The Great Boiler Snafu

When things go awry, sometimes we may need to call in the pros

Disclaimer-Captain DIY and DIYtoFI.blog highly recommend exercising extreme caution when attempting DIY projects. Not everybody can do everything, and some things should only be done by professionals. Keep your digits attached, and keep the insurance company off of your back. Do it right or call the right people!

Folks, it’s been a humbling few days here at the Headquarters. The fallibility of the Captain has been proven, and he has had to accept the fact that even he can’t do everything himself .

The boiler has been acting up a bit lately, and every once in a while it trips out on overload. I have gone downstairs to reset it every couple of days, and it has fired up each time.

Until today.

After pressing the reset button, the motor whirred and things were happening, but no flame resulted. Once a few seconds had passed, it would quiet down and the red light would slowly fade back on, leaving the headquarters without hot water.

Fortunately the weather has been positively balmy for a New England autumn, so we haven’t had to resort to building a fire on the living room floor (yet). Whatever shall we do now?

Well folks, as I said before, there are some things that are over the heads of even the best and most creative DIYer, and messing with combustibles in a fire box inside the house is one of them for the Captain.

Time to Bring In The Pro.

Luckily I have developed a relationship with a local oil burner specialist, and he was able to swing by and get the boiler up and running. As I type this now the comforting rumble under my feet reminds me why it is sometimes necessary to swallow our pride and ask for help . That is how a society functions, we help those in need and when we need help, someone will be there for us.

I was not at the Headquarters when Dave the Boiler Repair Guy came to save the day. I am told he had to replace the igniter switch , which got the boiler functioning properly again. However, he made a note of mentioning the impending swan song the boiler will soon sing, as it is at least 50 years old and may start violently spewing water throughout the basement at any time.

Luckily we have a savings program here that encourages homeowners to upgrade appliances to more energy efficient versions. They will come and assess the ancient beast in the basement and let us know if their expert eye determines the need for replacement or not. This program is sponsored by the local electrical utility. Highly recommend checking to see if you have a similar program in your area, as they often come with rebates and 0% loans for large efficiency-upgrade jobs.

Other than that I have been focused on finishing the trim around the replacement windows and cleaning and stripping the mountain of beer bottles that were donated by a thirsty friend. The bottling process of my beer brewing project will be in the next day or two. The last step in the How To of beer brewing is nigh! Check back soon!