Shutting down steam boiler for the season
Does it matter how you turn off a one-pipe steam boiler for the season, I’ve heard all things:
flip the emergency shut off switch on boiler?
Drop the thermostat down low so it just never kicks on?
Any other end of season boiler tips?

stickerhappy
in General Discussion 5 years and 4 months ago
12
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Master Plvmber | 5 years and 4 months ago
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Not quite. The law restricting the factory inclusion of standing pilot lights on boilers and furnaces went into effect Sept 1, 2012. We still perform lots of repairs and replacements of “continuous pilot” ignition systems.

RobertGMarvin
in General Discussion 5 years and 4 months ago
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8
Bob Marvin
Bob Marvin 1m a x
That’s one reason why I’m reluctant to replace my 50+ year old furnace. How do you prevent rust over the summer? Do you need an electric heater for the off season? In any case, I was responding to a comment about shutting off the pilot in an existing installation.

shahnandersen
in General Discussion 5 years and 4 months ago
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@BM, I believe that for quite a while now (~30 years) gas boilers do not have pilots. They are required to have electronic ignition.

RobertGMarvin
in General Discussion 5 years and 4 months ago
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RE: pilot lights, I was told to leave mine on year-round so that the heat prevents rust. I have a furnace, rather than a boiler, but I imagine the principle is the same.

cate | 5 years and 4 months ago
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I just turn the thermostat down to nothing. Turning the switch off doesn’t harm the boiler in the least. However, we would be without any hot water were I to do that! (We have a hot water radiator system, not steam, with an oil-fired boiler. It makes hot water as well as heat. No separate water heater.)

stickerhappy | 5 years and 4 months ago
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It’s a gas boiler if that matters

stevecym | 5 years and 4 months ago
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i flip the switch on ours and leave it off (oil). in the house i grew up in which was gas with an actual pilot, my parents just put the thermo down but left the pilot on. if i had gas here, with a pilot, i would probably turn the gas off and relight the pilot in the fall.
that said, i am not sure if there is something else we should or should not be doing.

Guest User | 5 years and 4 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "201901"
No better forum for this kind of question than heatinghelp.com

Guest User | 5 years and 4 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "201901"
No better forum for this kind of question than heatinghelp.com

stickerhappy | 5 years and 4 months ago
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Yes I think so
Weill McLain, maybe 25 years old?

lkrshacmzcy | 5 years and 4 months ago
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Do you have a standard old Cast Iron Boiler? The System is not as important as the Boiler and the type of Ignition.

lkrshacmzcy | 5 years and 4 months ago
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Do you have a standard old Cast Iron Boiler? The System is not as important as the Boiler and the type of Ignition.