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Copper Near Boiler Piping

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Ted_Ryan
Ted_Ryan Member Posts: 36
in Strictly Steam
Does a plumber that has used copper to replace near boiler piping in the past, automatically move himself to the "knucklehead" (Dan's words) pile and therefor should not be asked for a proposal to replace that same steam boiler?

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  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
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    Plumber

    I wouldn't trust him, unless he's willing to change, and do the job right.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,860
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    Agreed

    find a real Steam Man.
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • bob_46
    bob_46 Member Posts: 813
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    Copper

    Frank, What would be the downside of copper if you Sil-fos'ed the joints ?

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
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    Find someone else.

    Copper is not the choice for near boiler piping. It expands more than steel and there is no way to do a true swing joint if all the joints are rigidly soldered together.
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • fixitguy
    fixitguy Member Posts: 91
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    Hmmm

    Only in the Lost Art of Hot Water Heating! To me copper in near boiler piping shows a general lack of knowledge in steam heating.
  • jumper
    jumper Member Posts: 2,267
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    how about soft copper ?

    I've long wondered about letting stuff just flex to deal with thermal expansions. Something like your truck's exhaust ?
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,716
    edited September 2012
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    If its not broke

    Don't fix it.  Iron pipe and threaded fittings have worked for years on steam boilers and are easy to find.

    To be honest,  I used iron on my header but copper returns and a copper 2" equalizer and when I had to buy a length of 2" copper pipe just for the stupid equalizer I was sorry I didn't use iron for it.





    I have to wonder though while we're on the subject.  I used two unions on the 2" risers out of my boiler, one per riser.  I'm thinking those unions also allow for the pipe to turn somewhat?
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • jumper
    jumper Member Posts: 2,267
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    don't fix it

    If its not broke

    Don't fix it. Iron pipe and threaded fittings have worked for years on steam boilers and are easy to find.

    ChrisJ gives practical advice but it's why we associate with dead men. In the seventies, hydrotherm and slantfin tried to develop cheaper methods to distribute steam. The goal was to sell boilers. Hopefully homebuyers would pay extra for wet heat and commercial buildings would use boilers for perimeter heating. BTW you see wrong iron fittings often.
  • Jason_13
    Jason_13 Member Posts: 304
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    Copper??

    The other reason not to use copper on the steam side is steam will leach copper from the tubing and those copper molecules will end up in the boiler causing galvanic reactions.
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