OLD GAS BOILER RED TAGGED BY GAS COMPANY

[@IceBerg2k]

"Are you listening to me or am i talking to deaf ears" 😂🤣

[@handymandev03]

Yep, that's Steve for you 🤣🤣

[@autotalon]

Not related to this video but wanted to let you know that your videos have helped me a lot, they inspired me to buy a torpedo heater that needed work and fix it myself. The pump looks exactly like an oil furnace pump, managed to clean/diagnose the issue and get it working again. Thanks!

[@TheCrittercam001]

Good job man!

[@p.davidcarlson7789]

Got to love the old standing pilot! I put in mine Feb. 81 still going strong. Way better over the 42 years. Compared to cost to maintain flame sensor equipment! You should get a bucket vacuum.

[@michaellalanae7228]

To not being able to trouble shoot your heaters and being reliant on the gas companies that want to upsell the customers and break Thier balls. It's better to have an informed client so he can relay back to you what your looking at before you get there . Your the man Steve .

[@robertboykin1828]

One of the handiest tools I own is a brake line wrench, 3/8"tubing / open end ratchet.

[@scottworkman7170]

Another name for those is "flare nut wrench, but ya, easier and a little faster to use than open-end

[@rayb2078]

is that pilot adjusting screw have ten inch thread on it..

[@tylersimpson-g5s]

"That's the gas company for you." 😂 he knew damn well they ran out 🤣 Steve's the man!

[@lcampm2]

Cowboy Ted would have discussed with the customer to see if they wanted any other services and pay extra for burner cleaning. You go the extra mile to take care of what they need, excellent service Steve

[@stevenlavimoniere]

cowboy ted would be crawling down under a house down in hikxville ....i walk in standing up

[@rmeshr4282]

@@stevenlavimoniere Hicksville. Haha. Damn yankee😝

[@rubbersteve123]

Great to see your professionally you approach to every job. Thanks

[@christiand.6112]

From one tech to another: Great job Steve, very thorough.

[@matthewcalifana488]

Yes Steve Always does Great work , i think Crusty the clown once lived in that boiler .

[@TheAnalystradioprogram]

Hey listen…Red tag goes in the trash and I turn the freakin thing back on. And what is anyone gonna do about it! Heyyy whoa!

[@WeatherNut27]

You make it look easy. Thanks for the upload. No cold & snow yet!

[@Spinonemaster]

I installed my own propane forced air furnace when I moved with 3/4 in black pipe (with dope only) then grounded all the pipe and tanks ... retired builder/carpenter ... when my propane guy (the boss) came to inspect it he looked at me and said, hey you want a job as an installer ? ... he was impressed ... but I told him I'd worked with some of the best HVAC guys in the business for 25 years retrofitting old historical houses and they taught me well ... new dedicated electric, everything in conduit and clamped and tied down to code plus ... new chimney liner ... he was also impressed when he saw my manometer on my bench ... and saw my plugs in the supply/return ducts used to balance the system ... and check the gas valve pressure ... he looked at my numbers and said he didn't need to run a combustion check on an 80% with a blower and new liner, but checked it anyway ... CO was right on the money ... I chose a 80,000 btu Goodman unit for price/reliability ... to be honest, I'd rather replace the whole unit at that price than be nickle's and dime'd servicing an old unit ... I service my own stuff and the Goodman has worked flawlessly for 7 seasons with only annual cleaning ... I use MERV 4 max filters with a spray charger and change the filters monthly, cheap insurance when you have big, hairy dogs ... I have the cheap green pre-filters on the returns in the living areas ....

[@mrbachittarsingh9243]

Sounds like the guy tugged himself off in the van afterward as well

[@livinglifemyway7349]

Merry Christmas , oh BTW I am a retired Appliance tech, we use " One Wrap Teflon" on gas valves in AZ. it is Yellow too

[@johnracek7633]

You made me a better mechanic. And I am older than you. You da man !! You get it done. Respects.

[@jr6381]

No Bubbles no troubles. lol. Thanks Steve. JR

[@lcampm2]

You marked the cabinet for new valve, Great tech tip!

[@cometchris1090]

Our Pennco Boiler is so old the guy that came to re light the pilot said it would probably out live everyone in the house. They don't make them like they used to.

[@rayvoorhies7180]

The flame was orange. Maybe because the soot and dust in the burners had been disturbed? Blue flame is clean burning. I'm surprised that appliance passed the CO test.

[@BeezyKing99]

Dirty air will make any flame burn orange or being too rich (too much gas) can do that just as well

[@petersmart1999]

@@BeezyKing99 cold boiler will also be orange,sections start to condense when it passes dew point!

[@johnturnbull7798]

I am amazed that you repaired this boiler. I got rid of a boiler of that vintage 30 years ago and replaced it with a new more efficient boiler which paid for itself in 18 months from the reduced gas bills. Boilers available now are even more efficient so I guess the payback will be eben quicker

[@stevenlavimoniere]

lol ya and your new junk will live maybe 10 to 15 years if your lucky .. your stuck on stupid

[@ckm-mkc]

@@stevenlavimoniere Well, the math works out well - if it pays for itself in 18 months but last 10 years, then you are basically saving 8 years of fuel costs running the old boiler - win, win all around.... Hell, even if it only lasted 5 years, you'd still come out ahead.

[@petersmart1999]

@@stevenlavimoniere I get the question all the time about high efficient,and i have derived a formula to show people the differences in equipment.BTUs are BTUs whether they are from a toaster or a boiler. The amount of Btus needed did not change ,so high eff or not you still need the same Btus,so what they dont realize is they will save a percentage of a percentage! So if you go 85% to 95% that is 10%,so now you saved 10% of a $100 gas bill,thats $10 ,or whatever it may be,heating season is 5.5 months long so they really saved $55 for the season! Everyone wants to go high efficient,spend all kinds of money ob a fancy boiler,but i wont do them unless they first spend 30k on windows and another 20k on insulation,so they have now spent more than they will ever recover!

[@kenthomas4668]

No it didn't pay for itself in 18 months, c'mon! Where do you live the Artic circle!

[@stifflers69mom1]

No way in hell did it pay for itself in 18 months…..that doesn’t even make cents….lol

[@gregorypsotka7143]

cleaning theses boilers i remember when i lived in Virginia, always cleaned burners new thermocouple and i always pulled the piolet apart making sure the orifice was clear. great to see things done proper. great job

[@robertgentile4498]

Hey Steve, you are 100% right about the Teflon tape. Worked for the gas co in new Jersey for 35 years, we were taught never use Teflon on gas. Like you said could get stuck in the has valve. Also maybe the homeowner turned back on the gas? I red tagged stuff and they would turn it back on soon as I left... Love your videos..

[@stevenlavimoniere]

thanks man a fellow worker out in the field .

[@kevinfinnerty3754]

PSE&G or SJG?

[@craigharding475]

Gas lines hanging like clotheslines! Scary shit! He is probably right about the CONTRACTORS. Big utilities do that so they don`t have to pay for more qualified company staff. My phone company had contractors in here and screwed -up EVERYTHING. I have a private line. Picked-up the phone and heard other neighbors talking!

[@blackhawks81H]

Heard other neighbors talking? Jeez that's a royal screw up. Were the contractors 3 short goofy lookin dudes named Moe, Larry, and Curly by any chance?

[@pantherplatform]

You remind me of the guy I worked for in Hackensack when I was an elevator mechanic. Oh the old machines I saw, the history in these old buildings some with elevators installed in the late 1800s

[@mostlikelywedoitservices6926]

There should also be ground wire connected to steel pipe running to end of the flex. Reason so flex is not the main grounding point. Pin leaks have been found without grounding wires. Here in California they insulated the meter from being a ground source because it was causing pin leaks in their lines in the ground.

[@sieulieu3586]

Thought electric speed up the corrosion? The reason people ground/bond electric to gas line/water line because they goes to ground. With thicker metal, it more conduct for electric to travel, instead of damage other stuffs. So yes the thinner metal on the flex without divert that current to goes somewhere else will get damage quick. Reason gas company Insulated their meter is to avoid their PROPERTIES to get damage. Everything in the house is the homeowners properties. Same goes to those flex lines hanging in the video. Why would a company put their money into people house. If they do, the gas bill shouldn't be low.

[@mostlikelywedoitservices6926]

@@davidp8563 The flex gas line needs the grounding cable from solid pipe to solid pipe. Flex gas pipe should not be the travel conductor.

[@mostlikelywedoitservices6926]

@@davidp8563 34.41 It is knowledge that if you don't know you should know. Then notes can be made and customer can know the dangers.

[@dangates3022]

gas guy didnt leave it on the home owner turned it back on just like anybody else would lol i bet you it was cold that night

[@alacran1986]

I agree very thorough. Be careful breathing that stuff from the burner box.

[@kevin7151]

Great work Steve. I noticed there was no safety rollout switch on the burner access panel. Must be an old unit for sure. Merry Christmas to you and your family in advance.

[@stevenlavimoniere]

thanks kevin happy holidays to you also

[@frostgfx]

|I watched this right through. Very thorough, not too much, just enough, a few new parts and a gas valve install. I would hire you in a NY minute if you were in Western MA.

[@patriciaavenmarg5927]

At 12:20, did he say "Smurf jizz?" 😂😂😂😂😂😂bwahahahaha!! Had to tell hubby the new term LMFAO

[@henrybucki7813]

rep for robert shaw once told me you move an old thermocouple and you better replace it because it will now fail. did this type repair s since 1973.

[@TLAUZON22]

Funny to hear abou the lighting strikes on that gas line. The home I live in just about burnt due to that very piping!

[@billysmith6131]

Good thing he called ya Steve, nice job

[@madcowusa4277]

You should consider a small shop vac. No way I'm sweeping up/breathing ultra fine particles like that inside a sharp metal case. I use a DeWalt which can use a battery or 120V. Doubles as a seat too so you're not kneeling on concrete.

[@scottworkman7170]

Yes, that burner rust/ash is nasty stuff to breath. And while ur at it, lightly screw on a 1/2" threaded cap over the manifold gas inlet so no dust or debris can possibly drop into the manifold.

[@randomrazr]

for a 3 storey small apartment building. whats the best way to heat each or both apartments?

[@mustangcircut]

It’s funny for the longest time it was only use pipe dope not Teflon. Now you can use it. Myself I just use like dope. Good vid.

[@46fd04]

Steven, the black covering over the flex pipe should have yellow markings on it to i.d. gas, shouldn't it?

[@jblyon2]

Steve, I'll let you in on a little secret: You're ALWAYS talking on deaf ears with those customers!

[@jde1780]

Without looking at your site, I could tell from your accent that you are east of 95. Cool. Thanks for the content.

[@wmdayman]

You are darn right about the door.

[@edgalarza2657]

Question ? Not sure what to do. We made a conversation from oil to gas 12 yrs ago. But , the plumber who did never got the permit. I would like to legalize what can I do in westchester NY

[@stevenlavimoniere]

call a local heating man and ask him his advice .

[@r7boatguy]

I'm probably never going to have to change out one of these valves, nevertheless, this video was very informative, especially setting up the valve.

[@cornbreadburgess1950]

Yep.....the Grinch was playing in that one brother Lol.Great job Steve you are very patient and your work shows it.see you on the next one man

[@Footrotflats251]

Are heat pumps common in your area? I’m a sparky so the most HVAC we do other than industrial was heat pumps, the small wall mounted ones, it gets down to about -10° where I live so it’s not too cold for heat pumps there’s no pipeline gas so propane common for water heating, the main heat sorce is firewood though, then heatpumps, Diesel, coal and propane ect but no natural gas

[@stevenlavimoniere]

i few heat pumps mostly is summer homes .with backup heat strips .diffently not the best was to heat a home up north . they might be ok as a backup . but not main source of heat

[@Footrotflats251]

@@stevenlavimoniere no I wouldent want to have one as my main sorce, I have a pot belly coal burner for that power is expensive here too, like 30c/KWh 😳

[@natgasf4097]

Turn the gas valve on and off a half dozen times and it gets the grease moving around barrel and no leak. Gasman probably did that, reason for leaving on , and red tagged to CHA. He was probably still there when you were called.

[@kurtkangas2382]

That stack temp was way up there for a Weil McLain boiler.

[@philipread7741]

With exhaust gas temperatures over 600 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 315 degrees centigrade, a good chunk of the heat is going straight up the chimney. You have got to ask why? All that muck on the burners has fallen from the heat exchanger above. I would clean the heat exchanger with a purpose made velcro brush. The flue temperatures would be a lot lower after a good clean. Better still, scrap that inefficient heap of junk and fit a decent condensing boiler and save on the gas bill. In the UK we would look for a CO/CO2 ratio of less than 0.004, most appliances in good order are a lot lower, a figure our combustion gas analysers indicate on the display. I would not get hung up for 48PPM CO. Maybe that is what is used in MA. The flame on the burner looked a bit yellow, but the burners had been disturbed and the muck was being blown out and causing the incandescent flame. Turning down the gas pressure to reduce the CO? I would be checking the inlet gas pressure to the appliance (Whatever the local standards are for this) In the UK about 20mbar (8 inches water) and the burner pressure range rated as per the spec plate. Also gas rate from the gas meter ( Timed period for a known volume of gas to pass), from that calculate the gas rate ( Power input). We have mobile apps to do this.

[@89dhvac]

@@philipread7741 that “inefficient junk” is a lot more reliable than one of the fancy new condensing boilers. What do you mean by a CO/Co2 ratio? What kind of numbers are you looking for? I like to see CO air free as low as possible. Anything over 100 ppm and I recommend investigating the cause. At 400 ppm I shut gas off. For Co2, I’m looking for 6.5-8%.

[@consolidatedplumbingandhea4390]

Most of what I read the CO should be below 100 PPM but equipment shut down below 400 ppm "Air Free". What standard did you find 50 ppm the limit?

[@DAS-Videos]

Gas line flopping in the wind. And we wonder why a dozen houses explode each year. Steve do you have an oil burner or a gas burner in your house?

[@stevenlavimoniere]

gas furnace in my house

[@DAS-Videos]

@@stevenlavimoniere Thanks. I am in the process of getting a gas line to switch to gas. In NYC they made it illegal for new buildings to use NG, beginning in 2024.

[@ianpalmer1482]

What fuel would they use then?

[@DAS-Videos]

@@ianpalmer1482 Electricity.

[@ianpalmer1482]

I mean are they building a new nuclear plant or coal plant?

[@newenglandpats59]

Steve, I’m new to your channel and real enjoy it and subscribed. I started off watching the stuff on your John Deere snow thrower. I have a John Deere gx345. I have all attachments except the tiller. Also, I enjoy the hell out of your service calls. I work for a Natural Gas Utility in Western Mass. I found interesting to see the other side of a red tagged appliance situation. And I wondered why that Gasman didn’t turn off the gas valve. Maybe he did. It doesn’t take much brains for a slumlord or tenant to turn the gas back on. We are required to disconnect the piping at the union and cap or plug it when we red tag. A warning tag can stay connected. That was sloppy work with the CSST tubing. It should be supported every six feet. (It depends on the tubing size.) (Same with black iron pipe.) Hope he plans to come back and add support before the tenant or owner thinks it’s there for hanging things. I’ve seen it all. Anyway, I must compliment you on your skill and thorough work. I have no doubt it gave you the good reputation that you have earned!

[@brustar5152]

If the gas company tech red-tagged the solenoid valve for leaking gas but left the main valve open, do you really think he'd have used more hangers?

[@twinchargedmr2]

Hey Steve, do you have to wait for a certain amount of time for the dope to set up before turning the gas on?

[@stevenlavimoniere]

no its basically a lubricant / but does seal and fill in gaps at the same time

[@scottworkman7170]

I concur with Steve. Brush-on pipe sealant acts as a lube during assy then sets up after time to deter movement of the fitting.

[@newenglandpats59]

The kind we use has Teflon in it. On higher pressure then inches, we use tape and dope.

[@joewebb4836]

Steve, Merry Christmas and Happy new year from Deep River Ct!

[@irishmike4914]

15 years of residential and 20 of industrial and I have never red tagged a gas boiler. Maybe did more work or used parts that exceeded the value of the unit but I bought them time. Hot air units on the other hand I have no qualms about disabling a unit with a cracked heat exchanger.

[@donflash1128]

Good job there Steve.

[@davidnicolas8019]

That is quite a valve replacement.

[@williamreitinger8978]

The market is full of contractors with their name on the trucks. You are the real deal Steve.

[@stevenlavimoniere]

yes i am a big wheel with no spokes ...

[@greggaieck4808]

Steven lavimonier I like your utube videos

[@rayb2078]

Another good video steve .. keep em coming.

[@f.m5473]

'a little smurf jizem" Lol. Steve one funny tech..

[@tedsmith5058]

Hello from the great state of Michigan

[@lawrencenolan1380]

Got a 45 year old Slant fin Boiler with a Midco gas conversion burner , probably outlive me .

[@mjg263]

Someone should red tag those flippin’ half-assed gas lines they put in!

[@philipread7741]

Those half assed gas lines, as you call them, look like corrugated stainless steel tube. In the UK we have a few versions available from different manufacturers, one of them is a US company ( Omegaflex (Tracpipe)). The ones used in the UK are sheathed in yellow plastic. They were invented in the 1970s for use in seismic areas like California and Japan, Rigid steel pipe would not be a satisfactory solution when the building is moving about, only to be bought to the ground by a fire or gas explosion. The gas line installation with no pipe support was inexcusable, the contractor should be given a good kicking for this piss poor work.

[@mjg263]

@@philipread7741 Yes, the lack of support and also the very poor routing (they will have to be disconnected in order to be properly routed behind the existing plumbing and then properly supported). The lines themselves we are used to seeing here and yes they are a good solution when rigid black pipe is not suitable.

[@bobberger918]

Ball valve for gas shut off? Good video

[@TheGfhdhsg]

I LOVE the extension idea...I going to have to steal that one lol...

[@soccer-22]

Your truck sounds like its about to disintegrate 😀

[@pootthatbak2578]

Daddy.."yes dear?" Whats smurf gissum? "Oh honey, thats a complicated question" " lets just say, its what short plumbers use to make babies"

[@jersal873]

What oil is used for circulator? Is this just for gas furnaces?

[@stevenlavimoniere]

light wate oil like 20 wate ... trany fluid oil would work well

[@EightiesTV]

Did I miss the part where you confirmed the electric valve was actually leaking?

[@scottworkman7170]

Verifying other technician's work or troubleshooting is a good (and many times, necessary) procedure but in this instance, I would not second-guess the gas company in their analysis. They now have very sensitive/sophisticated flammable gas detectors at their disposal that outpace most other gas detection methods. Just DON'T leave any gas leaks behind in the course of your service work!

[@dh4971]

can having the panel on/off really make a big difference when doing a combustion analysis?

[@stevenlavimoniere]

yes it does a bit

[@pootthatbak2578]

Steve showed that..it went up 3 points after the cover went on

[@scottworkman7170]

Putting the cover on causes the combustion air to preheat more than if left off due to the flame-radiant heating of the cover metal. This will affect the analysis a bit bcuz preheated air has a slightly lower density.

[@mickobyobrien2650]

Evening from the U.K. 10pm here.

[@stevenlavimoniere]

hello from over the pond

[@trainman071]

what brand oil bottle is that ?that bottle looks familiar

[@arealmaintenanceandrepairl1103]

I been watching you for years on question Hot water recirculate old work When the valve closes sending hot water and the pump is scheduled to stay on and none is home to open the hot tap what happens to the pressure ass the pump keeps running

[@johnpepper182]

I live most of my life in Jersey, even though you are up north more you still have the northeast way of approaching stuff, with those straightforward answers and truthfulness. "Tell it like it is". I retired and moved to Idaho and it a nice place but sometimes I just miss the northeast way of doing things (like, this is a real sh!T show) I love just listening to you talk! keep it up!

[@pootthatbak2578]

Not everyone talks like that. Im philly area. I cant do it. Im foul mouthed or very blunt, even rude with known acquaintances, but cant talk like that with strangers. I stay prim and proppa

[@Fireship1]

I’m in north Jersey. And yes, people talk like that here too. Lol. No sugarcoating anything here. We tell it like it is!

[@aaronsmith5433]

That's why the snowflakes West of here hate Trump, he talks like us, it hurts their 'widdle' ears. Happened long ago to, almost a hundred years ago a NYC mayor ( named Smith , I think) tried to run for president. Failed cause the way he talked. Nothing changes.

[@scottworkman7170]

I've always understood it to be a Jersey or Bronx accent. It's one of the main reasons I watch Steve's videos! :D

[@3ricky13]

Columbia gas sucked my boiler had a fire 2 years ago. I WENT THROUGH HELL. THEY LOADED LINE WITH HIGH PRESSURE. i switched to propane. The gas company that switched to mrw lines of high pressure later did not install gate valves in sidewalk after new instalations in whole streets. Unotherwords next house fire in winter they have to shut down gas on whole street.

[@pedrodog7855]

Give her the ol gundy 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@johnracek7633]

You have the patience of a saint to work in some squalid conditions.

[@pootthatbak2578]

Steve knows every spider species and type of rodent in the state. Lol

[@arekay21]

What is that crust caused by?

[@bengorrell2658]

I got my coffee cup and sweatshirt but it's running in the upper 90's here. it's good merch,

[@auti9314]

“Are you listening to me? Or am I talking on deaf ears?” 😂

[@jasonfrake8018]

Awesome video Steve happy holidays to you and your family

[@richardarevalo7191]

just listening to your jargon, crakes me up!

[@billrimmer5596]

That was a real good one!! Packed with Lavi truisms. I really liked how u tested the co!!

[@janm2510]

choice bro!

[@carolannebellefontaine8209]

Bravo !! A true pro

[@BryanI00]

Smurf jism.... I always get a laugh from your videos! Thanks for that.

[@JS-bp4em]

Where did you take your classes for gas and oil burners? In from the New Bedford area.

[@stevenlavimoniere]

over the years i have taken a ton of classes ... best one was the school of hard nocks learn the hard way as you go ..

[@frankfoster2427]

great videos

[@mpalaskokkalis1476]

Perfect 👌

[@SG-zh5xd]

It would be hard to find some one around here to work on that sled .

[@randyjohnson4988]

I use pipe dope a lot , once in a while I use the blue gorilla tape.

[@christopherhoney2891]

How old do boilers have to be an old beast without safeties ??

[@christopherhoney2891]

Mine is from the mid 80's so i'm wondering if my Burnham Jubilee is without safeties.

[@thesilentonevictor]

Easy fix for Steve

[@johnwalker890]

Good job Steve.

[@thatnewsmananimated7677]

Steve my respects for u , you are the really one master

[@scottk0623]

I don’t know if the manifold is so important, you can still have a high CO reading. I prefer to check with combustion test on that old stuff.

[@drodriguez394]

If you have high co… it’s probably dirty. Soot and combustion deposits blocking the flutes

[@daveoswald5375]

@@drodriguez394 Higher CO could be caused by a cold boiler. Remember this started out as a no heat call. A warm or hot boiler will give you a lower CO reading, all things being equal.

[@scottworkman7170]

Right. The nominal nat gas manifold press is 3.5" +/- 0.3" on many furnaces. 3.5" is the supposed factory setting on a new valves. I just installed a new valve recently and found the manifold press to be 3.7". By conducting a combustion analysis, I found I could not leave it that way and ended up having to reduce the MP.

[@Njfireman2000]

Hey Steve great as always? Question- Is it against code to use that flex tape on the gas line and you must use that pipe dope or putty?

[@johnhubbard6262]

Tape for Plumbing let alone gas work is asking for a problem, it shrinks and causes water leaks, and on gas, the white is not rated for it, the yellow is like he mentioned, but you're still asking for trouble. The blue dope he used is my favorite, old school Green works just a little bit better but it ruins any clothes it touches. I only use it on the city side where you have real pressure.

[@natgasf4097]

Someone made sure they had combustion air for that boiler after closing up that basement. Nice!

[@maxpower2511]

Evening, Steve!

[@stevenlavimoniere]

good evening

[@hvac526]

Love your customer service 😂 lol

[@robertboykin1828]

I got pipe dope in the pipe, it wen't into the gas valve & messed up the flexible valve component. Made it keak gas.

[@Scott-eo7lj]

"Put a little Smurf Jism in there..."... I'm dying. Lol