Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Blowdown Separator

I recently installed 3 steam boilers for a retirement home in Chicago. The engineer is asking for a blowdown separator. I have only seen these on high pressure steam boilers. Since when skimming a boiler it is to be performed while warm not hot. Thoughts are appreciated.
0
Leave a Comment
Categories
- 80.9K THE MAIN WALL
- 2.5K A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
- 36 Biomass
- 394 Carbon Monoxide Awareness
- 2.6K Controls
- 1.4K Domestic Hot Water
- 3.7K Gas Heating
- 101 Geothermal
- 130 Indoor-Air Quality
- 2.3K Oil Heating
- 30 Pipe Deterioration
- 564 Plumbing
- 4.2K Radiant Heating
- 333 Solar
- 12.1K Strictly Steam
- 36 Water Quality
- 7 Industry Classes
- 51 Job Opportunities
- 7 Recall Announcements
Comments
What is the boiler size?
Blow Down is different than Skimming.
Is Blow-down performed daily , weekly?
ALSO... we like pictures!!!
Retired HVAC Contractor from So. Jersey Shore.
Cleaned & services first oil heating system at age 16
Specialized in Oil Heat and Hydronics where the competition did Gas Warm Air
If you make an expensive repair and the same problem happens, What will you check next?
He should be able to explain the how and why of it all.
Yes, we would like pictures.
I might add -- blowdowns are really only called for if the use is consumptive -- that is, the steam is not condensed and recycled. They are used -- if they are used routinely -- to control total dissolved solids, which otherwise build up and can cause foaming and carryover issues.
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England.
Hoffman Equipped System (all original except boiler), Weil-Mclain 580, 2.75 gph Carlin, Vapourstat 0.5 -- 6.0 ounces per square inch
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England.
Hoffman Equipped System (all original except boiler), Weil-Mclain 580, 2.75 gph Carlin, Vapourstat 0.5 -- 6.0 ounces per square inch
Looks to be very serviceable for the future.
Skim ports with valves piped right to drain.
I don't know what more one could ask for.
This must be a large retirement home.
3 zones or common manifold?
Is he asking for a blow down separator or is he thinking of a flash tank which would cool the condensate befor going to the sewer
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England.
Hoffman Equipped System (all original except boiler), Weil-Mclain 580, 2.75 gph Carlin, Vapourstat 0.5 -- 6.0 ounces per square inch
Is there a problem with the water supply?
Are the boilers staged?—NBC
By the way, that is a good looking installation.
And as @Jamie Hall wrote;
Blowdown is totally different from skimming, not just different. Which is it you really want here?
I might add -- blowdowns are really only called for if the use is consumptive -- that is, the steam is not condensed and recycled. They are used -- if they are used routinely -- to control total dissolved solids, which otherwise build up and can cause foaming and carryover issues.
As @retiredguy said, could be other stuff from makeup water.
The blowdown and all draining goes into a large sump pit.
It probably holds 30 gallons before the pump starts and probably has half that sitting in the bottom half. Blow down water would mix with existing cooler water and the pump runs very seldom.
Another possible solution which I hate to say is a 5 gallon metal bucket at each blow off point. Would really detract from the fine piping though. Then could be blown down into the buckets and then emptied as they cooled, maybe the next day.
The blow down of each LWCO is just to flush the bowl and assure the burner stops?
Remember the bottom blow down is also used to empty the boiler of water in the event of overfill.
For the job to be safe (proper tmp control) a flash tank installed properly, a pit or container large enough to hold at least 100 gal. of water and a cold water supply to add enough cold water to cool the hot boiler water to the required temp the pump discharges the blow down water.
By the way that is a magnificent boiler room install.
Jake
by Jacob (Jake) Myron
https://www.plumbingoverstock.com/products/steamist-68007-commercial-blowdown-tank?variant=4108531990633&gclid=CjwKCAjw_LL2BRAkEiwAv2Y3SUKfutmNRiejgqFqxXB1X5hQ4nBGBJTWFSFYsv9dojxN89hNGN-OOxoCrwsQAvD_BwE
Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
http://grandviewdavenport.com