New Boiler for Trane VaporVac system:which boiler/size/mod?

vaporvac

Hello all,



I just lost a post it took me an hour to write, so I'll be brief.  I'm looking to replace my current Bryant gas 669mbh,gross output 504 mbh with a new high efficiency one. I have a 2-pipe gas Trane VaporVac circa 1915.I've posted at length prior so the other details are out there. The measured radiation is 1460 so I calculated gross btu needed at 466,061.  Is that correct?  The most commonly recommended SFintrepid and Smith g8 do no seem to be large enough.  It has be suggested on this site to stage-fire two unequally sized boilers for greater efficiency in the swing seasons.  Is this a good practice and much more efficient or will on big boiler with multi-staged or modulating firing do the trick?



I'm looking for suggestion for a boiler to suit my needs.  Is the noise of the power burners that much of a problem as had been mentioned?



I've attacked many problems this winter with varying success. The huge clanging off my "equalizer" persists at the juncture where it meets the mains and heads off horizontally before returning to the boiler. Please see attached pdf or go to <a href="http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/134354/Vapostat-or-Pressuretrol-Settings">http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/134354/Vapostat-or-Pressuretrol-Settings</a>



I'd really like to fix this when replacing the boiler.  Does it seem at all correct?



I'm finally getting a handle on this system thanks to all of the help from this site, but the actual replacement possibilities are daunting and very confusing.  I look forward to any and all suggestions.



Colleen

clammy

2 stage gas and repipe

It's hard to tell from your drawing but if i understand it correctly then your near boiler piping will have to be redone .As for the 2 stage burner i think in that low a output that it maybe hard to locate .You maybe able to get it in a atmospheric burner but you will have to search also i have seen then but there outputs where much higher then yours.In the worst case scenario when you do narrow it down to what ever brand make sure they install a drop header using both risers and i would say a minium  header size of 4 inch bigger is better with headers.Putting in 2 smaller boilers and staging the firing that way is gonna cost some oin and require the proper piping otherwise you will have issues .Pea and good luck clammy  an you post soem piitures of your existing boiler and some of it's near boiler piping ?

vaporvac

Maybe some pics will help!

Hello out there.

Just thought I'd post a link with some pictures of the boiler and the piping in case that might be of help? I'll try to work up some sort of plan view later.  I've never seen or heard of an equalizer like this and have no idea if it's part of the original piping or not?  When were equalizers first used?



http://www.heatinghelp.com/forum-thread/133806/HW-Convert-or-not-on-Trane-Vapor



Has anyone any experience with the newer non-atmospheric boilers that they would like to share? I'm not really sure what differentiates them from the atmospheric ones except that they seem to operate more efficiently.  How does that work?

 Do any of them direct vent or is that only for water?

Inquiring homeowners want to know!  I also looked for someone here in Cincinnati, but no one is listed...any leads there?



Thanks again.

Colleen

Steamhead

You're into a small commercial size boiler

A Burnham V-904A or Weil-McLain 5-80 would be a good choice. As with the Smith G-8 and Slant/Fin intrepid, these can be fired with oil or gas burners.

vaporvac

Slantfin Caravan Modular anyone?

Thanks for the great suggestions thus far.The Burnham looks interesting, but my computer here keeps crashing on their website, so I'll have to research it later.



Does anyone have any experience or thoughts on the SlantFin modular Caravan?  I read Dan's article on installing them, and while it's clearly more work and money does it make any sense to do this?



Also in calculating my edr, if I elimante the radiators in the garage and basement from the equation I could just use the SF Intrepid as that takes me to 434,779btu.  I have read somewhere on this site that a near size is not as problematic for a Vapor system due to the added expansion and velocity of the steam at lower pressures.  Is this true?  Is is bad to remove these rads from the mix?

Has anyone any experience staging two "non-modular "boilers like the Intrepid as that way I could include all the radiation.  How do I figure how large the smaller boiler would have to be to heat the rads in the shoulder seasons?



Lastly, any inside info on whether the Megasteam might be available in gas in the nearish future? Looking forward to any further insight.



Thanks again,

Colleen