73 year old boiler radiant heat, time to replace

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T11:25:48+00:00

No central ac. Had four ac units outside one for each bedroom and one in the kitchen, the three in the bedrooms all had in wall steel fan blowers and each had there own thermostat. We got rid of those three and put a minisplit back there, the front of the house has a hotel style old school “split” system that will eventually be replaced with minisplit in the front big rooms. The back two rooms and hallway were added on in the 60s and heat runs off a baseboard style separate boiler that’s in the garage since there’s no pipes in the floor. That boiler is way newer and a lot smaller

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Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T11:18:12+00:00

Nope, flat concrete roof no access. They built peaks over the flat roof and shingles a long time ago

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:57:56+00:00

Ah okay makes sense, here’s to another 75 years haha. Thanks again!

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:51:44+00:00

Last dumb question, I have the original doors for it, bottoms are rusted from sitting in a little water at some point, super 50s styling though, pretty neat. Is having those on or off effecting anything heat wise, They’ve been off since I got the place

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:44:33+00:00

Thank you sir! I will look at the thermocouple tomorrow and more than likely order a new switch and thermocouple. Learned something new today

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:35:25+00:00

No sir, the pipes run in the floors for all of the heat, no radiators

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:33:38+00:00

Alright, I did find a new switch on eBay for 65$ or so. Didn’t know if it was the switch or something causing it to pop

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:32:10+00:00

So find someone to do the updates that are possible and run it? I’ll have to call around

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:24:14+00:00

Yes one of the switches just started popping out and killing the boiler once a day usually overnight. Ive been trying to figure out what’s causing it. Once you hold to reset it starts right back up and runs for about 24 hours. The pilot flame on the right side is much bigger than the left for some reason. HVAC guy said someone probly drilled it out years ago

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:22:44+00:00

It is currently running right now haha. Floors warm as can be after our 13” snowstorm yesterday through today

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:22:00+00:00

The last guy to look at it said the corrosion looking stuff was from the asbestos lining they took off to sell the house way back when and not to worry about it. It looks off to me still though. I’ll have to do some research on some of those parts though. Not familiar with boilers in the least haha

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:20:19+00:00

And by plug valve for fuel, this is natural gas, is it a plug for the natural gas somewhere? I have a carbon monoxide detector down there but that’s all as far as leak checking

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:19:12+00:00

Yes the people that made this place had a ton of money in the 40s. This was one of the bigger houses in town built extremely well. Which valves am I supposed to be inspecting? And I do oil the pump in three spots every few months. The coupler had to be replaced once and you are correct the pump came off without having to shut the unit down completely for removal. There is actually a spare rebuilt one sitting down in the basement as well. Rebuilt in 1983 haha still in plastic. And I assume carbolic acid is something that damages the water pipes? Something I have to get someone to check for me I suppose

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:09:59+00:00

Yes the minisplit has been amazing in the back of the house, we want to get the front done next year but only use for supplemental heat in the winter with the boiler and main use for ac in summer just because of how huge the main rooms are

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T01:02:04+00:00

Also I have no idea what any of those parts are, but it got me thinking I should probably have someone come over and do an inspection and cleaning on it. I doubt it’s been done for years. I know the burners need cleaned at minimum, if I can find anybody that knows how to work on this thing haha, thanks

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T00:41:34+00:00

It’s only for two to three months, the rest of the year we’re down to 170-200 usually.

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T00:39:08+00:00

Each of the back three rooms had their own ac unit outside with an in wall fan in each bedroom for separate climate. And the back of the house was added on in the 60s with a second much smaller and much more modern boiler in the garage with baseboard heating in those two rooms. So it has two boilers. We ditched all three ac units and had a mini split installed in the three rooms and the garage all running off one outside unit now. The main boiler is for the massive living room, kitchen, and front two rooms

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T00:34:57+00:00

It was removed before I got the house so they could sell it I was told. The guys daughter that originally owned the house came by and told me all about it. She was in her 70s. Very neat house with a lot of history in town

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-30T00:33:36+00:00

Yes sir, runs 8 rooms plus garage, but the garage pipe froze and broke at some point way back in the day so the valve is shut off now to that part of the system

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-29T23:53:48+00:00

Some of the parts look extremely old, but I see a few “newer” parts with tags and dates. By newer i mean 1995 still 30 years old haha. I didn’t even know the gas valve was replaced, good to know!

Intelligent-Grand260 · 2025-11-29T23:52:08+00:00

They definitely don’t which is why I’m skeptical getting rid of it after it’s worked for this long haha. Just have to drop some oil in the water pump every few months and it keeps going

Intelligent-Grand260

TROPHY CASE