Sight glass on main shows a surprise

ethicalpaul

Sorry I couldn’t resist the clickbait headline, but I installed a sight glass just below my main because I wanted to watch the condensate return.

But water started pouring through the main. I had put in some Rectorseal 8-way after I did two skimmings and I guess it released a bunch of mud.

So I’m going to drain it and refill with just water to see if it does better.

It reminded me of Willy Wonka (the original of course). Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/WSRvvNQ5WLc

Danny Scully

Come on now, if you can spend money on that, and install it...you can repipe the boiler!

1Matthias

Where did you get that? That looks awesome.

ethicalpaul

> @Danny Scully said:
> Come on now, if you can spend money on that, and install it...you can repipe the boiler!

Not until Spring, and maybe not until new boiler purchase! 😃

ethicalpaul

> @1Matthias said:
> Where did you get that? That looks awesome.


It’s a connector system called Tri-Clamp. This stuff is used in breweries, etc and I thought it would be cool. It’s rated for really high temps and pressure. Here’s what you see there:

1.5” sight glass:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D29WV92?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

1” NPT adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074W76F1N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fd8cCbG6T2NHA

Tri-clamp 2-pack (includes gaskets)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073J7D1WN?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

ethicalpaul

Here’s part 2 after a skim to clear water, and two drain and fills. Is my NBP just a really good water pump???

Edit for future viewers: When I look at this video today I'm pretty sure that it was no longer carrying boiler water into the main (in this video). It was just condensate. But yes, the piping was all wrong. See my later discussions on HH where I did re-pipe my weird header to make it a lot better)

https://youtu.be/5FPvOcOWU8A

ethicalpaul

I thought about it and now I’m sure it’s the piping. The boiling water and steam go up to my “header” and since the header doesn’t go straight to the equalizer to allow the water to fall down, it’s acting like an old fashioned percolator carrying/pushing the water all the way up the riser to the main!

SeanBeans

I’ve seen boilers piped with undersized pipes and improper equalizers just pick up all of the water in the boiler and throw it into the mains..

The company who installed it blamed it on the fact that they only had steam baseboards, which were pitched the wrong way with too small of pipes. Try figuring that one out

SuperJ

Neat videos, this stuff make me want a steam system

KC_Jones

This really is a fantastic illustration of how those "vertical headers" don't work.

Really good stuff.

mikeg2015

I wonder how much water ends up in my header too. The manual for my boiler calls for 2 supplies. I at least have a lot of vertical and a fairly large steam chest which I suspect helps.

Canucker

@ethicalpaul You can get those larger and with threaded adapters, if you wanted to put them on, say, your header. Available up to 4 inch The tri-clamp connectors will allow the piping to move without loosening, if you tighten them properly

Gordy

^ I would like to see that. It would be very interesting.