two pipe- air vent

RJ_4

refresh my memory about the dropped header principal.

bill nye_3

two pipe- air vent

This system had issues. It worked fine until two years ago when the boiler was replaced. It flooded at least 5 times a year[that I know of]

The radiators are fed and returned on the bottom at opposite ends. The radiators have air vents. Only three radiators have thermostatic traps, all the others have check valves on the returns in the basement. Up high though, six or seven feet above the floor.

The condensate return was connected to the equalizer a foot and a half above the water line. The return was an inverted trap that went from the floor to two inches above the water line and then back down to the bottom boiler tapping.

It wouldn't let no water back in! Then the feeder feeded, then the boiler flooded. Then repeat.

The home owner stated the pressuretrol was set to 5 psi by original installer. It got interesting, BANG. I did not witness that.

Today I tore out the old , re-used what I could, and fudged it together the best I could. I got help after 2:30. Corrected Hartford Loop, my first dropped header, etc.

bill nye_3

not enough

not enough time to do a "nice" job. I had to get all the parts from the supply house and get my pipe threader from home. I got "saved" at the end of the day by Russ my co-worker. Don't think I would have finished or got home real late if he hadn,t stopped to help.

bill nye_3

more

one more

Steamhead (in transit)

Major improvement!

there are only two things I'd suggest:

1- bring the second drop riser to the header into the top, rather than the side of the header. This allows proper swing-joint action on that riser, which takes up more expansion should that be needed.

2- maybe increase the header from 2-inch to 2-1/2 or 3-inch, to slow the steam velocity and let it expand a bit before going into the mains.

Otherwise it looks good, especially for a first try! How well does it run now?

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bill nye_3

Frank

Money$, it's all about money. Nobody ever wants to pay.

I was trying to keep the number of fittings down to min. I had to offset back away from the chimney and the return pipe so the tee in the header actually has 3 elbows for swing joint action.

Anything here was an improvement. I work for an oil company and we didn't install the boiler. The contractor went out of business and moved out of state and can't be reached. I wonder why?

The customer is very concerned and angry about price, we will be lucky to get paid. A 2-1/2" or 3" header would be cool but it would have come out my pocket I think.

Yes it did work much better, the water line seamed fairly stable while steaming. I heard no banging and clanging, but this heating season will be the test. I couldn't get upstairs for pictures of the radiators. 1900's era I think.

Steamhead (in transit)

I bet

when this coming season is over, and the system runs better and more efficiently, he will change his mind. I had a customer like that once, talked to him a few months later and he said it was "eerie" in the house since the system no longer banged, and everything heated well for the first time in years. He has given me a bunch of referrals since then.

This would be worth a follow-up next spring.

"Steamhead"



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