drop header distance above water line?

Handyman 242

When piping a drop header, what is the accepted distance between the header and the water line?  I would assume the bottom of the 90 on the riser should be a minimum of 24" to the water line, but how far down can we drop it? 

Unknown

handyman?????

Handyman????

EBEBRATT-Ed

Header

24" boiler water line to bottom of header minimum.

Jamie Hall

The key dimension

is from the bottom of the horizontal section of the riser(s) to the waterline.  That must be 24 inches.  However, you then go over a bit and turn down to the drop header; that can be set just above the top of the boiler -- enough for clearance, but you don't need more than that.



Take a look at Cedric, here -- works spectacularly well.

JStar

Header

Agreed. Just don't go below the water line with the main header and you'll be fine. We usually set them up in a way to make them look nice. Going down too far looks sloppy to me.

Jamie Hall

Only reason

we went down that far with Cedric's was that we were hooking into a second header above there, which you really can't see in the picture.  That second header is the original steam drum from the original H.B.Smith that was in this place, and it was easier to hook into that -- which already had the steam mains and Hoffman Differential loop hooked up to it -- than to rearrange the mains.  That old steam drum is huge -- something like 8" diameter -- and the end result is super dry steam.  And yes, there is a second equalizer -- more like a drip now! coming down from it.



If you're ever up this way, Joe, c'mon by!

EBEBRATT-Ed

Guess I was wrong!! with the 24" thing.

So I apologize for that. never to old to learn something new. After thinking more about dropped headers I guess:

You could lower the header right down (theoretically) so that the tee for the Hartford loop is right at the bottom of the header. In other words a reducing elbow on the end of the header could be connected to the Hartford loop tee with a close nipple and things would still work as they should. Is that correct?? I don't see how you could go any lower.

Thanks,

Ed

nicholas bonham-carter

Critical "A" dimension

The important thing to consider with the difference from waterline to the end of the dry return is the "A"dimension which is the 28 inches needed at 1.5psi to prevent the returns from being unable to drain properly due to lack of static pressure.

On the drop header, you can have the header mounted very low.--NBC

JStar

Header

Function before Beauty. But, let's face it...any drop header looks pretty sweet!



Where is this system located? I really am thinking about planning a few spring/summer trips to visit notable steam systems in the country.