Subject: [Shop-talk] Starting a boiler

From: Scott Hall <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2016 20:13:48 -0500

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New house has hot-water radiant heat. It was on when I looked at the house
last winter.

It's going to get into the teens here this weekend, so I thought I'd like
to use it.

I have no idea how to start a boiler.

I've done what the interwebs said for bleeding the radiators (except for
one--I bought the smallest vent key ACE had and it's too big for all the
radiators and too-big-enough for one of them such that it won't turn the
vent) and they've got water in them.

I don't know how to make the water hot. The boiler is a big square box in
the basement. It's got a gas line running to it. That gas line connects to
a control box that has water-heater-looking controls on it--the twist
on/off/pilot knob, and a copper line that I think is the pilot. Those go
into the box, and there's no way I can see to light the pilot with a flame,
but I don't see a piezo-electric sparker on it either. And pushing the
pilot knob down does not produce a whoosing sound I associate with flowing
gas.

None of the HVAC people I called seemed very interested in coming out to
light a boiler, which is just as well since I want to learn how to work
this myself.

Anybody got any ideas on where to start?

Thanks.

Scott

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<div dir=3D"ltr">New house has hot-water radiant heat. It was on when I loo=
ked at the house last winter.<div><br></div><div>It&#39;s going to get into=
 the teens here this weekend, so I thought I&#39;d like to use it.</div><di=
v><br></div><div>I have no idea how to start a boiler.</div><div><br></div>=
<div>I&#39;ve done what the interwebs said for bleeding the radiators (exce=
pt for one--I bought the smallest vent key ACE had and it&#39;s too big for=
 all the radiators and too-big-enough for one of them such that it won&#39;=
t turn the vent) and they&#39;ve got water in them.</div><div><br></div><di=
v>I don&#39;t know how to make the water hot. The boiler is a big square bo=
x in the basement. It&#39;s got a gas line running to it. That gas line con=
nects to a control box that has water-heater-looking controls on it--the tw=
ist on/off/pilot knob, and a copper line that I think is the pilot. Those g=
o into the box, and there&#39;s no way I can see to light the pilot with a =
flame, but I don&#39;t see a piezo-electric sparker on it either. And pushi=
ng the pilot knob down does not produce a whoosing sound I associate with f=
lowing gas.</div><div><br></div><div>None of the HVAC people I called seeme=
d very interested in coming out to light a boiler, which is just as well si=
nce I want to learn how to work this myself.</div><div><br></div><div>Anybo=
dy got any ideas on where to start?</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks.</div><=
div><br></div><div>Scott</div></div>

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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2016 18:59:35 -0800

> Anybody got any ideas on where to start?

Look around for any kind of panel you can open, large or small.  There has to be a way to service the burner and thermocouple, which
should let you see how to light the pilot.  On my 60's furnace, you have to know to yank upwards on the front panel to get it off,
then reach under the burner to get a match near the pilot light.

Another possibility is a row of holes down the tube to the pilot.  I had an old Teledyne pool heater that worked that way.  Gas
would flow from the holes as long as you held the knob down in the pilot position, so you just lit the row of holes and the flame
ran down to the pilot under the burner.

If all else fails, call your gas company (assuming you have natural gas).  They should be willing to come light it for you, for
free.

Randall

[email-masked]