Another steamer with drop header

EzzyT

We ripped out the 5 year old oil boiler in a 4 family home that started leaking do to leaks in the system that obviously caused the automatic water feeder to keep adding fresh rich oxygen water to the boiler and the lack of proper maintenance
We installed a Peerless 63-05L with 2 stage firing, Vxt metered water feeder and a Tekmar 279 outdoor reset control 5 Big Mouth vents at the end of the mains and 1 Gorton #2 at the end of a dry return.
Also replaced about 2"x45' rotting and leaking steam main and 11/4"x 35' wet return piping.Going back after Christmas to install the indoor sensors and insulate all the steam piping in the basement, all the exposed risers in the apartments Skim and wand the boiler.

Fred

Looks Beautiful, as usual @EzzyT !

Ironman

Nice!

It looks like you tried one of hatterasguy's skimming caps?

EzzyT

Thanks Fred and Bob, I made my own, nothing as neat and clean as hatterasguys. It works great.

Ironman

I got two from him that I'm gonna try out next week.

EzzyT

It really does cut down the skimming time.

Gordo

The piping looks great!

One issue, though: Why do you mount the VXT on its side?
To my eye, it looks like it should be mounted so the numbers and the writing read on the horizontal.

It would be nice if Hydrolevel could improve on their already great design by allowing the solenoid valve to be reversed or mounted vertically, while allowing the numbers to be read horizontally.

I've reversed the solenoid when I've absolutely had to, it takes a bit of doing.

Annnd, it would be so perfect if the 120V units could be switched to run on 24V with a replaceable fuse in case ya screw up!

I've even seen VXTs mounted upside down! Drives me nuts!

But anyway, the piping looks first class! Cheers!

SWEI

Gordo said:

it would be so perfect if the 120V units could be switched to run on 24V with a replaceable fuse in case ya screw up!

A moderately competent EE could handle that design change without breaking a sweat. Oh, and you wouldn't need a switch.

Gordo

@SWEI :I've talked with the good folks at Hydrolevel about doing just that... several years ago.
Sigh.

gerry gill

another very nice install Ezzy.

gerry gill

Gordo said:

@SWEI :I've talked with the good folks at Hydrolevel about doing just that... several years ago.
Sigh.

Hi Gordo- Hydrolevel wont do anything to improve the vxt until they get competition. Least thats my theory. How about a remote digital display board that magnetically mounts to boiler jacket so orientation of feeder doesn't matter?

New England SteamWorks

How do you spell dry steam? @EzzyT !

Beautiful work!

Gordo

@gerry gill : That's an excellent idea!

What I was told several years ago by a knowledgeable insider at Hydrolevel was that they were already working on putting out one vxt that could be switched to work on either 24v or 120v.

Too many folks were installing the wrong control and letting the factory smoke out.

I asked about making the solenoid more easily shift-able and got less commitment for that request, i.e. not gonna happen.

They are not likely to get competition until their main patient runs out. You would know better than me when that happens.

McDonnell & Miller will then swoop in with their version.

I remember not long ago talking with a M & M engineer and telling him how great I thought the VXT was and watching the anger veins pop on his forehead.

Through gritted teeth, he informed me he was the one who designed the Unimatch.

oh.

gerry gill

lol, that must have been an awkward moment...