Steam replacement with proper size

Dave0176

A while back I showed some pics of a really poorly installed super oversized steam boiler. Well we finally replaced that boiler. Unfortunaty for the homeowner PSE&G either needs to run gas service or there may be an issue with the incoming gas from the street, they were there and confirmed but what ever the case manifold pressure is only around 2.20 so we're no were near firing at full throttle. But the job is done and I feel I did my best.

Jamie Hall

Nice work! Shame about the gas pressure -- but that is one of the little problems with natural gas, isn't it? Nothing you can do about it, though.

Paul S_3

Nice job dave....how high are the risers before they turn down into header?

Dave0176

Hatterasguy said:

The question that begs:

How did the super oversized boiler ever run?

Well I clocked the gas meter and it was only burning 178,000 btu but would run up to pressure pretty quick and short cycle then they complained of hammer spitting air vents etc.... Imagine it ran at the rated 200,000 btu...,,,.

Dave0176

Paul S said:

Nice job dave....how high are the risers before they turn down into header?

I cut the 2-1/2 pipe 28" then added 6" nipples plus the unions, so probably 39" total and like 45" above the water line. I had plenty of height so I ran them high.

Fred

Looks great, as usual!

EzzyT

Beautiful work as always Dave.
PSEG only guarantees 3"-4" of gas pressure this time of year in area's that are already low pressure

Dave0176

EzzyT said:

Beautiful work as always Dave.

PSEG only guarantees 3"-4" of gas pressure this time of year in area's that are already low pressure

Yep your right that's what the tech told me!!!!

Dave0176

He's running about 3" supply and 2.50" manifold.

EzzyT

I've lost count on how many tankless water heaters I've had to rip out and install a regular water heaters or indirect tanks because the companies that installed the tankless's never noticed that gas pressure was in a low pressure area.

MikeJC

So if PSE&G can't get the gas pressure up, is there a solution other than upfiring the boiler?

Jamie Hall

convert to oil?

EzzyT

Or to propane

Dave0176

Few more pics Mike sent me. He also told me PSE&G is there looking in to the low gas pressure, they think it might be the line from the street to the house.

JUGHNE

Looks great, what is sitting by the wash tub..temp electric heater?

BobC

In 2014 i noticed my boiler was making a different sound and the gas hot water heater didn't sound right either. A few other houses on the street had had problems with the gas pipes coming in from the street. On a hunch I put a manometer on the gas line and found the input to the boiler was dropping by 50% and bouncing all over the place when the boiler came on.

I called the gas company and they found the problem was with the 80 year old gas main coming into the house, it was partly blocked with corrosion. They reamed the pipe and inserted a 1-1/4" plastic pipe into the old pipe and the pressure came right up where it belonged.

Bob

Dave0176

Update, PSE&G came dug up the street checked the connections and upped the pressure to 4" so now the boiler is running much better.

Chris_L

@Dave, Can you explain to this homeowner the piping of the risers from the header to the mains?

Is there any particular reason for running the risers vertically from the header, instead of at an angle from the headers to the mains to align the top of the risers with the mains (by rotating the Tees)? You could eliminate the el and nipple at the top of each riser that way, and it doesn't look like the risers would be too far off from vertical.

Alternatively, if you wanted to keep the risers vertical, could you have put the header directly beneath the mains? Thanks.

Dave0176

Chris_L said:

@Dave, Can you explain to this homeowner the piping of the risers from the header to the mains?

Is there any particular reason for running the risers vertically from the header, instead of at an angle from the headers to the mains to align the top of the risers with the mains (by rotating the Tees)? You could eliminate the el and nipple at the top of each riser that way, and it doesn't look like the risers would be too far off from vertical.

Alternatively, if you wanted to keep the risers vertical, could you have put the header directly beneath the mains? Thanks.

The reason for the two elbows at the top of the main risers is to create a swing joint so I can pitch the mains away from the boiler.

Chris_L

Thanks Dave. I'll remember this if I ever get the bullheaded Tees on the mains of my two boilers fixed.

The Steam Whisperer

You could just upsize the capacity of the gas valve, that will give you more capacity at a lower pressure drop.