I Need Advice From A Earnest Plumber

AbeBarker

Two years ago a heating company installed a new gas fired hot water boiler in my house.

Two story house 965 square ft. Two zones. One zone heats both floors of 7 radiators and the other zone heats the basement.

Thermostat is behind T.V. and the house has bad windows and is uninsulated.

My house is allways cold and the boiler can't work hard enough to keep it heated. Especially the second floor where we sleep.

The boiler size is a 203. I've had two other plumbers look at it and say it's undersized. I've had two supply houses do heat reduction tests.

One says I need 49,000 BTUs and the other says 45,000 Btus. My boiler can only do 45,000 btus max. But everyone says I need a 204 or a 205 sized boiler. Everyone except the plumber who installed it. He blames a radiator that I replaced myself. It was replaced three times because originally I thought it was the radiator. I had a plumber inspect the radiator I put in.

What can I do to get this plumber to own up to his sub par work?

Double-A

Honestly, now that you have paid him? Nothing.

If he blames it on the rad, and is willing to bet the boiler and your comfort on it, then let him charge what he feels he needs to make it right. Otherwise, get another plumber out there and get some solutions going. Having inadequate radiant heat sucks.

If you do have someone do the job, find someone that is willing to put their work on the line and stand behind it. Get it in writing.

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

thom

Maybe the best way to fix the problem is to deal with the bad windows and lack of insulation.

If the wind whistles through the house, you won't be able to keep it warm, no matter what size the boiler. Fixing the real problem will probably be cheaper and less stressful in the long run.