Dimension "A"

Paul48

If a 28" vertical (90* to the floor) column of water registers 1 psi at its base,what would the pressure be at the base if the column was at 45*? Just curious, as we have seen many examples of this in pictures of peoples systems.I was wondering if this effectively reduces the dimension in half?

Steamhead

Should be the same

you're still measuring the height vertically, whether the pipe is at 45° or not. 

Paul48

True

But does it have the same ability to create 1 psi ? Does friction loss begin to play into the equation? I don't know the answers, but thought it was a good topic for discussion. Maybe there's some engineers lurking.

Paul48

Thought

I guess a deviation from 90* would also involve an increase in volume to get to the 28" mark, and bring it back to 1 psi.

JeffM

height is all that matters

I am an engineer, so I'll chime in since invited: Friction losses don't come into play in non-flowing fluids - gravity, the mass of the water, and the vertical height difference are the only factors. You'll get the same pressure at the bottom of a 1 foot high section of 1/2" copper tube as at the bottom of a 1 foot high rough iron pipe, a 1 foot tall filled bucket, or a length of pipe tipped at an angle with the water line 1 vertical foot above the bottom. If the fluid were in motion things would be subtly different, but as we're talking about steam systems those effects are negligible (the amount of flow rate from condensate below the water line doesn't create enough motion to matter).

Paul48

Thanks Jeff

It was just one of the many odd questions that popped into my head.I usually can find the information I need on the net, but sometimes wording for the search can be difficult.I am a veritable fountain of useless information. Occasionally it comes in handy, when someone else asks a bizarre (stupid) question, and I've already found the answer.

Rod

Long Diagonal Return

There was a post a while back where a 2 inch return was routed direct from the end of the steam main near the basement ceiling, diagonally to the floor over a 40+ foot distance. As the ceiling was high, there wasn't a problem with the "A" Dimension height though filling the diagonal used up a lot of boiler water and that, plus a slow condensate return, apparently was causing the auto filler activate and the boiler flooding.

- Rod