Best Of
Re: Dunham valve rebuild?
I apologize if you took my comment to be snarky. It was not so intended. HOWEVER if you do not know for sure that you have crossover traps, and that they are functional. most of the effort in balancing radiators will be for naught.
Now. How can adding main vents on the mains for a system which was designed for crossover traps cause a problem? Depends on the system. In many vapour systems, which I believer yours to be since you have at least some Dunham equipment, there were — and possibly still are — devices at or near the boiler which prevent the differential pressure between the dry returns and the steam mains from rising above a specific value — usually around 8 to 18 inches of water — thus preventing water from backing out of the boiler (not good) and getting into the dry returns (also not good). Adding main vents — or any vents, for that matter — anywhere else in the system will defeat those devices.
Now in a modern fuel fired system these may not be required — assuming that there is a reliable Vaporstat set at not more than 8 ounces per square inch gauge pressure cutout. If this is the case, there may be no harm to adding main vents here and there on the mains. If the actual main vents on the dry return are working, and the crossover traps are working, there will be no gain either.
Re: I get all the weird ones...
I appreciate most of the comments guys. I did have a conversation with them verbal and through email, that discussed their expectations. I told them that no matter what we do that building wont maintain a satisfactory temp if any of the 3 overhead doors remain open for prolonged periods.
The best I can offer is at startup in the morning, the space will be 70 degrees, but within mins of the door opening, all bets are off. They understood and think they can manage as long as the conveyor and hydraulic oil get warmed up and rolling. I said keep it on through lunch then!
I dont think I will walk away from this job but I will have enough disclaimers and exceptions it'll make a lawyer wanna high five me!
Tom_133
Re: TT Excellence DHW Tank Replacement
I won’t be doing this again anytime soon. It was not fun.
Re: Objects found in heating systems
DOB = 1955. Will be 70 in December. Jet Heet was introduced in NJ in 1946, and sometime after that a cooling component was added to the small duct system called Jet Cool. In the 1950s that company was sold to Space Conditioning out of Virginia and they changed the name of the product to SpacePak. By the early 1960 My grandmother had one of the first central air conditioners in the neighborhood.
So I'm old, but SpackPak is just a little older. I was in first grade in 1961.
Re: Oversized overtall chimney?
Nameplate on the K-5007 says it can go from 468 down to 156 kbtu or 33%. I didn't initially believe it either but it lights off smoothly, makes steam quietly, and doesn't drive my 1950s remuddled distribution system to conniptions like it did at full firing rate. Been at this setting since 2013, through numerous polar vortices. I love my steam heat; I just hate the crazy draft it pulls.
Re: 1930's Hydronic System help understanding
Piping looks good. You probably do not need the purge valve above the boiler, the air purger takes care of that.
I'm still not sure that 0015 is the best circ for the job.
Ideally you want a circ to run mid curve. The B&G was a near perfect choice. The 0015 is near run out on the curve. If 14 gpm @ 4' is what you need?
hot_rod
Webster Type R System in my 1934 colonial
System works well just showing it off. Very unmolested system. Currently being steamed up by a 1998 Burnham PV73ST-HBUR. Output is 379 sqft of steam.
Has the original radiator valves by Webster, original Webster radiator traps and American Radiator Corto radiators. Thinking of upgrading to a vapor stat to hopefully save on some fuel may need to talk to a plumber friend of mine to see if that is a worthy upgrade. Also considering doing some maintenance such as fresh cage units for the traps. I also do need to put a new chamber in the boiler it is in pretty poor condition I'll probably have my plumber friend give me a hand with that as well. Other than regular maintenance/cleaning and the occasional new part such as low water cut off/primary control/motor for the burner it's been a fairly reliable burner/boiler
Re: Oversized overtall chimney?
I have checked the specs on B-vent and not one tells us what temperature it has to be heated to vent. Chimneys are not mechanical devices. They are chases. You don't have to heat ductwork to get heat to flow. Can you oversize a steam pipe? look at some old chimneys on commercial buildings and their massive brick chimneys. Think they get heated before they vent. And why do chimneys vent in the summer when nothing operating?
Draft is a sign of combustion air. The higher the draft the more combustion air is available. The taller the chimney the higher the draft.
A neutral pressure point is also called a blast gas. Back in the 80's there was a product called a Thermizer that was a flue restrictor for residential and light commercial. They were very dangerous on drafthood equipment if you didn't understand venting and combustion air.
The chimney is too big was created by manufacters to make contractors look bad and then really pushed by liner companys.
Blast gate, barometric combined can do the trick.
And bring the firing rate back up some
Re: Oversized overtall chimney?
I just would like to mention that a professional might baulk at converting a boiler with a 480,000 input to operate at 225,000 input. That is less than 1/2 the rated firing rate. Even an inexperienced professional would caution against that. When asked how this might happen, I could only think of one answer. Someone experimented with their own equipment. Since the results did not burn down the house or cause any of the residents to pass away from CO poisoning, then the experiment was a success and the system was left to operate that way ever since.
Nothing wrong with that assumption IMHO. I have downfired many a coal conversion from over 1.50 GPH (the rated BTU of the original boiler) to less than 0.90 GPH by placing a flame retention burner in the firedoor of the boiler to put the fire black in the place it was designed to be. Does that make me incompetent? The customers with the lower oil usage don't think so. And those boilers were still operating 15 years later just before I converted them to new gas boilers once the Gas Co. buried mains down the street.
Then they saved $$$ again with ModCon boilers. Repeat business. The glory and reward of doing the right thing for the customer. A professional job for a fair price.
Re: Biasi B10 vs Buderus …. 2024 which is most bang for the buck?
Contractor completed the heat study and came up with this design …. Baisi B10/4, Riello F3-40, Hydrolevel 3250 Plus and HF40 indirect. For a residential impressed with quality of work. Sez I should save a bunch on oil compared to my 40 year old HB Smith …. Time will tell.
thanks for your input
