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Seeking advice on existing boiler, part 2
9:00 PM 01/24/2013
I couldn't figure out how to add a picture of the boiler to my original post. So, I welcome all comments about anyone who can come to take a look at the boiler we inherited and service it, make any recommendations for upgrades, etc. thanks!
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New York, NY
I can't tell what the piping is doing (I guess a pic from the side would help with that), but it looks like a Weil-McLain SGO boiler converted from oil fuel to natural gas.
http://www.weil-mclain.com/en/...br />It's an expensive boiler and Weil-McLain is one of the few manufacturers that approve of the practice of converting from oil to gas in the same unit. Somewhere on the boiler should be a sticker with a number beginning with CP(######). That's the serial number and if you find it, you should call Weil McLain and ask them to tell you how old the boiler is.
You've also got a good automatic water feeder. It's the Hydrolevel VXT-120 with a digital display showing gallons of water used.
Check the number on its display and note how it changes. A boiler that size should take on no more than 1 gallon about every two weeks. Any more than that and you've got a problem with water loss that you've got to address.
You've got a probe-typre low water cut off that doesn't need to be blown down every week or two, so the only maintenance you can really do yourself is to drain a half gallon or so from the hose spigot on the left side into a bucket until the water runs smoothly. It'll never run clear so don't look for it to.
Anything else you want to know?7:22 AM 01/25/2013 | 0 Votes
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Wow, thanks so much! Incredibly informative. I have been wondering if the boiler is suitable for the house (3 story, plus attic and cellar Victorian in ditmas park). Since there is no separate water heater I was wondering if that wasn't terribly efficient since the boiler needs to work all year long?
2:11 PM 01/25/2013 | 0 Votes
Comments (2)
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New York, NY
The water heater inside the boiler is called a tankless coil and it is perhaps the least efficient way to make hot water. Not because the boiler has to run all year but because the coil has to take on a lot of BTUs all the while you are drawing water from it. The way to make that work more efficiently is to add an external storage tank to the coil which will hold some water in an insulated vessel. It gets a little complicated, and the installation would set you back a couple thousand dollars or so but it will pay for itself and allow the boiler to cycle much less frequently, reducing wear and extending its service life.
7:27 AM 01/26/2013
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New York, NY
http://energy.gov/energysaver/...
7:49 AM 01/26/2013
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