Steam boiler sizing and pipe sizing.

Steamhead (in transit)

two 45° elbows?

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Tim_64

Part 2

I posted about a week ago regarding replacement of an old National Steam boiler (series 2). I've found some more info on radiator sizing, and arrived at 326 sf radiated. I have a few concerns, a Weil-Mclain SGO3 can produce 354 sf, and the SGO4 can produce 450 sf. I'm currently remodeling my house, insulating the walls and ceilings, and plan to build an extension in the future. So I plan getting the SGO4.

Question 1: how will the SGO4 perform in the interim when I don't have the extension on the house?

Question 2 : Regarding the piping. The SGO4 requires 2-1/2 in header, the existing piping has 3 in "manifold" which branches into two 2-1/2 in headers (picture attached). I'm just taking a guess that the existing piping will be fine, since the steam system worked well in the past. Ive replaced all the return line ( 1 in) that held water, it was full of rust and scale.

Sorry about going asking this again, just making sure before I pull the trigger and order the new boiler..

Thanks.

Tim_64

picture

forgot to attach the picture

Steamhead (in transit)

The horizontal pipe

feeding the two steam lines is the header. If that pipe is 3-inch, you're fine.

You should be able to run the SGO-4 with a slightly smaller nozzle to keep it from short-cycling until the addition's radiation is added. But have you looked at the Burnham MegaSteam boiler? Its 3-pass design is much easier to maintain than the SGO or any other vertical-flue pin-type boiler, and it's a bit more efficient. It also comes with a corrosion warranty.

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Tim_64

boiler

I have looked into the Megasteam, and the Smith G8, however I think I need a boiler with a top vent option. If it is ok to have the flue change direction 2x (90 deg turn up, then 90 deg turn to horizontal) then run horizontally about 10 feet I could use the Megasteam.

Also getting the new boiler into the house appears to be problematic. The doors to the basement are 20in wide. Even with the SGO4 I may have to take the core apart and bring it inside section by section. Ill probably have to do that with the Megasteam also if I do go with that.

Thanks for your help

Tim_64

More pictures

I posted these pictures previously showing the layout of the basemnt. It is a quarter basement/crawlspace, where the flue pipe runs along the top of the crawl space to a exterior wall, then connects to the chimney.

This layout is one of the reasons why I am leaning to a boiler with a top vent option. The height of cl of the outlet of the Megasteam is 21-3/8 in. The height of the crawlspace wll is 36 or 37 in. So I'll have to go up 90, then turn 90 again to head for the chimney.

With a top vent it is only one 90 turn. The height of the outlet of the old boiler was even with the ledge in the crawlspace.

TIA

bill_97

A few questions

How do you plan to heat the extension ? And are you set on using the Weil SGO ? There are a few oil steamers that have a wider range of outputs with the same boiler .

The SGO comes apart pretty easy with the neoprene gaskets . But you might find that taking off the burner door and maybe the jacket will be enough to fit it through the door .