Pressuretrol location and equalizing question

Bob L_3

In Dan's new book "Greening Steam", he make mention of not putting 2 pressuetrols off the same pigtail or boiler opening. I understand why but on many boilers it's hard to find additional opening and I have seen the top removed from a 47-2 L.W.C. and a union installed going to a reducer and the pigtail and then a pressuretrol. Is this o.k.? Or is there any reason this would effect the 47-2 or maybe get improper readings in this location?

Question #2 is on the equalizing line I have been told forever and ever that the fitting should be a reducing elbow at the end of the header, but in Dan's book on page 85 "Greening Steam" it shows a reducing coupling about a foot or two from the last elbow off the header.  Is a reducer acceptable anywhere there? (above the water line I'm assuming) Is one way better or does it not matter? In trying to think like steam I can't think of a reason it would matter other than I've been told forever to use a reducing elbow there.

Unknown

Piping

While ideally it is better to have two distinctly separate setups, boiler port, pigtail and control, as you mention, sometimes this is hard to accomplish. I would be more concerned about having a high boiler port (well above

the waterline) so that the piping to the instruments (gauges /

pressuretrols)  would easily drain. Far to often you see  the controls near or even below the boiler waterline. In this case just adding a short pipe nipple to raise the control higher is great improvement.  Having a backup pressuretrol is a good idea. I think as long as you remove and inspect the piping and pigtail at regular intervals, putting the controls on the same piping, while not absolutely ideal, is acceptable. It also helps to use bronze /brass for the piping and pigtails as these are less likely to corrode.



Equalizer -  What you are doing here is just reducing the size of the pipe used in the header  (2+ to 4 inches) down to the 1 1/2 inch that is normally used for the equalizer pipe. The reducing should be done on the vertical plane so condensate doesn't collect and form a pool of water.  What you don't want to do is use a fitting on the end of the header that by its configuration, would form a pool of water and not allow the condensate to completely drain from the header.

- Rod