Steam riser is slanted. How did they do this?

salesnyc

I don't have too much experience in the industry yet but I saw a tilt riser that puzzled me. How does one tilt a 3" riser? At first I though the threads on the riser was threaded slanted on purpose so the 3" riser pipe screws in slanted, but it's probably impossible to thread a pipe with slanted threads to begin with.



This is a WM steam boiler. Probably from the 80's. It's the ones with the first gen ignition lighting.

Sorry for the side ways pic. I uploaded it right side up. Don't know what happened.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Drip thread

actually you can cut a crooked thread. It's called a drip thread. I don't know if that's what they did here but something looks crooked intentional or not??

I don't know anyone who cuts drip threads anymore but it's possible

JoeyQ

Drip thread

If the drip thread is done, is there a special setup ? Or is the pipe threader traditional and the tool is used with a technique. The last response made it sound as though the drip thread was dated. How would a modern installer pitch a pipe of large diameter ?

Hap_Hazzard

There are a variety of ways.

The pitch on my header was achieved by having very long swing-arms connected close together, the equalizer pulling down on the opposite end, and adjustable hangers in between. On mains and returns you can get the angle you need by using two 45° elbows.

jim s_2

Probably factory

Looks like a crooked tapping.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Drip thread

I agree that the pipe being crooked is most likely caused by a crooked factory tapping and hopefully not a cross threaded pipe (which would likely be leaking).

I don't know anyone that cuts drip threads anymore. You would use a Ridgid 65R threaded for 1"-2" pipe. You would set the rear centering guide slightly larger than the pipe you are using. For 2 1/2-4" pipe you would use a Ridgid 141 threader. It is a thing from the past and no longer done as far as I know.

When the installer put this boiler in he had a few choices:

1. Return the boiler because the threads were crooked

2. Run the pipe crooked as he did.

3.Screw a short nipple in the boiler and use 2 45 deg elbows to "straighten out' the riser (not the best choice).

4. dry fit a 3" pipe into the boiler take an oxyacetyelene torch and heat the snot out of it and bend the 3" pipe until it is straight (That is what I would have done)

Basically to pipe to a pitched or crooked pipe from a straight tapping or a fixed point you have to use swing joints, 45s 90s or a combination of the two.

If everything was straight it would be to easy.

That's why they call it STEAMFITTING

Ed

Hap_Hazzard

Another way to "bend" pipe.

When I insulated one of my radiator recesses my guesstimate of how much room I had was a little off and I couldn't get the radiator back in, so I took out the nipple the valve was connected to and replaced it with one that I cut at an angle and welded back together so it bent about 15°. It was kind of time-consuming, and not the kind of thing you'd want to do all the time, but compared to tearing out the insulation and starting over it was worth it, and it made the handwheel stick out so it's easier to reach.