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vapor steam

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al3
al3 Member Posts: 5
in Strictly Steam
I installed a steam boiler on a vapor system. I installed a vaporstat, and set at 2oz on 8oz off. The gas valve cycles on for 45 seconds then off for 45 seconds. Is that ok, and if not how do I lengthen the run time?

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  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,835
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    Does it do this beginning at a cold start, or only after the system has completely heated up?

    What boiler did you use?

    How much radiation is there?

    What type of Vapor system is it (Dunham, Hoffman, Tudor, Webster etc.)?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • al3
    al3 Member Posts: 5
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    Thanks steamhead, ,Its a Utica J 400. I'm not sure of the system name. A great steam guy in my area showed it to me years ago. The rads use regular rad 90 with a disc with one or two holes in them to let out condensate and air. There is 810 square ft radiation in the house so I sized the boiler to the radiation. the system was already hot when I swapped the pressuretrol for vaporstat , so it really didn't have to come up from cold start
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,835
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    That's probably an early Trane system. See chapter 15 of "The Lost Art of Steam Heating" for details.

    How does the air get out of the dry returns?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Abracadabra
    Abracadabra Member Posts: 1,948
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    What is a Utica J 400? Do you mean a Utica JE400? 970sq.ft steam?

    Do you have a low pressure gauge installed to verify that it's the vaporstat cycling the boiler on/off at your setpoints?
  • al3
    al3 Member Posts: 5
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    there is a Hoffman condensate pump, air is vented through the tank vent tapping. there is a 6 inch deep 1 1/4 copper trap before the tank. I think that needs to be taken out and a f&t trap installed. and yes JE 400
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,287
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    45 seconds on, 45 seconds off is almost certainly NOT the vapourstat, although you can easily check that by jumping across the vapourstat terminals. Sounds much more like a problem with the burner controls.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Abracadabra
    Abracadabra Member Posts: 1,948
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    Abracadabra said:


    Do you have a low pressure gauge installed to verify that it's the vaporstat cycling the boiler on/off at your setpoints?

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,835
    edited February 2015
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    al3 said:

    there is a Hoffman condensate pump, air is vented through the tank vent tapping. there is a 6 inch deep 1 1/4 copper trap before the tank. I think that needs to be taken out and a f&t trap installed. and yes JE 400

    That's part of your problem. The water trap is blocking the air that's trying to escape.

    Do NOT install an F&T trap there. It will really slow down the returning condensate. The pipe should slope down to the tank inlet with nothing to block the air flow.

    If steam reaches the tank, the pressure is probably too high. Crank it DOWN!

    The real question is- do you really need that tank and pump? I'd bet you don't.

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting

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