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Near Boiler Piping for One-Pipe System

I have had trouble with uneven heating from a boiler that was installed months before I purchased my home. The Boiler has two taps: one of them is capped and the other supplies two main lines. I just had a contractor suggest opening up the other tap and creating another riser to the header with the second riser connect to the header BETWEEN the two main lines. So basically looking at the boiler from left to right connected to the header would be a (riser - main line - riser - main line) and then the equalizer and returns on the right side of the boiler. This doesn't seem correct to me. He insisted that this was the most efficeint way to supply steam equally to each main line, otherwise the first main would receive the bulk of the steam quicker. Shouldn't both risers connect to the header BEFORE suppling the main lines(in this case to the left side of the mains) on the opposite side of the equalizer and returns? Is there ever a case that a riser would connect to the header between to mains?

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Comments

  • No.

    You are correct.

    Header Piping

    Noel
  • Anna Conda
    Anna Conda Member Posts: 122


    What your contractor is suggesting is called a 'bull-headed tee' and it's a boo-boo. The two steam flows, approaching from opposite directions, crash into each other and create turbulance at the tee as they jockey to get out. The turbulance and delay causes the steam to start condensing too soon, which leads to problems and poor heating.

    A standard header is great, but many people find they haven't got enough space to get the right riser height before tying into the mains. In such cases a dropped header is used to get the necessary riser height. Actually dropped headers are fast becoming the choice of Wallies and steam professionals elsewhere, due to their ease of assembly, maneuverability, dry steam, and general Really Cool Look.
  • Brad White
    Brad White Member Posts: 2,398
    Nice article, Noel.

    Thanks for posting it. Very nicely written!
    "If you do not know the answer, say, "I do not know the answer", and you will be correct!"



    -Ernie White, my Dad
  • Thank you very much

    That's a high compliment, considering the scource. I appreciate that you read through it.

    Noel
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