Trying to understand old two-pipe steam system

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

The parts to make it hot water aren't special slant fin parts, anyone that knows what they are doing can buy the parts from a supplyhouse.

I'm not a contractor but isn't it just a few 3/4" plugs, an aquastat and a pump?

Fpipes

Do you have an expansion tank in the attic with a site glass?

Fpipes

This boiler could be converted to hot water,reduce the near boiler piping size , add one 007 taco pump and a # 60 expansion tank and should work quite well 

gchrisman

There is an expansion tank right above the boiler in the basement - no sight glass that I can see on it, and of course it was disconnected by the first contractor.

Fpipes

Definitely keep it as forced hot water, the 007 pump is totally silent. Seems the contractor you had has complicated the most basic form of hydronic heating. The boiler needs an aquastat instead of the pressuretrol , a 30lbs relief valve instead of 15, lose the condensate tank, add the circ pump and the expansion tank. It is not too difficult and should take a days work. 

gchrisman

After searching around for other potential contractors in the area, I can't find anyone who would be willing to come out to my rural area and who understands what you guys are saying needs to be done to make it work. When I moved here to restore this house, I had no idea it would be this difficult to find contractors to help get the work done! My wife and I have been doing a great deal of the work on the house ourselves, but there are things (like this) that obviously would be much better accomplished by skilled professionals. And, of course, it is starting to get cold here at this point in the year!

So, who would be willing to make a trip to Iowa for a few days or a week to help me get this done? If you know what you're doing with these systems, and think you could get it working properly, I'd pay for all expenses (plane tickets, motel, meals, etc.) as well as whatever your normal fee would be for the work, and I'd help make sure to have all the correct parts and materials sourced in advance as much as possible.

JUGHNE

Where in Iowa are you?

gchrisman

Garden Grove - a tiny town about an hour south of Des Moines.

JUGHNE

Do you know how the last guy sized the boiler?
Did he look at the nameplate of the old one or do some comprehensive analysis of the connected radiators or the heat loss of the house?

Can you post a picture of the nameplate showing all the info, you may have to hold some wires out of the way.

How big is this house, how many radiators? Just to get a gist of the needs...this is not accurate but a good method for a guess.

Is the masonry chimney lined and in good shape, this is often overlooked in rural areas...it worked before it should work now...right....not necessarily.

If that boiler is hugely oversized you may want to start over.

gchrisman

He sized the boiler by simply matching the BTU output of the previous one (or so he claimed, at least). The house is 2500 finished square feet (plus a full basement and partial attic with no radiators), with original windows+storms and high ceilings. There are 12 radiators in the house that are currently connected, and one large one which was disconnected at some point (in the long run I'd hope to reconnect this one). Most of the radiators are large with many segments.

The masonry chimney has been inspected by a company who knows what they are doing - it's original tile lining is holding up for now, but we're scheduled to have it lined with stainless in the spring and capped.

KC_Jones

Definitely massively oversized for a hot water system.  For future reference, to size the boiler for hot water a heatloss of the building must be performed, also known as a Manual J.

gchrisman

Oh, to add to the info on the plate, the boiler has been converted for propane - it says that on another sticker elsewhere.

KC_Jones

gchrisman said:

Oh, to add to the info on the plate, the boiler has been converted for propane - it says that on another sticker elsewhere.

Are you running on propane?

gchrisman

Yes, it's running on propane.

JUGHNE

An accurate heat loss would be the best for boiler selection.

The worst case method scenario...called a "drive by heat loss" would be:
2500 sq feet X 35btuh = 87,500 btuh going into the radiators.
A more certain WAG would be 2500 X 45 which equals 112,500 (just to be sure).

Your existing boiler, heating water, would put out 189,000 btuh.

Converting it to water would not be very difficult.
However, the warranty would most likely be void.
The main warranty is on the cast iron sections for leakage.
If you submitted a claim on that it would go to the manufacturer for consideration.
Maybe a problem, maybe not.

That steam boiler with pump control and pump could very well be needed in a small to medium church or school. There may well be one somewhere close to you.
IIUC, you have nothing invested in it other than grief.

Was the LP conversion a factory approved kit?
Do you still have the NG parts?

gchrisman

It was a factory-approved Slant Fin kit, and I no longer have the NG parts unless they are in with the other minor old parts he removed.