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No hartford loop?

Big Will
Big Will Member Posts: 395
in Strictly Steam
I just looked at a system that is about 100 years old in a office building. The boiler was replaced about four years ago. Two things are missing. There is no equalizer or Hartford loop. Also there are some blow down valves missing. The service call was for a low water cut of that was not working. It was literally full of sludge so the float was stuck. I cleaned it but I am sure the rest of the system is just as bad. I have proposed adding the blow down valves and blowing it clean including a chem treatment with Rhomars 9150 to loosen up any thing else in the system and blow it down again. All that said what about the equalizer. It is a four story building with a huge 10 inch main that goes straight up for eight feet before any branches to radiators. The radiators are all single pipe baseboard type. (No nice cast iron here). It would be a big deal to add the equalizer. So I was thinking I should clean the system, check the vents and get the water good and clean and then hang out while the thing cycles a few times to see if there is any water hammer or surging. Thoughts.



P.S. should I be concerned about smell from the vents at the radiators with the chemicals.

Comments

  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,788
    Not unusual

    Very large heating boilers that have 100% of the make-up and feed water supplied by a boiler feed pump system, and that have no gravity return to the boiler whatsoever, often have no equalizer and no hartford loop. 
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • Big Will
    Big Will Member Posts: 395
    no return pump

    The boiler is in a basement. All of the condensate returns via Gravity.
  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,788
    Sounds like a bad installation!

    I wonder how the local inspector ever approved it!

    Gravity returns REALLY need that equalizer and hartford loop!
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • Big Will
    Big Will Member Posts: 395
    Local inspectors

    Other than in San Fransisco they know nothing about a boiler. Steam, hot water, radiant, Not a clue. Unfortunately its not very common and their receive almost no training. I have been asked That's like a on demand water heater right by an inspector looking at a knight wall mount boiler.   
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