Odd failure (long)
Now, what I think was happening is that the HX, being fed via steam at 8-24 oz/in, was actually boiling the water and it moseyed out the return line to the coldest place it could actually move to, the one unfrozen heater on the second floor, heating the piping on it's journey. Plausible? Can you think of another explanation?
Not done yet...
On my walkthrough yesterday, I fount the top two heating but the bottom two not.
Wha‽ Again?
Nope, the pipes leading to the diverter valve are cool, very cool, but not freezing. But the second floor is heating. In the boiler room I find that the H-54 doesn't sound completely healthy. The return pipe is about 110°, the supply is scorching hot. We're not moving enough water. Turns out the impeller had broken off the shaft & wasn't really pumping any more. We were circulating mostly via gravity, and all that hot water just didn't want to do down to the first floor units, since the piping ran down the ceiling of the first floor hallway. What a day!
I think the impeller fault is the original problem, everything else stemmed from that except for the compressor motor burnout. Not sure how that fits into the puzzle other than a happy coincidence.
Comments
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Do you have outside fresh air inlet/mixing dampers?
I have a pretty well unused school with HW Nesbitt cabinet heaters. It has outside air inlet controlled all by pneumatics.
I disabled the air dampers, plugged the inlets with foam insulation and locked the OA dampers shut. (plenty of infiltration thru windows....even when new in 1961).
It was fail safe as if no air pressure then everything would overheat.
But IIRC the outside dampers would close and fans would shut off with the higher night pressure??
Perhaps you have dampers stuck open without air pressure?? Leading to freezing.0 -
The OA dampers have been disconnected for a goodly number of years. I think spray foam might help seal them up better.0
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