Re-piping Job

Bob L_3

My workers were too fast with the removal to show pictures of the old piping but it basically had no header at all. It came out in 2 inch across the top of the boiler and elbowed up into 3 inch. It had no equalizer at all on it and the pressure-trol was at 9 psi. You could feel the boiler shaking like a rocket ship ready for blast-off. The owners could only get a little heat if they cranked the stat up to 95 degrees. I asked the homeowner who installed it last year and she said she can't get a hold of him because he is in re-hab. I hope it's a new school Dan is running "Boiler piping re-hab" ; yes Dan you can use that lol.The customer was really hurting on the fiscal side so we did as much as she could afford(we went very low for her on this). We now at least have quiet heat at 67 degrees @ 1psi and no rocket ship ready for blast-off.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Re-Pipe

Nice work, Bob.  Looks like you made many improvements to her system and she will be enjoying a quality heating system for years to come.



My only comments - if you don't mind me saying so and these are just my personal preference - are that I would have used cast fittings instead of malleable and I would have used a bullhead tee at the take-off and brought the 3" main down to it.  It would have slowed down the steam a bit more.



I like the fact that you took extra time to install a drop header.

Luv'nsteam

Bullhead T's

Allan, I mean no disprepsect, but in TLAOSH, page 54 & 55, Dan suggests against the use of bullhead T's.  How would using one slow down the steam?  Would you please explain?

Bob, the install looks real good.  Your willingness to help the cash-strapped homeowner is a testament to good people being good contractors.  Very glad to learn that.



Thank you,



Mike

Bob L_3

Cast fitting

Yes we try to always use cast fitting for steam. As I said earlier this was really a gift repair so I decided to use up some extra inventory. I don't understand your "bullhead" tee idea either if you could explain it further?

Charlie from wmass

he would have the bull tee on its head

The 2" across the tee and the 3 going up. Nice pipe work and a good deed to boot. I am not convinced that cast iron is better for fittings but I tend to use them more than not for steam. Grinders and sawzalls make the smashing out fittings argument less strong. I think if we want to revisit this we should start a new post not hijack this one.