I have been in the heating business for 30 years ,never seen a truck stocked like that . Amazing ! Love miss Molly as the Attack guard dog , watching over the stock :)
I have seen trucks that have that many parts on it my truck use to be like that because the time to go to the part house is better spent on calls not chasing parts
I love your videos brother, im a practicing apprentice for past year and a half, and have started a business with my partner who is experienced here in upstate NY, when im not on the road doing hvac, i watch you to learn more, your videos r just like being on a service call with you. Your videos have helped me get through so many issues, i cant thank u enough.
That's honesty right there, even tho it's an old boiler you still try to help her and push something she can't afford, and WOW that water heater still going after 70 years that's awesome.
Caller: *All light and jovial about a commercial job* Steve: Yeah, I got too much going on Caller: *too stupid to realize Steve just said he can't do it* Yeah they need some back flow devices due to a violation Steve: Yeah good luck. *HANGS UP* HAHAHAHA Steve, you rule!
@@pb7379-j2k no........he is honest and does a good job, that should be for elders and younger. my point is he makes insulting comments about elders,.......odd duff, has no money, if those ''people watch ''youtube'' thats 'hurtful and completely unnecessary, not humorous............... just insulting. ''compassion is being aware of ''peoples feelings.
One of my apartments has one that was there when I bought the building 24 years ago, I think I had to change the control one time, but the tanks last forever. Another building I had for 23 years had 2 of them, they were there when i bought it and were still running perfectly when I sold it. (Worcester, MA) Made by the Allcraft Manufacturing Company. I'd love to find some for sale.
Not easy being cheesy!!! Trying to fix the problem with limited funds... But we have to help the elderly especially...Love you Steve...I workred countless times helping people that could not afford repairs... It helps me sleep at night...I'm not rich but surviving ...at the end of the day I helped a needy person so I can sleep at night
Guess what - that's why we got rid of the old boiler ! Couldn't get a replacement valve ! Yeah, it was probably a mistake ! The new replacement's been replaced again already !
@@HobbyOrganist A bit more complicated than that ! I made a temporary 'repair' using a Honeywell zone valve as a gas valve which worked fine for a couple of months. The burner jets were thin plate which had cracks in them - so a 'gas man' would have condemned the boiler. Spares not available. I guess I could have sourced some gas valve or other for £150 - £200 OR get a free boiler installed through a government grant - as that was the cheaper option, that's what we went for - that was probably a mistake too !
I was waiting for Steve to turn it on and off until he heard the explosion. Good job on saving her money and troubleshooting. Those PPMs were borderline close to failing
In case this helps anyone, my furnace had the same issue the lady was having where randomly there was a small or bigger explosion. Issue: gas was not reaching the pilot in time and filling the back of furnace with gas. Once the gas reached the pilot in the front it would explode. This was because the holes closest to the pilot were clogged with dust (in my case). Solution: Took out the gas inlets and cleaned each hole one by one specially those closest to pilot, then to be sure increased the flame on the pilot and issue never happened again.
not sure why people are hating here, yea he skipped on giving the dam thing good cleaning but the issue he was called on-site for was resolved my only concern is the level of flashed on soot around the access door makes me think the gaskets may be leaking, which might explain _Some_ of the hard starting and back flash on shutdown valve was definitely fked tho
Steven, I know NOTHING about half the stuff you fix but I enjoy watching and learning from you. How can I convince you to move to our Buffalo NY area??? What I’m most amazed at are toilet repairs and how these people have you come into their filthy bathrooms without a regard for YOU! Why do you wear gloves?!?!?! Because you’re a smart man!! Glad you were able to fix that very old but good boiler. Will probably outlast you and me both. Look forward to your next video. Keep up the good work, Steven.
You are a good man Steve, straight up and honest. This video reminded me of my grandmother. I really enjoy watching your videos, learned so much. Thanks man!
Good work Steve. Nice to see HVAC guys helping out a older customer and offering to replace the gas valve which most likely was failing . Keep up the great work man.
I've only run into a couple of those solid copper tanks. My mothers friends still has one in her house she says it's over 50 years old. I cut one open I replaced a few years ago and I believe I got about 35lbs of copper scrap. Big heavy duty cast iron burner in those too.
I have actually had this exact scenario happen many many years ago on old furnaces with the exact same gas valve. Usually, when it is getting the voltage to the valve you can wrap the side of it with a hammer or pair of plyers and it will open for ya. This is definitely a bad valve and should never be left with either replacing or red-tagging the whole unit. I like your style bro. You remind me of a few of my mentors who taught me the trade thirty plus years ago. Thanks for the video and info. God bless
Hard to read he admired the quality of the burners but wanted to change out the system. She'd be better off spending $6k on a deep energy retrofit. The furnace will run much less. I just got rid of my last Homart water heater (Sears) . I've changed two in the last two years, they had to be 50-60 years old. I tried to cut it open with my cutoff saw and gave up. The HO smith I just changed out to a Bradford White, had a six year warranty and it lasted 12 years. I'd have have done everything I could have to save that boiler. That woman is on a fixed income. Same for that old kenmore/fridgidaire/whirlpool washing machine. The recently stopped making them. The kalashnikov of washer/dryers. Easy to maintain, parts are affordable. I don't know why we are all so attracted to these new machines. I have four dryers, from new to very old, they all have the same gas valve burners, igniters, thermisters etc. The new has a cabinet that takes longer to take apart, and a logic board that does nothing but force you to buy a new machine before its time. Ugh!
Energy consumption is why everyone switchs, before I bought a new water heater, fridge freezer combo plus the washer an dryer the power bill was over 900$ easy and now we are barely over 400$ with everything running a month in the winter. In the summer we barely pay over 100$ for electricity compared to the "better than the new crap" at over 400$ a month when power should be cheap
I’ve got one of those old kenmores. Thing is a damn tank. Replaced a motor coupler recently. Like eight bucks. Hardest part was getting the damn thing tilted over in my tiny laundry room.
Great repair Steve that boiler and hot water heater will probably still be going strong when you retire. I have some boilers and a furnace that was coal fired and somewhere along the way a Beckett oil burner was put on and they are still going strong today!!!!!
Hello... i had the same issue 1991 in a 1960 unit... i sprayed wd40 all over i could inside the valve and it worked like new again... just like us humans our joints get to move slow ,hahahaha.. but i decided yr 2000 to retire my 1960 unit outside AC and inside furnace unit for reasons to save mula in the long run... i love your vlogs, no messing around, no blaa blaa blaa nonsense, straight to the point. Not a waste of time watching. Regards.
You should clean the pilot. When the tip of the flame is yellow, it means something is slowing it down. Usually caused by debris in the pilot orifice. Blow it out or worse case, remove and get some piano wire in the orifice to clear it out. You’ll get better voltage output from the thermocouple as the flame will impinge on the probe better as well as sit over the burner correctly. It will solve a lot of delayed ignition issues.
It's my experience that these old boilers are much better than anything you can buy today provided it's not a heep of rust or leaking. Thanks for making these videos.
Tim Smith depends how one defines "better". Just replaced a 1950's cast iron floor standing gas boiler here in the UK. Open vented (not allowed for new installs for decades now) but working perfectly. We wanted to free up space for a cloakroom, and this thing had its own boiler room. Although it would have lasted another half century, it was also consuming twice as much gas as its replacement does. The new one might last a decade, but will save me close to £20,000 in that time, paying for itself ten times over.
Steven I wish I could reach into my phone and give you a high five the way you repaired the furnace and made sure that it was safe . Instead of making her beg,Barrow or steel from her relatives for a new one.
That's why Steven Rocks! because plumbers make the nation safe... Especially when they are honest and caring like Steven !!! God bless you Steven Lavimoniere!!
S if that's how you do business S, not sure why you don't show your name? But I have been watching Steven for years, and also been around several 30 year plumbers and HVAC guys for at least 15 years! Just not sure where you're going.. I'm not putting you down at all! Just trying to hear your point and trying to understand your point?
@@startover125 haha...ya know Go to the bathroom...plumbers give ya somewhere to go :) I'm in a different trade. Sorry I don't give out personal info since I talked to one umm lady we'll say that talked about knowing people who would jump on a plane and Off someone and nobody would ever find em. But I had been checked out so I was ok. There's too many nutjobs out there. So I started dimming the lights so to speak.
Sometimes you have to see how the flames are coming off the burners. I have cleaned some burners out of an old ajax unit that had uneven flames off the burners .You wouldn't be able to tell out that little door that swings to see the flame. Cool video
You did the right thing. There is nothing I hate more than somone just looking at one of my units, saying it's old, and that's why it's broken; by sight alone for Gods sake. Then the tech refuses to check anything on it. Too much liability they say. Hey, if you ain't got the talent to fix it safe and then check for leaks and CO to make sure it's safe then get a new job man. If it was just a salesman I needed then I would have skipped the service call and gone down to the store myself to blow my $5k and at least get some free coffee thrown in. For all you HVAC guys out there rolling your eyelids let me tell you something. When you do what I describe above It does nothing but blow our trust in you, the company, etc. Yes it's old. Yes, if the manifold is cracked it's probably not worth fixing. But at least check it if we ask you too. It takes five min to get a gas valve off Amazon with free next day delivery, & free returns. Then 9 out of 10 times if you are carefull changing it you won't crack the manifold or feed tube. The soapy water leak check is as old as the invention of gas lines and even my grandmother can do that. When you are done you call your local gas company. Mine does a free leak check, checks combustible gasses, and even lights the pilot light; all 100% free. How do you guys expect to survive with things getting that easy for amatures to do? The reason me and anyone able bodied person who knows how to spin a wrench calls any service person is for help FROM SOMONE WE TRUST. That family has been calling Steven for service for how many years? Her husband dies but she feels safe trusting Steven because her late husband did. Her son-in-law probably don't know shit about gas valves but he can smell bs when he hears it, and he don't hear it in Steven's voice and explanation. When its time for a new boiler she is going to call Steven guaranteed. Good service men in any trade are a dieing breed.
Poor old girl. She can't help getting old. Steve was fair and understanding in dealing with this situation. Thank god for him. There are tons and tons of miserable people out there that would have shut her down and billed her thousands and thousands for a new electronic less reliable unit.
@@ggme4682 Years ago my wife dropped one of the dog blankets near the water heater. I got up to do laundry next morning and it had burned about 6 inch's of the blanket. It burned it'self out thank god. Scary stuff!
Idk if it's just that I couldn't see the wires on the gas valve, but when you were testing to see if it had correct voltage to the gas valve it was reading 25v. The only reason it wasnt firing is because the wires were disconnected to the gas valve because you were testing it.
@@KylesCarsYT yep sounds like TD but then it looks like a cabover/forward control design, any mechanical injected diesel is gonna sound like that when it's just under your elbow, even more so if it's direct injection.
Few hun for a robertshaw 700. O?k? But you do very competent and through work. You are right, they don’t make em like they used to. The HW tank is ALmost as old as me! Don’t need no stinking anode rod. The plumbing is even newer. Love the new fangle manometer, combustion tester and printer. Got to love the digital age.
You think that's old, you should see some of the anthracite coal stoker's we use here. They almost never get junked. Especially the EFM boilers. Even when they get rusted out, we get to welding and fabricating and completely refurbished them. Coal-fired boilers really hold their value especially in this area.
I always install a flame roll-out switch in service call like this, and if no flue spill switch will install too. If I have to eat the extra cost [30$] will make it up somewhere else.
I used to take care of an apartment complex with boilers like this. They almost never had problems. The biggest problem they did have was split or cracked manifolds. Holy smokes. A 70-year-old water heater lol
Good job, very thorough and honest guy. Wouldn't make a living where I live. All small shops around here are thieves! They now offer FINANCING ofrepairs/unit swaps. Take care of the old folks.
but watch when he says the valve isn't opening up and he is showing her it has power but not opening up. he has the wires unhooked from the gas valve and hooked to his meter. the valve won't open up without the wires hooked to it. He took her for a ride. LMFAO
Not sure if u watched the video or have worked on gas fired equipment but what would u have done? He already knew the problem and was jus tryin to show her and didn’t realize. She had no money for new equipment. He made the correct repair the ignition and cut out was much cleaner and made sure it was safe to operate so it wouldn’t kill her old ass.
There should be no yellow in the pilot flame. You can see in the video how lazy the pilot flame is and how it barely impinges on the thermocouple. Brushing off the top of the burner does not clean it. The burner should be physically removed to remove rust particles. Rust accumulates on the inside of the burner slowing down the venturi effect. Notice how the CO reading didn't change even after opening the air shutter? Also check each individual hole in the top of the burner, they get clogged with rust. Flush out the burner with hot water at the customers sink to remove any dust accumulation too. Blow the burners holes out to remove the water, reassemble and you're good to go. Hope this helps...
It is COPPER! geez, talk about big money!!! My original "glass lined" State water heater lasted 35 years before I had to replace it due to a small leak by the drain valve. I cut the tank open to look, there was no rust except where the leak was, but the big issue was the former owner never drained the tank and the drain valve was plugged when I bought the house, there was a chunk about 16" high of lime buildup on the bottom of the tank, so while the copper king tank could last 70 years- it could be half full of lime too.
Victorian Sculptures Copper cylinders are very common in the UK, and as you say last decades. Our systems are slightly different, we don't heat the cylinder directly, they are heated by a coil from the boiler which also serves the central heating. This means there is little to go wrong with a cylinder. However, as you point out over time they can fill with limescale, it's not uncommon in an old house to find them half full of crust.
@@spencerwilton5831 Oh that's different then, in the US we typically heat the tank itself either with electric elements in the tank, or a gas burner under it. It's lime build up and corrosion of the steel tanks that kill them here.
ill tell you right now. you are a breath of fresh air. no bullshit saying whats up. no beating around the bush this should fix it but you should really get this replaced. if you were closer to me id have you look at all my heating cooling stuff. im mechanically inclined but dont have licenses needed to this some of this stuff. just tell me whats up and get shit done. i subscribed just because of that.
I had a very similar problem last year with a Fuel Oil Boiler Weil-Mclain P-566 HE, it kept backfiring, our original quote by a furnace company was $7400+ at the time for the high end Weil-Mclain combo unit. Ultimately we decided on a Weil-McLain PGa series 2 gas boiler. Amazing boiler very happy we decided to replace out old fuel oil one.
Spider, did you keep oil, or switch to gas? I am just curious because mine is probably towards the end of its life, but I have heard propane is super expensive.
So nice to see a real boiler mechanic...:)...I looked to see the upload date...I was expecting 1951...:) ...Man, that old boiler don't owe anybody nothing...She's been working for more than a half century....Most HVAC guys, I know, would just tell her she needs a new boiler and charge her 10 grand...They would NEVER put in a new gas valve. You know your stuff and you did an honest job...Subbed.. As a contractor, I wish I had more guys like you around here...All our HVAC guys here in philly are Prima Donnas...:) WOW, just caught that last part with the 70 year old HW tank..All copper...That really shocked me!
Stop trying to sell her a boiler. As long as it is not cracked and leaking water that boiler can be repaired. It will outlast anything on the market today, trust that!!!
The Chosen - the problem with what you are saying is called “throwing good money after bad”. The customer expects longevity after repairs, so when the next thing occurs they will say, you were just here and fixed it, now you want more”. You can’t say it will last w/o more repairs, and can’t say for how long it will last. Nothing lasts forever. Not the case with new warrantied unit.
@@Fireship1 yes new boilers are more efficient. Im a hvac tech for 21 years. The boiler she has with that CAST iron burner only has a thermocouple, gas valve, hi limit, transformer, relay, and circulator pump. Thats it!!! Newer hot water boilers have boiler control modules which go bad all the time. Spill switches, roll out switches, vent dampers, spark modules, aluminum burners which rust in no time. Flimsy boiler jackets. The ONLY advantage the new boiler has is efficiency.
@@Fireship1 also just changed a gas valve on a gravity warm air unit. Over 100 years old. Heats home just fine. Newer boilers are more effcient and safer but will never outlast old equipment
What’s da deal? Works I pay gas and electric bill. Now bill shows up maybe it works maybe it dont. Pay this guy or whaddya do?seems honest, just that noisy valve ehebheeeeehhh.. I don’t think American repair guy take my Money. He just want repair then leave.its on his truck my god my part is already on his truck WOW!! So he fix it I did not call for maintence Wow.its fine. Pay me for cartwheel in basement. It ain’t Seinfeld but nothing failing, all good, need some coffee, money, no leaking dependability! Good to go, I’m the boss good to go.. now she will yell while paying, too much, whattatya do, fix , on to next. I’m never gonna see Florida, cocoa beech, bora bora, whateveri will keep on till her son or step son takes over ohhhhhhh my life. No new boiler, no help, next time I will do tank how’s that? Tank, valve, new, new happy happy over and drop the mike.
I might be wrong, but it looks like you had the low voltage off the valve and your meter clips on wiring when you kept checking it over and over saying "the valve should open, its getting 24V"....
$350 for the valve plus labor v/s $5,000-$6,000 yeah lets "save money" spending $6,000 instead of $350 LOL!!!! there's little to go wrong in this unit except FOR the gas valve and thermocouple, it's not like it has a computer control/PCB and 47 sensors, multiple fans and other stuff in it like modern crap does.
Wouldn't a new unit pay for itself over a period of time, with lower gas consumption / higher efficiency? Especially for folks who tend to keep their houses warm to hot -- as old ladies tend to do. But I do understand the 'just ain't got the money' problem.
@@boggy7665 It would take like 20 years to even break even on 90% v/s 80%. Spending the money on more INSULATION, double glass insulated windows and calking is better spent. My attic has R100 worth on insulation in it, all of my gas appliances and the 35 year old Lennox furnace barely use $150 in gas in Jan and in Feb, about $10 of that is for the meter charge. In the summer one small window A/C cools the entire 1100 sq ft house
@@boggy7665 I doubt it's quite that low unless you are talking about someting fired by coal or oil dating to like 1920 or something and you won't find a heck of lot of those around any more, natural gas is relatively cheap and plentiful. In any case, the more effective way to save heating bills is put in as much insulation in the attic as possible, I have R100 in mine, replace old single pane windows with dual pane insulated ones and caulk/fill gaps. My kitchen where I have my computer desk has one regular double hung and 3 small double hung windows, they used to be old single panel deal that looked like they had been salvaged in the 50s when the old back porch was converted INTO the kitchen. Since the kitchen has a low slope roof I was unable to get an R100 value of insulation in the attic over it since there's no real "attic" over it. Every winter I would get ice on the INSIDE of the glass on the 2 windows next to my desk, and it always felt like a draft coming in, as a result I had a 1500 watt space heater on me all the time and another in the bedroom. I replaced the windows in the kitchen with dual pane insulated ones, they cost around $150-$175 each, as soon as winter came no more ice, no more feeling drafts due to convection off the cold glass, I got rid of the 1500 watt heater and my electric bill dropped $50 the following month. I did the same with the bedroom's 2 windows, and that space heater I always had on very low at night went away too, my electric bill dropped by another $20 or so right after. I replaced the rest of the windows in the house after that, doing the work myself. So it was absolutely clear and proven to me directly by my electric bill and comfort that the 5 kitchen windows being replaced paid for those windows in about 4-5 years. I COULD have bought a new furnace to get more HEAT at the same cost and maybe countered the ice and draft, but that would have been ineffective and stupid- the furnace works perfectly fine, no need to replace it, the WINDOWS were the whole problem.
amen, this guy knows his job, not afraid to ''youtube it. but, always wants to go high dollar all new. .... that old great furnace was fine just not getting the correct signal..
@@spymaine89 Agreed.. new isn't better. This "old shit" has lasted 70 years and if continued to be maintained there's no reason it shouldn't last another 70. Some of the new stuff would be lucky to last 7.
I was curious too...I couldn't find one online...I saw a couple copper water tanks but they were just the insides, no controls...400 bucks for one of them...It seems now the step up is Stainless tank...
The house I am in had a square electric water heater in it when we moved in. After 50 years of me using it, it finally went bad. A utility gas man told me it was the only square one he had ever seen . There is no telling how old it really was. Kinda wish I had taken a photo of it!
I had one too in CT, I couldn’t believe it still ran. It couldn’t be a table though, it was 6’ tall. Pulled it and put in a Rheem Marathon plastic unit in
You are the best . The old pipe work NO leaks you had to give it full strength to remove . OK no bullshit you done a good job 100 % love you no rip off
Just one question: instead of having her run upstairs twice to set the thermostat to call for heat, why not just pull one wire off the gas valve and leave the therm. calling for heat? You could cycle the valve on and off just by putting the wire on, then off.
![Electronic Circuitry Diagnosis And Fault Finding! [Repair]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LC7OjuYAOQE/mqdefault.jpg)
I have been in the heating business for 30 years ,never seen a truck stocked like that . Amazing ! Love miss Molly as the Attack guard dog , watching over the stock :)
I have seen trucks that have that many parts on it my truck use to be like that because the time to go to the part house is better spent on calls not chasing parts
I love your videos brother, im a practicing apprentice for past year and a half, and have started a business with my partner who is experienced here in upstate NY, when im not on the road doing hvac, i watch you to learn more, your videos r just like being on a service call with you. Your videos have helped me get through so many issues, i cant thank u enough.
what part of the state?
That's honesty right there, even tho it's an old boiler you still try to help her and push something she can't afford, and WOW that water heater still going after 70 years that's awesome.
Seriously? A gas valve? Gas valve was working properly. O% honestly.
27:48 The way Steven takes care of that caller over the phone is hilarious 😂
Lmao
Steve is NOT in mood to talk
LMAO
Caller: *All light and jovial about a commercial job*
Steve: Yeah, I got too much going on
Caller: *too stupid to realize Steve just said he can't do it* Yeah they need some back flow devices due to a violation
Steve: Yeah good luck. *HANGS UP*
HAHAHAHA Steve, you rule!
You are the man, compassion for the old lady's situation is lost in this business. Love your videos
? where was ''compassion ? i missed it.........honest , yes. he is often ruthless with the elderly , hope the poor things dont watch youtube
spymaine89 yep you missed it. He was honest and straight. Did you want him to donate a new boiler??
He's a little rough around the edges at times but continually helps people out if he can. That's what compassion for the less fortunate is all about
@@pb7379-j2k no........he is honest and does a good job, that should be for elders and younger. my point is he makes insulting comments about elders,.......odd duff, has no money, if those ''people watch ''youtube'' thats 'hurtful and completely unnecessary, not humorous............... just insulting. ''compassion is being aware of ''peoples feelings.
Yes he was honest with her, he gave her his decades of experience opinion
That 70 year old Copper King hot water tank is awesome!
One of my apartments has one that was there when I bought the building 24 years ago, I think I had to change the control one time, but the tanks last forever. Another building I had for 23 years had 2 of them, they were there when i bought it and were still
running perfectly when I sold it. (Worcester, MA) Made by the Allcraft Manufacturing Company. I'd love to find some for sale.
Not easy being cheesy!!! Trying to fix the problem with limited funds... But we have to help the elderly especially...Love you Steve...I workred countless times helping people that could not afford repairs... It helps me sleep at night...I'm not rich but surviving ...at the end of the day I helped a needy person so I can sleep at night
Ancient old gas valve. Had spare in the truck. Lol.
Has everything in there haha
@@TheGhettoLobster like i said ''physics dont change
it was openin' pahtial!
@@porknbeans7420
East coast
Well his changing so many unnecessarily he must have loads of good ones in the van
Great job and even better compassion for our seniors on a fixed income. Get them through as long as you can. You rock Steve!
If it's not broke dont fix it or replace it. A gas valve is hardly a reason for replacment
Guess what - that's why we got rid of the old boiler ! Couldn't get a replacement valve ! Yeah, it was probably a mistake ! The new replacement's been replaced again already !
@@millomweb I find that hard to believe, these valves are a pretty universal fit as long as the voltage is the same
@@HobbyOrganist A bit more complicated than that !
I made a temporary 'repair' using a Honeywell zone valve as a gas valve which worked fine for a couple of months.
The burner jets were thin plate which had cracks in them - so a 'gas man' would have condemned the boiler. Spares not available.
I guess I could have sourced some gas valve or other for £150 - £200
OR
get a free boiler installed through a government grant - as that was the cheaper option, that's what we went for - that was probably a mistake too !
*replacement
@@ViperJay5 I glad you can spell.
I was waiting for Steve to turn it on and off until he heard the explosion. Good job on saving her money and troubleshooting. Those PPMs were borderline close to failing
In case this helps anyone, my furnace had the same issue the lady was having where randomly there was a small or bigger explosion. Issue: gas was not reaching the pilot in time and filling the back of furnace with gas. Once the gas reached the pilot in the front it would explode. This was because the holes closest to the pilot were clogged with dust (in my case). Solution: Took out the gas inlets and cleaned each hole one by one specially those closest to pilot, then to be sure increased the flame on the pilot and issue never happened again.
not sure why people are hating here, yea he skipped on giving the dam thing good cleaning but the issue he was called on-site for was resolved my only concern is the level of flashed on soot around the access door makes me think the gaskets may be leaking, which might explain _Some_ of the hard starting and back flash on shutdown valve was definitely fked tho
Steven, I know NOTHING about half the stuff you fix but I enjoy watching and learning from you. How can I convince you to move to our Buffalo NY area??? What I’m most amazed at are toilet repairs and how these people have you come into their filthy bathrooms without a regard for YOU! Why do you wear gloves?!?!?! Because you’re a smart man!! Glad you were able to fix that very old but good boiler. Will probably outlast you and me both. Look forward to your next video. Keep up the good work, Steven.
You are a good man Steve, straight up and honest. This video reminded me of my grandmother. I really enjoy watching your videos, learned so much. Thanks man!
Steve Lav is a good man, mama! An honest, hardworking tradesman. Love your videos, brother!
Way to go Steve. You sure stick with it where like you said, i alot of guy,s would just sell,sell,sell. Love your work !!!!
Good work Steve. Nice to see HVAC guys helping out a older customer and offering to replace the gas valve which most likely was failing . Keep up the great work man.
Seeing this Steve video makes me (rarely) proud to be from Massachusetts.
I've only run into a couple of those solid copper tanks. My mothers friends still has one in her house she says it's over 50 years old.
I cut one open I replaced a few years ago and I believe I got about 35lbs of copper scrap. Big heavy duty cast iron burner in those too.
I love when I say “please turn up the thermostat so I can test it”, the reply: “but it already too hot in here.”
Not a problem. Bust out the jumper wire.
I have actually had this exact scenario happen many many years ago on old furnaces with the exact same gas valve. Usually, when it is getting the voltage to the valve you can wrap the side of it with a hammer or pair of plyers and it will open for ya. This is definitely a bad valve and should never be left with either replacing or red-tagging the whole unit.
I like your style bro. You remind me of a few of my mentors who taught me the trade thirty plus years ago.
Thanks for the video and info.
God bless
Heat vs no heat, I would change the gas valve too seeing as it is the quicker fix and shop for a new unit later.
Hard to read he admired the quality of the burners but wanted to change out the system. She'd be better off spending $6k on a deep energy retrofit. The furnace will run much less. I just got rid of my last Homart water heater (Sears) . I've changed two in the last two years, they had to be 50-60 years old. I tried to cut it open with my cutoff saw and gave up.
The HO smith I just changed out to a Bradford White, had a six year warranty and it lasted 12 years.
I'd have have done everything I could have to save that boiler. That woman is on a fixed income.
Same for that old kenmore/fridgidaire/whirlpool washing machine. The recently stopped making them. The kalashnikov of washer/dryers. Easy to maintain, parts are affordable. I don't know why we are all so attracted to these new machines. I have four dryers, from new to very old, they all have the same gas valve burners, igniters, thermisters etc.
The new has a cabinet that takes longer to take apart, and a logic board that does nothing but force you to buy a new machine before its time. Ugh!
Energy consumption is why everyone switchs, before I bought a new water heater, fridge freezer combo plus the washer an dryer the power bill was over 900$ easy and now we are barely over 400$ with everything running a month in the winter. In the summer we barely pay over 100$ for electricity compared to the "better than the new crap" at over 400$ a month when power should be cheap
I’ve got one of those old kenmores. Thing is a damn tank. Replaced a motor coupler recently. Like eight bucks. Hardest part was getting the damn thing tilted over in my tiny laundry room.
Great repair Steve that boiler and hot water heater will probably still be going strong when you retire. I have some boilers and a furnace that was coal fired and somewhere along the way a Beckett oil burner was put on and they are still going strong today!!!!!
And they looked like an octopus
@@hootersnoocher8467 yep I had 2 furnaces I serviced like that. Hot air through convection.
Hello... i had the same issue 1991 in a 1960 unit... i sprayed wd40 all over i could inside the valve and it worked like new again... just like us humans our joints get to move slow ,hahahaha.. but i decided yr 2000 to retire my 1960 unit outside AC and inside furnace unit for reasons to save mula in the long run... i love your vlogs, no messing around, no blaa blaa blaa nonsense, straight to the point. Not a waste of time watching. Regards.
Good to see a HVAC technician that is not just out to sell a new unit is good 👍😊
You should clean the pilot. When the tip of the flame is yellow, it means something is slowing it down. Usually caused by debris in the pilot orifice. Blow it out or worse case, remove and get some piano wire in the orifice to clear it out. You’ll get better voltage output from the thermocouple as the flame will impinge on the probe better as well as sit over the burner correctly. It will solve a lot of delayed ignition issues.
Nice to see you keep it real for a senior that doesn't have $$ coming out of the ying yang. Thank you
It's my experience that these old boilers are much better than anything you can buy today provided it's not a heep of rust or leaking.
Thanks for making these videos.
Tim Smith depends how one defines "better". Just replaced a 1950's cast iron floor standing gas boiler here in the UK. Open vented (not allowed for new installs for decades now) but working perfectly. We wanted to free up space for a cloakroom, and this thing had its own boiler room. Although it would have lasted another half century, it was also consuming twice as much gas as its replacement does. The new one might last a decade, but will save me close to £20,000 in that time, paying for itself ten times over.
Compassion for the old Portuguese lady priceless and bless up brother.
Is it just me, or does that transformer sound quieter after the gas valve is replaced than before?
n3lee - I agree. That transformer was much quieter with the new valve. I suspect the old valve was pulling a lot more current because it was bad.
PickleRix Yep, the coil was likely failing in that valve, causing it to pull higher current than normal.
@@notajp Yea Heavy Load 'HUM' on the Transformer ..
You got it right !
@@PicaDelphon but it was noisy with the valve disconnected when hooked to the test leads
Your van/truck needs a new valve sonny -then again buy a brand new one
Nice work Steve
You helped that lady out and saved her money to
Nice work
"That's a nice cast eye urn boiler" It really was nice and clean, and solid! so was the water heater.
Steven I wish I could reach into my phone and give you a high five the way you repaired the furnace and made sure that it was safe . Instead of making her beg,Barrow or steel from her relatives for a new one.
Lots of professionals in the comment section.
The real professionals wont write comments
Just listen and read.
Assuming the valve wasn't opening all the way and the explosion she was hearing was it lighting once gas built up.
TechOut no because the boiler has a pilot light that always stays on
I wish I could talk to people like that everyone in my area cry over anything remotely negative.
amen the new age all bullshit ''think positive' i always do i am positive they are all criminals. watch them close....
I can remember working on the old Torrid heat rotary burner guns did a lot of retro fits back in the day
You want to worry about your van engine, sounds like a bag of unoiled spanners!
Tim Hull lol I wonder what engine it has in it sounds like a International Navistar VT365 to me
Probly ol 7.3 idi
Saved the woman from buying a new boiler. Good job.
New sub.
I had to put my dog down on the third. 😭 It was a very sad day. I hope your new dog brings you lots of years of joy.
Feel you pain I just had to put my 10 year old goldenretrvier down
That's why Steven Rocks! because plumbers make the nation safe... Especially when they are honest and caring like Steven !!! God bless you Steven Lavimoniere!!
Is the plumbers that give you somewhere To Go LoL
@s .. Not sure what you mean?
@@startover125 Umm plumbers install toilets so ya have somewhere to go :)
S if that's how you do business S, not sure why you don't show your name? But I have been watching Steven for years, and also been around several 30 year plumbers and HVAC guys for at least 15 years! Just not sure where you're going.. I'm not putting you down at all! Just trying to hear your point and trying to understand your point?
@@startover125 haha...ya know Go to the bathroom...plumbers give ya somewhere to go :) I'm in a different trade. Sorry I don't give out personal info since I talked to one umm lady we'll say that talked about knowing people who would jump on a plane and Off someone and nobody would ever find em. But I had been checked out so I was ok. There's too many nutjobs out there. So I started dimming the lights so to speak.
Sometimes you have to see how the flames are coming off the burners. I have cleaned some burners out of an old ajax unit that had uneven flames off the burners .You wouldn't be able to tell out that little door that swings to see the flame. Cool video
Heck, you don't want to put a new one in. It probably has another 60 years left.
You did the right thing.
There is nothing I hate more than somone just looking at one of my units, saying it's old, and that's why it's broken; by sight alone for Gods sake. Then the tech refuses to check anything on it. Too much liability they say.
Hey, if you ain't got the talent to fix it safe and then check for leaks and CO to make sure it's safe then get a new job man. If it was just a salesman I needed then I would have skipped the service call and gone down to the store myself to blow my $5k and at least get some free coffee thrown in.
For all you HVAC guys out there rolling your eyelids let me tell you something. When you do what I describe above It does nothing but blow our trust in you, the company, etc. Yes it's old. Yes, if the manifold is cracked it's probably not worth fixing. But at least check it if we ask you too.
It takes five min to get a gas valve off Amazon with free next day delivery, & free returns. Then 9 out of 10 times if you are carefull changing it you won't crack the manifold or feed tube. The soapy water leak check is as old as the invention of gas lines and even my grandmother can do that. When you are done you call your local gas company. Mine does a free leak check, checks combustible gasses, and even lights the pilot light; all 100% free. How do you guys expect to survive with things getting that easy for amatures to do?
The reason me and anyone able bodied person who knows how to spin a wrench calls any service person is for help FROM SOMONE WE TRUST. That family has been calling Steven for service for how many years? Her husband dies but she feels safe trusting Steven because her late husband did. Her son-in-law probably don't know shit about gas valves but he can smell bs when he hears it, and he don't hear it in Steven's voice and explanation. When its time for a new boiler she is going to call Steven guaranteed. Good service men in any trade are a dieing breed.
I'm going to be 40 next month...looks like that Copper King water heater is older than me...Amazing!
Poor old girl. She can't help getting old. Steve was fair and understanding in dealing with this situation. Thank god for him. There are tons and tons of miserable people out there that would have shut her down and billed her thousands and thousands for a new electronic less reliable unit.
That rug under the water heater has my spider senses tingling! Thanks Steven, nice vid.
Oh man I noticed that too.....I don't like that either!
@@ggme4682 Years ago my wife dropped one of the dog blankets near the water heater. I got up to do laundry next morning and it had burned about 6 inch's of the blanket. It burned it'self out thank god. Scary stuff!
@@J-Colt I hear you loud and clear..... anything that increases risk it not good! Glad you guys stayed safe and well.
I was just as a nervous seeing that rug under the burn box of the water heater.
you could pay for a new tank just by the scrapping the copper off that old tank!
I searched the comments for this one!
Amazing how long those things can last!
Idk if it's just that I couldn't see the wires on the gas valve, but when you were testing to see if it had correct voltage to the gas valve it was reading 25v. The only reason it wasnt firing is because the wires were disconnected to the gas valve because you were testing it.
The old gas valve was broken and so the voltage dropped when it was connected
Another fine job. Good work Steve.
Literally Coach Steve but handy and smart
That old beast will be around when some brand new systems are rusting junk!
Good stuff. Keep her running, that thing will keep running for ages...
Your truck is running like a dog pooping razor blades.
Probably needs a new valve then again he could by a brand new one for $30000
@@43mackmobile His truck makes loud exploding noise when running and misfiring
That's what a non turbo diesel sounds like.
@@russmontgomery5211 pretty certain at 1:10 when he just got over the hill I heard a turbo..
@@KylesCarsYT yep sounds like TD but then it looks like a cabover/forward control design, any mechanical injected diesel is gonna sound like that when it's just under your elbow, even more so if it's direct injection.
I’d run the old boiler as long as it is structurally sound. Newer equipment isn’t made as well and uses cheaper components.
Good video. What was the cost of replacement gas valve & install? Thank you DRO
Few hun for a robertshaw 700. O?k?
But you do very competent and through work. You are right, they don’t make em like they used to. The HW tank is ALmost as old as me! Don’t need no stinking anode rod. The plumbing is even newer. Love the new fangle manometer, combustion tester and printer. Got to love the digital age.
David C. Hey Steve you really did a good deed helping that poor elderly woman with the Gas Valve Fix...Good Job...
I would not get rid of anything i clean that old beast up let it keep firing away
Stevie congrats on 100K..I started following you at 29k
You think that's old, you should see some of the anthracite coal stoker's we use here. They almost never get junked. Especially the EFM boilers. Even when they get rusted out, we get to welding and fabricating and completely refurbished them. Coal-fired boilers really hold their value especially in this area.
I always install a flame roll-out switch in service call like this, and if no flue spill switch will install too. If I have to eat the extra cost [30$] will make it up somewhere else.
I used to take care of an apartment complex with boilers like this. They almost never had problems. The biggest problem they did have was split or cracked manifolds. Holy smokes. A 70-year-old water heater lol
I worked on furnaces back in the 1980's. Even then, Torridheet was an antique.
That old lady sounds like a real good woman. You better be taking care of her.
She sounds like Oma (google her, you'll thank me)
@@lanswipe link me cant find it
@@ronharris91 "Oma" means grandmother "gmum" in German.
Another great job Steve ! Keep em running momma
Good job, very thorough and honest guy. Wouldn't make a living where I live. All small shops around here are thieves! They now offer FINANCING ofrepairs/unit swaps. Take care of the old folks.
Good job Steve 👍 did the best u could do with what she was willing to pay and keeping them safe. U da man brotha 🤘🇺🇸
but watch when he says the valve isn't opening up and he is showing her it has power but not opening up. he has the wires unhooked from the gas valve and hooked to his meter. the valve won't open up without the wires hooked to it. He took her for a ride. LMFAO
Not sure if u watched the video or have worked on gas fired equipment but what would u have done? He already knew the problem and was jus tryin to show her and didn’t realize. She had no money for new equipment. He made the correct repair the ignition and cut out was much cleaner and made sure it was safe to operate so it wouldn’t kill her old ass.
There should be no yellow in the pilot flame. You can see in the video how lazy the pilot flame is and how it barely impinges on the thermocouple. Brushing off the top of the burner does not clean it. The burner should be physically removed to remove rust particles. Rust accumulates on the inside of the burner slowing down the venturi effect. Notice how the CO reading didn't change even after opening the air shutter?
Also check each individual hole in the top of the burner, they get clogged with rust. Flush out the burner with hot water at the customers sink to remove any dust accumulation too. Blow the burners holes out to remove the water, reassemble and you're good to go.
Hope this helps...
OMG 70 year old water heater. I'm impressed. A new water heater would maybe last 12 years or so.
It is COPPER! geez, talk about big money!!!
My original "glass lined" State water heater lasted 35 years before I had to replace it due to a small leak by the drain valve.
I cut the tank open to look, there was no rust except where the leak was, but the big issue was the former owner never drained the tank and the drain valve was plugged when I bought the house, there was a chunk about 16" high of lime buildup on the bottom of the tank, so while the copper king tank could last 70 years- it could be half full of lime too.
Victorian Sculptures Copper cylinders are very common in the UK, and as you say last decades. Our systems are slightly different, we don't heat the cylinder directly, they are heated by a coil from the boiler which also serves the central heating. This means there is little to go wrong with a cylinder. However, as you point out over time they can fill with limescale, it's not uncommon in an old house to find them half full of crust.
@@spencerwilton5831 Oh that's different then, in the US we typically heat the tank itself either with electric elements in the tank, or a gas burner under it. It's lime build up and corrosion of the steel tanks that kill them here.
steven I was waiting for explosion scary!!!!
ill tell you right now. you are a breath of fresh air. no bullshit saying whats up. no beating around the bush this should fix it but you should really get this replaced. if you were closer to me id have you look at all my heating cooling stuff. im mechanically inclined but dont have licenses needed to this some of this stuff. just tell me whats up and get shit done. i subscribed just because of that.
I had a very similar problem last year with a Fuel Oil Boiler Weil-Mclain P-566 HE, it kept backfiring, our original quote by a furnace company was $7400+ at the time for the high end Weil-Mclain combo unit. Ultimately we decided on a Weil-McLain PGa series 2 gas boiler. Amazing boiler very happy we decided to replace out old fuel oil one.
Spider, did you keep oil, or switch to gas? I am just curious because mine is probably towards the end of its life, but I have heard propane is super expensive.
So nice to see a real boiler mechanic...:)...I looked to see the upload date...I was expecting 1951...:) ...Man, that old boiler don't owe anybody nothing...She's been working for more than a half century....Most HVAC guys, I know, would just tell her she needs a new boiler and charge her 10 grand...They would NEVER put in a new gas valve. You know your stuff and you did an honest job...Subbed.. As a contractor, I wish I had more guys like you around here...All our HVAC guys here in philly are Prima Donnas...:) WOW, just caught that last part with the 70 year old HW tank..All copper...That really shocked me!
I like watching these videos on these things
The flames shooting out was a nice touch
Torldheet? Wow...
And u had valve ready to go nice
Stop trying to sell her a boiler. As long as it is not cracked and leaking water that boiler can be repaired. It will outlast anything on the market today, trust that!!!
The Chosen - the problem with what you are saying is called “throwing good money after bad”. The customer expects longevity after repairs, so when the next thing occurs they will say, you were just here and fixed it, now you want more”. You can’t say it will last w/o more repairs, and can’t say for how long it will last. Nothing lasts forever. Not the case with new warrantied unit.
The Chosen new system is more efficient with a draft damper and intermittent pilot. It will save some $ in the long run.
@@Fireship1 yes new boilers are more efficient. Im a hvac tech for 21 years. The boiler she has with that CAST iron burner only has a thermocouple, gas valve, hi limit, transformer, relay, and circulator pump. Thats it!!! Newer hot water boilers have boiler control modules which go bad all the time. Spill switches, roll out switches, vent dampers, spark modules, aluminum burners which rust in no time. Flimsy boiler jackets. The ONLY advantage the new boiler has is efficiency.
@@Fireship1 also just changed a gas valve on a gravity warm air unit. Over 100 years old. Heats home just fine. Newer boilers are more effcient and safer but will never outlast old equipment
Fireship1 - it’s easy for someone who doesn’t have to pay the bill to speak. How old does this customer have to be to beak even? 130 yrs old?
Steve if it ain't broke dont fix it. Most people are broke. I would have change the valve, check the co level and booked. Maybe even the aquastat
What’s da deal? Works I pay gas and electric bill. Now bill shows up maybe it works maybe it dont. Pay this guy or whaddya do?seems honest, just that noisy valve ehebheeeeehhh.. I don’t think American repair guy take my
Money. He just want repair then leave.its on his truck my god my part is already on his truck WOW!!
So he fix it I did not call for maintence Wow.its fine. Pay me for cartwheel in basement. It ain’t Seinfeld but nothing failing, all good, need some coffee, money, no leaking dependability!
Good to go, I’m the boss good to go.. now she will yell while paying, too much, whattatya do, fix , on to next. I’m never gonna see Florida, cocoa beech, bora bora, whateveri will keep on till her son or step son takes over ohhhhhhh my life. No new boiler, no help, next time I will do tank how’s that? Tank, valve, new, new happy happy over and drop the mike.
@@kennyhonse2017 did you have a stroke?
I might be wrong, but it looks like you had the low voltage off the valve and your meter clips on wiring when you kept checking it over and over saying "the valve should open, its getting 24V"....
When he said ‘I don’t want to pour a lot of money into this thing’ you know you got the right man for the job.
$350 for the valve plus labor v/s $5,000-$6,000 yeah lets "save money" spending $6,000 instead of $350 LOL!!!!
there's little to go wrong in this unit except FOR the gas valve and thermocouple, it's not like it has a computer control/PCB and 47 sensors, multiple fans and other stuff in it like modern crap does.
Wouldn't a new unit pay for itself over a period of time, with lower gas consumption / higher efficiency? Especially for folks who tend to keep their houses warm to hot -- as old ladies tend to do. But I do understand the 'just ain't got the money' problem.
@@boggy7665 It would take like 20 years to even break even on 90% v/s 80%. Spending the money on more INSULATION, double glass insulated windows and calking is better spent. My attic has R100 worth on insulation in it, all of my gas appliances and the 35 year old Lennox furnace barely use $150 in gas in Jan and in Feb, about $10 of that is for the meter charge. In the summer one small window A/C cools the entire 1100 sq ft house
@@HobbyOrganist Aren't a lot of these old boilers/furnaces efficiency as low as 60%?
@@boggy7665 I doubt it's quite that low unless you are talking about someting fired by coal or oil dating to like 1920 or something and you won't find a heck of lot of those around any more, natural gas is relatively cheap and plentiful. In any case, the more effective way to save heating bills is put in as much insulation in the attic as possible, I have R100 in mine, replace old single pane windows with dual pane insulated ones and caulk/fill gaps.
My kitchen where I have my computer desk has one regular double hung and 3 small double hung windows, they used to be old single panel deal that looked like they had been salvaged in the 50s when the old back porch was converted INTO the kitchen.
Since the kitchen has a low slope roof I was unable to get an R100 value of insulation in the attic over it since there's no real "attic" over it.
Every winter I would get ice on the INSIDE of the glass on the 2 windows next to my desk, and it always felt like a draft coming in, as a result I had a 1500 watt space heater on me all the time and another in the bedroom.
I replaced the windows in the kitchen with dual pane insulated ones, they cost around $150-$175 each, as soon as winter came no more ice, no more feeling drafts due to convection off the cold glass, I got rid of the 1500 watt heater and my electric bill dropped $50 the following month.
I did the same with the bedroom's 2 windows, and that space heater I always had on very low at night went away too, my electric bill dropped by another $20 or so right after.
I replaced the rest of the windows in the house after that, doing the work myself.
So it was absolutely clear and proven to me directly by my electric bill and comfort that the 5 kitchen windows being replaced paid for those windows in about 4-5 years.
I COULD have bought a new furnace to get more HEAT at the same cost and maybe countered the ice and draft, but that would have been ineffective and stupid- the furnace works perfectly fine, no need to replace it, the WINDOWS were the whole problem.
I have a boiler replaced in 2017 before I moved in in 2018…above the boiler is piped w copper instead of black iron. Should I be concerned?
Just imagine what a copper tank water heater would cost today!
amen, this guy knows his job, not afraid to ''youtube it. but, always wants to go high dollar all new. .... that old great furnace was fine just not getting the correct signal..
@@spymaine89 Agreed.. new isn't better. This "old shit" has lasted 70 years and if continued to be maintained there's no reason it shouldn't last another 70. Some of the new stuff would be lucky to last 7.
@@VinylToVideo amen
I was curious too...I couldn't find one online...I saw a couple copper water tanks but they were just the insides, no controls...400 bucks for one of them...It seems now the step up is Stainless tank...
That "Tstack" temperature is higher than my 1986 oil fired steam boiler!
The house I am in had a square electric water heater in it when we moved in. After 50 years of me using it, it finally went bad. A utility gas man told me it was the only square one he had ever seen . There is no telling how old it really was. Kinda wish I had taken a photo of it!
I had one too in CT, I couldn’t believe it still ran. It couldn’t be a table though, it was 6’ tall. Pulled it and put in a Rheem Marathon plastic unit in
You are the one winning about a new boiler. There is nothing wrong with that boiler. It will out live you.
You are the best . The old pipe work NO leaks you had to give it full strength to remove . OK no bullshit you done a good job 100 % love you no rip off
If Steve ain't got it u don't need it ! Whse on wheels momma!
Sounds like a Masshole for sure. Lol Great Video 👍🏼
Everyone in the comment section is a pro... 😂😂😂
Steve, you are the best!
Just one question: instead of having her run upstairs twice to set the thermostat to call for heat, why not just pull one wire off the gas valve and leave the therm. calling for heat? You could cycle the valve on and off just by putting the wire on, then off.
Quantum Leap so he can be left alone it’s an old Hvac trick
Or you could've gone up your self instead of making the old lady go up and down to do your job.
A Sunday morning hvac vid. Alright. Love that lady's accent. Beaky buzzard's mom. Lol.
It's probably the cabinet metal bowing and relaxing.
Wow 😳 that’s crazy a 75 year old water heater and it’s still working that is rare and made in copper Cool 😎 Peace ✌️
yer muffla's shot. I recommend you buy a new car
Thank you for the videos.
Steve man I like your videos you super smart