Near Boiler Piping Stolen by Copper Thieves

MRC

I recently repiped the near boiler piping on a Weil McClain steam boiler. The original installing company had piped it in copper. The copper thieves did the rest. I have 37 years in the HVAC industry in St. Louis, Mo. I have read Dan Holohan's book "The Lot Art of Steam Heating" many times but have no practical experience piping boilers. Other companies that claim to "specialize" in steam heating looked over the job and declined to quote on re piping the boiler...I don't know why!
Anyway, the job ended up in my lap. So, with my copy of TLAoSH, the manufacturers installation guide and bunch of 3" and 2" fittings and nipples, I went to work. I completed the piping this past Friday, filled the boiler and fired her up! Everything seems to be working. The rads got hot, the burner cycled on the Pressuretrol and eventually satisfied the thermostat WITH NO WATER HAMMER at start up, mid cycle or end of cycle.
I would ask that the forum members review the before and after pictures I am posting and tell me if I have made any major screw ups. The steam main is in 3" and the Hartford Loop is 2".
I realize that the near boiler piping needs to be insulated. The thieves also stole the copper piping on the water feeder. That is the water feeder (what was left of it anyway) sitting on the boiler in the pictures. The boiler is being manually fed at this time. It has a probe type LWCO.
Thanks for your help!

Mike

Fred

It looks pretty decent. Only questions I have would be:
Do you have enough (any pitch on that header/pipe to the vertical equalizer pipe) to encourage any water that gets into the header to move that direction?
Is there a skim port on that boiler? With that much new pipe, it will definitely need a skimming (or two or three) in a week or two.

I would have used a Tee instead of one of those elbows below the Hartford loop and added a full port valve there so the wet returns could be drained/cleaned periodically.

Jamie Hall

Looks good. If te near boiler piping was copper before, they did you a favour!

icesailor

You did a batter job than the people that installed the copper, and you did a better job than the guys who wouldn't touch it.

You're next one will be even better.

I know "Professionals" that would be proud to say they piped that.

BobC

That is a wonderful job for your first go, you should be proud of your work. I would love to see the expression on the faces of those who turned down the job.

After it's been running for a while you'll have to skim that boiler to remove the oils that were introduced by the new piping.

Good luck with it and don't be afraid to ask us if you need some help.

Bob

icesailor

If those installers that didn't want to connect it, offer you a job, don't let them try to pay you in cash or pay $7.40 per hour, minimum wage. You're probably worth more than they are.

MRC

Fred, yes I did allow some pitch from the main after the tee in the direction of the equalizer. I also tried to pitch toward the tee from off the boiler but where that tee is connected to the main was "solid as Sears". You are absolutely right, I should have made provisions to clean the wet returns. I think I will do that. Thanks for the pointers.

Fred

Overall, as everyone says, It is a great job!

MRC

Thank you all for your support! I am fascinated by the "mysteries of the steam". All of your kind comments have boosted my confidence immensely. I hope that in the future I can do right by you guys!

Dave0176

Nice job on the piping. Most successful plumbers around here can't that good and yes most pipe it in copper because their LAZY.

Next time try your best to use cast iron fitting instead of malleable fittings. It's a lot easier to crack a cast fitting then trying to unscrew a malleable fitting on a steam system, when I see malleable out comes the sawzall.

Also I'd've liked to see you use both of those steam riser tappings, but I'd imagine getting the plug out probably would've never happend.

But anyway you did a fine job for your first time especially working alone without experienced help.

KC_Jones

Cast also looks cool because it's "beefy". Nice install for sure. As many have said already most pros can't do that good.

MRC

Another question I have is...should I install a new water feeder to the system? This is a rental property and probably will not receive the maintenance or monitoring that it should. I was thinking possibly a Hydrolevel VXT. Should I also recommend a new LWCO?

Fred

If it isn't going to get regular checks, it probably should have a new water feed, with a meter on it like the VXT or a manual reset LWCO that will force someone to go down and look at it when they don't have heat.

MRC

Thanks Dave0176,
Thanks for bringing up the point about using two risers off the boiler. The boiler manufacturers piping instructions had a notice that said... "Steam supply must be on same end as controls. Return may be from either end."
The controls are on the left side of the boiler and the riser is on the right. This appears to be violating the piping instructions. I called a TM from a local distributor of Weil McClain products in STL. He did not have the answer to my question but said he would contact a rep from Weil McClain and this rep would call me back with an answer. Never heard back. Dave, I stared at that plug in the left hand steam tapping for sometime wondering what it would take to get that plug out. I was alone on the job...I made the decision to pipe it from the existing riser. I would like to know the reasoning behind that requirement. I suspect that it has something to do with the pressuretrol sensing and riser being in close proximity to each other to provide proper sensing of system pressure?

Fred

You could have used both risers but it would have been very, very difficult getting that plug out on an older boiler. I think you'll be fine the way you set it up. I believe the manufacturer wants you to use a specific tapping if you intend to only use one riser but it is not relavent if using both.

DanHolohan

Well done, Mike. You make me happy that I wrote that book.

KC_Jones

We are all happy you wrote those books!

MRC

Thank you "Mr. Holumun".
Every Fall I enjoy sitting down with your book to visit with the Dead Men. What a fascinating science and time that must have been!

Dave0176

MRC said:

Thanks Dave0176,
Thanks for bringing up the point about using two risers off the boiler. The boiler manufacturers piping instructions had a notice that said... "Steam supply must be on same end as controls. Return may be from either end."
The controls are on the left side of the boiler and the riser is on the right. This appears to be violating the piping instructions. I called a TM from a local distributor of Weil McClain products in STL. He did not have the answer to my question but said he would contact a rep from Weil McClain and this rep would call me back with an answer. Never heard back. Dave, I stared at that plug in the left hand steam tapping for sometime wondering what it would take to get that plug out. I was alone on the job...I made the decision to pipe it from the existing riser. I would like to know the reasoning behind that requirement. I suspect that it has something to do with the pressuretrol sensing and riser being in close proximity to each other to provide proper sensing of system pressure?

I'll tell ya even new from the factory their a bugger to get loose. A lot of times either the 36" or 48" pipe wrench has to come out. Now on an old boiler that's been run for years, you'd probably have to lay the boiler on its side, then with a 48" pipe wrench probably jump on it and it may loosen. Or youll just shave the hex off the plug. Lol

Hitzkup

Nice Job.