What am I missing? New steam boilers.....

JC from PA

won't perform like the old boilers. Recentley had a contractor replace 2- 88 series weil mclain steam boilers in a building where I work. They recomended cleaver/brooks. Against my wishes because of cleavers proprietary bs, they where put in. Nothing was really changed as far as the piping, same header and same condensate return system, the cleavers are a package, so they come with cutoff already piped. Hook up the supply an return lines and your done. My only thought is that the cleavers probably have a smaller steam chest as compared to the cast iron 88's that where removed. What's really wierd is that the cleaver has a 50k larger btu/hr steam output rating, BUT the 88's are rated as having 200 mbh of input more than the cleavers? During januarys cold snap here, we could barely maintain enough psi to keep temperature in the building? And how can you have a smaller input and a larger output? Factory reps have been here many, many times to solve ignition, flame sensor and lwco problems. and have re-checked gas pressure 3 times to make sure it is adjusted to maximum output. The only other glitch was a failure of the installing contractor and/or the factory, to do the boilout properly. They blamed each other. Boilout chemical was added to boilers, but they did not isolate them from the system. They just started them up and adjusted the burners while steaming off the chemical out into the system! It reall y screws up the lwco probes which have had to be cleaned 20 times easily. But that shouldn't effect boiler output other than them shutting down with dirty probes? Design engineer says it's good to go, but you can't prove it by me. Thanks for any thoughts you might have.

Charlie from wmass

better efficiency is how you can

have a lower input and higher output. The question is also what size of boiler does the system call for and what was installed. Psi does not need to be high to get heat for most systems.

Brad White

Commisserating

I have always found it hard to beat the Smith Mills style boilers (the pork chops we call them), not for efficiency but for the large steam surface, generous steam chests and mud drums.  Newer boilers seem bent on lower water volumes and the ease with which they go through a door.



We designed a replacement plant using Burnham V11 series boilers, properly sized and well-piped with generous risers, dropped headers, etc. Lots of skimming but still waterline bounce and feed issues. Not the Burnham's fault, but the Smith/Mills boilers tolerated it a lot better.



I do not know of a "bad" steam boiler- all have their applications. But to ignore the near-boiler piping and best practices can take the operation of any boiler to a point lower than whale, ah, you know.

Henry

Proper strat-up procedures

Your problems are most probably caused by the inexperience or just plain stupidity of the installer. Every steam boiler that we install, we reread the I & O manual as things change. Not isolating the boiler controls t steam system from teh boiler during a cleanning procedure, is just plain stupid. The controls and glass was damaged and your complete steam and condensate piping system are contaminated. The boiler is probably still foaming therefore not generating the pounds of steam it is supposed to.

We were called in on one such situation. We ended up washing and rincing the whole steam piping system! $$$$$

BTW, have you checked the condensate and boiler water chemistry? A complete analysis is required. If you find sodium hydroxides or other hydroxides, you still have the wahing agent in the system.



Henry