Steam traps - do not touch?

Sawboss41

ASSISTANCE WITH IDENTIFYING THESE PLEASE.

Dan's video from 2024 appears to provide much needed insight. I am the estimator for hydronic and ac systems. Steam is not my usual subject. I am learning but this one is something i haven't seen. Assistance with positive id of these components is what i seek.

Sawboss41

Mad Dog_2

Oh boy...You need to purchase The Lost art of Steam Heating & We got steam Heat…Mad Dog

delcrossv

Looks like an intact Hoffman vapor system. The black thing is a boiler return trap, the blue thing with the vent on it is a vent trap.

If the system is working, leave them be.

Ditto on @Mad Dog_2 's suggestion.

Mad Dog_2

If you don't know The Steam, you'll take a terrible beating on this job. Where are you located? Mad Dog

Steamhead

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1849108#Comment_1849108

I think that's a Webster Type R system. And the green vent on the vent trap is too small- change it to a Gorton #2.

These are not "steam traps" in the usual sense. Get the book- it's in chapter 15.

delcrossv

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1849112#Comment_1849112

And that's why I don't go to the casino.

delcrossv

Choose between 2 pick the wrong one. Story of my life.

In any event, they're not "traps " in the conventional sense.

Jamie Hall

Not Hoffman. Webster. As noted, it's in The Lost Art — which you very definitely need.

In the meantime until it comes, check the system operating pressure. The cutout on whatever pressure control you have must not be more than 8 ounces per square inch — half a pound. Cutin should be half that — 4 ounces.

mattmia2

It is a vapor system, it needs to operate at very low pressures to work properly. That is much easier if you are very carful about not oversizing the boiler. You will have a bad time if you don't size it based on the connected radiation. I would reduce the baked in pickup factor and think about even figuring the EDR at filling maybe 80%-90% of the emitter because if it has the correct vapor valves on the radiator that is what they should be set to.

You should really find someone that knows steam to help learn on this.

delcrossv

Or measured EDR with no pickup.

And a vaporstat.

mattmia2

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1849116#Comment_1849116

It does look like it has a vaporstat but i can't tell if that is indeed a vaporstat or just a pressuretrol or modulating control in the same case from the picture.

delcrossv

Looks like a mercury vaporstat to me. Seems like there's a p-trol below as a safety.

Jamie Hall

Ah ha! Yes it does look like a mercury switch vapourstat! Hooray! I can't tell from the picture what it's set to, though.

Whatever else you do, don't lose that vapoustat. They last forever and are much more reliable than the newer ones. They do need to be level, though…

WilliamGwiazdowski

I have essentially the same equipment in my basement. 1934 colonial. I also have Webster radiator valves as well as Webster radiator traps

Mad Dog_2

The Ol' cast iron Ham....Mad Dog

Sawboss41

Thank you all for your input.

Turns out my WM vendor knows Dan from his days w BG and we reviewed Dan's video post from fall of 2024.

WM still makes all the parts for the EGH85. Will be a pull and replace and leave the dead men's design completely in tact.

Another problem solved thanks to DH and heatinghelp.com

mattmia2

Still need to do the edr calculations to make sure the last person did it right. The fact that people with a lot of experience with these specific systems are telling you the vent is too small are at best brining that in to question.

Long Beach Ed

Why are you replacing this boiler?