In Search of "R" Registered Welder

troyaa130 · Post by **troyaa130** » Wed. Oct. 01, 2014 12:36 am

I recently bought a 1962 aa 130 and one of the issues is that it was leaking around the domestic coil. I know it is a common issue. I figured before I install it I want to just get the updated coil for it to save the hassle later on if it would start leaking again. I was wandering if anyone knew of a R certified welder around the Selinsgrove, Pa area.

Post by **coaledsweat** » Wed. Oct. 01, 2014 7:30 am

If the vessel and coil plate are clean and flat don't bother upgrading as it is very pricy because the new style requires a different coil. The reason they develop leaks is because no one snugs them up. A boiler actually breathes in and out and over time it loosens. When replacing the gasket, one should resnug at least once a week after firing for a month or so and then once a year after that.

troyaa130 · Post by **troyaa130** » Wed. Oct. 01, 2014 5:32 pm

It is does look a little rough on the lower side , plus I ended up snapping 2 of the studs off when I went to remove the nuts. That's why I figured I would just update it now before I install it.

LoschStoker · Post by **LoschStoker** » Wed. Oct. 01, 2014 8:19 pm

You don't need an R welder, just someone that can weld.
$15 of metal and your coil.
A friend in Shippensburg does these, matter of fact AA copied off of him.

troyaa130 · Post by **troyaa130** » Wed. Oct. 01, 2014 8:35 pm

LoschStoker wrote:You don't need an R welder, just someone that can weld.
$15 of metal and your coil.
A friend in Shippensburg does these, matter of fact AA copied off of him.

I thought about doing that but I don't want to have any problems with the insurance company.

Sleeper735 · Post by **Sleeper735** » Thu. Oct. 02, 2014 8:42 pm

It is hard to find a r stamp certified welder. I work for a commercial HVAC around Scranton area and we use people from Philly. Also if someone does it with the correct paperwork it will probably be a 1500-2000 bill and that is if he is local with no travel. I agree with getting it done right that is why boiler are pressure vessels.

tsb · Post by **tsb** » Thu. Oct. 02, 2014 9:12 pm

If you showed the A130 to your insurance agent, my guess is he wouldn't
have a clue what he was looking at much less what was added or what was original.
Any welder that is registered in all positions is more than qualified to weld in the
DHW frame on the boiler. Find an old pipe liner with a mobile unit.

Sleeper735 · Post by **Sleeper735** » Thu. Oct. 02, 2014 9:23 pm

It's not about who is qualified and who is not. It is about what is legal. Your right your agent won't have an idea but they will send more qualified people if an incident happens. And you csn tell a new weld from an old weld. If it is new you better have paperwork.

blrman07 · Post by **blrman07** » Thu. Oct. 02, 2014 9:59 pm

You didn't fill in your avatar so we don't know where your from. Almost and I say almost every jurisdiction exempts boilers that are used in single family dwellings. That is why the boiler you buy does not need an H stamp and doesn't need to be registered with the National Board.

Any AWS certified welder can legally weld and do what you want done.

How do I know this? I was a National Board commissioned boiler inspector for 27 years in 9 different states in my previous life.

tsb · Post by **tsb** » Thu. Oct. 02, 2014 10:08 pm

Your running a 15 lb system with a 30 lb relief valve. No paper work
necessary . Pressure test at 2x relief pressure. If you don't want to take
that risk, take the 130 to Anderson and let them put in the frame.

If this has you cranked up, wait for your first BOOM ! That will really
get your attention.

Post by **Rob R.** » Fri. Oct. 03, 2014 6:12 am

tsb wrote: If you don't want to take that risk, take the 130 to Anderson and let them put in the frame.

Good point. The boys at AA know how to make it right...and how to write a bill.

Sleeper735 · Post by **Sleeper735** » Fri. Oct. 03, 2014 6:28 am

Yes you are not required to have them inspected and all but in the event of a failure I will bet they will find that weld and have a lot if questions. Also that whole test to 2X the pressure is a thing of the past for about 5 years now. They found it over stresses the boiler.

And all boilers have to be certified to proper codes. That was the reason OWB stayed an open loop for so long

troyaa130 · Post by **troyaa130** » Tue. Oct. 07, 2014 2:43 am

I managed to find a R certified welder near Halifax that charges 70 a hour to do it.

tsb · Post by **tsb** » Tue. Oct. 07, 2014 6:12 am

And there you have it. Post photos of the finished work.

troyaa130 · Post by **troyaa130** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 1:41 am

Sorry for not posting sooner. Not very happy with the way it turned out. The guy claimed he was R certified. As you can see it did leak. I put some stuff in it to stop it from leaking and it seems to be working. When I went to pick it up he told me if it leaked he would come out to fix it, but with the way his weld job looks I don't know if I would trust him to weld on it again.

In Search of "R" Registered Welder

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