INVERTED BUCKET TRAPS !!

steamman

traps have limited air venting capacity. most low pressure end of the main drips are f&t. sounds like the system was flooded and will ok till it floods again. tp

MIKE CALOMERIS

INVERTED BUCKET TRAPS

I received a sevice call from an apartment building for water hammer. Upon inspection I found a Hoffman inverted bucket trap installed at the end of the main. There is a #75 Hoffman main line steam vent installed before the bucket trap. The main was full of condensate water as the bucket would not open. I checked to make sure the trap was primed, it was. I then removed the cover, looked inside and found the pin that goes into the orofice missing. I then drained the water from the main and reassembled the trap. I ordered a new trap from Hoffman (it took a few days to get). I returned to the job the next day to check the status and now the entire building heats fine without water hammer. I am glad that it is working now but I don't know why? Any suggestion?

DanHolohan

Did the main

drain from the trap into a wet return? Is there a condensate pump on this job?

MIKE CALOMERIS

The trap drains into a dry return. Yes there is a condensate pump in the boiler room. The boiler sits approx. (1) story beneath the dry condensate return.
Thank you for any help you can offer.

DanHolohan

The pump

makes the trap necessary, so my guess is that the line to the fill port is there to ensure the prime.