vacuum steam

Al Letellier_9

Thanks Noel and Steamhead. Good description of what we have for a system and a great description of how it works. As I said earlier, I haven't seen a lot of those systems in our area and wasn't totally comfortable with what I didn't know but now do.
Thanks again.
AL

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Al Letellier_21

vacuum steam

Just ran into my second Hoffman differential loop. Read up on it and was able to explain to the customer about how it works and why and that it was installed on vacuum systems years ago, and is seldom seen in our area. (Only my second in 45 years). So here comes the customers question: " Can we make it back into a vacuum system?" Any advantages?" The boiler was changed 15 years ago and I'm sure the water line dropped considerably. The system works very well and is quiet as a church mouse, is quite economical, using 1100 gallons to heat an old, well-maintain large house (2600sq ft) While some improvement would be realized, its not in the budget to replace the boiler, and I believe in the adage "If it ain't broken, don't fix it.
Thoughts and comments???

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Unknown

No harm in leaving it there.

The pressure control makes it obsolete, by controlling the water level.

Noel

Al Letellier_21

vacuum

Thanks Noel. I agree with that and that's what I want to do but I'm trying to understand and learn a little more about vacuum. Not that I would, but could it converted back to vacuum?

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Unknown

it could

But it wouldn't be practical to run it, in that the boiler is an on/off device, not a modulating device like a coal fire.

Instead of extending the heating when the fire died down once each night, it would happen 3 times an hour. You'd be chasing air pockets around every cycle.

I don't see what you would gain by putting coal style controls on an electricly controlled, on/off burner.

I've run a Vari-Vac system in the past, and the boilers both ran all of the time, unless the load fell off. There was always steam pressure in the main, so we didn't chase air around after start-up. That's the chief problem with it.

Steamhead (in transit)

Noel's right

the vacuum in this and many other types of Vapor systems was achieved by the main vent, which would let air out but not in. As the coal pile burned down, the system would go into vacuum, and the boiler could continue to generate steam but at a lower temperature.

That system likely has crossover traps used as steam main vents. These route system air to the dry returns on start-up, and the air goes out the vent at the Differential Loop. So that vent was the only place where the system could be open to the atmosphere, and this only happened when the system was venting air.

One or more Gorton #2 vents on the Loop is the way to go, along with properly functioning crossover traps.

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Steamhead (in transit)

Let us know

how it works out!

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Al Letellier_21

results

It was decided to leave well enought alone and to do basic maintenance on the boiler and its controls....lwco and feeder, pigtails and vents, etc.
As I said in earlier post, if it ain't broke....."

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Steamhead (in transit)

Don't forget

steam trap maintenance. If the dry return is steam-hot, there's a bad trap somewhere. This slows down the steam by reducing the pressure differential between the steam and return lines, and of course wastes fuel. Find it and fix it.

Replacement trap parts are available from several sources, so you wouldn't need to completely remove and replace a trap that has failed.

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Al Letellier_21

vacuum steam

I knew that but thanks for the reminder.

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