Some steamer installs that will make you cringe......Boilerpro

kevin coppinger_4

pipe nipples? These are a shame...I am so blessed to have so many good examples of contractors who can and do help me do steam right!
Boiler pro, Do you ever do any oil fired stuff? kpc

Boilerpro_3

Cringe and tears No. 1

Thought you would like to be instroduced to the standard piping practices of steam installers around my parts. Get out the tissues, they will make you cry. The going cost for these type of installs has been about 5000 to 6800 with no one ever measuring the radiation. All are for one pipe steam systems. This first I just replaced this week. Nice header, eh. And check out the Hartford loop...at least this one has one. Like how the returns are tied together above the water line? Oh and did you notice the "main vents"? They are Hofmann radiator vents. BTW the 3/4 inch gas main ran about 30 equivalent feet for this 300,000 input boiler....I doubt it ever fired at the full rate.

Boilerpro_3

Cringe and tears No.2

This one gets replaced this week. Header you ask, I don't need no stinkin' header. Say, what's a Hartford loop? Hummmm, two holes in the top of the boiler and two pipes, why just hook them together. It will be much easier just to tie these returns together at the ceiling, why go done near the floor, that just a waste of piping.

Boilerpro_3

Cringe and tears No. 3

Here's another goody. It was funny watching this boiler run and run and the mains barely get hot. A few problems to say the least. The header is only about 16 inches off the water line and is reduced in size at the tee before the down turn. One return just drops into the boiler while the other is connected with the header drip... no hartford loop. These pictures were taken after I replaced the main vents, there were hot water main vents on the system previously. This one gets replaced with a new,properly sized unit hopefully at the beginning of december. The boiler appears to be still functional, but it probably just isn't worth repiping. A new unit properly piped is probably going to say the owners buckets of money.

Boilerpro_3

No. 1's demise and new life

Here's the new setup and boiler for no.1. Its been giving me fits (the boiler keeps flooding)because the system is so filthy, but it has gotten alot better in just a few days. I believe the owners are going to pop for new rad vents, then we can really get the system nice and even. Oh and BTW, the system has almost all Reed style rads...very classy with marble tops. The other funny thing is that the 3 mains are all only 1 1/2 inch with the longest about 78 feet total, I've got to double check the length to the last rad.

Boilerpro

Boilerpro_3

Nope, haven't learned oil yet

but the more I know about the dangers of propane, the more oil looks good. Yes those are galvy pipe nipples. I didn't replace them because I figured by now all the coating on the inside is worn off anyway.

Boilerpro

Steamhead

1-1/2\" Steam Mains

One of my old books says you can use this size for as much as 250 square feet EDR. I have one in a rowhouse that's 50 feet long, can't remember how much radiation is on it but it can't be more than 175 square feet or so. I vented it with a Gorton #2 and it works fine.

When dealing with these small mains, I like to vent them the same as I would a 2-inch main of the same length. This overcomes the higher internal resistance of the smaller pipe.



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joe_14

nice



boilerpro very nice work. on #1 nice drop header.isnt it amazing the type of work that some people are doing. they call themselves proffesionals. i always thought a hartford loop on one pipe was code. excluding counter flow.
again great job


joeg.

Boilerpro_3

Thanks for the input, Steamhead

I sort of figured that they would handle about 200 judging by the capacity of 2 inch mains. I think the No. 1's are about right, even with your numbers using 2 inch, because the last rad is well before the end of the mains. The mains don't have much slope either. I've throttled back on some of the rad air vents in order to help the steam move more quickly out into the system. It was tending to head for the rads with Hofmann 1A's set at 10. Got them at 5 now, probably will go down to 3 on the biggest rads, but will see if we put in new vents.

Boilerpro