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Easy way to clean pigtail / siphon
ChrisJ
Member Posts: 16,231
I don't know if this has been mentioned before or not but I confirmed my pigtail was clear today by removing a gauge and blowing with my mouth. This of course blew most if not all of the water, and any junk out of the pigtail and into the boiler to be drained when I clean the boiler.
It's not a perfect way but I feel it's a lot easier than taking everything apart and I like to know that things are functioning properly even if I never need them. I test my pressuretrol once a year by closing the king valves and return valve allowing pressure to build. I also test the LWCO occasionally which unfortunately is much harder with a probe type than a float type.
I did not add water back in after this as I feel the first time you make steam all that happens is the steam pushes against the air in the piping and in the process condenses and fills the pigtail. I don't see a point in adding water.
It's not a perfect way but I feel it's a lot easier than taking everything apart and I like to know that things are functioning properly even if I never need them. I test my pressuretrol once a year by closing the king valves and return valve allowing pressure to build. I also test the LWCO occasionally which unfortunately is much harder with a probe type than a float type.
I did not add water back in after this as I feel the first time you make steam all that happens is the steam pushes against the air in the piping and in the process condenses and fills the pigtail. I don't see a point in adding water.
Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
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Comments
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I was thinking
When I put my new boiler in I would put a union on both sides of the pigtail so I can easily pull it for inspection on a yearly basis, just because. I figure it makes it easy to take it off and inspect.0 -
Union
Some of us forgot to put a union.
Hey, at least I admit when I make a mistake, right?Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment0 -
Did that...
Thanks to suggestion here, I did put them on just that way and also on the kpressure relief valve. Since my Vstats are on my header they did need a pigtai, but I used them anyway! Pigtails rock, but the little ones are really difficult to find.Two-pipe Trane vaporvacuum system; 1466 edr
Twinned, staged Slantfin TR50s piped into 4" header with Riello G400 burners; 240K lead, 200K lag Btus. Controlled by Taco Relay and Honeywell RTH6580WF0 -
Pigtail
I thought the water in the pigtail protected that sensitive diaphragm/ bellows in the control from the steam . I put in unions on my 1st routine on ALL of my steamers , total 4.0 -
water
Hi Techman,
Yes, the pigtail blocks steam from getting to sensitive devices.
I did not add water back in after this as I feel the first time you make steam all that happens is the steam pushes against the air in the piping and in the process condenses and fills the pigtail. I don't see a point in adding water.Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment1 -
I agree
The air in that sealed pigtail essentially blocks the steam from getting very far. the bottom of the loop in my pigtail gets very hot but the top of the pigtail never gets more than warm and I'm sure that's just because of the thermal conduction of the brass pigtail.
BobSmith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
3PSI gauge0 -
Tee
Chris,
How about a Tee on top of the syphon, then your presuretrol/vaporstat (you must have a vaporstat) with a plug in the bull. Take out plug, fire boiler, if you get water or steam -- the syphon is clear. Just thinking.
John0
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