"mikeasmel" wrote in message
ps.com...
we now have steam in the old part
of the house and hydronic/baseboard in the newer part of the house, all
being run by one new gas boiler with a heat exchanger on it.

He claimed that he couldn't guarantee the
circulator since he was not responsible for the pipes that were in the
old part of the house that he had never worked on. I told him that that
was not acceptable since he had told me (before I bought the house,
when I asked him if it made sense to do more work and upgrade the
system further at that time, and he said absolutely not!) that it was
a brand new system which he was very proud of and which he told me
would be more than adequate
for our home. When I asked if he could prevent/limit this from
happening again (maybe flush the lines a few times?) he said that he
couldn't guarantee it and that he couldn't flush the lines in a steam
system (I don't understand that).


What brand and model is the boiler and heat exchanger you have? If there is
an exchanger, how do the steam and water system co-mingle? I would think
they'd have to be separated or you'd have steam in the water system.

Thoughts and advice? Yes, replace the heating system. You are probably
headed to more problems with some half assed setup.

I've never seen a single boiler that makes both steam and hot water heat,
but they may exist. Steam, typically, is run through iron pipe. Over time,
the pipe corrodes, builds up scale, rusts, etc. Yes, it may have produced a
lot of gunk that crapped up a circulator on the water side if they are
somehow connected. I have heard of flushing pipes with cleansing chemicals,
but I've also heard of horror stores from doing that.

Other possibilities are air in the system on the water side that is
cavitating the pump and/or just reducing the heat transfer. Since steam
does not need a circulator, that portion of the house should be warm.