During a scheduled heating inspection and tune-up for a client, we immediately noted a strange burning smell coming from the 3 zone 50 year old Federal Boiler that is installed in a closet next to the ground floor kitchen. During all heating calls, we perform a combustion and draft analysis. Within 5 minutes confirmed that the system was not properly combusting and that the boiler was producing well over 1,000 ppm of CO (carbon monoxide). As a comparison, the typical Carbon Monoxide Detector will alarm at 400 ppm within 4-15 minutes. Older systems do not have any safety devices or sensors like modern systems, so if anything else malfunctioned with this system it could be lethal to the occupants of the property. As discussed potential repairs to the existing system and recommended system replacement. We advised that the system should not be used until repairs or replacement is made. During the decision making process, the client had the fire department and gas utility come out to the home and “check things out”. According to the client, both the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department and National Grid informed the elderly client that the system was NOT creating any carbon monoxide and it needed to be cleaned. I hope this was a miscommunication by representatives of the fire department and utility. We removed the boiler and most near boiler piping. Supplied and installed Weil McLain CGa5 gas fired boiler. Commissioned system. That is a professional job.
