Vapor steam system

Tom K

I went to a customer that complained of hammering in their steam pipes. We installed a drop header on the system. The banging is less now, but the customer says that it does not heat as well. The cust is getting ready to gut the house and at that time we will be inusaling all of the pipes. Enclosed are pics of before and after and of an old alternating receiver that is on the system.
Thanks in advance...Tom

[Deleted User]

how the heck can it

not heat as well,,,i'm astonished it ever heated..is that a pressuretrol that i catch a glimpse of..if so i hope there is a vaporstat somewhere...

Tom K

Gerry, The only control are pictured in this next photo , besides the tstat. The house does heat but not on the north side 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor. The vacuum on the system does not seem to be as strong now. It use to run at -10 now it will only run for a few minutes before it shuts off on pressure +1. Does that help any? Tom

Unknown

Drop headers

do not work on all installations. They are typically used when the ceiling height is insufficient to allow the correct height for the a boiler header.

This picture shows that you have plenty of height to have a proper header. I think you may have jumped the gun here.

The tip off for this problem could be a dry return cross over some where in the building. The Boiler return trap is much higher than the replaced boiler.

I would check out the tightness of the check valves at the near boiler boiler piping and look for return lines that may be getting steam into them because the water level in the basement piping is much lower than it was set when the original boiler was installed.


Jake

Tom K

Jacob,
Thanks for your reply. I don't understand about the dry return cross over and you said that the return trap is higher than the old boiler. We did not replace boilers, just the header. Tom

[Deleted User]

well,

a drop header should always work..it should have 24'' minimum height risers, piped as twins (one of yours is turned). the header should be larger than the risers, (we use 4'' unless required to be bigger). the pressure should be very low..ounces.. the air has to be able to escape from the system..where is the air vent?

Tom K

The air vent is located off the alternating recievor in a separate trap air vent combo.

Steamhead

Things to check

1. Is the air eliminator trap actually venting air?

2. Any steam in the dry return? There shouldn't be any at all. If there is, you have a bad trap somewhere and it is pressurizing the dry return, which keeps steam from flowing.

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Tom K

feedback

I went back to the job today and found a bad trap hidden behind a wall. Tomorrow I will be cutting out the wall and replacing the trap. Thanks for all the input.
Tom

steve_6

loks like you don't have

> I went back to the job today and found a bad trap

> hidden behind a wall. Tomorrow I will be cutting

> out the wall and replacing the trap. Thanks for

> all the input. Tom

steve_6

looks like you don't have

your 24" "minimun" of height from your waterline to the top of you risers. what brand of boiler is that? Kind a looks like a weil mclain.

steve_6

that is a weil mclain

dont they have 3" tappings for supply? looks like you bushed it down and ran it in 2".Do you have a better side view picture of your boiler can't see the controls, equalizer and hartford loop very well?