they ever made - in the boiler (and furnace) line.

    I just happen to have the only known existing copy of that text. If I didn't still service a bunch of GE's, I'd give you the book for the archives.

    If you'd like, I could scan the document and shoot it over for your posting?

    If anyone reading this post also has a copy of this book - I'd love to know about it.



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  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    That would be

    wonderful! Thanks.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    After all that time

    I never saw a GE boiler intact with the original burner and controls , until a few weeks ago . This steamer was still operating till the asbestos abatement crew were there . I could not make heads or tails of all the controls , pipes , whatnot . If you put a gun to my head I still couldn't put it back together . Hoping Ken scans those pages - very interesting setup on the GEs .
  • Bob Bona_4
    Bob Bona_4 Member Posts: 2,083
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    I've taken out

    quite a few of 'em myself, some with the original burner/compressor intact. Cool stuff. Was the "Cadillac" of boilers back in the day!

    Heavier than hell, and the tops make awesome sleds!:)
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    No joking, the book was worth

    millions of dollars.

    At least to G.E. it was.

    It made me about five grand.

    Talk about a great book!

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    ScottSecor
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    If it's easier,

    I can scan it for you. I'll take good care of it and get it right back to you.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Philip Nasadowski
    Philip Nasadowski Member Posts: 8
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    Beautiful looking thing. And note that they suggest it'll fit right in in the home...

    I only wish companies were that good with industrial design these days :(

    How did the GE units compare performance / efficiencywise to other units of their era?
  • J.C.A._3
    J.C.A._3 Member Posts: 2,981
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    Phil,

    QUIET and clean. As someone else said, they were the "Cadillac" of their time.Always pushing 80% combustion efficencies, easily.Sometimes even better. The problems came when the parts dried up. Sid Harvey's had a great stock of rebuilt stuff, but the more they were thrown away, the more the parts supply dried up.


    I've always said that every time one of these babies fired, an MIT genius laughed like hell. All that buzzing and whirring, and all the steps it took to accomplish a task that was so simple (in the years to come:0/ )was amazing. One other often overlooked fact is that these things would run without a hitch on the fuel(oil) we are being supplied with these days. I'll quote my old Boss, "the things will run on goat wiz if that's all you got for fuel". Fond memories....NOT. Lessons LEARNED, YOU BET! Chris
  • Bob Bona_4
    Bob Bona_4 Member Posts: 2,083
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    It figures

    I just bought a house built in the early '50's. With this house, I got a small one pipe steam system w/ a 68 W/M boiler. Next to that, a hot water dry base Trianco boiler runs some baseboard, and a zone of hydro-air. Lucky me..oof!
    Sorry to say, the steam, and the W/M is history (sorry Steamhead) and the Trianco is next to go. Mr. Buderus w/ radiant and the bells and whistles is going in as I speak.

    Anyhows, I just know this house had a GE steamer to start with. How? The telltale abandoned overhead oil line, and one super long electrode I found stuffed in the crawl!
  • eleft_4
    eleft_4 Member Posts: 509
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    http://forums.invision.net/Attachment.cfm?CFApp=2&Attachment_ID=

    al
  • eleft_4
    eleft_4 Member Posts: 509
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    Still Here

    al
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    What kind of burner

    is under the hood Al ?
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    Here's what

    one of mine (same model as above BTW). The thing with the flexi-hose and two porcelains sticking up is the burner assembly. They were very special.

    I literally built my business on them!

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  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    Properly set up,

    the GE got 82% regularly. Since the combustion chamber was inverted (venting through the bottom and the burner on top) there was very little stanby losses.

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  • RC
    RC Member Posts: 35
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    \"Modern Heating Illustrated\" GE Boiler

    I had brought this up a while ago on the wall. In Starbuck's
    "Modern Heating Illustrated" shows a drawing of G.E.'s way of preventing boiler shock. The circ pump was mounted on the return side, but pumping away from the boiler. Also, a standard swing check valve on the supply side with flow towards the boiler. I wish I had a scanner! Pretty neat,huh?!
    Take care all
    Ross
  • Firedragon_4
    Firedragon_4 Member Posts: 1,436
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    I have a lot of books on the GE line Dan,

    if you need them let me know. Many of the books are old magazine article re-prints from Oilheat and Fueloil magazines. I also have all of the factory manuals. Anyone interested in a manual on Timken installations from 1916?? That's one of my oldest.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    I will

    lovingly handle anything you'd like to send this way, George. I'll scan it for the Library and get it right back to you. Thanks so much!
    Retired and loving it.
  • eleft_4
    eleft_4 Member Posts: 509
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    Carlin...100CRD

    al
  • Matt Undy
    Matt Undy Member Posts: 256
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    So thats what they look like..they don't look anything like that in the sketches on the wall. My father worked in an office building heated by one of those for a while. Didn't notice if it was oil or gas. I had sorta forgot that GE made quality appliances before the 80's...not that cardboard isn't an acceptable back panel for a washer or dryer or anyone could make a puley that wears through and splits in 2 before the belt ever wears out or anything...My mom has a hotpoint range from the 60's that will live forever and we had a GE portable dishwasher that was great..should have fixed it when the lid switch failed insted of buying that cheesy whirlpool of the 80's (though the whirlpool built in that replaced it when the impeller broke works great).

    Matt
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Ken , you have an estimate

    of how many were in homes in your area ? We seem them very rarely over here , the exception being the hangers .
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    What'd you use

    to haul em out ? We needed the power handtruck and still was a struggle . The are HEAVY .
  • Bob Bona_4
    Bob Bona_4 Member Posts: 2,083
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    same as you

    Ron, the Lectrotruck, and on occasion, I have called in an auto wrecker to winch them out. I have a 8000 pound Ramsey winch now that inserts into my Reese hitch..works pretty good. With a snatch block and some planks, I prefer this to the Lectro..

    You know what I mean when I say there are lots of hook up points, but for trying to get them stable on a Lectro is a bear..1) it's tough to get the base all the way on the truck's platform because of all those protrusions, and 2) they are not only heavy, but TOP heavy!

    Do you find them more in slab Levitts or are there a lot in basements too down there, Ron?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    The floor model GE

    we see in basements only . The hanging GE is the main boiler we see - probably around 50 replaced since the start of this year already .

    I did not know that the hanging GE comes in a floor model also - we replaced one a few weeks back . It's exactly like the hanger , but no welded bars to hold it off the floor . It did have a big fancy white jacket around it . Wish I had my camera .

    Bob , we use the Powermate now , a blue colored cousin to the Lectro . Operates just like it , and is a wonder on the stairs . Off the stairs it's just a big heavy dolly . The hitch and block sounds like a nice opton if you got the room .
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    In the G.E. Boilers and Furnaces...

    in my part of NJ, there were two basic differences. There are Levittown houses - and there are non-Levittown houses - that both had G.E.'s

    Since I live in a Levittown style home in a develoipment of about 50 of them, and the three or four more about the size of my neighborhood spread out in a 10 mile radius, might total maybe 200?

    Of those, about 75% had GE LAL25G's - the rest, York Shipley's. None of these were "hangers." They were in the exact same location as yours, but the single course brick partition was extended 8" making the corner the GE (or Y/S) location, capable of housing the manifold AND the boiler! Granted, a few had the manifold under the stairs.

    Of the non-Levittown homes, most are/were in "better" neighborhoods, although a few were in neighborhoods that were plain old middle class - like mine.

    Of these, I would bet perhaps 3,000+ were installed - within a 50 mile radius of Newark Airport (which is nearby).

    At one time, I serviced directly, or as a sub for the 14 oil companies I worked for - specializing in just G.E.'s, over 100 units that no one else knew how to work on.

    Great for the ego (:-o)

    I serviced one in Morristown, NJ. Huge manson. It was the very first G.E. boiler model ever made, the 'L1'. I swear to you, the boiler got 84% efficiency! The boiler was installed around 1936 and got 84% at a trace of smoke.

    The boiler was steam and I finally had to condemn it. Slow leak up in the second pass. That was about 1980-something. That was the last and only 'L1' I ever saw and worked on.

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  • Ken D.
    Ken D. Member Posts: 836
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    GE

    We had scores of GE's under contract in addition to scores more on a cash service basis in the Philadelphia, Pa - Trenton,NJ area. I know of at least two LA20's (in the same house) that are still running with the original low pressure burners. No one will give a contract on them. Quiet and up to high 80's combustion efficiencies. The nozzles were so large that nothing would block them. Every year at tune up time we would say to the customer " you know these are obsolete and parts are scarce, it is going to let you down some cold night". The next year we would say "you know these are obsolete......." and so on and on. They kept on running. The parts inventory is just about nil so maybe they will replace after all. I remember the stories of mechanics initial reaction to their first GE experience...RUN. Actually the hardest part was trying to get the cabinet off. Ah, Yankee ingenuity.
  • J.C.A._3
    J.C.A._3 Member Posts: 2,981
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    God Bless you Ken.

    I had about 20 when I started, and had to "reverse learn" all the things they taught me at NEFI.(1985). We learned about low pressure burners, but it was kind of a skim over. I will admit to the teacher having a kind of reverance for teaching about Winkler low pressure burners.
    I think I removed the last one from the customer base.(Heavy mother....) Just couldn't get parts anymore. Sound familiar? Wobble pumps? Like the G.E., they would run on goat wiz. Also had the pleasure of working on a few Williams, Oil O Matic systems.

    The G.E. was a FINE piece of equipment. Quiet that was not to be heard since then.The only thing I remember being as quiet were rotary burners. Anyone get to work on these puppies? Not quite as effecient, but quiet as anything I've ever heard. Still carry an ignitor, just in case! Chris
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    Ron,

    I have a friend at Brookhaven who I have promised some GE stuff - since I went to ISH some years ago with those guys and would like to ask you to keep a decent one out of the scrap yard?

    Let me know. If so, I'll make some arrangements and get it out of the yard for you.

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Sure

    Next one in decent shape I'll put to the side - cover it too so it don't rust . We are averaging 2 a week so it won't be long . Too bad we didn't have this conversation sooner - I was working right across the road from Brookhaven today with an empty truck , and there was a hanger in the junk pile at the shop .

    What's he gonna do with the berler ?
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    I mentioned the

    air atomization and he said it probably holds the key to future progress.

    I mentioned the GE system of atomization and they wanted to see it. By the time a pack a nozzle assembly and explain it - an entire boiler would do the trick.

    I might need an assistant to rehab the unit (if they even want it), you want a part time job lad?



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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    You got it

    Brookhaven Labs ain't too far from my home , and I'd love to lend a hand . Just to be clear , the GE hanger is the boiler we see most often , retrofit with a Beckett burner . I never saw the original burner in the hanger . If this is the boiler you're interested in , I'll put one aside in decent shape - theres still plenty out there working fine . And my boss is a very decent guy , always willing to help out the industry . He just might let me drop the boiler off myself . I'll talk about it with him Monday .
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
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    Ron,

    The whole purpose of the GE "examination" by BNL (Brookhaven National Labs) would be to mess around with an air atomizing burner.

    The Beckett is not of any interest.

    In the event that you may stumble upon an "as originally manufactured" unconverted GE in your travels, I suspect they would like to take a look. I still have many parts for some of these and have worked out a Honeywell cad cell relay conversion for the old GE A1 Mater Control.

    The compressor and nozzle assembly are the heart of what they may be interested in.

    I still have two or three completely original GE's we service and none appears to be ready to self destruct anytime soon.

    Please keep your eye peeled for an old compressor style.



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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Yes , I did get the gist

    of what you are trying to do . I thought I explained that we never see the original burner .

    The hanging GE boilers can be converted back to the air atomizing burner . Now if anyone has some of the components to do it and is willing to donate them , you're in business .

    I will keep a lookout for an intact GE , but I doubt I'll see another in the near future . After 18 years I saw my first original a few weeks ago .
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