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Posted by jay on September 13, 2005 at 20:00:20:
I got an esoteric question for the list I hope someone can help with.
I have a circa 1920 oil, round, cast-iron boiler with a recent beckett flame retension burner. It works very well EXCEPT the firebox is badly decayed (deep reddish deposits, crumbling, "mushrooms" of crud, etc).
The problem I am having is finding someone to replace the box. My supplier just changed hands due to retirement and the new techs are retrained gas techs and young to boot.
The oldtimer tech who serviced the boiler last year said the box replacement was "no big deal" and quoted about 500$
But young techs say its asbestos/they dont make them/
its original to the boiler and cant be replaced, etc. but really I think they just dont have any idea. The guy who did the nozzle/filter change said he didnt know how to fix a firebox--he really just seemed to understand the burner unit itself.
1) Were fireboxes generally asbestos material? I thought tehy were rather a ceramic type material
2) Is it that big a deal? I didnt think the firebox was a "part" so much as a box consturcted by the tech on the spot.
I just dont see how last years oldtimer could say "no big deal" and now its "impossible".
I realize without seeing it these are just general questions--but Id sure appreciate any wisdom from the list so I know how to ask for the service we need.