Steam Boiler Inspection/Maintenance (for homeowners)

Рет қаралды 27,513

4 жыл бұрын

If you're not performing a Steam Boiler Inspection at least once annually, you could be setting it up for failure. If you live on the east coast chances are you heat your home with steam. A time tested and proven a way to provide comfort in the dead of winter and just like your automobile, it will require maintenance. An annual Steam Boiler Inspection could keep your system up and running without any downtime. In this video, I'll walk you thru my inspection process and hopefully educate you on what to look for in your own home.
***I highly recommend you hire a heating professional to perform this service!
The Bible when it comes to Steam Heating written by Dan Holohan
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Happy Plumbing!
Bob.
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Пікірлер: 95

@glorygloryhallelujah 4 жыл бұрын

Amazing that u did this for the you tube community. I have a single pipe parallel flow steam system. There are few plumbers that have an understanding of this system. Best source is Dan Holohan. His book the lost art of steam heating is a great source of knowledge. Also Weil Mclain has a great 3 part video on steam boilers.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 4 жыл бұрын

Dan is the definitive authority on Steam Heating! And a true gentleman, I attended almost all of his live seminars. His books are priceless and with me at all times during the heating season. Regards, Bob

@EnjoyCalculus 7 ай бұрын

Hvac tech here. Bravo for this bery informative video. Job well done. 🎉

@BobsPlumbingVideos 7 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for checking out the video! Bob

@amilvirani1582 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video. Had no intention of doing any of the work myself but it does prevent me from getting ripped off because I know what work needs to be done.

@petergriffin1546 3 жыл бұрын

The bucket story probably saved my feet thank you!!! great info

@pirihern9329 2 жыл бұрын

I needed to know this have to get it ready for winter. Stay safe

@johngiegler7653 Жыл бұрын

I enjoyed your presentation and your message to any trolls! Thank you for the time and effort you put into your videos. I often say that You Tube makes me a lot smarter than I really am!

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

I appreciate that! You're very welcome. Bob

@benjaminortega3089 2 жыл бұрын

My hat off to you on your educational videos and educating future pros w/ your numerous years of expertise knowledge of the trade. 👍🏻

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate that!

@Spageety 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for the dedication you've got in teaching others.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate that!

@mioangel1227 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this valuable information! I'm getting familiar with my boiler after I got a leak in the return line! 😁

@vinceclarke7511 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bob good video as usual.

@terrellp100 3 жыл бұрын

Great presentation. Thankyou

@trankt54155 Жыл бұрын

Excellent Bob. Thanks.

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

Thanks for listening

@jballs1118 3 жыл бұрын

Good video sir thank you 🙏

@eegg6954 Жыл бұрын

We also check the pigtails on our boilers every couple of years. They clog sometimes. Usually pipe them with a tee and a brass plug so we can blow through the pigtail. Sounds like you do a good job. Same school as us!

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

I generally swap out the supplied pig tails with brass versions. Thanks for checking out the video..👍

@Bob.W. 3 жыл бұрын

Thx Bob. I never use the auto feeder, which is a MM combined unit with lwco - forgot the number. They overfill. I just add makeup water when doing the lwco blowdown.

@robertnocerajr3985 4 жыл бұрын

Great message here.. thank you for sharing.. Robert Jr NJ her

@arthurs7299 Жыл бұрын

As always - AWESOME and thank you!!!!!😎🇺🇸

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

Thanks again!

@conantdog 4 жыл бұрын

Great video 👍👌 I'm in Boston I need to know this now.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 4 жыл бұрын

Thank You Sir!

@donaldchappa9351 2 жыл бұрын

I would like to see more information on maintenance of the condensate return line. These can carry a significant amount of sludge in older systems. Also add information regarding the air vent valve located at the end of the primary steam main.

@chester4850 2 жыл бұрын

As a tech I believe homeowners with equipment like this should be well versed in general maintenance. Maybe not all homeowners..

@jrc630 2 жыл бұрын

Chicago 👍 👌

@bauhnguefyische667 Жыл бұрын

One piece of advice I give all my customers is, check that boiler at least once a week during heating season. If it has mechanical LWCO’s blow them down, directions are on the tags. If you don’t you will kill the boiler. It never fails to amaze me how many people don’t and wind up with a dry fired boiler or if they get lucky, a flooded boiler.

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

Amen!

@richardluca8562 4 жыл бұрын

I went on a service call thus one time, the automatic feed crapped out and the entire system, boiler, pipes and radiators, was filled with water to the second floor. An old timer once told me those were the worst things invented, because when people had to manually feed boilers, it forced them to go pay attention to the boiler regularly

@BobsPlumbingVideos 4 жыл бұрын

I agree 100%. Convenient as they may be, they're an accident waiting to happen! Thanks for commenting! Bob.

@mioangel1227 3 жыл бұрын

I am a little confused! Not water is supposed to pass through the radiators? Now I believe this is the reason that I have a pinhole in the return line. It's not clogged. Frequently I have to take water out, because the sight glass is always full, but not now because I have a leak in the return line.

@mioangel1227 3 жыл бұрын

@johnmcginty6095 2 жыл бұрын

My boiler installation is new but the Automatic water feeder is the same used one that's piped in with a bypass. The used Auto feeder seems stuck like a solenoid valve and will not shut off once it's connected by wire. I guess it's clogged and needs replacing, 300.00!

@JKLM_Family 4 жыл бұрын

Can you show how to check for gas leak .. thanks

@medicalnegligence 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this. Is there any recommendation as far as maintenance of the wet return line?

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

Unless you have a problem with your existing return, I would not recommend anything beyond flushing it out if you have the drains valves available. During heating season draw some water from the returns at least monthly. Most homeowners do not even think of flushing out the returns. Regards, Bob.

@paulg3316 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Bob. Great video. I’m in Providence RI. I have an old “black & white” asbestos covered oil fired counterflow steam boiler that was originally coal fired. The system has been & is still working very well. My concern is that my Honeywell Pressuretrol does not have a pigtail - it’s just a vertical 1/4” NPT pipe about 5 inches above the low water cut off. Should I have this changed to a pigtail at the next annual maintenance time? Thanks.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

Without a doubt!

@588158 4 жыл бұрын

Bob I would love to see a video on the operation of the Backflow valve and what are the causes of it leaking through the vent at the bottom. Mine leaks occasionally and stops when I close the supply to it and the discharge from it and then reopen them. I'm not sure whether that is really correcting the problem or just coincidental.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 4 жыл бұрын

I'll will add that to my playlist! Thank you, Bob.

@jarrettscherrer7739 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video, thanks so much for sharing! I just bought a house in MA that has a Weil Mclain oil-fed steam boiler (single pipe system). I've been trying to learn about all of the different components and how the system works, and this video is exactly what I needed! One issue I am having, that I am curious if anyone has input: I have an indirect hot water heater that is also managed by the boiler. When the boiler receives a call for heat from the water heater, it fires up and also heats the steam that ventures up into my radiators (thus heating my house). Is there a control/switch/valve/setting that disables heat for steam if the boiler is only called to heat water for the water heater? It's very frustrating to have the radiators heat up on a hot summer day (and we don't have AC!). Thank you 😀

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

There should be a seperate aquastat controller which would limit the temperature of the water being delivered to the indirect water tank. The boiler should not run to the point that it produces steam. Multiple ways to accomplish this, consult with a reputable Pro in your area. Check out www.heatinghelp.com, go to "the wall" tab enter your location (zip code) for a pro in your area.

@jarrettscherrer7739 2 жыл бұрын

@@BobsPlumbingVideos thanks for the quick response, Bob! I will use this link to find a Tech to do an annual service and inspect the whole system. In the meantime, I seem to have solved my issue... I simply added more water to the system via the manual fill valve (up to the fill line marked on the side of the boiler). Previously, the water level was at the minimum level (1/4" above the bottom of the glass) maintained by my uni-match low level auto fill, which I thought was acceptable. But I believe this is the minimal level for safe operation, not the optimum level for the correct operation of the system. More water= longer time to make steam= radiators not getting hot from the boiler running just a few minutes to bring my hot water heater back up to temp when someone takes a shower 😀. Thanks again for the video and your response.

@tctulloch 4 жыл бұрын

Great video and I'm out on Long Island. It gives me background information incase I should need to do something in a pinch. If the steam boiler has connections on it to provide hot water heat for an extension, would you do anything different here? Also, I see different opinions out there with regards to draining the system. Some say not to do it because fresh water brings in oxygen that will bring in corrosion. Thoughts?

@BobsPlumbingVideos 4 жыл бұрын

Dan is the absolute authority on Stem Heat. I've attended every one of his live workshops back in the day!

@seanhalloran6311 3 жыл бұрын

Add a corrosion inhibitor. 8way is great

@nilolee2426 3 жыл бұрын

Bob, I have a steam boiler and I have noticed that the water line in sight glass goes all the way up when the boiler is running and very rusty so what could be the problem? Thanks in advance

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

Multiple reasons that might happen and probably should be looked at by a pro. Generally that could indicate an oil slick sitting on top of the water that is preventing the steam from forming. As the boiler runs and pressure builds, it’s pushing the water downward, which will causes the water in the glass to rise. Could very well be a dirty boiler which needs to be cleaned and skimmed.

@VEDER41 Жыл бұрын

Hello my friend I’m new home owner when draining the boiler should it be off or should it be while running

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

For homeowners and to be on the safe side, I would turn the boiler off. Congratulations on your new home! Bob.

@johnmcginty6095 2 жыл бұрын

Bob, can you help? I just had a Utica Steam boiler replaced and with a new model however the automatic water feeder is kicking on but it doesn't stop filling the boiler ! I had to disconnect from the system, any insight as why this happens as now I'm back to having to fill manually.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

I'm guessing here, so a new boiler installation with a new feeder or existing feeder? If a feeder will not shut you may have a communication issue between the low water cut-off and feeder (aka a wiring issue) or just a bad feeder. If it's filling on and off intermittently there are too many reasons to go over in this format. If you want a 30-minute consult via facetime or skype, reach out to me via info@robertsessaplumbing.com. and I'll send you the details. You can also send me some photos of the installation.

@johnmcginty6095 2 жыл бұрын

Yes the auto feeder was reused with the new boiler . So it may be a wiring issue as to why if the feeder is functional but stays open ? By the way Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays to Everyone , Peace , love and Joy to All. ⛄

@johnmcginty6095 2 жыл бұрын

@@BobsPlumbingVideos Yes the Water Feeder was reused and plumbed into new Boiler . So are you saying it may be a wiring issue as to why when I connect the feeder and then drop the water below the low water cutoff and the feeder kicks in but doesn't stop , it's crossed somewhere in wiring?

@user-ob2fr2ps4e 4 ай бұрын

I’m confused. If I’m going to drain the steam boiler weekly, that means I have to add freshwater with oxygen. The oxygen boils out from the water and eats a hole through the cast iron heat exchanger at the water line. Am I correct or wrong? Thank you.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 4 ай бұрын

I'm not saying drain the entire boiler, draw water from each boiler drain until it runs clear. In most cases you won't have to add any water back. But you are correct!

@ILIKETURTLES16 Жыл бұрын

How do you properly drain the steam boilers? Is it once a month or once every 2 weeks? Should I turn off the boiler before draining it? How much water should I drain? Should I just keep going until I see clear water adding water as I go? Yesterday I tried draining my steam boiler while it was on and hot water came out and eventually it wouldn't drain. After a few minutes of the drain valve struggling it started draining again. Did I just damage my boiler? Was it clogged?

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

Each and every system has its own individual characteristics, this video is a general overview of my way of servicing a steam boiler. My personal advice is to drain your boiler weekly especially if you have an older style (McDonnell Miller #67 L.W.C.O) that the manufacturer wants to be drained weekly. Also any other drains on the boiler itself. I drain the water until it runs clear and the ideal way of doing it is when the boiler is running but I CAUTION you!!! You can get seriously scalded if you don't know what you're doing. For this reason, I recommend shutting down the system and letting it settle down before draining. In severely dirty boilers, I've actually had to drain down as best as I can and remove the partially clogged drain valves that were almost completely closed up. For this, I recommend calling in a heating professional to perform a basic service, then you can continue with basic maintenance from that point forward,

@silentprophecy013 2 жыл бұрын

I have a very old steam gas heater by Axeman and Anderson it has a slide pilot light it says cock knob on it, the pilot keeps going off. We can get it lit again, but I'm wondering that since it doesn't say to press the slider (cock knob) back down at the on position should I just leave it up? Is that maybe why it reaches temp and just shuts off, because we have been pressing it back down? The instructions don't mention to but we have because of fear that we leave it up it will leak gas. What should I do? We don't have a push button kind.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

Find a qualified professional to take a look. You don't want to be fooling with a gas control! Very dangerous!

@53KCOLG Жыл бұрын

If you don’t have a sight glass, how do you know how much water to add?

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

It's not possible, if you have a steam heating system, you must have a sight glass.

@marcianewcome5684 Жыл бұрын

@@BobsPlumbingVideos I assure you it is POSSIBLE, but should NOT be the case. I moved into an old house in May, had the ancient steam boiler looked at in September or October, knowing NOTHING about how this system operates, and lo, and behold, there was no sight glass! My service company installed one a couple of weeks later. Possible explanation was that there was previously a problem or leak in that area, so it was removed but never replaced. Who really knows? Thank you for helping me learn more!

@MrRadhxbo 2 жыл бұрын

My air vulve is leaking water 💦 and I changed the air vulve , I bleed the radiator and it still leaks , I broke the wall and pitched the pipe right way and the water still leaks , I then replaced the radiator and it still leaks . What can I do ?

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

Are we talking a steam system or forced hot water.? Tough question to answer without seeing the overall situation, maybe a video consult would help? Or call in a service professional.

@jamilvints 4 жыл бұрын

I have a oil boiler. Any advice? Is this applicable?

@BobsPlumbingVideos 4 жыл бұрын

The overall sequence from start to finish is similar, but I wouldn’t pull the burner for vacuuming nor would I break down the flu pipe to inspect the chimney. The oil guys have their own methods, and they’re the experts when it comes to oil fired boilers. Regards, Bob

@sambotoo5326 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Bob , I see from your diagram , you connect the automatic water feeder to the boiler drain pipe , mine is Weil Macklaine and the feeder go to the return line on the ground ( the lowest ) is this ok? Also , I used to drain the unit every 2 or 3 days for 27 years, now I find out it is leaking very little , i purchased a Hercule liquid to prevent the leak. Is it ok to add this liquid to the boiler , thank you

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

Feeding into the return is fine, not sure about your leak? Where is it leaking from? I only will use boiler liquid if the boiler itself is leaking and the homeowner does not want to or can't afford a boiler replacement. If the drain valve itself is leaking, I would just replace it.

@sambotoo5326 3 жыл бұрын

@@BobsPlumbingVideos Thank you for reply , the leak show a little rust in the back at the bottom of the boiler , when I shut it off last may , I add more water almost to cover the sight glass , but now after it work in this November, the automatic water feeder control the water level , very minimal leak , I just want it to go for this winter , also do Hercule liquid will cause problems with the radiators steam valve ? thank you

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

@@sambotoo5326 Sometimes it does , sometimes not. Read the label directions, don'y use more than the recommended dose.

@sambotoo5326 3 жыл бұрын

@@BobsPlumbingVideos Hi BOB After I used a Hercule liquid for the water leak , it seems like no more leak and after the XVT water feeder fill it up ,and work for 2 days ,the water level in the sight glass was going up and passed the top of the sight glass , seems like return line was blocked , I drained the rust from the boiler , and seems to be working fine , my question is , could be the Hartford loop was blocked , ? your advise , please

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

@@sambotoo5326 Hard to answer without seeing things? A good resource to check put is heating help.com. Go to the wall and post your questions, sit back a see the incredible feedback from seasoned professionals. Regards, Bob.

@andreslaurito9031 5 ай бұрын

How much should a maintenance/ inspection cost on average in NY?

@BobsPlumbingVideos 5 ай бұрын

Low end should start at $400 and beyond plus any additional parts if needed. Plus applicable sales taxes.

@georgerodd1404 3 жыл бұрын

Where do I find your business listing in New York ?

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

Just go to my website www.robertsessaplumbing.com. You may also find me on Yelp under Robert Sessa Plumbing. NOT Sessa Plumbing, which is a company I sold back in 2004.

@APortaA1 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Bob, Do you come to North Jersey? Im located in Garfield

@APortaA1 3 жыл бұрын

or can you recommend a knowledgeable steam plumber.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

I do not sir, thank you for asking! Bob.

@BobsPlumbingVideos 3 жыл бұрын

@@APortaA1 I would go to heatinghelp.com and search find a contractor. This site was founded by Dan Holohan who wrote the “Bible” on steam heat called The Lost Art of Steam Heat. It is the best resource on the subject.

@pirihern9329 2 жыл бұрын

What's a fair price? Im in ct

@BobsPlumbingVideos 2 жыл бұрын

That's a hard question to answer, are you dealing with a large company, independant two or three man shop, one man shop etc? Speaking for myself (a one man shop) I generally can perform this task in one solid hour give or take. I charge $450.00 plus sales tax. I've heard price ranges from $300 -$700 and beyond, if you purchase an annual maintenance plan some companies will perform this service for free? Hope that helps, Regards.Bob

@pirihern9329 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks bob this helps.

@marcinmerrimack1726 Жыл бұрын

Raising the water line in the sight glass decreases the steam chest volume and if there’s little or no margin in the header height, that can lead to wet steam. Not good general advice.

@BobsPlumbingVideos Жыл бұрын

Depends entirely on the boiler, but it's true on the small modern boilers of today. In addition most installers DO NOT follow the manufacturer's recommended installation instructions and usually screw up the entire header installation more often than not.