Piping Dilemma

moneypitfeeder

(2 pipe, vapor system) So what started out as a project to add a header to my boiler, since the installer did not, and to clean and service a boiler return trap/ air eliminator has mushroomed. Due to recent flooding in our area, I now have first hand knowledge of where the water in my basement will be when the river 3 blocks away is 25 ft above flood stage. My boiler did not flood, but was very close. We moved the boiler after the getting all the water out, and poured a 5-1/2" pad to raise it up. The new boiler's water line was significantly lower than the original, and even with raising it, it is still approximately 16" below where the original w.l. would have been. So now let me get to my dilemma. From my dry return to the water line, I have 41", and approx. 40" from the end of my steam mains (which drop to a wet return). While we have the system this torn apart, this is the time to fix all the issues. I can drop the stand pipe on the return trap 16" so that it sits 8" above the new w.l., but due to the dry return being so high, to keep the air eliminator in line with the dry return means a huge deviation in the original design of this system. So, will the height difference cause these components to not work as they should? Next up, my husband would like to remove these components completely and convert the system to a gravity return. (Less future headaches and components to fix). I'm not sure that the piping can handle this. I operate on ounces with a vaporstat, have 2" supply mains, 1-1/4" dry return, and 1" wet return. Would this system work well if I just piped a trap into the dry return main on and then drop it down to meet the wet return? Here's the pdf of my original piping design, and my system was piped to Marsh's specs. Thanks in advance for any advice!

crash2009

What would happen

if you jacked up the boiler 16 more inches?  or Would that false water line thing work in your case?

Steamhead

The Return Trap

was installed to make sure the water could return to the boiler if the pressure got too high. It had to be a certain minimum distance above the waterline, but would work if the height was greater.



There should be no problem leaving it in place. With the Vaporstat, you technically don't need it, but there's nothing wrong with a belt-and-suspenders setup.

moneypitfeeder

About maxed out on height

I can't go much higher and still maintain the required header height. But I'm glad Steamhead clarified that it should be okay even raised.

moneypitfeeder

Piping the return water

I read some recent posts which concerned where to bring the return water in at, there didn't seem to be a consensus as to the returns. The setup left by the previous installer brought the wet return straight into the back left side of the boiler below the waterline. The autofeed for thee boiler was also piped into this. The dry returns after converging to the boiler return trap dropped into something that was similar to a hartford loop, but with the loop being above the waterline. Should I bring the wet return in to the "new" hartford loop on the boiler side as a lot of the diagrams show, or should I keep it coming in separate on the water feed side? Second, should the water feed be piped directly into the back of the boiler, or should it come in on the wet return? Thanks, Denise.