Nice job> you don't see to many steam boilers these days. I used to do many and it is really important to re-build the traps about every 5 years or so. Saves lots of money from the steam not bypassing the trap. I did about 90 taps in a science building years back and saved them about 1/3 of their fuel operating cost by doing it. To bad someone did not put a pig tail loop on the steam gage. Thanks for the video.
Good video guy, when I went to school for hvac I graduated with honors for chillers and boiles but I end up doing mostly furnaces and roof top unit and some refrigeration, but also we don’t have that many boilers in this area
Get an aspirator bulb and use it to blow up through the orifice.. brush the tops of the burners..!! put a little pipe dope on the pilot tubing at the brass ferrules on both ends..very little but it helps.. Peek underneath to look at the flame..make sure it’s not yellow.. Always check the draft. That’s most important. Excellent , thorough job...but I recommend doing the above.
Really informative video thank you! I will make sure the next time I have my boiler serviced that they cover all the bases. BTW stay clear of those cast iron pipes, they were covered in asbestos.
Nice Video!! Put a little Silicone Grease on the sight glass rubbers and on the threads of the nuts. This will keep the rubbers from baking onto the glass & the nuts won't get corroded onto the valve bodies. If your drains are plugged you can give them a quick blast with your Galo Gun, or Swish Gun, which ever the call them in your area. That'll clear them out lickity split. Best of luck.........................
You cant use sand paper on a flame sensor. Thats not just an igniter, its a flame rectifier. It has a protective coating that you are sanding or scotch brighting off.
Sandpaper is the only thing that really cleans the forked hood on the pilot assembly. It’s not coated like a flame sensor. Yes flame sensors you have to use scotch brite or steel wool which won’t remove the coating. Unless it’s a munchkin, lockinvar or other high end boiler that the flame sensor turns orange. Sandpaper is the only thing strong enough to remove that orange stuff. I been using sandpaper on these pilot assemblies since I started. I don’t have flame rectification problems on any of the boilers as long as I service them once a year. Same with flame sensors. I clean every maintenance. I keep a cut piece of the green scotch pad in a pocket of my pants. It gets softer as it goes through the was with those pants. A dollar bill can also clean a flame sensor.
With all the time I have been dealing with boilers I think your lot have it easy. I deal with up to 250psi boilers that can be as heavy as a few 100 ton, I deal with small all the way up to Tran boilers as a hobby, and cleaning them out is a week long job if they are on bad water, but hey a boiler is a boiler.
A steam boiler should be blown down once a week at the low water cut off. On that boiler it would be the red valve below the sight glass, that prevents build up or ( mud ) as some people call it. Open it up, blown down until your low water cut off trips close and move on with your day. Also which most boiler installer's don't do, but professionals do. Their should be a king valve on the primary and a shut off valve before the hart fort loop/equalizer, close both while boiler is running. Build up 10 psi of pressure open up your bottom drain some call it the ( mud drain ). And blow down the boiler. That boiler did not have one on the primary. And like I said most people don't install them. Good job the the pm however.
Thanks for making these videos. My steam boiler is sporadically not turning on when tsat kicks on. I replace tsat same issue. I noticed damper is open but no burners are on. Its a standing pilot. If I turn of tsat then back on it will then fire up again. Pseg was here two weeks ago. He cleaned out water and also down fired the burners a bit. Not sure if that is the issue. Any ideas?
Take a look at your pigtail. Many times mud gets in there in the system stops working, particularly if the pigtail is steel rather than brass. I have a 21 year old Burnham steam boiler and I have changed and cleaned out the pigtail annually. The HVAC hacker does great work maintaining boilers to provide best service and extend life. Best wishes to you and the family in the new year
I have an identical Peerless boiler. I was disappointed that you didn't cover the LWCO unit. Isn't the probe supposed to be removed and cleaned? Also, there are a few key moments in the video where we can't see what it is your doing, like with the pressure control switch (removing, installing) and the pilot orifice. I realize from shooting a few of my own videos that this is tough when you're doing it all by yourself. Suggestion would be to break this up into 4 or 5 shorter segments, so it would be easier to edit any points needing changes. All-in-all, a great video, especially loved the tip about NOT firing up the burner without that flash plate in place!!! Can only picture someone with all the hair singed off their face!
Perfect boiler room and Boiler to make a video of, but this is not the reality our job sometimes there’s no space most of the time there’s water bug eggs ,water bugs, dead rat smell, dead rats etc all those parts of rusty the jacket on the boiler has holes And labels are either faded or gone
What should I do if the water being used in the house does not stay hot? I have a tankless steam hot water boiler which makes steam heat and hot water. I'm owner of two-family house and tenants complain; therefore, I've tried selecting hot on the mixing valve and keep the water level very close to the top of the water tube. The boiler was serviced in Oct. 2020.
""never want to loosen, always tighten"" plumbing lesson 101 :) only semi-exception, it's fresh pipe dope and joint, even then 50/50 chance of instant or short term leak
Is this an annual process to fully flush a steam system? Or is it because of the size and/or having wet returns? I grew up with an old oil-converted pancake one pipe system and only recall checking LWC, gage glass, pressure-trol and burner. Then, blow it down several gallons and I recall adding Squick ?? occasionally.
I too think it is overkill of full flush. Once the boiler is skimmed, water there should be fairly good after a boil cycle. All you need is right before the heating season, drain the debref that sink down to the boiler bottom, by let out about 2 gallon brown water. Then add back 2 gallon fresh water, and turn on the boiler and enjoy the heating season. Less new water add, less oxygen to harm your stream system, less debrief to drain next year.
off late our boiler is reaching 5 psi (which it did not earlier), then the boiler cuts off. However, the pressure does not drop for hours, not letting the boiler come back on. What could be causing this?
halo kawanku ini steam boiler water tube apa fire tube dan kapasitas berapa kg / h? dan tekanan berapa barg, teri akasih telah berbagi pengalaman perawatn steam boiler
The boiler steam PSI is too high. It should be 1/2 PSI. The return pipe is 24" ( Pounds per Square Inch 1 ft H2O = 0.4335 psi.) At 3 PSI the return water can't get in. The steam will rush up the header at the speed of sound, no PSI needed.
They never operate that low. The lowest cut in on a steam boiler is .5 psi with lowest differential setting at 1. Which most residential steam boilers operate between .5 - 2 or 3psi. I believe this gauge was off by about 2 psi in this video. With boiler off it was around 2. Therefore the cut out at 5 was 3 psi. If the boiler is vented correctly the water returns and no hammering happens from trapped water
surprised it's still feeding... I caught the error there, you had the manual feed valve open there, which you shut at 5:50. not complaining about it, things happen when distracted :)
A steam system needs to be drained and flushed weekly. This should only be done when system is needed for heat. Only way to flush all the mud and gunk out. If not sediment will build up inside boiler and return pipes. A hot water system only would get drained for a repair.
@@thehvachacker I actually called the boiler manufacturer, and they told me draining it weekly will kill your boiler life by half. My last boiler was drained weekly and it lasted 11 years.
The only feed i have into my boiler is directly into the Hartford loop, how should i flush the boiler with water in this case? If i try to feed water to flush it, all i will be doing is cleaning the Hartford loop over and over. I had thought about seeing if i could remove the PRV and flush it with water from there maybe?
I was thinking could i feed water into the top or bottom sight glass valve? I was thinking i should be able to thread a hose on there with an adapter.....
A sump pump fits inside of a Shop-Vac realy well, If werewas to replace a water heater in a basement without a drain how ethical would it be for me to bring the new water that was say filled up with 60 to 80 lb of compressed airrun an air hose between the new and the old and hookah hose up to drain valve on the old and running outside or into some plumbing somewhere
This is the most detailed steam boiler maintenance I have seen and I have seen alot.Thank you for an excellent detailed video. Especially the site glass and pig tail. Thanks for the description on site glass washer and fitting. Also, my boiler has a blow down that I open weekly this boiler in vid did not. Do all steam boilers not require a blow down?
Steel and iron pipe that are wet and dry often. So all that brownish muddy water is rust/ iron ore. It’s why steam boilers need to be drained down weekly to clear that out of boiler
Is my psi supposed to be stuck at 10 percent even when boiler is off ? And one of my radiator valves is steaming bad at the shut on and off and smells I’m living in that room with no ventilation is it dangerous for my health ? Please please help
Sup Hacker? I don't think any more trouble shooting is worth it. My boiler is 35 years old and I decided that I am going to replace it. Thanks for the help!
@@thehvachacker I just looked at the paperwork from the previous owner and the technician they brought in for the annual checkup added 8-way to the boiler, he added 1 cup to the system. I live in Chicago, I imagine the pH of the water should be somewhat high here due to the nearby lake, and the chloride levels are really low according to several websites (like 4 ppm), but not 100% sure as I've never measure it myself and I don't know what else might cause corrosion. I checked the pH of the city water with a pH meter at my job and the pH is 7.48. Seems to be ok to use, maybe the tech put it in as a precaution? The boiler kept shutting down every couple of days due to low water. I figured a return line was clogged as I could not find any leaks. We have two steam boilers, with no relief valves on the returns, each with a return pipe on both the left and right side. The other one doesn't lose water at all, but a return pipe for that one is completely rusted out. The other thing that has me concerned is the boiler was at room temperature when I added more water and fired it up. I see some websites saying you have to start it up slow or the boiler can be damaged? Yet the manual says nothing about starting it slow. I have a weil mclean eg-40 steam boiler if that helps?
How old is the pipe that rotted and leaks? Adding water to a cool boiler is ok. If boiler is hot you want to let it cool off somewhat and that’s when you slowly add. This way your not schooling the cast iron. A boiler will fire up and heat the water. An additive never hurts usually not added to most boilers. Sometimes water supply has a low ph. Then water should only be drained till clear and additive added every few flushes. In no where I live lots of old houses with 100 year old pipes. Those pipes do get brittle and leak yet not often. Rare for a newer steam line to rot. The return pipe water is usually neutral since condensation has a neutral ph.
I install when a block leaks. These things last forever as long as properly maintained. Can’t do hvac in nj without working on boilers. Especially steam boilers. Lots of houses use to be coal fired/ oil/ now gas
I feel it’s the best way to get all the crap off the bottom of the boiler. Yet a sealed hero ice system it is very bad.boiler can get lots of sediment.
I guess this isn’t a DIY type of job? I have an old boiler that I’m sure has never been drained and it doesn’t work. Places I’ve found either don’t have openings, didn’t answer the phone, or don’t work on boilers *face palm*
You can actually do it. Just requires patience as it takes time. Start with simple things like cleaning out the boiler and the pigtail and as you gain confidence, you can do more complicated items. Happy new year to you and your family.
The boiler in this vid is very basic. Not sure what you work on yet many commercial steam systems can be a lot more complex. Just toss a power flame burner on and lots more added maintenance.
great vid. Thanks. We bought and old house in April and got a brand new steam boiler in july and are starting to use it now. There is terrible violent banging in the pipes. I cant tell if the boiler needs skimming or some kind of pressure adjustment or if its the line and radiators? I dont recall them banging like this when we bought it. Ive leveled all radiators and valves are all opened. Im in the process of replacing all air vents, or cleaning and checking them. From what i've read water is in the line or radiators. Is there an easy way to figure out the problem or narrow down the issue?
Have you checked your boiler pressuretrol? If that's set too high, it can cause water hammer (the banging you hear in the pipes). Do you have a 1 pipe or 2 pipe system, do you know?
@@sdrape4964 1 pipe. our guy came and installed a new burner that didnt get as hot (burned less fuel), so now the heat doesnt generate and arrive so fast. Its more gentle and havent had a single hammer since. Fingers crossed it stays that way. I think the problem was a very old pipe and network and a very NEW and super efficient boiler. Too intense for the old house.
My last boiler last 11 years, part reason was I drained it weekly and add fresh water... I don't recommend it, if you do it once per month, if your water is real dirty, then that would be fine, but don't do it once a week.
You might of had a lemon. It is extremely rare for a steam boiler to only last 11 years. If I had a steam boiler fail after 11 years and I performed maintenance on it yearly, I would get the heat exchanger warranted. Only charge for labor. Most my steam boilers I service last 25-50 years. Most of them are drained weekly. If your water has low ph than yes only drain till water goes clear. Look at all the float type low water cut off boilers. They required from manufacturers to be drained down weekly to test the lwco. Also to keep the cut off clean. Those boiler cast iron blocks are built the same as today’s boilers. Last forever. Other factors can lead to boilers corroding. Inadequate air for combustion, a wet location boiler is located. Draining down a boiler and leaving empty all summer.
@@thehvachacker it's above the water line, which means it's probably not from water.... so you are probably right that it's a lemon...here's my post forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/167397/is-my-steam-boiler-done#latest
@@thehvachacker I've seen steam boilers fail in one season. Oxygen will kill them! If blow down is frequently done you need oxygen scavenging treatment. Boiler operator 30+ years ! AS I WILL ALWAYS SAY PEOPLE WITH STEAM BOILERS NEED TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES TO WHAT THERE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS AND ACT ACCORDINGLY! JS Stay safe. Wear your safety glasses.
And two things while off switch the bottom ball valve and 90 so the 90 is the turn down and in the event you need to poke just take the 90 off. 2- put a nipple in where the pig tail is make a manifold with cross Tee's then you could put a gauge and pressure tapping in. Also after you cleaned/flushed the boiler fire it up get 3psi on it that way you don't need flat pans? 1psi = 2.3 ft of vertical height ! JS Decent job experience will build. Stay safe. 30+ in Wear your safety glasses!😜🍺🍺🍺🥃
You don’t want the boiler too hot. Takes awhile to cool down. Yet I turn on the boiler for my maintenance. I need to make sure my low water cut out works when draining, and test any auto feeds. Then I shut the boiler until I am done cleaning.
I know it. It’s purpose is so gasket doesn’t rip when tightening nut. These are live service work vids. If I say a wrong word I leave it in the vid. I’m far from perfect just enjoy fixing stuff
The pressuretrol controls the burners cut in and cut out to maintain certain pressure. Why I cleaned that pigtail if that pigtail gets plugged the boiler runs wild
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
This is an amazing video. I feel like I can do basic boiler maintenance myself now.
Nice job> you don't see to many steam boilers these days. I used to do many and it is really important to re-build the traps about every 5 years or so. Saves lots of money from the steam not bypassing the trap. I did about 90 taps in a science building years back and saved them about 1/3 of their fuel operating cost by doing it. To bad someone did not put a pig tail loop on the steam gage. Thanks for the video.
If i have a single pipe steam system, i have no traps to replace right?
Good video guy,
when I went to school for hvac I graduated with honors for chillers and boiles but I end up doing mostly furnaces and roof top unit and some refrigeration, but also we don’t have that many boilers in this area
Get an aspirator bulb and use it to blow up through the orifice..
brush the tops of the burners..!!
put a little pipe dope on the pilot tubing at the brass ferrules on both ends..very little but it helps..
Peek underneath to look at the flame..make sure it’s not yellow..
Always check the draft. That’s most important.
Excellent , thorough job...but I recommend doing the above.
Really informative video thank you! I will make sure the next time I have my boiler serviced that they cover all the bases. BTW stay clear of those cast iron pipes, they were covered in asbestos.
Nice Video!! Put a little Silicone Grease on the sight glass rubbers and on the threads of the nuts. This will keep the rubbers from baking onto the glass & the nuts won't get corroded onto the valve bodies. If your drains are plugged you can give them a quick blast with your Galo Gun, or Swish Gun, which ever the call them in your area. That'll clear them out lickity split. Best of luck.........................
You cant use sand paper on a flame sensor. Thats not just an igniter, its a flame rectifier. It has a protective coating that you are sanding or scotch brighting off.
Sandpaper is the only thing that really cleans the forked hood on the pilot assembly. It’s not coated like a flame sensor. Yes flame sensors you have to use scotch brite or steel wool which won’t remove the coating. Unless it’s a munchkin, lockinvar or other high end boiler that the flame sensor turns orange. Sandpaper is the only thing strong enough to remove that orange stuff. I been using sandpaper on these pilot assemblies since I started. I don’t have flame rectification problems on any of the boilers as long as I service them once a year. Same with flame sensors. I clean every maintenance. I keep a cut piece of the green scotch pad in a pocket of my pants. It gets softer as it goes through the was with those pants. A dollar bill can also clean a flame sensor.
Could someone please tell me what this coating is?
JS
Stay safe.
1week in.
Wear your safety glasses.
That....was excellent sir. Very well done.
With all the time I have been dealing with boilers I think your lot have it easy.
I deal with up to 250psi boilers that can be as heavy as a few 100 ton, I deal with small all the way up to Tran boilers as a hobby, and cleaning them out is a week long job if they are on bad water, but hey a boiler is a boiler.
Try to service my boiler. Great vids.
Awesome! Been waiting for this video, guess i know what i am doing today!
A steam boiler should be blown down once a week at the low water cut off. On that boiler it would be the red valve below the sight glass, that prevents build up or ( mud ) as some people call it. Open it up, blown down until your low water cut off trips close and move on with your day. Also which most boiler installer's don't do, but professionals do. Their should be a king valve on the primary and a shut off valve before the hart fort loop/equalizer, close both while boiler is running. Build up 10 psi of pressure open up your bottom drain some call it the ( mud drain ). And blow down the boiler. That boiler did not have one on the primary. And like I said most people don't install them. Good job the the pm however.
Thank you so much for such an informative video. God bless you. Subscribed.
What is the thing in the background that sounds like a jet engine ramping up and down?
Water treatment is a very important part of maintenance , don't skip it !!
Yes treatment is important, depending on water ph.
Thanks for making these videos. My steam boiler is sporadically not turning on when tsat kicks on. I replace tsat same issue. I noticed damper is open but no burners are on. Its a standing pilot. If I turn of tsat then back on it will then fire up again. Pseg was here two weeks ago. He cleaned out water and also down fired the burners a bit. Not sure if that is the issue. Any ideas?
Take a look at your pigtail. Many times mud gets in there in the system stops working, particularly if the pigtail is steel rather than brass. I have a 21 year old Burnham steam boiler and I have changed and cleaned out the pigtail annually. The HVAC hacker does great work maintaining boilers to provide best service and extend life. Best wishes to you and the family in the new year
I have an identical Peerless boiler. I was disappointed that you didn't cover the LWCO unit. Isn't the probe supposed to be removed and cleaned? Also, there are a few key moments in the video where we can't see what it is your doing, like with the pressure control switch (removing, installing) and the pilot orifice. I realize from shooting a few of my own videos that this is tough when you're doing it all by yourself. Suggestion would be to break this up into 4 or 5 shorter segments, so it would be easier to edit any points needing changes. All-in-all, a great video, especially loved the tip about NOT firing up the burner without that flash plate in place!!! Can only picture someone with all the hair singed off their face!
Perfect boiler room and Boiler to make a video of, but this is not the reality our job sometimes there’s no space most of the time there’s water bug eggs ,water bugs, dead rat smell, dead rats etc all those parts of rusty the jacket on the boiler has holes And labels are either faded or gone
How much you charge to service a boiler
$250 takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours for a maintenance
Thank you master when you going to start the school
Life saver
What should I do if the water being used in the house does not stay hot? I have a tankless steam hot water boiler which makes steam heat and hot water. I'm owner of two-family house and tenants complain; therefore, I've tried selecting hot on the mixing valve and keep the water level very close to the top of the water tube. The boiler was serviced in Oct. 2020.
""never want to loosen, always tighten"" plumbing lesson 101 :)
only semi-exception, it's fresh pipe dope and joint, even then 50/50 chance of instant or short term leak
Is this an annual process to fully flush a steam system? Or is it because of the size and/or having wet returns? I grew up with an old oil-converted pancake one pipe system and only recall checking LWC, gage glass, pressure-trol and burner. Then, blow it down several gallons and I recall adding Squick ?? occasionally.
I too think it is overkill of full flush. Once the boiler is skimmed, water there should be fairly good after a boil cycle. All you need is right before the heating season, drain the debref that sink down to the boiler bottom, by let out about 2 gallon brown water. Then add back 2 gallon fresh water, and turn on the boiler and enjoy the heating season. Less new water add, less oxygen to harm your stream system, less debrief to drain next year.
Thanks so much! I learned a lot from you!
off late our boiler is reaching 5 psi (which it did not earlier), then the boiler cuts off. However, the pressure does not drop for hours, not letting the boiler come back on. What could be causing this?
halo kawanku ini steam boiler water tube apa fire tube dan kapasitas berapa kg / h? dan tekanan berapa barg, teri akasih telah berbagi pengalaman perawatn steam boiler
Hacker I really enjoyed this video. Where's the new video? Of you fixing up your new garage / shop. Peace, brother
The boiler steam PSI is too high. It should be 1/2 PSI. The return pipe is 24" ( Pounds per Square Inch 1 ft H2O = 0.4335 psi.) At 3 PSI the return water can't get in. The steam will rush up the header at the speed of sound, no PSI needed.
They never operate that low. The lowest cut in on a steam boiler is .5 psi with lowest differential setting at 1. Which most residential steam boilers operate between .5 - 2 or 3psi. I believe this gauge was off by about 2 psi in this video. With boiler off it was around 2. Therefore the cut out at 5 was 3 psi. If the boiler is vented correctly the water returns and no hammering happens from trapped water
The HVAC Hacker if they aren’t oversized they run that low. The ideal would be just a few ounces of pressure or less
surprised it's still feeding... I caught the error there, you had the manual feed valve open there, which you shut at 5:50.
not complaining about it, things happen when distracted :)
I heard draining and refill the water is bad for your boiler.
Why’s that?
@@dh4971 fresh water, is bad for cast iron.
A steam system needs to be drained and flushed weekly. This should only be done when system is needed for heat. Only way to flush all the mud and gunk out. If not sediment will build up inside boiler and return pipes. A hot water system only would get drained for a repair.
@@thehvachacker I actually called the boiler manufacturer, and they told me draining it weekly will kill your boiler life by half. My last boiler was drained weekly and it lasted 11 years.
The HVAC Hacker nope. Blow out until it runs clear occasionally but don’t drain it. And raise the ph back up afterward.
Excellent video
You are so smart ( The Great Hacker ) that I feel stupid just watching . Your brain is on fire with knowledge.
Great! Inject politics into a steam boiler video! Non college educated white male, huh?
@@raindogs451 I am a convicted felon voting for Biden/Harris, so there you go !
@@Ted_E_Bear Don't forget, a blithering idiot, sister dating, Q'Anon member, testicles hanging from my pick up, snuff chewing, tatoo'd, dock working, cult member, Hillary loving, non mask wearing, gullible convicted felon voting for Biden!
The only feed i have into my boiler is directly into the Hartford loop, how should i flush the boiler with water in this case? If i try to feed water to flush it, all i will be doing is cleaning the Hartford loop over and over. I had thought about seeing if i could remove the PRV and flush it with water from there maybe?
I was thinking could i feed water into the top or bottom sight glass valve? I was thinking i should be able to thread a hose on there with an adapter.....
A sump pump fits inside of a Shop-Vac realy well, If werewas to replace a water heater in a basement without a drain how ethical would it be for me to bring the new water that was say filled up with 60 to 80 lb of compressed airrun an air hose between the new and the old and hookah hose up to drain valve on the old and running outside or into some plumbing somewhere
This is the most detailed steam boiler maintenance I have seen and I have seen alot.Thank you for an excellent detailed video. Especially the site glass and pig tail. Thanks for the description on site glass washer and fitting. Also, my boiler has a blow down that I open weekly this boiler in vid did not. Do all steam boilers not require a blow down?
Does boiler need to be running to drain?
What are you using for the cleaning rod?
I dont know anything about steam boilers, but I have to ask. Why does it get that dirty?
Steel and iron pipe that are wet and dry often. So all that brownish muddy water is rust/ iron ore. It’s why steam boilers need to be drained down weekly to clear that out of boiler
Boiler comes on even when the thermostat is on off. What should I do
RUN Its process
Is my psi supposed to be stuck at 10 percent even when boiler is off ? And one of my radiator valves is steaming bad at the shut on and off and smells I’m living in that room with no ventilation is it dangerous for my health ? Please please help
Sup Hacker? I don't think any more trouble shooting is worth it. My boiler is 35 years old and I decided that I am going to replace it. Thanks for the help!
Do I need to turn off gas/shut off boiler when doing this?
I think it might depend on which part of that video you're doing but I could be wrong.
Yes shut off
Thank you for your videos
I have that same veto bag... best freaking tool bags made. Pricey tho
Great video! Are you based in NJ? Do you service central NJ?
Hello do you service Union County?. I am in hillside New Jersey.
Yes I do service union county. 201-747-6886 leave a message. My name is Bill
Can you recommend someone for norristown PA?
Is it ok to shut the gas and pilot off during the summer?
No, if the pilot ever goes off you need to get a new furnace. And then sell the house.
I just flushed my steam boiler until it was completely clear and then I read that you have to add a corrosion inhibitor to the water. How fucked am I?
You will be ok. It’s done all the time and nothing happens. Is your water ph low? Then it’s a problem
@@thehvachacker I just looked at the paperwork from the previous owner and the technician they brought in for the annual checkup added 8-way to the boiler, he added 1 cup to the system. I live in Chicago, I imagine the pH of the water should be somewhat high here due to the nearby lake, and the chloride levels are really low according to several websites (like 4 ppm), but not 100% sure as I've never measure it myself and I don't know what else might cause corrosion. I checked the pH of the city water with a pH meter at my job and the pH is 7.48. Seems to be ok to use, maybe the tech put it in as a precaution?
The boiler kept shutting down every couple of days due to low water. I figured a return line was clogged as I could not find any leaks. We have two steam boilers, with no relief valves on the returns, each with a return pipe on both the left and right side. The other one doesn't lose water at all, but a return pipe for that one is completely rusted out.
The other thing that has me concerned is the boiler was at room temperature when I added more water and fired it up. I see some websites saying you have to start it up slow or the boiler can be damaged? Yet the manual says nothing about starting it slow.
I have a weil mclean eg-40 steam boiler if that helps?
How old is the pipe that rotted and leaks? Adding water to a cool boiler is ok. If boiler is hot you want to let it cool off somewhat and that’s when you slowly add. This way your not schooling the cast iron. A boiler will fire up and heat the water. An additive never hurts usually not added to most boilers. Sometimes water supply has a low ph. Then water should only be drained till clear and additive added every few flushes. In no where I live lots of old houses with 100 year old pipes. Those pipes do get brittle and leak yet not often. Rare for a newer steam line to rot. The return pipe water is usually neutral since condensation has a neutral ph.
Great video
Did you install boiler ?
I install when a block leaks. These things last forever as long as properly maintained. Can’t do hvac in nj without working on boilers. Especially steam boilers. Lots of houses use to be coal fired/ oil/ now gas
I've seen some debate about draining vs not draing the boiler because new water can be harmful?
I feel it’s the best way to get all the crap off the bottom of the boiler. Yet a sealed hero ice system it is very bad.boiler can get lots of sediment.
I guess this isn’t a DIY type of job? I have an old boiler that I’m sure has never been drained and it doesn’t work. Places I’ve found either don’t have openings, didn’t answer the phone, or don’t work on boilers *face palm*
You can actually do it. Just requires patience as it takes time. Start with simple things like cleaning out the boiler and the pigtail and as you gain confidence, you can do more complicated items. Happy new year to you and your family.
Thx for video I can tell you like doing the right thing
I wish the boiler I run was that easy.
The boiler in this vid is very basic. Not sure what you work on yet many commercial steam systems can be a lot more complex. Just toss a power flame burner on and lots more added maintenance.
What does this annual service typically cost?
My guy charges $200.
great vid. Thanks.
We bought and old house in April and got a brand new steam boiler in july and are starting to use it now. There is terrible violent banging in the pipes. I cant tell if the boiler needs skimming or some kind of pressure adjustment or if its the line and radiators? I dont recall them banging like this when we bought it. Ive leveled all radiators and valves are all opened. Im in the process of replacing all air vents, or cleaning and checking them.
From what i've read water is in the line or radiators. Is there an easy way to figure out the problem or narrow down the issue?
Have you checked your boiler pressuretrol? If that's set too high, it can cause water hammer (the banging you hear in the pipes).
Do you have a 1 pipe or 2 pipe system, do you know?
@@sdrape4964 1 pipe. our guy came and installed a new burner that didnt get as hot (burned less fuel), so now the heat doesnt generate and arrive so fast. Its more gentle and havent had a single hammer since. Fingers crossed it stays that way. I think the problem was a very old pipe and network and a very NEW and super efficient boiler. Too intense for the old house.
My last boiler last 11 years, part reason was I drained it weekly and add fresh water... I don't recommend it, if you do it once per month, if your water is real dirty, then that would be fine, but don't do it once a week.
You might of had a lemon. It is extremely rare for a steam boiler to only last 11 years. If I had a steam boiler fail after 11 years and I performed maintenance on it yearly, I would get the heat exchanger warranted. Only charge for labor. Most my steam boilers I service last 25-50 years. Most of them are drained weekly. If your water has low ph than yes only drain till water goes clear. Look at all the float type low water cut off boilers. They required from manufacturers to be drained down weekly to test the lwco. Also to keep the cut off clean. Those boiler cast iron blocks are built the same as today’s boilers. Last forever. Other factors can lead to boilers corroding. Inadequate air for combustion, a wet location boiler is located. Draining down a boiler and leaving empty all summer.
@@thehvachacker it's above the water line, which means it's probably not from water.... so you are probably right that it's a lemon...here's my post forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/167397/is-my-steam-boiler-done#latest
@@thehvachacker where are you located?
@@thehvachacker I've seen steam boilers fail in one season.
Oxygen will kill them!
If blow down is frequently done you need oxygen scavenging treatment.
Boiler operator 30+ years !
AS I WILL ALWAYS SAY PEOPLE WITH STEAM BOILERS NEED TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES TO WHAT THERE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS AND ACT ACCORDINGLY!
JS
Stay safe.
Wear your safety glasses.
Thanks you for this video.
This is what I wanted to learn.
THE LOST ART OF STEAM HEATING by Dan Hulahan buy the book and read
@@320ceman i just did
And two things while off switch the bottom ball valve and 90 so the 90 is the turn down and in the event you need to poke just take the 90 off.
2- put a nipple in where the pig tail is make a manifold with cross Tee's then you could put a gauge and pressure tapping in.
Also after you cleaned/flushed the boiler fire it up get 3psi on it that way you don't need flat pans?
1psi = 2.3 ft of vertical height !
JS
Decent job experience will build.
Stay safe.
30+ in
Wear your safety glasses!😜🍺🍺🍺🥃
Your getting hydronics confused with steam ,the lower you can maintain pressure with steam reaching the furthest radiator , hopefully 1 1/2 2 psi
@@320ceman ?
@@320ceman that was just so he didn't have to lay a flat pan on the floor.
Agreed steam moves faster at low pressure.
Great video 👍🏼👍🏼. You do the maintenance while the boiler is off or on?
You don’t want the boiler too hot. Takes awhile to cool down. Yet I turn on the boiler for my maintenance. I need to make sure my low water cut out works when draining, and test any auto feeds. Then I shut the boiler until I am done cleaning.
Where are you located?? My steam boiler needs you!!!
I am in Bergen County NJ. Where are you located
Shit I’m in mass how much for this
@@thehvachacker can u check my top comment please very important
Michigan. Hahaa. A little too much mileage.
@@thehvachacker do you service Middlesex County and how much would it cost?
My boiler is also stuck at 10 percent
Question. Is this a one pipe steam system?
Yes it is
ur the man ....
It's a friction ring😜🍺🥃🥃
I know it. It’s purpose is so gasket doesn’t rip when tightening nut. These are live service work vids. If I say a wrong word I leave it in the vid. I’m far from perfect just enjoy fixing stuff
We've all taken a shit just like this 2:47
Hot and steamy. Hopefully at home so can jump into shower
Tenk you I learn somtink
Thank you.
reducer bushing and smaller diameter pipe/valve than the boiler port BOOOOOoooooo-hiss, spit, fume, froth, etc.
where is temperature control?
It’s controlled by pressure not temperature. Pressuretrol.
The pressuretrol controls the burners cut in and cut out to maintain certain pressure. Why I cleaned that pigtail if that pigtail gets plugged the boiler runs wild
I allways make sure we don't shock it an crack it lol great bill edbonjovi leak master plumbing hope all is well hows your new house coming email me
what a "steamy video" :))))))
Hi, any contact # we can call you? We r located in long island NY.
I hate steam!!!!!!!!!
Great video