thoughts on steam system

nicholas bonham-carter

yes! it is difficult to combine one system, which needs 20 PSI [kitchen}, with another which needs only ounces [steam heating]. also different, the heating needs only minutes of operation every hour, while the cooking is concentrated into the mornings and afternoons, for long periods of duration.

why not do a radiator survey, and see if one of those fultons could handle the heat; and the other handle the kitchen. that way their control systems could be entirely separate. right now the kitchen leaks are killing the whole system! surely the leaks can be fixed. also to consider is the fact that heating is only a 5 month duration, but cooking goes on year long!

are the fultons so "small" in the pipe department? i am sure you want to keep the velocities down, with large pipe headers, so maybe they are not the best fit for heating. some of them on the website, look very tall, so that their height may make it difficult to get "dimension A" in place.

just tell them, that first they have to fix those leaks in the kitchen, or be replacing the boilers in the near future! do the steam kettles really need 20 PSI? maybe that is part of the leaking problem there. their gas bill may start going down immediately, with lower pressure. good luck explaining all this to the board of trustees!!!!!--nbc

clammy

Thoughts on steam system

I was wondering what the pro's take on this system is ,it is located in a country club and there using 2 fulton steam boilers with there whole recerver tank and water feed pump set up .the boiler pressure is set at 20 lb cut in and 25 psi cut out .The promblem i see is that they have a original single pipe steam system which some one just teed into and ran a couple of supply pipes out to run 2 steam kettles and a heat exchanger for large commerical dishwasher set up .In the boiler room they just teed the 2 fultons together 1 inch piping put a 4 X1 bushing into the original steam main ,the boilers cycle on pressure and the rest of the building is boiling hot from the looks of the 2 boilersthey are about 6 years old and look in bad shape , it seems all the rest of the single pipe supplies are in crawl spaces that are inaccessable ,my thoughts are to run some new supply and returns and traps just for the kitchen equiptment ,then install a properly sized steamer for the heat,they are also in need of a new hot water boilers and indirects for there domestic hot water needs( laundry room & kitchen)The whole piping set up is a total sin with no rhime nor reason and not one pipe support to be seen .Am i wrong in thinking that these fulton boiler are kind of the wrong fitting for the heating side i know that for the kitchen side there a good fit but i have reservation about them for low pressure heating due to the small piping connetion and existing velocities.On another note i know the system is taking on alot of fresh water due mostly to the fact that both steam kettles are in very bad shape with all the swivle joints leaking both steam and condensate and are at least 15 to 20 years old they are being held together with rags and twine .Thanks for any thoughts peace and good luck clammy

clammy

to NBC

Well i'll have to see if they pay the ice machine repair bill first and then take it from there ,i don't think i would try to use the fulton for the heating end it would entail installing another reciever /feeder system for it so would rather do a sperate CI boiler and alot of repiping and use the fulton for all the kithen crap and maybe do a side arm for laundry servies domestic hot water needs as for the pressure they are running it at well the answer is probalby to help meet the needs of a old steam to water heat exhanger loated in the kitchen ,and as with alot of CC they are thinking about a big re do but as with most when board members get involued that's the end of doing things right inturn to saving money and getting free work done at there homes or kick back i see it all the time and then we come back and re do it after every body complains and of course the members and board members are screaming and kicking the whole time over the bills thanks NBC peace and good luck clammy

Steamhead (in transit)

Clammy, when you de-knucklehead that system

they'll wonder how they got along without you.

What is the MAWP on those Fultons? If it's more than 15 PSI, consult with the manufacturer as they may not be suitable for running at low pressures.

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