Buying a used boiler

[stealthmagic27]

Need your recommendations guys.

Currently my house has a 1948 original oil burner (steam) which is now converted to natural gas. Its killing me with gas just keeping the house at 56 degrees ( not living in the house yet).

I came across a Burnham steam boiler on craigslist which was pulled from a 2 floor house rebuild which was converted to central air. Model is PIN4SNI-ME2 seems to be built in 2008 or 2009. Guys asking $1K for it , and could most likely offer him less.

Simply put, would you guys buy a used boiler? If so, what can I look for to make sure this thing works? what really breaks on these things?

 

[Bondo]

Need your recommendations guys.

Currently my house has a 1948 original oil burner (steam) which is now converted to natural gas. Its killing me with gas just keeping the house at 56 degrees ( not living in the house yet).

I came across a Burnham steam boiler on craigslist which was pulled from a 2 floor house rebuild which was converted to central air. Model is PIN4SNI-ME2 seems to be built in 2008 or 2009. Guys asking $1K for it , and could most likely offer him less.

Simply put, would you guys buy a used boiler? If so, what can I look for to make sure this thing works? what really breaks on these things?

Ayuh,.... I've bought used boilers, Oil fired, but a used boiler none the less,....

I found a guy on craigslist that had converted to gas, 'n I bought his old oil boiler,....
Aside from the burner assembly, 'bout all you can do is look the boiler housin', 'n whatever else you can see, without takin' it apart too much,...

So long as it ain't been left in freezin' conditions with water still in it, chances are the cast iron parts are Probably Ok,...

The one I put in my rental has been workin' just Fine for the last 4 or 5 years,...
After servicin' it recently, I'm gonna replace the firebox linin' this spring, or atleast before next years heatin' season, as I can see some degradation of the liner,...

 

[mygarageone]

Need your recommendations guys.

Currently my house has a 1948 original oil burner (steam) which is now converted to natural gas. Its killing me with gas just keeping the house at 56 degrees ( not living in the house yet).

I came across a Burnham steam boiler on craigslist which was pulled from a 2 floor house rebuild which was converted to central air. Model is PIN4SNI-ME2 seems to be built in 2008 or 2009. Guys asking $1K for it , and could most likely offer him less.

Simply put, would you guys buy a used boiler? If so, what can I look for to make sure this thing works? what really breaks on these things?

If I really was in a pinch and it is checked out by a pro tec , but it won't be a simple change out . This is something you want to have installed by a company who knows steam systems,

 

[rlev11]

There is a lot of things that go into getting a steam system operating correctly. Is the current one or the Burnham boiler sized properly for the amount of radiators in the house?? Are the steam mains properly vented? Are the mains properly insulated? No one makes a "high efficiency" steam boiler, they all top out at the low to mid 80% range. You might want to look into why your current one is using so much gas, you could just change out the boiler and still be in the same boat you are now. Try to find someone who still knows the "lost art" of steam systems to look things over before you make any decision.

 

[stealthmagic27]

Ayuh,.... I've bought used boilers, Oil fired, but a used boiler none the less,....

I found a guy on craigslist that had converted to gas, 'n I bought his old oil boiler,....
Aside from the burner assembly, 'bout all you can do is look the boiler housin', 'n whatever else you can see, without takin' it apart too much,...

So long as it ain't been left in freezin' conditions with water still in it, chances are the cast iron parts are Probably Ok,...

The one I put in my rental has been workin' just Fine for the last 4 or 5 years,...
After servicin' it recently, I'm gonna replace the firebox linin' this spring, or atleast before next years heatin' season, as I can see some degradation of the liner,...

Thanks Bondo, that's what I figured. Not really much to check I asked the seller where its been stored and all his pics are in his garage. Theres even a 64 stang in background Ill have to take a good look at it. The boiler that is....and the mustang

If I really was in a pinch and it is checked out by a pro tec , but it won't be a simple change out . This is something you want to have installed by a company who knows steam systems,

There is a lot of things that go into getting a steam system operating correctly. Is the current one or the Burnham boiler sized properly for the amount of radiators in the house?? Are the steam mains properly vented? Are the mains properly insulated? No one makes a "high efficiency" steam boiler, they all top out at the low to mid 80% range. You might want to look into why your current one is using so much gas, you could just change out the boiler and still be in the same boat you are now. Try to find someone who still knows the "lost art" of steam systems to look things over before you make any decision.

Thanks for the replies guy. Installing it is not a problem, and for sure its a lost art! I don't see any way of making my current boiler more efficient, its from 1948 it takes too much gas to make the heat, It probably burnt better on oil to be honest, it may have even been a coal burner way back.

It takes approx. 13 minutes for the radiators to start heating up from cold. The thing I have to my advantage is the house is tight, new windows and doors, insulation is good, and just had the kneewalls and insulation blown in upstairs.

The max efficiency I can get out of a steam boiler is 84 percent which is way more than what im getting now. From what ive been researching the output BTU of the boiler is 85000 and from what I calculated I need at least 60000.

 

[mygarageone]

Thanks Bondo, that's what I figured. Not really much to check I asked the seller where its been stored and all his pics are in his garage. Theres even a 64 stang in background Ill have to take a good look at it. The boiler that is....and the mustang






Thanks for the replies guy. Installing it is not a problem, and for sure its a lost art! I don't see any way of making my current boiler more efficient, its from 1948 it takes too much gas to make the heat, It probably burnt better on oil to be honest, it may have even been a coal burner way back.

It takes approx. 13 minutes for the radiators to start heating up from cold. The thing I have to my advantage is the house is tight, new windows and doors, insulation is good, and just had the kneewalls and insulation blown in upstairs.

The max efficiency I can get out of a steam boiler is 84 percent which is way more than what im getting now. From what ive been researching the output BTU of the boiler is 85000 and from what I calculated I need at least 60000.

13 minutes from a cold start up is not bad but not knowing how much of a system you have hard to tell . But the newer boilers have a lot less water to deal with hence they heat up faster , less fuel etc.
Again , unless you have a knowledgable company or person do the work , you'll
Be sorry .
I suspect your old system has a Hartford loop , they all did back then. It will need changing and everything else that's not up to today's standards.

 

[stealthmagic27]

13 minutes from a cold start up is not bad but not knowing how much of a system you have hard to tell . But the newer boilers have a lot less water to deal with hence they heat up faster , less fuel etc.
Again , unless you have a knowledgable company or person do the work , you'll
Be sorry .
I suspect your old system has a Hartford loop , they all did back then. It will need changing and everything else that's not up to today's standards.

No Hartford loop on the system, Its a single riser on top. Water simply boils makes its way to the radiators and vents out of the radiators. There is no return on the system. The system has a low water cutoff and autofill valve connected.

 

[anthony666]

No Hartford loop on the system, Its a single riser on top. Water simply boils makes its way to the radiators and vents out of the radiators. There is no return on the system. The system has a low water cutoff and autofill valve connected.

if the steam vented out of your rads it would be like a rainforest in your house .. the condensate returns down the feed pipe

 

[yeldogt]

Have you done any heat loss calculation? Doing them and making an estimate will allow you to understand what the house should be using.

 

[stealthmagic27]

if the steam vented out of your rads it would be like a rainforest in your house .. the condensate returns down the feed pipe

Well the pressure does vent, it has too. Every radiator has a small exhaust vent attached. That's what I mean, there is only a feed on the system. There is no return.

 

[anthony666]

read this stealth .. it will save me explaining it http://homerepair.about.com/od/heatingcoolingrepair/ss/Steam-Radiator-And-Air-Valve-Repair.htm

 

[Mike007]

I would recommend finding someone with steam experience. Ive seen many steam jobs screwed up over the years and most were done by "Professionals". A steam boiler needs to match the radiators in total sq ft of steam.

 

[brewchief]

Spend some time on the wall at heatinghelp.com , need to size a steam boiler by the size and type of radiator rather then heat loss of the house.
Proper piping of a steam boiler is critical to its working properly.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[stealthmagic27]

read this stealth .. it will save me explaining it http://homerepair.about.com/od/heatingcoolingrepair/ss/Steam-Radiator-And-Air-Valve-Repair.htm

Got it Anthony thanks, I thought it was steam pressure escaping not the air in the radiators.

Thanks fellers, I found how to calculate sq ft for the radiators so ill do that math.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Have you had the system serviced/inspected?Youd be surprised by how much you can gain just to cleaning the sludge out of the system in an old boiler.
Like Ive told a lot of customers over the years,its a lot easier to boil water than rusty *** mud.

 

[rlitman]

No one makes a "high efficiency" steam boiler, they all top out at the low to mid 80% range.

Correct, but from what I've seen, natural gas conversion burners installed into a system designed to be oil fired have unusually low efficiency.

Have you had the system serviced/inspected?Youd be surprised by how much you can gain just to cleaning the sludge out of the system in an old boiler.
Like Ive told a lot of customers over the years,its a lot easier to boil water than rusty *** mud.

This is true.

 

[rlev11]

Correct, but from what I've seen, natural gas conversion burners installed into a system designed to be oil fired have unusually low efficiency.

Maybe for some, but not all. My Weil McClain SGO-3 oil boiler converted to natural gas is running at 83 % last time the flu analyzer was on it. Probably depends more on the person doing the install and tuning than anything else.

 

[acmikee]

you mean to say you have a one pipe system. the vent at the radiator only lets the air out. steam goes up the pipe in the center of the pipe and the condensate drains down the outside of the pipe on the inside did that make sense? and during the off cycle.

 

[mygarageone]

you mean to say you have a one pipe system. the vent at the radiator only lets the air out. steam goes up the pipe in the center of the pipe and the condensate drains down the outside of the pipe on the inside did that make sense? and during the off cycle.

That's exactly how a single pipe system works. The condensate runs down at the bottom of the pipe , right past the steam. All the piping is pitched back to the boiler.