# Boiler advice



## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Doing a a drain call at a laundromat and the owner asked me to look at the boilers that were not working. One fired right up when I turned power off then back on, most likely ignition module lockout and boiler runs normal. Second one has failed transformer 120volts in, 0 volts out. Replaced transformer to test, pump motor starts smoking, shutdown power and check impepeller of pump and it won't move at all. Going out on Friday to replace pump to further inspect operation, ive never worked on a boiler but 95% of the components are the the same as furnace parts. Raypak unit with pictures below, anything to else to look for?


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

...


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

it still blows my mind that the areas that dont have cold weather can just run water lines outside..a different animal from here...its a whopping 7 degrees upstate by oneonta now and the wind howling( end of hunting season)..lol.....
since those units are exposed to the weather, corrosion on the electrical connections or relays would get an extra look as possible trouble spots...what are those boilers for? heating ? and if they are , do they contain antifreeze?


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

The motor doesn't look like rated for outdoor use..

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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

rjbphd said:


> The motor doesn't look like rated for outdoor use..
> 
> Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk


I think it had a cover over the motor, if you see the same unit behind this one, but still in the rain and storms, too much moisture can get into the motor and electronics, along with any little critter that wants a warm spot to make a nest, and then chew through wiring...we have alot of gas fired pool heaters on the island and animals wreck havoc on them, all kinds of nests and chewed up stuff...


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> it still blows my mind that the areas that dont have cold weather can just run water lines outside..a different animal from here...its a whopping 7 degrees upstate by oneonta now and the wind howling( end of hunting season)..lol.....
> since those units are exposed to the weather, corrosion on the electrical connections or relays would get an extra look as possible trouble spots...what are those boilers for? heating ? and if they are , do they contain antifreeze?


They're for water heating only, business is a laundromat, storage tanks are down below. Serves about 30-40 washing machines. Electrical connections looked good.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> I think it had a cover over the motor, if you see the same unit behind this one, but still in the rain and storms, too much moisture can get into the motor and electronics, along with any little critter that wants a warm spot to make a nest, and then chew through wiring...we have alot of gas fired pool heaters on the island and animals wreck havoc on them, all kinds of nests and chewed up stuff...


Correct, pump has a cover. No rodent issues, on rooftops here I see more issues with pigeons than rodents.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

I could see being on a coast will cause all sorts of issues with salt air, Like when they had to rework connections to the plating on the statue of liberty several years ago. Corrosion was nasty.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

GAN said:


> I could see being on a coast will cause all sorts of issues with salt air, Like when they had to rework connections to the plating on the statue of liberty several years ago. Corrosion was nasty.


Im on the south shore of long island and all those water front houses( on the ocean) are destroyed by the salt, all the windows have a white haze on them and everything metal is rusted, not much left on many cast drains that are in the ground..


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

South Shore of LI *???? Why aren't you doing boiler replacement? ???

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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

rjbphd said:


> South Shore of LI *???? Why aren't you doing boiler replacement? ???
> 
> Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk


I do, lots of oil to natural gas conversions, and all the ones from the hurricane a few years back...


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Pump on the supply or return side of furance? 

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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

rjbphd said:


> Pump on the supply or return side of furance?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk



LOL...show me a furnace with any hydronics and then ill tell you which side...
boilers , it goes on the supply side...one of the main reason package boilers come with the circ on the return side was for easier crating of the boiler, not because it works better on the return..


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

rjbphd said:


> The motor doesn't look like rated for outdoor use..
> 
> Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk


ODP (open drip proof) are rated for outdoor use. That's all I can add as I know nothing about the rest of the system.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> Im on the south shore of long island and all those water front houses( on the ocean) are destroyed by the salt, all the windows have a white haze on them and everything metal is rusted, not much left on many cast drains that are in the ground..


Isn't that crazy? I live on the west coast and we have zero trouble with salt. Maybe it's windier back east? Maybe on the west coast of Vancouver Island they have more salt problems, but here in the Vancouver area it just seems like a big lake. :laughing:


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

futz said:


> Isn't that crazy? I live on the west coast and we have zero trouble with salt. Maybe it's windier back east? Maybe on the west coast of Vancouver Island they have more salt problems, but here in the Vancouver area it just seems like a big lake. :laughing:


how far above see level are you? that may have alot todo with it, we are flat as a board here and right at sea level, the ground is saturated with salt water at high tide( by the water front houses)..


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Spoken as a true hydronic heating guy! 

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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

ShtRnsdownhill said:


> how far above see level are you? that may have alot todo with it, we are flat as a board here and right at sea level, the ground is saturated with salt water at high tide( by the water front houses)..


We're pretty much right at, or just above, sea level. There's lots of dikes around the area.


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## MDservices (May 9, 2016)

The days of yore when they used to install boilers as high up as possible... was quite popular 100 years ago and of course even today for large buildings but can't figure out why it'd be outside... that's just asking for trouble. I work on those raypak units quite often... never worked on one installed outside. They're durable units though.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

MDservices said:


> The days of yore when they used to install boilers as high up as possible... was quite popular 100 years ago and of course even today for large buildings but can't figure out why it'd be outside... that's just asking for trouble. I work on those raypak units quite often... never worked on one installed outside. They're durable units though.


They're probably outside because we have very mild weather. Here is a picture of the forecast.

Update- replaced the pump and it's working fine.


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## MDservices (May 9, 2016)

Yeah, certainly mild compared to Canada! But just being outside in general can wear things down quicker than if it was inside.

I love troubleshooting boilers and furnaces. The wording is a bit trickier here in Montreal because everythings is mostly french so a "furnace" and "boiler" are actually interchangeable words, both for hydronics. But we can't use "boiler" when talking about forced hair systems. Anyways, just in case I mess up the term in the future, keep that in mind! I rarely work on forced air systems!


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

I beat people with folding ruler when they call boiler a furnace 

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