I have those Old Heating-Season-Start-Up-Blues Again

By Bob "Hot Rod" Rohr

Radiant Expert

As much as I hate to see the dog days of summer pass me by, it is time againg to think about start-ups. Leaves are falling. LP suppliers are mailing pre-season LP contracts. Schools are filling up and fall fashion catalogs are arriving on a daily basis. There is no denying the passing of the season.

For many contractors in the hydronic and comfort business, this is our busiest time. New construction work and new start-ups lap over the Fall clean-and-check calls. Just when my truck is finally switched to the new construction mode, I need to reclaim some space for start-up and Fall tune-up tools and parts.

For the past 5 years, my main sale has been high-efficiency mod-con boilers. Along with that switch I had to learn new installation and start-up, as well as tune-up procedures. Installing and setting up the high-efficiency equipment required some additional tools and training. Perhaps the largest investment was a combustion analyzer, which, in my opinion, is a requirement when installing, troubleshooting or tuning a mod-con boiler.

I chose the Bacharach brand and I also invested in a small battery-powered printer. On every job I print out two copies of the dated combustion test results. One copy I leave in the boiler info package or inside the jacket itself. The second stays in my analyzer case until I return to the office. Then, I move it into the customer's file. In this litigious society you need to document as much as possible.

I also invested in a small personal belt clip co-monitor to monitor boiler room conditions because I work alone. It's important to stay safe out there.

I suggest that you create a simple service form to log the service call date, time, system settings and other related info.

Here are some of the checks that I feel are mandatory on every Fall start-up or clean and check.

• Check the combustion air piping to ensure no pests have taken up residence over the summer. I have a Rigid See Snake mini which helps with that task.
• My systems these days all include a hydronic system inhibitor. The Rhomar brand that I use has a test kit available to check the fluid condition. Also note this on your checkout sheet. I have some Rhomar stickers to indicate the type of treatment fluid used. I like to include the dates of any services on the stickers. Having this data available on the jobsite will make it easier for the next service person.
• All the snow melt and some of the remote radiant systems that I have installed contain inhibited propylene glycol. This should also be tested and recorded. Keep an extra 5-gallon container on the truck should you need to top off any of the glycol. I like to keep a small bucket under the relief lines on glycoled boilers and solar systems to alert you to any fluid that may have escaped.
• Systems with auto-fills should be tested to ensure the fill is still functioning properly.
• I'm still in a quandary about testing pressure-relief valves. As sure as I sit here today, I know that a percentage of the valves I pop to test will fail to reseat. As such, I keep a few spares of the various brands on my truck. Over the years, I have learned to install the pressure-relief valve lines in a manner to allow a quick easy replacement, if necessary.
• I now install a male compression adapter into the relief connection and use copper to the floor or drain. This allows for an easy replacement without the need for soldering or cutting of any lines.
• I feel it is prudent to check the combustion chamber on the mod cons on a yearly basis. This is a good way to ensure top performance of the heat exchangers and be alerted to any unusual conditions. A digital camera helps document any unusual conditions to e-mail the manufacturer for recommendations.

I have opened a few mod cons to find some ugly conditions inside. In every case the quality of the combustion air they were inhaling was the cause of the excessive debris inside.

The most common trouble call on mod cons seems to be directly related to combustion side issues. It pays to open and clean them per the manufacturers recommended procedures. There is a lot of energy being exchanged inside those small heat exchangers. Conditions must be kept ideal to ensure years of trouble-free service and to keep them operating at the highest possible efficiency. After all, the customer paid a premium for that equipment.

A small repair parts kit is available from some of the mod-con manufacturers. I like to keep at least a spare flame rod and igniter, as well as the connector wires. Pressure switches and temperature sensors are a few other key repair and service parts to keep on hand. So far I haven't found a need to keep a spare gas valve and control module on the truck. With a half dozen different brands and models installed, that would be a fairly large investment. These parts are, luckily, a one-day UPS trip from my shops.

As you may have discovered, mod cons usually have some metric sized bolts and connector. A 10 mm box or socket is required on most brands to open the combustion chamber; and a few different Torx drivers and extensions. Stay tuned to my website for a mod-con repair tool to simplify the tool selection requirements.

All the various brands of mod cons that I have installed included a section on maintenance. Keep and extra copy at your shop to review before you set out on the service call. It helps refresh you on the tools and procedures you need to accomplish the task. Most manufactures have this information available on their websites as a free download to help build your service library. Think green and happy hydronicizing!

Bob "Hot Rod" Rohr is particularly interested in hybrid radiant systems -- systems that utilize solar and wood energy in addition to, or in place of, fossil fuel. Also, systems that incorporate different methods of heat delivery. He owns and operates Show Me Radiant Heat and Solar, Inc. in southwest Missouri. Reach hot rod at hotrodradiant@aol.com or by phone at (417) 753-3998.