Steam-one boiler or two, and, Atmospheric vs Gun

LRCCBJ · May 9

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1855134#Comment_1855134

Thereby confirming my original premise of deception.

EBEBRATT-Ed · May 10

Don't forget the pandemic when the coal boilers were sized to heat the house at 0 degrees with the windows open

The Steam Whisperer · May 10

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1855134#Comment_1855134

Yep, that it.

Long Beach Ed · May 10

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1855134#Comment_1855134

Exactly! Churches have heat requirements that differ from most structures. They are usually permitted to grow very cold all week long and then expected to heat from 48 degrees to 70 degrees on February Sunday morning when Father turns up the heat for Mass.

Mad Dog_2 · May 10

Exactly

The Steam Whisperer · May 12

Yes. And that's why the typical Commercial heating plant designs are terrible to use for churches. I've done a number of churches over the years and it is quite common to see 40% reductions in fuel usage using simple stage fired atmospheric boilers.

Long Beach Ed · May 12

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1855313#Comment_1855313

Here's a good one:

Designed a replacement system for a huge church complex on Long Island.

Rectory, garage, church and some kind of garage/monkey-house for the help.

Had three 1960s boilers and one rusted out. Three buildings, two pipe steam with four motorized zone valves. One boiler feed pump. One boiler had rotted out and we were called to design replacements. The system was controlled by pressurtrols that cut out boilers one by one on pressure rise.

We measured every one of some 50 radiators and found the system had been perfectly designed. Boilers were properly sized as were the radiators. The Archdiocese of Brooklyn knew its stuff in 1924! We also found a dozen bad traps and half dozen bad radiator valves.

We specified three new Burnham boilers, a great sequential control system and repairs.

Go back to do a final inspection and we found the plumber installed one Mammoth-sized boiler with welded pipe and an overflow trap controlling the boiler level about a foot too high. The feed pump was vented out the brick wall and was spitting steam. The bad traps were replaced with pipe nipples, as were the bad valves.

The pastor told us "the plumber thought it would be better this way, even if it was more expensive".

Don't you think we got the call when their heating bill doubled?

Why pay an engineer when you throw the report in the garbage? What a shame.