is this a acceptable configuration for a Hartford Loop?

davey2451

I was working on my boiler and I realized the Hartford loop didn't look correct, what does everybody think and how should I configure it?or should I not touch it at all? The boiler works flawlessly no water hammer and lots of heat, The other side of the long horizontal pipe running along the bottom of the boiler, just 90s up and is the drain for another main
this is




a one pipe steam system with a drop header with two mains that loop around the basement and return to the hartford loop

Ironman

Thats not correct.

JohnNY

There is no Hartford Loop on that boiler. Also, your header is the same size as your boiler take-offs. That's usually not right either.

davey2451

OK thank you for the info, usually all the headers that I have seen, at least paid attention to look like they're all the same size but I've only seen pictures.. apparently it doesn't seem to matter much since I do get nice dry fast steam

davey2451

now let me ask you guys this... to get a hartford loop in there can i run the equalizer down to the big reducer at the botton of the boiler, then i can spin the tee so it is sticking out the top of the low horizontal pipe, and go up to the level of 2" below the water line and 90 it into the equalizer? if that makes sense... i'm just trying to get out of it with the least amount of cutting and soldering the pipes

pecmsg

Copper and steam are not a good combination.

You might want to have a real fitter re-pipe everything once. Drop loop, Hartford Loop, insulate!

Mad Dog_2

All good advice and please wipe the extra dope off the threads. teasing, but it is a pet peeve of mine. Haha. Mad Dog

davey2451

I will wipe off the pipe dope when I'm done working on it, what is a good solvent to take the pipe dope off? can someone explain to me what the drop loop is? And also when you say insulate you think I should insulate everything including the header going to the boiler because I never see anyone with insulation on the headers, I will be doing it all myself and I will do it right to the book if you tell me how to do it

davey2451

i will also pit a drain on the that low copper pipe . via replacing one of the 90s on the end with a tee and a drain vavle. i think thats the rite thing to do

davey2451

well i hope my plan is goin to work, im gona head to lowes and get all the fittings...

davey2451

well I bought $200 worth of fittings and pipe, went down there I just stared at it for two hours because Im still trying to decide, The easiest approach if somebody would chime in that would be great

neilc

is it bitter cold where you are?
(like it is everywhere else)
keep staring,
wait for spring,
don't get into fixing a working system right now

JohnNY

davey2451 said:

...apparently it doesn't seem to matter much since I do get nice dry fast steam

Two boiler take-offs of the same size are piped into a common header which is also the same size as the two boiler take-offs. Doesn't matter? You don't think it might be a better idea to double our volume in the common header?

And I'm doing this for over 30 years and have never once known how dry my steam is.

Just saying.

davey2451

obviously I don't know how dry the steam is, but it's working a lot better than it was, I will get a picture of what the header looked like before I replaced it and you will be amazed that it even worked, and it definitely did, I was just getting bad water hammer so I changed it to a drop Header,I have a pellet stove and it heats my house fine with just that, I'm in southern New Hampshire and it is 0° I believe out right now

davey2451

I don't have a picture of the boiler I switched the header on, but this is in a two family house and there is another boiler with a header exactly the same

davey2451

it won't let me upload the picture for some reason