water heating

Turning wrenches since he was 17 years old, George DeJesus (@georgetheplumber) considers himself relatively lucky during these crazy times were going through, as the service calls are still trickling in, with some days bit slower than usual. During the current state of the trades during the pandemic, DeJesus says it’s hard going into customer’s homes right now, but he is taking the necessary precautions to take to keep himself as safe as he can. Pandemic or not, “I’ve learned to never get too comfortable that the jobs are going to come in,” says DeJesus. “You have to give great customer service so you get called the next time.”

DeJesus transferred to a trade school during his junior year of high school and got his first plumbing job at 17, and he hasn’t looked back. “High school just wasn’t for me. Finding this trade was my savior; I could have gone down a very bad road but I got a job, learned this trade and found I could be good at something. From there, it was easy to apply myself. I continue to learn every day, and teach when I can,” says DeJesus.

Having worked with various companies throughout the years has helped DeJesus become very well-rounded, learning more skills with each experience. For the past two years, DeJesus has worked for All Clear Plumbing and Drains, Succasunna, N.J., where he specializes in boiler and drain cleaning residential work, finding gratification in troubleshooting the most difficult service work jobs. “I love being a plumber. It’s hard work but when you have a difficult job and figure it out, it leaves you with great satisfaction,” says DeJesus.

DeJesus considers himself very fortunate to have had many mentors over the years, but perhaps none more influential than his father, a very hard working and dedicated general contractor. “There are new skills to be learned and I try to learn as much as I can about each position I take. The friends that I have met through the years are great guys and I love learning and sharing skills I know with them.”

What advice would DeJesus give to someone thinking about entering the trades? “It’s hard work but a good living. Don’t be lazy. If I’m showing you how to do something, pay attention and get involved. Keep your phone in your pocket. Measure twice and cut once,” says DeJesus.

One outlet DeJesus has found most satisfying and beneficial is social media. “I have definitely found social media to increase my friendships and knowledge,” says DeJesus. “It’s amazing that no matter how much you think you know, you can still learn more. I talk to most of my Instagram friends more than the friends I have locally. They can relate to what struggles come with the job and can celebrate the triumphs. I’m so thankful to have been able to make friends with so many great people.”

A proud install: oil-to-gas conversion; boiler was moved from one side of the house to the other to gain space. Added a zone of heat in the addition with a stat.

Yet one of DeJesus’ biggest struggles is balancing work and family time. In his “spare time,” DeJesus likes going to the movies with his wife and family, and he enjoys taking day trips and weekend trips. “I tend to put too much into my work. Even on my days off or when I get home, I tend to be catching up with IG and social media,” says DeJesus. “Lately, I’ve been trying to teach my kids some of the trade, and I do listen to my wife when she tries to focus me back to family time. Well, most of the time.”

In the end, DeJesus is a craftsman and he is proud of the work he does, and it shows. In fact, when asked when the last time he said, “Man, today is a great day!” he responded that it happened last week with his last boiler install. “I stepped back and felt that it was probably one of my best and favorite installs.”

With hard work and his willingness to get better, the trades have been good to DeJesus. You get what you put into it. “Not many people can say they make six figures and don’t even have a high school degree … well, at least working legally!” says DeJesus.

Lancaster, Pa.-based U.S. Boiler Company recently launched its new online training program, called U.S.B-U (U.S. Boiler University).

U.S.B-U was developed to provide an archive of readily accessible information to help heating professionals perform service and installations quickly, and with a high degree of confidence. This new training platform delivers educational content in video and blog format. Live online training seminars are also offered.

The training material is developed U.S. Boiler Company’s technical sales and support staff. The first course, Installing High Efficiency Boilers, was released April 6, 2020, followed by sessions for venting high efficiency boilers and primary/secondary piping.

By breaking the training material into 10 to 15-minute online modules, U.S.B-U provides the content in a digestible, convenient format. Anyone who installs and services boilers will find the information highly informative, regardless of the boiler brand they install.

U.S.B-U was created to provide more training opportunities to professionals in a rapidly changing industry, and as a valuable resource for the coming heating season, when HVAC professionals may be in higher demand than ever before.  U.S. Boiler Company feels that the relatively mild 2019-2020 winter, coupled with the current global pandemic, will create a “perfect storm” of installations and service calls in 2020-2021. Contractors who are able to quickly and efficiently perform these services will be well positioned to meet the need.

To learn more or receive updates on U.S. Boiler Company’s training offerings, visit https://www.usboiler.net/u-s-boiler-university.html

I will always preach that a successful cast iron water boiler installation begins with proper planning. I worked for an oil company for 20 long years, and nine years of that I was a service manager. During this time, I came across many problematic jobsites. I would evaluate the installation issues and try to figure out where the problems had started. This knowledge has greatly helped me as a Training Manager for U.S. Boiler Company. Now, after 40 years in the heating business, I know how important proper boiler installation planning really is for reducing the number of problem jobs and expensive callbacks. In fact, planning is much easier than you may think …

1. Proper boiler sizing. Complete a thorough heat loss calculation. Do not fall into the trap of oversizing the boiler because you sized it based on the old boiler size or you measured the connected radiation load, and never allow the customer to talk you into a larger boiler than needed. Today, with physically smaller boilers and less water volume, oversized boilers will short cycle more than ever. Increased short cycling means higher maintenance, higher fuel costs, and higher installation costs.
2. Follow the boiler Installation & Operation (I&O) Manual. Be sure to follow one of the suggested near boiler piping options listed in the manual. The boiler tapping may not have to be the same size as the manifold piping. Use the flow charts for pipe size. You can pipe the boiler the same size as the tapping, or in some cases, use smaller piping dependent on the heat loss requirement. When the heat loss is known and the proper boiler size is chosen, you may be able to use smaller air separators, expansion tanks, and piping. You can use the following as a guide to size the boiler and system piping:

• 3/4” pipe = 40,000 BTU’s @ 4 – 5 GPM (gallons per minute)
• 1” pipe = 70,000 BTU’s @ 7 – 8 GPM
• 1-1/4” pipe = 160,000 BTU’s @ 16 – 18 GPM

3. Bypass piping. Bypass piping is discussed briefly in the I&O manual. We cannot continue to install modern cast iron boilers the same way we used to install boilers with larger water volumes. When needed, a bypass system should be installed to protect the boiler. There are primary/secondary piping and circulated bypass options, both of which we will discuss later in this article.

The bypass system discussed in the manual is called a “boiler bypass” and is always installed the same size as the supply and return headers. When adjusted, the water flow through the boiler is slowed so the water spends more time in the boiler. This allows the boiler temperature to increase faster and decreases the possibility of boiler condensation. This means that some of the system return water is bypassed around the boiler and enters the supply beyond the boiler. I know what you are about to say. “Well, that will cool off the supply water going to the homes heating system!” That is correct, but it is not a problem. This is what I call a “poor man’s outdoor reset.”

The system will run quieter and the system water temperature will increase slowly until the radiation outputs enough heat to satisfy the thermostat. The colder it gets outside, the hotter the system supply water temperature will be. When the valve placement is installed as shown in the manual, we can easily adjust the ΔT through the boiler. Simply put, leave the bypass valve open and adjust the flow through the boiler with either valve located on supply or return pipes below the bypass pipe to slow the flow and force more water through the bypass. Partially close one of these valves and check the ΔT through the boiler. You will need a minimum of a 20°F rise. If this is a large water volume system, like cast iron radiation, increase the ΔT through the boiler to 35 – 40°F ΔT.

Quick Tip: If the bypass is hotter than the return pipe, the flow is backwards and you have piped a system bypass as opposed to a boiler bypass. Follow the piping in the manual to verify correct installation. 

4. Primary/secondary piping option. Primary/secondary piping utilizes hydraulic separation so that the water flow from system pumps do not affect boiler pump flow. This allows us to reduce the flow through the boiler to heat the water faster and heat the water to a higher temperature without affecting the flow in the system. In other words, we can have a higher flow in the system and a lower flow in the boiler. We still want a minimum of 20°F rise through the boiler, and for higher water volume systems we want a higher ΔT near 35°F – 40°F.

5. Variable speed bypass pump option. To have the best boiler protection, install a variable speed bypass pump with a temperature sensor. This will change the speed of the pump to obtain the proper return water temperature. We offer a variable speed bypass kit with instructions for gas water boilers. This will protect the boiler in a high-water volume system or radiant in-floor radiation application.

Quick Note: My concern, and the reason for the above discussion of boiler protection from condensation, is excessive water flow through the boiler and slower temperature increase. I have experienced multiple boiler installations where the ΔT through the boiler is less than 20°F. In fact, I have witnessed some as low as 8°F. Lower ΔT’s are a result of excessive flow, possibly caused by the number or circulator sizes installed on the system. So, what is the minimum flow rate on cast iron water boilers? Look in the I&O manual under specifications and find the DOE heating capacity (MBH) of the boiler. For instance, the Series 3 model 304B has an input of 105k MBH and a DOE heating capacity of 88k MBH. Divide the DOE output by 10,000 to discover the maximum flow required by the boiler. If your flow exceeds that number, the ΔT will be less than 20°F. You can use this hydraulic formula to determine flow rate through the boiler.

6. Avoid short cycling. Short cycling is caused by lower water flow, or higher ΔT. Higher ΔT may mean that the circulator is to small, the boiler is oversized, or the valves not adjusted properly. Generally, the minimum boiler flow should be half (but not limited to) of the maximum boiler flow.

Boiler Flow Formula:

Q/(500*ΔT) = Flow

Q = DOE Heating Capacity

Let’s put some numbers to that formula.  Let’s assume that a boiler has a ΔT of 15°F. The Series 3 model 304 (referenced above) has a DOE heating capacity of 88,000.

88,000/10,000 = 8 GPM. This is the maximum flow required by the boiler. Divide this in half to get the minimum boiler flow. In this case, it would be 4 GPM.

Now, back to the formula.

Q=88,000

ΔT = 15°F

88,000/(500 * 15) = Flow

88,000/7500 = 11.7 GPM

The flow is almost 4 GPM higher than the maximum flow the boiler should have. This tells us we need to achieve a 20°F ΔT, which means less flow through the boiler. Why do we have to much flow? There are oversized pumps or to many pumps. Using a bypass or primary/secondary strategy above, we can easily correct the flow through the boiler.

7. Vent the boiler properly. If the boiler is chimney vented, the local and federal codes apply. A chimney liner may be required. If the unit is direct or power vented, the manufacturer dictates the venting according to the certifications obtained during testing. Since this article applies to cast iron water boilers, a sidewall vented boiler requires AL29-4C vent pipe. No plastic! 

8. Outdoor air. I like to use outdoor air as much as possible to verify enough combustion air. Plus, there is less chance of contaminated air.

9. Gas pressure. Check the incoming gas pressure and the manifold (outlet) pressure with other gas appliances running. Check all safeties. Finally, always complete a combustion check.

Ron Beck is Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company, where he’s been since 1998.  Ron’s 34 years of experience in the heating industry include climbing the ranks of a HVAC company, from apprentice to service manager.  Currently, he’s the go-to solution guy for contractors in the field. 

Ron can be reached at RBeck@usboiler.net

Arlington, Va. — The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit challenging the validity of a Department of Energy (DOE) regulation on Commercial Packaged Boilers. “AHRI is asking that the Court review the rule because of our belief that the Department overstepped its statutory authority by issuing a rule that will impose an undue and significant burden on boiler manufacturers and consumers,” said AHRI President & CEO Stephen Yurek. Of primary concern to AHRI is that because it ignored legally required procedures, DOE adopted a rule that does not save a significant amount of energy and is not cost-effective.

“The Department ignored a statutory requirement that it establish clear and convincing evidence that the rule results in significant energy savings that outweigh the costs imposed. Congress mandated specific protections for rules on commercial equipment, but in this case, DOE wrongly decided that those rules don’t apply,” said AHRI General Counsel Caroline Davidson-Hood. “We are therefore filing suit to hold the Department accountable and ensure that future rulemakings adhere to statutory requirements,” she added.