Steam fun...

Timco

No re-pipe is complete without a couple curve balls... first this new steamer pipe job runs beautiful...big shout out to Dan & the Lost Art, but was losing water really fast. An entire sight glass in 3 cycles. Found this today, and steam started shooting out the gutter downspouts. Turns out there was a pipe connected to the steam chest of the original boiler that runs along the main. I suspected a main vent drip, but found it was a way to send steam up the downspouts in freezing weather. There are gate valves on it. Closed them and fixed the leaking section and boy does it build steam fast & hold it now! Perfect water line, and now to change out 64 of 70 traps that showed bad on the thermal camera and see how it runs...I bet most knocks go away...



Tim

Steamhead

Let us know

how much fuel they save!

D107

What's that big rusting tank to the right?

We had one like that in our old apt building basement in the city. just about same size on same supports. it was a two building coop with the boiler in one building and this tank in the other. long abandoned. both buildings four floor walkup, originally 8apts each. Was it for storing hot water? Originally was coal twin smith steam boiler, converted to oil in the 1920s, gas later on.



Thanks,

Timco

boiler

I have plenty of pictures, but that was the old boiler. 40 or so apartments in this building. I believe it is called a 'hammer-head' boiler  due to the shape, originally coal fired, converted in 30's. There is a small steamer (300K BTU) for the domestic, changed out once in the 70's.



Tim