Pictures! Steam boiler cracked 8 years old, is this correct piping?

MasterBummer

hello, my name is J. Walsh. I am new here. I have pictures and below is a description of what I believe I am looking at. steam is not my area of expertise but, I believe this loop of the Hartford is too low, (approx 18" to center ground up) has the wrong tee, and the header looks to low also. (Approx50-51 " from the floor but just 20" from the top of the boiler. This is a crown mod# KSZ075BOPZZPSU s# booo492539 series 8 17 2010 allegedly installed in 2012.90k btu net 68k. Becket burner. I do not see much rust tword the top of the boiler and it seems to be leaking about where the lwc is installed on the front tapping 24-26" from the floor. Installer used 3" pipe off the top and once it hits the ceiling seems to pitch away from the boiler a little. I have a picture where it can be seen but maybe not noticed with the eye.
What I would call the equalizer is 2" coming off of the main header with a 3 x 2 90 and drops directly down to about 3" from the floor with the hartford loop tee about about 18" above the floor as mentioned above. Thank you in advance for any help.

MasterBummer

Pics if not attached. I don't see them,

Sorry

MasterBummer

More

MasterBummer

6 of 8

MasterBummer

MasterBummer

8 of 8.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Looks like it's piped ok if the elevations are correct

Steamhead

Agreed. I'd bet the system is losing water somewhere, and all that fresh make-up water caused the leak by rusting out the iron above the waterline.

Fred

The piping looks fine. The header should be about 24" above the normal water line so if it is 20" above the top of the boiler, it is fine. The Hartford loop looks good. I don't see a problem with that fitting. It is connected with a close nipple, as it should be. What causes you to say the boiler is cracked? If it is leaking at the LWCO tapping, it may just be a bad fitting there that can be replaced. It does look like a leak on the bottom of the Sight glass fitting.
How much water is it losing? Do you see any water pooled around or under the boiler? Most of those boiler blocks have a ten year warranty so you may be able to get some proration on a new block or a new boiler, if, in fact the block is leaking and the house is still owned by the original purchaser of the boiler and whatever other hoops the manufacturer may want you to jump through.

ted_p

Fred said:

... I don't see a problem with that fitting. It is connected with a close nipple, as it should be. ....

I think the reason the Tee looks wrong to @MasterBummer is because the piping diagrams in the Burnham/Crown IOMs show a Wye with a longer nipple as the "preferred piping" where the close nipple normally connects to the equalizer; but they also show a Tee with close nipple as an approved alternate, so as you, @EBEBRATT-Ed, and @Steamhead have said, it's OK.

Here's an example from the V8H manual:



I'd be indebted to anyone who would explain
Burnham's rationale for using the Wye at that location....

mattmia2

Looks like maybe it wasn't cleaned frequently or had the burner adjusted correctly. Probably worth it to take the trim and the front panel off to see if there is really a crack or just a leaking fitting.

clammy

Maybe it’s because it has no swing joint ,piped w a single riser and most likely never skimmed or clean . That’s usually a prescription for short life span as is your case ,doesn’t look like pro installed Peace and good luck clammy

New England SteamWorks

Missing swing joint. What was the water consumption like?

ethicalpaul

I'd be indebted to anyone who would explain 
Burnham's rationale for using the Wye at that location....

Well to my mind, a wye is like the shortest possible connection there. It’s even closer than a close nipple. Probably doesn’t make any measurable difference 

MasterBummer

Thank you everyone for replying to my post. I have attached a picture with the heights as follows
The center of the Hartford loop tee is 19" The water line is 4-1/2" above the center of the Hartford loop tee @ 23-1/2". Top of the block is 28" from the floor. Header center is 47.5" from The floor to the center of the 3" header as mentioned its about 23-1/2" from the water line. The 2nd picture is inside looking up. I couldnt exactly see the leak spot yet. This is a 1 pipe system with a lead coming off of the furthest branch returning back to the boiler 1" pipe tied into the Hartford loop. The water consumption was high . Line vxt read 119 cycles. Hopefully its not just telling me the incoming voltage as i quickly turn it on and off to read it..
I am not sure when it was reset. I know it was not maintained but also a sus install. Swing joints missing, one riser from the header seems wrong also. ? Its only 3 sections but shouldn't it have 2 risers then the equalizer at a minimum? Would anyone else change 1" return pipe to 1-1/2" ? Thank you

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mattmia2

Because there is only one supply from the boiler, not having swing joints probably isn't a big deal, the main reason is to allow give between the 2 take offs so they don't pull the sections of the boiler apart. your piping appears to have enough give to prevent that.