Can’t sleep

rudymann

Just had new gas Utica steam boiler installed but the furthest two radiators are banging and filling with water within the first 5 minutes. House is a small cape so those two radiators are not to far from the boiler. All the radiators are pitched and all have new air vents. The returns are pitched and have two new air vents. None of the other radiators bang or fill with water. The only thing I told the contractor who put it in was the 90’s on the return with the air vents are original with 1/4 air vent fitting. Would a bigger fitting make water return faster? Would this be the cause for all the noise and water?

KC_Jones

Did the installer skim the boiler or even talk about skimming? It could be surging which is common on new installs that haven't been skimmed.

Also what does the piping on the boiler look like? If it's not piped properly that can cause issues.

Out of curiosity how did he size the replacement boiler?

rudymann

Skimming something I can do? And how? Don’t recall him saying or doing that. I will try to post pics

KC_Jones

Post the pics and we can take a look. You can do skimming, but there needs to be a skin port installed. If it wasn't installed they either need to come back and install one or you can install one. It's part of the standard install and should be in the manual, the pictures will tell the story.

rudymann

Pics

R Dougan

It looks like he piped the boiler wrong, ... the risers to the mains are supposed to come after the two risers that feed the header.

The riser on the far side of the boiler should tee into the header pipe ahead of the risers to the mains. The steam should go in one direction and never into itself.

You have what's known as a bullheaded Tee.

rudymann

Don’t know a lot about piping he should move the left riser over to the right side I marked pic?

KC_Jones

Order of pipes on the header.
1. Boiler riser
2. Boiler riser
3. System takeoff
4. System takeoff
5. Drop to equalizer
You have
1. Boiler riser
2. System takeoff
3. Boiler riser
4. System takeoff
5. Drop to equalizer

So yes it's piped improperly and should be fixed since it's brand new. There is a manual that shows the proper way to do it, which I assume he didn't look at.

On a positive note he installed a tee on the takeoff that functions as the skim port. It has a valve installed. If it was a full size valve that would be a good thing, but it's not.

Fred

In addition to what has been said, the one thing I see is that the Hartford loop is well above the boiler water level. That will definitely cause hammering. Also, it is clear from looking at the sight glass that he did not skim the boiler. That has to be done, maybe several times, as well.

rudymann

Thanks everyone

New England SteamWorks

Sorry, you're screwed. With those Dunkirk side-supply boilers you have to pipe them beautifully to get them to work with steam.

That didn't happen...

Call the contractor back and walk him through the process of reading the manual that came with the boiler. Then have him re-pipe the boiler according to the boiler manufacturer's specifications. Then make sure he skims.

After that, you should be fine.

R Dougan

Maybe this will help to show the guy when he comes back.

JUGHNE

Yes, it is piped wrong by the book........but:
He used both risers.........but:
Did he reduce at the boiler from 2 1/2" to 2"????
All the piping looks to be 2"....the book will tell if it should be
2 1/2" up and a 2 1/2" header. Depends upon the size of the boiler. (Nameplate)
If 2" is good then it would be easy to flip the tees for the main riser and the boiler risers.

He was aware enough to include a skim port.....but:
Some say this should be full size.......but:
Some Dunkirk's have severely reduced push nipples in the supply sections (probably why they need good NBP).

So if you dribble skim out of a full port opening you are getting water from the closest section only, as all the sections will not fill to the top, you just skim out of the closest one. If you move the center of the skim opening up (as it is) above the top of the sections then all sections have to fill to that level, and flow to the opening.

A 1/4" opening for the steam main air vent is just enough for 1 Gorton #2. If your mains are 2" pipe and about 20' long, 1 Gorton 2 would be all you need.
What do you have for main vents....pictures??

This install is not terrible compared to some that are shown here. He is close but no cigars.

The book will give you the location of the Hartford Loop connection, it can cause water hammer if not right.

You probably need the skimming to make those rads OK.
But the rest of the piping should be corrected while the fittings can be easily unscrewed. In one year it will be a different story. IMO

EBEBRATT-Ed

WHAT, an installer that can't read!! I can't believe such a thing!!I Show him the dam manual and make the piping look like it does in the book!!

j a_2

Show him nothing except the paper work your about to file with the state to redeem your losses...tell him to remove every thing he installed..

mikeg2015

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

WHAT, an installer that can't read!! I can't believe such a thing!!I Show him the dam manual and make the piping look like it does in the book!!

Worse is when they open the manual, circle and underline several things but they still install it wrong.