I built the wall...............after I knocked it down

Kybeans403

EG Steam Replacement recently completed. Customer not totally into the whole wall thing but there really wasn't much choice as stairs up and back into room were too narrow and rickety to handle the 500lb block. It has since been painted white again. I've really been studying steam pretty hardcore this year and am improving thanks to the help here. Critiques welcome!

JUGHNE

Some might comment on reduced risers and header?
There must be an equalizer on the right hand end of large header?

Good skimming port.

Kybeans403

Don't have any pics of that. It's a new 3 x 1 1/2 elbow going down to the loop.

Steamhead

Right, @JUGHNE . I would have made the risers and the header all 3-inch, and built it as a drop header to avoid having to fight everything into place.

But, which model is that EG?

Kybeans403

EG50 - specs One (1) 3" riser with 3" header

JUGHNE

So you have 2 X 2" risers, pretty tall, but still only a 2" header.
How well does it heat?

Kybeans403

No issues. House built into ledge so the returns have significant pitch and were clean so we get water back quite quickly through heating cycle so no fiddling with the delay on the feeder. All the vents were changed and mains had been done a few years back. 2 skims post install. Possibly one more to come but were really just now getting into any real use as it's been quite warm so far.

ChrisJ

I don't care for the 2" header, especially if it calls for a 3".
Howeverm the 3" riser extensions do help, a lot I'm sure. It slows the velocity leaving the boiler.

KC_Jones

So your 2" header doesn't even meet the minimum spec from WM. Using both risers doesn't allow you to downsize the header.

EBEBRATT-Ed

the old pipe in the back looks like 3". I would go 3" way. The more risers the better.

If you have the boiler cut sheet before you go to the job you can figure out the riser height, space between the tapings etc and buy all the nipples and fittings you need to make the header on your first trip to the job. It take a fitting catalog and a little math. You have plenty of height to work with.

Once the boiler is set and the header installed you can pipe the equalizer (field cut)

Then measure and pickup the 3" fittings and nipples to tie the existing main into the new header.

Don't get caught in the (2" pipe is big enough because that's all I can cut and thread) trap

lchmb

I think I see what he was trying to accomplish. Two 2" pipes are bigger than one 3"...I bet with the slow down with two pipes and combining into a 3" tee it will probably never have an issue...

New England SteamWorks

1. Never reduce the risers. Take advantage of everything the tappings give you
2. Header should always be at least one size larger than largest supply main
3. Always increase the equalizer one size above manual recommendations.

New England SteamWorks

Kybeans403 said:

Customer not totally into the whole wall thing but there really wasn't much choice as stairs up and back into room were too narrow and rickety to handle the 500lb block.

Great initiative @Kybeans403. Likely the right approach. Hope you built it into you quote!

Dave0176

lchmb said:

I think I see what he was trying to accomplish. Two 2" pipes are bigger than one 3"...I bet with the slow down with two pipes and combining into a 3" tee it will probably never have an issue...

But two 2” pipes is not not bigger then one 3” the 2” internal sq in is 3.36 sq in each the 3” internal sq in is 7.39. So two 2” risers is only equal to 6.72 sq in

Dave0176

The EG-50 calls for a single 2-1/2 riser and header. Steam exit velocity is 30.72 fps , this is still double what I like.

His set up has a steam exit velocity of 21.6 fps, the boiler manual list this piping as optional, not terrible, but not what I like. I prefer to follow Ara Marcus Daniels 1930 15 fps rule.

Here is my last EG-50 install two 3” risers into a 3” drop header.

Kybeans403

Excellent. All comments written down/saved so far on my tablet. I know the trappings on the EG's are 3". Will certainly go full size all the way on future projects, and utilizing a drop will really help when height is an issue....

..what about this set up then? This is the Burnham were replacing in 10 days or so. Header is 3", taps for risers are 2".....should we just put a close nipple and a reducing coupling right off the block and go 3" right into existing Header?

Kybeans403

Or just keep same set up and re-pipe 2" as is into header.

Danny Scully

I would roll the exiting tee and 90 on the header straight up and drop into it. Increasing the outlet on the boiler does not reduce velocity. Stick with 2” and drop into that 3” header. Only question would be is 3” enough.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Take the boiler manual (of the new boiler) and sit down and calculate the exit and header velocity with the piping the way they recommend it. It's all in LAOSH

If your job site piping dosen't match at least make sure that the exit and header velocity is the same or less than what the you calculated above for the new boiler.

If you can get enough$$ to increase the header size, drop header etc That's fine

But at least do the minimum

Fred

It may be an optical illusion but it looks like the header, after the trun is pitched back towards the riser out of the boiler, rather than towards the equalizer end. If so, water is draining back down the riser. Needs to be pitched the other direction.

Kybeans403

Ok. I have space to turn the tee. And bring both risers up and back down.....only question would be...Am I limited to how short or long the drop back down is? Obviously ceiling height is a concern.

I did check pitch of header, maybe my pic is skewed but it is dropping towards equalizer.

Fred

@Kybeans403 The drop can go all the way down to near the top of the boiler or just a few inches down. My comment about the pitch of the header was on the Burnham you are replacing. Sorry for the confusion.