Vital Information regarding Boilers & Hot Water Heaters

VITAL INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR WATER HEATER AND BOILER

I’m trying to advise people what needs to be done regarding their boilers and water heaters that have been submerged under water or flooded. Many of my customers want to know what to do. Instead of discussing it with each person I decided to compile my opinion based on my research.

As I sit down to write this, I’ve spent the past several days discussing the issues with heating experts and boiler manufacturers. Before Sandy, I’ve never had to deal with floods of this scale. My goals are to do only what is necessary to make the systems safe, get them back up and running, while trying to save my customers as much money as possible.

FACT:

Government agencies such as FEMA, AHRI, and all boiler manufacturers me a statement from Burnham boilers yesterday (Nov 5 2012) say that any gas appliances such as boilers and water heaters that were submerged in water MUST be replaced. They should not be relit by anyone.  (My colleague, Ahron Koster, personally spoke to Peerless boilers, Slant Fin boilers, and sent me a statement from Burnham boilers all yesterday

Even if someone were tell you (as I began telling my customers last Wednsday after the hurricane) before this research that they can save boiler by replacing ALL submerged controls and cleaning pilot tubes and scrubbing boiler sections etc., it is so labor intensive that it would require at least 10 hours labor, and it still could explode. Material cost will never be less than $500 probably close to $1000. And that’s without labor charge. A replacement boiler cost usually in $5000-$8500 range depending on type forced water or steam, how many zones, how large boiler etc. To spend say $3000 on something that will still be full of problems is a waste of money. In addition, any problems you have in the future say G-d forbid it creates small explosion or there is Carbon Monoxide poisining G"F, the insurance companies wont cover it once it went through a flood

Some of the reasons why boiler needs to be replaced are as follows:

1. Carbom Monoxide poisioning- the passageways between sections get blocked with salt mud, etc. When boiler is turned on, if combustion gases can’t go up your chimney, they pour into your house instead
2. fire hazard-
3. water conducts electricity. Electrical controls that get wet can short the hot and neutral wire and catch fire
4. explosion-
5. when gas lines get water in them from flood, salt water, raw sewage etc. toxins in them can make natural gas explode
6. wears out quicker-
7. once it get salt water on the cast iron sections, it will wear out quicker causing a leaky boiler
8. chemical contamination-
9. sections that get contaminated cause the combustion process to be altered. Residue on sections from flood can be flammable depending on what it picked up
10. sand, silt and mud-
11. gets soaked into insulation causing them to mold. Gets into burner tubes and manifold results in explosions or bad combustion

If you are a skeptic and think the agencies are just not caring about your situation or maybe the boiler companies are just trying to sell new boilers then listen to my most recent experience at the house of Avrohom and Fryde Rekant of Lawrence, New York. I went to his house Thursday believing I could replace only the controls and clean up the boiler.

Here is what happened so far: I replaced all electrical controls that got submerged, the circulator pump. Here is what I did concerning the gas end: I replaced the gas valve and thermocouple. I removed the pilot orifice- it was clean. I emptied out water from the pilot tubing and blew out what ever water was left. I removed all the burners tubes and emptied them out from water and wiped them down and put them back. I cleaned the burner manifold tube and soaked the water as much as possible with paper towels and cleaned out the burner manifold orfices. The pilot is burning nicely a clean blue flame.

PROBLEM :When I turn the boiler on, on a call for heat when the main valve opens up some of the time there’s a delay of 2-3 seconds and the flame lights with a small boom, yeah actually a small explosion. Got the flame explosion 3 out of every 4 tries. Meaning 1 out of 4 was normal and smooth.
I tried to adjust the pilot flame thinking that the pilot flame thinking that the pilot flame was a little small and I found it already at its maximum before I touched it.
I obviously did not leave the customer like that. Shut down boiler.That's where I ended last night and that’s where I’m done with thinking I know better than FEMA and the boiler manufactures. He needs to replace his boiler. End of Story. Oh and by the way. He just replaced it before Pesach.

　

Finally. Please look at the following links on your computer (if you have a generator or power) You will see issues on black and white. Throw the appliances out.

　

http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/143163/SUBMERGED-Boilers-and-Water-heater-What-absolutely-needs-replacing#p1277915

http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/143072/Flood-Clean-Up-Cautions

　

I would like to thankTJH for taking this article with its due seriousness. Would like to thank Ahron Koster for calling the boiler companies and using him as a chavrusa to sharpen the "sugya". He’s a great plumber from Kew Gardens He can be reached at 917 613 0193.He does come to work in the Rockaways and Five Towns. Would like to thank the Rekants for their patience and calm demeaner even now as they still have no heat. I can be reached at 718 9866007 or email josephfar@kewnet.com. I’m happy to help you out.

I have a lot of money saving ways to help with your heat in the interum period, but have not had time to write it. Hopefully will be addendum article next week

You can text me or email me tour questions. Yossie Hardoon-HHI SERVICES LLC

PLEASE DO NOT HAVE AN UNQUALIFIED PERSON TO WIRE YOUR BOILER TO A GENERATOR. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, NOT ALL ELECTRICIANS ARE FAMILIAR WITH BOILERS. THEY MUST KNOW THE FUNCTION OF ALL BOILER CONTROLS BEFORE WIRING IT. I JUST CAME FROM A CALL WHERE A LOCAL SHUL SENT AROUND A GROUP OF PEOPLE DOING CHESED TO DIFFERENT FAMILIES TO GET THEM HEAT. THE PERSON BYPASSED WITH HIS WIRING THE LOW WATER CUT OFF ON A 24 VOLT STEAM/GAS SYSTEM. THE LOW WATER CUT OFF IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE ON A STEAM BOILER. IN ADDITION, HE WIRED A 120 VOLTS TO A 24 VOLT GAS VALVE. ASIDE FROM DESTROYING THE GAS VALVE, WHICH IS AN EXPENSIVE COMPONENT, IF HIS IDEA WOULD HAVE WORKED, HE WOULD HAVE LEFT THEM IN A PRECARIOUS SITUATION. WHAT IS BETTER, SOME COLD OR THE IRREPLACABLE LOSS OF A FAMILY?

IN ADDITION, ANYONE WHOSE GAS BOILER OR WATER HEATER WAS SUBMERGED IN WATER SHOULD HAVE THE GAS VALVE SHUT OFF AND NOT TO BE TURNED ON BEFORE A QUALIFIED PLUMBER/HVAC CONTRACTOR CAN COME LOOK AT YOUR APPLIANCE. THIS INCLUDES WATER HEATERS WHOSE MAIN BURNER TRAY GOT SUBMERGED IN WATER. THIS MEANS IF YOU GOT ABOUT 4 INCHES OF WATER YOU SHOULD NOT LIGHT YOUR WATER HEATER BY YOURSELF. YOU NEED A PERSON WITH EXPERIENCE TO WATCH HOW THE FLAME IS BURNING AND BEHAVING BEFORE LEAVING IT ALONE. YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY KNOW THIS EVEN IF YOU KNOW HOW TO LIGHT YOUR WATER HEATER. ANY DOUBTS THAT YOU HAVE, DO NOT PROCEED