# Just another boiler



## Nikolai (Dec 17, 2009)

My company's residential department is currently understaffed so I got pulled from the commercial department to help with a job. Installed a Lockinvar WHN155 and Lockinvar Squire. I personally hate Propress but my employer insists upon using it :wallbash: Pics were prior to hooking up all the pex, the job included a complete hydronic repipe of the house(froze while HO were overseas) along with all new baseboard.

Please ignore the wiring, it had not been cleaned up yet.




























Please speak up if there's something you would change. I can't rely on my coworkers for help so I look to you guys for suggestions. I don't install very many boilers so I'm just going off the manual and what I find searching the forums.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

Nice looking job. :thumbsup:

Not criticism, just curious why you don't use some type of isolation between the copper and unistrut.


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## Nikolai (Dec 17, 2009)

TP, you beat me to posting. I usually save that for the end of the job in case there's a leak and I have to unsweat a fitting. In this case was it even necessary since the the only copper is inside the boiler room and everything else is pex?

Also, since the boiler feed piping is black iron, wouldn't just be a cause for electrolysis as well? This is a topic that sometimes has me confused and I've had a hard time getting answers at work.


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

Only thing I would suggest might be some more isolation valves, if you need to replace a pump or zone valve. 
The only other thing I'm not sure about is can the expansion tank be on it's side like that?


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

Nikolai said:


> TP, you beat me to posting. I usually save that for the end of the job in case there's a leak and I have to unsweat a fitting. In this case was it even necessary since the the only copper is inside the boiler room and everything else is pex?
> 
> Also, since the boiler feed piping is black iron, wouldn't just be a cause for electrolysis as well? This is a topic that sometimes has me confused and I've had a hard time getting answers at work.


I was thinking more towards vibration.


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## Nikolai (Dec 17, 2009)

Everything I've read says they can be mounted horizontally. I should have added a few BV's, that was something I overlooked. I prefer to use sweat flanged ball valves on each side of the pumps but my employer won't purchase them(eats into profit).


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

What did you do after lunch? Lol, it looks really good my friend. Great work!


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Nikolai said:


> Everything I've read says they can be mounted horizontally. I should have added a few BV's, that was something I overlooked. I prefer to use sweat flanged ball valves on each side of the pumps but my employer won't purchase them(eats into profit).


So he demands propress, but won't spring for valves?:no:

And what about the other one, with the pressure zone?


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

One thing I don't see is a T&P or other safety valve, Do they mount somewhere else on the unit?


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Looks good. Very compact. That must have been fun to plan all that out and get it all to fit right.

I know it's not Propress, but have you considered using prefab header for places where you have multiple tees in a row, like for your zone valves and a couple other spots there? I use it all the time and it saves bigtime on both material and labor. 1-1/4" x 3/4" header costs me $5.85 per tee, whereas a 1-1/4" x 3/4" copper tee costs me $10.00 here, plus I have to clean, flux and solder it. It's not good for everything, but on heating jobs it's really handy to have some around.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

titan plumbing said:


> nice looking job. :thumbsup:
> 
> Not criticism, just curious why you don't use some type of isolation between the copper and unistrut.


 







These work good.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Greenguy said:


> One thing I don't see is a T&P or other safety valve, Do they mount somewhere else on the unit?


On the top of the unit left side I believe...
Not shown in any of the pics...


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

Ahh gotcha never had the privilage of installing or see'ing one of them yet, whats the controls like on that system? (similar to a Solo Prestige or IBC?)


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## Nikolai (Dec 17, 2009)

The relief valve piping had not been run yet, I was waiting until the pex was run. It is located on the top left of the unit.



> Looks good. Very compact. That must have been fun to plan all that out and get it all to fit right.


I enjoyed it. I like a challenge and this install definitely had me thinking a few times. 



> I know it's not Propress, but have you considered using prefab header for places where you have multiple tees in a row, like for your zone valves and a couple other spots there? I use it all the time and it saves bigtime on both material and labor. 1-1/4" x 3/4" header costs me $5.85 per tee, whereas a 1-1/4" x 3/4" copper tee costs me $10.00 here, plus I have to clean, flux and solder it. It's not good for everything, but on heating jobs it's really handy to have some around.


Great idea and our prefab shop builds their own with a T-drill, but they didn't have any available at the time of the install.



> So he demands propress, but won't spring for valves?:no:
> 
> And what about the other one, with the pressure zone?


The Well Mclain install was for the commercial department. They have a larger budget to work with and much higher standards. The residential dept. is all about getting the job done quick, which drives me off the wall. Quality takes time, but no one seems to care.

Thanks for the compliments.


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## hasbean (Jun 27, 2011)

Being a english old timer who done things different, the job looks very neat, what is the black topped red box on the floor, and black iron as gas feed I surpose.

has bean


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

hasbean said:


> Being a english old timer who done things different, the job looks very neat, what is the black topped red box on the floor, and black iron as gas feed I surpose.
> 
> has bean


 




That black topped red box on floor looks to me like a condensate pump. A mini-lift station installed when a gravity drain won't work.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Good looking install. Pipes look plumb, level and straight...:thumbsup:

In bottom picture, above the thermal expansion tank is black iron connected to what looks like a pressure-reducing valve, then on the other side of the pressure-reducing valve is copper, what's that? Water feed?


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## Nikolai (Dec 17, 2009)

The red box is a condensate pump, and the 2" PVC tube behind the exp. tank is the condensate neutralizer. The condensate was pumped to the washer box.

The small yellow handled BV below the four Hammon BV's is the boiler feed. Next in line is the backflow preventor, fast fill, expansion tank, and then spiro vent (air eliminator).


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