Is this the right boiler for the job?????

Steamhead (in transit)

are correct, then the boiler is too small. The solution is obvious.

That condensate pump and those F&T traps should never have been installed. Remove them and go back to simple, reliable gravity return.

Those main vents sound like old American-Standard vents. Measure the length and diameter of each steam main and we'll tell you what to replace them with.

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Brad Cline

Checking for correct boiler size that was installed

I'm a new Service Manager that has inherited a possible problem child. My company installed this boiler 4 years ago. I was wondering if it was the right for the job and does it need to be changed out. I measured all the radiators on this steam heating system came to the conclusion that the combined sqft of steam required for the radiators is between 496 - 530 sqft. The old boiler was 200,000 btus (by the old notes left behind by the estimator). The new boiler is a Weil McLain M# EG-40-PIDN Series 4 and is rated for 125,000 btus output / 317 sqft of steam / Water Mbh 88 / Steam Mbh 76 / DOE Heat Cap 101,000 btu/hr. The estimator based the change out by the calculation of 240 btus x 530 sqft of steam = 127,200 btus on the high side and 240 x 496 = 119,040 btus. The boiler looks undersized. I found that the 2 main vents (Quick Vent #821) that look very old are bad / one is shooting out steam and the other is plugged (and were put on elbows). 8 out of 12 radiator air vents are bad (paint covered and plugged). 2 F&T's (1 1/4" copper piping returns)(Watson McDaniel Series 4 / 15 psig) are on the returns to the boiler. A condensate pump was put on the system with the boiler. Only one supply line was tapped for the boiler and didn't use second tap. There has been 14-16 calls out for problems / most for low water cut out failure due to corrosion and a new self cleaning probe was installed by the techs. And (you know it) a single pipe steam system. Radiators are half to mostly cold in the down stairs and the upstairs is lucky to get up to 65f with downstairs at 75f reading and stat at 75f.

I have started by recommending in main vents properly placed 15" down the line 6" up / new adjustable air vents on the radiators / and to be on the safe side possibly rebuild F&T's and inspect return lines for blockage and piece of mind while opening main vents for correction to main vents. BUT I feel the boiler still won't do the job. I figure get the steam moving by getting rid of the air problem first and see if the boiler does the job.

What are your recommendations???????????

We will change the boiler out at no cost to the customer if need be.

Desperate Service Manager looking for old school help.

JK_3

Wow

there are people here, more qualifed more qualifed then me to answer the right way to size the boiler but some of the issues i noticed were that the system can not work right with vents that don't work. why is it cutting out on low water, is the system losing water(mabye from a vent that is "shooting out steam"). are there packing nuts driping or mabye under ground returns that are rotted. I also think that the unit is under sized but putting a larger unit in the same way this one was put in will not solve the problem. I might tell the cust that we would like to adress some of these minor issues( at no charge). in the mean time mabye one of the othe rguys can help with adjustmaents to get you close.

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JK_3

also

as an after thought ,the corrosion would also be a symptom of constantly adding fresh water.

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Ross_7