Iron Fireman SelectTemp steam system

DAN AMBROSE_2

I would like to know if anyone has worked on one of these systems and undersatnds how it operates. I have a customer with a boiler that is split and is not the original. some changes have been made to this sysetm since it was new. the convectors are not original. I would like to know how you supply 265,000 btuh of steam through a 3/4" copper line and heat a 4000 square foot house. All the convector supply liines are 1/2" od copper and the condensate lines at each convector are 3/8" od copper. The pressure trol is set at about 1psi. I hesitate to quote a boiler replacement without understanding the system or possible problems to watch for. I have never seen it operate and their last contractor did not have a clue as to what he was working on.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I am not sure if this is similar to a system I worked on years ago.

The one I worked on was an Iron Fireman and had a steel boiler. All the piping was copper. It had some type of steam regulating valve on the system. This was in a church. They had all these steam convectors around the outside walls. The fans in these were not powered electricly. The heat from the steam coil drove the fans by chimney effect.

Hard to beleive but the thing worked. Don't know if this is the same as you have.

Whatever you do I would be cautious about disrupting or changing part of the system.

ED

Steamhead (in transit)

Start Here

http://www.heatinghelp.com/pdfs/48.pdf

Please post some pics of this unusual system!

EBEBRATT, I think that one was the same system.

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EBEBRATT-Ed

Steamhead. Yup, your right, it is the same system. I worked on one years ago and It was a good sized church that wouldn't heat. The steam wasn't a problem. The little blowers in the convectors had little bearings on the shaft ends. Some of the steam coils were plugged with dirt etc. (air side) You had to have clean steam coils to get enough air flow to drive the fans which only turned by using the upflow of air (chimney effect). Plus the fan bearings needed some oil. Needless to say it didn't take much to stop the little blowers just a little dirt or crud would do it.

But it worked pretty well. As the steam pressure varied (boiler cycling) the little blowers would speed up and slow down. (maybe the first variable speed drive haha) So It was just a litle cleaning to get it working as they were freezing at the time.

Ed

Dick Charland

A thing of rare beauty

Worked on a couple of these systems in RI. They were located in mansions, one in Newport and another in Providence. The #1 problem was the blowers on the heating units. They were powered off of the steam coming to the units. Adhere to the sizing in place etc. Parts are still available, I'll see if I can track down from where. Amazing to see large ballroom with 4 of these units as source of heat.

Christian Egli_2

Combined heat and power on small and wonderful scale

The way to get lots of steam to flow through tiny pipes is to artificially increase the pressure differential. By using the sucking vacuum pump (like in so many large systems) or, cough, by raising the boiler pressure on a two pipe, open to the atmosphere pumped return system.

I believe the ingenious Selectemp operates exactly that way. The boiler is fitted with a steam powered feed pump, boiler pressure could be raised up to 15 PSI without problem. Perhaps even this pump can suck a vacuum, this vacuum would appear quickly since the pump is right next to the boiler and fed with operating steam prior to the rest of the system. I am guessing all the air is removed at this point since here are no traps at the convectors.

These systems would seem to work best at a higher pressure than just 1 PSI, but I have never been privileged to see one for real.

What sort of condensate return pump was originally used? Are there many of these systems in Cleveland?

Thanks so much for the historic trip.