New boiler caused these issues?

17 years ago

Just replaced oil boiler with gas boiler and these symptoms started immediately thereafter. Job took 4.5 days to complete, because had to have asbestos contractor remove asbestos and older boiler, then HVAC contractor install new boiler. DHW was shut off during the 4.5 days of work.

Issues

1) After 4.5 days with no DHW, I took a shower that evening after the new boiler was installed and DHW turned back on. Later that night I noted water dropping from the shower head. I turned it on and off, but still the drip continued at the rate of one gallon per 24 hours. It has never dripped before.

2) Two days later, for the first since the DHW had been turned back on, I turned on the hot water of the sitz bath(separate from the shower stall). It is now dripping at similar rate of shower. This faucet has never dripped. What would cause a drip to start after faucet was used, but not after DHW was turned back on?

3) The sink in this same room does not drip. The kitchen sink does not drip. These two faucets have been replaced in the last seven years. The two that are leaking are original from when I purchased home 7 years ago. Is it a coincidence? Can the water pressure have been set higher when the new system was put in?

THE BIG QUESTION - are the radiant pipes that run through my plaster ceiling that are probably the same age as the shower and bath fixtures possibly leaking? I get paralyzed with paranoia when I have this type of infracture work done, because of the potential domino effect.

4) Not enuf hot water when washing dishes. I hand wash dishes. I have noticed that the water runs hot when I am filling the sink. I turn water off. Then over the next 10 - 15 minutes, the hot water is turned on and off quickly to rinse each washed item. The water is barely warm during the rinsing, so that by the time I am done dishes, the sink is full of cool water. With old 55 year old, 30% efficiency oil boiler, water was warm if not hot when rinsing dishes.

How do I get hot water for short, quick demands?

Contractor is coming back Tues to finish job. Is there a connection between dripping faucets in bathroom and new system?

Thanks - Kath'

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Comments (6)

vhehn
17 years ago
probably not
baymee
17 years ago
It's possible they installed a mixing valve which would keep the water around 120. It's also possible that they got dirt or copper shavings in the pipes which now is in the seats of your valves. Could be that the boiler water is set too low. Your heating pipes should not have anything to do with your domestic hot water. They are separate devices.
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baymee
17 years ago
Edit: The boiler's aquastat could be set too low on the low limit.

The aquastat differential could be set incorrectly.

A properly set aquastat should give you consistently uniform hot water temperatures. If you have a mixing valve, it could be set too low.

If the boiler was sized correctly and your quanity use of hot water is reasonable, you should never run out of hot water. By this I mean that you should be able to take a shower and wash dishes at the same time. In the 35 years that I've had domestic water coils and a family of 5, there was never a time that the domestic water even got lukewarm.
baldloonie
17 years ago
Tankless coil or tank heated by the boiler?

I'd guess Baymee is right on crud in the valves knocked loose when the boiler was changed.
kath_inseastpa
Original Author
17 years ago
1) good point about the crud - used shower for the second time (3) days later and afterwards drip was not there and has not resumed 24 hours later. I will run Sitz bath faucet for extended period to see if that can cure the drip. I love these no tool fixes that border on miracles of science!

2) I will have them make adjustment to mixing valve.

3) Type: Triangle Tube Prestige Excellence a High Efficiency Condensing Stainless Steel Wall Mounted Gas Boiler with a built-in "Tank-in-Tank" Indirect Fired Water Heater.

4) Another symptom appears to be occuring with the introduction of this new system: increased moisture in some parts of the home. Evidenced by condensation on windows in the early AM when indoor temp is 65 and outdoor temp is between 39 - 50. From time to time, this symptom occurs but usually when there is a greater degree of in/out door temp in the winter. However it is occuring during temperate weather.

Second symptom is swollen wooden door threshold that is closest to the boiler - to the point that I have to yank the door open and shoulder it to get it to latch. Again this symptom does occur but typically in August on very humid days when there have been a series of rainy days with hot temps, and high humidity. This morning it was 39 degrees and yesterday's high was in the low 60s. We did have rain most of the weekend and this AM was moist so I am hoping this symptom is caused by weather and not changes due to systems.

System modifications from oil to gas: 1) replaced metal flue that had a damper(?)that swung open/shut with a solid PVC pipe through which exhaust exits home. 2) They are not installing an intake pipe to the outdoors, rather using the air in the home. 3) condensate drain is pumped and contained in a vinyl pipe that is inserted into the laundry drain pipe - so no open water.

Thanks all. Kath'
brickeyee
17 years ago
If you do not have a CO alarm, get one and place it in the room directly outside the boiler room.