Steam problem

Jim Eastman

As a wethead, I need some help with a steam question. This is a Dunkirk boiler and a MMiller feeder. It is a one pipe system that overfills the boiler before the condensate can return to the boiler. The "cold start" status has the water level at or near the steam tap on the side of the boiler. I suspect that the water hammer that is reported is caused by turbulence in the steam chest and water being "flung" up into the mains with the steam. The previous contractor replaced some of the mains in the crawl space and I am not sure that they are pitched enough back to the boiler. The cold status has the boiler filled to above the sight glass level! Would increasing the pitch of the mains (they look to be two 1 1/2" mains each about 30 feet long) help this situation by getting the condensate back to the boiler more quickly? This is a four plex apartment building and only two stories high.

What about a delay device on the feeder to allow for condensate return before the feeder starts feeding the boiler unnecessarily? There is a low water cut off device on the boiler. Any help will be appreciated! Thanks!

Jim Eastman
Boulder, CO

Steamhead

That could be caused by

a bad feeder, a good feeder that's mis-piped, or a problem in the system that's slowing the condensate's return. Normally those feeders work well.

I think you need some more expert help here. Go to the Find a Contractor page of this site to locate a steam man hear you.

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Gordo

steam problems

> As a wethead, I need some help with a steam

> question. This is a Dunkirk boiler and a MMiller

> feeder. It is a one pipe system that overfills

> the boiler before the condensate can return to

> the boiler. The "cold start" status has the

> water level at or near the steam tap on the side

> of the boiler. I suspect that the water hammer

> that is reported is caused by turbulence in the

> steam chest and water being "flung" up into the

> mains with the steam. The previous contractor

> replaced some of the mains in the crawl space and

> I am not sure that they are pitched enough back

> to the boiler. The cold status has the boiler

> filled to above the sight glass level! Would

> increasing the pitch of the mains (they look to

> be two 1 1/2" mains each about 30 feet long) help

> this situation by getting the condensate back to

> the boiler more quickly? This is a four plex

> apartment building and only two stories

> high.

>

> What about a delay device on the feeder

> to allow for condensate return before the feeder

> starts feeding the boiler unnecessarily? There

> is a low water cut off device on the boiler. Any

> help will be appreciated! Thanks!

>

> Jim

> Eastman Boulder, CO



Dear Jim: Lets see if anyone can help. First, a few questions, please: Is there a wet return on the system, or does the the condensate flow back to the boiler via the steam mains? Are the steam mains insulated? What pressure is the system running at? Is the near boiler piping correct? Thanks!

Gordo

steam problems

Dear Jim: Lets see if anyone can help. First, a few questions, please: Is there a wet return on the system, or does the the condensate flow back to the boiler via the steam mains? Are the steam mains insulated? What pressure is the system running at? Is the near boiler piping correct? Thanks!

Roger Litman

Clogged returns?

It sounds like you either have clogged returns in the crawl space or that the boiler is surging. Looking at the sight glass will tell you the latter and shutting the boiler down will tell you if the returns are clogged. This assumes that the near boiler piping is OK and that the pressuretrol is set at 2# cutout.

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Jim Eastman

This is a one pipe wet return. Pressure was set by the last contractor at 2 - 3 lbs. to "reduce the hammer". I haven't run the system, yet. The mains are insulated. The near boiler piping, including the Hartford loop appears to be correct.