steam

loveashley

im trying to figure out a job customer has old steam boiler out of use for years he relies on his wood stove anyway supply on boiler is 2 1/2 goes to a header feeds six radiators at each corner of house is a 1 1/4 return runs about 15" off floor they t together and go right back to return on boiler there is no hartford loop was this installed incorrectly years ago i want to install new boiler with loop it just has me confused? any comments would be greatly appreciated

Rod

Steam System

Hi-

Trying to get a better picture of this system. Is this system 1 pipe or 2 pipe system? Pictures of the Boiler and header would be a big help.  How main mains are there and does each main have its own return? Where are the returns joined? If the wet return is 15 inches off the ground it should be okay as long as it is well below the operational waterline.

- Rod

Brad White

I would begin with

the end in mind, what do you want the new system to look like?

Sort of like the sculptor who is asked how he carved the elephant. He

said, "I took a block of marble and cut away everything that did not

look like an elephant."



If the out-flowing branches are in good shape, can you find decent, accessible places to cut them, say at a coupling or at a fitting, to be joined to the new main(s)? If so, I would start there and work back to the new boiler.



Working from the other end, great, you mentioned a new boiler.  So the near-boiler piping should meet the manufacturer's specifications (and maybe then-some). Depart from their diagrams only in the direction of better practice. Maybe use two tappings if available to reduce exit velocity, even if one is recommended for example. Be generous with your equalizer and any new wet returns. Pipe a generous skim port.



Certainly install a Hartford Loop, use as much riser height as you are allowed, use a dropped header to recover height if you need to, etc. etc.