Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

gravity hot water someone converted to steam, or tried to.

cgdelzell
cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
in Strictly Steam
Some plumber replaced a 100 year old gravity hot water boiler with a Weil-McClain steam boiler and tried to convert to steam. he does not know much about steam. 4" hot water mains reducing as they go around the house. no pressure switch, header drip on end of a horizontal tee with a concentric reducer. Hartford loop 4" below low water cut-off. Oh and the old boiler had nothing wrong with it.

Comments

  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,276
    How well does it work? Pictures would really be interesting.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,384
    I've seen a few of these conversions in Baltimore. If done right, they're fine. How long ago was this done?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    within last 6 months, no vents on radiators it they wanted 1 pipe steam. no control of temps in different rooms.
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,384
    Can you take some pictures and post them?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    no pictures until I get access again, buyers of house will give seller's contractor time to make it meet code.
    they did pull a permit.
    But no permits for plumbing and electric work that was done.
  • Danny Scully
    Danny Scully Member Posts: 1,440
    edited March 2016
    Any chance the guy saw big pipes and thought it was steam? :smiley: lol
  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    nope, just stupid. he installed a bomb.
  • jumper
    jumper Member Posts: 2,385
    Don't see why it can't work. If plumber remembers to close off open tank somewhere high in the house. Otherwise venting is well taken care of, ha ha. Theoretically radiators are over sized so traps are redundant. With both HHW and steam the trick is air elimination. Picture a two pipe counterflow.....
  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    Oh shucks, that's why it worked a little bit, forgot about tank in attic.
  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    Don't see why it can't work. If plumber remembers to close off open tank somewhere high in the house. Otherwise venting is well taken care of, ha ha. Theoretically radiators are over sized so traps are redundant. With both HHW and steam the trick is air elimination. Picture a two pipe counterflow.....

    and no room control if steam enters from return main.
  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    Have not been back to house, but the sale was delayed so the contractor could install pumps, prv fill valve, remove Hartford loop and pressure test system for 30 lb. system.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,316
    While everyone knows I'm always biased towards steam, if it's a hot water system isn't any WM steamer easily converted to hot water?

    Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.

  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    yes, same boiler. just replace steam water fill system with prv, add pressure tank, remove Hartford loop and add pump.
    Older Weil-McClain's could be used for gravity hot water.
  • cgdelzell
    cgdelzell Member Posts: 22
    You leave low water cutoff in place. Oh and add limit switch, and operator switch.

Categories