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Connecting my header to the Main

Hi Guys,

I was on here last year when I realized my H/E was shot. I decided to replace the heat exchanger and repipe the whole mess. Coming down the home stretch. First thing, lets get it out of the way, I know I should have done a drop header!

That being said I now have to connect my 2" Tee off my header to my 3" main. I don't have the dimensions in front of me but but the offset is just a bit too far to connect with 2 - 45's

Question is which is better? should I just connect them with 2 90's or should I use 4 - 90's and do a swing joint and put the maximum pitch on the pipe? I will have a lot of condensate coming back down as several of my radiators take off before my dry returns but I was wondering if the extra turns is a bad thing.

And ignore those long nipples coming out of the tops of the returns for the vents. I am installing 90's to switch them back and follow the pitch of the returns. (learned that here too!)


Thanks

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 17,387
    Looks like 2-inch pipe. I hope you didn't reduce the size of the boiler's steam outlet................
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • rwilson2526
    rwilson2526 Member Posts: 16
    Nope, 2" tap. Basically fabricated crowns near boiler piping sketch exactly.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,495
    Most of the water will be removed by the header. You can connect to the main with 90s. You don't need excessive pitch ...just don't make a water pocket. Once the main is hot not much condensate will form their as long as it's insulated. Just make sure the water can get out
    rwilson2526
  • rwilson2526
    rwilson2526 Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the information. That's the route I will go. This leads me to my next question. In trying to eliminate all copper in this new repipe, the last piece is this 3-2 adapter screwed into my 3" T on the main. On a side note, I know that a T in the center of a main is not ideal but I figured the dead men don't make mistakes and I'm not up for splitting it into 2 right now. Even with my terrible previous installation the house always heated evenly.

    Anyway, how would you go about getting this thing out of the T. I was going to cut it flush and then try to split it inside with hack saw blade and chisel. Then I was wondering if that is a screwed on fitting over a nipple and maybe I'll just try to split the fitting on the outside exposing the existing nipple. At least I think that is a nipple in there. Of course we have cold weather coming end of this week so I am tempted to not mess with it at all and sweat a 2" male adapter on it and call it day. Assuming time is not an issue, what's your preference?

  • delta T
    delta T Member Posts: 884
    That is a DWV (drain waste and vent) male threaded adapter soldered to a dwv reducing coupling. I would cut it off leaving about 1/4" sticking out of the tee, slice into it very carefully going in almost to the female threads, but not quite all the way, and take a hammer and chisel and collapse the copper inwards to remove, should come out easy.

    I assume you have tried to take it out with a wrench? kind of surprised it won't go...
  • rwilson2526
    rwilson2526 Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the ID. I tried unscrewing with a 2' pipe wrench with 3' length of pipe on the end. Problem is because its horizontal, 7' off the ground and no wall nearby to have something to push off of I can't get it to budge. I had the same issue with one ofthe connections to the dry returns fortunately the black pipe to black pipe connection further back let go. Even after I gotit down and put it in a pipe vice I couldn't get it undone.