STEAM VACUUM BREAKERS

JCO

Should steam vacuum breakers be used on all steam boiler systems? I have a contractor that replaced a old steam boiler that was installed in the 30's and it had 2 steam vacuum breakers on the system and now one is missing and there was steam coming out of were it once was and he is wondering if he should replace it or if it is even needed. Any help would be appricated.

JCO

pipeking

well...

  it depends, where on the system they r put. i say it deppends cuz i've seen them in places where they wen't needed. if the system was designed for one there i would replace it. they help return neg pressures.

Noel

Vacuum breakers on steam boilers

I've had to use them on a multiple boiler set-up that fed a Vari-Vac system to keep the water in the boiler when the system was under a vacuum. The boilers were pressure fired, below the King valves, and the whole piping system was in a vacuum. As the unfired boiler rested, it wanted to pull all of the water from the boiler feed tank into itself.





So, do you have vacuum that you don't need some place? If not, the vents usually let air back in to relieve the vacuum after the steam cycle ends.



Noel

nicholas bonham-carter

Vacuum breakers needed????

Your system probably needs enough main vents to get the air out and in at the appropriate times in the cycle of firing and cooling down. One way to tell would be listening for noise from the radiator vents-if you hear them, then you need more main vents.--NBC