Three Recent Steamers

Steamhead

We've been so busy lately that we haven't posted much. But we have a bit more time now, also it's good to be able to offset some posters who insist on trying to talk their customers into ripping out steam systems. So Gordo and I bring you a compilation of some recent steam boiler replacements.



Here's the first one. This was a Burnham Independence that rotted out above the waterline- the underground wet return had been recently replaced. We knew about the leak a couple months ago but didn't want to take the system down while it was so cold if we could help it. It kept chugging along,

Steamhead

And the new one is.....

a Columbia with a Carlin EZ-Gas. We didn't have to max this one out to handle the load, so the cast-iron will run a bit cooler and should last longer. And it fit the available space quite well.

Steamhead

Number 2

was a 4-section Columbia that WAS maxed-out. Over the years, this boiler has been offered in firing rates from 1 GPH (140,000 BTUH) to 1.50 GPH (210,000 BTUH). Using a higher firing rate reduces its efficiency and I'm sure contributed to its shorter life, along with the leaky returns which we replaced some years ago.



This project was also an oil-to-gas conversion. This boiler had also been "serviced" regularly by the oil company, but they seemed to forget to brush and vacuum it. We've all seen worse, but still...........

Steamhead

In this case

the Slant/Fin Intrepid was the best choice, both in its capacity and in how it fit the space. We reversed the order of the steam main connections to the header so the longer main got steam first. The oil tank and lines were removed after we took this picture.

Steamhead

And last but not least

was this 1960s-vintage American-Standard. This series of boilers has very high stack temperatures- they were designed when fuel was cheap. This one replaced what was probably a coal boiler converted to oil with a Quiet May burner- we found a service tag from 1944 having that info. The Quiet May burners were made right here in Baltimore.



This boiler had not only started to leak above the waterline, but had cracked at the bottom of one of the end sections. You can see in the section photos how much dirt and sludge had invaded the boiler- and on an atmospheric boiler like this, accumulations at the bottom of the sections do a great job of impeding the heat transfer and overheating the cast-iron.

Steamhead

Another Intrepid/EZ-Gas

purring along. The lady of the house said the installation was beautiful. I hope she shows it off to her neighbors!

gerry gill

you guys really do nice work!

how is the water where you guys are? is it aggressive?

The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

Those American Standard boilers....

seem to last forever.  I see lots of the early 60's models like that one and its bigger brother and most are just starting to fail.  45 to 50 year life is really good.  Stack temps may be high on those boilers, but did you notice that the oxygen levels are quite low...usually between 20% and 30%.  This will drive up the stack temps, but make them more efficient.  They are probably the most efficient older atmospheric out there, right up there with most newer atmospherics.  I usually get a combustion test efficiency of about 78% on the steamers and 80% on the hw models.

Nice work as expected.   I'm in the unenviable position that it is nearly impossible to get small power burner boilers.   Do your Slantfins run just as quiet as others?  Mine are very noisy, but that may just be the Heatwise burners (which can run clean down to 10% oxygen or less)

jonny88

great pics

Have a steam boiler next month and am going to do a drop header hope you dont mind if i use your pics for pointers.Thankyou for sharing

Steamhead

These two are no louder than others

Slant/Fin has recently updated them by adding baffles to the gaps between the sections. If you look at the rating charts you see their AFUE ratings have gone up a bit (for whatever that's worth) and they're using lower firing rates as well. We're seeing 84% combustion efficiency on these baffled 4-section units when using EZ-Gas burners having 9-slot diffusers rather than the "A" diffusers normally supplied for these firing rates, and this is running them at 9% CO2 which allows some headroom in case the available air supply changes. Stack temp is in the mid to high 300s.



Note that we usually install barometrics one size larger than the flue connectors on these jobs, since these old coal-designed chimneys almost always pull way more draft than these units need. The oversized barometric insures a stable draft even on the coldest days, since the chimney cannot overwhelm it. We also have stopped using the Kaowool rug in the bottom of the firing zone- it's not needed on a gas flame.



We have one customer where an Intrepid/EZ-Gas turned out to be louder than expected due to a resonance in the chimney. I have ordered a set of baffles for that job to see if they help.

Steamhead

It's not bad

the water supply is one of the very few things the Baltimore City government hasn't totally screwed up. 

Steamhead

Of course!

that's one reason we post them. What boiler are you going to install?

jonny88

burnham in4

I know it is a little overkill but love the way your piping looks.I have to add main air vents as their is none,another company said it was unnecessary so I really want to go the extra mile.A young family starting out and every vent in the house is hissing like crazy.Again thanks for all you contribute here a few of us do listen.

Steamhead

The diagram for that boiler

shows that a single 2-inch riser from the boiler is OK for up to an IN6. The second riser is optional. Whichever way you go, I'd increase the header size to 2-1/2" to really slow down the steam velocity.



Main vents are key. If you measure the length and diameter of the steam mains, we can tell you what you need.

Gordo

"Main Vents Are 'Unnecessary' "

Yes, that's what many of our customers tell us most HVAC contractors tell them -  yes, I'm talking to You, BGE Home!



That's usually right before they tell them to put in a h**t p**p and they'll be happy to haul off their radiators, boiler, and piping for only 10% more.



Evil. Just evil.



Thank you, jonny88, for your kind words and and doing the right thing.

Hap_Hazzard

Hey, I got a heat pump!

For my pool. It works great all summer long.



Heat your house with one? In the winter?? In the northeast???



That's just crazy talk.

Hap_Hazzard

I have to agree with the lady.

That's just elegant.

Gordo

Thank You !

and be well.

Gordo

H*@T P**ps for Home Heating....NOT!

Two lies in a single in single phrase:  They don't "heat" and they don't "pump"!



In all seriousness, your pool heater sounds like a good use of that thing. 

ChrisJ

Heat pump??

I'm really disappointed.

A real steam guy would be heating his pool with a steam boiler.  I'm not sure how but I'm sure there is a way to heat a pool with steam and obviously keep the water temperatures in normal ranges.



On a serious note, why not use a 96-98% NG hot water boiler to heat a pool?  I'd think that would use far less electricity than a heat pump and you could keep it separate from the pool water.







Steamhead and Gordo, beautiful work as always!  

Steamhead

Thanks, Chris

and, if the house where the pool is located has A/C, a "desuperheater" on the A/C system can heat water for the pool. 

Hap_Hazzard

That would work great.

But, like most houses with steam heat, there's no AC. I've never lived in a house with AC and never missed it, but a couple of years ago when my wife started having hot flashes I broke down and bought a small unit for the bedroom. Now whenever I run the heat pump to warm up the pool I can't help wishing I could save some of that cold air it blasts out, and whenever I run the AC unit I wish I could heat my pool with the heat it gives off, but I generally don't need to run them both at the same time even if there was a way to couple them.

Hap_Hazzard

I'm not a real steam guy.

Steamhead and Gordo are the real steam guys. I'm just a humble homeowner like you, Chris.