Seton W-90-E Wood Boiler Serial 01211 built at the time by Bethel Engineering & Equipment at the time.

[Ldc_NH]

Hello

I have a Seton W-90-E Wood Boiler Serial 01211 built at the time by Bethel Engineering & Equipment at the time. It has worked well, replaced to skins with stainless steel over the years, and aquastats. It has heated with my house since 2009, at one point I went 10 years without buying oil. Many years I used the boiler all summer to heat water water.

Recently the Heat exchanger has failed. I believe Fred passed away, Bethel Engineering no longer makes the parts. Does anyone have any idea if any companies still sells the heat exchanger, maybe a dealer out there might have some left over... Any of the other folks that may have built the boiler over the years...

Would have been nice if the originals were built in stainless steel, would have held up much longer.

I live in NH, a solution within a 100 miles would be helpful, but open to all thoughts/suggestions.

Looking for suggestions.

Thank you,
Larry

 

[all night moe]

Most heat exchangers are replaceable with aftermarket. What kind of HE is it?

You may want to have mods move this to the boiler room forum. It'll get much more traction there.

 

[Ldc_NH]

Hello

The heat exchanger is the one inside and built for the boiler, not an external one to transfer the heat to other systems. There are two pictures but the part is all one piece.

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[all night moe]

Since you have it accessible, what about pulling it out and having a new one fabricated?
From your pics, it doesn't look complicated.

 

[Ldc_NH]

That is an option, I have the plans for it. Just need to find someone in my area that would be interested and figure out if I could afford the project. It looks like I could convert to stainless steel for about 800.00 in materials. Not sure how to bend stainless steel. also need someone that can weld stainless if I go that option. Looking at all options, keep the suggestions coming and thank you.

 

[brenndatomu]

Any decent fab shop can bend/weld SS

 

[hedge wood]

Is it all rotten? Could it be patched? Is the rest of the boiler worth the investment of a new heat exchanger? Any welding schools in the area? Might be a good project for the class. Any boiler, pipe fitting union halls in the area? Someone may do side work that belongs to the union. In my area you better set down when you get a price for a normal fab shop to build that heat exchanger.

 

[salecker]

If it's going to be for domestic hot water i would not bother replacing it.
Get a well insulated electric hot water heater you will be better off and get your water cheaper

 

[Ldc_NH]

Is it all rotten? Could it be patched? Is the rest of the boiler worth the investment of a new heat exchanger? Any welding schools in the area? Might be a good project for the class. Any boiler, pipe fitting union halls in the area? Someone may do side work that belongs to the union. In my area you better set down when you get a price for a normal fab shop to build that heat exchanger.

Looking into options. For now I have the heat exchanger out, pressure washed and the parts setup to pressure test it. Trusty soap water will tell me the problem areas. Will try to weld for now.

 

[Ldc_NH]

If it's going to be for domestic hot water i would not bother replacing it.
Get a well insulated electric hot water heater you will be better off and get your water cheaper

Use to heat 2500 square feet and hot water and soon hot tub.. Over the years I had replaced all the panels with stainless steel and the hearth is still all in one piece. For now I have the heat exchanger out, pressure washed and the parts setup to pressure test it. Trusty soap water will tell me the problem areas. Will try to weld for now. long term looking into buy and fabricating the heat exchanger out of stainless steel.

 

[snowman49820]

I made mine from mild steel DOM tubing 15 years ago. The advise I got from Fred and someone from Bethel was the stainless was prone to cracking from heat cycling.