Circulator used as a condensate pump

Henry

This is in a provincial government building. It was an engineered spec job that went to the lowest bidder. It was a complete boiler replacement. It is a Smith 19-7.They piped the condensate boiler supply to the front of the boiler.There is even a balancing valve after
the circulator. The maintenance man did not understand why the boiler would shutdown on low water.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Hot water fitter that doesn't know anything about steam. Condensate return to the front of a 19? It may be ok??

nicholas bonham-carter

In this case the engineer who drew the plans, did not read the boiler instructions!
What turns the pump on, or off?
Looks like a primary loop there.
This may have been an attempt to compensate for high pressure pushing the water up into the wet returns.--NBC

Henry

The condensate supply is not piped according to the manual. We prefer to pipe it into the equaliser. There is less chance of thermal shock.
The pump is controlled by the MM on the boiler.
The pipe above is a manual fill.
It is a 1950s building and two pipe system that was running at 13 PSI and now 4.
The installer should of seen the mistake. He probably was not licensed for steam.

I ordered a Grundfos CR1 in 575V as the existing install.