How much experience do you need to become proficient at installing a boiler?

[Twilly]

Twilli says your welcome. Thanks for being a good sport. It sounds like your in good hands. Are you in the New England area?

[jstyblo]

Twilli says your welcome. Thanks for being a good sport. It sounds like your in good hands. Are you in the New England area?

Yes, I've lived in CT for just over a year. Originally I'm from Chicago. From there I lived in Ft. Lauderdale for about 7 years, then I moved to Poughkeepsie, New York and stayed there for about 7 years. Finally, about a year ago, we moved to our present home in CT.

Incidentally, my Dad left Ft. Lauderdale a few years before I did and has been living in Toledo, OH for close to 10 years now, which I see is where you are located.

[Twilly]

The oil boiler gave it away, or at least made it the most logical guess, Twilli had put in many oil boilers, but they seem to be a thing of the past in Toledo...oil, still many boilers in the old historic districts.

Have your dad call me if he ever has a problem. Twilli will treat him right. Also not talk in third person as that might scare someone on the phone or in person...


Good luck and post some pictures. Also do the PM's as suggested as oil boilers can plug up easily

[jstyblo]

The oil boiler gave it away, or at least made it the most logical guess, Twilli had put in many oil boilers, but they seem to be a thing of the past in Toledo...oil, still many boilers in the old historic districts.

Have your dad call me if he ever has a problem. Twilli will treat him right. Also not talk in third person as that might scare someone on the phone or in person...


Good luck and post some pictures. Also do the PM's as suggested as oil boilers can plug up easily

I'll definitely give my Dad your contact info and I'm a believer in PM - much easier to keep something going instead of fixing something after it's broke. And don't worry about talking in the third person - after my Mom died back in '91 it was just my Dad, little brother and I, and over time we ended-up grunting at each other instead of using words. Good thing we three eventually found good wives to keep us civilized.

[skippedover]

I'd check on who's going to maintain and service the boiler in the future. Personally I've seen hundreds if not thousands of boilers installed that easily lasted through the 1-year warranty period. Then 2 or 3 years into use, they needed a service repair and couldn't find a tech with the knowledge to service the unit. Used to do work for a manufacturer and I can't tell you how many times I was referred calls from them and when I got to the home and the door opened, I identified myself (like they couldn't read the truck ads?) and the first response from the client was "Thank goodness I finally found someone who knows how to work on this boiler". There's a lot of people willing to take your money for the install and they might in fact do a great install. But who's going to be there when you do need service? That's the most overlooked question in the industry, IMO. As a side bar, in our state there's a world of difference between the installations done by a plumber and those done by a heating company. Two different animals. Most plumbers in our state put "...& Heating" on their trucks just to get the installs and they NEVER have to live with what they've installed. In fact, around here if it's a new gas pipe, the gas company will pick up the 1-year of warranty. The installingn plumber is done as soon as he cashes your check. As you can probably tell, that's a sore point with the techs at our company. We know what we need to do (all the isolation valve suggestions for example) to make the job a good one at the start and forever, for the life of the equipment. But we constantlly battle with the low ball bidder who's installing the same equipment to a lower standard and will never be the one to maintain or service it. LIke the military pilots say, "Check your Six".

[jstyblo]

I'd check on who's going to maintain and service the boiler in the future. Personally I've seen hundreds if not thousands of boilers installed that easily lasted through the 1-year warranty period. Then 2 or 3 years into use, they needed a service repair and couldn't find a tech with the knowledge to service the unit. Used to do work for a manufacturer and I can't tell you how many times I was referred calls from them and when I got to the home and the door opened, I identified myself (like they couldn't read the truck ads?) and the first response from the client was "Thank goodness I finally found someone who knows how to work on this boiler". There's a lot of people willing to take your money for the install and they might in fact do a great install. But who's going to be there when you do need service? That's the most overlooked question in the industry, IMO. As a side bar, in our state there's a world of difference between the installations done by a plumber and those done by a heating company. Two different animals. Most plumbers in our state put "...& Heating" on their trucks just to get the installs and they NEVER have to live with what they've installed. In fact, around here if it's a new gas pipe, the gas company will pick up the 1-year of warranty. The installingn plumber is done as soon as he cashes your check. As you can probably tell, that's a sore point with the techs at our company. We know what we need to do (all the isolation valve suggestions for example) to make the job a good one at the start and forever, for the life of the equipment. But we constantlly battle with the low ball bidder who's installing the same equipment to a lower standard and will never be the one to maintain or service it. LIke the military pilots say, "Check your Six".

Do you think it's a good idea to have your oil co do your PM and repairs? I've never really had a "bad" experience with it, but I've talked to other contractors that say they really don't do a good job at PM and cleaning because they have a vested interest in keeping the efficiency low so that you burn more oil.

Thanks, Jim

[BaldLoonie]

Here's Rick's first solo boiler install without a senior tech doing it. He & I engineered the swap. We even ignored the instructions and did it Dan Holohan's way of pumping away. The manual showed the pump on the return like the good old days. Purger & vent at the highest point, tank under it, fill at that point, then the pump. Would have been nice to change the manual valves on each loop but salesman didn't call for it and would have freaked if we had done it eating up his commission. Purged easily and was heating nicely.

[Twilly]

Needs more valves....

[keepyoucool2003]

I like the insulation on the gas HW tank... <rolls eyes>
Yet no insulation on the boiler lines or the lines leaving the tank.

[jstyblo]

Much thanks to all of you for your help - pls note the Beckett HeatManager in 4234 and the 3 extra isolation valves in 4233. 4231 is the whole new boiler - you can also see the new orange oil line and General 1A25A canister assembly on the oil tank. The other two pics are of my original boiler.

Kindest Regards, Jim

[jstyblo]

Water has been discharging from my Phase III hot water tank's TPR valve since the boiler installation. I've a bucket under the discharge tube to collect the water. I've lowered the temperature on the Phase III to a little less than the midpoint on the thermostat to rule-out high temperature as the cause of the pressure forcing the TPR valve to discharge water, but that hasn't resolved the problem. Water comes into the house from a well.

Here's are my questions:

Is it likely that the new boiler installation is the cause of the TPR valve discharging water because it's sending water to the tank under too much pressure?

Have any of you encountered a leaking TPR valve following a new boiler installation.

Thanks, Jim

P.S. be sure to check out the pics of the new boiler in the preceding message