Upgrade control piping

Dollr

Hello all, looking for suggestions from the pros on replacing the piping to the pressure controls and the pigtail. I want to replace them in brass with unions placed somewhere so I can more easily clean things out. I think it's time, the boiler was I installed in 1990. Wondering the best way to pipe this and where the unions should go. Where to buy the parts? Supply House? Thanks

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

You can use 1/4" brass unions on the bottom of the pigtail and on the pressuretrols.

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-BRU025-1-4-FIP-Brass-Union-Lead-Free?_br_psugg_q=1/4+inch+brass+union

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Apollo-Valves-2740201-1-4-Steam-Gauge-Siphon-Loop-90

Dollr

Great Alan thanks. One more thing, If I wanted to take things up a notch and add a low pressure gage where would be the best location for that? Any gage recommendations? Thanks again.

mattmia2

Make the loop out of fittings instead of a pigtail. Use tees instead of ells and plug the unused run of the tee then you can just take the plugs out and flush it without taking anything apart.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

I found this on a search here on HeatingHelp:

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/185770/simple-low-pressure-steam-gauge

I would just add a tee to the right or left of the pressuretrols.

Dollr

Ok, perfect thanks again!

EBEBRATT-Ed

If you had another tapping, you could mount them on it would be better if they were mounted up in the steam space instead of down on the low water cutoff where they will see water it would be better.

You could also remove the steam safety valve and install a tee between the safety valve and the boiler and put the controls on the new tee.

JUGHNE

I just built this a few days ago.

It had 2pigtails with tee, cross and 90’s.

Now clean by removing the plugs.

If the horizontal pipe is clean then the brass or SS risers are clear.

Makes PM easy and will get done more often.

Dollr

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I'll investigate and see which options work for me and my skill set.

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

@JUGHNE Is that a Vaporstat with redundant high limits? Why no pigtails to protect the limits?

Jim_X

@Alan (California Radiant) Forbes see how a 3/4 pipe goes up, out, and down? Water is put in the down manifold where the vaporstat and gauges stub off, effectively stopping steam from reaching everything like a pigtail