Steam System Rescue at the Baltimore Rescue Mission

Steamhead

Earlier this year we were called for a no-heat at this mission, which shelters homeless people. What we found was a leaking Weil-McLain LGB-8, lots of asbestos, a condensate pump feeding into a boiler-feed pump and a bunch of rotted-out piping around the pumps. And there was no way to keep steam out of the tanks, so the boiler room had been a sauna for years. 

Steamhead

We installed a W-M 7-80 and Carlin 301Gas

and a whole bunch of Gorton #2 main vents, after the asbestos crew had done their thing. The new boiler has two 4" steam risers instead of just one on the old one, and a drop header, so we're making much dryer steam. A Vaporstat keeps the pressure low, and we went back to good old-fashioned gravity return.

MDNLansing

Nice Work

I love seeing pictures of your work. I take away a little nugget of information each time. I do have a question though, this isn't criticism, it's a real question. Why don't you insulate the risers from the boiler? I see most pros don't and I haven't read anything about why not to do it yet. Is there a specific reason?

Steamhead

Yup

someone else was doing that, and they ran out of 4-inch insulation.

Dave in QCA

Looks Familiar!

Steamhead, another beautiful install! I am happy to see how much it resembles my 680 install last year. It was a fantastic install by "boiler wrestler", who reads this forum and occasionally comments.



Just for comparison,

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.502972719744401.109158.142994895742187&type=1

Gordo

On The W-M 80 series Boilers...

The instructions call for the pressure control tree to be mounted from a tapping on the front of the boiler.



We think that is radically unsound!



It is too close to the waterline and the 1/2" pipe and fittings supplied are more likely to get filled with rust and sludge rendering the controls inoperative.



As an aside, Washington D.C. codes require all steam piping 1" and under to be sch. 40 brass!  That may be going a bit far, and it still does not answer the issue of sludge.



We therefore mount the  pressure controls off of a top tapping and above the active waterline.

Dave in QCA

Good Point

You make a good point. Mine was installed according to WM guidelines. The installer left a capped nipple at the side of the tree so that I can flush it out, as it did this fall prior to start up. I am thinking about installing a ball valve to make it easier. I have heard that some inspectors require a valve so that the control tree can be blown down.

Steve_175

Drop Header Q

I have seen some instances on this site where the drop headers dimensions were increased relative to the risers to help facilitate dry steam. Do you think that is overkill, a good idea, or does it depend on the circumstances?



A good story for a good cause BTW.

gerry gill

Nice job Frank!

looks like a tight place to work! Your not a spring chicken anymore either, how are you getting the boiler sections down into the dungeons? got any young bucks helping?

Steamhead

The delivery crew

from Ferguson's has a stair climber so they took the sections in. Earlier we had disconnected the old boiler for a group of volunteers to remove. They scrapped the old boiler and I believe gave the proceeds to the Mission.

Steamhead

Depends

this one goes into what was the header for an old boiler that was there before the LGB. It's 5-inch, so it slows the velocity even more. We call this the "doubleheader" hookup.