This Week's Steamer...Boilerpro

Boilerpro_3

Dry fired.... It really did the owner a favor. Every section was split on this MGB 680,000 input. It had been leaking at the gaskets and had a hole in the end section before giving up the ghost.

Boilerpro_3

Also my first return trap system changeout

Here's the old Sterling return trap. It had a Dunham air eliminator too. Both are now in the back of my van, for my heating collection (I could bring them to
Wetstock Baltimore if you folks would like).

Boilerpro_3

And the Crossover Thermostatic traps/ main vents

Boilerpro_3

The new boiler

A Dunkirk D-247 400,000 input. Only had about 390 EDR plus a 75,000 btu/hr unit heater. Plan on reconnecting a few rads that are needed. This is the system that's making me think orifices on the rads. New 4 inch drop header and main vents on the end of the steam mains with a vaporstat for control.

Boilerpro_3

Another shot

With a skim valve with a hose connection on the bottom of the supply tee. A nice big 1 1/2 inch blow down valve on the 4 inch bottom tapping with an inspection cap. Boiler drains are also installed on both sides so the boiler can be emptied and refilled with clean water easily during the first few weeks when alot of cleaning is needed.

[Deleted User]

where's the new boiler pictures

man, that black ceiling is very dungeon-esk...make you glad to see daylight..

Boilerpro_3

I don't know , I'll try again

Boilerpro_3

And just the man I wanted to talk to

I was looking at Dan's info on the Mouat systems and it looks like they have valves had built in orifices that limit the amount of vapor allowed into the rad. Your experience with these systems seems to indicate that the boiler doesn't short cycle even with these orifices. I was wondering if you could expand upon your previous concerns about orifice plates in systems causing short cylcing because the plates would cause pressure to build up too quickly with modern on/ off boilers.

Boilerpro

[Deleted User]

they arn't really orifices..

what they look like is a slot that gets bigger as the valve is turned..the key feature tho was after the right amount of opening was determined, the valve has a method built into it to lock that setting as the maximum opening setting so that if someone wanted to they can close the valve, but can only open it till it hits that setting..and thats the key feature todays valves lack.

[Deleted User]

see mr. mouat

wasn;t really restricting the steam from getting into the radiator,,he was stopping it from getting all the way across to the water seal ''trap''...which by the way about 1 ounce of pressure can blow thru..

Steamhead

Looking good

and definitely bring those goodies to Wetstock. I'll see your return trap and air trap and raise you a Differential Loop and a Mercoid Pressuretrol!

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[Deleted User]

ah, there's the pictures

looks good..hey, if the boiler starts short cycling, check to see if those gorton vents are closed..i had a similar set up earlier in the year and the radiant heat of the steam main, coupled with the vents being in a ceiling/wall corner caused the vents to close..drove steve and me nuts for awhile..called gorton at steamheads request and gorton had me move the vents and all became well..just a heads up...cost us 2 mandays in frustration...nice install tho..i like it..

Boilerpro_3

I heard about that

and have another thing to look out for. I suspect it shouldn't be a problem here,though, because the combustion air intake is about 5 feet from the vents.

When I was thinking about the orifice plates, I also was thinking that the boiler would be downsized to the new radiation capacity so the pressure wouldn't build behind the plates.

Boilerpro

Boilerpro_3

Consider it done

Now I just have to try to open them up. I expect I will have my van with a travel trailer in tow, so tossing in a little more baggage won't hurt. Boy are those things heavy! We hope to make a vacation with Wetstock as part of it.


Boilerpro

[Deleted User]

funny you mention that,

my buddy steve is working on a system (mouat) and i went over there to help the final set-up with gas pressure and combustion analyzing..the boiler was running at 2'' water column gas pressure..the system worked great, i mean great..i said lets put the gas pressure to 3.5'' as per the lable plate..readings only changed slightly, little better o2, but the steam now blew thru the mouat traps, closed off the air vents...opps...so we got a compromise going..we downfired to 3''wc and steve balanced the radiator valves, and on one he made an orifice plate for the radiator by inserting a penny into the valve cause no matter what the valve blew thru..system works fine now,,readings are in parameters..i guess that falls into the tweaking dept.

Steamhead

Gerry, does that system

have a Vaporstat?

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Unknown

finding the sweet spot

That tweaking is my favorite part of the job. It's the most anxious, too.

Noel

[Deleted User]

yes it does.

installed at the end of the main, the way we do the mouats around here.

Boilerpro_3

Ain't Vapor just sweet!

Maybe we should have a table at Wetstock just about Vapor and how to convert steam to vapor. I bet most two pipe (and maybe one pipe) steam system's could run on vapor when you take into account reductions in heating loads due to building upgrades. Just waiting for an opportunity to try it.

Boilerpro

steve_6

how are those gortons venting in that location?

we had a similar location on a install we did and the vents were closing from the ambient temp in the boiler room. They were installed just like yours, by the corner of the wall and ceiling, right next to the steam main. we had to move the gortons out of the boiler room and install hoffmans in their place

Steamhead

We'll cover Vapor

at the Steam table, BP. I'll make sure of it.

So when are you gonna design and build your first system from scratch? I can see it now- you'll only need 4 ounces to get everything hot!

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Boilerpro_3

> we had a similar location on a install we did and

> the vents were closing from the ambient temp in

> the boiler room. They were installed just like

> yours, by the corner of the wall and ceiling,

> right next to the steam main. we had to move the

> gortons out of the boiler room and install

> hoffmans in their place

Boilerpro_3

> we had a similar location on a install we did and

> the vents were closing from the ambient temp in

> the boiler room. They were installed just like

> yours, by the corner of the wall and ceiling,

> right next to the steam main. we had to move the

> gortons out of the boiler room and install

> hoffmans in their place

Boilerpro_3

> we had a similar location on a install we did and

> the vents were closing from the ambient temp in

> the boiler room. They were installed just like

> yours, by the corner of the wall and ceiling,

> right next to the steam main. we had to move the

> gortons out of the boiler room and install

> hoffmans in their place

Boilerpro_3

> we had a similar location on a install we did and

> the vents were closing from the ambient temp in

> the boiler room. They were installed just like

> yours, by the corner of the wall and ceiling,

> right next to the steam main. we had to move the

> gortons out of the boiler room and install

> hoffmans in their place

Boilerpro_3

So far so good

However we have an air intake just a few feet away from the vents so it should keep them cool.

Boilerpro

Boilerpro_3

Geez, you really think it will take that much pressure?

Maybe someday,like when I have a power threader, it might happen, but steam is rapidly disappearing around here and usually getting replaced with scorched air....ouch!

Boilerpro

steve_6

how do you find that sweet spot???

what kind of run times would you be looking at, and at what outdoor temperature???/