Hot Hartford Loop

Stewy_2

1) Is the Hartford Loop suppose to as hot as all the other pipes

Brad White_184

Please define

"as hot as all other pipes".

If you mean that it is as hot as the steam piping, it may be that the water level has dropped below the Hartford Loop point of connection (POC), or conversely that the POC was above the waterline to start with.

A secondary situation could be a bouncing waterline which occasionally exposes the Hartford Loop to the steam chest. Is the waterline both identifiable and steady when in operation?

Normally, once the boiler has fired for a while, the difference between the condensate and the steam will be a lot closer but still distinguishable. The Hartford Loop will be at least at condensate temperature.

Can you post some photos?

Oh, was there a second or more subsequent questions? You started with a "1)".... sort of like finding an asterisk and no footnote. What fun is that?

bob young

natural circulation

if the hartford loop does not get hot & quickly , there could be a blockage obstructing proper circulation. [mud ,etc. ]

Stewy_2

Heres Some Pic of my steam Piping

I got rid of the coopering piping and did this. I still have to hook up another main but I havn't been able to get to Webb yet. Heres a few questions

1) Hartford loop gets hot, should it?

2) I get a gargling/sloshing water sound in the rads toward the end of the cycle when the boiler has ran for 15-20min. No hammering though. The rads heat well and are pitched good, any thoughts?

3) The vent on top of the condensate return (there is two returns but, beause I havn't hooked up the other main, I plug the other one) going into the Hartford loop, vents noticible steam. Should there be a vent there? Wouldn't that cause steam to travel down the returns?

Let me know if there is anything that needs to be done differently (aside for the extra pipe dope)I'd like to get this thing in prime shape. It's running great finally, now I just wanna work out the piping bugs. Thanks

SpeyFitter

See also my post in: http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&Thread_ID=53462&mc=22

1) The Hartford loop shouldn't get hot because it should always be under the waterline for the boiler. It should be set up so that the top of it is 2 to 4 in. under the "normal waterline". I believe the "normal waterline" is defined as when the boiler has been not firing for a while and all or most of the condensate is back in the boiler. This is sufficiently low so that even when the boiler has gone on a long burn and a lot of water is up in the system in the form of steam and condensate, the hartford loop will still stay under the waterline at all times.

2) This could be an indication that (in addition to the fact that it gets hot) that the hartford loop is piped into the equalizer too high (or waterline is too low, during firing and/or before firing). At the end of the cycle, the waterline will be at its lowest. The gurgling could be because steam pressure is being applied to the hartford loop and causing the condensate to back up in the returns and thus, the radiators. Also, you need to make sure that your returns do not have partial blockages that could cause condensate to back up in them. You also need to check your pitch on all your radiator supply runners and on you returns and mains too (not just the radiators).

3) What vent is that? It looks like one of the old USAV vents. I don't think they are even made anymore. If the vent is venting noticeable steam, it is definitely no good. It is quite common to vent the end of dry returns, but it is my understanding that you should vent the end of the mains as well, if possible. The system should work with just the end of the dry returns vented though. The steam travels down the return because there is a vent there, it is above the "A dimension", and that is what defines it as a "dry return".