Is my equalizer line OK? First steam install.

Mikerefrigeration

This is my first steam install. The piping is still incomplete as you can see in the photo. I feel like I should 45 my equalizer down and get rid of that horizontal section (although it pitches down to the boiler). I have 4 dry returns that drop down below the water line. Its a parellel flow system and i do have a good "a" dimension. My whole steam header pitches down to the equalizer so far. No drop loop, its just gonna tap in on the right hand side and elbow over to the 3 mains. 2.5 inch header and 2 in mains. Thank you. 

Jamie Hall

Should work OK. As you say, it might be better with that horizontal sloping, but if it has a pitch towards the boiler, so that it drains, it is far enogh above the water line that it shouldn't bang or something evil like that.

Mikerefrigeration

Thank you for the input

Ironman

You may get by with the equalizer like that (though not ideal), but you need to re-do the header. There should be no connection of the mains between the risers.

Intplm.

^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And if it is not too much trouble maybe get rid of the 45s and just pipe elbow to elbow on that equalizer.

109A_5

I think this is an optical illusion in the first picture, look at all the pictures.

Mikerefrigeration

Ok the risers are not complete yet as you can see in the picture. They will tie in before all the mains on the right hand side

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Ironman. I thought the same with the risers but he is ok. There is a tee back there that both risers will tie into.

@Mikerefrigeration

That horizontal in the equalizer could be an issue. It's close to the water line . A horizontal like that should be well above the water line or below the water line to avoid problems. It may be an issue and it may not.

In fact I have read where you should not have any horizontal above the water line but I have seen it done with no issue but not near the water line

How about taking the horizontal out and swinging the two 45s over so it lines up with the HL tee? You may have to lengthen it but it should work. An easy fix with the union there and then you will be sure. Other than that your fine.

EdTheHeaterMan

I can see where the optical illusion is in the first picture because the green arrow indicates piping that is not there yet. However there is a valid concern about the pitch of the header. The blue arrow should be sloped just ever so slightly so water does not build in the header near the boiler risers. That should be the high end and the equalizer should be the lowest end of the header.



Red arrows are the risers that are visible in the photo. Green arrow is pipe that is yet to be installed, Blue arrow man need to be adjusted with a shorter pipe nipple at one location and perhaps a longer nipple at other locations or perhaps just adjusting pipe hangers will provide the needed slope.

Mikerefrigeration

EdTheHeaterMan said:

I can see where the optical illusion is in the first picture because the green arrow indicates piping that is not there yet. However there is a valid concern about the pitch of the header. The blue arrow should be sloped just ever so slightly so water does not build in the header near the boiler risers. That should be the high end and the equalizer should be the lowest end of the header. Red arrows are the risers that are visible in the photo. Green arrow is pipe that is yet to be installed, Blue arrow man need to be adjusted with a shorter pipe nipple at one location and perhaps a longer nipple at other locations or perhaps just adjusting pipe hangers will provide the needed slope.

Ed thank you for the detailed response. The blue line has pitch towards the equalizer. Should the risers entering the header also pitch to the equalizer as well? Or is it only that the blue line is the concern for pitch towards the equalizer?

clammy

Personally I always just drop vertically and below the water line do your horizontal piping below the water line . I would also use a full size nipple on the return inlet and a reducing tee to tie into the 2 eq line . I feel and know that I’ve never seen a manufactures pics showing the eq drop going horizontal above the boiler water line ,when I have to anything like that I make sure I do it at my headers height or below the water line . I would have installed a elbow and kicked the whole headers offset to the front another pet peeve from oil jobs it impossible to brush a oil boiler w all the piping above it ,offset it forward and make it easy to clean .aside from the eq line and the take off in between your riser. I personally try to elimate steam mains dripping back into my header usually taking steam mains off the header in a vertical position instead of 45 which enables condensate to roll back in the header . nice neat pipe work . Ps please take no offense just giving some constructive advice . Every one has there way no ones one way fits every replacement and most of the time you have to think outside the box while following some really basic rules .
Peace and good luck clammy

ethicalpaul

Your steam supply pipes out of the boiler look plenty large and there are two of them so the equalizer won't even come into play unless your water quality is total garbage (for example, like if you don't skim).

No water will make it to the header so in your case the equalizer isn't doing anything (which is good).

tim smith

What size of boiler is that? if 2.5" taps off block it seems it would be a 63-06. Which calls for 3" header with 2.5" steam supply's off boiler. Just wondering. Does not look like header is larger than supply's. Might be optical illusion also. Still good 1st try.

ChrisJ

tim smith said:

What size of boiler is that? if 2.5" taps off block it seems it would be a 63-06. Which calls for 3" header with 2.5" steam supply's off boiler. Just wondering. Does not look like header is larger than supply's. Might be optical illusion also. Still good 1st try.

That looks like a WM / Williamson. I'd guess 150K input going by the burner tube count.

tim smith

Chrisj, hard to tell, I thought maybe a peerless. As it does look like the taps are 2-1/2".

Mikerefrigeration

Its a 150k input

ethicalpaul

tim smith said:

Chrisj, hard to tell, I thought maybe a peerless. As it does look like the taps are 2-1/2".

Even so, Peerless, with the larger taps, does not recommend using the full size supply pipes up to the header for the smaller boilers--it's simply unnecessary expense and waste. This isn't news to anybody probably, but they use the same large taps on all their 63 line of boilers because it would be more expensive (and less flexible) for them to manufacture end sections with different tap sizes on their different-sized boilers.

Mikerefrigeration

So this boiler is a 150k input and it has 3 in taps. My risers are 2.5 inches and my header is 2.5. So i only really needed 2 in risers? 

ChrisJ

Mikerefrigeration said:

So this boiler is a 150k input and it has 3 in taps. My risers are 2.5 inches and my header is 2.5. So i only really needed 2 in risers? 

Yes.

I'm using two 2" into a 3" header.
If I had it to do over id probably do a single 3" into a 3" header just because it would've been easier.

Your piping is more than acceptable.

Mikerefrigeration

Thank you!

EdTheHeaterMan

If water does make it to the header then you want if to go back to the boiler by way of the equalizer. so the header should br at its highest point at the first riser from the boiler. the second rizer should be a little lower and so on... to the blue line... to the equalizer. You just don't want to pitch the wrong way, so water in the header must return to the boiler by way if the riser(s). Always return water in the header by way of the equalizer.

I'm not exactly sure exactly what @clammy is referring to... I'm sure he does not mean the horizontal portion of the header being below the water line. That header is just right where it is 24" or more above the water line. Just the pitch should not got backwards.

Typed this this morning. forgot hit send

ChrisJ

EdTheHeaterMan said:

If water does make it to the header then you want if to go back to the boiler by way of the equalizer. so the header should br at its highest point at the first riser from the boiler. the second rizer should be a little lower and so on... to the blue line... to the equalizer. You just don't want to pitch the wrong way, so water in the header must return to the boiler by way if the riser(s). Always return water in the header by way of the equalizer. I'm not exactly sure exactly what @clammy is referring to... I'm sure he does not mean the horizontal portion of the header being below the water line. That header is just right where it is 24" or more above the water line. Just the pitch should not got backwards. Typed this this morning. forgot hit send

I think his concern is there could be a mixture of water and steam in the lower horizontal section of the equalizer and it could hammer.

Mikerefrigeration

EdTheHeaterMan said:

If water does make it to the header then you want if to go back to the boiler by way of the equalizer. so the header should br at its highest point at the first riser from the boiler. the second rizer should be a little lower and so on... to the blue line... to the equalizer. You just don't want to pitch the wrong way, so water in the header must return to the boiler by way if the riser(s). Always return water in the header by way of the equalizer. I'm not exactly sure exactly what @clammy is referring to... I'm sure he does not mean the horizontal portion of the header being below the water line. That header is just right where it is 24" or more above the water line. Just the pitch should not got backwards. Typed this this morning. forgot hit send

I took this photo from the front you can clearly see all the pitch back to the equalizer. (I already mentioned to the landlord that the waterheater flue is poor) that will be fixed at later point

clammy

I m kinda referring to the horizontal pipe on the eq after your 2 45 ‘s . I see it a lot and really see no reason for it and never can figure out why guys just don’t pipe straight down and pipe to the boilers return . You can look at the piping diagram that comes w the boiler . Not one diagram I have ever seen has ever had a horizontal line it always straight down . Aside from dans always great writing and explaining of things I ve never seen any manafactures diagram show any horizontal eq line except above the water line . I really don’t think this is a pet peeve . I think it some thing that’s over looked . I was told ions ago by a old timer steam guy who was looking at pics of a few steamers I did and he said “ always straight down w your eq avoid all horizontal piping on eq ,drop straight down then pipe over to your boiler return “ all I ever did was follow the basic diagram which shows a straight drop . When I see exactly what you did I just shake my head ,it certainly is not what the manufactures diagram show this is all that I am point out . Remember every bodies different and every ones brain see s things a little different . I’m not no brain surgeon just a guy who spins a wrench and has a pretty good grip on things and like kenny Rodgers sung I know when to fold em and after looking at a few jobs that the rubes have done I must have drawn garbage .
Please don’t let my pet peeves discourage you I ve been doing this for close to 40 years so I’m entitled to have a different view being I’ve viewed much this far in life . Aside from the very few things your customer is in a far better place w your installation in comparison of a lot of the junk dog poo piped stuff that I see and leave as it is . Can’t make people spend there money and u can’t give it away ormake them see value in something and you can’t change the world only your little corner which I’m more then happy to accommodate other wise ide rather not waste my time knowning life is not that long so why waste it on those who see no value .keep up the good work stand your ground and always walk away from those who only think on cost being they don’t see value in what we do until there stuck then your a god . lol
Peace and good luck clammy

ethicalpaul

Yeah I can see why he did it, he has to connect to those 3 mains and it was easier to run the header out farther to the left in the above picture. There will be no problem since there will be no water in the EQ unless the water quality is garbage.

However, check the pitch of that horizontal part on the bottom of the EQ because you want it to pitch toward the boiler. If not you might collect some condensate there which could lead to banging sometimes. It might only happen sometimes because on a short call for heat, the EQ won't even see any steam (there is a cushion of unvented air there with the water line on the bottom), but on longer calls for heat, steam will make its way there.

pecmsg

Mikerefrigeration said:

EdTheHeaterMan said:

If water does make it to the header then you want if to go back to the boiler by way of the equalizer. so the header should br at its highest point at the first riser from the boiler. the second rizer should be a little lower and so on... to the blue line... to the equalizer. You just don't want to pitch the wrong way, so water in the header must return to the boiler by way if the riser(s). Always return water in the header by way of the equalizer.

I'm not exactly sure exactly what @clammy is referring to... I'm sure he does not mean the horizontal portion of the header being below the water line. That header is just right where it is 24" or more above the water line. Just the pitch should not got backwards.

Typed this this morning. forgot hit send

I took this photo from the front you can clearly see all the pitch back to the equalizer. (I already mentioned to the landlord that the waterheater flue is poor) that will be fixed at later point



Here Unions on the gas line are not allowed inside the cabinet.

EBEBRATT-Ed

We use unions in the gas cabinet all the time . Not an issue here. Why take apart more pipe than you need to to replace the gas valve?

All gas piping is supposed to be tight. Not all the pipe with an exemption for unions because they leak

STEAM DOCTOR

Also, street fittings are not allowed in most jurisdictions. Just nit picking. 

realliveplumber

STEAM DOCTOR said:

Also, street fittings are not allowed in most jurisdictions. Just nit picking. 

If your code is the International Fuel Gas Code, that is not true.

There is nothing in the IFGC that prohibits service els. Or bushings (unless they are cast iron bushings).