Down Feed Steam Systems one and Two Pipe steam with Problems.

dopey27177

See the enclosure.

Down Feed one and two pipe systems after a new boiler installation.
Taken from my book Steam the Perfect Fluid for heating and some of the Problems.

jumper

What about switching to so called "dry" return if water line is lowered? Why must each "down riser" go into wet return? Cannot all returns terminate in an elevated receiver from which air is exhausted? Seems to me that if boiler room is sufficiently sunk below basement then there's plenty of ceiling height for dimension.

dopey27177

wet returns are the best way to go because steam traps, tanks and pumps are mechanical equipment and very costly to install.

My fix cost the customers 2 days of my labor and expertise and up to 3 days worth of a team of plumbers, some black pipe and fittings.

The building with the master steam traps cost only 1 day of my expertise and one day of my labor.

In these systems dry returns would need steam traps installed on each riser
At some point the dry return would have to drop into a wet return or be piped to a condensate or boiler feed tank and pump.
The problem here was not to change the system piping but to do an economical fix that to what existed.

Jake