boiler-question

Boilers are something of a hot topic in the Brownstoner forum. Readers have asked about everything from how to tame schizophrenic boilers to the differences in boiler types, boiler sizing, expansion tanks, and even the boiler’s surprising impact on basement ceiling materials.

Summer is boiler replacement season (trust us, you don’t want to swap out your boiler in mid-winter). And that means it’s time to ask one of the most basic — and dreaded — questions a Brooklyn boiler owner has to face:

What’s Involved in a Boiler Installation?

A boiler typically has two main roles: to heat the air inside a home and to also heat the home’s hot water. It does this by burning a fuel — usually oil or gas — to make very hot water. Some of this water feeds directly into the plumbing system when you turn on your faucet. But it also flows through a system of closed pipes and radiators throughout the home, transferring heat to the air. As the water cools, it is pumped back to the boiler to be heated again.

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Replacing a boiler is one of the most expensive home repairs you can make. So you definitely want to feel confident that it’s done right the first time around.

The most important thing you can do is hire a licensed plumber who specializes in boiler installation. If yours is a steam system or runs on oil, make sure to find a professional with experience in the sub-specialty.

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In addition to physically installing your boiler, there are a few key things your plumber will do:

They’ll Find the Problem That Killed Your Old Boiler

Your boiler is at the heart of an entire heating ecosystem including the pipes, radiators, and thermostat. But just like the heart and circulatory system in your body, a problem with one part will have compounded effects on the others. Your plumber will look at every aspect of this system to find and fix any issues.

Michael and Jeanne Petri at Brooklyn’s Petri Plumbing warned us that:

“Most old boilers fail because of a system problem. If you don’t repair the problem that causes your existing boiler to fail, the new boiler which you spent your hard earned money on will fail as well and rather quickly.”

Professionals will know to check the boiler controls, boiler size, pipe sizing and pitch, header pipe size, placement of air eliminators and valves, valve functionality, and — if your system is a steam system — the distance between the end of the steam main and the water level, all the radiators, radiator valves, and steam eliminators.

John Cataneo of Gateway Plumbing & Heating told Brownstoner:

“If not done correctly, that arrangement of piping can have the effect of a blocked artery, forcing the heart of your system to overwork in its attempt to get the steam or heated water to where it’s needed. The thermostat in your living space will be telling your boiler, “give us more heat” and your boiler will obediently respond, but a large percentage of the burning fuel’s heat could very well be traveling up and out the chimney rather than reaching your radiators.”

A full system check will also help your plumber recommend the right type and size for your new boiler.

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A Brooklyn boiler installation showing near-boiler piping. Photo by Gateway Plumbing

Your Plumber Will Double Check the Pipes

Your boiler manufacturer’s installation manual will have a piping schematic your plumber will follow during installation. Then the plumber should check it against the actually installed work.

Michael and Jeanne Petri bemoaned the problems attendant upon skipping this step, adding “I cannot tell you how many boilers we re-pipe because the previous heating contractor did not size the header opening correctly.”

In steam systems, the boiler header is the place that collects all of the hot steam made by the boiler before sending it out to the radiators. The header is pressurized and helps send out the steam at the right rate. If the header opening (the pipe from the boiler to the header) isn’t the right size, it can compromise the pressure of your steam system.

But all sizing and pipe information is detailed in your boiler’s schematic.

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Example of a piping schematic

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A gas-fired boiler system. Photo via Wikipedia

Your Plumber Will Find Ways to Make Your New Boiler More Efficient

Two strategies for increasing boiler efficiency — and, by extension, performance and lifespan — are gaining steam. Priority control lets you specify whether the boiler is making hot water for heating or for the tap. Boilers used to burn enough fuel to heat both the radiators and domestic hot water at the same time. But with priority control, a smaller boiler can efficiently switch between the two functions, typically prioritizing water for the tap.

Primary/secondary piping creates two circuits of flowing water that provide for optimal, independent flow for both the boiler and system. Basically, your boiler was made to work with a certain amount of water flow to and from the radiators. But your pipes and radiator system work best with a different amount. Primary/secondary piping is a clever way to optimize both, helping your radiators retain heat while also maximizing boiler efficiency.

Your plumber will likely bring up these options.

A third way to potentially optimize your new boiler’s performance is to simply relocate the thermostat. As many brownstoner owners know, heat rises. So if your thermostat is on the top floor, lower levels can get frigid in winter. If it’s on the ground floor, upper levels can easily become a sauna.

John Cataneo of Gateway Plumbing & Heating told us:

“It’s not uncommon to register a temperature difference of 15 degrees or more from the bottom to top level of a three-or four-story residential building. Small wonder that a wintertime walk down a street of townhouses reveals wide-open windows, spilling the expensively overheated air into the frigid outside atmosphere.”

The best place for a thermostat is somewhere it won’t be subject to drafts or localized heat from cooking, lighting, or the sun. Usually, this is in the core of the building for a brownstone, or the largest room in an apartment.

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Finally, Your Plumber Will Schedule a Follow-up

Your heating professional should come back about six weeks later to service the new boiler. If it’s a hot water system, they’ll check that all of the controls are working correctly and that the boiler turns off at the right temperature. For a steam system, your plumber will ensure that it is working smoothly, and also clean the boiler by skimming oils off the top of the water.

Installation time-lapse courtesy of Gateway Plumbing

If you’ve got a question about your home, post it to the forum.
If you’re looking for a contractor, check out Brownstoner’s Local Home Pros.

Special thanks to our boiler experts Michael and Jeanne Petri at Brooklyn’s Petri Plumbing and John Cataneo of Gateway Plumbing & Heating.

Images from Brownstoner unless otherwise indicated


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