Single (really!) pipe steam

Jim_185

Was called in on this one the other day to quote a replacement.  9 year old boiler is leaking internally.  The only steam piping on the the boiler is a single riser which splits into 2 mains for front and rear of house.  No header, no returns, no Hartford loop?  There once was an end of main vent in rear of house.  It spit water, so the homeowner piped the pesky thing through the cellar window and out into the back yard.  Makeup water is dumped into the top of the boiler.  I have found no manufacturers near piping requirements that even come close to this arrangement. Where (or do I?) even begin with this?

icesailor

Quality Steam Co.

At least they used 2" copper pressure fittings.



Are you sure that the Homeowner didn't install that? If he was bright enough to run the spitting steam vent out the window, he must have had some piping skills. Just not the right ones. Unless he just put a boiler drain into where the vent was and ran a garden hose out the cellar window and to the outside. Which still makes him a candidate for the installer because most people, no matter how cheap, will call "someone else" when things don't work out by someone else. They won't if they did it themselves. Foolish pride or something like that.

nicholas bonham-carter

Generous main venting!!

What manufacturer said "nothing vents better than an open pipe"?

The soldered joints are pretty well made, and wiped, for a homeowner/hack to have done.

Did he ask whether the block was still under warranty?--NBC

Steamhead

Do the steam mains

slope up from the boiler, or down?

Jim_185

As the mains leave

The boiler, they are pitched up. Condensate returns to the boiler through mains pitched toward the boiler and apparently returns condensate down the riser and into the top of the boiler.

Paul48

Daunting

If they're willing to pay for the time and materials to make the system right...why not. Discuss it with them. If they want someone to just stick another boiler in there....pass.

Steamhead

That's a Counterflow system

the steam mains should have drip connections close to the boiler, so the water won't flow back into the header. Both drips must extend down below the boiler's waterline before teeing together- this keeps steam from getting into them and banging.



Like this:

Jim_185

Cracked the case!

Thanks for your help. It's starting to make sense now.

I didn't notice any tees for the drips, but then again, I didn't think to look for them.

Appreciate the help!

Happy St. Patty's!