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Steamer safety requirements

Timco
Timco Member Posts: 3,040
in THE MAIN WALL
So we have the high press limit with manual reset, 30# gauge, 15psi relief properly sized, but is the LWCO a choice of either probe OR float type, or are both required? I like steamhead's comment of a probe that would not require weekly blow-downs...unless you need the float for an auto-fill.

Tim
Just a guy running some pipes.

Comments

  • Dave Stroman
    Dave Stroman Member Posts: 766


    Tim, You can get a probe type that will also handle a feed valve as well as be a LWCO. But in Denver we have to use both a probe type and a float type. So I use the float type as the operator and the probe as the secondary. We also have to use 2 pressure limits, so I use a vaporstat as the operator and the cheaper one as the secondary.

    Dave Stroman

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  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,578
    steamer safety

    when we installed our peerless, according to nebraska code, it required a resetable probe-type and float type lwco.

    on the pressure side, a resettable high pressure limit, and an ordinary prssuretrol, both made by honeywell.these came with the boiler from peerless.

    during the first few days of firing, we discovered that water was dissapearing long enough to cause the reset on the probe to activate [usually at 2 am!]. until we found the cause, i had to take it out of the circuit, or be up to reset it frequently at all hours.

    the pressuretrol was so sticky at the low pressures i set, that it allowed the system to go up to 10 psi until the upper limit cut it off. as a result we had to replace a couple of 1920 flange-joint gaskets the next day.

    when you do a new system with existing piping, you never know what to expect. i would suggest the high limit be set way down to prevent a wild overshoot [ especially as i hear vaporstats can be bad out of the box].

    i have forgotten if there is already an auto-fill [over-fill!]of some kind on this smith boiler, but my preference is for gravity, out of deference to the original installers, and to enable my battery-backup to run longer. i may get my reservoir tank completed this w/e and be able to post pix and results. these tanks are simple, and unless einstein was mistaken, can never overfill.--nbc
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