New steam install, take a look and see what you think...

chris_68

I just had a new Burnham Megasteam installed, single pipe system. I thought that he did a very nice job, but I'd like to hear all of your opinions. Please take a look and let me know what you think, and if I should change anything.

Unknown

At first glance,

I don`t think I would change a thing.
Nice job!
Edit- has anyone ever considered a full port bottom blow-off(drain), or is a sediment faucet OK?

Dave

Norm Harvey

Looks great!

I'd seal up that clean out door for the chimney with a little silicone.

Theres another thread currently active here on the wall about back flow preventers on steam auto feeders. May want to check it out. Its new to me also.

Thats a first class install. You have a great steam guy!

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chris_68

Yeah, I saw the thread about back flow prevention. I may go ahead and add a check valve and a valve downstream of the auto feeder. Right now since it is below the water line, I would have to drain the boiler to move it. I think I'll move it up higher when I redo it, can't see a reason not to.

Dave Stroman

A dropped header is a thing of beauty. A check valve/pressure reducing valve should be installed before the feeder valve, not after.

Dave Stroman

Steamhead (in transit)

May I suggest

if you are going to re-do the feeder to add a BFP, I would change the feeder itself to a Hydrolevel VXT-120.

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kevin_60

Nice install, But when you install the check valve i would install a manual bypass around the feeder for cleaning of boiler and skimming. It would be hard to skim the boiler holding in that button and it will probably feed too fast.

V8toilet

Looks like the guy new what he was doing! My only observations; why is the water in the gauge glass green? The water level in the glass should be half way up the glass not near the top and the Hartford loop looks a little high. It should be two inches below the normal water line, which is half way up the gauge glass. Where is the provision for skimming? It’s hard to tell from the pictures. It’s nice to see that he insulated it. It must work very well so long as the water level is correct.

Ron Gillen

Could'nt agree more

Ball valves are so cheap/cost effective/whatever, if it was mine I'd lose the bushing and upsize the blowdown or at least use an eccentrric bushing to get the stuff out of there when you blow down or drain.

chris_68

The skimming port can be seen in the last photo, the 1.5" pipe with a cap on it pointing straight up. You have to rotate the elbow to skim.

The water is greed because of some compound he added that is supposed to drop out the oils and so forth, keep from foaming, etc. I thought it just stays in there, do you think I should get rid of it?

I'll have to measure to see about the water level and hartford loop height. If the water level is a bit high, but the loop is still 2" below the water level, is that acceptable?

kevin_60

green water

The green water is probably steam clean, its color coded it changes to green when enough is added. I used it for years but it is made of sodium carbonate and learned in dans book that sodium carbonate turns to carbonic acid in a steam system. So i would drain it out.

chris_68

green water

Kevin,

I think that's exactly what it is. I'll let it run for a while to do its thing, then drain it out. Is there any chemical to add to help keep the water neutral and well conditioned over time? Something I can leave in there? I assume that the boiler should not be drained completely every year?

kevin_60

chris I skimmed my boiler with tsp and left just enough to keep ph at 8. Over time to maintain thats a good question. I herd squick or rhomar but im not sure what is best and would also like to hear what others think.

chris_68

additives

Anyone have any thoughts on boiler additives, I looked in dan's book, but he doesn't get into too much detail and the burnham manual is vague. Is it worth adding 8-way by rectorseal or something like that or am I better off with plain old water?

chris_68

water level and \"floor line\"

I measured the water level today and although 2/3 to 3/4 up the glass it is just shy of 32" inches from the bottom of the boiler. I consider the bottom to be the top of the cement blocks it sits on, not the bottom of the blue skirting which is 3 or so inches above the blocks.

The install manual says a max of 31 7/8" from the "floor line." I assume I am measuring this correctly by taking the floorline to be the blocks boiler rests on and notthe skirting?