Wording

SeanBeans

in the lost art of steam heating there is a small part in the Near Boiler Piping chapter.

it says something like this..
“Always come off the top of the header to steam mains, not the side.”

can this be read also as:
“Come off the top of the header to steam mains, NEVER the side” ?

ethicalpaul

I read those the same.

It's a warning against this, with the Tee pointing horizontal off the header, right?

https://us.v-cdn.net/5021738/uploads/editor/33/f0bif1kcof0q.jpg

"The tee(s) that supply the mains from the header should point up, not sideways" is how I would explain it to someone.

EBEBRATT-Ed

The bottom of a header may contain a lot of water that is being separated from the steam....that's the header and equalizers job.

The header being larger (and a place of lower velocity) give the steam and water a chance to separate, steam on top water on the bottom. water goes out the bottom through the equalizer back to the boiler. Steam out the top to the system.

I have used a 45 on the end of the header for the equalizer drop and a 45 take off from the steam header to the system without an issue.

Turning a header with a 90 is ok but the take off to the system shouldn't come off the side

DanHolohan

What I mean is that you should come off the TOP of the horizontal header to the steam mains. That gets the steam away from all the water that's flowing through the bottom of the horizontal header.

SeanBeans

@ethicalpaul just like that photo.

ethicalpaul

Thanks, it's amazing how you can absorb this stuff. I saw that Tee and just knew it wasn't optimal even though I have no direct memory of reading that passage (although I must have, and also have absorbed so much from the comments on everyone's piping pics)