Old timers (Warren Webster traps)

GP

Greetings to all. Please give me your expert advice on the following situation:

I'm replacing traps in a church (about 45 total). They are all typically 512 or 533 Warren Webster steam traps. My dilema is...

1. Should I replace with original WW bellows (about $70 - $90 bucks a pop) or

2. Replace with Barnes & Jones Cage Units for WW (about $25 - $37 bucks a pop)

3. Or replace with a whole new trap (e.g. Mebco or another brand) (I'm not sure on price, but again probably over $50 a pop per trap)

I like the idea of #1, but it's so expensive! I like best the idea of #2 because it's so inexpensive. I like #3, but I don't want to be repiping all day to fit in a new trap.

I'm the full time maintenance guy for the church, and I'm trying to save them some money, but I want them to last. The church only uses the system 1 day per week. So should I just go for #2 and figure the life expectancy will not be an issue?

Thanks,
Gene.

chris smith

stm traps

gene,
i'm the plant engineer of the boilers/steam system at city hall in portland maine, its a 100 year old steam system and works very well we chose option #2 and have had great luck with the cage units from B&J , they are cheap enough we think nothing of keeping a dozen or so spares around, also its worh buying a trap wrench before starting this job, i'll bet if you test your traps yearly for function you won't have to change more than 4-5 a year again hope this helps

chris smith
paradise porter maine

Bob_19

DITTO

> gene, i'm the plant engineer of the

> boilers/steam system at city hall in portland

> maine, its a 100 year old steam system and works

> very well we chose option #2 and have had great

> luck with the cage units from B&J , they are

> cheap enough we think nothing of keeping a dozen

> or so spares around, also its worh buying a trap

> wrench before starting this job, i'll bet if you

> test your traps yearly for function you won't

> have to change more than 4-5 a year again hope

> this helps

>

> chris smith paradise porter maine

Bob_19

DITTO

i also used the gage units from B&J for old WW units, replaced out every trap unit and was very happy with the end result, remove the seat, replace caps as needed. I only replaced bodies if it was an absolute necessity.
The good thing about this setup is that you can have uniformity in your system without a large expense.

Steamhead

I have also had good luck

with the B&J cage units. But also check out Tunstall's online catalog- they make good stuff too!

www.tunstall-inc.com

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Jacob Myron_11

Old Steam Traps

that have been around for more than fifty years need to buried. They have outlived the expected life cycle. The normal life cycle for the WArren Webster trap body is about thirty years. I have seen many of them operating properly when rebuilt at age 60. The one caveate to those traps is the buildings that these traps were in were rebuilt every 5 years with OEM replacent parts.

Since the building is used only one day a week cheap will work out. I suspect that heat is suppled to the building at minmal levels when the church is not in use. Leaking steam traps cost money in fuel. The amount of money lost in dollars and cents is hard to calculate as most steam traps leak at different rates.

Manufacturer charts on dollar losses generally reflect a hypothetical loss and therefore show a hypothetical loss in dollars.

THE SMART WAY TO APPROACH THE PROBLEM IS TO IDENTIFY THE TRAPS THAT ARE LEAKING BADLY AND REPLACE THEM WITH NEW TRAPS.

Repair the traps that are repairable and replace them in a scheduled replacement program.

When you replace the traps stick with one manufacturer.

I am recommending Hoffman 17K steam traps. The are shock prtected and come with a three year garantee from the manufacturer.

I used these traps in locations that were trap killers and they survived for many years. All that needed to be done was to replace the bullet (element) about every five years. I am sure that on a simple radiator they will last much longer.

Jake

doug_10

tunstall capsules

this is T.P. Tunstall. we make an all stainless steel bellows replacement for any warren webster trap. they have been preferred by many of the institutions throughout the U.S. i suggest you contact me for a free sample so you can see the tig welded bellows for these traps. also check out our web site www.tunstall-inc.com. we have furnished tens of thousands of these units with zero failure rrate.. each one is testted and calibrated before it leaves our factory. incidently, these are rated from vacuum to 125 psi!

Mad Dog

You guys are gettin' me all fired up

Haven't seen soome real good steam posts like this in a while. Mad Dog

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Earthfire

it's gettin' to be that time of year soon