Recommendations for new boiler

[L. Brown]

Hello BP, my tenants boiler is 30 years old and about to die. Anyone have any recommendations for someone that is qualified and does an excellent job with boiler replacement? Thanks, L

[George W.]

Originally posted by @L. Brown:

@George W. I’m not referring to the water heater. I’m using boiler to mean the thing that sends steam to the radiators.

I'd get a old school plumber that's known for working on steam. While 30 years old is not new, it's not that old in terms of boilers. At my old job we worked on steam systems that were so old they were converted from coal to oil to gas and still ran pretty well with no leaks.

Usually what kills a steam boiler is dry firing, running without any water in it and that can be caused by something as simple as a clogged return and low water cut off that isnt functioning right. Other than that theyll fail when they get too much mud/rust in them from never being serviced inside the cast iron sections. Also a clogged chimney will make the iron brittle and break.

The longevity of a steam boiler comes down to who owned it before more than anything. If they never cleaned and serviced the sections than its probably pretty whooped. A good plumber can "flood" a steam boiler and pull off the jacket on the top to tell you if the cast iron is leaking pretty easily. If the cast irons in good shape I'd keep running with it as long as there is no issues with saftey controls. 

If it is a hydronic boiler they can last even longer because the operating temp is lower, steam is a harsh environment but if it was properly maintained a 30 year old steam boiler wouldn't intimidate me. 

If you do go the replacement route, you should really find someone who's experienced with steam boilers. A lot of plumbers anymore dont know them well it's a dead man's form of heat.