Check valve to keep water in the boiler?

ThermalJake

When I first bought my house, it had a newer boiler piped with copper, no hartford loop, no equalizer, presurtrol, and a check valve on the return. It also had a radiator connected to the boiler water that was drawing off heat through convection (under the boiler water level and no circulator).

I have since piped in a 4 inch header, equalizer, hartford loop, added main venting, re-pitched the dry returns, and insulated the mains.

Since the basement got cold (re:insulted the mains), I placed the radiator into service that I removed years ago. Forunately (sic) the boiler was oversized when replaced so I had enough edr to add this one. I added it in as seen in the picture, just above the water line. It is down-fed off an unused take-off. Since I could not up-feed the return, I vented the radiator and dipped the radiator return directly.

Although I have not had any problems, I wonder if I shjould put in a check or flow valve to control the water backing out of the boiler. I only run 8OZ of pressure so we're only talking about 7 inches, but that would put the water about 4-5 inches into the radiator. I have not experienced any problems yet, but if that much water moves into the radiator, it seems more critical than just going up a column pipe toward a dry return. What if the boiler loses too much water each cycle? As I said earlier, I took out the check valve years ago when I lowered the pressure. The B dimension became irrelevent. Now the radiator is right in the middle of it.

Thanks for your help.

Jake

Jamie Hall

I wouldn't think so...

that radiator, on the steam side, is going to be subject to whatever steam pressure you do build up.  So I would be inclined to think of it more like a wide spot on a funny looking equalizer than anything else.  Water rises in wet returns and drips and such like critters because returns are usually trapped off from the steam, and hence have no equalizing pressure.