Quick question re. the 24" rule

Hap_Hazzard

TLAOSH and other sources say to allow at least 24" from the water line to the bottom of the header, but what about drop headers? Would the bottom of the swing-arm be a good point of reference in that case?

Jamie Hall

Basically. seems to me anyway. I seem to recall from some discussions years ago that the idea was to have enough height to allow entrained water droplets to slow down, get todther, and fall back, and I also seem to recall that it was a rule of thumb kind of thing.

Cedic's drop header is all of about 8 inches above the boiler water line -- as low as Charles could get it without hitting the block! -- and it works fine.

Steamhead

Hap_Hazzard said:

TLAOSH and other sources say to allow at least 24" from the water line to the bottom of the header, but what about drop headers? Would the bottom of the swing-arm be a good point of reference in that case?

Yes. The critical dimension is how high the riser from the boiler goes. That's why Cedric's header works so well.

EBEBRATT-Ed

You just can't put the drop header below the boiler water line

Hap_Hazzard

You kid, but I wouldn't bet that no one has ever tried it.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Hap_Hazzard if the equalizer goes back into the boiler and you put a drop header below or at the water line the water line in the header will match the height in the water gauge glass on the boiler.

dopey27177

I have seen drop headers go below the water line where the boiler was installed in a low crawl space or low ceiling basement.

At the low end of the drop header a condensate drain line was installed with a steam trap. the discharge of the steam trap was piped to a condensate pump.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@dopey27177

yes with a steam trap piped to a condensate or boiler feed pump the header can be anywhere. But with an equalizer going back to the boiler you have to have the bottom of the header above the boiler water line +28"/lb of steam pressure.+ a few " as as margin for error.