Funky One Pipe system (ME)

Dave Yates (PAH)

ME,

I agree with the other suggestions, but I'd add repiping the boiler and getting rid of the check vlv. Once set up with a proper header and hartford loop, you'll eliminate the potential for upchucking the boiler's contents into the main. Removal of the trap removes the one road block that might be preventing that from happening. CYA!



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Mark Eatherton1

I came across a new one...

yesterday during a system inspection. It's a one pipe steam system where the main take off is counterflow, until it jumps up into the joist bay, then on its down comer from the joist bay jumper, it becomes a one pipe parallel flow system. At the ends of the main, there is an air vent at the end, and the condensate has a trap of sorts built into the system. The condensate return also has a swong check in it. It has no equalizer, no pig tail and was set for 5 #'s with a 1-1/2# differential. The HO said he'd NEVER seen the need above zero PSI.

I had the boiler running for an hour, and the needle never budged. Also, the water line never bounced once. The original complaint was that the radiator near the end of the main would not work. I oulled the air vent and openend the main valve expecting to get some air/steam. Nothing.

I did an EDR survey, but have not had a chance to complete it.

With the condensate "trap" being what it is and where it is (crawl space), am I asking for trouble by turning the operating pressuure down to around 1-1/2 PSI?

The system was heating some radiators, and none of the mains or runouts are insulated.

Hit me up Steamsters, I know what I think I should do. I want to know what YOU think I could do.

The flue gas analysis showed extremely high flue gas temperatures (450 deg F) near the end of the burn cycle. The combustion chamber looked like brand new, even though the boiler is around 40 years old.

Attached is a simple drawing showing the trapped condition.

ME

DanHolohan

I'll bet

that "trap" is filled with goop and backing water up to the inlet of the troubled radiator. I'm not seeing a need for it.

Paul_11

Did you pull both vents

ME,
You mention that you got no steam air when you pulled some vents but which vents did you pull.
The radiator vent
The first main vent
The second main vent

Paul Shay

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Paul Pollets

Goop

I'll bet there's lots of goop around the check valve, that may also hold it open with mud supremo, if the system was never cleaned or blown down regularly.

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[Deleted User]

nothing is explaining

why there is a trap in the piping? i would remove the trap.

DanHolohan

Me

too.

Steamhead

Does the system bang

when steam is up? I've never run into a situation with water backing into a steam main where it didn't.

Let us know when you finish the EDR workup so we can see how accurately the boiler is sized and fired.

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Unknown

My thought, too

Underfired, if it's all insulated.

Shut off a couple radiators to decrease the load and see if it heats quietly.

Noel