stupid about steam

captpete12

is the piping for a commercial boiler differ from a house boiler, and so if it is does the tee in the hartford loop change height, or are they all 2 inches below the water line. the return is a wet line the height of the water in it is the same as the tee height.the new install is smaller in height does the tee have to be lower or could he raise the boiler to meet the old loop tee height  

Steamhead

Check

the manufacturer's instructions before changing anything. You can find many such instructions online. 

captpete12

stupid about steam

the old boiler water line was 41.5 inches off the floor, the new boiler is 27.5 inches ,the installer said he can raise the boiler off the floor to meet the old height. he said the wet return will be the same water height as it was intended to be or if he lower the water line to the new height ,wet return is lower so boiler might over fill while running. please help me  

gerry gill

me thinks

it might be easier to build a false water line than to raise the boiler.

captpete12

stipid again

what is a false water line

gerry gill

An arrangement of the piping

that mimics the height of the old boilers water line..or as we like to say, an arrangement of piping that tricks the wet returns into thinking the original boiler is still there..kind of looks like a reverse hartford loop but taller.

captpete12

stupid

can you show me what you mean about the piping.

Jamie Hall

One way or another

you should keep the new water line -- at least in all the wet returns -- at the same level as the old.  It's a lot easier to do that than it is to find the places where a lowered water line is causing problems (and it can!)  Either a false water line, as Gerry suggests (and that's the easiest way) or raise the boiler.

captpete12

stupid again

can you show a diagram of this false line piping for the loop

Rod

False Waterline Diagram

Attached is a diagram of a generic false waterline setup.  Also Page 28-29 of "The Lost Art of Steam Heating" (available in the " Shop" section at the top of this page)  has diagrams and info on false waterlines.  I don't have any experience with false waterlines myself.  The  Pros on here maybe able to suggest improvements to the design.

- Rod