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What do I do with this 2 pipe system?

This first drawing is what is existing. I am showing two radiators connected by their dry returns, but there is really 3 radiators. This job was thrown into my lap by another heating contractor that condemned the boiler because of a leak in one of the upper seals; and this contractor is semi retired and didn't want the job. After replacing the boiler and putting it into service, nothing was working as it should. The 3 radiators only heated at the top 4", and the radiator after the main steam vent would not heat at all. I could get more steam into the radiators if I raised the t-stat up 3 degrees which cycled the burner off at 1.2 psi and back on at .7 psi. The baseboard, which is in the garage, only has a vent to it, and the vent spits water right after the burner shuts down. All 4 radiators in the living space above the garage have traps on their return end. I know what is causing most of this, but what I am having a hard time with is that darn baseboard in the garage. What is the best way to pipe the baseboard in this type of situation?image

Comments

  • ProblemSolver
    ProblemSolver Member Posts: 190
    This is what I am considering.image
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,170
    Ah. That's much better. That should work just fine. (i'm assuming that the left end of the red line does NOT connect with the thin black line...)
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • ProblemSolver
    ProblemSolver Member Posts: 190
    edited December 2014
    The red line is the steam main. this should make more sense.
  • ProblemSolver
    ProblemSolver Member Posts: 190
    "That's much better" doesn't help me much. I am removing a trap on one radiator and installing a vent instead. Traps are to keep the steam away from other radiators in a dry return, but this radiator is not connected to any dry return. The air vent I am adding for the other radiators is at the end of the dry return for those radiators. NOW, most important - I might not be able to raise the baseboard high enough because of some windows. So is there something else I can do with the baseboard?
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,170
    Well, sorry. I meant that it was an improvement on the original piping, and should work as drawn very nicely. You have provided venting and traps as required to make it work.

    If that wasn't helpful, my apologies. I have no further comments
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • ProblemSolver
    ProblemSolver Member Posts: 190
    So; does anyone have a problem with connecting the baseboard like this?image