Anybody know what this is?

New England SteamWorks

Found in boiler room with Warren Webster vapor system.

JUGHNE

I assume you mean the 3 drain/drip/vent pipes.

I have seen something similar on dry returns. Some coming from F&T's.
Helps isolate which return branch has bad traps passing steam.
I added more as possible to the project.

Kept steam out of the cond pump also.

New England SteamWorks

The basement is finished, so I can’t see where they are coming from. Not even certain they are connected to the steam system. But there is only one F&T trap, and they are not connected to it. The little pipes are very old though, definitely same era as the steam system.

JUGHNE

Any evidence of water drips inside the pipes or drain pan?

New England SteamWorks

None

Intplm.

Blow down discharge drip tray ?

I saw one that was very ornate years ago. Was beautifully designed much like so many radiators we have all seen. At least that is what I saw and what it was used for.

New England SteamWorks

Blow down of what? It’s 1/4” pipe...

a_dirty_fitter

Possible strainer blow down? Or maybe a flash tank overflow?

Intplm.

Hmmm.....1/4' pipe? Didn't read that they were 1/4". Stumped here. The ones' I saw had 3/4" and 1" discharging into this ornate bowl.

unclejohn

1/4" pipe. Looks like 3/4 to me. But like with me the camera adds a few pounds.

JUGHNE

The ones I have seen were 3/8 to 1/2" IPS.
1932 school, 2 pipe, attic main downfeed with pumped return.
Multiple dry returns and EOM drips and F&T's.
Warren Webster rad traps and inlet valves. Plain jane piping to returns. BTW, what would qualify it as a vapor system??

Steamhead

What kind of building is this? How old? An older apartment building would have had iceboxes before electric refrigerators, and those might be the lines that drained the melted ice away.

New England SteamWorks

Steamhead said:

What kind of building is this? How old? An older apartment building would have had iceboxes before electric refrigerators, and those might be the lines that drained the melted ice away.

It’s a large single family home, 1920’s. Ice box idea sounds plausible, except: why 3?

JUGHNE

1/4" is pretty small for any drain without pressure, IMO.

dopey27177

Some buildings Had Hoffman # 3 air vent valves. The discharge port of each valve was piped to a main terminal in the basement or or piped to the outside of the building near the radiator.

All I can think of is if there is one pipe per radiator these pans were used to capture any condensate that escaped the heating system when the vent valves discharged air.


Jake

Steamhead

Those #3 vents were designed to be used with Paul and similar air-line systems, where the vent lines led to an exhauster that pulled the air from the system. I doubt they would have been routed to a dry-sink like that one.

Big Ed_4

Where does the tray drain to ?

New England SteamWorks

There is a cut-out in the cement floor for the water meter, and it just drains into there.

Hap_Hazzard

Cuspidor.

JUGHNE

If eventually draining into the dirt, it seems not much water was passed.
I'm sticking with my "the steam in return line/failed trap or orifice / pressure too high "theory.

Or another WAG would simply be air vents for dry returns.
How many steam mains in the house?

Big Ed_4

It could be drains from a old icebox ,... But why three ?

RalphsHVAC

Shut the system off and let cool. All traps will open. Use air or CO2 and put some flow into one of the lines. Open the boiler relief to see if the pressure flows through.
At least then you will know if heating system or not.

If not go on a hunt and listen for the air in the house.

Good luck.

retiredguy

That looks like a home made "air gap" that is usually required in a commercial building to prevent sewer water from contaminating a potable water source like a drinking fountain in case of a sewer back-up. I used to see these in mansions of the very wealthy. Just a guess. Today, they use fancy air gaps made by a commercial vendor.